As the best comedy starts to migrate online, is the internet becoming a threat to live stand up?
Remember the old slogan “home taping is killing music”? Well, those slogan-makers should knuckle down on a new variant. “The internet is shaking up television comedy.” Comedy clubs may not want to hear this, but in future the best television comedy may come via broadband rather than via the live stage. It has just been announced that cult comedians Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler’s loopy web adventure, Penelope: Princess Of Pets is to be developed by Channel 4. This goofball magic realism mix of real-life acting plus bike-riding turtles and assassin sheep was originally screened on comedy website Super Deluxe. Its transfer could be the tipping point where talent comes from the web rather than traditional comedy casting couches such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Edinburgh’s Fringe may eventually be reclaimed by comedy fans as the TV talent spotters become glued to their laptops: “Media people are inherently lazy,” says Sarah Farrell, director of content at Paramount Comedy. “They
