Erin Jackson

Some say laughter is the best medicine. It’s true. Standup comedy has been known to cure everything from bad moods and frowns to fits of pouting. So for those who need a heavy dose of hilarity, try a spoonful of “Comedy.TV.” With no traffic jams, parking debacles, or two-drink minimums of the local comedy clubs, the most clever comedians jump onstage for a full-fledged funny fest.

Celebrities endure some of the harshest, most grueling challenges from the playbook of the actual special forces selection process; their goal is not to win votes and face eliminations — for them it is just about survival.

Gotham Comedy Club, a popular comedy venue in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, is the setting of an hourlong series that is shot in front of an audience at the club. Each episode features routines by several comics -- a list that has included such names as David Alan Grier, Gilbert Gottfried and Artie Lange -- in what the network says is an unedited and uncensored format. In addition to the big names of the field who take the Gotham stage, the show also features up-and-comers who want to make a name for themselves in the stand-up comedy business.