Last Comic Standing is a reality television show featuring stand up comics battling for a development contract with NBC and a comedy special that will appear on Comedy Central and Bravo.
The show premiered in 2003, and is wrapping up its 4th season during the summer of 2006.
Season 5 is planned to air during the summer of 2007.
One of the more enjoyable parts of the show is the open casting calls that are held by NBC talent scouts Ross Mark and Bob Read.
Mark and Bob hold auditions in several US cities, and select comics to move on to the callback auditions which are held in front of live audiences.
The agents then select a final group of comics and these individuals are invited to participate in the next round.
At this stage the qualifying comics are divided up into two groups -- usually of 15-20 comics -- who compete against each other at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
This round is very important and is held in front of celebrity judges, famed comics as well as the show's producers.
This judging panel selects the final 10 comics, who are then moved into a house where they are filmed in reality TV style 24 hours a day.
Of course, drama erupts in the house, adding a background to the talent competition.
It is this formula that makes so many competitive reality shows successful.
Once in the house the comics are challenged to some sort of comedic performance or stunt, such as arriving unprepared for a morning radio show or performing at a roast at the Friar's Club of Beverly Hills.
The contestants are judged by how well they think on their feet and how innovative they are with their material The winner earns immunity for the next challenge and the bottom two comics participate in a head to head challenge in front of a live audience, occasionally featuring hecklers.
The studio audience votes and the comic with the most votes returns to the house while the other is eliminated The routine changes when 5 comics remain, and judging power then switches to the television audience who phone in their votes much in the style of American Idol.
The comic who receives the lowest number of votes is eliminated, until one remains -- truly, the last coming standing.