For the past nine weeks, wannabe “comic geniuses” from across the country battled it out on the Internet for a shot at $10,000. Now, five finalists will soon square off – live and in the flesh – before a nationally televised audience. The Comedy Network announced today the five finalists for the world’s first online comedy competition, “Comic Genius.” In addition, the three-member judging panel who will determine Canada’s first “Comic Genius” was also revealed. Hosted by Brent Butt and broadcast direct from the Canada-Saskatchewan Soundstage in Regina, Corner Gas Comic Genius will air LIVE Saturday, Feb. 11 from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on The Comedy Network.
The five Internet finalists competing for the $10,000 grand prize are: Darrell Bedford (Red Deer AB; 20); John Beuhler (White Rock, BC; 28); Mike Tod (Calgary, AB, 16); Sean Proudlove (Vancouver, BC; 37); and Toby Hargrave (Vancouver, BC; 31). In two weeks, they will be flown to Regina and coached by professional touring comedian Lawrence Morgenstern in preparation for the big showdown!
The finalists were determined based on feedback accrued online at www.cornergas.com and by stand-up pros Elvira Kurt, Peter Kelamis and Jamie Hutchinson. The comedians will also act as judges on Corner Gas Comic Genius, and with the help of the studio audience, ultimately determine who will be named the first ever “Comic Genius.”
Hosted by www.cornergas.com, the companion website of Canada’s smash hit comedy series Corner Gas, “Comic Genius” is the world’s first, online stand-up comedy competition that spins into a live TV special. Like Canadian Idol gave aspiring singers outside of Canada’s largest cities the chance to win a major recording contract, “Comic Genius” provides the opportunity for budding comics from remote areas of the country to show off their stuff without leaving their homes.
To enter, competitors were required to register and record up to two minutes of their best original stand-up material online at www.cornergas.com. Each person could select an image to represent their entity, either by selecting a stock animated portrait from the website or by uploading a photograph of their own. “Comic Genius” digitally animated the photo as contestants voiced their “cyber” sense of humour. The contest closed in late November.