Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle presents its all-star lineup of judges and combatants for Comedy Central miniseries broadcast from Montreal’s Just For Laughs

Many thoughts about the forthcoming Comedy Central miniseries at the end of this month, but for now, just a few initial musings about plans for Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle, filming and airing over four straight nights at Just For Laughs in Montreal, culminating with a live finale.

Billed last year as The Roastmasters Invitational, the battles became such a wildfire hit at JFL that even movie stars who happened to be filming in Montreal were clamoring for seats inside.

Such a no-brainer, then, not only for Comedy Central to capture that magic in a bottle again this year, but also to include a number of those competitors for good luck. They include winner Jimmy Carr, L.A. original Roast Battle mainstays Sarah Tiana, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Roast Battle regular Earl Skakel.

Pairing Carr against Cristi Chiello kinda means that Chiello really won her match last month at the Gramercy Theatre against Sam Morril, doesn’t it? I mean, Chiello is actually a new face, whether or not they also book her in the New Faces showcases this month at JFL, so this just proves how magnetic and powerful her performance was.

Then again, Morril is matched up with Steve Rannazzisi, which proves that Rannazzisi is ready to publicly put his whole 9/11 lying thing behind him. What? Too soon?

The lineups also include participants from some of the regional Roast Battles filmed last month for the additional Road to Roast Battle special airing July 24 on Comedy Central.

I’m guessing it translates even better on TV than it does live — the past two shows at the Gramercy seemed like too big of a room for the crowd to appreciate the comedy, particularly when they don’t know many of the comedians trading very specific and intimate barbs about each other.

Having famous comedians judge the proceedings help, even if it also makes us yearn to see them actually jump in the ring, too. They do, if only by adding their own roast jokes about each of the combatants, as well as Ross and host Brian Moses.

Here’s who lined up so far to judge (more names will be added closer to the shows): Anthony Jeselnik, Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman and David Spade.

As for the first-round lineups, here are your fight cards:

• Jimmy Carr vs. Christi Chiello
• Earl Skakel vs. Tom Ballard
• Mark Normand vs. Tony Hinchcliffe
• Steve Rannazzisi vs. Sam Morril
• Ralphie May vs. Ms. Pat
• Matthew Broussard vs. Mike Lawrence
• Sarah Tiana vs. Chris Cubas
• Olivia Grace vs. K. Trevor Wilson

I can’t wait for this.

Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle at Montreal’s Just For Laughs 2016. Airing this July on Comedy Central.