Lots Of Standing Comics

i might have mentioned this in past posts, and i know i have talked about it on the podcast, but i have had enough of the singing and dancing competition/reality shows. once American Idol hit big we got a whole slew of them over the last years and they don't really interest me much.

personally i like the ones that showcase something more interesting and different and my two favorites have got to be American Inventor and Last Comic Standing which premiered last week with a two-hour show.

i love stand-up comedy and to do it well takes true talent. you can be funny, but it doesn't mean you can be a good stand-up comedian, and some of the people we saw audition were neither, but overall there was some very funny stuff and this season looks to be good. i also love the fact that they are going all over the world and that Canada had its share of good ones.

i didn't write down all the names, but i did feel that overall the judges did a good job. there were maybe 3 or 4 throughout the night that didn't make it to the next round that i felt really should have, but for the most part they did get it right. also, i'm sure they had the producers telling them a few people they wanted to make it based on them being a good story and able to get an audience to sympathise and such - - remember back a few seasons when drew carrey got really pissed because someone he thought should have made it didn't because the producers wanted someone else?

the judges/talent scouts are good, especially kathleen madigan and alonzo bolden (ant can be funny but i never really found his stand-up that good), and bill bellamy is a good host, although i also liked anthony clarke and jay mohr. look, the format is standard, they aren't breaking any new ground, but i love stand-up comedy and i get lots of laughs watching the show so it works for me.

i was excited that Last Comic Standing was coming back and so far so funny.

grade: B+

Everything Is Going To Be Alright

ya i know i am a few days late on this, but i am just getting to last week's premier episode of American Inventor now, and they just put through the 'therapy buddy'. now, i'm all for going against the 'mean british judge' on any of these competition shows, but come on. that therapy buddy is one scary doll. that creepy voice is, i think, the worst of it, so if they change that, then maybe i could see it as something not so bad, but still......

i thought that kid with the bag-of-wipes-attach-to-diaper thing was better then the therapy buddy and that 'pot sniffer' toilet bowl freshener thing was really good. but it is just the beginning and i haven't seen anything really great yet. and i know that 'everything is going to be alright.'

Is It Actually The Next Best Thing

so folks, it looks like summer reality/contest show time is upon us. On The Lot premiered last week and we have season 2 of America's Got Talent and American Inventor arriving shortly. and don't forget Last Comic Standing is coming back and the new show Age Of Love starting soon. then there is the show that premiered last night on abc, The Next Best Thing: Who Is The Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? yes, it is one of the longest frickin' titles ever, but it is also a good show... so far.

that's right, i quite enjoyed it last night. sure, the best part of all these contest shows is the thousands-of-people-audition part where you see the good and the really bad (those first few weeks of every American Idol season are the only ones i actually make an effort to watch).

however, with The Next Best Thing, i actually enjoyed seeing the good ones as much, if not more, then the bad ones. the best part of the bad ones were the funny quips made by the celebrity judges: lisa ann walter, jeffrey ross (who does funny stand-up) and elon gold (who is actually very funny also, especially if all you recognize him from is that awful pam anderson show Stacked).

last night were the l.a. auditions and there were some great ones, like that guy who did sam kinison, al pacino and one other one. he was great. the lucille ball chick was really good also and the robin willimas and george bush that they let through were alright but not great. personally i thought the martha stewart women was scary good, but they sent her home.

so, while this is based on just the first episode, and i may have to amend my grade as the show goes longer and i see how it develops past the auditions, i have to say that i enjoyed it. it was different, funny, i liked the judges and i am going to tune in next episode.

grade: B