Anthony Jeselnik will host, Norm Macdonald joins Roseanne and Keenen Ivory Wayans as judges for Last Comic Standing season 9!

Last Comic Standing still doesn’t have a premiere date for summer 2015, but when it returns to NBC for a ninth season of stand-up competition, it’ll do so with a new host, new judge and a truncated eight-episode season.

Your new host, replacing JB Smoove…is…Anthony Jeselnik! Jeselnik, a veteran of both Comedy Central roasts and his own Comedy Central series, The Jeselnik Offensive, will certainly bring a different attitude to the showcase showdowns and make sure all of the comedians know their place.

And replacing Russell Peters on the judging panel alongside Roseanne Barr and Keenen Ivory Wayans…is Norm Macdonald! Your favorite and mine as far as straight-shooter truth-tellers go, this is awesome news.

USA Today broke the news this morning.

“I am honored to be a judge, as I’m great friends with Roseanne and I have always admired Keenen,” Macdonald said. “Having Anthony as a host will bring a great dynamic to the team.”

“We are excited that Norm is joining Roseanne and Keenen in helping us find America’s newest comedy star,” NBC alternative program chief Paul Telegdy said in a statement. “This is a hugely talented and iconic panel. Anthony will add his unique quick-witted humor as the host of the show.”

The new ninth season will include celebrity guests and head-to-head showdowns, as in past seasons, but with only eight episodes, it’ll be packed with action and much less filler. Stay tuned for more updates as The Comic’s Comic receives them!

Updates from the official NBC press release:

The new eight-episode season will open up with hilarious auditions by invitation only. The top 100 comics in America will vie for 40 spots. These 40 will then compete in a semifinal round and the best of the best will emerge, with the top 10 moving into the compelling new head to head round. In this phase, they will be paired in a high stakes single-elimination round of stand-up stand offs.

The top five comedians will move on to the finals, where the funniest of all will take the coveted title of “Last Comic Standing,” winning an incredible prize package worth $250,000, including a development deal for their own television show.

In other words, you’re too late to audition. Should have been paying attention last year when The Comic’s Comic told you to send in your clips!

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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