Prime Video has announced its first unscripted African Original, LOL: Last One Laughing Naija, comedy competition which is set to take the Nigerian entertainment industry by storm.
According to the foremost entertainment company, the event would be hosted by one of Nigeria’s most accomplished comedian, Basketmouth.
At a press conference which took place on Thursday, 6 July, 2023, Basketmouth was unveiled as the host of the competition which attracts a whopping N40 million cash prize for winner which will in turn be donated to a charity organisation of the winner’s choice.
The competition is expected to kick off on Friday, 14 July, 2023.
To be hosted by Nigeria’s king of comedy, Basketmouth, the unique, unpredictable, six-part series of unscripted comedy follows the successful adaptation of Prime Video’s global smash-hit comedy franchise currently produced in over 20 countries and territories worldwide including Canada, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and South Africa— hosted by Trevor Noah and launching early next year.
At the press conference kick starts with the host of the day Ali Baba, a veteran and pioneer of the comedy industry in the country, set the ball rolling by Introducing the cast and crew of the unpredictable and exceptional six-part series of the unscripted comedy.
‘LOL’Naija’ hosted by Basketmouth will feature 10 Comedians who will compete against each other hoping to remain the last man laughing.
The wonderful cast are: Sabinus, Taaooma, Igosave, Kiekie, Okey Bakassi, Dat Warri Girl, Acapella, Buchi, Gandoki and Senator who will be in showdown for six hours and the ‘Last one Laughing’ will win a cash prize of N40 million that will be donated for charity of his or her choice.
The series will see Basketmouth pit 10 of Nigeria’s best comedy and entertainment stars against one another in a celebrity showdown where anything can happen.
The six-part series will follow the group of comedians as they compete to be the Last One Laughing. For six hours, there is only one rule: if you laugh, you lose. The last comedian to remain straight-faced will be the winner, and will be able to donate N40 million to a local charity of their choice. The top comedic line up will bring every comedy trick they have to make each other laugh while resisting the urge to laugh themselves.
The series is produced by Amazon Studios in collaboration with Nigeria’s LiveSpot360 Productions and will be available on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
The six-part series will launch with two episodes streaming back-to-back each week over a three-week period from July 14-28. The series will be available on Dolby Atmos for customers with compatible setups for an enhanced viewing and audio experience.
It is the latest project from Amazon Prime Video following the success of projects like Gangs of Lagos and Brotherhood by Jáde Osiberu along with others like Breath of Life, King of Thieves; Hey, You!; and Palava! as well as TV serials, Beyond the Veil and Grind.
Ned Mitchell, Head of African and Middle East Originals, Prime Video speaking at the press conference said, “This is a real big deal for comedy as an art that should be commendable, it’s about being real”.
According to him, “LOL: Last One Laughing Naija is a global hit for Prime Video, and that’s why we’re excited to bring its very own version to customers in Nigeria.”
Speaking further, he stated: “As the first unscripted African Original to launch on Prime Video, LOL: Last One Laughing Naija continues to set the tone and standard of the authentic Nigerian stories and genres we want to share with our audiences at home and abroad, and our commitment to the local TV and film industry.”
Basketmouth who has just finished his tour, spoke on his experience of hosting the unscripted show, ”I wouldn’t last up to five minutes if I was really a contender on the show” while pushing more boundaries in the outside world for the comedy industry.
“Afrobeats has reached into the world which comedy hasn’t do. I want to make sure we made that same impact for the whole entertainment industry”.
Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, Head of Nigerian Originals, Prime Video, appreciated the remarkable work of the production crew as the shoot was done once. She also elaborated more on what Prime Video is striving to do for all. “We will love to be home for comedy and build up creativity in the entertainment world.
“Our audiences are going to love seeing a series full of incredible Nigerian humour and comedic talent with this A-List line up of comedians, who will test each other’s limits in the pursuit of laughter in LOL: Last One Laughing Naija.
“We’re proud to be bringing Prime Video customers a genre most loved and consumed by Nigerian audiences around the world”.
When asked how the cast members felt when they were told the prize money would be for donation, a lot of mixed feelings were expressed.
Buchi said he did not accept that in good faith that it kept bugging him.
The selection process for the contenders was also discussed. The criteria for selection are: representation, popularity, enterprising, gender and comedy.
