Streaming
Fifth season “LOL” with cult comedian and film star
The contestants of the fifth season of the award-winning comedy show “LOL: Last One Laughing”. photo
© Frank Zauritz/Amazon Prime Video/dpa
Please (don’t) smile: The successful format “LOL” is coming back. Ten celebrities, including Otto and Elyas M’Barek, can’t be made to laugh. This is exactly what is amusing for the audience.
It’s hard not to laugh or at least smile at the puns from “Friesenjung”. In the comedy show “LOL – Last One Laughing” that would be fatal. The fifth season starts this Thursday (March 28th) on Amazon Prime Video – with Otto.
The rules of the game have actually not changed since the surprise success three years ago: Ten celebrities spend six hours in a room and have to make each other laugh – whoever smiles, grins or smiles twice is thrown out. Whoever holds out the longest gets a trophy and 50,000 euros for a good cause.
Seven newcomers
The six new episodes, presented as always by Michael “Bully” Herbig, feature three well-known “LOL faces” (Hazel Brugger, Olaf Schubert, Torsten Sträter) and seven newcomers: the comedians Ralf Schmitz, Mirja Boes, Michael Kessler, Meltem Kaptan, Otto as well as actor Elyas M’Barek and presenter Ina Müller.
“I don’t think I can do that,” says Hamburg’s cheerful singer (“Inas Nacht”) just a few minutes after the show begins. “Elyas M’Barek and I feel like we’re the wrong choice. But in contrast to football, where you should avoid making the wrong choice as much as possible, it’s really exciting in a format like this,” explains Müller in an interview with dpa. “How does the presenter, who isn’t primarily into comedy, do? Or the actor?”
In fact, the successful format, which won a German television award, continues to surprise with its cast, most recently with actor Moritz Bleibtreu and presenter Michelle Hunziker. “The most tiring thing was not being able to meet people with a friendly smile. We are colleagues, some of them were already on my show. You want to walk past them with a slight smile – and you’re suddenly out,” summarizes Müller.
Sketches, grimaces and jokes by Hugo Egon Balder
The prominent participants can perform sketches on stage, make faces and this time have to endure jokes from guest stars like Hugo Egon Balder in “Bully’s Puppet Box”. What’s particularly funny for those watching is the celebrities’ sometimes bizarre attempts to suppress their laughter.
Who does Otto’s jokes best? How is “Fack ju Göhte” star M’Barek doing? And how long will the “easily amused” Müller last? This is what “LOL” fans will find out from Maundy Thursday. And supplies have already been announced: In October there will be a spooky Halloween special for the first time, where the celebrities will (hopefully) be left laughing because of the horror.