'Bring the Funny': NBC Unites 'SNL' Star Kenan Thompson, Jeff Foxworthy, and Chrissy Teigen for New Show

Stand aside Last Comic Standing, because NBC is launching a new comedy competition series, Bring [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Stand aside Last Comic Standing, because NBC is launching a new comedy competition series, Bring the Funny, featuring Saturday Night Live's Kenan Thompson, comedian Jeff Foxworthy and Chrissy Teigen as judges.

The new series will be hosted by comedian Amanda Seales and runs 10 episodes. It was created with the international Just For Laughs organization, and winners will receive a $250,000 prize. NBC bills the show as the "first time on television" that all styles of comedy performance will be included in a single competition.

"Great comedians know how to make us laugh while serving as a reflection of the times, and we are excited to embrace and support the myriad of ways funny people bring us levity and humor today," Meredith Ahr, President, Alternative and Reality Group, NBC Entertainment, said in a statement. "Kenan, Chrissy, Jeff and Amanda are not only hilarious, but are pioneers in their respective arenas and understand what it takes to have longevity and breadth in this industry. They, along with our partners at Just for Laughs, will be an insightful resource for the talent that takes our stage."

The three judges celebrated the new show on their Twitter pages Friday. Foxworthy shared a video of himself laughing up an escalator, and tagged the show's Twitter page.

Thompson, the longest-running member of the Saturday Night Live cast, announced the show on his Twitter page by telling The Voice to "watch out."

"I'm beyond excited right now!! [NBC] just announced our show [Bring The Funny] just received a 10 episode order! Can't wait to get to work alongside three awesomely talented and wonderful people," he wrote. "Let's go And I'm producing! Whaaat?!"

Teigen responded to several fans, and even a critic who would "rather rip the skin off my eyelids" than watch the show.

"Those are definitely the only two options," Teigen replied.

She also admitted she never thought she would be working with Foxworthy.

The executive producers on the show are David Friedman and Matila Zoltowski, with Just for Laughs President Bruce Hills as consulting producer. Universal TV Alternative Studio is producing.

This is not the first comedy competition series for NBC. The network ran Last Comic Standing from 2003 to 2010 and 2014-2015. Unlike the new series, Last Comic Standing focused exclusively on stand-up comedians.

NBC has not announced when the show will debut, but aspiring comedians can apply to the competition at BringTheFunnyCasting.com.

Photo credit: Getty Images

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