TBS, a Turner Broadcasting System channel devoted to comedy, has unveiled two new broadband video services: veryfunnyads.com (note: the channel's tagline is "very funny"), a collection of amusing commercials from around the world, and Laugh Lab, a service that will be accessed through TBS.com and that will contain an array of comedy content, including stand-up performances from well-known comedians and encore presentations of the TBS original series, "My Boys" and "10 Items or Less." veryfunnyads.com launched August 23rd (in conjunction with a one-hour linear TV special entitled "World's Funniest Commercials"), while Laugh Lab is scheduled to launch this fall. "While TBS's network strategy is to focus on smart, relatable storytelling as expressed through high-quality scripted comedy series, our broadband strategy is to provide viewers with access to comedy in its many forms, from stand-up comedy to the world's funniest commercials to broadband presentations of our original series," Steve Koonin, EVP and COO of TBS and its drama-themed sister-channel, TNT, said in a prepared statement. "Through veryfunnyads.com and Laugh Lab, we'll be able to provide broadband users with a dynamic assortment of comic material guaranteed to keep them laughing non-stop."
Veryfunnyads.com provides an array of commercials, many of which are being presented to US viewers for the first time. Among other things, the service allows visitors to email their friends links to their favorite commercials, offer feedback, and suggest other commercials they would like to see included. TBS says that the service's content will be updated on a regular basis. In addition to stand-up performances from around 80 comedians (note: the performances will be presented in a variety of formats, ranging from 60-second clips to full-length specials) and episodes of "My Boys" and "10 Items or Less" (note: the episodes will be available on the service immediately following their linear broadcast, and the service will also feature exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes clips), Laugh Lab will feature: "MyTBS," a customization tool that will present viewers with recommendations and video clips tailored to their individual tastes; "Funny or Not?," a showcase for user-generated content where viewers will be able to upload their own comic video projects for other viewers to rate; "Very Funny VLOG," a videoblog featuring viral videos from the Web and comic commentary from TBS's bloggers; "Daily Laugh Break," a service that will send a "funny clip of the day" to viewers' mobile phones or computers; and "Department of Humor Analysis," a series of shorts starring John Cleese. (Note: TBS's sister-channel, TNT, recently announced a new broadband video service called "DramaVision"; see article in this issue.)
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