One of the big lessons of the online revolution during the pandemic was that comedy can build community, bring people together, smash through timezone gaps, class and age differences, and the many other obstacles brought about by people’s different circumstances. I’m hugely proud of the work Below The Line has already done to bring comedy-lovers together and open the door for more to come in. But this is just the beginning of what can be achieved, together. You’re expecting me to close with a joke, but instead I’m going to let the wisdom of my words hang in the air. There it is, look.
Mark Watson
Comedian, Producer & Below The Line Trustee
Our Values
AccessibilityWe believe that comedy should be accessible for everyone.
InclusivityWe believe it is possible to bring about positive change in the comedy community and create inclusive spaces without barriers so that everyone feels welcome to join in.
CommunityWe believe in the value and power of a supportive community where we work together and speak up for one another.
Who We Are
Oh hi there! Welcome Below The Line. Thanks so much for stopping by! If you’ve got a couple of minutes, we would love to share a little about ourselves with you.
Hey! I do have a couple of minutes actually! So, who ARE you?
We are a group of like-minded comedy fans and, your friend and mine, friendly neighbourhood comedian, Mark Watson. Together, we decided to formalise this pay it forward scheme into a fully-fledged charity to spread the joy of comedy and make it more accessible for all by providing a helping hand to access comedy.
This charity is run on an entirely voluntary basis; no one is paid. We are just a group of passionate people trying to bring the comedy community together to do good things. All of your HUGELY appreciated donations will be used to pay for comedy tickets for fellow fans who cannot afford them and to further our objectives. (more details on these things below... *eyes emoji*).
Oh sorry, speaking of ‘below’, I was actually wondering: why are you called ‘Below The Line’?
Fair. This does have a somewhat niche origin. We met and became friends online via the fan community surrounding No More Jockeys (cult YouTube show by Mark Watson, Alex Horne & Tim Key). Watson and co. often refer to their viewers as being ‘below the line’ in reference to the line separating a YouTube video from the comments section, where we dwell.
In the way that people often do, we embraced this affectionate nickname and decided to name our online community after it. We feel it’s a good fit as it isn't just YouTube; we, the audience, are below the line of all live-streamed comedy shows- in chat boxes and comment sections, and now one big online community!
What We Do - Tickets
OK cool, so I guess I’m Below The Line! You mentioned your aims a minute ago, before I got totally side-tracked by your name, but what do you actually do?
Well, we’re glad you ask! We are a registered charity and as you will see from Our Values, it is our mission to make comedy more accessible and inclusive for everyone in the comedy community.
Currently, our main venture is an anonymous pay-it-forward style system for comedy fans to buy online comedy tickets for fellow fans who can’t afford them.
This idea was born in early 2021 when some kind-hearted No More Jockeys fans on our Discord offered to buy livestream tickets for fellow community members who were unable to due to various financial struggles.
Since initially implementing this system, we have consistently found that the number of ticket pledges far outnumbers the amount of requests we receive. And, often, those who receive a ticket pledged by a stranger tell us that they plan to pay forward this kindness to someone else in a different way, or they come back later and pledge a ticket themselves when their financial situation changes.
We believe financial circumstances should not be a barrier to being able to enjoy comedy. Perhaps you need to request a ticket this time because times are tough, but perhaps you can afford to donate the value of a ticket for someone else next time. Or maybe you pass on the kindness in some other way; we understand that paying it forward is not always financial. It’s up to you.
The generosity and community spirit of comedy fans is a real force for good! So we've harnessed that force and evolved it into the gameplan you see today. It’s a simple concept which relies on the goodwill and honesty of the comedy fan community, both of which we have found it possesses in absolute SPADES.
Click here to find out how it all works.
Below The Line
© Copyright 2022, Below The Line. Registered Charity No: SC052405. All Rights Reserved.