ShallowHal

I just saw a promo for Last Comic Standing, and I'll watch it, but it's still stacked with pros. I don't understand why they do this! I realize they have to be good in order to keep viewers, but they're again using comics that have already been on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, etc. How is it a search for talent when they have bios on comedycentral.com?

Gabriel Iglesias had a "Comedy Central Presents:" show 3 or 4 years ago. From his site:

His CC special was great, but how can this be a competition to win a Comedy Central special when he's already had one?

BDLOU

This is from NBC.com:

"The series kicks off with talent scouts Bob Read and Ross Mark, talent executives for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," traveling across the country in a nationwide talent search for the best professional and aspiring comedians."

The show is simply looking for the best comedian. At least the best comedian that doesn't believe this is below him or her.

ShallowHal

Well, I guess they're saying it on the site, but the commercials still lead you to believe it's an 'Idol' type show. How much more fun would 'Idol' be if they allowed everyone to try out? Ryan Seacrest asking America to vote for MC Hammer or Everlast would be great TV.

BDLOU

They do try to hide the fact that these are established comedians. The show would be horrible if they actually tried to find no name people. Imagine if they required the American Idol contestants to only perform their own material?

SkullOrchard

That would be the best show ever.

das Monkey

Considering NBC finally broke down and admitted that the "casting process" (i.e., everything up until the Final 10) wasn't about stand-up talent, I wonder if the "house" will be conveniently packed with comics represented by Barry Katz again. It's hard to take this show seriously when the producers are essentially just hand-picking people they know/like/manage and giving them prime time exposure in the guise of a talent contest.

das

Jackskeleton

personally I like it that way. Like the example with Idol.. if the singers got their own material the show would suck. With comics you need time tested and proven to work acts.

It's something that has to be worked at and developed to get good.

Jimmy James

I still think there is good reason to be quite dissatisfied with the bullshit sales job they put on this show. If it's worthy, sell it on its own merits. It's called Last Comic Standing -- that's a perfectly good name for a show with lesser known comics. Make it about trying to find the next Dennis Miller if not George Carlin, not about being AI for comedy.

cornflakeguy

I have never thought, read, or been told, that Last Comic Standing was a talent show. It's a contest between comics.

I hope they get rid of the "house" and the "tasks" and just make it about the routines. They have previously been trying to copy too many other shows. Part Real World, part Amazing Race. I don't care about any of that.

Besides, shouldn't this show be on late night cable so we can have mature funny subject matter?

Michael Corvin

Agreed. You also have to figure that when a comic bombs it isn't funny. It isn't like AI where someone tanks because they can't carry a tune and everyone gets a good laugh. When you fail on LCS, you fail. There is no magical moment where you realize how awful Ant is and then have a good laugh about it. You change the channel.

das Monkey

The major problem is that even the top comics on this show at best only have a hour worth of decent useable material, likely much less when the people are being cast more on their entertainment value as reality contestants than the strength of their routine. They can't simply sing a new song each week. They have to keep performing from their limited set, so every time the show features a comic on stage, that's less material from their set available for later episodes. So, while I agree that the other stuff is an annoying waste of time, I don't know how you replace it with stage comedy. In truth, the show should only be 30 minutes long, and it should be on Showtime.

das

Thrush

They did that in season 3 and it was a monumental failure. The funniest stuff from each of the first 2 seasons was the stuff away from the stage. A house full of Comedians shooting the shit and breaking each others balls is what made the show worth watching IMO. I still chuckle when I think of the hide and seek game with Dat Phan. The actual comedic routines for the most part were underwhelming if not boring.

saoirse

They should do both types of shows. That way you get the best of both worlds. Or they could have a house with two teams of ten. One consists of pros, the other, amateurs. I think that would be fun.

For pros, I'd like to see Robert Schimmel in it.

saoirse

I think this show starts on Tuesday. Hope it's good.

Slumbering Fist

My problem with the show is that they are only interested in standard, old school comedians. If the show would've come out in the 80's, it would be huge because they choose comedians stuck to that mold (relationships/ men vs women, airlines, DMV, boy isnt my family nutty?,and so on, and so on). You'll never find them casting a truly abstract or edgy comedian who tries something different (and of course, because they pick guys with hack comedy routines, more offbeat comedians won't even try to get on the show anyway).

TyroneJordan

My problem with the show is that Alonzo didn't win that one time, and that other retarded-sounding guy won. Where's the justice in this world?

Groucho

I've never watched this before, for the reasons already stated (I would prefer a true Idol-style competition that finds unestablished comics). However, I may give it a shot this season just because there's very little I'm watching now.

cornflakeguy

I just set the season pass for Last Comic Standing and cranked up the Netflix. Ah, summer television.

THX7966

Why is this show even on again this summer? Last year NBC pulled it the week before the finale, pissed viewers off, and buried it on some cable channel. If it was performing badly enough for them to do that, why risk it again?

Jimmy James

Was that really only a year ago?

They know they screwed the show rushing a third series into production that varied the proven format substantially. I'm not a fan of the manipulation at play in the first and especially second series, but they were much better than what they called the third.

TyroneJordan

The third sucked bad

rfduncan

They DID do that the very first season when the contestants all arrived in Hollywood. It definitely changed the way the show went from that point on compared to the season that followed without that.

I think they gave them a tune and some topic to sing about and they were supposed to write their own songs.

Patman

Nashville star requires that the top 4? sing a song they wrote.

Groucho

For some reason, I think they did this in Season 2 as well, but I could be mis-remembering.

saoirse

It's on tonight. I'll give it a chance. I'm glad they changed hosts. Glad that Gary (can't remember his last name) got into a scuffle with the host last year.

I must say I loved the roast last season. That was a terrific episode. "Ralphie lost 2 pounds last week...he found a boot in his belly button." Lots of good ones on that. Was that the last season?

I hope it's a good season. Las season I liked four of five of em and hated most of the rest. I saw the skinny blonde recently on a stand up special, and she was nice and nasty.