new season
Mirco Nontschew on “LOL” – comedy show broadcast after death
The new season of Amazon’s streaming service was produced before Nonchev’s death. Photo: Frank Zauritz/Amazon Prime Video/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
His grimaces and noises were legendary: Mirco Nontschew died in December – now he can be seen again in a comedy series. The charisma would be in his interest, says Michael Herbig.
He felt like he could imitate thousands of sounds. The squeak of basketball shoes on the gym floor. Or animal sounds. Mirco Nontschew’s death became known in December 2021.
The new season of the comedy series “LOL – Last One Laughing” for the Amazon streaming service had already been produced. Nonchev fans have been able to see their comedian in action again since Thursday. The season has six episodes. Two new ones will be added to the streaming portal each week (April 14/21 and April 28). The winner will be announced on April 28th.
If you don’t laugh, you win
“LOL” is about a number of comedians and entertainers being locked in a studio for several hours. There they have to make each other laugh. Whoever lasts the longest and doesn’t laugh wins. The format is internationally known, in Germany it was a resounding success for the Prime Video streaming service of the US giant Amazon.
Torsten Sträter won the first season, Max Giermann won the second. Actor and director Michael “Bully” Herbig (“Bullyparade”, “Der Schuh des Manitou”) presents the German edition of the international success for the third time.
He observes what is happening in another room and watches who is laughing and then intervenes in what is happening. If an alarm sounds, it is clear: someone smiled, grinned or laughed. The candidates have two attempts, so they can afford to slip up.
The concept hasn’t changed much – the third season works much like the previous ones. That’s a bet Amazon is making. Will the format work again? Or does success level off because it could always be the same?
This time there: Palina Rojinski, Hazel Brugger, Michelle Hunziker, Christoph Maria Herbst, Abdelkarim, Axel Stein and Olaf Schubert. Anke Engelke is taking up the challenge for the third time, Carolin Kebekus and Mirco Nontschew are there for the second time.
Nonchev plays with noises
As you can see in the first episode of the new season, some of the comedians are afraid of Nonchev’s infamous noises. Hazel Brugger says at one point: “I knew he made noises.” And Christoph Maria Herbst reveals: “What Nontschew does triggers me to the core.”
Nonchev’s death shocked many at the end of last year. He died at the age of 52. In the 90s he became known with the show “RTL Saturday Night”.
“I’ve always seen something at Mirco that others don’t have,” Herbig told the editorial network Germany (RND). “But I only got to know him on “LOL”. We fell into each other’s arms right away, that touched me. One is relieved when the colleague not only does his or her job excellently, but is also humanely intact and lovable. There’s nothing worse than meeting someone in person who you admire, only to find out that they’re a jerk.”
Herbig: Death was an incredible shock
Herbig said of Nonchev’s sudden death: “It was an unbelievable shock. Nevertheless, it soon became clear to me that we should definitely show this season. I think that was what he wanted too. Not showing it or cutting Mirco from the show would have hurt a lot more. He gave everything for the audience, so they should have the opportunity to see it.”
Nonchev was born in Berlin (East) in 1969. His father was from Bulgaria. At the end of the 80s, the agile Nontschew was on the road as a breakdancer. Hugo Egon Balder became aware of him at the television station RTL. In 1993 he became a member of the ensemble of the comedy show “Saturday Night”, which set new standards on television with its silly sketches. Companions at that time were, for example, Wigald Boning, Olli Dittrich, Esther Schweins and Stefan Jürgens.
In 2001, Nontschew received his own program “Mircomania” on Sat.1. Later he was also in the improvisational comedy “Frei Schnauze” on RTL, then also in the Sat.1 comedy format “Die brazen Drei”.