Last comic standing
| Last Comic Standing | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Talent show |
| Presented by |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 76 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Camera setup | Multiple |
| Running time | 42 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
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| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | |
| Original release | June 1, 2003 – August 9, 2010 May 22, 2014 – September 9, 2015 |
| External links | |
| Official Website | |
Last Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show on NBC that aired from 2003 to 2010, then again in 2014 and 2015. The goal of the program is to select a comedian from an initially large group of hopefuls. For the first seven seasons, the winner received a cash prize and a television special; for season 8 in 2014, the winner won a cash prize, a talent deal with NBC, and a half-hour scripted project that will be developed by Universal Television.
On August 16, 2016 NBC cancelled Last Comic Standing after nine seasons.
The show has varied its format season by season. For seasons 1–2 and 4–7, NBC talent scouts Ross Mark and Bob Read held open casting calls in various locations around the United States. At each casting call, Mark and Read identified comics to participate in callback auditions in front of live audiences. Mark and Read then selected a predetermined number of comics from each callback, who were invited to participate in a semifinal qualifying round.
The comics who advanced to the semifinal qualifying round were divided into two groups. In Season Four, 40 comics were divided into two groups of 20; these comics performed and competed against each other at the Alex Theater in Glendale, California. During the semifinal qualifying rounds, a panel of celebrity judges, and the show's producers, selected the finalists who would move forward to the final qualifying round, and live together in a group residence.
Once the residence finalists are selected, the comics participate in some type of comedic challenge each television week. Challenges have included performing stand-up at a local laundromat, working as a tour guide in Los Angeles, participating in a roast at the Friars Club of Beverly Hills and performing comedy on a specific subject with little preparation time on a radio show. The winner of each challenge is usually rewarded with immunity from being eliminated from the competition for that week, while the remaining comics are vulnerable to elimination through a "head-to-head" standup challenge.
As the conclusion of each television week drew near, each comic selected one other comic whom they believed they could defeat in a head-to-head challenge. The comics were sent off individually to a secluded booth, and named the person selected using the phrase "I know I'm funnier than _____." The comic who received the most nominations participated in that evening's head-to-head competition, and selected their opponent from any of the comics who had challenged them.
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