Taskmaster 2024

[FriendofDorothy]

Couldn't see a new thread.

I have no idea who they are apart from the fella from League of Gentleman.

What do the others do?

Greatest moment.

That's exactly who I was thinking of. There are others, too which Alex and Greg have talked about in interviews.

I follow Steve Pemberton on X. Apparently £9,000 has already been raised by him and the rest of the contestants by raffling TM memorabilia. The last item Steve has added is the Moon he made and a signed task. Money raised goes to a children's hospice.

Here's the link in case anyone is interested. He's also got some Inside No 9 stuff, too. Ends 30 May.

https://raffall.com/358774/enter-raffle-to-win-steve-pembertontaskmaster-memorabilia-hosted-by-starscarsevents

Thanks, @RainbowZebraWarrior - that's really great!
The moon thing was actually really funny!

I like Steve I think he's giving everything a good go. Sophie I enjoy but I imagine in real life she'd be exhausting. Joanne I am not sure about! Nick is adorable especially since he said on the podcast that his wife had just had a baby before filming so he was so tired.

John I don't like at all. He is quite open about studying all 16 previous series in order to develop a strategy and I accept that's a smart way to win but it makes him dull. To me he seems lifeless and only interested in winning rather than enjoying the challenge of something new

I’m surprised by how much I’m really not enjoying John. I’m a long-time listener to him & Elis James, so this intense competitiveness is no surprise - but really thought he’d be more fun.

He does mention on their most recent podcast (#336 I think) that he’s concerned he’s coming across as not very entertaining. Spot on, lad.

I like Steve too. As competitive as John, but doing it for fun. Seems much more gracious in defeat (although no one beats Nick there!) and happy for others. More banter too.

I suppose a difference may be that John neeeeeds this (career wise, but also possibly MH). Whereas Steve doesn’t. Although the timing with new Inside No 9 and tour announcement may not be coincidental.

I wonder whether, being fairly recently Sober, he has to relearn how to just let go and have fun without alcohol?

As I've said before on this thread, I like him on this though. I think he's gracious (or accepting) in defeat - he certainly hasn't argued everything like Kiell did!

Hmm, it's his job to be funny and entertaining though. He's good on the podcast, but he seems to be treating TM like an exam.

I think John is like James Acaster in that he's a huge fan of the program and has wanted to do it for a long time. James knew wrinkles the others didn't just from observation.

I've said before I don't much like him but he seems like a Labrador anxious to please And trying very hard to.

It's funny, because I know James Acaster used to work with Autistic kids. I've always thought he was Autistic himself, and I'm sure it's been mentioned by him, but I don't think he's diagnosed.

I'm Autistic, and I see it so much in him.

I feel there's a lot of Neurodivergence within the comedy genre. It iften gets put down to just being weird and quirky though. Obviously Fern Brady is diagnosed and has been on TM, but I think that there's potentially a few that fly under the radar (or maybe don't want to disclose a known diagnosis) and John could fit the bill on that score.

It would certainly explain the treating it as an exam / obsessiveness and people pleasing elements as they are both quite classic Autistic traits.

ETA obsessiveness

I'm quite liking all of them. I didn't know Sophie, Joanne or John before this but have warmed to them all. I'd seen a few things with Nick in and never liked his characters but as himself I like him! And I think Steve comes across well.

I also don't mind if I don't know them before the series starts. I watched New Zealand TM and didn't know anyone and still really enjoyed it.

I think it would be good to see some more non comic celebrities do it. Sports stars, singers and so on. I think anyone could be unintentionally funny (or surprisingly impressive) completing the very random tasks!

I am growing to really like John over the course of the series. Comedically, he would have worked better with an alpha or a dont-give-a-shit type also on the series. Frankie Boyle, Jo Brand, Rhod Gilbert. Jamali Maddox or James Acaster maybe. John just needed someone who could comfortably shine a light on his competitiveness, let him own it. It would have been really funny, but instead he does hold it in tight.

Like I say, I like him a lot. Never listened to his podcast, but he’s grown on me.

That's not the same s what is expected from Taskmaster though. It's pretty much unique in what it expects people to do I think!

I binge watched Alma's not Normal on the back of this. Funny and depressing in equal measure!

@SoupDragon I agree, and one of the reasons I like the series is that it’s a really unique comic space that you don’t usually see on TV. It’s also especially good for women - or certainly from series five onwards once they decided to have more than one token woman per series 😁

Saying that, my favourite series are always the ones where the studio energy is combative, and where contestants are having fun and arguing.

Agreed. The NY specials are often the best mix of people, and often include non-standup folk

But they seem to edit out the studio combativeness and arguments now, I really do feel it’s hard to get a grip on the contestants. That bit with Joanne the episode before last where she was talking about her nose and starts a story with well I’m adopted and then it just petered out. Cut! They don’t seem to be able to do much besides sit and get scored.

I like all the contestants this round and I think it’s nice to have Steve on who makes a proper effort with the prize task for example. I think he does it a little better than poor Mae did because he gives it a better pun that matches his style of humour better. Agree that there is more life in the NY specials! They aren’t doing it as a job more as an experience, and you genuinely get to see a new side to people.

John’s finest moment might have been “does R stand for relapse” because it was dark yet funny.

Joanne's adoption chat didn't get cut?

God have I gone mad? Was so sure I remembered it that way 😂 They squeezed her nose, and then she started explaining the nose, and she just said well I was adopted and then someone said something and they laughed and moved on but it was very unfinished I felt. Fair enough it might have ended here and been hard to cut any other way.

That's the way I remembered it too, @banivani

And me!

She mentioned her squishy nose, then said she was adopted, so she used to go around random women, squashing their noses and saying. "Are you my mum? Are YOU my mum?"

That's how I remember it too.

Jesus is dementia setting in.😂 Now I only watch a version that's uploaded online by a kind Australian but I think it's complete? Ah well, if she got the whole story I take it back but I've been fecking stewing over this 😂🙄

Anyway, I stand by my opinion that it feels either over-edited or as though the contestants aren't as willing to banter anymore, and/or have studied the format too much so you don't get that completely spontaneous meltdown reaction. Mind you I'm Swedish and "our" Taskmaster suffers from having become a children's programme early on so there's no banter between anyone and it's just task after task and the "Alex Horne" show, which is much duller.