New comedy show scouts for talent for next year's Spring Festival Gala

A new comedy talent search and coaching show "Xiao You Xin Sheng," or "New Generation, New Laughter," produced by China Media Group (CMG) with local production companies in Chengdu, southwest China has recently ignited broad debates about the innovative formats used in comedy variety shows, fueling expectations for fresh talent to shine at next year's Spring Festival Gala.

With a diverse group of newcomers, the program aims to bridge generational divides in the world of comedy. According to Su Leijing, director of the show, the performers are fresh faces from various dimensions and circles of comedy. Among them are not only college students and young performers from comedy production companies but also short-video platform comedy bloggers who represent contemporary expression.

"This collaboration with CCTV not only provides young comedians with a platform to step onto a bigger stage but also offers more opportunities for behind-the-scenes personnel to participate in CCTV projects in terms of content production," said Su, adding that it aligned with the concept of the show in terms of discovering and nurturing new talent, and breaking down barriers within the comedy community.

The program has invited heavyweight guests, like actor Jia Bing, from the comedy industry to serve as judges. While 52 emerging comedians compete on the same stage, some of them standing out from the show will have the chance to perform at the 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, according to the show's production team.  

On December 6th, "New Generation, New Laughter" premiered simultaneously on CCTV-3, the 5G new media platform Yangshipin, and Tencent Video. The program also adopts an "instant voting" interactive mechanism, allowing viewers to score their favorite contestants in real-time via Yangshipin. The scores are displayed instantly on the screen, enhancing viewers' participation.

Meanwhile, it also sparked heated discussions online following its debut, with some viewers in high praise of the fresh comedic ideas from the young contestants, sharing a belief that the show has injected fresh vitality into China's modern-day comedy industry.