'Last Comic Standing' Adds Two Judges, New Host

A new season of Last Comic Standing is on the way, and the show is adding to its lineup of talent not only on the stage, but behind the judges' panel.

Roseanne Barr and Keenen Ivory Wayans have joined the celebrity judging panel for the 13-episode eighth season of the NBC reality competition, which will premiere on May 22 at 9:00 PM ET. Barr and Wayans join comedian Russell Peters on the panel. Meanwhile, the show has also hired a host in the form of J.B. Smoove. In addition, Wanda Sykes will serve as an executive producer.

Credit: NBC

Of course, with the show's resurrection from the dead after a four-year hiatus comes a slew of changes to its format as well. The season will feature invitation-only auditions, in which a pool of 100 comics will be narrowed down to 20 semifinalists. The semifinal round will halve this group, leaving us with a Top 10. From there, the remaining ten finalists will advance to the “challenge rounds,” which will test the sketch, improv and stand-up skills of each of the remaining finalists, as well as their ability to not only work alone but also in teams.

The grand prize is an NBC talent deal and a half-hour scripted television project to be developed by Universal Television. So already, this is a season with higher stakes for the network than in years past, as Last Comic Standing actually sets out to find a star for NBC. So I suppose we can expect a higher caliber of comic, given just how much is on the line. Should make for a much better season.

Via: Entertainment Weekly