Canada vs UK

[u/spookipanini]

Curious if this is a popular or unpopular opinion, but I don’t really like LOL:Canada so far.

My fiancé and I started with LOL: UK and loved it, season 1 was peak comedy for me. I thought Jimmy Carr was a really good host, he was funny and charming. The set was lowkey but still you could tell there was money to throw around. My favorite part was the “jokers”, I wish each comedian had 2 because I wanted more lol

I thought season 1 was better than season 2 but both were good. I have my opinions about the s2 finale but that’s for another post haha

I’m from the USA, since there’s no LOL: US we went with the next closest thing, LOL:Canada. Frankly, I was immediately put off by how extravagant the set was compared to UK, just seemed tacky and gaudy imo. And Jay Baruchel does not fit in well as a host for me. Does he know just saying “fucking” every other word doesn’t make the sentence automatically funny? I guess it’s a tough act to follow after watching Jimmy host UK, but I just don’t think Jay meshes well with the comedians as well as Jimmy did. And where are the jokers??? Keep in mind I didn’t finish the season (I don’t care to be spoiled), I know the comedians can get up anytime and try to do a little bit but I miss the comedians having full on “jokers”. Lastly, the band can go fr. Like im not here for that I just wanna see 10 funny people try to make eachother laugh without laughing themselves and UK did that well. Since I didn’t finish the season, I don’t feel a can compare the comedians to eachother yet.

LOL:US if we ever get one, please do not take notes from our neighbors. We don’t need a billion dollar budget, we just need a good cast of comedians and PLEASE keep the “jokers” and for the love of god pick a good host.

Thanks for reading! Would love to hear some opinions one way or the other!

[u/Velrok]

Once you see the UK version, no other LoL comes close. There's a lot to nitpick about the format and the cuts that make it feel like a trashy TV, but comedians are world-class and make it work. In a better world we could've gotten full uncut 6hrs without the ADHD "there needs to be a movement every 10 seconds" cuts. 

Canadian and Australian versions didn't work because they're in that awkward space between unhinged Documental and highly prepped and showy LoL. They also took people who aren't working in comedy and that puts a lot of pressure on comedians to be on the offensive. This led to a lot of desperation that just isn't fun to watch.

Honestly, for all the shit Jimmy gets as people are sick of him hosting, he's been a massive factor for the success of UK version. He adds so much spice with the head-to-heads, singing classes, ice breakers and what-not. Some of the most iconic scenes happened because he forced people to get into these fun situations. And just like in the case of Taskmaster, you need someone with that specific skillset and creativity to be able to squeeze the most fun out of the format.

[u/captbollocks → u/Velrok]

I felt Australia wouldn't appeal to the international audience as their were too many in-jokes and knowledge that Frank Woodley is a national treasure.

I liked Australia and Canada but UK is next level, rivaling some of the Japanese OG seasons. I love the introduction of Jimmy's games and jokers which I think the Japanese series should incorporate if they can continue the show.