First, let us say that we really dig the one-hour reality show finale.

For it means that, even with the obligatory finale filler, it took just 51 minutes to find out that funnyguy John Heffron was chosen as the winner of NBC's second season of Last Comic Standing Thursday night.

The Detroit comedian, who defeated fellow finalists Alonzo Bodden and Gary Gulman, not only snagged the titular LCS crown in the live finale from the Alex Theater in Los Angeles, but he also nabbed a talent deal with NBC, a half-hour stand-up special on Comedy Central and an appearance on Friday's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as part of his winning booty.

Heffron, who also competed on CBS' Star Search revival, stood out among thousands of contenders nationwide who were dwindled down to a final 20 in New York and then a final 10 who cohabitated in a Los Angeles castle and matched wits in weekly elimination challenges.

And his sets won over audiences who identified with his childhood reminiscences (like trying to fly off the roof with a dish-towel cape), the fruitlessness of arguing with his wife ("Hey, ladies? If us guys don't need to be there for the argument, if you're capable of having that little discussion without us, by all means, have that fight on your way home from work") and the trials of job applications, women partying in groups and getting older.

The other finalists need not worry about their future employment chances, either. Though Heffron walks away with the crown, all three finalists were obvious crowd favorites who will be moving up to the ranks of comedy club headliners.

"Your stand-up comedy price just quadrupled," host Jay Mohr said to Heffron, the swankily suited Bodden and cookie-obsessed Gulman after their finale sets.

But first, to capitalize on the ratings success of the Peacock's comedy version of American Idol--it averaged about 8.3 million viewers and has been a consistent top 20 performer--NBC has plans for the10 finalists from both seasons of Last Comic Standing.

Kicking off on Aug. 31, post-Olympics, a televised Battle of the Best competition will pit season one contenders against comics from season two for a chance to score major bucks with their yuks.

That means Dat Phan, the season-one winner, and Ralphie May, the season-one runner-up, who each performed on the LCS 2 finale, will be among the comedians duking it out for chuckles against season two jokesters like Todd Glass, Ant and Jay London, the Neanderthal-esque dude whose clever wordplay and self-deprecating quips made him one of the most beloved reality stars of the year.

The season-two wisecrackers, who can be seen again on Saturday when Comedy Central replays the entire second season with an all-day marathon, probably enter the best-of battle with a few advantages: They're freshest in the viewers' minds (viewer votes determine the ultimate champ), their addictive season focused more on the comedy talent and less on the living-together shenanigans (well, except for the machinations of the plotting Ant and Tammy Pescatelli), and hands down, the season-two comics are a funnier lot, while the season-one contestants have largely failed to make a splash in the pool of stand-up talent.

Proof: Name any season one contenders besides Phan, May and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn panelist Rich Vos.

Exactly.

Season two's highlights included a hilarious roast of Chia Pet-ish London, stand-up at a laundromat, awkward attempts by the comics to tickle the funny bones of a group of kids and a judging controversy with Drew Carey, but the show's funniest line came from Mohr in Thursday's finale as he took a swipe at Fox's recent reputation as a reality show copycat.

"The format [for Battle of the Best] is top secret, because Fox is watching, and we know they'll steal it."