The Comedy Network
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| The Comedy Network | |
 |
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| Type | Cable television specialty channel |
|---|---|
| Country |  Canada |
| Availability | National |
| Slogan | Time Well Wasted |
| Owner | CTV Television Inc. (CTVglobemedia) |
| Launch date | October 17, 1997 |
| Website | www.thecomedynetwork.ca |
The Comedy Network (TCN) (colloquially often just Comedy) is a Canadian cable television specialty channel with comedy programming. It is owned by CTVglobemedia. Licensed in 1996, The Comedy Network launched on October 17, 1997. It is available in more than 4.8 million homes in Canada and 44 percent of the networks revenues are reportedly reinvested back into Canadian programming. CTVglobemedia also owns CTV, and the two networks occasionally run series simultaneously, such as Corner Gas and the new series Robson Arms, with these shows for the most part being produced by CTV and re-broadcast by The Comedy Network.
The network's longtime slogan is Time Well Wasted, a variation of A&E's slogan at the time of Comedy's launch, Time Well Spent.
The channel operates two timeshifted feeds, East (Eastern Time) and West (Pacific Time).
In 2006 CTV launched The Comedy Network on the CTV Broadband Network. Some shows on the broadband network include Keys to the VIP, Odd Job Jack, and Corner Gas.
Contents |
[edit] Programming
- Further information: List of programs broadcast by The Comedy Network
[edit] Current primetime schedule
| Primetime | 7:00 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:30 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Winnipeg Comedy Festival | Just For Laughs Gags | Rick Mercer Report | The Simpsons | Odd Job Jack | |
| Monday | Air Farce | You Bet Your Ass | Just For Laughs | Corner Gas | The Simpsons | South Park |
| Tuesday | Air Farce | You Bet Your Ass | Just For Laughs | Corner Gas | The Simpsons | South Park |
| Wednesday | Air Farce | You Bet Your Ass | Just For Laughs | Corner Gas | The Simpsons | South Park |
| Thursday | Air Farce | You Bet Your Ass | Just For Laughs | Rick Mercer Report | The Simpsons | South Park |
| Friday | Air Farce | Punched Up | Corner Gas | Keys to the VIP | The Simpsons | South Park |
| Saturday | Just for Laughs | Corner Gas | Robson Arms | The Simpsons | South Park | |
[edit] Criticism
Since its inception in 1997 The Comedy Network has been widely criticized by members of the television and comedy communities as well as by viewers in general.
- Some believe the network's logo and slogan, both in use since it went on the air in 1997, are out of date.
- The quality of the network's original programming is also widely criticized. Almost every TCN production has dismal viewer ratings on IMDb, including its flagship shows Open Mike with Mike Bullard (1.1/10) and Popcultured (1.0/10).
- Some of their shows have even spawned "hate" pages on the internet, as well as petitions demanding their cancellation.
- The network's choice of re-broadcast shows has also been attacked. Some shows from the 1980s and 1990s such as Comedy at Club 54, Just for Laughs, Air Farce and Comedy Now have been re-aired many times each, and for several years.
- A general attack of the network is that they are less conerned with quality of programming than with their bottom line.
- The much-maligned network and its shows are the "victims" of an annual "Statelessness of the Industry" roast as part of the Canadian Comedy Awards.
[edit] Successes and Awards
Original Comedy Network shows Puppets Who Kill and Kevin Spencer developed cult followings, with loyal fan bases.
Puppets Who Kill, Comedy Now! and The Gavin Crawford Show have each won two Canadian Comedy Awards.
Several shows produced by (or in partnership with) the CTV parent network have also been quite successful, most notably Corner Gas (possibly the most popular Canadian sitcom ever, with seven Canadian Comedy Award wins and an International Emmy nomination).
[edit] External links
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Corporate directors: Geoff Beattie (Chairman) | David Binet | Ronald Close | Ivan Fecan (President and CEO) | Gordon Lackenbauer | James Leech | Robert Prichard | Pamela Wallin |
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