(S04E11) Let's get the details of the first 88 minutes of the finale out of the way right now: Dat Phan stunk. Alonzo Bodden and John Heffron both showed why Season Two is considered to be the best LCS season. Jay Mohr is a funny guy, even though he is, as his boss Peter Engel said, "a big pain in the ass." Anthony Clark must have needed a lot of help during the six years of Yes, Dear, because the man can't even read off a cue card properly. Oh, and for some reason, the producers showed us a seance that wasn't good enough to make the initial cut during the Queen Mary phase.

Then we had sets by the two finalists, Josh Blue and Ty Barnett. Here's my question to Ty: where the hell was that material yesterday? The question becomes more relevant after jump, so keep reading.

Most fans of Last Comic Standing (I think there are one or two left) are aware that, while Jay Mohr is labeled as the show's "executive producer," the ex-host hasn't been involved with the show this year. He had a falling out with NBC over how Season Three was handled; NBC rushed a "Season 1 vs. Season 2" contest on the air, then cancelled the show right before the finale and never showed it, eventually shuttling that episode off to Comedy Central. So, because of the rift, LCS fans have had to put up with the shaky hands and zombie-like stare of host Anthony Clark all season.

But it looks like there has been a thaw in the frigid relations. According to Zap2It.com, Mohr will perform a stand-up set during the season finale on Wednesday, Aug. 9 (Now I realize how they're going to do this: They'll go from three to two on Tuesday, then announce the winner on Wednesday). The filler-tastic 90-minute finale will not only feature Mohr, but also sets by previous LCS winners Alonzo Bodden, John Heffron, and (gulp) Dat Phan. Hopefully, this will be a sign that Mohr will replace Clark for next summer's edition. That alone will improve upon what has turned out to be a sub-par season for the show.

One of my all-time favorite reality shows has to be the second season of Last Comic Standing. Not only did it improve on the first season by bringing in more seasoned comedians, but the audience actually picked a winner that deserved it (John Heffron). It was a perfect show to watch during the slow summer months. Then NBC decided to turn around and do a "Season 1 vs. Season 2" competition just a few weeks after Season 2 ended. Big mistake. Why? Well, Season 2 fans were burned out from seeing the acts of that season's comics again, and the Season 1 comics -- except for a couple -- weren't all that good. Ratings sank and NBC farmed out the last episode to Comedy Central.

So, over a year after that debacle, NBC has decided to bring back LCS as a summer show again, which I think is a good move. They've given the concept a rest and have also returned the show to where it gained it's best ratings, when there is little on but bottom-drawer reality shows and scripted reruns. The format, according to this press release, will be the same as before, with recruiters scouring the country for stand-up talent. Winners from each city's competition will then compete for the right to stay in "the house" (my least favorite part of the show) where the reality-show conventions take over (interpersonal strife, vote-offs, etc.).  I'm assuming that Jay Mohr is returning to host, since he is one of the show's creators. Looking forward to seeing it again.

[via The Futon Critic]