Portland comedian Susan Rice joins Netflix’s live “Star Search” reboot as interactive voting reshapes competition
A Portland performer enters a nationally televised, live-streamed talent contest
Portland stand-up comedian Susan Rice is set to appear on Netflix’s live reboot of “Star Search,” a revival of the long-running U.S. talent-competition franchise that previously aired from 1983 to 1995 and returned briefly in 2003–2004. The new iteration launches Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, and is structured as a five-week, live event designed to blend judges’ critiques with real-time audience participation.
Netflix has positioned the series as an interactive competition spanning multiple performance categories, including comedy, with episodes scheduled to stream live on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern / 6 p.m. Pacific. A live finale is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.
How the 2026 format works: judges plus real-time audience scoring
The reboot is hosted by Anthony Anderson and features a judging panel of Jelly Roll, Chrissy Teigen and Sarah Michelle Gellar. A central change from earlier television-era formats is built-in voting during the live broadcast. Viewers can submit ratings in real time using the Netflix app and supported television devices during the performance window, with results contributing to which contestants advance.
- Premiere: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026
- Schedule: Live episodes Tuesdays and Wednesdays
- Finale: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026
- Categories: Multiple, including comedy
- Voting: Real-time, within the Netflix viewing experience during live shows
Who is Susan Rice: late-career momentum after decades onstage
Rice has performed nationally since the 1980s and has described a long career that included television appearances and years of touring. In recent years, she has also worked as a community organizer in North Portland, including producing the St. Johns Comedy Festival during the post-shutdown period.
Her public profile expanded after a recorded set for Don’t Tell Comedy gained significant online traction. In May 2025, she released “Silver Alert,” described in public radio reporting as her first stand-up album/special, arriving as she entered her 70s.
In the current season of talent competitions, audience-driven outcomes increasingly depend on performance-night engagement as much as traditional gatekeeping—an approach Netflix is formalizing through built-in, live voting.
What to watch for during the live run
Because “Star Search” is being staged live twice weekly, contestants’ progress can hinge on both judges’ responses and immediate viewer scoring. For a comedy entrant like Rice—whose act is built around live timing, crowd response and personal storytelling—the format introduces a measurable, real-time feedback loop that will be visible as the season unfolds on air.
Netflix has not released comprehensive, episode-by-episode contestant details in advance of the premiere. Rice’s participation places a Portland comedian on a national platform at a moment when the show’s core mechanism—live audience input—will help determine who advances week to week.