"Then I realized it was 2 am," he continues. "Good heavens! This matters! I have to go to sleep, and go to work tomorrow!"

Stand-up comedy originated in the West, but this version is unique, according to Ye Feng, head of Fun Factory, the studio that co-produces it.

"We haven't found a standard format in the West for such a TV show in which stand-up comedians compete by discussing one theme or topic," Ye says.

"We hope Chinese stand-up comedy can nurture its own features," he says. "We expect Rock and Roast to hook more people and to even perform live, and gradually an 'ecological system' for Chinese stand-up comedy will be created."

For the performers, the format offers greater possibilities to uncover their potential.

This is particularly true for Zhang, who quit the office routine when he handed in his notice at a State-owned gas supply enterprise to become a full-time stand-up.

"When I first watched a stand-up performance, I thought I could tell those jokes as well," says Zhang, who is from Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province. "For me, everything in my daily life can be turned into material for my performance.

"When making jokes about our lives, I believe we're actually spreading positive energy because we don't give in to the mundane or boring routines."

Zhang used to think that financial motives alone would be the main inspiration for his new career being a professional stand-up, but realizes what is most important is the sense of happiness that stems from doing a job he loves.

Making an audience laugh brings its own rewards, Zhang says. No other job could bring such joy, he adds.

But the amount of preparation required isn't quite so funny.