American fans of British sitcoms to get whole new block of TV to enjoy via BBC America

BBC America announced today that it'll launch a two-hour comedy block on Saturday nights this summer full of UK comedies — it's not Must-See TV Thursdays (that's NBC), it's "Ministry of Laughs."

The block from 10 p.m. to midnight Saturdays, starting June 18, will include Come Fly With Me, an airport mocumentary from Little Britain's Matt Lucas and David Walliams; Friday Night Dinner, Robert Popper's (Look Around You) latest project about a Jewish family that gets together weekly. Earlier parts of the block will include new seasons of The Graham Norton Show and The Inbetweeners.

BBC Worldwide America's Perry Simon said: "There's nothing quite like British comedy and since joining last year one of my key ambitions has been to showcase the very best of it here on BBC America. In the early days of the channel, The Office broke the mold and virtually reinvented television comedy on both sides of the Atlantic. Ministry of Laughs will deliver a new generation of talented actors, writers and creators who are taking British comedy to a whole new place, and the brilliant Graham Norton Show is the perfect launch pad for this effort."

In related news, the network also announced premiere dates for new seasons of That Mitchell & Webb Show (Oct. 1, 2011), The Thick of It (Nov. 12, 2011), Katy Brand's Big Ass Show (Jan. 7, 2012) and Peep Show (March 31, 2012).

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

View all posts by Sean L. McCarthy →