Channel 4's blog

New programmes have dominated Channel 4′s list of most watched shows in 2012, with new commissions accounting for 74% (37) of the top 50 programmes broadcast on the main channel in 2012 – and 77% (22) of the top 30.

Amongst them are a range of successful new titles launched in 2012 that have already been commissioned to return in 2013 including The Undateables, Derek, Stephen Fry: Gadget Man, George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, 999: What’s Your Emergency, The Hoarder Next Door and 16 Kids and Counting – as well as the return of hit US drama, Homeland.

Channel 4′s most popular programme of 2012 was The Paralympics 2012 Opening Ceremony, which averaged 7.9 million viewers and peaked with 11.6 million – the channel’s biggest audience in over a decade. Over the course of the Games, Channel 4′s coverage reached 39.9 million people – 69% of the UK population. Continue reading »

First Time Farmers is a brand new five-part observational documentary series looking at all aspects of farming life through the eyes of the younger generation.

Set in the picturesque English countryside, these fresh faced individuals are certainly not your average looking traditional farmers – they are the hard-working modern breed of the farming generation breathing new life into the agricultural world.

Filmed over a six-month period, this observational series will lift the lid on the dilemmas, pressures and daily grind of young farmers living in the Cotswold’s, Herefordshire and the West Country. Continue reading »

4oD is the first UK video on demand app developed for Windows 8.

This brand new Windows 8 4oD app enables users to watch their favourite shows from Channel 4, E4 and More 4 – from the latest episodes of award-winning programmes such as Fresh Meat and Homeland, to an archive of great shows from the last 30 years, including classic comedies such as Father Ted and The Inbetweeners.

The intuitive and visually captivating Windows 8 layout means that watching a programme, reading the synopsis in snap view and searching for other favourite programmes is truly discrete across all media forms: PC, laptop and tablet alike. Three views, one experience.

In combination with the new app, a dedicated ad package launches on Friday 14th December for three months, and will see Windows 8 and 4oD co-branded idents taking the first pre-roll ad across every platform (c.120m streams). Alongside this, co-branded TV ads will run throughout the Channel 4 owned portfolio, immediately following on-air 4oD promos, to publicise 4oD on Windows 8. Continue reading »

Peter Kay returns to Channel 4 in 2013 in a brand new one hour comedy special, Malachy’s Millions, produced by Baby Cow and commissioned by Deputy Head of Comedy, Nerys Evans.

Malachy Mooney (Peter Kay) is a self-made millionaire, having accumulated his fortune through his coach empire ‘The Mooneys’ – Taking You Away From Everything You Know’.

However, for one week Malachy will trade his luxury lifestyle – the large house, the manicured gardens, and the lion statues to go live undercover in a destitute former mining town in Northern England, hoping to change lives and make dreams come true with deserving folk for his monies.

Peter Kay said “The script by Jo Enright and Lorna Burke made me laugh a lot and I also liked the opportunity of playing a character again” Continue reading »

Channel 4 today announced the launch of a new E4 interactive music streaming app hosted by Spotify – the first partnership with a UK TV broadcaster for the leading digital music service.

From today, E4 viewers will be able to find music from their favourite shows including Made in Chelsea, Misfits and Skins, in the free and easy-to-use E4 app in the Spotify app finder http://open.spotify.com/app/e4. The app will also integrate with Spotify features to allow users to instantly play music from E4 shows and share the music on social networks including Facebook and Twitter.

The app’s Playlist Generator feature allows users to create and share their own E4 playlists made up of the music from E4 shows. Continue reading »

Before a room of comedic greats, and with help from some A-List guests, Jonathan will reveal the winners. And the bickering will finally stop as Britain will vote to decide who the UK’s funniest star is and crown their 2012 King or Queen of Comedy.

Voting for this coveted award will open during the Nominations show on Sunday 2nd December at 10.30pm.

There will also be two special awards given out on the night ‘The British Comedy Outstanding Achievement Award’ and ‘The Writer’s Guild of Great Britain Award’. Continue reading »

Stand Up To Cancer donation lines closed on 30 November with the final fundraising total for the campaign standing at a staggering £8m, making it the most successful charity fundraiser on UK commercial TV ever.

The campaign, a new fundraising collaboration between Cancer Research UK, Channel 4 and Stand Up to Cancer US, raises money to boost funds for collaborative cancer studies and trials to turn breakthroughs in the lab into breakthroughs in our hospitals.

Stand Up To Cancer is a programme of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, which began in the USA in 2008 and has raised more than $260m for cancer research. Continue reading »

10:00pm Friday, December 21 on C4

In the final show of the current series, chef supremo Gordon Ramsay tells Alan all about his Christmas TV special – a cook-along-live on Christmas Day. Sir Ian McKellen talks about reprising his role of Gandalf for the forthcoming film: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and Miranda Hart gives the lowdown on her award-winning series Miranda. Plus music is from Kylie Minogue.

9:00pm Friday, December 21 on C4

A festive special. Fifty-eight-year-old Pauline is a huge fan of Christmas and boasts a vast collection of inaccessible Christmas decorations; hundreds of tins of out-of-date food; and with even seven Christmas trees buried somewhere among the clutter. But this year she is determined to celebrate Christmas in her house with her grandchildren for the very first time. Helping Pauline in her ambition is psychotherapist Stelios Kiosses, who has 16 years of experience working with hoarders. Stelios offers a ground-breaking approach in tackling compulsive hoarding with a six-week intensive therapy course.

10:00pm Thursday, December 20 on C4

Fresh from his triumph as host of Channel 4′s critically acclaimed Paralympics entertainment show The Last Leg with Adam Hills, Australian funny man Adam Hills returns with a one-off exclusive show recorded live at The Lyric Theatre in London’s West End. This show combines Adam’s trademark hilarious anecdotes, delivered in his own unique laid-back style, with audience participation.