BBC to showcase comedy on iPlayer before it hits terrestrial TV

Digital channel BBC Three will show all of its scripted comedy shows on the iPlayer before they hit television screens.

Channel controller Zai Bennett said the move, which starts in August with the new series of Jack Whitehall's Bad Education, suited its "digitally savvy" audience.

He said: "We've already been experimenting with online content, starting with the hugely popular Comedy Feeds, now in their second season and with a third in the pipeline. Premiering our scripted comedies on BBC iPlayer is an obvious and exciting step forward for BBC Three, and yet another innovative way to give our viewers more choice in the ways they can enjoy our programmes."

The move comes after the BBC announced Peter Kay's new sitcom would be its first series shown in its entirety on the catch-up service before hitting television screens.

The six-episode BBC One series called Car Share features the Bolton-born comic as a supermarket worker called John thrown together with a female colleague in a company car share scheme.

PA