Taskmaster (Greg Davies sets some comedians daft challenges!)

Exclamation Marc

Gregs scoring is infuriating and is becoming very annoying to watch.

First task has a 2, three 4s and a 5.

Everyone gets 5 in the paint task... What's the point?

siblers

Why was there a tie break for the live task? Ivo should have won and Kiel and Mae should have been third

Basq

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120641361#Comment_120641361

Yeah, thought same.

Probably just so they could use the last prop behind the curtain I'd imagine..

siblers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120641195#Comment_120641195

Frankie and Ivo should have won. Team of 2, raining and original approach

Penn

Final episode tonight. Presumably Mae-Day in June.

This season has been that much of a damp squib that pretty much what I'm looking forward to most is the reveal of who's in Series 16.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120665312#Comment_120665312

Agreed. Whilst there have been brief flashes of brilliance this season, the quality of tasks has been wildly inconsistent (particularly in the live tasks) and the contestants (bar Frankie, who has only really shone in the studio) have been completely forgettable; it'll be a forgotten series very quickly. Assuming Mae wins (and I'd love for Kiell to win), they'll go down as the most boring and unentertaining winner in the show's history.

Penn

Decent enough episode. Disappointed with the final task, normally they do something a bit more special or funny, but I guess it was slim pickings trying to find a task to suit. Some good laughs in the episode though.

Next season's lineup revealed:

https://twitter.com/taskmaster/status/1664376092210380800?t=kOhUjgynzFWoRt-2Oo8Ykw&s=19

Sue and Lucy should be good. Not sure what way Julian will be. The other two I don't think I've ever heard of.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120668061#Comment_120668061

That is a very interesting lineup!

Agree on Sue and Lucy! Julian Clary could be very funny. Sam Campbell is very funny in bloods and I know his standup/stage show stuff was really critically acclaimed. Susan Wokoma I only know from acting but she is funny in chewing gum (amazing!).

Exclamation Marc

Sam Campbell is absolutely brilliant, massive cheer here when I saw him pop up. Caught him at the Fringe last year. Very absurdist and should be a standout oddball.

Similarly Lucy, Julian and Sue should be great. I've only seen Susan in Cheaters (which she was great in) so hopefully she has good comic chops too.

Brilliant line-up across the board for next year. So excited for it.

siblers

Poor episode tonight, Frankie and Ivo doing all the heavy lifting, that chess task wasn't great and the live task was awful. Poor enough season overall despite Frankie and Ivo being very funny overall

Lucy Beaumont should be very good, she's unintentionally funny and should be very well suited to Taskmaster

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120668365#Comment_120668365

Ah she is the girl from cheaters as well! That was a very good watch, she steals plenty of scenes in chewing gum so I would say she will be a good fit

salmocab

I enjoyed that episode, Frankie and Ivo were the highlight of the series by a mile, Jenny who I never really liked before was good value, Kiell was mainly enjoyable in the studio for his reactions, Mae was too competent doing the tasks and didn’t seem to have any real comedy attempts if that makes sense.

as usual not sure of a few people for next season but I generally don’t and there’s always someone that turns out to be very enjoyable.

Schorpio

I'm disappointed that Mae won - if only for the impact on the next Champions of Champions.

Mae seems like a really decent and likable person - they just weren't very funny. Being very competent at the tasks probably doesn't help. There's a silliness at being crap as tasks which probably makes up for a lack of intentional comedy.

I think we have seen that there's a real balance to be struck on this show if you're genuinely in it to win it. Mae just didn't seem to have the comedy chops to pull it off.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120670178#Comment_120670178

Some of their prize tasks were good in concept, but they just couldn't sell them comedically. Even some of their task ideas were funny in concept, but just bland in execution.

I don't think anything sums up Mae better than the glass task in this episode. A good idea which could have gone very wrong and a lot of potential for comedy, but instead it just worked and precisely completed the task.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120670256#Comment_120670256

Yeah, all the others for better or worse approach it as a comedy show with a challenge element to it. Mae approached it as challenge show with a comedy element to it. Just the wrong type of person for the show.

Schorpio

For me it was the sneaky prize task.

Mae opened with a 'knock, knock' hidden on various people. But then it transpired that there was no actual joke, just that bit os paper had been hidden on different people, and also that they were wearing Alex's socks.

Like, that's a good idea, but whhhhyyy was there no punchline to the joke? It didn't even have to be good!

Knock, knock - who's there? - Mae - Mae, who? - Mae's wearing Alex's socks

That would have been miles better, and would have revealed the socks bit, without it just being sort of haphazardly added in.

Exclamation Marc

Oh and also, the live studio task in the finale was, for me, the worst live studio task to date.

They should have learned that this type of knockout task can fail horrendously.

ArmaniJeanss

Nice minor tie-in in the current series of 'Meet The Richardsons' which had a few references to Lucy and her agent trying to get on Taskmaster (or preferably Strictly but Taskmaster would do if not), and a scene where she badgered Alex Zane about it, confusing him with Alex Horne.

siblers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120670178#Comment_120670178

Listening to Mae on the podcast, they were were quite regretful in how they approached the tasks and aware of the lack of humour they brought to the show (Mae did have some good moments I thought) , quite similar to Richard Herring I suppose

FunLover18

Just finished this series, definitely weaker than the most recent but nowhere near the dregs that was series 6. I liked the contestants even if they weren't all the funniest, I think the tasks definitely played a role and some of Greg's decisions were **** bizarre, I think he was definitely showing favouritism towards Frankie at times.

Looking forward to the next series, big fan of Julian from Just A Minute which Sue now also hosts and I like her too.

Zaph

Season 4 of Taskmaster New Zealand started this week, first 2 episodes available with 2 more shown each week.

expectationlost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120992613#Comment_120992613

watch first ep and it was good, but the host gives nothing to the show.

Nody

First season 16 trailer; starts on 21st Sep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkJI5OK3He0

siblers

Even though its a strong lineup, this is probably the least excited I've ever been. Probably cause last season was quite disappointing for numerous reasons

stargazer 68

Applied for tickets for the recording. No joy yet!

Exclamation Marc

Cannot wait to see Sam Campbell, one of my favourites and such a great talent.

ArmaniJeanss

The David Correos series of Taskmaster New Zealand is starting tonight (13/09/23 11PM) on E4 Extra - will give it a go as seemed to get rave reviews. Continues nightly.

Station 139 on Virgin Media in Dublin.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121105886#Comment_121105886

One of the best series of all the Taskmasters. The cast of that series is brilliant across the board.

siblers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121106054#Comment_121106054

I've tried S1 and S2 and while The tasks are quite well designed I'm finding it a bit shite so far. Jeremy Wells is so bland compared to Greg. Can't say I'm finding anyone on it particularly funny either. Think it's partially down to how it's shot and edited, just seems very low budget

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121107264#Comment_121107264

I'll give you that on Series 1 which is very so-so but Series 2 is a classic and widely held up as one of the best series of Taskmaster globally.

That said, different strokes for different folks! Similarly I know people who love and hate the Oz version.