Taskmaster - Series 9 [merged]

[DrGreggles]

The amusing thing is that they had no choice but to broadcast Baddiel's chickpea skit, what else could they do? Tell him the file data had corrupted?

Not all filmed tasks are used though and they could have easily not shown it, but burying Baddiel's would have meant burying Ed and Rose's rather good ones.

[MigraineBoy]

I enjoyed this series, but their takes on the tasks were all very similar. Even Baddiel was in the same general mindframe as the others... just shit and slow at it.

There were none of those "WTF is this?" moments, like in earlier series where a clip is held back from the other 4 to shine a light on just how brilliant, left-field or awful the attempt was.

[Stone Cold Steve Austin]

I think Alex started adding too many clauses in the tasks which cut off some of the weirder avenues and loopholes people went down in earlier series

[Old Gold Tooth]

I think it's partly the tasks getting more boring but really it's down to the contestants. There's been far too many sensible approaches this series and it's all been pretty beige.

The creating foley sounds on the silent film task a few weeks ago really highlighted this. Both teams made a competent effort and then it just finished. Imagine what the likes of Key, Gilbert or Mortimer would have made of a chance like that.

[olliebean]

I think they only do a trailer after the Spring series, as it's a quicker turnaround before the next series. Whereas the wait is longer between the Autumn series and the next one.

Also, it's not yet confirmed where the next series will end up, right? Or is the 10th series still on Dave and that's when the contract ends?

The next one is the Champion of Champions, isn't it?

[Ja'moke]

The next one is the Champion of Champions, isn't it?

I don't think so. They did the first Champion of Champions after the first 5 series (to have the usual 5 contestants). This was series 9, so they'd need another series to have the full 5 for the next Champs series.

Anyway, BBC1 are now the frontrunners to pick up the format apparently: https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/bbc/bbc1-in-pole-position-to-pick-up-taskmaster/5144520.article

BBC1 is in pole position to scoop Taskmaster from Dave, Broadcast understands.

The BBC's flagship channel is believed to be in eleventh hour negotiations for Avalon's hit format – which ended its ninth series last night with an Ed Gamble victory and an overnight series average of 500,000 (2.5%).

Avalon has reached an impasse with UKTV over the five-year old show after negotiations to renewal its expiring deal and line up a 10th series stalled.

C4 has previously been linked to the show and is believed still to be interested in landing it, but BBC1 has emerged as the most likely home following a bid led by director of content Charlotte Moore and controller of entertainment Kate Phillips.

If an agreement with BBC1 can be reached, the show would move from a BBC Studios commercial entertainment channel to a PSB sibling.

Any deal which involved Taskmaster departing from Dave would have echoes of The Great British Bake Off manoeuvre in 2016, when baking format transferred from BBC1 to C4 due to a dispute with producer Love Productions over its value.

BBC1 previously aired edited repeats of Dave's earlier hit Dynamo: Magician Impossible.

Avalon's previous BBC1 format The Button, which was also fronted and co-created by Horne, aired in a Friday 8.30pm slot to 1.7m (7.9%) in 2018 and did not return for a second series.

Avalon, the BBC and UKTV declined to comment.

it's always the most bland contestants that win isn't it? (apart from Bob)

I'm not sure that is quite true. There has been a few blands, yes, but Lou Sanders won the last series, and whatever you think of her, she certainly wasn't bland. And Liza Tarbuck was kind of batshit insane on the series she won.

[Norton Canes]

I don't think so. They did the first Champion of Champions after the first 5 series (to have the usual 5 contestants). This was series 9, so they'd need another series to have the full 5 for the next Champs series

I think (mentioned upthread) the plan was to pit whoever won the S1-5 COC against the four winners of S6-9

[Ja'moke]

I think (mentioned upthread) the plan was to pit whoever won the S1-5 COC against the four winners of S6-9

Ahh, interesting. I was hoping they'd wait until they'd done five COC series and then do Champion of Champion of Champions, haha.

[DrGreggles]

I'm not sure that is quite true. There has been a few blands, yes, but Lou Sanders won the last series, and whatever you think of her, she certainly wasn't bland. And Liza Tarbuck was kind of batshit insane on the series she won.

Rob Beckett was rather odd too.

[SteveDave]

https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/bbc/bbc1-in-pole-position-to-pick-up-taskmaster/5144520.article

[Ja'moke]

Rob Beckett was rather odd too.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of him on other shows, but he brought some creativity and odd ideas to his Taskmaster tasks.

[lankyguy95]

Is it worth slogging through Jo Brand and David Baddiel to watch this series? I haven't watched past the first episode which went as I expected.

[DrGreggles]

Is it worth slogging through Jo Brand and David Baddiel to watch this series?

Yes.
Katy is fantastic throughout, Rose is really good and Ed has some great moments too.
Plus the Greg and Alex stuff is up to the usual high standard.

[lankyguy95]

Ok. I'll watch the next couple of episodes and see if I can get into it.

[Spode]

Is it worth slogging through Jo Brand and David Baddiel to watch this series? I haven't watched past the first episode which went as I expected.

Arguably the two worst ever contestants. One simply cannot be arsed to put anything resembling effort into even the simplest of tasks and the other is just a boring bastard. Not sure what they were thinking when they booked them both onto the same series.

[weekender]

I genuinely thought there was going to be a mystery task which involved the contestants putting fake orange tan on Greg and Alex.

Turns out I was wrong, and my imagination was better than the show.

[SteveDave]

I thought David Baddiel was great in this.

I also enjoyed the episodes where Rose's legs were on show.

Because I'm a prevert.

[Norton Canes]

I also enjoyed the episodes where Rose's legs were on show.

Because I'm a prevert

Steady...

[Alberon]

I thought Jo Brand was amusing at times through this. David Bladibub though... I think he was genuinely trying to be funny, but was just a total humour vacuum.

[Sin Agog]

Got extremely squirrelly when she tried to do a rap.  It is weird when you sometimes bump into people who just exude an exact era.  In this case let's say...winter 1989, when Maid Marian & Her Merry Men ruled the waves.  Didn't hate her, though. Taskmaster sometimes gives you a unique opportunity to see a bit more of what's going on behind the eyes than QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats etc. and she just felt a little out of time.

Was there ever any explanation for Greg and Alex's oranginess?  I know the studio bits were filmed near the end of summer, but there was definitely some kind of lacquering going on.

[DrGreggles]

Was there ever any explanation for Greg and Alex's oranginess?

There was a sunbed gag at the start.

[Gurke and Hare]

I started watching the series with Hugh Dennis in it last night. Was there something in the fucking water in the Mary Whitehouse Experience studios?

[DrGreggles]

I quite enjoyed Hugh on this. He came across as endearingly odd.
Unlike Baddie who was just thick and shit.


EDIT: Accidentally misspelled a name but, after his recent nonsense, I'll leave it as it is.

[Ambient Sheep]

I just finished that series myself and I think Hugh actually did pretty well for the most part (prize tasks largely excepted), and was the victim of some unfairly harsh judgements... whereas Noel Fielding was allowed to get away with some blatant cheating (e.g. first live task he clearly uses two hands throughout, no idea why this wasn't picked up on).

I agree Hugh had the odd dense moment but no way was he as bad as Baddiel... who was just bafflingly bad.

[keir]

I watched the series with Noel Fielding recently, and I was surprised that I didn't find him that annoying, but Greg was annoying me with too much "I'm giving your mediocre effort five points because I think you're brilliant".

[gilbertharding]

Steady...

https://twitter.com/Rose_Matafeo/status/1186328319614042113

"i'm gonna say it and might be the only person on earth who thinks this, but... I *kind* of have a weird crush on @Rose_Matafeo??? I'm the only one I think??? maybe I'm messed up in the head???" - every single fucking tweet I get from middle aged men after Taskmaster plays

[sprocket]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned elsewhere, but they've been issuing home challenges on the YouTube channel and Twitter, also full episodes from the first four series.

[Mango Chimes]

The Hometasking stuff is just a nice thing, isn't it? Well done, Little Alex Horne.