EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Hart is teaming with Netflix for a new competition series to crown the next big name in stand-up.
Guided by Hart and a crew of comedy titans, to be announced at a later date, the currently untitled eight-episode series is billed as an unfiltered, uncensored and unapologetic competition that will pull back the curtain on the gritty, hilarious and often unpredictable path of a stand-up career.
Contestants from all across the nation will face rigorous tests that mirror the real-life journey of a comedian — from brutal open mics to bombed sets, rewrites and the pressure of big-stage performances. The competition will give viewers an unvarnished look behind the curtain of comedy’s darkest corners and brightest spotlights with the challenges inspired by comics’ actual career trajectories.
Hartbeat and Alfred Street Industries will produce the show, which is set to debut in 2026. Hart will exec produce alongside Jane Lipsitz, Dan Cutforth, Nan Strait and Dan Volpe for Alfred Street Industries, as well as Luke Kelly-Clyne and Meghan Hoffman for Hartbeat. Applications are open now.
A decade out from the end of Last Comic Standing‘s nine-season run on NBC, it certainly seems like we’re overdue for a new series elevating the next generation of comics — as well as one that will pull back the curtain on stand-up in a way that hasn’t been done.
For Hartbeat, the comedy competition series marks the continuation of a mission to champion the next generation of comedic voices. The company’s stand-up work includes the global comedy showcase Comedy in Color (featuring over 300 comedians from more than 30 countries); Hulu’s LOL Live, featuring both established and emerging talent; the recent revival of Comic View on BET; and producing stand-up specials for comics including London Hughes, Affion Crockett and the late David A. Arnold. Hart’s company also launched the career incubator program Women Write Now, designed to champion the next generation of Black women in comedy, both in front of and behind the camera.
Formed in 2019 by Emmy winners Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, who serve as co-CEOs, Alfred Street Industries is known for work on competition series like Top Chef (Bravo), Nailed It! (Netflix) and VH1’s Bands on the Run. Other notable projects include Next Gen Chef (Netflix), Project Runway (Hulu/Freeform), Homicide: New York and Homicide: Los Angeles (Netflix), Is It Cake? (Netflix), and Project Greenlight (Max), to name just a few.
Hart is repped by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Schreck Rose Dapello.
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