Shot over an unprecedented 18 month period, in noisy college cafeterias, smoky Toronto backrooms, legendary Los Angeles nightclubs and at Montreal's Just For Laughs, the world's largest comedy festival, The Next Big Thing tracks the budding careers of six young stand-up comedians.

This unique 3-part documentary series gives an insider's look at the competitive world of stand up where we meet a cadre of talent scouts, agents, managers, television executives and yes, parents. Laurie Elliott, Shaun Majumder, Dave Martin, Nikki Payne, Jason Rouse and Kristeen von Hagen are eager to follow in the footsteps of fellow Canucks Jim Carrey, Mike Myers and Martin Short who have made it big in Hollywood.