Last One Laughing UK; The Marlow Murder Club

“The first series was an unexpected hit for Prime Video and you can tell how much pulling power it has by the line-up for series two. It includes David Mitchell, Diane Morgan, Romesh Ranganathan — three formidable dead-panners — and Alan Carr, who is a very dangerous mirthmaker. Also appearing are Mel Giedroyc, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Sam Campbell, Maisie Adam and Amy Gledhill. In case you haven’t watched it yet I won’t say who gets yellow-carded first and who is the first out because I don’t want to spoil it for you, and anyway I’ve signed things promising that I won’t. But suffice to say, you might be surprised who cracks. Having watched it all, I’m pretty sure it will make you laugh. Not all the time, but enough. OK, most of you.”
Carol Midgley, The Times

“Of course, the hope is that what happens in the room is so hilarious you don’t have the chance to mull over comedians’ psyches or comedic devices (between the set pieces, the pranks, the cameos, the bons mots of the post-show commentary and Jimmy Carr’s groan-inducing gags, every kind of comedy seems to be covered). It frequently is: this series leaves me helpless with laughter at least once an episode. That might sound like a low bar, but it’s an impressive feat. At a time when TV barely tries to tickle you, this show’s unabashed pursuit of actual mirth is not to be sniffed at.”
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian

“The format has an inherent problem: watching people not laugh has limited appeal. Watching comedians fail to get laughter is uncomfortable. When those comedians are trying really hard to get laughter, it’s actively horrible. Some came with strategies – surrealist rambling from Campbell, clownish buffoonery from Giedroyc – while others kept their heads down. When jokes came, they were invariably crude and uniformly resistible. Even Mitchell’s patented “irate pedant” act fell flat, while an early celebrity cameo came and went without a snicker. Worse still, second-series syndrome was in play. The comics knew what they were in for, defensive postures were at the ready. “This is the most deadpan group of people. They’re not breaking,” says Conaty at one point. However, even the most hardened comic and the most jaded viewer can only resist [Bob] Mortimer for so long. As with last year, when he nearly gave Daisy May Cooper a hernia with his comedy songs, Mortimer serenades Morgan with his bizarre ditties. The reaction to his second song is a remarkable moment, scattering the assembled comedians as if someone had thrown a live rat into the room.”
Chris Bennion, Telegraph

“Clearly, this is all a rose-tinted fantasy ideal of England. Who on earth expects to find a working phone box today? Based on stories by Robert Thorogood, the creator of Death In Paradise, this is cosy crime at its snuggest and most comforting. With its antiques shops, estate agency windows, scout huts and rowing clubs, the Buckinghamshire town epitomises Middle England. We long to believe that places like this still exist, where everyone goes to the church fete, even if they don’t always attend Sunday services, and competition for the Best Marrow rosette at the horticultural show is cut-throat … sometimes literally. This world has long been spoofed by Midsomer Murders. But the deaths here are decidedly more understated and genteel. No one gets impaled on falling candelabras or beheaded by suits of armour wielding poleaxes.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“There’s middle-class cosy crime and there’s the Marlow Murder Club (U&Drama) level of cosy crime where a plot development in the latest caper hinges on whether a suspect knows the plot of Brief Encounter. How could anyone from rural Buckinghamshire not be entirely familiar with the ultimate story of British middle-class passion is this show’s firm position. Most probably a wrong ’un. To be fair, a deep strain of English detective fiction has always felt “cosy”. “Never mind the suffering and death, let’s enjoy a fun puzzle in pleasant surroundings” is a philosophy that has worked gloriously for years. And there is a lot to enjoy about Robert Thorogood’s tales, a novel-to-TV enterprise that certainly knows its market.”
Ben Dowell, The Times