Taskmaster
Alex Horne invented a joke task for the Edinburgh Fringe, Greg Davies agreed to play the tyrant judge, and the result became the best comedy panel show on television. Five comedians per series attempt absurd tasks, bring an item to the studio, destroy a cake in the most creative way possible, camouflage themselves in a field, and Greg awards points based on a combination of rules adherence and his own arbitrary whims. That is the whole show, and it has produced a decade of television funnier than nearly anything scripted.
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Taskmaster (2015) is a comedy and game show series from Channel 4. It has built a run of 150 episodes at roughly 60 minutes each. It premiered on July 28, 2015. Viewers rate it 8.8 out of 10. It is currently running. It runs 22 seasons.
What Taskmaster Is About
Greg Davies is the Taskmaster who, with the help of his right-hand man, Alex, sets out to test the wiles, wit and wisdom of five hyper competitive comedians through a series of ingenious challenges. With the chance to be crowned show champion, rivalry amongst the comedians is encouraged, dodgy tactics rewarded and bribes accepted.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 60 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, the full run covers 150 episodes, spread across 22 seasons and it leans into its comedy/game show roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Greg Davies and Alex Horne to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Greg Davies and Alex Horne lead the cast.
Key roles include Greg Davies as Taskmaster; Alex Horne as Assistant.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of comedy and game show have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside Channel 4’s other originals, a 8.8/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2015 and carried by Channel 4 with the series still running, it lands hardest with comedy and game show viewers.
How Taskmaster Compares
If Taskmaster lands for you, the next stops are Nathan for You, Seinfeld and Rick and Morty, which share its comedy/game show lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Taskmaster comes from Channel 4. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
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On the whole Taskmaster is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Greg Davies and Alex Horne doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its comedy/game show roots, It has held up since 2015 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Taskmaster is a safe bet for anyone already inside the comedy and game show lane, at 150 episodes it is an easy run to work through, the audience score holds around 8.8/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 8.8/10. Watch it if you want comedy/game show you can settle into.
