The Apprentice. Luke Cage. National Treasure. The Great British Bake Off. Narcos. The Grand Tour. Erm… The X Factor...
There's a lot of great television on our screens at the moment, but which of these shows can claim to be the best of all?
Well, none actually. Instead, the best programme currently on TV is hidden away on Dave at 10pm on a Tuesday night.
Once the home to endless repeats of Mock The Week and QI, Dave now puts out quite a lot of original programming, and in Taskmaster they have the funniest television series currently hitting our retinas.
The premise of Taskmaster is simple; take five comedians and give them points based on their ability to complete a number of different tasks.
“But what makes this programme so great?” I imagine I hear you ask. Well ask no more, because here are your answers...
Greg Davies
Image: Dave
Davies found fame in The Inbetweeners as Mr Gilbert; the sinister patriarch ruling over a group of delinquent troublemakers. In Taskmaster he takes on the role as the Taskmaster; the sinister patriarch ruling over a group of delinquent troublemakers.
At the end of each task Greg Davies will award the points, often giving bizarre or menacing reasoning for doing so. However, the Taskmaster’s veil will occasionally slip as he reacts with sheer joy at some of the contestants' more imaginative ways of completing the challenges.
Alex Horne
Image: Dave
The guy from 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown that brings a band to Dictionary Corner, Alex Horne first developed the concept of Taskmaster for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010.
In the television version he takes on the role of admin assistant, PA to Greg Davies, timekeeper, and is sometimes roped in to help the contestants complete their tasks. Horne’s ability, or frequent inability, to keep a straight face and remain impartial are magnificent - as are his deadpan rebuttals to Davies’ comments.
The Contestants
Image: Dave
Richardson. Pascoe. Ranganathan. Ryan. Beckett. The competitors on Taskmaster are some of the funniest comedians currently on our screens, and with three seasons of the programme already created that’s 15 fantastic comedians to get massive laughs out of you (or 14 plus quiz show co-host Richard Osman, as Greg Davies is keen to point out in the second series).
Comics are often praised for their lateral thinking, and that’s what is put to the test the most during the challenges. With hilarious results.
Trying to impress the Mayor of Chesham? Making a music video for a nursery rhyme? Playing mini golf with eggs rather than balls? The challenges laid out in Taskmaster are often unorthodox, but they’re always brilliant.
Even the most mundane sounding of tasks, like popping balloons or eating watermelon, are vastly improved when you have the likes of Joe Wilkinson or Roisin Conaty attempting to complete them under the added pressure of Alex Horne’s countdown timer and the need to win points from Greg Davies.
Panel shows are often criticised for their strict structure and the belief that the contestants are given the answers and jokes before the recording starts. Taskmaster is vastly different.
The joy of the programme is that when you’re watching the tasks back, you’re watching with the other competitors who are also seeing their rivals attempt to complete the challenge for the first time.
Above all else, the vibe is similar to that of Comedy Central’s Impractical Jokers; there’s a real sense that those appearing on the show are having a lot of fun making something you’ll enjoy. So if you’re keen to watch Josh Widdicombe try and count baked beans, or see Paul Chowdhry attempt to make a snowman without using any snow, then Taskmaster is on Dave at 10pm on a Tuesday. You can also catch up with every single episode to date, from all three series, on UKTV Play.
