After five hosts, one extended hiatus, one cancellation, and a whole lot of laughs, Last Comic Standing has been silenced again by NBC, as the network will not order another cycle for the upcoming summer season. NBC has yet to release a full summer schedule, so it's unclear if this means more room for new unscripted shows or more room for repeats, but it's hard to think that this is the last time we've seen the show in some format (it could conceivably make a channel jump again if need be).
Felipe Esparza was the most recent winner that Last Comic produced, as he beat out the likes of Tommy Johnagin and Roy Wood, Jr. to win the development contract with NBC. Futon Critic originally broke the story, citing some fairly low ratings in the previous season (3.91 million viewers).
A shame….this was the ONLY–the O.N.L.Y–reality series I made it a point to watch. Who wouldn't like non-stop comics?
However, the show lost credibility with its most recent winner, for sure, a guy who wasn't funny in the least.
Hopefully the show will return at some point. It's a great showcase for comedians who need the exposure and who America has not seen yet.