C4 boosts comedy budget and greenlights new shows

To coincide with its 25th birthday, Channel 4 has announced a renewal of its remit, including a £3million increase in funding for comedy and a promise to reduce the number of U.S. imports and to drop Celebrity Big Brother. The broadcaster has also announced an increase in spending for drama, hoping to find a successor to Shameless.

Amongst the new comedies will be a full series of Comedy Showcase pilots Plus One and The Kevin Bishop Show. New series of The IT Crowd and sketch show Modern Toss have also been given the greenlight.

As reported previously, Peep Show will also be returning for another series next year.

Julian Bellamy, the recently appointed head of programming, said he wanted to find era-defining successor to shows such as Green Wing and Ali G. He said: "A lot of it is about taking a deep breath and empowering each other and the creative community to feel Channel 4 is the most exciting place in TV. Channel 4 should not be about playing it safe."