Last Comic Standing 5
Encyclopedia
On June 13, 2007, competitive reality show Last Comic Standing
began airing its fifth season on NBC
with new host, Bill Bellamy
. For the first time ever people could vote in Canada
, Australia
, and the United Kingdom
. This season is also taped rather than filmed.
, Montreal
, Sydney
, Los Angeles
, New York, Minneapolis, San Antonio and Tempe
.
Numerous established comedians auditioned for Last Comic Standing this season. They included:
Some of the finalists have also appeared elsewhere:
. The winner for dealing the best with the heckler was Lavell Crawford
.
The pairs for this challenge are as follows:
were they were told that they were going to dress up like court jester
s and tell Medieval jokes in front of an audience. Jon Reep beat Amy Schumer in the finals to win immunity.
models
. However, the contestants didn't know that four of the deal or No Deal models were switched out for a drag queen
, a nun
, and a clown
. After everyone was through, the women picked Amy Schumer
as their favorite comedian.
made a guest performance.
from season four and Harland Williams
performed. Jon Reep, Lavell Crawford, and Gerry Dee performed five-minute sets. Before their performances, NBC showed clips of them at their old jobs, where Dee was a waiter
, Crawford was a crossing guard
, and Reep worked at a tire store.
, Gilbert Gottfried
, and Greg Proops
made guest performances. Afterward, Gerry Dee was eliminated from the competition as he received the fewest votes. Reep and Crawford performed their acts in anticipation of the following week's final episode.
Last Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...
began airing its fifth season on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
with new host, Bill Bellamy
Bill Bellamy
William "Bill" Bellamy is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He currently resides in California. Bellamy first gained national notoriety on HBO's Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, where he is credited for creating or uttering before a televised audience, the phrase "booty call", described as...
. For the first time ever people could vote in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. This season is also taped rather than filmed.
Auditions
Auditions were held in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, New York, Minneapolis, San Antonio and Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
.
Numerous established comedians auditioned for Last Comic Standing this season. They included:
- Arj BarkerArj BarkerArjan Singh , known by the stage name Arj Barker, is an American stand-up comedian and actor from San Anselmo, California. He has toured in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. He was born to an engineer father and artist mother, and is half-Indian, half-European...
- Chuck Roy
- Thea VidaleThea VidaleThea Vidale , is an American stand-up comedian and actress.She began her career doing stand-up comedy in comic clubs in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles...
(TheaThea (TV series)Thea is an American sitcom that premiered September 3, 1993 on ABC, and last aired on February 14, 1994, for a total of 19 episodes. Starring comedienne Thea Vidale, the series marked the first time an African American female comedienne was the star of a series named after her.-Synopsis:Thea Vidale...
) - Dwayne Kennedy
- Claire HooperClaire HooperClaire Hooper is an Australian stand-up comedian and writer. She appeared as a team captain on the 2008 revival of Good News Week on Network Ten and previously was a regular on The Sideshow, appearing with Paul McDermott...
(Good News WeekGood News WeekGood News Week is an Australian satirical panel game show hosted by Paul McDermott that initially aired from 19 April 1996 to 27 May 2000, and resumed on 11 February 2008 to 9 May 2011. The show aired first on ABC TV before it was bought by Network Ten in 1999...
) - Fiona O'LoughlinFiona O'LoughlinFiona O'Loughlin is an Australian comedian, known primarily for her stand-up comedy; for her television performances, on ABC TV's Spicks and Specks, and Channel Ten's Rove Live and GNW; and a series of advertisements for Heinz soups...
- Josh ThomasJosh Thomas (comedian)Joshua Michael "Josh" Thomas is an Australian comedian. In 2005, at the age of 17, he became the youngest ever winner of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Raw Comedy Competition...
(Talkin' 'bout your GenerationTalkin' 'bout your GenerationTalkin' 'Bout Your Generation is an Australian game show produced by Granada Productions which premiered on Network Ten on 5 May 2009. It is hosted by Shaun Micallef....
) - Lawrence Mooney
Some of the finalists have also appeared elsewhere:
- DanteLast Comic StandingLast Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...
(BET's Comic View) - Doug BensonDoug BensonDouglas Steven "Doug" Benson is an American stand-up comedian and actor who has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Best Week Ever and was a contestant on Last Comic Standing in the show's fifth season....
(Best Week EverBest Week EverBest Week Ever is a weekly television program on the United States cable/satellite network VH1. It started airing in 2004 and was put on hiatus in the summer of 2009...
, Marijuana Logues) - Gerry DeeGerry DeeGerry Dee is a Canadian stand-up comedian. Prior to his comic career, he was a physical education teacher and hockey coach at De La Salle College "Oaklands", a private co-ed high school in Toronto...
(Trailer Park Boys: The Movie) - Debra DiGiovanniDebra DiGiovanniDebra DiGiovanni is a Canadian stand-up comedian of Italian descent originally from Tillsonburg, Ontario.Her comedy career began with the help of Humber College's inaugural year of their Comedy Writing and Performance course, in 2000 and has since been nominated for the coveted Tim Sims Comedy...
(Video on TrialVideo On TrialVideo on Trial is a Canadian comedy television program that airs on Canadian television network MuchMusic. The show consists of a panel of musicians, comedians, and entertainment columnists critiquing five different music videos in a courtroom-esque manner. The panel acts as the jurors, poking fun...
) - Ralph HarrisRalph Harris (comedian)Ralph Louis Harris is an American comedian, actor, and writer. Harris is best known for his role as Josh Jerrico in the TGIF sitcom On Our Own, and his stand up routines.-Biography:...
(On Our Own) - Jon ReepJon ReepJon Reep is an American stand-up comedian and actor, known as the "That thing got a Hemi?" guy in Dodge commercials, and more recently as the winner of the fifth season of Last Comic Standing on NBC.-Early life:...
(Premium BlendPremium BlendPremium Blend was a television show that aired on the American cable television channel Comedy Central from 1997 to 2005.The program features a well-known stand up comedian as an emcee who introduces four or five lesser known comedians looking for a big break on television...
, Bandits vs. Smokies, Dodge RamDodge RamThe Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
Hemi commercials) - Gina YashereGina YashereGina Obedapo Yashere is a British comedian of Nigerian descent.-Early life:Yashere was born in Bethnal Green, London, England. Her mother was an immigrant from Nigeria...
(Mock the WeekMock the WeekMock the Week is a British topical celebrity panel game hosted by Dara Ó Briain that launched in 2005. The game is influenced by improvised topical stand-up comedy, with several rounds requiring players to deliver answers on unexpected subjects on the spur of the moment.It is made by independent...
, Gina's Laughing GearGina's Laughing GearGina's Laughing Gear was a special programming slot which was presented by Gina Yashere. It was shown on Friday afternoons on BBC One and repeated on Saturday on the CBBC Channel. The purpose was to showcase new CBBC comedy at the time....
, Comic Relief Does Fame AcademyComic Relief Does Fame AcademyComic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off of the original Fame Academy show where celebrities sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief, with the final of the show occurring on Red Nose Day...
)
Season 5 Results
| Comics | |Head-to-head | |Public elimination | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 7 | Ep 8 | Ep 9 | Ep 10 | Ep 11 | Ep 12 | Ep 13 | |
| Jon Reep Jon Reep Jon Reep is an American stand-up comedian and actor, known as the "That thing got a Hemi?" guy in Dodge commercials, and more recently as the winner of the fifth season of Last Comic Standing on NBC.-Early life:... |
IN | SAFE | IN | IN | IN | IN | LCS |
| Lavell Crawford Lavell Crawford Lavell Crawford is an American stand-up comedian and actor from St. Louis, Missouri. His mother is Annita Crawford. His sisters are Elonda Goodwin and Erica Roach. His step-father is Dwight Davis.... |
SAFE | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT |
| Gerry Dee Gerry Dee Gerry Dee is a Canadian stand-up comedian. Prior to his comic career, he was a physical education teacher and hockey coach at De La Salle College "Oaklands", a private co-ed high school in Toronto... |
IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |
| Amy Schumer Amy Schumer Amy Beth Schumer is an American stand-up comedian. She placed fourth on NBC's Last Comic Standing Season 5, and she placed second on Comedy Central's Reality Bites Back.-Life and career:... |
IN | IN | SAFE | IN | OUT | ||
| Ralph Harris Ralph Harris (comedian) Ralph Louis Harris is an American comedian, actor, and writer. Harris is best known for his role as Josh Jerrico in the TGIF sitcom On Our Own, and his stand up routines.-Biography:... |
WIN | IN | WIN | OUT | |||
| Doug Benson Doug Benson Douglas Steven "Doug" Benson is an American stand-up comedian and actor who has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Best Week Ever and was a contestant on Last Comic Standing in the show's fifth season.... |
IN | IN | OUT | ||||
| Matt Kirshen Matt Kirshen Matt Kirshen is a British comedian. Kirshen has performed around the world, including Singapore, Dubai, Holland, Germany, and France. In 2007, he enjoyed a successful run in NBC's Last Comic Standing... |
IN | WIN | OUT | ||||
| Debra DiGiovanni Debra DiGiovanni Debra DiGiovanni is a Canadian stand-up comedian of Italian descent originally from Tillsonburg, Ontario.Her comedy career began with the help of Humber College's inaugural year of their Comedy Writing and Performance course, in 2000 and has since been nominated for the coveted Tim Sims Comedy... |
IN | OUT | |||||
| Dante (comedian) Dante (comedian) Dante is an American comedian from near Ridgecrest, California. He was born at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.Dante starred in the short-lived 1996 BET sitcom The Blackberry Inn... |
OUT | ||||||
| Gina Yashere Gina Yashere Gina Obedapo Yashere is a British comedian of Nigerian descent.-Early life:Yashere was born in Bethnal Green, London, England. Her mother was an immigrant from Nigeria... |
OUT | ||||||
- LCS means the comic was the last comic standing
- SAFE means the comic won the immunityImmunity (reality television)Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
challenge - WIN means the comic participated and won the head-to-head showdown
- OUT means the comic lost in the head-to-head showdown or by viewer voting and was eliminated
Episodes 1-6
Episodes 1-6 consisted of the early auditions and the selection of the finalists.Immunity challenge: Heckler Challenge
The contestants were driven to The Ice House, were they were paired up. One performed on stage while the other sat in the audience heckling them about their jokes. They then switched roles. The best heckler and the best performer would be rewarded with immunityImmunity (reality television)
Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
. The winner for dealing the best with the heckler was Lavell Crawford
Lavell Crawford
Lavell Crawford is an American stand-up comedian and actor from St. Louis, Missouri. His mother is Annita Crawford. His sisters are Elonda Goodwin and Erica Roach. His step-father is Dwight Davis....
.
The pairs for this challenge are as follows:
- Lavell Crawford and Debra DiGiovanni
- Amy Schumer and Matt Kirshen
- Ralph Harris and Gina Yashere
- Jon Reep and Gerry Dee
- Dante and Doug Benson
Head to Head
Ralph Harris, Gina Yashere, and Dante all tied in the main vote, they went head-to-head. Ralph Harris gained the majority of the audience vote, sending the other two home.Immunity challenge: Jester Challenge
The comics were driven to Medieval TimesMedieval Times
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting performed by a cast of 75 actors and 20 horses. Each location is housed in a replica 11th-century castle, with the exception of the Toronto location, which is housed...
were they were told that they were going to dress up like court jester
Court jester
A jester, joker, jokester, fool, wit-cracker, prankster, or buffoon was a person employed to tell jokes and provide general entertainment, typically for a European monarch. Jesters are stereotypically thought to have worn brightly colored clothes and eccentric hats in a motley pattern...
s and tell Medieval jokes in front of an audience. Jon Reep beat Amy Schumer in the finals to win immunity.
Head to Head
This episode's head to head put Debra DiGiovanni against Matt Kirshen. Matt beat Debra by a narrow margin (in the closest head-to-head vote the show had ever had) to stay in the competition.Immunity Challenge: Speed Joking
The contestants were told that they would have ninety seconds to tell jokes to six Deal or No DealDeal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which was the Dutch Miljoenenjacht produced by Dutch producer Endemol. It is played with up to 26 cases with certain sums of money...
models
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
. However, the contestants didn't know that four of the deal or No Deal models were switched out for a drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
, a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
, and a clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
. After everyone was through, the women picked Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer
Amy Beth Schumer is an American stand-up comedian. She placed fourth on NBC's Last Comic Standing Season 5, and she placed second on Comedy Central's Reality Bites Back.-Life and career:...
as their favorite comedian.
Head to Head
Matt Kirshen, Doug Benson, and Ralph Harris were chosen to compete in the head to head. After their performances in the Last Comic Theatre, it was revealed that Ralph Harris had the most votes to become the last person to make the final five.Episode 9
The final five performed in front of a live audience for five minutes each. After all five had performed, the phone lines opened to let home viewers vote for their favorite comic. The one with the lowest amount of votes would be eliminated. Each comic had a short bio before their performance.Episode 10
Ralph Harris was eliminated for having the lowest number of votes. The remaining contestants performed another stand-up routine for five minutes. Doug BensonDoug Benson
Douglas Steven "Doug" Benson is an American stand-up comedian and actor who has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Best Week Ever and was a contestant on Last Comic Standing in the show's fifth season....
made a guest performance.
Episode 11
Amy Schumer received the lowest number of votes and was subsequently the first of the final four to leave the competition. Josh BlueJosh Blue
Josh Blue is an American comedian. He was voted the Last Comic Standing on NBC's reality show Last Comic Standing during its fourth season, which aired May–August 2006...
from season four and Harland Williams
Harland Williams
Harland Williams is a Canadian actor, comedian, author, artist, musician and radio personality.-Personal life:Harland Reesor Williams was born on November 14, 1962, in Toronto, Ontario, to Lorraine , a social worker, and John Reesor Williams, who worked as a member of the Ontario Provincial...
performed. Jon Reep, Lavell Crawford, and Gerry Dee performed five-minute sets. Before their performances, NBC showed clips of them at their old jobs, where Dee was a waiter
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
, Crawford was a crossing guard
Crossing guard
A crossing guard , a school crossing patrol officer , school crossing supervisor or school road patrol is a traffic management specialist who is normally stationed on busy roadways to aid pedestrians...
, and Reep worked at a tire store.
Episode 12
Kathleen MadiganKathleen Madigan
Kathleen Madigan is an American comedian.-Early life:Kathleen Madigan grew up in the St. Louis suburb of Florissant as one of seven children in a large Irish-American family...
, Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried is an American actor, voice actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his trademark comedic persona of speaking in a loud, grating tone of voice. He has played numerous roles in film and television, perhaps most notably voicing the parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin , and...
, and Greg Proops
Greg Proops
Gregory Everett "Greg" Proops is an American actor, stand-up comedian and television host. He is widely known for his work as an improvisational comedian on the UK and U.S. versions of Whose Line Is It Anyway?...
made guest performances. Afterward, Gerry Dee was eliminated from the competition as he received the fewest votes. Reep and Crawford performed their acts in anticipation of the following week's final episode.