Got sucked into watching Last Comic Standing tonight, which wasn't as bad as I feared but wasn't all that great, either. I missed the start of the show, but over the course of a half-dozen cities (NYC, Boston, Chicago, Tampa, Nashville, and Dallas) they gave away fewer than half the 40 semifinal spots. I fear how many Hollywood rejects got a free pass.

One who did, though in New York, was Sue Costello, who you may remember from her brief, brief tenure on the Fox sitcom Costello, the first show to get the axe in the 1998-99 TV season. She even referred to getting too much too soon after making the semifinals. Still, it strikes me as being against the premise of the show to allow someone who has already had a shot at TV to get another turn at the wheel, so to speak.

Another familiar name is Frank Santorelli, a local comic who got one of the two slots from Boston. He's a local institution, has done some TV work (it looks like he's got a small recurring role on The Sopranos), but is using this show for more national exposure. I'm a little less dubious about his inclusion, but still think he's too well-known, at least locally.

Jay Mohr is technically the host, but it seems like all he has to do is stand in Times Square and segue. Nice work if you can get it.