'Last Comic Standing' adds judges Roseanne Barr & Keenen Ivory Wayans

Wannabe comedy stars looking to make it big via NBC’s Last Comic Standing are going to have to win over a few icons first.

Roseanne Barr and Keenen Ivory Wayans will serve as celebrity judges on the eighth season of the reality competition, set to premiere May 22 at 9 p.m. ET. International comic superstar Russell Peters will join them at the judges’ table, while J.B. Smoove has been tapped as host. Wanda Sykes will serve as an executive producer on the season’s 13 one-hour episodes.

After a four-year hiatus, Last Comic Standing returns to NBC with a new format, too. The season will open with invitation-only auditions. A pool of 100 comics will be whittled down to 20; those contestants will compete in semifinal rounds. The Top 10 will move into “challenge rounds,” which will test the competitors’ sketch, improv and stand-up skills, as well as their ability to work both alone and in teams.

The winner will receive an NBC talent deal and a half-hour scripted project to be developed by Universal Television. Last Comic Standing has helped introduce a number of now-famous comic talents, including Amy Schumer, Doug Benson and Ralphie May.