Comedy Central shows head Down Under

Several Australian free and pay TV broadcasters have picked up comedy series from the Comedy Central stable.

Public broadcaster ABC has acquired Comedy Central UK’s most recent original series Alternative Comedy Experience and will air it on its ABC2 channel. The twelve-part series is hosted by comic Stewart Lee and looks at the past and present of stand-up comedy. It will debut next month in Australia.

ABC2 has bought the series as part of a package from Comedy Central, which also includes John Mulaney: New In Town, Matt Braunger: Shovel Fighter, Nick Swardson: Seriously, Who Farted?, Stewart Lee – Carpet Remnant World, Demetri Martin: Person and Kroll Show.

Australia’s other public broadcaster, SBS, has picked up Comedy Central’s animated sitcom Ugly Americans (pictured) and three seasons of The Sarah Silverman Show. The series are all distributed by Viacom International Media Networks, which also shopped MTV’s The Dudesons and sketch series Human Giant to SBS.

In pay TV, the Foxtel Comedy Channel has acquired the international daily versions of The Daily Show with John Stewart and The Colbert Report.