Genre gets a promotion

The BBC plans to give comedy a boost by creating a new division dedicated to the genre.

TV comedy currently comes within the corporation’s entertainment department, where it can be perceived as playing second fiddle to major shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.

However the move to create a dedicated comedy division would give it more importance, on a par with entertainment and drama.

In its annual report this week, the corporation admitted it struggled to find mainstream comedies for BBC One – and that the sitcoms it did have were ‘too focused on middle class suburbia’ and ‘compared poorly with sophisticated US imports’.

An unnamed insider told trade website Broadcastnow: ‘I's recognised that as comedy takes a greater importance in the BBC in-house productions, we need a commissioning structure similar to drama.’

Following the shake-up, a new comedy controller will report directly to director of television Jana Bennett.

The reoganisation is thought to have been prompted by the recent failure to find a new head of comedy commissioning, who would have reported to entertainment controller Jane Lush, pictured.

Commissioning executive Lucy Lumsden is temporarily filling the role, but many permanent candidates for the job were believed to be unhappy with the prospects of working in a department dominated by bigger entertainment shows.

Published: 14 Jul 2005