Taskmaster

Let's chat about it. Beware of spoilers in the comments.

Finale! Testing the boredom of children, hatred of innocent olives, the usual.

I combine the worst of slow and fast maths, I get the wrong answer in an hour of thinking!

Let’s discuss tasks, contestants and the show in general.

Spoilers ahead.

In the task where they had to count the seats in the cinema Andy Zaltzman says "one" while he's talking. That should have been his accepted answer.

Mark McKinney from The Kids in the Hall (SNL, Superstore and more) has a series on CTV in which each episode has him trying out a new hobby by spending time with a mentor. In series 1, episode 6 his mentor is James Chatto who is Mae Martin's dad. They show a brief clip from the prize task.

Just before the reveal I said to my wife, "I half expected them to tap Mae's dad for this" since I didn't recognize him by name.

Sadly, I'm not sure how to watch it legally outside Canada or a VPN's Canadian IP.

The original Taskmaster is already a miracle of construction, its success balanced on a razor’s edge. It relies on the perfect, unforced chemistry between its hosts (Greg Davies and Alex Horne – the latter also the show’s creator), an array of tasks that allow for blinding success, abject failure, deep misinterpretation and moments of genius as participants compete for prizes they have themselves brought in (the low stakes are a vital part of its workings), and the procuring of five celebrities – usually comedians – per series who can take it seriously enough to be funny but lightly enough not to bog the whole absurd confection down.

In this they have succeeded magnificently for 18 series (and seven specials). Messing with perfection is rarely to be welcomed, and especially not when it involves the introduction of children. And so it is with astonishment as great as my joy and relief to report that the spinoff Junior Taskmaster, in which the competitors are all aged between about nine and 12 (please don’t make me use the word “tweenagers”) is a triumph.

Comedian and actor Rose Matafeo takes the Davies role as main presenter with writer, comedian and former doctor Mike Wozniak as her sidekick, and their chemistry matches the original pair’s. She brings ebullience and warmth, he brings a deadpan approach and the air of bafflement that an Edwardian father might carry at a child’s birthday party. They both bring support to the children without coddling, an unerring ability to judge just how much ribbing the youngsters can take, and when to let them manage the banter among themselves. It’s like a non-fiction version of Outnumbered.

Let’s discuss tasks, contestants and the show in general.

Spoilers ahead.

Let’s discuss tasks, contestants and the show in general.

Spoilers ahead.

Let’s discuss tasks, contestants and the show in general.

Spoilers ahead.

Let’s discuss tasks, contestants and the show in general.

Spoilers ahead.

Getting later and later at posting these!

Let’s discuss tasks, contestants and the show in general.

Spoilers ahead.

Let’s discuss tasks, contestants and the show in general.

Spoilers ahead.

Let’s discuss tasks, contestants and the show in general.

Spoilers ahead.

We have a new series! Let's discuss tasks, contestants and the show in general.

Spoilers ahead.

s05e07 “Boing boing”

I'm trying to use Youtube's clip feature for this. If it goes to the full video, skip to 1:30.

https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxn7oyoxpu1AsQ3C0GH7uX-t_TCo9Q91Zo

Episode 3 just dropped. Link is to Season 2 playlist which will be updated with additional episodes on e per week.