Taskmaster series 10

[Blue Jam]

Just remembered seeing Seymour Mace at the 2019 Embra Fringe where he presented some of his ceramic haunted houses and thought he'd be great on this.

[Blue Jam]

"Wank, Shit, Fuck, Cock, Tits"

I fucking love Daisy May Cooper.

[DrGreggles]

Just remembered seeing Seymour Mace at the 2019 Embra Fringe where he presented some of his ceramic haunted houses and thought he'd be great on this.

He'd either win or have a breakdown.
Yes, perfect TM contestant.

[kidsick5000]

Can't remember the last time I laughed as much as at the watermelon gobbling.

The watermelons they use look to be the rank, under-ripe bland type – the flesh isn't as red as sweet as it should be. If it was ripe and sweet, I'm sure you wouldn't get so much gagging.

[SteveDave]

Just watched the third episode of the New Zealand one and it's starting to outshine the current British series for me, the sexy tree task was particularly inspired, the prize task was fun, the tuba / grape and Piñata ones were nicely daft, the studio one was great and hell, even Jeremy Wells was funny this week.

I find it really odd that Guy Williams and Paul Williams are related though, not just as they look very different but their accent sounds completely different to me as well.

You're not wrong about the NZ version. Even though I have no idea who anyone is, I can't wait to watch the rest of it. The bald fellow can fuck off though.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I thought this week's was another mixed bag, the christmas tree bagging thing was the highlight and I enjoyed the wolf drawing (though the US states part wasn't needed), but the prize task was poor again and even Greg mocking it didn't save it, while the studio task was really dull to watch bar Daisy's swearing. I still like the show a lot, but I'm really glad there's the New Zealand and Norwegian ones on right now as well.

You're not wrong about the NZ version. Even though I have no idea who anyone is, I can't wait to watch the rest of it. The bald fellow can fuck off though.

Yeah, he's definitely the weakest link and a bit too full of himself, but even he has the odd decent moment. Angella Dravid's my favourite out of a very likeable rest of the bunch, she's got a fascinating past too where she spent two months in prison in the UK at one point, and I'd love to see her stand up special about it.

[olliebean]

I gave the Norwegian one a go, but the subtitles that came with it were not especially well translated and I found they were taking me out of it too much to really enjoy it.

[Ludicrous Display]

We're all squares stuck watching the UK version, the cool kids have moved on.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I gave the Norwegian one a go, but the subtitles that came with it were not especially well translated and I found they were taking me out of it too much to really enjoy it.

I find that when it comes to the prize task each week, but oddly don't have a problem with the rest of the episodes.

[Evian Mousemat]

The NZ version is great fun. They need to tweak the chemistry between Jeremy Wells and Paul Williams a bit, because both of them playing it straight makes their back-and-forth quite flat a lot of the time. But the tasks are interesting and the contestants are all likeable in their own way, even the one channeling Ed Gamble at 400 decibels. And Paul's version of the Alex Horne character is just right.

The running joke of everybody assuming that Brynley Stent's wholesome costume is a

Spoiler alert

Hitler youth uniform

[close]

slays me. She looks so dismayed whenever it's brought up!

[Ja'moke]

If anyone wants to point me in the direction of the NZ series, that would be very kind of you.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Not to keep harping on about Iain Stirling, but I was tickled to see that the TM youtube channel has used him as the thumbnail for a video entitled Taskmaster's Biggest Fails & Stupid Mistakes.

I finally watched one of the current series last night. It definitely feels a bit different, with the social distancing and all, but still reassuringly daft.

[Small Man Big Horse]

If anyone wants to point me in the direction of the NZ series, that would be very kind of you.

https://www.reddit.com/r/panelshows/ - links should be on that page, with a new episode due to go up tomorrow.

[Evian Mousemat]

If anyone wants to point me in the direction of the NZ series, that would be very kind of you.

I don't imagine it'll last too long, but this YouTube channel has all four of them: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpEOBB7eRDwGPyNW3ImgBDw/videos

[Ja'moke]

https://www.reddit.com/r/panelshows/ - links should be on that page, with a new episode due to go up tomorrow.

Cheers!

[The Lurker]

Yeah, he's definitely the weakest link and a bit too full of himself, but even he has the odd decent moment. Angella Dravid's my favourite out of a very likeable rest of the bunch, she's got a fascinating past too where she spent two months in prison in the UK at one point, and I'd love to see her stand up special about it.

What?! She mentioned that in the most recent episode but I just thought it was a joke. Will have to look that up.

For what it's worth, I like Leigh Hart but his voice grates on me a bit - the worst of a good solid bunch, I'd say. I think I'm a little bit smitten with jailbird Angella, personally...

[Ja'moke]

Listening to the latest Taskmaster podcast, and completely agree with James Acaster that the moment when Romesh smashed his watermelon on the floor in Series 1 Ep 1 was the moment when everyone realised "this is a great show."

[BeardFaceMan]

Really? Before all the crazy tasks, the creative and/or crazy solutions, the developing BDSM-style relationship between Greg and Alex, contestant meltdowns etc, before all of that, the thing that made you think it was a great show was a bloke smashing a watermelon on the floor?

[Ja'moke]

Really? Before all the crazy tasks, the creative and/or crazy solutions, the developing BDSM-style relationship between Greg and Alex, contestant meltdowns etc, before all of that, the thing that made you think it was a great show was a bloke smashing a watermelon on the floor?

Yes.

I mean, obviously not just the act of a man smashing a watermelon on the floor out of context. But the lead up to that moment.

It's the first task of the series. Eat the most watermelon in a minute. It starts off gentle and kind of slow with Frank and Josh cutting their melons up. Roisin wasting all her time looking for a knife.

And then we have the double feature of Tim and Romesh. Tim bashes his melon on the table and starts shovelling it into his face. That's funny but also smart, as that's surely the best way to do it.

Then that's immediately followed by Romesh rushing in with the same general idea, except he goes insane and smashes the melon at full pelt against the floor, sending bits flying everywhere and then having to eat from the ground.

The reactions back in the studio, particularly from Tim and Romesh who are in hysterics, are brilliant.

So yes, that was the moment when I said "yes this is a great show." The different approaches, the reactions of the contestants to each other's attempts, the editing. Of course there have been better moments since, but that was the part of the first episode that sold me.

Sorry it offends you.

[BeardFaceMan]

Yes.

I mean, obviously not just the act of a man smashing a watermelon on the floor out of context. But the lead up to that moment.

It's the first task of the series. Eat the most watermelon in a minute. It starts off gentle and kind of slow with Frank and Josh cutting their melons up. Roisin wasting all her time looking for a knife.

And then we have the double feature of Tim and Romesh. Tim bashes his melon on the table and starts shovelling it into his face. That's funny but also smart, as that's surely the best way to do it.

Then that's immediately followed by Romesh rushing in with the same general idea, except he goes insane and smashes the melon at full pelt against the floor, sending bits flying everywhere and then having to eat from the ground.

The reactions back in the studio, particularly from Tim and Romesh who are in hysterics, are brilliant.

So yes, that was the moment when I said "yes this is a great show." The different approaches, the reactions of the contestants to each other's attempts, the editing. Of course there have been better moments since, but that was the part of the first episode that sold me.

Sorry it offends you.

Why do you think it offends me? It amazes and amuses me, sure, but offends? Come on, love. You should check out Gallagher though, you'd love him.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Really? Before all the crazy tasks, the creative and/or crazy solutions, the developing BDSM-style relationship between Greg and Alex, contestant meltdowns etc, before all of that, the thing that made you think it was a great show was a bloke smashing a watermelon on the floor?

Well that other stuff hadn't happened at that point.

[Ja'moke]

Why do you think it offends me? It amazes and amuses me, sure, but offends? Come on, love. You should check out Gallagher though, you'd love him.

You're very strange.

[Ja'moke]

Well that other stuff hadn't happened at that point.

Exactly. I'm not saying Romesh and the melon was THE GREATEST moment in Taskmaster history. I'm saying it was the first moment that made me go from "this show is decent, to, okay this is going to be great."

Which is the point James Acaster was making too.

[Utter Shit]

You're very strange.

He tries WAY too hard.

[BeardFaceMan]

Well that other stuff hadn't happened at that point.

Yes, that was my point, all that other stuff hadn't happened. All that had happened was the prize task, and this was the very first task. I just find it amazing that someone smashing a watermelon on the floor is what made people sit up and say "yes, this is officially great".

[BeardFaceMan]

He tries WAY too hard.

Hehe oh I don't try anywhere near hard enough, trust me.

[Utter Shit]

Yes, that was my point, all that other stuff hadn't happened. All that had happened was the prize task, and this was the very first task. I just find it amazing that someone smashing a watermelon on the floor is what made you sit up and say "yes, this is officially great".

It was the context and the surrounding moments that made it so funny. He's explained it to you, he can't understand it for you.

[Ja'moke]

It was the context and the surrounding moments that made it so funny. He's explained it to you, he can't understand it for you.

He's just being obtuse.

As you say, I explained it wasn't just the act of Romesh smashing the watermelon. It was the build up and culmination. It sold me (and Acaster, Gamble and others) on the concept of the show. You had the safe and boring approaches, the pathetically bad approach, the smart approach, and then the bat shit insane approach. All edited together perfectly and made even better by the reactions in studio.

It immediately got across the potential of Taskmaster and I knew from that moment it was going to be great.

[BeardFaceMan]

It was the context and the surrounding moments that made it so funny. He's explained it to you, he can't understand it for you.

Yep, I read all that, understood it perfectly and it was a funny moment, never said it wasn't. Just not a series-defining, this-is-amazing moment when there are so many actual amazing things about the show, the contestants interacting with each other, Greg & Alex, the creative tasks, the things I've listed before etc, none of which had a chance to get going. So it just feels like hyperbole and revisionism to now say "ah yes, that first task was when I recognised the shows genius".

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I assume they chose to make it the first task precisely because they anticipated such a reaction.