On the strength of its success with “LOL: who will laugh the last?”, Quebec humor is once again on the Prime Video platform, this time as part of a series of stand-ups in situ, “Pour un soir only”.
Created in collaboration with Just for Laughs, the show presents four thematic comedy evenings hosted by Mariana Mazza, Rachid Badouri, PA Méthot and Dominic Paquet.
“We proposed two or three ideas for original creations, but Amazon really liked this concept which allowed to see stand-up in an atmosphere where the public is participative and where the artists have a real carte blanche”, first said explained Patrick Rozon, vice-president of French content for the Just for Laughs Group.
PHOTO QMI AGENCY, MARIO BEAUREGARD
Real carte blanche
Without constraints or particular requirements, the artists were completely free in their approach, from the choice of themes to the guests, to their words, as well as respecting their often colorful verve, which can moreover be appreciated without censorship.
“Amazon gave us real carte blanche. I had never seen that before. Normally, when we meet Quebec broadcasters, we prepare, we present them with detailed files, we know which artists we want to have, the director and all that. And there, at our “meeting” with the people from Amazon, who were coming down from Los Angeles, we arrived and it only lasted six minutes, ”said Patrick Rozon.
“They took the file, I asked them if they wanted me to introduce them to the artists, the concept and what it was about; they just said to me: “no, we trust you. We consider that you are the company capable of making humor and producing humor on TV. We will look at the result”, continued the executive producer of the show.
The man did not hide his astonishment at all this freedom. “They didn’t even look at the texts. The only question they asked was: “is it going to be funny”, “he explained, adding that he was touched by this confidence in the artists.
PHOTO QMI AGENCY, MARIO BEAUREGARD
Four fun-filled evenings
For his episode, captured at the Montreal Science Center, where a splendid view of Montreal evolves over the evening, Rachid Badouri invited his family, and the cameras, to his wedding anniversary – a wedding that almost did not have place. Eddy King, Philippe-Audrey Larrue-St-Jacques, Jessica Chartrand, Emile Khoury and Mike Beaudoin, accompanied by their families, rise in turn to toast. “We wanted it to be signed Montreal and we did everything to reserve the place in the city which was not “bookable”. Amazon has also agreed to work with the same person who was in charge of reception the first time,” said Rachid Badouri, who is currently preparing his first hour in English.
For his part, Dominic Paquet’s evening was recorded at the Coconut Motel in Trois-Rivières. The Tiki evening brings together, among others, Mélanie Ghamino, Réal Béland and Maxim Martin.
PHOTO QMI AGENCY, MARIO BEAUREGARD
PA Méthot, he chose to present his evening of humor in the intimacy of a secret society in Quebec, capes and masks included. Silvi Tourigny, Pascal Cameron, Yannick De Martino and Cathy Gauthier reveal themselves as the evening progresses.
For the last episode, Mariana Mazza, a great lover of wrestling, made an appointment with her guests (Katherine Levac, Simon Delisle, Dave Morgan, PO Forget and Korine Côté) on the Foufounes Electriques ring, in the heart of the ” underground” Montreal. Under the narrations of Kevin Raphaël, humour, Spandex and takes intertwine.
“I like the theatrical side of wrestling, with the disguises. I wanted it to be different from just having a mic […] and I wanted to do a concept that I knew I would never have the opportunity to do again, ”explained the comedian to the QMI Agency.
- “For One Night Only” will be available on the Prime Video platform from February 10.