The contestants on Comedy Central's update of "The Gong Show" won't have to wait long to face one of TV's toughest critics, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

The cigar-chomping mutt, an intimate of comic Robert Smigel, will be one of the three judges when "The Gong Show with Dave Attell" has its Comedy Central premiere on Thursday, July 17 at 10 p.m. ET.

Joining triumph on the pilot panel are Brian Posehn ("The Sarah Silverman Show") and Steve Schirripa ("The Sopranos").

Later in the season, aspiring talents will have to stare down the likes of Adam Carolla, Kate Walsh, Andy Dick, Ron White, Dave Navarro, Greg Giraldo, Jim Norton and JB Smoove.

As the show's title strongly implies, the new incarnation of "The Gong Show" will be hosted by Dave Attell, who spent four seasons looking for late-night activities on the cable network's "Insomniac with Dave Attell."

The series will retain the basic premise of the classic NBC variety show, which was hosted by Chuck Barris and premiered in the summer of 1976. Every episode will feature eight-to-10 off-beat acts performing for a revolving panel of three celebrity judges. Good acts will receive high scores from the judges. Dismal acts will receive the gong.

Don't expect Triumph to cut the talent any slack.