Last Comic Standing

Network: NBC; Genre: reality/game; Content Rating: TV-14 (for language); Classification: contemporary (Star range: 1 - 4)

Season Reviewed: Complete Series (2 seasons)

At it's concept, 'Last Comic Standing' is a respectable and welcome change of pace from the average network reality show. Finally, I thought. A show that isn't a popularity contest or self-indulgence in dating, but something based on substance and merit. Comics get eliminated by competing in literal head-to-head stand-offs on stage to get the most laughs. And it's a stand-up comedy show, so right there it would seem to have a leg up on the entirely humorless reality genera. However, in execution, 'LCS' is very different and sometimes tedious to watch. Like a dating contest where the entertainment relies of cat-fights, this show is only as entertaining and funny as the comics that are on it and unfortunately, many of them aren't that funny. They aren't that funny but even they upstage host Jay Mohr.

There are certainly comedians on this show that are funny and innovative, but to get to them we have to wade through a lot of bad ones, a lot of limp gags, stale acts and old punch lines. All the black comics talk about getting pulled over by the cops, all the white comics talk about being cops and pulling over black people and all the women talk about boyfriends that can't commit to marriage. Has the stand-up comedy scene really not changed at all in the last 20 or 30 years? The comics that are genuinely talented and innovative (Rob Cantrell, Ralphie May) usually get tossed off the show in the head-to-head matches by the idiots in the audience for someone simpler and more mainstream. In season 1 this ultimately lead to a disappointing ending in which the forced comedian-with-no-sense-of-humor Dat Phan won the whole thing more for his sob story background than doing the same act impersonating his mother over and over and over. The result was so irrevocable and lame for me that I don't care what happens in coming seasons.

There are a lot of unnecessary standard reality show elements here. What does it serve to isolate the comics in a house together? Why are there 'immunity challenges' if only to make it more blatant that NBC executive have no ideas and this show is cut from the exact same unoriginal cloth as 'Survivor'? Still, arguing over who is funniest is a more worthy endeavor than who will "get the guy". Well, I'll give NBC one thing. At least they are keeping this show exactly where reality shows belong - in the dead of summer.

* ½

I run a group to stop comedian exploitation and I just spent the past 2 months hearing horror stories from comedians who attempted to audition for, "Last Comic Standing." If they don't have a GOOD agent, then they don't even get a chance to audition so more than 80% of the comedians who turn up are rejected before they can show anyone that they have talent! If they do make it to an audition, I was told that it's "pre-determined" if they get a second chance. So what the TV audience sees is NOT the best comics in the US.

If the comics do make it to the show, then most of them don't get IMDb credits. I know this because I did the credits for all 6 seasons of, "Last Comic Standing" and I don't get paid for doing the Producers' job. It's really a disgrace. A month ago, I asked, "Last Comic Standing 7" on Facebook why the Producers aren't giving IMDb credits and I was banned from their Facebook Page!!! I am not a comedian so I do not have a personal stake in this. I just want people to know the truth. I don't like seeing ANYONE getting exploited and that's why I've been helping the comedians. Comedians get exploited on HBO, BET, TvOne and other cable networks but NBC is a BIG THREE network so those in charge should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this exploitation to happen.

Please watch this video of a comedian who was victimized: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMb4-hyet_Y

This is a reality game show for standup comedians. They have open auditions, then a panel of judges make their decision. As the number of contestants reduce, the size of the audience increase. Eventually one standup comedian is crowned Last Comic Standing.

It's great fun to see so many standups, both good and bad comics. It's fun for a few seasons, but it just got repetitive. It would have been better if they expand the comedy beyond just standup performances. To have the same style of a comic standing on stage is too static, they need to add more spice.

Like its sister show AGT, LCS took a long time to get the formula right. The first season ended with Dat Phan winning .... whatever the judges were on that year, they should have shared some with the viewers at home. For season 8, the judges (as is the case with AGT) are finally functioning as a team (although one suspects Russell Peters is not quite as well known as he thinks he is, and seems occasionally lost, actually making this reviewer nostalgic for highly photogenic Natasha Legerro).

Unlike the case with Season 1, one suspects that, whoever actually wins, there will be multiple career breaks to go around. Joe Machi, for example, is the kind of creative spirit that most TV comedy show writing teams would kill for; Rod Man has a delivery so unique they could teach it in Comedy School and even then no one would be able to imitate it; and that self-conscious Canadian comic "who looks like a mannequin" comes across as a genuine diamond in the rough. Good TV!

While the first few seasons still exuded a certain old-fashioned charm, the series stands and falls today with the judges and their sense of humor. So much more standard McDonald's. Can entertain and Last Comic Standing is definitely the best reality show based on the selection and sacking process. But the competition is really ridiculous too.