The Stage

Online A to Z of comedy launched

Published Tuesday 2 June 2009 at 12:14 by Matthew Hemley

Independent production company Pozzitive, which counts shows such as Dinnerladies and Little Miss Jocelyn amongst its credits, has launched a new website it is dubbing an “online encyclopedia of British comedy”.

The site, at www.pozzitive.co.uk, has been compiled using material from the company’s back catalogue of sketch shows, sitcoms and programmes spanning 20 years.

It features more than 570 rare photos, including never-before-seen shots of comedians such as Simon Pegg, Robbie Coltrane, Julian Clary and Jack Dee, and behind-the-scenes footage from shows including Coogan’s Run.

Pozzitive’s initiative also includes extracts from untransmitted pilots.

David Tyler, who formed Pozzitive with Geoff Posner, said: “We’re excited about the way comedy can be used to engage and interact with the public online. We’ve been fortunate to have worked on some of the most important shows in British comedy history and, over the years, we’ve collected a vast amount of exclusive show material which we decided to put online for the world to enjoy. Much of this information will never have been released before let alone collated in one place.”

Between them, Tyler and Posner have worked on shows such as French and Saunders, Black Adder and The Lenny Henry Show.