1st August 2019:
UKTV's comedy channel, Dave, has commissioned a series of shortform comedy programmes which will air on the channel from Monday 12th August. Dave News, produced by Strawberry Blond TV, will comprise 16 acts each delivering a two minute news segment 'live' from the Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Festival.
The comics taking part include Lou Sanders, Paul Foot, Lucy Beaumont, Michael Odewale, Jamali Maddix, Tom Rosenthal, Maisie Adam, Luke McQueen, Rhys James, Rosie Jones, Lucy Pearman, John Kearns plus Flo & Joan, Police Cops (Nathan Parkinson, Zachary Hunt, Tom Roe), Tarot (Edward Easton, Ben Rowse, Adam Drake, Kath Hughes) and Rob Carter as Christopher Bliss.
The shorts will air across Dave, on UKTV Play and across UKTV and the channel's social platforms throughout the festival, kicking off from Monday 12th August.
The commission follows the title sponsorship announcement of Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards and its Best Channel (Non-PSB) win at the Broadcast Digital Awards last month. Dave has a well-established passion for supporting fresh comedy, and with a growing slate of UKTV Originals, the channel is committed to seeking out new acts. With an audience of over 19 million people each month, original commissioned series include fan favourites such as Taskmaster, Hypothetical Judge Romesh, Sliced and Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier. The channel prides itself on supporting new talent, with the majority of its original comedies bringing in young audiences, significantly above industry average.
About Dave
Freeview 19, Sky 111, Virgin 127, YouView 19, Freesat 157, BT & TalkTalk 19
On demand on UKTVPlay
Ever since it was knee high to a TV remote, Dave had an idea. It wanted to be the first place viewers would come for brand-new, award-winning entertainment from the biggest and brightest stars and production companies in the UK. And in the years since, it has launched some of the most exciting and best-loved titles on TV. There are names like BAFTA and Emmy-nominated Taskmaster - now in its ninth series -, Judge Romesh, Hypothetical, Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier and Comedians Giving Lectures. And of course there's Dave Gorman, whose inquisitive mind is returning to the channel for Terms and Conditions Apply. It's not just in front of the camera where the comic genius lies either, with a wealth of scripted treasure such as Sliced, Porters and the globally popular Red Dwarf.
Dave's not content just to make you laugh and share gags with your mates though. Expedition with Steve Backshall and Hurricane Man are showing you regions and aspects of the earth never before seen on TV. Red Bull Soapbox continues to delight with its boundless capacity for invention. And stepping away from the TV entirely, Dave's partnered with CALM to launch the "Be The Mate You'd Want" campaign and the "Conversations Against Living Miserably" podcast.
Reaching 20million viewers a month, Dave's come a long way, but it's only just getting warmed up.
dave.uktv.co.uk / @davechannel
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 25 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.
UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.