Taskmaster (TV series)

For the comic book character, see Taskmaster. For the wrestler known as The Taskmaster, see Kevin Sullivan (wrestler).
Taskmaster
Genre Comedy game show
Created by Alex Horne
Directed by Andy Devonshire
Presented by Greg Davies
Alex Horne
Theme music composer The Horne Section
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of series 3
No. of episodes 16
Production
Producer(s) Andy Cartwright
Alex Horne
Location(s) Grand Theatre, Clapham, Fountain Studios
Editor(s) Thomas Perrett
Mark Sangster
Running time 60 minutes
Production company(s) Avalon Television
Release
Original network Dave
Original release 28 July 2015 (2015-07-28) – present
External links
Website

Taskmaster is a British comedy game show originally created by British comedian Alex Horne during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010, and transferred to television on Dave in 2015. The TV series stars comedian and actor Greg Davies now in the titular role of the Taskmaster, issuing simple comedic and bizarre tasks to five regular contestants – usually comedians – with Horne acting as Davies' assistant and umpire during the challenges.

The players in the first series were Roisin Conaty, Tim Key, Romesh Ranganathan, Frank Skinner and Josh Widdicombe. In September 2015, the show was commissioned for two more five-part series, to be broadcast in 2016.[1] The second series, which featured Doc Brown, Richard Osman, Jon Richardson, Katherine Ryan and Joe Wilkinson,[2] premiered on 14 June 2016 on UKTV Play ahead of its transmission on Dave a week later on 21 June.

Series three featured Paul Chowdhry, Dave Gorman, Al Murray, Rob Beckett and Sara Pascoe and aired on 4 October 2016.[3] Two more series, both lasting eight episodes each, have been commissioned.[4] Series four will feature Lolly Adefope, Hugh Dennis, Noel Fielding, Mel Giedroyc and Joe Lycett.[5]

TV format

The game consists of simple and bizarre challenges set by Davies as the Taskmaster, with assistance provided by Horne. These challenges are usually done individually and in isolation, and pre-filmed either in the Taskmaster cottage or on location. The players are encouraged to think laterally and creatively to complete the task.

In the occasional team tasks, the players are split into two teams. In the first series, these teams were grouped by age; with Key and Skinner making up the 'elder' team, and Conaty, Ranganathan and Widdicombe making up the 'younger' team. In the second series, they were split into Richardson and Osman (as Davies referred to them as 'Father and Son') and Ryan, Brown and Wilkinson. In the third series, they were split into 'The Beards' - Gorman, Chowdhry and Murray, and 'The Aryan Twins' - Pascoe and Beckett.

The first task is always the Prize Task, in which each contestant donates a prize to offer up. These have to follow a certain theme – such as the contestant's most unusual item, or their most treasured item – and are all later awarded to the winner of the show.

The following challenges are the pre-filmed tasks. All the tasks are delivered in an envelope with a wax seal, which the player reads aloud and the timer/task is then started. Examples include "Completely empty this bathtub – fastest wins" and "Conceal this pineapple on your person – best concealment wins". In the studio, the players explain their creative methods and argue to Davies – and among themselves – as to why they did best, after which judgement is passed by Davies as to who performed best and awards points accordingly.

The final challenge is performed live in the studio. In the event of a tie, a special tie-breaker task is performed by the remaining contestants, which may either be pre-filmed or in the studio.

At the end of the series, a trophy is presented to the person who has scored the most points over the course of the entire series. As of the second series, the trophy takes the form of a bust of Greg.

Episode guide

Series Episodes Original transmission Contestants
1 6 28 July – 1 September 2015 Frank Skinner, Josh Widdicombe, Roisin Conaty, Romesh Ranganathan and Tim Key
2 5 21 June – 19 July 2016 Doc Brown, Joe Wilkinson, Jon Richardson, Katherine Ryan and Richard Osman
3 5 4 October – 1 November 2016 Al Murray, Dave Gorman, Paul Chowdhry, Rob Beckett and Sara Pascoe
4 8 TBC Hugh Dennis, Joe Lycett, Lolly Adefope, Mel Giedroyc and Noel Fielding
5 8 TBC TBC

Series 1

A pilot episode was filmed on 24 February 2015, with the series proper recorded between 23–25 March. These were filmed at the Grand Theatre in Clapham.

Episode 1: Melon Buffet (28 July 2015)

Task Description Frank Josh Roisin Romesh Tim
1 Prize: Most unusual item 4 1 2 3 5
2 Eat as much watermelon as possible in one minute 2 3 1 5 4
3 Paint a picture of a horse, while riding a horse 5 3 1 4 2
4 Empty a bathtub 4 3 2 5 1
5 Live: Put on a onesie inside a pop-up tent 4 3 1 2 5
6 Tie-break: Find Alex ✔ – – ✘ –
Total 19 13 7 19 17

Episode 2: The Pie Whisperer (4 August 2015)

Task Description Frank Josh Roisin Romesh Tim
1 Prize: Most impressive item 4 2 3 1 5
2 High-five a 55-year-old 2 5 4 1 3
3 Identify the contents of pies without breaching the pastry 1 2 4 3 5
4 Do something that will look impressive in reverse 1 4 5 5 3
5 Live: Crack the code and unshackle yourself 1 3 5 4 2
Total 9 16 21 14 18

Episode 3: The Poet and the Egg (11 August 2015)

Task Description Frank Josh Roisin Romesh Tim
1 Prize: Most meaningful item 4 2 1 5 3
2 Throw a tea bag into a mug from the furthest distance away 4 DQ 2 3 5
3 Create an image using a GPS device to track your route 2 5 1 4 3
4 Buy a gift for the Taskmaster with £20 3 5 4 2 1
5 Get an egg as high as possible without breaking it 0 5 0 4 0
6 Live: Stand up after 100 seconds 2 5 1 4 4
7 Tie-break: What is Frank Skinner's age in minutes? – ✔ – ✘ –
Total 15 22 9 22 16

Episode 4: Down an Octave (18 August 2015)

Task Description Frank Josh Roisin Romesh Tim
1 Prize: Most beautiful item 3 4 2 1 5
2 Make an ice block disappear 4 5 3 2 1
3 In a squash court, get to 11 'points' as a team 1 2 2 2 1
4 Fill an egg cup with tears 5 3 1 4 1
5 Live: Memorise the names of an Australian rules football team 1 1 1 1 1
6 Special: Count baked beans, spaghetti hoops and rice grains – 1 – – –
Total 14 16 9 10 9

Episode 5: Little Denim Shorts (25 August 2015)

Task Description Frank Josh Roisin Romesh Tim
1 Prize: Most valuable item 4 5 1 3 2
2 Move a boulder as far as possible 4 5 1 2 3
3 Grow the longest nail in ten weeks 3 5 2 4 1
4 Make a bed as a team while holding hands 2 0 0 0 2
5 Make a Swedish person blush 3 1 5 4 2
6 Live: Blow up the biggest balloon, while blindfolded 4 2 5 3 DQ
Total 20 18 14 16 10

Episode 6: The Last Supper (1 September 2015)

Task Description Frank Josh Roisin Romesh Tim
1 Prize: Most satisfying item 2 4 1 3 5
2 Get the lowest mini golf score using eggs 4 2 5 1 3
3 Stage a realistic home movie blooper as a team 2 0 0 0 2
4 Make a meal with ingredients made from all 26 letters of the alphabet 5 1 1 4 3
5 Live: Separate the blue sweets, wearing boxing gloves 3 2 1 4 5
Total 16 9 8 12 18

Series 1 – total scores

Frank Josh Roisin Romesh Tim
93 94 68 93 88

Series 2

Series 2 was recorded between 3–6 May 2016 at Fountain Studios in Wembley. The players are Jon Richardson, Richard Osman, Joe Wilkinson, Katherine Ryan and Doc Brown.[6] Test episodes for both series two and three were filmed on 14 March 2016.[7]

Episode 1: Fear of Failure (21 June 2016)

Task Description Doc Joe Jon Katherine Richard
1 Prize: Most important document 4 5 2 3 2
2 Place three exercise balls on a yoga mat, on top of a hill 1 2 4 3 5
3 Throw a potato into a golf hole, without touching the red green 2 DQ 5 3 4
4 Get information from a Swedish person, who may not communicate in English 2 1 3 5 4
5 Live: Pack for a holiday 0 0 4 3 5
Total 9 8 18 17 20

Episode 2: Pork is a Sausage (28 June 2016)

Task Description Doc Joe Jon Katherine Richard
1 Prize: Trendiest item of clothing 5 2 3 4 1
2 Eat an egg 4 2 3 0 5
3 Create a video for a nursery rhyme 5 2 5 4 3
4 Take a photo of an inanimate object that looks like you 1 2 4 3 5
5 Order a pizza without using specific words 2 4 5 3 1
Bonus point for making the person on the other end of the line say 'bubbles' 1 1 0 1 0
6 Live: Put potatoes into a basket using extra large 'chopsticks' 0 0 5 4 DQ
Total 18 13 25 19 15

Episode 3: A Pistachio Éclair (5 July 2016)

Task Description Doc Joe Jon Katherine Richard
1 Prize: Best dinner party guest 3 5 1 4 2
2 Impress the mayor of Chesham 2 3 1 5 4
3 Make an unexpected silhouette 1 3 5 2 4
4 Buy a gift for the Taskmaster with £20 3 2 1 4 5
5 Retrieve a potato between various teammates who between them cannot see, hear or speak. 0 0 5 0 5
6 Live: Throw toy rabbits into a top hat 12 12 4 15 7
Total 21 25 17 30 27

Episode 4: Welcome to Rico Face (12 July 2016)

Task Description Doc Joe Jon Katherine Richard
1 Prize: Coolest blue item 3 4 5 2 1
2 Rescue a cat 4 3 2 5 0
3 Conceal a pineapple on your person 2 1 5 4 3
4 Set your own task, to be completed by Jon 0 0 4 0 0
5 Construct something for the Taskmaster using flat pack furniture 4 4 1 4 1
6 Live: Build the tallest free-standing tower using potato-based products 5 0 0 0 0
Total 18 12 17 15 5

Episode 5: There's Strength in Arches (19 July 2016)

Task Description Doc Joe Jon Katherine Richard
1 Prize: Best piece of memorabilia 2 1 3 4 5
2 Place supplied items into a shopping trolley on the other side of a stream DQ 5 DQ 3 4
3 As a team, create a stop motion film starring a potato 2 2 3 2 3
4 Build the highest freestanding bridge to support a potato, using only the materials on the table 4 3 5 1 2
5 Live: Put on food handling gloves, eat a banana, put on a tie and clap as many times as possible 4 0 2 3 5
Total 12 11 13 13 19

Series 2 – total scores

Doc Joe Jon Katherine Richard
78 69 90 94 86

Series 3

Series 3 was recorded between 9–11 May 2016 at Fountain Studios.[8] The players are Paul Chowdhry, Dave Gorman, Al Murray, Rob Beckett and Sara Pascoe. This series started broadcasting on 4 October 2016.

Episode 1: Pea in a Haystack (4 October 2016)

Task Description Al Dave Paul Rob Sara
1 Prize: Most flamboyant clock 4 3 1 2 5
2 Get to a microwave in as few steps as possible 4 2 DQ 5 3
3 Propel a pea the furthest distance and land on a red carpet 5 DQ 2 4 3
4 Make the best snowman 3 5 1 2 4
5 Live: Balance as many swedes on a Swede as possible 5 3 4 2 1
Total 21 13 8 15 16

Episode 2: The Dong and the Gong (11 October 2016)

Task Description Al Dave Paul Rob Sara
1 Prize: Heaviest item that can fit in a shoebox 3 5 2 4 1
2 Surprise Alex when he emerges from the shed after an hour 4 3 1 5 2
3 As a team, rescue Alex using clues found around the house 0 0 0 5 5
4 Paint an upside down self-portrait using condiments 5 3 2 2 4
5 Pop the balloons as quickly as possible 1 3 4 5 2
6 Live: Fully unravel a roll of sticky tape and place in a lunchbox 5 3 4 0 2
Total 18 17 13 21 16

Episode 3: Little Polythene Grief Cave (18 October 2016)

Task Description Al Dave Paul Rob Sara
1 Prize: Best battery powered object 2 1 4 5 3
2 Fill an egg cup with sweat DQ 3 5 2 4
3 Create the best 'domino rally' 1 4 5 3 1
4 Buy a gift for the Taskmaster with £20 3 5 2 4 1
5 Create the best flag meal 2 5 4 1 3
6 Live: Anchor as many balloons as possible, using only bread 1 3 2 4 5
Total 9 21 22 19 17

Episode 4: A Very Nuanced Character (25 October 2016)

Task Description Al Dave Paul Rob Sara
1 Prize: Best shiny object 1 3 5 2 4
2 Spread your clothes as far and wide as possible 5 3 1 4 2
3 Find out from an old man – who can only reply by nodding false answers – what he used to do for a living 5 4 1 2 3
4 Create the most impressive special effect 3 3 3 2 2
5 Live: Cover your body with as many sticky notes while blindfolded 2 4 1 5 3
6 Bonus: Have as much fun on a bouncy castle for one hour – – 0 – –
Total 16 17 11 15 14

Episode 5: The F.I.P. (1 November 2016)

Task Description Al Dave Paul Rob Sara
1 Prize: Most attractive relative 4 5 1 3 1
2 Transfer water between two buckets without moving the buckets 5 DQ 3 4 3
3 Charades played across a river, with giant foam hands 5 5 5 0 0
4 Create a film to be played at high speed or slow motion 2 3 3 5 5
5 Live: Place the lowest unique number of doughnuts on a stick 0 0 0 5 0
Total 16 13 12 17 9

Series 3 – total scores

Al Dave Paul Rob Sara
80 81 66 87 72

Viewing Figures

[9]

Series 1

Episode Title Airdate Viewers
Melon Buffet 28 July 2015 429,000
The Pie Whisperer 4 August 2015 367,000
The Poet and the Egg 11 August 2015 281,000
Down an Octave 18 August 2015 406,000
Little Denim Shorts 25 August 2015 460,000
The Last Supper 1 September 2015 448,000

Series 2

Episode Title Airdate Viewers
Fear of Failure 21 June 2016 552,000
Pork is a Sausage 28 June 2016 704,000
A Pistachio Éclair 5 July 2016 721,000
Welcome to Rico Face 12 July 2016 682,000
There's Strength in Arches 19 July 2016 526,000

Series 3

Episode Title Airdate Viewers
Pea in a Haystack 4 October 2016 731,000
The Dong and the Gong 11 October 2016 810,000
Little Polythene Grief Cave 18 October 2016 883,000
A Very Nuanced Character 25 October 2016 TBA
The F.I.P. 1 November 2016 913,000

References

  1. ↑ Brown, Aaron (24 September 2015). "Taskmaster to return for two new series". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Taskmaster Series 2 contestants announced". British Comedy Guide. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ↑ https://twitter.com/Join_Dave/status/755523121461993473
  4. ↑ "Dave orders Taskmaster Series 4 and Series 5". British Comedy Guide. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Taskmaster Series 4 line-up revealed". British Comedy Guide. 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  6. ↑ http://dave.uktv.co.uk/shows/taskmaster/
  7. ↑ "Alex Horne on Twitter". Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  8. ↑ "TVRecordings on Twitter". Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  9. ↑ http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-top-10?

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/19/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.