Topic: Taskmaster

[JerseyKloppite]

No idea if there’s a thread for this already as the search function is down.

New series on 18 March. Love the show, such a good format and wonderful light hearted escapism.

[Elzar]

One of my favourite shows, some incredible moments in past series. Currently rewatching alongside the podcast too

Never seen it mentioned on here so just presumed nobody else watched it.

[jackh]

I'm the worst type of Taskmaster fan - one who latched on to the hype that seemed to be around it for the most recent series

Really enjoyed it though - tend to keep it saved to My Shows for those occasions in the week where I'm stuck for a 45 minute pass time rather than watching it routinely, but it's enjoyable.

Don't know how the 2020 contestants compare collectively to previous years, but it seemed a good bunch.  Katherine Parkinson's commitment to missing a vital piece of information for almost every task, and being thrown completely off track for about a third of the time available to her, made for fantastic television.

I've only heard of one of the 2021 contestants - surprised they reveal them in advance actually.  Looking back at previous years - Richard Osman strikes me as a big bloke for some of the more physical tasks; bet that made for some good TV!

[Nitramdorf]

Love this show. I believe later in the year there is a second champion of champions mini series as well.

[[new username under construction]]

One of my favourite shows, some incredible moments in past series.

Joe Wilkinson Potato

Greg certainly makes the whole thing better than it is, not that it's bad, it's good, but he takes it to another level

[Elmo!]

Another Taskmaster fan here, though I didn't think the last series was as good as previous ones. I think that was just due to me not really liking the competitors this year. Hopefully back to form with thenew series.

[[new username under construction]]

Another Taskmaster fan here, though I didn't think the last series was as good as previous ones. I think that was just due to me not really liking the competitors this year. Hopefully back to form with thenew series.

the pregnant blonde woman, is she a comedian?

[tubby]

It's a good show to dip into now and then if there's nothing else on, but I get a bit bored of it after an hour or so.

[JerseyKloppite]

Joe Wilkinson Potato

Greg certainly makes the whole thing better than it is, not that it's bad, it's good, but he takes it to another level

Just listened to him talking about that on the podcast, it was heartbreaking

They’ve had some fantastic contestants over the years. Joe Wilkinson, Paul Chowdhry, Noel Fielding, Bob Mortimer, Lou Sanders, Katherine Parkinson, all ace. And I love Richard Herring so was glad to see him win, though thought Daisy May Cooper might chin him

The chemistry between everyone is great. They clearly love making the show.

[JerseyKloppite]

Another Taskmaster fan here, though I didn't think the last series was as good as previous ones. I think that was just due to me not really liking the competitors this year. Hopefully back to form with thenew series.

I think the lack of studio audience was a shame, it adds real energy to the studio parts. And their prize tasks were unbelievably crap but suppose they were working within the limitations of COVID etc.

I like Lee Mack and Mike Wozniak (who is a mate of Greg Davies) so looking forward to seeing them. Charlotte Ritchie should be fun too.

[smutchin]

I'm another who only 'discovered' Taskmaster with the last series after the move to C4 - although several people have told me in the past I should watch it. Absolutely love it. It has been a bit of a lifeline in the last year - it's beyond funny. Sometimes it has me laughing so hard I can hardly breathe.

I've been catching up with the previous series, which are all available to stream from All4 or UKTV. It's been consistently brilliant from the start.

the pregnant blonde woman, is she a comedian?

Daisy May Cooper - she's the creator and co-star of This Country, popular BBC sitcom. I've never got into This Country but I thought she was brilliant on Taskmaster. I especially loved the silent cocktail task, when she completely lost her shit.

Joe Wilkinson Potato

The way that panned out... brilliant. Goes to show that a lot of what makes Taskmaster great is in the editing. Although the live tasks are always fun too.

[Nitramdorf]

I liked James Acaster when he was on, losing his shit with Rod Gilbert. Sally Phillips was good, Kerry Godliman, Jon Richardson.

Katherine Ryan I like. Its interesting how different peoples minds work. When they were asked to make a mess, Bob Mortimer threw a load of rice and crap on the carpet, Katherine Ryan phoned her sister up to tell her her husband was having an affair.

David Baddiel just seemed to go off at a tangent to everyone else when he was on. Like his brain was wired differently.

I seem to like all the guests before or after they have been on, the only ones I went off a bit was Al Murray and Liza Tarbuck.

[TepidT2O]

It’s just Greg Davies humiliating people ...time and time again


And it’s a joy to behold....

His ruthless ability to mock them makes it..

The last series was a bit awkward without an audience for about 45 seconds... and then Greg just thinks fuck it, and starts destroying them.

The best contestants are always the worst of course

[smutchin]

It’s just Greg Davies humiliating people ...time and time again

And it’s a joy to behold....

His ruthless ability to mock them makes it..

Can't imagine anyone else hosting it. He's just so perfect for it.

Will be interesting to see the chemistry between him and Mike Wozniak in the new series - though I can't imagine he will have as many great stories about Wozniak as he had about Roisin Conaty...

[jackh]

Daisy May Cooper - she's the creator and co-star of This Country, popular BBC sitcom. I've never got into This Country but I thought she was brilliant on Taskmaster. I especially loved the silent cocktail task, when she completely lost her shit.

The watermelon one was hilarious too

[Elzar]

The last series was lacking in the studio, originally I thought that was the fault of no live crowd to play to, but the NYD special showed they can still have a great studio part without. That and Liza Tarbucks series were the worst so far, but still watchable.

So many tasks I would love to do myself.

[Elmo!]

I'm another who only 'discovered' Taskmaster with the last series after the move to C4 - although several people have told me in the past I should watch it. Absolutely love it. It has been a bit of a lifeline in the last year - it's beyond funny. Sometimes it has me laughing so hard I can hardly breathe.

I've been catching up with the previous series, which are all available to stream from All4 or UKTV. It's been consistently brilliant from the start.

Daisy May Cooper - she's the creator and co-star of This Country, popular BBC sitcom. I've never got into This Country but I thought she was brilliant on Taskmaster. I especially loved the silent cocktail task, when she completely lost her shit.

The way that panned out... brilliant. Goes to show that a lot of what makes Taskmaster great is in the editing. Although the live tasks are always fun too.

Yeah I hadn't seen anything of Cooper before, but she was the best contestant this year. I'm a fan of Herring, but he was taking it too seriously and wasn't very funny as a result.

[Scottish-Don]

I liked James Acaster when he was on, losing his shit with Rod Gilbert.

Was it James Acaster that ignored Alex at the start of every task?
Had me in stitches every time, ever got old.

[Qston]

I love this show. I agree that the last series did suffer due to lack of audience and limitations of covid but was still better than most other comedy panel type shows.

So many good contestants over the years. I loved Joe Wilkinson when he was on it - and yeah the potato  I also like it when the contestants who are clearly quite competitive are on it and come unstuck. They are never competitive in an unpleasant way but you can tell. I can remember Jon Richardson's frustration at times with, I think, a task involving beach balls and a hill.

The song that two of them came up with a few years ago was amazingly good in the timescale (I forget the names as I am typing this). Some really inventive solutions to the problem as well.

[JerseyKloppite]

I love this show. I agree that the last series did suffer due to lack of audience and limitations of covid but was still better than most other comedy panel type shows.

So many good contestants over the years. I loved Joe Wilkinson when he was on it - and yeah the potato  I also like it when the contestants who are clearly quite competitive are on it and come unstuck. They are never competitive in an unpleasant way but you can tell. I can remember Jon Richardson's frustration at times with, I think, a task involving beach balls and a hill.

The song that two of them came up with a few years ago was amazingly good in the timescale (I forget the names as I am typing this). Some really inventive solutions to the problem as well.

Dave Gorman was clearly super competitive but it didn’t go well for him and he got pissed off (in an endearing way )

[Elzar]

I love this show. I agree that the last series did suffer due to lack of audience and limitations of covid but was still better than most other comedy panel type shows.

So many good contestants over the years. I loved Joe Wilkinson when he was on it - and yeah the potato  I also like it when the contestants who are clearly quite competitive are on it and come unstuck. They are never competitive in an unpleasant way but you can tell. I can remember Jon Richardson's frustration at times with, I think, a task involving beach balls and a hill.

The song that two of them came up with a few years ago was amazingly good in the timescale (I forget the names as I am typing this). Some really inventive solutions to the problem as well.

The "Taskonbury" or something was it? Loved both of them, the songs about Rosalind. Bobs copy of his shooting stars and the passion he put into "Rosalind is a fucking nightmare!" 

[Nitramdorf]

Was it James Acaster that ignored Alex at the start of every task?
Had me in stitches every time, ever got old.

  yes, never said hello.

[Chris~]

Binged this over Christmas and again pretty much straight after with my girlfriend. No idea why I put it off for so long.

The "Taskonbury" or something was it? Loved both of them, the songs about Rosalind. Bobs copy of his shooting stars and the passion he put into "Rosalind is a fucking nightmare!" 

Think thats the best task and probably season

[Pistolero]

Best 5 contestants

Bob Mortimer
Rhod Gilbert
David Baddiel
Sally Phillips
James Acaster


Worst 5

Alice Levine
Asim Chaudhry
Russell Howard
Jo Brand
Phil wang

[Welshred]

Can't imagine anyone else hosting it. He's just so perfect for it.

Will be interesting to see the chemistry between him and Mike Wozniak in the new series

I'm hoping it's going to go the way it did when Rhod Gilbert was on the series with him trying to turn the tables and humiliate Greg for each of the prize tasks

Like this


So many good moments already mentioned by people like Joe Wilkinson's potato and Daisy May Cooper losing her shit at Richard Herring during the drawing task in the last series

[Welshred]

Phil wang

The hula hoop challenge with his outfit was one of the most disturbing yet funny things I've seen!

[TepidT2O]

Best 5 contestants

Bob Mortimer
Rhod Gilbert
David Baddiel
Sally Phillips
James Acaster


Worst 5

Alice Levine
Asim Chaudhry
Russell Howard
Jo Brand
Phil wang

Your bottom 5 would be near my top 5

Those who are systematically awful at the games are great

[Nitramdorf]

Best 5 contestants

Bob Mortimer
Rhod Gilbert
David Baddiel
Sally Phillips
James Acaster


Worst 5

Alice Levine
Asim Chaudhry
Russell Howard
Jo Brand
Phil wang

I didnt mind Phil Wang, but agree with a lot on both you lists.

One person I really disliked was Ian Stirling. No idea who he is but didnt warm to him at all.

[Pistolero]

I didnt mind Phil Wang, but agree with a lot on both you lists.

One person I really disliked was Ian Stirling. No idea who he is but didnt warm to him at all.

Yeah, he was on the shortlist...absolute gobshite....I didn't mind Wang so much the first time I watched him in series 7 (best series of the show) probably because everyone else in it was so good they compensated for him ...but I found him unbearable when i rewatched it - particularly his bartering patter...and he's done my head in whenever I've seen him in anything since because of it!

[Zeppelin]

Alice Levine and Kathryn Parkinson irritated me - they seemed to wilfully misunderstand half of the tasks. I know the show is daft, but you have to at least make the appearance of taking it seriously for it to work. I thought they just made themselves look stupid.

[TepidT2O]

Parkinson is obviously so scatty that she’s bonkers.. I really enjoyed that kind of insanity

[Pistolero]

Alice Levine and Kathryn Parkinson irritated me - they seemed to wilfully misunderstand half of the tasks. I know the show is daft, but you have to at least make the appearance of taking it seriously for it to work. I thought they just made themselves look stupid.

Loved Kathryn...similar to Sally Phillips in that I was surprised at how genuinely off the wall she was/is....couldn't stand Levine though - adopted that annoying too-cool-for-school vibe and kept it up for the entire series.....Jo Brand just couldnt be arsed and diminished every task she undertook...I'd have withheld her fee such was her shite non-contribution...

[Zeppelin]

Sally Phillips was great - she was a complete headcase. Really funny.

[peachybum]

I avoided this show until it moved to Channel 4 and i saw Richard Herring was on so gave it a go and found out it was actually brilliant. Then binged the whole 10 series in no time.

Out of all the series there's only been one contestant that i couldn't stand and that was Jo Brand. That series already had David Baddiel so didn't really need another old comic who's so shite it's funny.

James Acaster ignoring Alex at the start of tasks is never unfunny.

[TepidT2O]

Jo Brand is a genius and legend .....

I won’t have a word said against her..

[Clint Eastwood]

I like Taskmaster, but the last two series were so bad I didn’t finish watching them.

[The G in Gerrard]

Sally Phillips was great - she was a complete headcase. Really funny.

She's magnificent. I can never look at water coolers the same way again.

This show is BRILLIANT.

[CornerFlag]

Doc Brown rapping "1, 2, 3, 4, 5..." is one of the best bits of TV ever.

Best contestants for me, in no order (I'm just blimping the list of contestants)

Romesh Ranganathan
Joe Lycett
Bob Mortimer
James Acaster
Rhod Gilbert
Lou Sanders
Rose Matafeo
Thought Rylan was good too on the New Year special as well.

Wasn't arsed about Tim Key, Liza Tarbuck, Paul Sinha and Katy Wix though.

[TepidT2O]

Rose matefeo was a legend

[Elmo!]

Doc Brown rapping "1, 2, 3, 4, 5..." is one of the best bits of TV ever.

Best contestants for me, in no order (I'm just blimping the list of contestants)

Romesh Ranganathan
Joe Lycett
Bob Mortimer
James Acaster
Rhod Gilbert
Lou Sanders
Rose Matafeo
Thought Rylan was good too on the New Year special as well.

Wasn't arsed about Tim Key, Liza Tarbuck, Paul Sinha and Katy Wix though.

Have you heard Paul Sinha talk about how it was his performance on Taskmaster that made him realise there was soemthing wrong with him, and was diagnosed with Parkinsons shortly after. Think it was on Richard Herrings podcast.