Taskmaster series 11

[DrGreggles]

Watson's solo 6 month "cheeky text" task was great.

[frajer]

The clip of that popped up in my YouTube feed the other day. "I have a big dick" made me absolutely lose it.

[Old Thrashbarg]

Tim Vine [is] the only reason worth watching it, the other contestants were pretty crap that series.

Vine was decent, but Liza Tarbuck is one of the best contestants across all the series.

I'm currently on series 6 in my rewatch and it's dragging. In its defence, coming straight after series 5 means it would always struggle to hit the same heights. And I think if Howard was replaced with someone average it would be a lot easier to watch. But he drags it down so much, with the other non-Tarbuck contestants not doing enough to make up for it.

[BeardFaceMan]

The only thing that bothered me about Tarby was there were too many times where she plainly and obviously just couldn't be arsed, which was a shame because she was good when she was into it. But as you say, not enough to lift the show, I'm a fan of Tim Vine but those 2 versus Howard, Chowdrhy and Levine never stood a chance.

[frajer]

There were definitely times when she seemed a bit autopilot but Tarbuck will always have a place in my heart for making Horne sit on that cake. Profiteroles in the anus, my word that man does not do half-measures.

Also I always remember a lovely charming moment when she bounded into the room, did a big strange happy "hellooooo" and then giddily confessed "I've just had a coffee."

[holyzombiejesus]

I think I may be more favourably disposed towards series 6 because I quite like Alice Levine.

[olliebean]

I think I may be more favourably disposed towards series 6 because I quite like Alice Levine.

"Like" in what sense? (Rhetorical)

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I still have no clue what Levine was thinking during that kitchen task, when she suddenly started shaking all the utensils out of her headband.

[vainsharpdad]

Whereas I really dislike Levine.
Doesn't she essentially accuse Alex of touching her up?

[Captain Z]

I'm at a loss to understand how anyone finds Tarbuck funny, but fair enough, I'm obviously in the minority. She never seemed comfortable in Taskmaster.

[mjwilson]

Whereas I really dislike Levine.
Doesn't she essentially accuse Alex of touching her up?

There probably shouldn't have been a task involving Alex sticking things onto people's chests to be fair.

[Ambient Sheep]

Having rewatched S6 not so long back, I think part of the reason it gets such a bad rep (apart from following S5) is that the first couple of episodes are really weak.  After that it gets a lot better.  I think if the first two eps were chopped off people would think a lot better of it.

[jimboslice]

I think the most disappointing thing about S6 was Tim Vine, but that was down to how high my expectations were.

[Spiteface]

For me, I may have said it before, but there's a baseline for Taskmaster and even that's good.

As in, I can enjoy it for being Taskmaster, even if someone like Russell Howard is on it.

[Corduroy Castle]

Series 6 was so forgettable, the only thing I can remember was that task where they had to figure a puzzle and Liza Tarbuck solved it pretty quickly while the two blokes she was with totally ignored her and argued with each other. And Tim Vine built a suit of armour out of stationery?

Almost every series has someone that I don't like going in, and who usually ends up coming across pretty well and seeming actually quite likable after a few episodes - with the exception of Russel Howard. He's the only person I've liked less after seeing his 'real' personality.

At least Iain Sterling seemed somewhat contrite and embarrassed by his on-screen behaviour (whether you want to belive that was genuine or just trying to get the audience back on his side is another thing).

[greencalx]

I think Stirling reigned it in for the second half of the series reasonably well. Probably after Sinha described him as "pathologically over-competitive" or whatever it was. Howard gave the impression of the whole thing being beneath him, and always someone more important to be with or somewhere more urgent to be. Bit like one of those people who keeps looking over your shoulder for someone else to talk to at a social gathering (if you remember those). The "agent" comment in the first episode stuck with me through the whole series.

I was particularly disappointed with Vine, whose style of humour I thought would be a good match for the show. He seemed oddly reserved and lacking in energy in the whole thing. I had hopes for Levine as well, having seen her do a decent enough turn on HIGNFY (only been watching this since Christmas, so the HIGNFY appearance will have been a couple of years after TM). Again she seemed a bit out of her depth, although being teamed up with Howard probably didn't help.

On the YouTube channel there's a behind the scenes segment shot during S6 (here). There's a bit where Howard walks into the dressing room before they go onstage and maybe I'm imagining this but I get a sense that none of the rest of the cast want to talk to him.

[BeardFaceMan]

I was particularly disappointed with Vine, whose style of humour I thought would be a good match for the show. He seemed oddly reserved and lacking in energy in the whole thing.

I think the problem there was that it felt like literally everyone on the stage felt disdain for Tim and the comedy he does, everyone cringing at him or at times just being downright nasty to him. He didn't get any support from anyone, not the other comedians and not from Greg or Alex. He was perfectly suited to the tasks, the team and studio stuff not so much.

[Retinend]

Be objective, y'all: Howard - though I also don't like his comedy - was a great fit for the show: energetic, thinking outside of the box and bringing a lot in the way of physical comedy, providing good contrast with the several more lackadaisical cast members that series.

[Retinend]

Whereas I really dislike Levine.
Doesn%u2019t she essentially accuse Alex of touching her up?

Is that your only reason? That bit with the rosettes and the accidental grope - her "Just let me do it" - was one of her funniest moments, I thought. I wouldn't read too much into whether she "accusing" Alex of anything, she was just going for a laugh.

I wouldn't have imagined her inspiring much like or dislike either way, personally. Definitely one of the blander contestants they've hand, though I feel for her as she was up against actual comedians. Same for Asim, who was a little on the dull side (still love his performance in SPJDN, though, and I had high hopes based on that performance that weren't fulfilled).

[amateur]

I think the problem there was that it felt like literally everyone on the stage felt disdain for Tim and the comedy he does, everyone cringing at him or at times just being downright nasty to him. He didn't get any support from anyone, not the other comedians and not from Greg or Alex. He was perfectly suited to the tasks, the team and studio stuff not so much.

I happened across an episode of Celebrity Catchphrase the other week with Tim Vine, and he was awful. Which I found somewhat baffling given that his whole schtick is based around turns of phrase. Lots of staring down the camera as well.

I think he's a certain kind of performer and when you take him out of that, it doesn't go well.

[C_Larence]

On the YouTube channel there's a behind the scenes segment shot during S6 (here). There's a bit where Howard walks into the dressing room before they go onstage and maybe I'm imagining this but I get a sense that none of the rest of the cast want to talk to him.

Are you talking about the bit at 8:10? If so, I think trying to read anything from that split second out of context clip of someone walking into a room is ridiculous.

[frajer]

Is that your only reason? That bit with the rosettes and the accidental grope - her "Just let me do it" - was one of her funniest moments, I thought.

I can't imagine her inspiring much like or dislike either way, personally. Definitely one of the blander contestants they've hand, though I feel for her as she was up against actual comedians.

Must admit I'm not a fan of Alice Levine either, mainly because that Porno podcast just feels so cynically constructed and performed. She felt really unengaged on Taskmaster and it came across as being a good stepping stone for her and not much else.

[greencalx]

Are you talking about the bit at 8:10? If so, I think trying to read anything from that split second out of context clip of someone walking into a room is ridiculous.

I did sort of acknowledge that!

[vainsharpdad]

No, the 'titgrab' isn't why I disliked Levine (although Mel G handled something similar better).

She was just very smug and pleased with herself, really.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I read on TV Tropes (so take it with a pinch of salt) that Levine was on it as part of some contractual obligation, after Dave had broadcast some other show she'd done. What effect that may have had on her approach to the show, I don't know.

I know Russell Howard isn't popular round here, but to even mention him in the same breath as Iain Stirling seems patently ridiculous. Same with Ed Gamble yelling at Baddiel (whom no one here seems to like anyway).

[BeardFaceMan]

I think he's a certain kind of performer and when you take him out of that, it doesn't go well.

He does appear as a kind of fish out of water when he appears on shows as himself but I think that's because his comedy is quite trad and old-school and doesnt mesh with the humour of the shows he appears on, or the people he appears with. If he gets support from the people who are on the show with him, if they laugh with him rather than at him, hes fine. If the audience get even a whiff of people on the show thinking hes naff, then thats how they treat him and he gets crickets or groans.

[greencalx]

I know Russell Howard isn't popular round here, but to even mention him in the same breath as Iain Stirling seems patently ridiculous. Same with Ed Gamble yelling at Baddiel (whom no one here seems to like anyway).

I dunno. Maybe for me it's because both Howard and Stirling remind me of people I know, and I'm less keen on the Howard prototypes. Gamble was great though, and I actually quite liked Baddiel and Brand in S9, particularly in the "demeaning" task.

[SteveDave]

I've just realised that Charlotte Ritchie is an exact cross between Margot Kidder and Karen Allen.

[greencalx]

Studio bonhomie seems to be working this week.

[amateur]

Cracking episode that. Enjoyed all the tasks, and the final stage task was a bit of absolute joy.

Proper silliness and yes, the greencalx-mentioned bonhomie was in full force.