by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
You know it’s summertime when the television landscape goes goofy with repeats of network shows and replacement programs of questionable quality. Of course, reality shows are proliferating like poppy fields in Afghanistan, and summer is a great time to trot them out. They’re cheap to make and easily pulled because they use no actors or scripts. Well, that statement may be controversial. Some months ago, editors for reality TV shows wanted to be compensated as writers since the way a reality show is edited can drastically change its content. Thus, it’s written by the manipulation of images–a visual script, as it were.
Nonetheless, a few of these reality shows are well worth viewing, such as American Idol, America’s Got Talent and the established, Emmy-nominated Last Comic Standing, which just launched its 5th season on NBC. The first weeks of the show are hilarious because of the auditions that take anyone off the street who thinks they are funny. The show is now international, going to various big cities across the globe, including Los Angeles, New York, London, Minneapolis, and San Antonio. This year, the roving band of Talent Scouts are the previous winners of the show: Ant, Kathleen Madigan, and Alonso Bodden. It’s hosted by Bill Bellamy.
Clearly, the open auditions feature a gaggle of crazy people who are rapidly dismissed. A few of the hopefuls have experience as professional comics, but wherever they were working, their standards must have been very low. One comedian, Mike Silverback, came out in a gorilla suit. It was a stupid gimmick. However, he is actually funny and has great timing. The gorilla costume got old quickly, but he was chosen to move on to the next level. Once a comic uses a gimmick, it’s a severe limitation. Remember the Unknown Comic with a bag over his head? No? I rest my case. We’ll see how far Sasquatch goes.
The number of nitwits who show up at the open auditions and actually think they are funny boggles the mind. They are the nameless boring louts who get drunk and tell bad jokes at a bar. These dunderheads are under the delusion that they are born comedians. I love it when the judges get rid of them with extreme prejudice.
After the auditions come the semi-final rounds. The comics chosen at the open auditions perform in front of the judges and a live audience. Each comic is given five minutes to knock ‘em dead. Afterwards, the judges decide which ones move on to the finals.
Indeed, for the competitors, this show is high stakes TV exposure. Ant said that winning the competition made him a celebrity overnight. Like in American Idol, just being in the show is major exposure, reaching far more people than would be possible just playing clubs. So, the comic must come out and kill with his or her best material. If a comic bombs, it’s in front of millions of people. The humiliation happens on a large scale, potentially ending a comedian’s career.
The winner receives $250,000 and an exclusive half-hour comedy special on Bravo. Yes, the stakes are high and the competition is fierce. By the time the hopefuls reach the semi-finals, the standards are even higher–on a big time professional level. Of the thousands of wannabes at each open audition, the throng is culled down to only a few worthy comics.
Interestingly, most of the finalists have been working as professional comedians for years looking for a break. This show gives them that break, and even if they don’t win, they can use the appearance on their resume to get higher paying gigs.
Last Comic Standing is great alternative summer viewing. It’s better than repeats or other mindless reality shows.
|
EU Critic’s Choice Awards
