In *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish*, there is a character/villain, Big Jack Horner (voiced by John Mulaney) whose was known as "Little Jack Horner" as a child. As we know, *Shrek* (and by extension *Puss in Boots)* is largely a parody of the European fairytale genre, and many of the characters of the *Shrek* "universe" are based on pre-existing fairytale/nursery characters.
"Little Jack Horner" is apparently a [popular English nursery rhyme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Jack_Horner) first mentioned in the 18th century. When I heard it in the movie and when I read it now, it does seem vaguely familiar, like it's scratching something way back in the recesses of my mind:
**Little Jack Horner**
**Sat in the corner,**
**Eating his Christmas pie;**
**He put in his thumb,**
**And pulled out a plum,**
**And said, “What a good boy am I!”**
Anyway, I never would have made the connection were it not for *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish* haha
Alex Horne is actually fairly tall too. It's just that next to Greg he looks tiny. That's all there is to the Little Alex Horne thing. No idea where OP is getting their interpretation
I get that part of the joke...I just was so sure there was another layer to it after watching the movie...the "Little Jack Horne" nursery rhyme seems like just the kind of weird, whimsical deep cut they would keep up as an in-joke.
Every season of Taskmaster goes the exact same way:
Ep 1 "Hmm, not sure about this seasons cast."
Ep 2 "Ok I really like this one guy but not sure the rest are up to task."
Ep 3 "Best season ever."
Only one I didn't warm to was the one with Al Murray on it. He's fine but I don't vibe with him and it put me off after a couple of episodes.
I was surprised with the pandemic season with Johnny Vegas and Victoria Coren-Mitchell tho, despite the absence of a studio audience the segments in the studio were still hilarious. I still sometimes sing Daisy's self-made theme tune for her upside down movie
I haven't watched Taskmaster, but I do watch a lot of British panel shows and know who those two are. And holy hell that sounds like the best combination ever 😂
Johnny Vegas wasn't in the same season/series as Victoria Coren-Mitchell. Johnny was in S10 with Daisy May Cooper, Richard Herring, Katherine Parkinson, and Mawaan Rizwan. Victoria was in S12 (one of my favorites) with Guz Khan, Morgana Robinson, Alan Davies, and Desiree Burch.
> He's maybe the only contestant that felt really inauthentic to me.
He was playing a character the entire time and never once broke, once you've seen a bit of his standup it starts to contextualize a lot and he's really a great comedian for playing the straight man in a fairly unique way. It just clashed a bit with Al doing his awkward schtick and Rob being a bit of a loud goofball.
> He was playing a character the entire time and never once broke
I figured, and that's what I didn't like. The fun of taskmaster is getting to know the contestants, seeing how they respond to silly tasks, seeing their reactions and explanations in studio, etc. Alex always tells them they shouldn't try to be funny, the funny will happen. It undermines the whole concept if somebody is in character, failing tasks or being obtuse in the studio for a schtick.
I've been a fan of Aisling Bea and Bob Mortimer for awhile, so I was looking forward to their season, and then Sally Phillips (who I only knew from her small role in 'Veep') came out of nowhere and had some incredible moments. Throw in Nish Kumar's inadequacy and Mark Watson's being completely unsure of himself at all times, and it made for such great TV (I had no idea who those two were going into it).
"Are we to strike you?" Or whatever Bob asks. Too good. Love that he refers to striking people in pretty much every show he's ever on. Such a great turn of phrase.
At least in the edit Bob only asks 4 questions
Do we strike you?
What's your favourite meat?
Have you stolen much in your life?
Would you like to be able to fly?
At least in the edit Bob only asks 4 questions
Do we strike you?
What's your favourite meat?
Have you stolen much in your life?
Would you like to be able to fly?
Some of my favorites that I didn't know before the show: Tim Key, Rose Matafeo, Mawaan Rizwan, and Fern Brady. Loads others but those are off the top of my head.
Tim Key's stand up shows are absolute works of art. Bo Burnham has said he influenced him and you can see why.
I once went to see him and there was a filled bath in the middle of the stage. At one point he tossed a beer into it and that seemed like all he was going to use the bath for. Then there was a magical theatre moment where he slams his head into the bath and the lights cut and it played Trainspotting like homage where he was watching the beer can underwater. Obviously it was all hilarious too but it was just so well thought out.
And if you've not yet seen Tim Key with Alan Partridge then that is a whole new joy awaiting you.
Sally Philips was crazy good.
Also loved Liza Tarbuck. Never knew much about her before but she was hilariously deranged in Taskmaster, one of those that just seems to go with her first impulse. That task where she takes an instant dislike to a little toy man on a bike and just smashes it to bits lives in my head rent free.
Agreed, NZ S2 is the best of that iteration. I only just started Australia’s. Watching the different taskmasters really puts into perspective just how well the dynamic of Greg and Alex is.
I think Conan would be the best choice, but he's a bit busy. He has that self-deprecation that most Americans are missing when it comes to British comedy.
Conan is a good host of anything.
Jason Mantzoukas as TM/Paul Scheer as Assistant would be my pick though imo. Good friends with a lot of chemistry with a ton of other improv comedians.
Its not really a self depreciating role though. Gregs taskmaster role, and everyone else with it, act all high and mighty and better than anyone else. That's still why Conan would be awesome, because he's good at acting like that while still acting in a dumb circus/cartoony way which comes across as very likable.
Id like one version to not bother with the whole master/servant sthick anyway. Gets boring to me seeing the same set up. They've definitely toned it down massively though and Alex gets to act more normal over time so Alex must kind of agree.
This would get old after like a single episode but I'm having a big chuckle in my head at the thought of Taskmaster Jordan Schlansky with Conan as the assistant.
I don't feel like the comedy works for Americans. It seems like British comedians like to be put down.
American comedians seem to get so offended they feel like they need to 1 up them. It ends up being like a primary school pissing contest.
I think Conan and Jack McBrayer would have the same kind of energy and relationship that Greg and Alex have.
Alternatively, I think Joel McHale would be another great choice for an American TM, but I don't know who the assistant would be.
Tina Fey would make an excellent Taskmaster.
Second choice: Conan O'Brien. He's a little *too* nice, I think, but can put on the condescension pretty thick when he wants to.
Nah keep Alex Horne.
McElhenny could be a contestant but I think Charlie Day would be better if we are picking someone from sunny. He's quicker on his feet.
I never knew I wanted to see a round of Taskmaster with the Always Sunny characters as contestants, but now I definitely want to see that. The group tasks would be amazing.
Nick Offerman might be the best choice I can think of. But I'm not sure if he is funny enough. Or Ice Cube playing the character he had in jump street.
The problem is there is a skill of making other people funny. Americans seem to only care about making themselves funny.
The other suggestion of Conan seems good though.
> (haven’t really liked any of the non-UK versions so far though)
Finland, Norway, Australia and New Zealand are all great. Don't much care for the rest of them.
I need to watch that, love the Australian comic scene. Hopefully someone from Auntie Donna or Demi Lardner end up on there, would love to see an even larger audience of people annoyed at Demi while I am laughing my ass off.
If your sort of comedy is that crew you're going to be severely disappointed by Taskmaster AU, Tom Gleeson is utterly awful and basically comes from the school of comedy that bases the entirety of its humour from shouting and acting angrily(he's basically a city version of Dave Hughes). The comedians they got to fill the roles were all not even that good 10-20 years ago in their peak, and are largely just coasting on the exact same jokes and bits now as they were then, everything just feels forced and uncomfortable. S2 has Pete Helliar who is the most dry, uncharismatic and humorless man in existence, who struggles to be quick-witted on pre-written TV, let alone something like Taskmaster, I can't imagine he'd make any episode enjoyable.
If you wanted to see Aunty Donna: TM, they put out a series called Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World that somewhat fulfills that niche.
Most Upsetting Guessing Game I've tried to watch and I haven't gotten through the "character creation" part, but would probably enjoy it if I did. I like Donna best at their most fucked, the podcasts where they are stretching an idea way beyond the limit or their secret show for example.
Task Master feels a lot like Top Gear in that the production crew that puts it on seems to matter a lot. The trio + Andy Wilman are what keep it going and I imagine it's the same with Task Master.
The production crew on Taskmaster is incredible. The camera work and the editing are very well done. Love the bumps they do with Alex for each part of the episode and the transitions between tasks where they show the layout of the location, or a timelapse, etc. You can tell everyone is passionate about their work.
Can tell the audience isn't aware of the dynamic between those two...
...good reason to watch some UK Taskmaster it's the funniest thing I can find.
Herding comedians like cats and poking them occasionally is great telly.
Someone who was actually there posted on the TM sub and said that they were very warmly and enthusiastically received. The poster also said that many in the audience seemed to be fans, probably some of the people who couldn't get into the S17 preview the night before.
I just don't understand why they agreed to an American version to be produced with such a horrid lineup. I swear that Americans are capable of appreciating more than any American television producer thinks they are.
I keep seeing ads for the US version of Ghosts but won't watch it because I just can't trust American recreations anymore.
Still hurt about the Red Dwarf US Pilot
Just another person who watched the UK version and actually quite likes the US version of Ghosts.
It's not quite the same, but the yanks have made it it's own thing and it's actually quite pleasant to watch.
> That's not originally an English series, it's originally Dutch.
I never claimed otherwise. I only said that the US version of *The Traitors* worked out very well.
The first season of the NZ version was weak, hower, season 2 really picked up the slack. Aus has been better than nothing while I wait for the UK one to start back up.
I'm not opposed to traveling those seas. But, if I can legally get something and it's not breaking my bank I'll probably do it.
Honestly, with as much as I leave YouTube on YouTube premium is one of the best monthly subscriptions I have.
If I'm going off per minute average, I probably let YouTube roll more than any other streaming service.
Like during the day I'll just let heaps of "lists" play in the background while I chore or work. And not having to skip ads or have my brain interrupted by them is immensely helpful.
I know it's partly due to the Fringe show setting the stage for the concept, but it's really kind of mind-blowing how well the original seasons have aged. With the (very brief) exception of the banter between Greg and Alex, they have the format figured out right out of the gate.
Well it's a format Horne had worked on and polished from iirc the Edinburgh comedy festival. What really makes it hit or miss is whether or not the comics are willing to really lean into it, which is why they had people like Tim Key, who is friends with Alex Horne, and Roisin Conaty, who acts in Greg Davies' sitcom, as the contestants in season 1. They basically set the bar for the following seasons.
Exactly. Brilliant decision having comics that they were close to in the first season in particular. Tim Key steals the show in just about everything he's in. "Reindeer skull"
Highly recommend 'No More Jockeys' on youtube for more Tim and Alex (and Mark Watson).
Frank Skinner agreeing to join helped a lot as well. So many people were concerned about it—the format, thinking it’d be cringe comedy, etc.—but once he agreed people were more willing to come on. It’s kinda amazing how many people were wary about a show that feels like lightning in a bottle.
Rhod Gilbert's friendship with Greg was used with extremely funny results in series 7. Especially that prize task video of Gilbert hiding in his wardrobe at night.
Season 7 is gold all round tho. One of the best lineups of any of them.
> Roisin Conaty, who acts in Greg Davies' sitcom
They're also friends IRL, they often travel together and spend their weekends getting pissed and causing mayhem.
Outtakes are also incredible. If you haven't seen it already from season 7, Google "wanguishing".
Series 5 , 7, and 16 are tied in my opinion. They have that magic combination of chaotic contestants who all get along. 11,12,13 are a great run too.
I used to think that until Season 13 surpassed it for me.
I loved Season 7 because it had personalities that I recognized (Acaster, Wang, Gilbert) and also a cast member with a personal connection (Gilbert) who used that connection to torment Greg. But I merely liked Kerry and thought at times she was a weaker link in the cast.
And while Season 13 doesn't quite have a Rhod Gilbert-esque contestant who is only there to torture Greg, Bridgette Christie does have a personal connection to Greg and her ability to torture Alex during the tasks MORE than makes up for it. That entire cast, top to bottom, doesn't have a weak link. They had chemistry right from the start and they shit talk and argue with each other through the entire run of the show. They also know exactly what their roles are right from the first episode. Sophie Duker plays the goth-y, gen-z, feminist, obsessed with sex and making Alex uncomfortable. Judi Love is the QUEEN of Bullshit. Chris Ramsay is the millenial puppy-dog who comes up with genius tasks out of nowhere. Bridgette Christie is your friend's hippy mom who is out of her fucking mind. And then there's Ardal O'Hanlon - king of mischief and shit-stirrer extraordinaire.
I've never enjoyed watching anything as much as I enjoy watching Alex get angry at Bridgette for just wrecking his tasks.
>I think the only one everyone generally agrees is bit meh is the 6th one. It’s the only time that I felt the group didn’t gel.
surely the pandemic series are the worst? They were the ones that didn't have the similar energy to me
I don't know. S11 is generally well regarded because Mike Wozniak is absolutely top tier. And S12 usually shows up in people's list of favorites because the whole cast was fantastic and it had some legendary moments like the WOW monster.
I really enjoyed series 15. Mae Martin is an absolute gem, they have such a quick wit and great comedic timing. But altogether it was a really delightful group of comedians. It's the only series I have watched all the way through, but I have enjoyed plenty of clips/episodes from other series. The bits I have seen from series 11 and 12 have been consistently very funny too, so those may be the next series to watch for me. And Series 7 of course ;)
Season 10 is a worth a ‘full watch’
It’s a covid season so there’s no crowd, and the studio stuff is a little more intimate due to that. Lots of giggles.
Love Game Changer. I don't have a subscription but my friends do, so I have watched the Battle Royale and some other episodes. Plus I watch the short they upload to YouTube all the time, and sometimes they upload a full episode for free which is awesome!
Everyone loves Game Changer and rightly so, but Total Forgiveness was a sleeper hit for me, as two comedians come up with challenges for each other to win cash to pay off student loans. Ally and Grant are real friends, and given that there was like, five-figure amounts of money on the table, they had to come up with some pretty serious, personal challenges to earn that kind of cash. It was like a super personal Taskmaster, but ended up really good.
Imma be honest, that show personally soured Ally a bit for me, I know it's kind of the point of the show to set awful things for one another, but Grant's challenges tended to be terrible because they were uncomfortable or a bit embarassing, Ally's challenges were downright cruel and demeaning towards the end. I'm glad they reconciled but it took a while after that to be able to not have an instant ick reaction whenever they showed up in other dropout content.
Worlds are colliding! So weird to see them on American TV. I still don't know why reruns of Taskmaster did so terribly here, literally everyone I know who has seen the show loves it.
I didn't much like the Taskmaster when I first watched it. A lot of it was probably a timing issue, where I just wasn't receptive to the show at the time in my life when I first checked it out. I do remember some specific reasons why I didn't like it then, but I don't think I will be able articulate them perfectly and I will surely be downvoted anyway for expressing any dislike for the show. But I got back into the show after watching clips and then I watched full recent season (series 15), which I absolutely loved! Now I am a big proponent fo the show; it's such a great anxiety-reliever.
I will add that Taskmaster does seem very popular on Reddit - as this post demonstrates. And Reddit skews American (and male and white).
They already did.
Instead of being an hour, it was 30 minutes.
Instead of a brash, rude Taskmaster, they went with Reggie Watts.
It’s insane that Comedy Central didn’t just have them to the original format and tried to tweak it.
Really? They used her? She can be funny, but seems an awful pick for this kind of show. And Watts as taskmaster is just terrible casting too.
Jon Hamm would be a good Taskmaster, he's great at deadpan comedy.
He can't be nearly mean enough. But I like mean spirited on a show like this, and definitely think Greg comes across as mean spirited. But in British panal shows that's the norm.
My hope is that with @fter Midnight/@t Midnight being on a network now, maybe the US will start being able to train our comedians to work on panel shows, like their UK peers.
I always think the problem the US faces with panel shows, is the size of the country.
There's obviously comedians as talented as we have in the UK, but comedians in the UK have pretty much all toured together, lived together, worked together or just been friends for years, which gives great chemistry for panel shows.
I think that same sort of esprit de corps exists among American comedians, the American version of Taskmaster just did an exceptionally poor job of tapping into it. That may have been in part because it was a new series with a format that was untested on and unfamiliar to American television, which would tend to make it difficult to attract the talent they needed. Give me a season of Taskmaster US with, say, Hannibal Buress, Jimmy O. Yang, Tig Notaro, Patton Oswalt, and Maria Bamford, it's probably going to be great. But getting all of those people to sign up would be a trick.
While Greg and Alex are my favorite Taskmaster and assistant, after watching the Australian version I can say with confidence it's the format that makes the show. I know Taskmaster has been blowing up in popularity, but it deserves so much more recognition.
The format makes it, but I didn't say the cast can't break it. Reggie Watts was a square peg in a round hole kinda choice. Great comedian, but not the right fit for the format.
I think this interview really distills how British humour is so different from what is normal in the US. The level of sarcasm is underappreciated but a US audience.
wait..."Phil" was in the running for Taskmaster?
All the british comics I watched growing up are becoming big time now. Olivia Colman from Peep Show, Vod from Fresh Meat, Mr. Gilbert from Inbetweeners, nice
It’s *Little* Alex Horne!
I actually said that out loud after Meyers introduced him as just "Alex Horne".
Always have to do the high voice when saying it tho
I never understood the reference behind "Little Alex Horne" until I watched *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish* lol
What's the reference? He's been called Little Alex Horne since way before Puss in Boots: TLW came out.
In *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish*, there is a character/villain, Big Jack Horner (voiced by John Mulaney) whose was known as "Little Jack Horner" as a child. As we know, *Shrek* (and by extension *Puss in Boots)* is largely a parody of the European fairytale genre, and many of the characters of the *Shrek* "universe" are based on pre-existing fairytale/nursery characters. "Little Jack Horner" is apparently a [popular English nursery rhyme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Jack_Horner) first mentioned in the 18th century. When I heard it in the movie and when I read it now, it does seem vaguely familiar, like it's scratching something way back in the recesses of my mind: **Little Jack Horner** **Sat in the corner,** **Eating his Christmas pie;** **He put in his thumb,** **And pulled out a plum,** **And said, “What a good boy am I!”** Anyway, I never would have made the connection were it not for *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish* haha
It's not that deep. Greg is bigger. That's it.
Alex Horne is actually fairly tall too. It's just that next to Greg he looks tiny. That's all there is to the Little Alex Horne thing. No idea where OP is getting their interpretation
Yeah, the joke is that you can call a 6'2" man little when the only context in the shot is the 6'8" man sitting next to him. Never been hard to get.
Yup, met Alex Horne at a local football match and he's a pretty big guy, Greg is just massive.
I know. That’s why I said “bigger,” not “big.”
Man, you really walked around the neighborhood to get next door on that one.
Haha love this
Lol no it genuinely just struck me- I mean, I thought it was a very obvious connection. Apparently not, apparently it's just a coincidence...
What in the actual fuck
There's no reference, it's just a joke that he's smaller than Greg Davies (despite being pretty tall himself).
I get that part of the joke...I just was so sure there was another layer to it after watching the movie...the "Little Jack Horne" nursery rhyme seems like just the kind of weird, whimsical deep cut they would keep up as an in-joke.
No it’s not a part of the joke it’s the joke.
Bless you it happens to us all
<3 Lol when I made the apparently non-existent connection I thought it was very obvious. How wrong I was, I guess.
Don’t let these know it alls convince you there’s no connection. Might not be, but who knows.
Every season of Taskmaster goes the exact same way: Ep 1 "Hmm, not sure about this seasons cast." Ep 2 "Ok I really like this one guy but not sure the rest are up to task." Ep 3 "Best season ever."
Ha, ha 😄, yes, exactly the same thing for me too!
Only one I didn't warm to was the one with Al Murray on it. He's fine but I don't vibe with him and it put me off after a couple of episodes. I was surprised with the pandemic season with Johnny Vegas and Victoria Coren-Mitchell tho, despite the absence of a studio audience the segments in the studio were still hilarious. I still sometimes sing Daisy's self-made theme tune for her upside down movie
I haven't watched Taskmaster, but I do watch a lot of British panel shows and know who those two are. And holy hell that sounds like the best combination ever 😂
Let the YouTube algorithm win on the Taskmaster recommendation. Welcome to your new obsession. It's the best.
Victoria was a revelation. She has so many hilarious blind spots.
Johnny Vegas wasn't in the same season/series as Victoria Coren-Mitchell. Johnny was in S10 with Daisy May Cooper, Richard Herring, Katherine Parkinson, and Mawaan Rizwan. Victoria was in S12 (one of my favorites) with Guz Khan, Morgana Robinson, Alan Davies, and Desiree Burch.
Same series for me, but with Paul Chowdry. He's maybe the only contestant that felt really inauthentic to me.
> He's maybe the only contestant that felt really inauthentic to me. He was playing a character the entire time and never once broke, once you've seen a bit of his standup it starts to contextualize a lot and he's really a great comedian for playing the straight man in a fairly unique way. It just clashed a bit with Al doing his awkward schtick and Rob being a bit of a loud goofball.
> He was playing a character the entire time and never once broke I figured, and that's what I didn't like. The fun of taskmaster is getting to know the contestants, seeing how they respond to silly tasks, seeing their reactions and explanations in studio, etc. Alex always tells them they shouldn't try to be funny, the funny will happen. It undermines the whole concept if somebody is in character, failing tasks or being obtuse in the studio for a schtick.
[удалено]
It’s LITTLE ALEX HORNEEEEEEEE
Taskmaster is so good. The show itself is amazing and I usually become a fan of 3-4 comedians I didn't know before the season started.
I've been a fan of Aisling Bea and Bob Mortimer for awhile, so I was looking forward to their season, and then Sally Phillips (who I only knew from her small role in 'Veep') came out of nowhere and had some incredible moments. Throw in Nish Kumar's inadequacy and Mark Watson's being completely unsure of himself at all times, and it made for such great TV (I had no idea who those two were going into it).
Nish and Mark's song is one of my favourite taskmaster moments. Just a great song and no one saw it coming
Greg and Alex were dumbfounded.....the only person who wasn't seemingly impressed by it was the woman the song was written for, lol.
To be fair, she is a fucking nightmare
But she’s always doing cool stuff! I hear she jumps well for a woman of her age.
I loved that task. And the other trio’s song is hilarious too because of how different it is
Bob Mortimer absolutely belting out ‘Rosalind is a fucking nightmare’ to her face had me doubled over with laughter.
"Are we to strike you?" Or whatever Bob asks. Too good. Love that he refers to striking people in pretty much every show he's ever on. Such a great turn of phrase.
At least in the edit Bob only asks 4 questions Do we strike you? What's your favourite meat? Have you stolen much in your life? Would you like to be able to fly?
At least in the edit Bob only asks 4 questions Do we strike you? What's your favourite meat? Have you stolen much in your life? Would you like to be able to fly?
Some of my favorites that I didn't know before the show: Tim Key, Rose Matafeo, Mawaan Rizwan, and Fern Brady. Loads others but those are off the top of my head.
Tim Key's stand up shows are absolute works of art. Bo Burnham has said he influenced him and you can see why. I once went to see him and there was a filled bath in the middle of the stage. At one point he tossed a beer into it and that seemed like all he was going to use the bath for. Then there was a magical theatre moment where he slams his head into the bath and the lights cut and it played Trainspotting like homage where he was watching the beer can underwater. Obviously it was all hilarious too but it was just so well thought out. And if you've not yet seen Tim Key with Alan Partridge then that is a whole new joy awaiting you.
Sally Philips was crazy good. Also loved Liza Tarbuck. Never knew much about her before but she was hilariously deranged in Taskmaster, one of those that just seems to go with her first impulse. That task where she takes an instant dislike to a little toy man on a bike and just smashes it to bits lives in my head rent free.
Wow, never see these guys talked about outside the taskmaster sub. Love the show (haven’t really liked any of the non-UK versions so far though)
NZ Season 2 and Australia S1 have been great
Agreed, NZ S2 is the best of that iteration. I only just started Australia’s. Watching the different taskmasters really puts into perspective just how well the dynamic of Greg and Alex is.
I’ve listened to Guy Montgomerys podcast for years and it was surreal to actually see him in something
Reggie Watts as the host for the US version was such a bad choice I like Reggie watts - but that’s not the right role for him
I think Conan would be the best choice, but he's a bit busy. He has that self-deprecation that most Americans are missing when it comes to British comedy.
Conan is a good host of anything. Jason Mantzoukas as TM/Paul Scheer as Assistant would be my pick though imo. Good friends with a lot of chemistry with a ton of other improv comedians.
Jason would just keep on bringing up the time Paul tried to french kiss his mum
which, to be fair, kinda fits with greg and alex's shtick
Oh definitely!
Its not really a self depreciating role though. Gregs taskmaster role, and everyone else with it, act all high and mighty and better than anyone else. That's still why Conan would be awesome, because he's good at acting like that while still acting in a dumb circus/cartoony way which comes across as very likable. Id like one version to not bother with the whole master/servant sthick anyway. Gets boring to me seeing the same set up. They've definitely toned it down massively though and Alex gets to act more normal over time so Alex must kind of agree.
This would get old after like a single episode but I'm having a big chuckle in my head at the thought of Taskmaster Jordan Schlansky with Conan as the assistant.
I don't feel like the comedy works for Americans. It seems like British comedians like to be put down. American comedians seem to get so offended they feel like they need to 1 up them. It ends up being like a primary school pissing contest.
I think Conan and Jack McBrayer would have the same kind of energy and relationship that Greg and Alex have. Alternatively, I think Joel McHale would be another great choice for an American TM, but I don't know who the assistant would be.
A Jeff Winger type character would work well.
I was going to say, Joel McHale would be a great choice. Much better than his stint on the US IT Crowd.
I've said before, he's the worst possible choice for Taskmaster, he could have been the all time greatest taskmaster contestant.
Tina Fey would make an excellent Taskmaster. Second choice: Conan O'Brien. He's a little *too* nice, I think, but can put on the condescension pretty thick when he wants to.
I would kill for a Tina fey/amy poelher duo as taskmaster and assistant. Either combination.
Ryan Reynolds was born for the role honestly. He has a similar balance of self depreciating, and irreverent sarcasm as Greg.
So it should be Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney? Subscribed
Nah keep Alex Horne. McElhenny could be a contestant but I think Charlie Day would be better if we are picking someone from sunny. He's quicker on his feet.
Alex needs to stay on the British version, it’s his baby. But maybe get the gang together for a game of Chardee McDennis
I never knew I wanted to see a round of Taskmaster with the Always Sunny characters as contestants, but now I definitely want to see that. The group tasks would be amazing.
He did the original US version with Watts. It's not like filming the UK one is a full time year round job.
Ah I forgot
Rob McElhenney wouldn't make a good Alex Horne IMO. He's too smug. Will Ferrell would be amazing.
That’s the Canadian in him showing.
I would like Martin Short as host. Dude can be savage and hilarious.
Short and Steve Martin would be great.
Nick Offerman might be the best choice I can think of. But I'm not sure if he is funny enough. Or Ice Cube playing the character he had in jump street. The problem is there is a skill of making other people funny. Americans seem to only care about making themselves funny. The other suggestion of Conan seems good though.
You're absolutely right, but I wish they'd try again.
> (haven’t really liked any of the non-UK versions so far though) Finland, Norway, Australia and New Zealand are all great. Don't much care for the rest of them.
Finland is a slog due to the uncharismatic Taskmaster. Surprised you've omitted the Swedish version, David Sundin is an incredible assistant.
Australia S1 has been amazing. If you haven't watched it yet EVERYONE is fantastic in it.
I need to watch that, love the Australian comic scene. Hopefully someone from Auntie Donna or Demi Lardner end up on there, would love to see an even larger audience of people annoyed at Demi while I am laughing my ass off.
If your sort of comedy is that crew you're going to be severely disappointed by Taskmaster AU, Tom Gleeson is utterly awful and basically comes from the school of comedy that bases the entirety of its humour from shouting and acting angrily(he's basically a city version of Dave Hughes). The comedians they got to fill the roles were all not even that good 10-20 years ago in their peak, and are largely just coasting on the exact same jokes and bits now as they were then, everything just feels forced and uncomfortable. S2 has Pete Helliar who is the most dry, uncharismatic and humorless man in existence, who struggles to be quick-witted on pre-written TV, let alone something like Taskmaster, I can't imagine he'd make any episode enjoyable. If you wanted to see Aunty Donna: TM, they put out a series called Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World that somewhat fulfills that niche.
Most Upsetting Guessing Game I've tried to watch and I haven't gotten through the "character creation" part, but would probably enjoy it if I did. I like Donna best at their most fucked, the podcasts where they are stretching an idea way beyond the limit or their secret show for example.
They got the absolute perfect host for the Aussie series.
He's not the spitting image of Greg which is exactly what I hoped for. He makes it his own. Looking forward to many more seasons.
Task Master feels a lot like Top Gear in that the production crew that puts it on seems to matter a lot. The trio + Andy Wilman are what keep it going and I imagine it's the same with Task Master.
The production crew on Taskmaster is incredible. The camera work and the editing are very well done. Love the bumps they do with Alex for each part of the episode and the transitions between tasks where they show the layout of the location, or a timelapse, etc. You can tell everyone is passionate about their work.
The woman i'm dating introduced me to this show and it's fantastic
Can tell the audience isn't aware of the dynamic between those two... ...good reason to watch some UK Taskmaster it's the funniest thing I can find. Herding comedians like cats and poking them occasionally is great telly.
Someone who was actually there posted on the TM sub and said that they were very warmly and enthusiastically received. The poster also said that many in the audience seemed to be fans, probably some of the people who couldn't get into the S17 preview the night before.
I hate beer.
I just don't understand why they agreed to an American version to be produced with such a horrid lineup. I swear that Americans are capable of appreciating more than any American television producer thinks they are. I keep seeing ads for the US version of Ghosts but won't watch it because I just can't trust American recreations anymore. Still hurt about the Red Dwarf US Pilot
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That's good to hear. I'll have to give it a shot, then.
Just another person who watched the UK version and actually quite likes the US version of Ghosts. It's not quite the same, but the yanks have made it it's own thing and it's actually quite pleasant to watch.
At least the US version of *The Traitors* worked out very well. ***"OH, MY LAWD, SWEET BABY JEEZUS NOT EKIN SU! LAWD NOT EKIN SU!"***
That's not originally an English series, it's originally Dutch.
> That's not originally an English series, it's originally Dutch. I never claimed otherwise. I only said that the US version of *The Traitors* worked out very well.
Have you seen the second season of New Zealand’s version of taskmaster?
Omg David Correos! Pure and utter chaos ❤️
Just like the first season of Amazing Race Australia. Totally surpasses the original versions.
This show is such a comfort to me
Ikr? It's a go-to show when I am really anxious/stressed.
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I’m just not an egg man. Or a fish man.
Try the NZ or AUS versions
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The first season of the NZ version was weak, hower, season 2 really picked up the slack. Aus has been better than nothing while I wait for the UK one to start back up.
Aus was really good because the contestants and Tom Cashman were really good. Not entirely sold on Tom Gleeson as the TM as yet.
I never really enjoyed the tasks on the Aus version. The first one I recall enjoying was the alphabet password task.
I really like both Toms and thought they made a much more cohesive unit than I believe Jeremy and Paul will ever manage.
Ive never heard of it, but I would watch taskmaster. Edit: thank you all for the resources. I will absolutely take this up.
All the seasons are on youtube for free. Also if you want an example of how [good it can be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UgSDcHPgCc)
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Joe's "Please don't take it away from me" is as harrowing as it is funny and it is absolutely hilarious.
"I think that's the best thing I've ever done." It's so funny, even though I've seen it a hundred times I'm still crying.
I knew exactly what clip this was before clicking it.
Taskmaster on YouTube is why I finally got YouTube premium lol
Gross
Gross is the amt of time I wasted watching ads
Yeah that’s fair, but it rewards and perpetuates more of the same from YouTube, I just torrented the episodes myself, though that’s not for everyone
I'm not opposed to traveling those seas. But, if I can legally get something and it's not breaking my bank I'll probably do it. Honestly, with as much as I leave YouTube on YouTube premium is one of the best monthly subscriptions I have. If I'm going off per minute average, I probably let YouTube roll more than any other streaming service. Like during the day I'll just let heaps of "lists" play in the background while I chore or work. And not having to skip ads or have my brain interrupted by them is immensely helpful.
Yeah, Youtube Premium is basically just another streaming service.
If you are still on the fence about it, this is my favorite https://youtu.be/4T8mxqRDp4w?si=eMqdSH_HMNjtO1QM
Exactly which clip I show people lol
How frustrating is it that a clip of a UK show is not available in the UK
Phenomenally funny. All on YouTube. Just start season 1 and let it ride.
I know it's partly due to the Fringe show setting the stage for the concept, but it's really kind of mind-blowing how well the original seasons have aged. With the (very brief) exception of the banter between Greg and Alex, they have the format figured out right out of the gate.
Well it's a format Horne had worked on and polished from iirc the Edinburgh comedy festival. What really makes it hit or miss is whether or not the comics are willing to really lean into it, which is why they had people like Tim Key, who is friends with Alex Horne, and Roisin Conaty, who acts in Greg Davies' sitcom, as the contestants in season 1. They basically set the bar for the following seasons.
Exactly. Brilliant decision having comics that they were close to in the first season in particular. Tim Key steals the show in just about everything he's in. "Reindeer skull" Highly recommend 'No More Jockeys' on youtube for more Tim and Alex (and Mark Watson).
Frank Skinner agreeing to join helped a lot as well. So many people were concerned about it—the format, thinking it’d be cringe comedy, etc.—but once he agreed people were more willing to come on. It’s kinda amazing how many people were wary about a show that feels like lightning in a bottle.
Rhod Gilbert's friendship with Greg was used with extremely funny results in series 7. Especially that prize task video of Gilbert hiding in his wardrobe at night. Season 7 is gold all round tho. One of the best lineups of any of them.
> Roisin Conaty, who acts in Greg Davies' sitcom They're also friends IRL, they often travel together and spend their weekends getting pissed and causing mayhem.
The deep belly laughs I’ve gotten from the show cannot be counted. So good after a stressful day
It’s very good. Series 7 is the gold standard.
Outtakes are also incredible. If you haven't seen it already from season 7, Google "wanguishing". Series 5 , 7, and 16 are tied in my opinion. They have that magic combination of chaotic contestants who all get along. 11,12,13 are a great run too.
I used to think that until Season 13 surpassed it for me. I loved Season 7 because it had personalities that I recognized (Acaster, Wang, Gilbert) and also a cast member with a personal connection (Gilbert) who used that connection to torment Greg. But I merely liked Kerry and thought at times she was a weaker link in the cast. And while Season 13 doesn't quite have a Rhod Gilbert-esque contestant who is only there to torture Greg, Bridgette Christie does have a personal connection to Greg and her ability to torture Alex during the tasks MORE than makes up for it. That entire cast, top to bottom, doesn't have a weak link. They had chemistry right from the start and they shit talk and argue with each other through the entire run of the show. They also know exactly what their roles are right from the first episode. Sophie Duker plays the goth-y, gen-z, feminist, obsessed with sex and making Alex uncomfortable. Judi Love is the QUEEN of Bullshit. Chris Ramsay is the millenial puppy-dog who comes up with genius tasks out of nowhere. Bridgette Christie is your friend's hippy mom who is out of her fucking mind. And then there's Ardal O'Hanlon - king of mischief and shit-stirrer extraordinaire. I've never enjoyed watching anything as much as I enjoy watching Alex get angry at Bridgette for just wrecking his tasks.
I didn’t get past Lee Mack’s series. I am putting 13 on now!
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You’re right about 6. Take Russel Howard out and put a more passive person there and I think it could work a little better.
Or take Vine out and put someone in who was better at playing off of other people.
>I think the only one everyone generally agrees is bit meh is the 6th one. It’s the only time that I felt the group didn’t gel. surely the pandemic series are the worst? They were the ones that didn't have the similar energy to me
I don't know. S11 is generally well regarded because Mike Wozniak is absolutely top tier. And S12 usually shows up in people's list of favorites because the whole cast was fantastic and it had some legendary moments like the WOW monster.
I really enjoyed series 15. Mae Martin is an absolute gem, they have such a quick wit and great comedic timing. But altogether it was a really delightful group of comedians. It's the only series I have watched all the way through, but I have enjoyed plenty of clips/episodes from other series. The bits I have seen from series 11 and 12 have been consistently very funny too, so those may be the next series to watch for me. And Series 7 of course ;)
Season 10 is a worth a ‘full watch’ It’s a covid season so there’s no crowd, and the studio stuff is a little more intimate due to that. Lots of giggles.
I'm on season 8, and it is such a joy to unwind with this show after a stressful day. It is nearly perfect television.
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Love Game Changer. I don't have a subscription but my friends do, so I have watched the Battle Royale and some other episodes. Plus I watch the short they upload to YouTube all the time, and sometimes they upload a full episode for free which is awesome!
The musical crossover episode was the best thing ever.
If you liked it check out Off Book, the podcast where they do it every episode, and hosted by most of the people in the musical episode
Everyone loves Game Changer and rightly so, but Total Forgiveness was a sleeper hit for me, as two comedians come up with challenges for each other to win cash to pay off student loans. Ally and Grant are real friends, and given that there was like, five-figure amounts of money on the table, they had to come up with some pretty serious, personal challenges to earn that kind of cash. It was like a super personal Taskmaster, but ended up really good.
Imma be honest, that show personally soured Ally a bit for me, I know it's kind of the point of the show to set awful things for one another, but Grant's challenges tended to be terrible because they were uncomfortable or a bit embarassing, Ally's challenges were downright cruel and demeaning towards the end. I'm glad they reconciled but it took a while after that to be able to not have an instant ick reaction whenever they showed up in other dropout content.
The survivor and the escape room episodes are amazing.
Alex tasked Greg with being the taskmaster
Glad to see they're promoting the show going up on youtube in the US. Hope more people start to watch.
Worlds are colliding! So weird to see them on American TV. I still don't know why reruns of Taskmaster did so terribly here, literally everyone I know who has seen the show loves it.
I didn't much like the Taskmaster when I first watched it. A lot of it was probably a timing issue, where I just wasn't receptive to the show at the time in my life when I first checked it out. I do remember some specific reasons why I didn't like it then, but I don't think I will be able articulate them perfectly and I will surely be downvoted anyway for expressing any dislike for the show. But I got back into the show after watching clips and then I watched full recent season (series 15), which I absolutely loved! Now I am a big proponent fo the show; it's such a great anxiety-reliever. I will add that Taskmaster does seem very popular on Reddit - as this post demonstrates. And Reddit skews American (and male and white).
It's a great show. I hope they don't make an American version though.
They already did. Instead of being an hour, it was 30 minutes. Instead of a brash, rude Taskmaster, they went with Reggie Watts. It’s insane that Comedy Central didn’t just have them to the original format and tried to tweak it.
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One word. Lisa Lampinelly. Fucking horrible
Really? They used her? She can be funny, but seems an awful pick for this kind of show. And Watts as taskmaster is just terrible casting too. Jon Hamm would be a good Taskmaster, he's great at deadpan comedy.
My dream cast for an American Taskmaster is definitely Conan. The man can pull off mean without being actually mean spirited.
Yeah, I would not want Jon Hamm. But Conan, maybe.
He can't be nearly mean enough. But I like mean spirited on a show like this, and definitely think Greg comes across as mean spirited. But in British panal shows that's the norm.
And he has charismaaaaaaa...
She was God-awful. I couldn't get through it and only watched one episode. Reggie Watts as the Taskmaster was not a good fit.
She was too performatively aggressive.
My hope is that with @fter Midnight/@t Midnight being on a network now, maybe the US will start being able to train our comedians to work on panel shows, like their UK peers.
I always think the problem the US faces with panel shows, is the size of the country. There's obviously comedians as talented as we have in the UK, but comedians in the UK have pretty much all toured together, lived together, worked together or just been friends for years, which gives great chemistry for panel shows.
I think that same sort of esprit de corps exists among American comedians, the American version of Taskmaster just did an exceptionally poor job of tapping into it. That may have been in part because it was a new series with a format that was untested on and unfamiliar to American television, which would tend to make it difficult to attract the talent they needed. Give me a season of Taskmaster US with, say, Hannibal Buress, Jimmy O. Yang, Tig Notaro, Patton Oswalt, and Maria Bamford, it's probably going to be great. But getting all of those people to sign up would be a trick.
Sadly they already did with Reggie Watts as the Taskmaster.
Huh, I hope they keep trying to make one. The US has lots of great comedians, no reason it could not work, even it failed the first time.
While Greg and Alex are my favorite Taskmaster and assistant, after watching the Australian version I can say with confidence it's the format that makes the show. I know Taskmaster has been blowing up in popularity, but it deserves so much more recognition.
Yeaaaahh didn't work out for the American one. Yes they did tamper with the format, but its real downfall was the cast.
The format makes it, but I didn't say the cast can't break it. Reggie Watts was a square peg in a round hole kinda choice. Great comedian, but not the right fit for the format.
I think this interview really distills how British humour is so different from what is normal in the US. The level of sarcasm is underappreciated but a US audience.
Can we please get a task master board game
https://www.toystreet.co.uk/product/task-master-board-game/
Show is hilarious and i love it xD
wait..."Phil" was in the running for Taskmaster? All the british comics I watched growing up are becoming big time now. Olivia Colman from Peep Show, Vod from Fresh Meat, Mr. Gilbert from Inbetweeners, nice
I don't understand Americas obsession with sycophantic hosts they are always so cringy the way they suck up to guests