Ha! (TV channel): Difference between revisions
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| closed_date = {{End date|1991|04|01}}<br>({{Age in years and days|1990|04|01|1991|04|01}}) |
| closed_date = {{End date|1991|04|01}}<br>({{Age in years and days|1990|04|01|1991|04|01}}) |
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| owner = [[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]] |
| owner = [[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]] |
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| parent = |
| parent = [[MTV Networks]] |
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| country = [[United States]] |
| country = [[United States]] |
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| language = English |
| language = English |
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| replaced_by = [[Comedy Central]] |
| replaced_by = [[Comedy Central]] |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Ha!: TV Comedy Network''' (commonly known as '''Ha!''') was |
'''Ha!: TV Comedy Network''' (commonly known as '''Ha!''') was an American [[pay television]] channel owned by [[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]]; it was one of the first American all-comedy channels available in basic-tier television offers. Launched on April 1, 1990, at 7 p.m. ET,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121105165807/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8167018.html Jim Sullivan, Globe Staff. "Cable Comedy: No Laughing Matter"], ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', March 30, 1990.</ref> it competed with another startup comedy-oriented cable channel, [[HBO]]-owned [[The Comedy Channel (American TV channel)|The Comedy Channel]]. In 1991, the two channels merged to form [[Comedy Central]]. |
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== Background == |
== Background == |
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== Programming == |
== Programming == |
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Unlike The Comedy Channel, which focused on stand-up comedy specials and clips of classic comedy feature films, Ha!'s programming centered largely on acquired off-network [[situation comedies]] from the 1950s to the 1970s. Some cable providers, particularly those owned by [[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]] or [[Cablevision]], carried the channel under a channel-share agreement in which it would be aired on the same channel space as fellow Viacom-owned cable network [[VH1]]; Ha! would air for half of the day, with the channel turning over to VH1 afterward.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121105165812/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3991680.html Ernest Tucker. "The comedy cable clash // Who will laugh last?"], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', April 1, 1990 |
Unlike The Comedy Channel, which focused on stand-up comedy specials and clips of classic comedy feature films, Ha!'s programming centered largely on acquired off-network [[situation comedies]] from the 1950s to the 1970s. Some cable providers, particularly those owned by [[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]] or [[Cablevision]], carried the channel under a channel-share agreement in which it would be aired on the same channel space as fellow Viacom-owned cable network [[VH1]]; Ha! would air for half of the day, with the channel turning over to VH1 afterward.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121105165812/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3991680.html Ernest Tucker. "The comedy cable clash // Who will laugh last?"], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', April 1, 1990.</ref> Programing included ''[[Caesar's Hour]]'', in half-hour segments with ''[[Sid Caesar]]'' intros, ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]'', also edited to a half-hour format with 1990 reflections taped by Allen, ''[[You Bet Your Life]]'', ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'', the 1960–67 ''[[CBS]]'' network prime time version of ''[[Candid Camera]]'', ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'', and ''[[Car 54, Where Are You?]]''. |
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The channel name was culled by MTV Networks from a list of 400 possible suggestions by branding agency Fred/Alan, Inc., New York, whose creative team created the logo, branding, advertising, and was the primary consultant on the on-air promotion.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://fredalan.org/tagged/HA%21 |title=HA! @ The Fred/Alan Archive |access-date=2020-08-16 |archive-date=2020-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712062840/https://fredalan.org/tagged/HA%21 |url-status=live }}</ref> As with other channels owned by MTV Networks, the logo was designed in an approach that gave it many variations, each with a different illustrative approach. |
The channel name was culled by MTV Networks from a list of 400 possible suggestions by branding agency Fred/Alan, Inc., New York, whose creative team created the logo, branding, advertising, and was the primary consultant on the on-air promotion.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://fredalan.org/tagged/HA%21 |title=HA! @ The Fred/Alan Archive |access-date=2020-08-16 |archive-date=2020-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712062840/https://fredalan.org/tagged/HA%21 |url-status=live }}</ref> As with other channels owned by MTV Networks, the logo was designed in an approach that gave it many variations, each with a different illustrative approach. |
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===Acquired programming=== |
===Acquired programming=== |
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{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| |
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| |
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* ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show]]'' ( |
* ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show]]'' (October–December 1990) |
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* ''[[All Is Forgiven (TV series)|All Is Forgiven]]'' |
* ''[[All Is Forgiven (TV series)|All Is Forgiven]]'' |
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* ''[[The Associates (American TV series)|The Associates]]'' |
* ''[[The Associates (American TV series)|The Associates]]'' |
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* ''[[The Best of Groucho]]'' |
* ''[[The Best of Groucho]]'' |
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* ''[[The Betty White Show (1977 TV series)|The Betty White Show]]'' |
* ''[[The Betty White Show (1977 TV series)|The Betty White Show]]'' |
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* ''[[Best of the West]]'' ( |
* ''[[Best of the West]]'' (April–November 1990) |
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* ''[[Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (TV series)|Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice]]'' (September 1990) |
* ''[[Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (TV series)|Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice]]'' (September 1990) |
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* ''[[Bridget Loves Bernie]]'' |
* ''[[Bridget Loves Bernie]]'' |
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* ''[[Car 54, Where Are You?]]'' |
* ''[[Car 54, Where Are You?]]'' |
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* ''[[The Charmings]]'' |
* ''[[The Charmings]]'' |
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* ''[[C.P.O. Sharkey]]'' ( |
* ''[[C.P.O. Sharkey]]'' (April–December 1990) |
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* ''[[The Duck Factory]]'' |
* ''[[The Duck Factory]]'' |
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* ''[[Fractured Flickers]]'' |
* ''[[Fractured Flickers]]'' |
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* ''[[Fresno (miniseries)|Fresno]]'' ( |
* ''[[Fresno (miniseries)|Fresno]]'' (June–July 1990) |
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* ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'' |
* ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'' |
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* ''[[Laurel and Hardy filmography|Laurel and Hardy]]'' |
* ''[[Laurel and Hardy filmography|Laurel and Hardy]]'' |
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* ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'' |
* ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'' |
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* ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]'' |
* ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]'' |
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* ''[[Tabitha (TV series)|Tabitha]]'' ( |
* ''[[Tabitha (TV series)|Tabitha]]'' (June–October 1990) |
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* ''[[The Texas Wheelers]]'' ( |
* ''[[The Texas Wheelers]]'' (April–November 1990) |
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* ''[[That Girl]]'' |
* ''[[That Girl]]'' |
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* ''[[The Tim Conway Show (1970 TV series)|The Tim Conway Show]]'' ( |
* ''[[The Tim Conway Show (1970 TV series)|The Tim Conway Show]]'' (May–June 1990) |
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* ''[[The Tony Randall Show]]'' |
* ''[[The Tony Randall Show]]'' |
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* ''[[TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes]]'' |
* ''[[TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes]]'' |
Latest revision as of 22:38, 17 April 2024
![]() Ha! logo designed by Noel Frankel, Fred/Alan, Inc., New York. Illustrated by Lou Brooks.[1] | |
Land | Vereinigte Staaten |
---|---|
Programmierung | |
Language(s) | Englisch |
Ownership | |
Owner | Viacom |
Parent | MTV Networks |
History | |
Launched | April 1, 1990 |
Closed | April 1, 1991 (1 year, 0 days) |
Replaced by | Comedy Central |
Ha!: TV Comedy Network (commonly known as Ha!) was an American pay television channel owned by Viacom; it was one of the first American all-comedy channels available in basic-tier television offers. Launched on April 1, 1990, at 7 p.m. ET,[2] it competed with another startup comedy-oriented cable channel, HBO-owned The Comedy Channel. In 1991, the two channels merged to form Comedy Central.
Background
[edit]MTV Networks had carved out a niche for itself in the cable programming marketplace throughout the 1980s with its flagship networks MTV and Nickelodeon. Up until that point, there had been only one instance of competition among genres in the cable industry, that of Ted Turner launching a rival to MTV, Cable Music Channel, which ended up being short-lived and Viacom using the channel space for an older-skewing counterpart to MTV, VH1. At the same time though, research constantly encouraged management that a channel strictly dedicated to comedy programming would be profitable, motivating MTV to forge ahead with plans for a comedy channel. When HBO announced the launch of The Comedy Channel, MTV Networks retaliated by announcing the debut of its own rival channel, Ha![1]
Programmierung
[edit]Unlike The Comedy Channel, which focused on stand-up comedy specials and clips of classic comedy feature films, Ha!'s programming centered largely on acquired off-network situation comedies from the 1950s to the 1970s. Some cable providers, particularly those owned by Viacom or Cablevision, carried the channel under a channel-share agreement in which it would be aired on the same channel space as fellow Viacom-owned cable network VH1; Ha! would air for half of the day, with the channel turning over to VH1 afterward.[3] Programing included Caesar's Hour, in half-hour segments with Sid Caesar intros, The Steve Allen Show, also edited to a half-hour format with 1990 reflections taped by Allen, You Bet Your Life, The Jack Benny Program, the 1960–67 CBS network prime time version of Candid Camera, The Phil Silvers Show, and Car 54, Where Are You?.
The channel name was culled by MTV Networks from a list of 400 possible suggestions by branding agency Fred/Alan, Inc., New York, whose creative team created the logo, branding, advertising, and was the primary consultant on the on-air promotion.[4] As with other channels owned by MTV Networks, the logo was designed in an approach that gave it many variations, each with a different illustrative approach.
Towards the end of 1990, with costs on both sides of the competitive equation struggling to meet the limited needs of cable systems' even limited capacity, HBO and Viacom agreed to merge their respective comedy channels. Ha! and Comedy Channel combined to create CTV: The Comedy Network, which began airing on April 1, 1991;[5] prior to the merger, both channels each had fewer than 10 million subscribers. Because of confusion and possible legal issues with the Canadian-based CTV network, the name of the network was subsequently changed to Comedy Central.[6] The name "Comedy Partners, Inc." appears on the end credits of all shows produced by the new channel. The original Viacom (not the current one, of which Comedy Central is currently part) bought out Time Warner's (which had belonged to HBO, which operated The Comedy Channel) half of the network in 2003; despite this, the "Comedy Partners, Inc." byline still appears on shows produced by the channel today.[7]
Original programming
[edit]- Access America (December 7, 1990–1991)
- Afterdrive (November 1, 1990–1991)
- The Big Room
- Clash!
- Comics Only (December 31, 1990–1991)
- London Underground
- Random Acts of Variety
Acquired programming
[edit]- The Abbott and Costello Show (October–December 1990)
- All Is Forgiven
- The Associates
- The Bad News Bears
- The Best of Groucho
- The Betty White Show
- Best of the West (April–November 1990)
- Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (September 1990)
- Bridget Loves Bernie
- Camp Runamuck
- Candid Camera
- Captain Nice
- Car 54, Where Are You?
- The Charmings
- C.P.O. Sharkey (April–December 1990)
- The Duck Factory
- Fractured Flickers
- Fresno (June–July 1990)
- The Jack Benny Program
- Laurel and Hardy
- Love, American Style
- The Lucy Show
- Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection
- McHale's Navy
- Mork & Mindy
- The New Candid Camera
- Occasional Wife
- The Phil Silvers Show
- Phyllis
- Quark
- Rhoda
- Saturday Night Live
- SCTV
- The Steve Allen Show
- Tabitha (June–October 1990)
- The Texas Wheelers (April–November 1990)
- That Girl
- The Tim Conway Show (May–June 1990)
- The Tony Randall Show
- TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes
- When Things Were Rotten
- Whose Line Is It Anyway?
- Working Stiffs
- Your Show of Shows
References
[edit]- ^ a b Seibert, Fed. "Positioning HA!". Fredalan.org. The Fred/Alan Archive. Archived from the original on 2020-07-12. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ Jim Sullivan, Globe Staff. "Cable Comedy: No Laughing Matter", The Boston Globe, March 30, 1990.
- ^ Ernest Tucker. "The comedy cable clash // Who will laugh last?", Chicago Sun-Times, April 1, 1990.
- ^ "HA! @ The Fred/Alan Archive". Archived from the original on 2020-07-12. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ 2 Comedy Channels Will Merge Archived 2022-08-23 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, December 19, 1990.
- ^ "The Naming of Comedy Central @ The Fred/Alan Archive". Archived from the original on 2020-08-01. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ "Viacom buys Comedy Central". CNN. April 22, 2003. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2020.