When it returned for its second season earlier this year, Last One Laughing was proclaimed the funniest show on British TV by this newspaper and several others. Producers must have been beside themselves with glee. You could hardly think of a simpler, cheaper format than filming a group of comedians trying not to laugh in a studio for a few hours. And it wasn’t just a hit with critics; this gem of a show (which also has many popular iterations around the world) was bringing in more than 6 million viewers. It’s no wonder, then, that ahead of its third run next year, they’ve brought it back for a four-part Halloween special with a whole new twist.
Not only are the comedians banned from laughing and smiling, they also can’t “scream, screech, shriek or squeal” as their fellow players – and producers – try to scare them and make them jump. First in the door this time is Inside No 9’s Reece Shearsmith, the “king of creepy”, followed by Lou Sanders (back from series one and “ready to lose again”), self-proclaimed scaredy cat Phil Wang, series two returnee Daisy May Cooper, panel show regular Tom Allen, up-and-coming comic Harriet Dyer and deadpan master Jack Dee. There are also cameos from Charlie Cooper (brother of Daisy), Catherine Tate, Steve Pemberton and more.
