Newspaper critics have given the thumbs down to new Prime Video series LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland.
The new series dropped on the streaming service on Friday. It is fronted by Graham Norton and stars Aisling Bea, Amy Huberman, Catherine Bohart, David McSavage, Deirdre O’Kane, Emma Doran, Jason Byrne, Martin Angolo, Paul Tylak, and Tony Cantwell. They are stuck in a Big Brother-style house together for six hours and if they laugh they are evicted.
Judging by headlines laughter was the last thing on the minds of the critics.
The Irish Times said it is "the worst thing to happen Irish comedy since Brendan O'Carroll put on a frock"
The Irish Independent said the "Irish comedy show is nothing to laugh about."
And the Belfast Telegraph called it "a great steaming turd of a programme."
The format has previously been a success in America, but despite this version featuring some of the best Irish comedians in the business it seemed to strike the wrong note. In the New Statesman Rachel Cooke wrote: "A stand-up called Tony Cantwell had just appeared from behind a curtain dressed in a skin-tight green body suit that made his genitals look like they’d been fashioned from Play-Doh." Cantwell tried to make other housemates giggle by doing ventriloquism and bad jokes with a French dummy.
There also seemed to be some ambiguity about the rules. The show presumably didn't want any of their star signings such as Aisling Bea (pictured) being booted out too quickly so had a yellow card/red card system with warnings handed out first. But sometimes the housemates were penalised for what looked on the action replay like little more than a minor smirk.
It's an odd concept watching a programme that is supposed to make viewers laugh while the people on it are stony faced. And there was some humour in watch David McSavage pour his breakfast cereal and milk into his pocket before eating it. Jsason Byrne did get a laugh at the press screening when he said the aim oif the show seemed to be to "find the most miserable shit in Ireland."
The show certainly didn't hold back on pulling out the big guns when it came to homegrown guests brought in to set off the giggles. TV puppets Zig and Zag popped up, Chris De Burgh strolled around singing Lady in Red and, inevitably, Jedward put in an appearance.
Watch LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland on Prime Video now.
Watch the trailer here.
Aisling Bea picture by Kirsty Ellis
