British Comedy Guide
Taskmaster. Image shows left to right: Greg Davies, Alex Horne
Taskmaster

Taskmaster

  • TV comedy
  • Channel 4 / U&Dave
  • 2015 - 2024
  • 171 episodes (18 series)

TV format in which Greg Davies and Alex Horne set a group of comedians various outlandish challenges. Also features Romesh Ranganathan, Frank Skinner, Roisin Conaty, Josh Widdicombe, Tim Key and more.

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Series 18, Episode 1 - The Faceless Facilitators

Taskmaster. Image shows left to right: Andy Zaltzman, Babatunde Aléshé, Emma Sidi, Jack Dee, Rosie Jones
Greg Davies and his faultlessly loyal assistant Alex Horne welcome five fairly fresh bodies for a crack at TV's greatest prize: Greg's disembodied head, painted gold and stuck to a plinth. Andy Zaltzman, Babátúndé Aléshé, Emma Sidi, Jack Dee and Rosie Jones attempt to impress the Taskmaster by searching for a seal, hurling yoga balls in a theme park, and force-feeding Alex a bowlful of bubblegum.

Prize task: The best thing that has been inside you.

- Rosie Jones: A letter opener, which she used to dig out stuff from her belly button. - 5
- Emma Sidi: A USB stick containing details about her best ex-boyfriend. - 4
- Jack Dee: A ten-year-old toothbrush. - 3
- Babatunde Aleshe: Jamaican oxtail stew. - 2
- Andy Zaltzman: A lung. - 1

Task 1, Part 1: Do not say any of this out loud. Carry out each instruction before reading the next. You must remain silent until you've completed all four instructions. Stare at camera number one for at least 30 seconds without smiling. Eat an imaginary fly that has just landed on you. You don't like how it feels in your stomach at all. Look under the 6th, 33rd, 56th and 91st letters of this task. Part 2: Say a word beginning with Q. Fastest wins. Your time started when you stared at the camera.

- Jack: 3:32 - 5
- Emma: 3:58 - 4
- Andy: 7:54 - 3
- Rosie: Time not given. - 2
- Babatunde: 17:59 - 1

Task 2: Knock over exactly 100 cans. You must throw all five balls and pull one rope nice and hard. You must stay on the spot at all times, and you may not move the spot. Closest to 100 cans wins. Your time starts now.

- Jack: 68 - 5
- Rosie: 47 - 4
- Emma: 36 - 3
- Babatunde: 32 - 2
- Andy: 104, but disqualified for stepping off the spot. - 0

Task 3: Do the most beautiful thing with bubbles. You have 20 minutes. Your time starts when you haven't said a word beginning with B for five seconds.

- Andy: Makes a black-and-white, French new wave-style film featuring bubbles. - 5
- Babatunde: Draws a picture of his baby daughter and dances in front of it while blowing bubbles through the air. - 4
- Jack: Does a toast to the crew with vegan, non-alcoholic champagne. - 3
- Emma: Has a sexy bubble bath. - 2
- Rosie: Plays a bubblegum fairy, and makes Alex eat bubblegum. - 1

Prize task: Drink the vinegar. On your turn, you can either drink from one straw, or not drink at all and get a clue from Alex instead. You must stand on the spot when choosing your straw, and you must never stray from the spot. Only the vinegar drinker wins. Winner takes all.

- Rosie: Drinks the vinegar, from straw 17. - 5

Final scores

- Rosie: 17
- Jack: 16
- Emma: 13
- Andy and Babatunde: 9

Broadcast details

Date
Thursday 12th September 2024
Time
9pm
Channel
Channel 4
Length
60 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Greg Davies Host / Presenter
Alex Horne Host / Presenter
Andy Zaltzman Self
Babatunde Aléshé Self
Emma Sidi Self
Jack Dee Self
Rosie Jones Self
Writing team
Alex Horne Writer
Tim Key Task Consultant
Production team
Andy Devonshire Series Director
Andy Cartwright Series Producer
Richard Allen-Turner Executive Producer
James Taylor Executive Producer
Jon Thoday Executive Producer
Rob Aslett Executive Producer
Andy Devonshire Executive Producer
Alex Horne Executive Producer
Dan Trelfer Edit Producer
Vicky Winter Line Producer
Amy Tuckwell Associate Producer
Rebecca Bowker Editor
James Dillon Production Designer
Sam Montague Director of Photography
Christina Baker (as Chrissie Baker) Make-up Designer
Chris Kempton Lighting Designer
Dru Masters Composer
Tom Howe Composer
Martin Rosten Graphics
Alex Horne Creator

Press

Taskmaster review: why wasn't this wonderfully stupid show up for an NTA?

How Mrs Brown's Boys was voted Best Comedy over Alex Horne and Greg Davies' hoot of a series is beyond farce.

Anita Singh, The Telegraph, 12th September 2024

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