Last One Laughing’s Halloween edition proves why it’s the best show on TV

Amazon Prime’s hit show is back for a four-part spooky spectacular, and thank goodness for that – Reece Shearsmith alone is worth the subscription fee.

Nothing says Halloween like the prospect of watching Jimmy Carr torment seven trapped comedians for four hours straight. 

But that’s Last One Laughing for you. Not content with taking over our screens once a year (not that I’m complaining), the series has made its return with a four-episode spooky spectacular. 

As per previous seasons, the premise is simple: the comedians aren’t allowed to laugh, or they’ll be eliminated (and, therefore, lose their chance of getting their hands on the pumpkin-themed trophy). 

There’s also one big twist. In keeping with the time of year, they’re also not allowed to scream – which might be tricky, because there’s all sorts of tomfoolery afoot here, including a mix of both old and new contestants, the better to keep us on our toes.

Old hands Daisy May Cooper and Lou Sanders are back, alongside new faces Jack Dee, Tom Allen, Phil Wang, Harriet Dyer and Shearsmith, of Inside No. 9 fame. 

Among them, it’s Shearsmith who quickly steals the show. A self-confessed Halloween superfan, he wastes no time getting to work making the other contestants scream – or, at least, try to smother one. 

There are magic tricks; there are spiders; there’s a bit that involves smashing a fake hand with a hammer. He’s a menace, and the other contestants soon take to steering well clear of him. That’s before his Joker, which has to go down in history as one of the best the show has ever produced, and had me howling with laughter.

All the contestants bring their A-game, actually. Ever wanted to see Dee crack a smile (a rare occurrence, by all accounts), or Tom Allen attempt to break dance? There are bags of it here, plus something even better: getting to see the comedians’ exaggerated frowns as they try not to laugh.

Cooper’s scrunched-up face makes a welcome return here – she ends up looking more than a little constipated on several occasions – but who knew Wang’s idea of self-control was puffing his cheeks out and pouting like a grumpy schoolboy?

The studio has also had a makeover, complete with a Beetlejuice-style chequered red floor, a wall of creepy dolls, and a locker room that looks like it’s come straight out of Saw. If that’s not enough to set alarm bells ringing, I don’t know what is, and the creative team take full advantage, hiding jump scares in places you wouldn’t even think to look. 

Scarier, by far, though, are the celebrity cameos. God knows what kinds of favours the team had to call in to get somebody like Catherine Tate, but it’s worth it. She’s only on screen for five minutes, but her performance is so exquisitely awkward that it feels like it ought to be watched from behind a cushion.

As might be obvious from the above, one of the greatest strengths of Last One Laughing is in its inherent silliness, as well as the fly-on-the-wall element of it all. With the cameras rolling for such a long time, the comedians are free to amble around, indulge in idle chit-chat, and try out new gags with their pals. 

It’s an odd mix of wholesome and demented, but it works. The only bit that doesn’t, quite, is the awkward banter between host Jimmy Carr and Roisin Conaty as they watch the action unfolding on-screen – before being gradually joined in the green room by the axed comedians. 

But that’s a quibble. This is, by far, the most entertaining comedy show on British television right now. Who needs to head out for Halloween? There are tricks and treats aplenty right here.

Last One Laughing: Halloween’s first three episodes are streaming now on Amazon Prime, with the finale to follow on October 30

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