Knit to This
Taskmaster Series 19
I am, as the comedians say, a tough room.
It takes a lot to get me to laugh, especially laugh so hard for so long I worry about breathing. It’s not that I don’t have a sense of humor—I’ve been assured that I do—it’s just that I lean more toward the wry chuckle or the knowing smirk. But true laughter? Not my thing.
About 20 minutes into the first episode of Taskmaster Series 19, my younger child came downstairs to make sure I was okay because I’d been laughing so hard and so loudly for so long.
It was cleansing, that laughter.
Taskmaster, a British game show, was dreamed up by Alex Horne for the Edinburgh Fringe Fest in 2010. A couple of iterations later, it was on telly, as they say, and has been going strong since.
The premise is simple: five contestants (mostly (but not always) comedians) are given a series of tasks to complete, like move this pile of pillows from here to over there without being seen. Their work is assigned points by presenter Greg Davies. A winner is declared, both for that episode and, eventually, for the series.
The tasks themselves are simple; their solutions reward lateral thinking and a gung-ho attitude. The humor is in what the contestants bring to the event—and how Davies, Horne, and the editors pull it all together.
Really, though, the special sauce is casting.
Series 19 features Fatiha El-Ghorri, Jason Mantzoukas, Mathew Baynton, Rosie Ramsey, and Stevie Martin. Four of those names are likely only familiar to those in the U.K.; Mantzoukas is one of those actors you know immediately when you see him on The Good Place or Brooklyn Nine-nine.
El-Ghorri’s deadpan affect is a foil to Baynton’s labrador-like enthusiasm. Ramsey and Martin add warmth and grounding where Mantzoukas’ manic glee provides, well, manic glee.
On paper, Taskmaster should not be as fall-down funny as it is. And yet, here I am in my living room, forced to pause the show because I don’t want to miss anything because I am laughing so hard.
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PSA: Empty your bladder BEFORE watching! lmao funny
Best recommendation yet. I’m watching now and crying/laughing!
I LOVE Taskmaster! You never know what to expect, and it’s fun to see how the different personalities approach the same problem. There are also Nee Zealand and Australia versions that are also pretty amazing as well.
My daughter got me hooked on this show! I had to stop knitting, I was laughing so hard.
Thanks!
I needed that!
There was a complete season (one from last year maybe?) on my British Airways seat-back screen last month. Having heard about Taskmaster for years I thought, maybe this will be diverting. Like Adrienne, I found myself frequently laughing uncontrollably. Excellent for a 7 1/2 hour trans-Atlantic flight in coach. Good news was I finished the season, bad news was there were no more Taskmaster to watch.
Recommended. With bells on.
Fall down funny – I’m on it! Thanks!
This show sounds like just what I need!
Completely agree, painfully funny madness with British accents until Jason. Go back and watch from the beginning–you’ll see Noel Fielding and Mel and Sue from Great British Bake Off. It’s so worth it.
I laughed out loud at the pea task and couldn’t stop.
I’m glad I was home alone because I burst out laughing at the pea task and couldn’t stop. Such a funny show.
In error I duplicated the comment because I was still laughing.