UKTV

'Great comedy will always find an audience' says BBC's Gregor Sharp at RTS event

Nerys Evans, Simon Lupton, Boyd Hilton, Jessica Knappett, Gregor Sharp

Plans to put BBC Three online could rob a new generation of comedy writers and performers of the opportunity to find an audience, said Jessica Knappett, creator of E4 sitcom Drifters.

Knappett, who writes and stars in the series said: "I feel like BBC Three going online is a door closing, it's an opportunity that's been taken away from me. I feel personally it's exactly the sort of channel I would write for and I found it difficult enough to get an audience on E4."

No laughing matter: how does comedy fight back?

Key industry players provide an insight into the evolution of sitcoms and discuss whether the genre has become more risk averse because of the pressure to land a hit, or simply evolved to meet the changing taste of viewers. We also examine if money is being redirected into genres that are cheaper and easier to make, how BBC Three moving online might affect the development and growth of new comedies, and who is putting their head above the parapet and trying to put scripted comedy back at the heart of TV viewing.

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Tips in 60 seconds... How to find your audience

You've thought of a programme idea, you're about to write a winning pitch but first you need to think of your audience. Tailoring content to specific demographics is highly important in television. Clare Laycock explains how to do it.

Clare is Head of Channel TLC at Discovery Networks UK & Ireland. Previously Clare headed up Really, Home and Good Food at UKTV so she knows a thing or two about making great TV for specific audiences.