Securing a financial copro partner for a comedy series is no joke, but The Comedy Network has given a leg up to many developing programs looking for big laughs from audiences.

Corner Gas is perhaps the most well known of TCN’s originals. Virginia Thompson of show producer Vérité Films in Regina says Comedy’s VP Brent Haynes and CTV’s development executive Louise Clark were both instrumental in securing the show’s original agreement, with the two channels codeveloping the series from day one.

While Thompson won’t specify dollar amounts, the first two seasons were funded through the CTV/BCE benefits package, and a distribution advance with SaskFilm and the defunct CanWest Western Independent Producers Fund. Seasons three to five were coproduced with CTV and Comedy along with tax credits.

Greg Lawrence, head of Ottawa’s Ocnus Productions (Butch Patterson: Private Dick and Girls Will Be Girls), says Comedy has always been active in ensuring their shows have access to other funding streams. Ocnus’ Kevin Spencer, for example, secured Canadian Television Fund cash, and Comedy closed 100% of the financing gap for its final three seasons. For his other projects, he says the net contributed approximately 65% to 75%.

John Brunton, president and CEO of Toronto’s Insight Productions, says Comedy’s financial commitment to The Jon Dore Television Show was a substantial contribution. ‘Close to 80%,’ he confirms.

He says Haynes, development and production exec Michelle Daly and original programming manager Sarah Fowlie play active roles from script development to the last cut.

‘This is a…program that takes a lot of risks, and it’s great to have partners onside who are willing to take those risks along with you,’ says Brunton.

The parent net also takes risks by testing out TCN originals on its terrestrial sked. Keys to the VIP is the latest to test the terrestrial waters, following NFL games on Sunday afternoons.

‘The promotional machine that gets behind the show is incredible,’ says exec producer Sean Buckley of Toronto’s Buck Productions, adding that Comedy contributes approximately 90% to the production budget in licence fees and equity investment. ‘[TCN] challenges you as a producer to make and deliver your best product,’ he says.

Thompson agrees. ‘They understand comedy and the creative vision of projects and how to nurture that vision rather than hinder it,’ she says. And that last nurture note is an important one – it’s really the key to making great TV. They’re also funny to boot!’