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The popular "reality/contest" genre of the early 21st century was extended to the rarefied world of standup comedy in this weekly NBC series (which was also seen at the same time on cable's Comedy Central). Hosted by Jay Mohr, who also created and co-produced the project, the series opened with a two-hour competition at the famous Caroline's Comedy Club in L.A., where some 100 hopefuls were whittled down to 25 contestants with the help of celebrity judges Joy Behar, Caroline Rhea, and Colin Quinn. These 25 were then installed in a luxury penthouse to await the results of further eliminations, until the ten finalists were allowed to strut their stuff in a Las Vegas comedy concert. At the end of the eight-week series, the winning comedian was awarded with an NBC talent contract and a Comedy Central special. Last Comic Standing: A Search for the Funniest Person in America premiered June 10, 2003.