I know this is reviving an old thread here, but an idea has come to me that I just wanted to share with anyone who might care to hear it.
I think most people are in agreement that Comic Relief lost most of its humour when it started getting more celeb centered.
My idea is that the BBC could take the opportunity to take submitted new material from stand-up comics and sitcoms. These could be acted out on stage in front of an audience with minimal backdrop. They then could open up phone lines for the public to vote on which ones they liked.
This would generate money, allow people's work to get aired and act as pilot episodes so that the BBC could see what the public actually might like.
Just a thought, but it's what I'd prefer to see.