h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've only just learned that The Daily Show wasn't regularly shown in the U.K. for the last year and a half. This seemed odd to me. I know part of it was banned one time because it had segments about Parliament and the Royal Wedding (which apparently is illegal, for some reason), but I don't think that would have resulted in a year-long ban, so I'm assuming there's something else behind it. I find from reading Wikipedia that it's recently moved to a new channel there, so it occurs to me that perhaps it's just some legal mumbo-jumbo about broadcasts and nitwit corporate executives and so on, but I can't confirm that. So, to get to the heart of my question here, does anybody know what the story is behind this?

It didn't get the ratings on the channel More4, so they dropped it, apart from a once-a-week 'Global Edition'. Now I think the Comedy Channel have decided to show it. It was a purely commercial decision apparently.

I see. Well that's one mystery solved.

Hercule Poirot at your service.

While we're on the subject may I complain that
the Daily Show website, which features almost all
of the past programs or at least featured segments,
is blocked in Canada. We get re-directed to the The
Comedy Network (a Canadian network NOT the US
Comedy Central) which only ever has the last four
most recently aired episodes available online.

This is a huge pain when you want to see for example
the interviews with someone like historian Sara Vowell
who has appeared several times over the years with
each new book she publishes. It is fascinating to see her
evolve.


~jwf~

I've been on the website in the UK, and all I'll say is, you're lucky jwf. Don't think I've ever seen anything over here, apart from 4-second clips.