Apart from hockey and beer Canada's next biggest export is comics. At least that's what you'd be led to believe if you had just watched The Next Big Thing. This reality TV-like documentary/show follows six comedians through a whirlwind tour of clubs and shows across a trio of cities. Since the back of the DVD states "6 comics. 3 Cities. 1 Dream." I think you can pretty much figure out what this release is all about.

Depending on your level of awareness with up and coming Canadian comics you may recognize some of these contenders or you may not. I actually fell into the "not" category, though after watching I realized that I had seen Shaun Majumder before in Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (he only played a bit part as Kumar's brother, but still). Despite not really being aware of who these people were, seeing them work the comedic strip and take part in a little bit of Just for Laughs was an experience not too unlike Last Comic Standing.

The six comics appearing in The Next Big Thing all come from a variety of backgrounds and feature acts that are very different. Over the course of 18 months each of these comedians were filmed in their quest to entertain and make the big time. Laurie Elliott, Shawn Majumder, Dave Martin, Nikki Payne, Jason Rouse and Kristeen von Hagen are the comics in question and like I basically said, if you know them you know them; if you don't, you don't. Either way, by the end of this disc, chances are very good that each of them will put a smile on your face more than once. Things get underway for this group of upstarts in Toronto at a place called the Rivoli.

In the Canadian comedy scene Rivoli is apparently a legend and a good place to get your act noticed. Many of Canada's finest have gotten their starts there and it's one of the "go to" destinations for the comedy scene in Toronto. The whole purpose of this stop was to garner the attention of Brent Schiess, a talent scout representing the Gala Show for Just for Laughs. That's the ticket that the comics want and the prize that Dave Martin, Kristeen von Hagen, Laurie Elliott, and Shaun Majumder are fighting for.

Nikki Payne and Jason Rouse join the rest of the comics later on. The first time we see Jason perform is in Montreal at an "All-Black Comedy Show" which is kind of ironic considering he's a white guy. Naturally this works its way into a good majority of his act. Before we really get to see Nikki do her stuff (beyond practice that is) there is some footage of the Canadian Comedy Awards. Kristeen, Nikki and Laurie are all nominated thereby dominating the others in a battle of the sexes. Laurie and Nikki were both winners in different categories though Kristeen was left out in the dark.

The Just for Laughs auditions continue shortly thereafter with Nikki and Jason getting their chance to strut their stuff. As the winners are selected for the Gala Show there is naturally some disappointment abound since only one can be on top. From Toronto the comics then go on to Montreal and Los Angeles in the next two episodes of the show available on this disc.

As a piece of entertainment The Next Big Thing goes beyond simply showcasing stage performances. It spends an equal amount of time backstage with prep before and much bemoaning after the show. There is also quite a bit of air time paid to giving the viewer a better look at the lives of the comedians. It shows that not everything is a laugh and along the way there are bumps in the road that make even the most successful stop for a while to contemplate whether or not they are doing the right thing with their lives. I felt that particular feature was the best reason to enjoy this show. The time on stage and prep work were fine and dandy but we are only given snippets of it; the real meat resides with the comics themselves.

Fans of the Canadian comedy scene will adore this DVD. It shows a lot of the hotspots and features some people who have been rising up within the ranks. If you're looking for a comedy DVD with some relatively obscure talent (for Americans anyway) then you'll want to check this out. Unfortunately if you're just hoping to see a stand-up routine for a bunch of laughs you'll probably want to check elsewhere since The Next Big Thing is nearly equal parts drama.

The Next Big Thing is presented on DVD with a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio and features some spotty video quality. The picture is riddled with grain and features dirt in the transfer as well as a fair amount of blur. Some of the image is acceptable but for the most part the footage takes place in poorly lit areas with a look that it was filmed with somewhat-less-than professional hardware. For the type of show this is the quality is moderately acceptable but it lacks technical brilliance otherwise.

Much like the video quality, the audio is a mixed bag as well. The sound on this disc is presented in stereo and what's here is often muffled or pitchy. I understand that this probably had a lot to do with location and laughter of the audience but once again it comes down to equipment. There are no subtitles for this release.

There are no special features for this release.

The Next Big Thing is a decent program that offers a few laughs wedged in between the personal drama of the six comedians presented here. If you're looking for something more than just a standup routine then this release is moderately successful. Unfortunately because there are only three episodes to watch and six stars we don't really get to know them all as well as we could have. Lackluster video and audio accompanied by the fact that there's nothing here for supplemental material doesn't help matters either. I'd say if you're interested in Canadian comedy then this one deserves a rental.

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