I thought Taskmaster's best days were behind it – I was completely wrong
There's no denying that Taskmaster is one of the most ingenious, rib-tickling reality TV shows around. You can't go far wrong with the premise of forcing five comedians to execute a series of increasingly ridiculous tasks – and then dissect it all in front of a live audience.
I was first convinced to watch the show (described by some as jury duty for comedians) after becoming hooked on the viral TikTok clips from seasons gone by and haven't looked back since.
Hosted by Greg Davies and his sidekick, little Alex Horne, it has featured some truly phenomenal line-ups like season seven's James Acaster, Jessica Knappett, Kerry Godliman, Phil Wang and Rhod Gilbert or season five's Aisling Bea, Mark Watson, Nish Kumar, and Sally Phillips.
As well as moments that will go down in Taskmaster history like the time Mel Giedroyc took a toy camel to a kids' Gap (the challenge was to fit the toy through the smallest gap) or when Jessica Knappett fell off the stage.
And who can forget Mark Watson and Nish Kumar forming a band called the Diverse Stripes and performing a song to a stranger called I'm Always Seeing You (Do Cool Stuff) that deserved to become a top 40 hit.
(You just had to be there.)
All this to say that Taskmaster is one of those rare shows that will actually have me bent over in laughing rather than just… lazily puffing air out of my nose and calling it a day.
Over the past few seasons, however, I had started to grow concerned that the show may have lost its usual charm. There were less and less memorable moments and the tasks just didn't seem to provoke the same hilarity they once did.
Despite watching season 18 just months ago (it came out in October), I genuinely wouldn't be able to tell you a single task that has stayed with me. It was fine, but the hijinks seemed to just merge into one.
Although the comedians brought in were great, the show lacked that 'je ne sais quoi' that usually has me ready to watch more… and some more after that.
I don't know whether the tasks felt too formulaic or if it was that the groups lacked that vital chemistry, but I struggled to get into the show like I usually did, rooting for one comedian or another.
So when the show returned for season 19, I wasn't tripping over myself to watch it.
Eventually, after seeing a few funny moments online and growing praise for the new cohort – Mathew Baynton, Rosie Ramsey, Stevie Martin, Jason Mantzoukas, and Fatiha El-Ghorri – I decided to give it a try, and boy, had I been wrong.
This season has been nothing short of delightful, reaching all the highs of earlier seasons in its own unique way.
The dynamic between our fab five jumps off the screen, packed with witty dialogue and season-long inside jokes like Fatiha's one-woman quest to marry Greg.
There's Jason's motto that doubles as US foreign policy 'destroy, dismantle and engulf in flames'; Stevie's self-deprecating humour; Fatiha's deadpan quips; Rosie's constant bafflement at literally every single task she is presented with; and, of course, Mathew's commitment to the tasks (lest we forget yoghurtgate in which the Ghosts star licked yoghurt off Alex's shoes naked while calling him daddy).
After 10 years and 19 seasons, I thought the show had long lost its allure. Instead, I think I've just watched my favourite season.
I'm not alone, fans online have declared this season an 'all timer', and expressed their relief that it still has the wow factor that sets it apart from the crowd. More Trending
It proves that, with the right group of people, Taskmaster has an enduring appeal that makes it one of the funniest shows on TV that could go on indefinitely if given the chance.
As season 19 comes to an end, I can't help but mourn the loss of these five comics on my screen every week, but it has reinvigorated my interest in the series, meaning I will be sat when season 20 hits our screens.
Each one of them has been an unexpected delight, bolstered by Greg and Alex's razor-sharp dynamic that has never wavered.
View More »
So for the naysayers who have left the show behind, I would recommend catching up – you won't regret it.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
Share your views in the comments below.
MORE: Rachel Reeves's tears should usher in a new kind of politics
MORE: Irish musician and comedian cancels all of his gigs for the year
MORE: The Blind Date reboot already sounds like it's trying too hard
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Inside Love Island star Sanam's sun-soaked Ibiza hen do trip ahead of Kai Fagan wedding
Love Island success story Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan are set to get married on August 1 with the pair both jetting off to different parts of Spain for their stag and hen dos Love Island winner Sanam Harrinanan has jetted off to Ibiza with her friends and family for one last rodeo before she marries her reality TV fiancé Kai Fagan. One of only a handful of success stories from the ITV reality dating show, the couple got engaged in April last year. The 27-year-old social worker has shared details of her hen do on social media, where she's posted regularly from her Spanish getaway. The first day of her trip saw her and her pals dress up in a cowgirl theme, with the stunning bride-to-be wearing a white outfit and her party all in black. On the second day of her break abroad, the group dressed in a sunset theme, donning bright pink, red and orange colours for their outfits. They could be seen posing in front of palm trees and drinking cocktails as they excitedly celebrate Sanam's upcoming wedding. Following a life-drawing session, the group toasted Sanam with Love Island themed champagne flutes. Another post showed her asking her followers to rate their drawings, while another saw one of her party fall asleep at a bar table after all the excitement. Sanam and Kai, both 27, won the second winter series of Love Island in March 2023, with Kai getting down on one knee 13 months later in April last year. The proposal came as a complete shock to Sanam, who believed she was going on a normal date night in Cambridge. Kai, who is also enjoying his stag do in Barcelona, shared the news of their engagement on Instagram at the time. He wrote: "Introducing the next Mrs Fagan. "Beautiful, Caring, Loving and Smart are just some of the words that describe you. I love loving you, I love you and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." Sanam later updated her TikTok followers with a video, explaining she was told to dress "cute and warm" for their punting boat date night. She said: "So I'm currently about to get ready for a date night with Kai that he has set up that I know nothing about. "All I know is that I need to dress cute and warm. I'm getting ready in my mum's house, I'm in my old room." The former reality star, who has since returned to her day job as a social worker, admitted she didn't get many photos and videos of the big moment as it took her by surprise. She explained: "Okay, the biggest thing just happened! "We don't have many videos of the proposal but I did not expect or see this coming. I honestly thought it was just a random date night that Kai had put together but yeah, I am so shocked and happy!" After she said yes, the couple went for a romantic meal out together. They returned to a hotel room that was adorned with decorations, including balloons, petals and photos showing some of their best times together. Sanam added: "Did I just say yes to the cutest guy in the world?" The couple are set to get married next week on August 1.
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Pub Quiz July 26: How smart are you? Take our pub quiz
Perfect if you're taking a trip to the pub this weekend, this quiz will let you brush up on some of that unusual but essential knowledge for the occasion. With 10 fun questions, the pub quiz will get your brain cogs working and put your general knowledge skills to the test. From where Shakespeare is from to what year TikTok was launched, see how many questions you can guess correctly. Take last week's quiz now: Pub Quiz July 19: How smart are you? Take our pub quiz So, if you think you have what it takes to be the pub quiz master, find out now and take our quiz. If you liked that quiz, you can see how British you are with the UK's citizenship test. You can even test your Barbie knowledge with our Barbie quiz and find out if you're a Barbie or just Ken. Now that you've put your brain to the test, you'll want to start revising hard in preparation for the next pub quiz. Did you get 10/10, or was it a tough round for you? Keep an eye on the news and get ready for next week's pub quiz. How well did you do? Let us know in the comments below. What is the history of the pub quiz? The pub quiz is believed to have originated from a company called Burns and Porter, which would share its quizzes in the 1970s in order to encourage more regular visitors. The regular pub quizzes saw pub numbers rise from 30 teams a week to a peak of 10,000 teams. Burns and Porter went on to publish their own line of pub quiz books and would continue to host weekly quizzes.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Angry mum leaves Butlin's after 'beds wet' and daughter had 'poo on hands'
Mum Jasmine took to TikTok to share her disappointment with the accommodation at the Skegness holiday park. Butlin's has apologised after a family checked in to a "grimy" and "damp" room which was "in need of a massive deep clean". Mum Jasmine took to TikTok to share her disappointment with the accommodation at the Skegness holiday park. Sharing clips of the filthy room with her 19,000 followers, she said: "I could make a 10-minute video on all of the issues in here but here's some of them." Jasmine, who went on to give a tour of the room, added: "Even walking up to the room I felt grimy. This is the Butlin's comfort room. This is my sign to not blindly book something hahaha." As reported by the Mirro r, she said they couldn't stand to sleep in the room for more than one night as she showed dirt throughout, including in the shower and the bin. In her voiceover, Jasmine said: "I was meant to book the apartment but I didn't realise. When I first walked in there and I saw there's only two rooms and one bathroom in the middle, I thought, 'Where's the rest of it?'. "I am going to emphasise that was not Butlin's fault at all though to be fair - it was my fault. So anyway I don't know if the videos can do it justice because the smell when I walked in there was just absolutely wild. "This isn't the cleaner's fault or anything like that - it's the turnover rate is the issue. These rooms need massive deep cleans because a quick once over is not going to help." "I didn't even want to shower in there - in fact, I didn't shower in there. I ended up going to the swimming pools to have a shower. "We spent one night in this room and the beds were so damp - my daughter even woke up asking why the bed was so wet. "I can't explain the smell. I know I keep saying it but it was horrific. The mould was over the windows, there were cobwebs up the walls... This was a dead bug on our bed and then our daughter got poo on her hand walking out and I was like 'nah, that's it, 100% I am going.' "The stuff kids can do here is amazing though - I will not fault Butlins for that. It is just a shame about the room." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A spokesperson for the holiday park said: 'We're sorry and disappointed to see the cleanliness issues the guest experienced with their accommodation. This certainly isn't the high standards we expect our guests to receive when they holiday with us. We carried out a full reclean and offered a gesture of goodwill which was accepted.' Others shared similar experiences in the comments, with one person writing: "This looks so much cleaner than our room [laughing emoji]." Another person said: "Skegness I had the most horrible room haven't ever gone back. It was a hot year window broke couldn't open it, bedding didn't get changed stuff left under the bed etc was horrible." However, another visitor insisted they had only ever had positive experiences at the holiday park, writing: "Which Butlin's is this?? We've always been to skeg one and never had a room like this. That's grim."
