'Last One Laughing UK' Is the Funniest TV Show in Years – ryan
They call it “corpsing.” It’s when a performer breaks character with laughter for whatever reason, and it’s both cathartic and contagious. Why else do we watch bloopers and gag reels? We like to see funny, talented people enjoy themselves and, despite their best efforts, let laughter loose. Some of the most popular Saturday Night Live sketches are the ones where the actors can barely contain themselves. So why not make that, this whole concept, into a comedy series? Last One Laughing has a very simple premise — some of the funniest comedians in the country are stuck in a room for six hours and have to make each other laugh, but if you laugh, you lose.
While it may be a combination of Last Comic Standing and Big Brother with some Survivor tossed in for good measure, you don’t need to like reality television to enjoy Last One Laughing, just comedy. (I am not a fan of reality TV, and I love LOL, as it’s abbreviated). Comedy is universal, so the demographic here is massive. Last One Laughing is fittingly universal as a result. There are six-episode seasons from around the world, including Mexico, Japan, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Quebec, Sweden, France, Italy, Thailand, and even Turkey and Russia. The show’s simple structure is applicable everywhere. So why is it only now getting attention?
‘Last One Laughing: UK’ Spiked Interest in the Franchise
The Last One Laughing franchise has been around for a while across the world, but it’s only now blowing up in popularity thanks to the recently released Last One Laughing: UK. Whether it’s the accessibility of the English language, the star power on display, or Bob Mortimer’s viral performance, the UK iteration has garnered a great amount of attention compared to other country’s versions of LOL.
Related
The Best British Comedy Shows on BritBox, Ranked
From ‘Red Dwarf’ to ‘The IT Crowd,’ these are the best comedy series streaming on Britbox right now.
Fans of British comedy (or comedy in general) will blush at the incredible cast of LOL: UK — Jimmy Carr hosts alongside Roisin Canaty, and the contestants are Richard Aoyade (The IT Crowd), Daisy May Cooper (Am I Being Unreasonable?), Joe Lycett (Late Night Lycett), Bob Mortimer (Shooting Stars), Harriet Kemsley (Bobby and Harriet Get Married), Lou Sanders (Taskmaster), Joe Wilkinson (8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown), Rob Beckett (Meet the Richardsons), Sarah Pascoe (W1A), and Judi Love (Loose Women). Danny Dyer, Nick Mohammed, and Alison Hammond also appear.
Fans of British panel shows in particular will be in heaven here, with some of the funniest and most familiar faces on TV in the UK trying to make each other laugh. That’s definitely part of the popularity of LOL: UK, along with the fact that you don’t need subtitles. The show really blew up after Bob Mortimer played his “Joker Card” — as part of the show, each contestant has a chance to do a performance for three minutes, and everyone has to watch. Again, they can’t laugh (you get a yellow card if you laugh or even broadly smile once, and you’re out of the game with a red card if you laugh again).
Mortimer, one of the most iconic comedians of all time, performed an absurdist magic act that had England in stitches. His name (and the show) went viral the night of his performance, bringing in a whole new audience to LOL. You can watch that performance below.
Comedy Around the World
One of the coolest things about Last One Laughing is that it allows comedy fans to experience culturally specific humor in ways they otherwise can’t. While we may not be familiar with the funniest comics in the Netherlands, their LOL iteration introduces us to them and gives us a chance to see what’s funny in a different country. Humor is universal, so each country’s version of LOL has funny moments, but comedy is also subjective, so it’s fascinating on an anthropological level to see what different countries find funny.
Related
10 Hilarious British Comedy Series With No Bad Episodes
From cult classics to more recent hits, these British comedy series have never put out a single bad episode.
The franchise began with Hitoshi Matsumoto Presents Documental, the Japanese version of LOL that premiered in 2016 and is still going strong. From there, 28 different countries have broadcast their own versions of the show. Surprisingly, the United States has yet to join in. Of course, us Westerners may find the English-language versions to be funnier, and they are indeed good. The Irish version is hosted by Graham Norton and features David McSavage, Jason Byrne, Deirdre O’Kane, Amy Huberman, and the phenomenal Aisling Bea. It’s excellent.
The Canadian version is an all-star affair and absolutely hilarious. Hosted by a very profane Jay Baruchel, this iteration features Tom Green (Freddy Got Fingered), Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Dave Foley (Kids in the Hall), Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway), K. Trevor Wilson (Letterkenny), Mae Martin (Feel Good), Jon Lajoie (The League), Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience), and more. It’s gut-busting good, but don’t sleep on the international versions. There are laughs to be found in every LOL series, even when they’re suppressed. You can stream Last One Laughing: UK on Prime Video through the link below:
Watch on Prime Video
They call it “corpsing.” It’s when a performer breaks character with laughter for whatever reason, and it’s both cathartic and contagious. Why else do we watch bloopers and gag reels? We like to see funny, talented people enjoy themselves and, despite their best efforts, let laughter loose. Some of the most popular Saturday Night Live sketches are the ones where the actors can barely contain themselves. So why not make that, this whole concept, into a comedy series? Last One Laughing has a very simple premise — some of the funniest comedians in the country are stuck in a room for six hours and have to make each other laugh, but if you laugh, you lose.
While it may be a combination of Last Comic Standing and Big Brother with some Survivor tossed in for good measure, you don’t need to like reality television to enjoy Last One Laughing, just comedy. (I am not a fan of reality TV, and I love LOL, as it’s abbreviated). Comedy is universal, so the demographic here is massive. Last One Laughing is fittingly universal as a result. There are six-episode seasons from around the world, including Mexico, Japan, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Quebec, Sweden, France, Italy, Thailand, and even Turkey and Russia. The show’s simple structure is applicable everywhere. So why is it only now getting attention?
‘Last One Laughing: UK’ Spiked Interest in the Franchise
The Last One Laughing franchise has been around for a while across the world, but it’s only now blowing up in popularity thanks to the recently released Last One Laughing: UK. Whether it’s the accessibility of the English language, the star power on display, or Bob Mortimer’s viral performance, the UK iteration has garnered a great amount of attention compared to other country’s versions of LOL.
Related
The Best British Comedy Shows on BritBox, Ranked
From ‘Red Dwarf’ to ‘The IT Crowd,’ these are the best comedy series streaming on Britbox right now.
Fans of British comedy (or comedy in general) will blush at the incredible cast of LOL: UK — Jimmy Carr hosts alongside Roisin Canaty, and the contestants are Richard Aoyade (The IT Crowd), Daisy May Cooper (Am I Being Unreasonable?), Joe Lycett (Late Night Lycett), Bob Mortimer (Shooting Stars), Harriet Kemsley (Bobby and Harriet Get Married), Lou Sanders (Taskmaster), Joe Wilkinson (8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown), Rob Beckett (Meet the Richardsons), Sarah Pascoe (W1A), and Judi Love (Loose Women). Danny Dyer, Nick Mohammed, and Alison Hammond also appear.
Fans of British panel shows in particular will be in heaven here, with some of the funniest and most familiar faces on TV in the UK trying to make each other laugh. That’s definitely part of the popularity of LOL: UK, along with the fact that you don’t need subtitles. The show really blew up after Bob Mortimer played his “Joker Card” — as part of the show, each contestant has a chance to do a performance for three minutes, and everyone has to watch. Again, they can’t laugh (you get a yellow card if you laugh or even broadly smile once, and you’re out of the game with a red card if you laugh again).
Mortimer, one of the most iconic comedians of all time, performed an absurdist magic act that had England in stitches. His name (and the show) went viral the night of his performance, bringing in a whole new audience to LOL. You can watch that performance below.
Comedy Around the World
One of the coolest things about Last One Laughing is that it allows comedy fans to experience culturally specific humor in ways they otherwise can’t. While we may not be familiar with the funniest comics in the Netherlands, their LOL iteration introduces us to them and gives us a chance to see what’s funny in a different country. Humor is universal, so each country’s version of LOL has funny moments, but comedy is also subjective, so it’s fascinating on an anthropological level to see what different countries find funny.
Related
10 Hilarious British Comedy Series With No Bad Episodes
From cult classics to more recent hits, these British comedy series have never put out a single bad episode.
The franchise began with Hitoshi Matsumoto Presents Documental, the Japanese version of LOL that premiered in 2016 and is still going strong. From there, 28 different countries have broadcast their own versions of the show. Surprisingly, the United States has yet to join in. Of course, us Westerners may find the English-language versions to be funnier, and they are indeed good. The Irish version is hosted by Graham Norton and features David McSavage, Jason Byrne, Deirdre O’Kane, Amy Huberman, and the phenomenal Aisling Bea. It’s excellent.
The Canadian version is an all-star affair and absolutely hilarious. Hosted by a very profane Jay Baruchel, this iteration features Tom Green (Freddy Got Fingered), Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Dave Foley (Kids in the Hall), Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway), K. Trevor Wilson (Letterkenny), Mae Martin (Feel Good), Jon Lajoie (The League), Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience), and more. It’s gut-busting good, but don’t sleep on the international versions. There are laughs to be found in every LOL series, even when they’re suppressed. You can stream Last One Laughing: UK on Prime Video through the link below:
Watch on Prime Video