Amazon greenlights a U.S. version of comedy format ‘LOL: Last One Laughing’

Amazon has greenlit a U.S. version of the hit international comedy format “LOL: Last One Laughing,” according to Deadline. The announcement confirms that the streamer is bringing the competition concept, already successful abroad, to a U.S. audience via a domestic adaptation under Amazon’s distribution umbrella.

“LOL: Last One Laughing” is built around a straightforward premise: contestants are placed under pressures intended to provoke laughter, and the series continues until only one person remains who has not laughed. The format’s reliance on physical, visual, and comedic prompts, rather than scripted stand-alone sketches, is part of what has made it adaptable across markets, Deadline reports.

Globally, the show has been a standout for streaming viewers, particularly on the series launch stage in the United Kingdom. Deadline says the first U.K. season ranked among the platform’s biggest ever series launches there, pointing to strong audience demand for the competitive, fast-paced comedy structure.

Deadline frames the move as part of Amazon’s ongoing strategy of exporting proven international formats and tailoring them for local viewers. A domestic version also typically allows Amazon to cast American contestants and develop U.S.-specific comedic situations while keeping the competition mechanics intact.

While Deadline does not provide additional details in its report such as the production team, episode count, or a premiere date for the U.S. version, it characterizes the order as an “exclusive” development tied to Amazon’s greenlight for a U.S. adaptation. That suggests the next steps will involve finalizing casting, set production, and scheduling for an American audience.

The greenlight also underscores the continuing role of reality-style competition formats in U.S. streaming lineups, where platforms have leaned on recognizable franchise models and repeatable show structures. “LOL: Last One Laughing” is among those formats designed to be scaled, reused, and marketed as a single, easily understood viewing concept.

For audiences, the U.S. version will expand access to a format that has already demonstrated broad appeal internationally. For Amazon, the decision centers on a low-to-moderate creative risk model in which the core premise and timing-driven competition format have already been tested through earlier international runs, as described by Deadline.

As Amazon moves from greenlight to production, industry watchers will likely look for announcements around hosting and casting, as those elements tend to influence how the format translates from one market to another. Deadline’s report indicates only the domestic order at this stage, leaving those specifics to follow.