Has “LOL” been written and will Bully join soon? The presenter answers the most important questions about season 4

Just two years after the launch of “LOL: Last One Laughing,” the hit comedy is now in its fourth season on Amazon Prime Video. The whole thing is again led by Michael Bully Herbig, who not only moderates the frenzied don’t laugh competition, but also decides (backed up by an energetic team) who has to leave the show because of an unintentional laugh or grin.

In an interview with FILMSTARTS, the filmmaker explains what makes ‘LOL’ so special for him in round 4, how his own chances as a candidate actually stand and what lies behind the allegations that with ‘LOL’ it is already clear who flies when out. And anyone who has wondered what Bully actually thinks about “Avatar 2: The Way Of Water”, which was recently on the verge of attracting more viewers than his cult hit “Der Schuh des Manitu” to the cinemas in Germany, will also get an answer in the next article…

Michael Bully Herbig: You never know what’s coming your way. There are people who think it’s all scripted. That is not the case. That’s why we don’t know what’s going to happen from the start. It thrives on a certain leap of faith. I don’t know what the colleagues are doing there and they don’t know what or who I’m sending. The only agreement we have is: do what you want! Don’t worry if something goes horribly wrong, we’ve got plenty of cameras. If something embarrassing happens in one corner, we take the conversation or action out of the other corner.

Before the first season, there were certainly considerations as to whether we would plot a route there. Do we tell the artists when it is their turn and what to do? We then decided: no, we trust these pros, who really all play in the A-class, let them go and see what happens. And luckily it was the right decision, it still works fine on the same principle.

“A bit like ‘James Bond'”…

Michael Bully Herbig: It’s a bit like James Bond. People always want the same thing, only different. Don’t change the principle, the rules remain simple, but the different constellations and the freshly mixed artists always provide a completely new dynamic and energy. That’s why you can always bring people who have been there before. Because you combine them with others. That’s what appeals to me.

Of course you try to be diverse beforehand when you put it together, of course it would always be ideal to have 50 percent women and 50 percent men in the ensemble. But that’s not so easy. I am convinced that the key to the success of a season is the chemistry, the atmosphere. They must be happy to spend six hours together. It’s like game night and if there’s someone who bothers you or maybe doesn’t like you that much, it drains energy and affects everyone else. That’s why you really have to look: who goes well with whom, who gets along well?

Michael Bully Herbig: (laughs) The problem is that I have a very strange impulse. If someone says to me, “Don’t laugh,” it’s over. I had a lot of trouble with it at school. When it was suddenly so quiet, I had to laugh at every shit. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m actually afraid this would be a very brief appearance. But never say never. Of course I would be interested in how long I can keep it up myself. You just can’t put Rick Kavanian in me, because then it’s over anyway. But maybe one day it will, I don’t want to rule it out. But right now I’m still very comfortable with the buzzer.

Michael Bully Herbig: Colleagues like Elton sometimes have people say, “What’s he doing there? He’s not a comedian.” But that’s not the point. It’s about amusement, sympathy and, as I said, the constellation. I just regularly throw myself out when I see people fighting and what they do not to laugh. I don’t know how many sandwiches the struggling Elton desperately ate, it was to die for! What makes it even more difficult for him is that he has such a cute dolphin face, a naturally kind face. And then you look at it and wonder, “Is that laughing ?” In the beginning we tend to let things slide. But at a certain point you have to be very strict, otherwise it will still be ten in the end.

Michael Bully Herbig: So without giving too much away: this time, a lot, a lot of people have held on for a very, very long time. That really sets the season apart from others. It was a bit of a challenge to deal with. (laughs)

Michael Bully Herbig: Yes. The final is especially strong. It has never been seen like this before.

Michael Bully Herbig: I think that’s very classic learning, from watching and from the people who were already there. In the end, the only piece of advice I ever give to anyone going in is: assume you’re going to be in there for six hours and plan on several for each hour. But I don’t want to know in advance what they are doing. I also want to have fun and surprise myself. Sure, sometimes there are songs that need to be rehearsed in advance. But I don’t even consciously look at it.

A single material battle

Michael Bully Herbig: 40 cameras, six hours, you can work out what kind of material combat it is. Of course everything is checked first, but no editor does that, entire teams are working on that. And then we look at how we break it down into six episodes. First of all, a lot of attention is paid to dramaturgy. And then you also have the comments, the interview situation. I don’t really get around to it until the framework for an episode is in place. Then the polishing begins. Do the numbers work, are we in the rhythm, is the energy right?

It’s not much use if I spend days in the editing room looking at material. I prefer to go in there from a distance and with a fresh look it is more productive. It’s also just a really, really good team. There’s a lot of people sitting there really loving the format, sharpening it and really trying to fish out every moment that could have happened somewhere in the corner. Because of course I don’t get everything during the recording. I can’t be everywhere with my eyes. If something happens elsewhere, I get a notification: Quickly watch this, is that laughter? That’s six hours of very focused fun.

Michael Bully Herbig: Then we are all exhausted and looking forward to the buffet.

Michael Bully Herbig: In any case, I’m very flattered that you mention the “shoe of Manitou” with “Avatar” in the same breath. Do you want my honest opinion on this?

Michael Bully Herbig: For me, the Avatar movies are not James Cameron’s best movies. Of course, what impresses me about “Avatar” is the technology and the technical advancements that are being made there. Incredible pioneering work is being done! The story is relatively manageable and thin. (laughs) There are two hearts beating in my chest. On the one hand, I think it’s just fantastic that a film goes through the roof and inspires cinema. Each film also inspires other filmmakers, and what you see there is of course groundbreaking, especially in 3D. But I would have wished for a more interesting story and I think the movie could have been told in two hours.

The first two episodes of the fourth “LOL” season are already available on Amazon Prime Video. The remaining four will appear in double packs over the next two Thursdays.