This January, NBC's summer series Last Comic Standing will again search the country for the funniest people in America as it gears up for its second season return in Summer 2004. Beginning January 13 in Los Angeles, talent scouts Bob Read and Ross Mark will return to the show to find the best stand-up comics from eight selected cities nationwide.

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Read and Mark, who serve as talent consultants and book most comics for NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, will determine the best comedians from regional searches beginning January 13 in Los Angeles, California and concluding January 31 in Tampa, Florida. Other cities will include New York, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, San Francisco and Nashville. NBC will announce the exact dates, times and locations of each search in the next couple of weeks.

Last Comic Standing is hosted and executive produced by actor/comedian Jay Mohr. In its second season, the series will again provide its own unique spin on reality television as it features the nationwide talent search for professional and non-professional comedians (both male and female). Once the final rounds of the national search are held in New York and Las Vegas and the selection process is narrowed to 10, the program will once again follow the finalist comedians as they live together in a house and compete for the ultimate prize-an exclusive talent contract with NBC.

Last summer, an average of 8.3 million viewers tuned-in weekly to watch the summer series Last Comic Standing as thousands of aspiring and professional comedians attempted to earn the title "Last Comic Standing." In the end, Dat Phan was voted by America to be the "Last Comic Standing." Since he won, Phan has become the headlining act at comedy clubs nationwide and recently made his acting debut.

This year, veteran producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves have joined the show as executive producers. Cutforth and Lipsitz's credits include the second season of Project Greenlight and Bravo's upcoming series Project Runway.

Last Comic Standing is a Peter Engel Productions in association with Giraffe Productions and NBC Studios. Peter Engel, Barry Katz, Jay Mohr, Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz serve as executive producers.