Taskmaster

Contents

Host

Greg Davies

Co-hosts

Umpire: Alex Horne (umpire)

Broadcast

Avalon Television for Dave, 28 July 2015 to present

Synopsis

Comedians are given very strange things to do.

Alex Horne's mind is a strange place. All of the usual elements are there, but they're all mixed up. He makes hot toothpaste pies. He plays golf with hen's eggs. He draws horses while riding horses.

But a problem shared is a problem halved, so Horne has invited some comedy friends to perform these surreal dreams. Greg Davies hosts the programme, ranks the performances, and the best player over the programme (and over the series) is the winner.

The players from Series 1: Ranganathan, Skinner, Conarty, Widdicombe, Key (seated) Davies and Horne

Taskmaster is theatre of the absurd, sensible people doing insensible things. The atmosphere was heightened by the filming location - almost all the tasks took place in a hired cottage, decorated as a shrine to the Taskmaster. There was no narration over the films, just the natural sound of the players talking.

Fans of bizarre television flocked to this show, and it gained audience as the series went on. It looks like Dave has an actual hit on their hands, their first since Argumental about five years earlier.

Participants

2015

  • Frank Skinner
  • Josh Widdicombe
  • Roisin Conarty
  • Romesh Ranganathan
  • Tim Key

2016 (Summer series)

  • Doc Brown
  • Joe Wilkinson
  • Jon Richardson
  • Katherine Ryan
  • Richard Osman

2016 (Autumn series)

Inventor

Alex Horne, who also wrote and produced the show.

Title Music

The Horne Section.

Incidental music by Dru Masters.

Trivia

Based on a stage show at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010 and 2011.

Judgement was pronounced at the Clapham Grand theatre.

Web links

Dave webpage

British Comedy Guide entry

See also

We Need Answers

Weaver's Week review

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