this post was submitted on 30 May 2024
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Taskmaster

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Taskmaster (UK) Series 18 Cast (www.youtube.com)
submitted 5 months ago by Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de to c/taskmaster@feddit.uk
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Join Andy Zaltzman, Babatunde Aléshé, Emma Sidi, Jack Dee & Rosie Jones in Series 18

I just Rosie Jones on something talking about taking a first date to a posh restaurant and then seeing Greg, Alex, and Tim Key at a table, and her being torn about wanting to give her attention to her date but also really wanting to be on Taskmaster. I'm glad at least one worked out.

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[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Man, last series wasn't that great, and this one might not be either...

Like, I actually started a rewatch and am on 4 right now. I think it kind of peaks around 7.

I wish instead of all the spinoffs, they just sent Alex to another country for a few weeks for the tasks, then bring in Greg to film all the studio bits with everyone back to back.

They've been cranking out 3-4 series a year even during COVID or something crazy, they're gonna run out of Brits soon. I know it's filmed very efficiently, but there's only so many options they have for contestants, and I think they burnt thru a bunch of their top picks in the beginning.

But where all the spinoffs fail is the Greg/Alex replacements.

We got Reggie Watts as Greg in America. Who would have been an amazing contestant and a decent Alex. He's just too gentle to be a Taskmaster.

The taskmaster has to at least be able to pretend he's a dick. It's the main premise of the show.

[–] TheSambassador@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Last series was one of my favorites. I guess Sam and Lucy's derangement isn't for everyone.

One thing that I find when I try to rewatch ALL of it from the start is that I usually also start to peeter out after series 7, but if I START there, I love the following series too. I think you can just get a bit burnt out on Taskmaster.

Also series 7 is just so incredible that it was a bit hard to follow.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Last series was one of my favorites. I guess Sam and Lucy’s derangement isn’t for everyone

Lol.

Series 16 had Lucy and Sam, and yeah, it had gotten my hopes up again.

Series 18 is the upcoming one, and the lineup announcement is what you're commenting on...

Last Series was 17, it just finished airing, and you're not missing much.

[–] TheSambassador@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Ah, I read "last" as "previous" and I consider 17 the "current" series, not the last. I have enjoyed most of 17 though I agree it's a bit of a dip, but I do love Sophie and Nick. John gives me weird vibes, and I like Steve but he's also a bit understated. Joanne I go back and forth on but overall like her

[–] nyahlathotep@sh.itjust.works 5 points 5 months ago

then we wouldn't have Paul Williams, who imo is a better Alex than Alex

[–] wagoner@infosec.pub 3 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Just for fun, who would have been better in the US edition?

[–] lobut@lemmy.ca 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I'd have loved it if Conan O'Brien and an Andy/Jordan combo.

Conan has the loving meanness you need for a taskmaster.

[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago

Holy shit that would be brilliant....Andy as the assistant. It's basically been their schtick their entire career...fucking hell I wonder if anyone has ever actually approached them with it when they were trying the american version..

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (2 children)

For the Taskmaster?

Daniel Tosh, hands down.

Only person who could come close, maybe Joel McHale.

Ironically I think McHale was making his Netflix ripoff of Tosh's old show when the US Taskmaster tried to be a thing. But I could be wrong.

[–] PaupersSerenade@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Hard pass on Daniel Tosh. Didn’t really like his ‘bro’ humor to begin with - and then he joked about how funny it’d be if a woman in his audience got raped after she heckled him. Same as I wouldn’t like Jimmy Carr as a long term host. He’s great on cats and such, but that’s not the tone I’d like for taskmaster. Mulaney might be good, but I don’t know how he handles improv also might just be a bit too much of a personality. If Craig Ferguson in still in the states I think he’d be good as well.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I mean, they'd never have picked Tosh for those reasons, McHale is the same style, but way more family friendly.

But come on, even Greg Davies wouldn't fly in America, that's why they got Reggie and just had him be nice.

The taskmaster has to act like a dick at least 75% of the time for the show to work. Its like the entire premise of the show. There's not many American comedians that act like dicks but are actually good people.

We've got dicks that act like dicks (Tosh), dicks that act like nice people (Mulaney) and a handful of people that are probably really dicks, sometimes act like dicks, but mostly act like a morning TV show host (McHale).

It's just a cultural divide.

Maybe Mulaney today as he's more openly embracing his dickishness, but when American Taskmaster happened, I'm pretty sure he was still doing the sweet innocent act in his stand-ups. I don't think it was till that Pete Holmes sitcom about standup where he started to embrace it, and even then the joke was that John Mulaney of all people, wouldn't be a dick.

[–] PaupersSerenade@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Maybe you know something I don’t, but I’m not aware of horrendous comments towards large demographics from Davies

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world -1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

horrendous comments towards large demographics from Davies

When did Tosh do that?

And why wasn't that in your first comment about why you wouldn't want him?

If that's what you're calling his response to one specific person who was heckling him...

Greg has said much more wide sweeping things directed at demographics just on Taskmaster.

Those were jokes, just like I'm sure Tosh wasn't legitimately saying it would be funny if a woman in his audience was actually being raped.

I do understand why you don't like Jimmy Carr now, just not sure why you like any British comedy

[–] PaupersSerenade@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 months ago

I was asking what Davis said on that level. Saying a woman should be raped is a statement towards a large demographic.

Davis is also an actor, and is playing a roll. He makes awful statements on Alex Horne’s behalf, but we know it’s in jest.

I was raised on British comedy - satire in particular. Tosh’s retort wasn’t satire. I don’t know why you’re being such a simp for a guy who went out of fashion ages ago.

[–] TehBamski@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Oh hell yeah. Daniel Tosh would have crushed it as Taskmaster.

Another great host IMO, would be Bill Hader.

Wild card host options would be, Colin Quinn,

As for contestants, I think the following would make for interesting and a good fit.

Mindy Kaling, Zach Galifianakis, Bill Hader, Dulcé Sloan, Tig Notaro, Leslie Jones, Fortune Feimster, Deon Cole, Pete Holmes, Will Sasso, Eric Andre, Tim Dillon, Theo Von, Bobby Lee, Ronny Chieng, Ali Wong, Iliza Shlesinger, Jimmy O. Yang, Tiffany Haddish, Craig Robinson, Margaret Cho, Sinbad, Kristen Schaal, John Leguizamo, Whitney Cummings, David Cross, Mike Birbiglia, Demetri Martin, Taylor Tomlinson, Tracy Morgan, Martin Lawrence, and Brian Regan.

My first Taskmaster (American) 'dream team' would be, Mindy Kaling, Zach Galifianakis, Bill Hader, Kristen Schaal, Theo Von, and Fortune Feimster.

[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I'm going to out myself as a horrible person here, but I find Rosie Jones painful to watch, for the obvious reason. I'll accept the downvotes, because I don't like that I feel that way. But it is what it is.

I have no issues with her disability. I'm sure she's a smart, funny, talented woman who just happens to have been dealt a shit hand. And she (and by extension anyone else suffering from her same condition) are strong and amazing people who live productive lives because of that and deserve all of my respect.

But watching her struggle to speak even the simplest sentence is just painfully bad television and I personally just accept the fact that I'm a somewhat terrible person who just can't subject myself to it without cringing.

[–] UndulyUnruly@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I don’t know you, but I can see that you’re halfway there. Let’s take the next step.

It’s important for yourself that you understand that it’s not Rosie who is „struggling“. The one „struggling“ is you, it’s projection. I get it, I’ve been there. We all fall into these traps of projecting our own insecurities onto others.

Let’s take another step.

Consider the possibility you did not type your comment primarily for us to read. Is it possible you typed it out for yourself, to externalise an inner conflict? Maybe, via your comment, you’re effectively trying to address the better version of you, which you’re painfully aware is inside of you waiting to be allowed? If that‘s the case, allow yourself to grow and resolve this conflict. Love yourself and your attitude towards yourself and by extension towards others will likely change. It seems that you actually crave this alteration. I don’t believe that you have accepted defeat despite saying „but it is what it is“.

In any event, Rosie has a successful TV career. Nobody forces you to watch anything or anyone. Personally, I find Rosie funny as fuck, and the suspense of waiting for the deadpan punchlines to come through is what makes her comedy unique. Go Rosie.

[–] Scipitie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 5 months ago

I don't know why you think that this is projection on the OPs part.

Personally I don't find that "suspense" part that you describe. I fully agree that she has a highly successful career and fan base - doesn't mean her humor is for everyone.

Personally I'm curious to see the series and I find her way less annoying than some of the past people which were highly popular (Cooper and Stirling for me personally).

I'm more curious than worried - and could fully understand that someone expressed "oh there's this comedian I don't enjoy, too bad. Oh is that something I shouldn't say about this person specifically?".

[–] Deebster@programming.dev 8 points 5 months ago

I think Jack Dee has been the name Alex would routinely say when asked who he'd most like on - I'm looking forward to see how he handles Taskmaster.

[–] DessertStorms@kbin.social 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I love Rosie and Babatunde too. I also like Jack, but could have sworn he has already been on (back in the Dave days).. Don't know enough about the other two.

Last couple of series I've been finding myself uninterested most episodes, Julian Clary and Susan Wokoma salvaged a few episodes on their series, and the one before that was quite good (love Mae Martin and Frankie Boyle, and Jenny Eclair, Ivo Graham and Kiell Smith-Bynoe were all good too), but the show really has been in a slump, I'm hoping this series will liven it back up a bit..

[–] TheSambassador@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

That's wild. I haven't loved this current (17) series as much as previous, but Sam and Lucy were absolutely incredible in that season too. I think that's an interesting thing about Taskmaster, everyone's favorites are different and people have wildly different preferences. The show covers a lot of comedic ground.

[–] kbal@fedia.io 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I just Rosie Jones on something

Do you now.

Andy Zaltzman though! I know his voice so well, wonder what he looks like. (oh, guess I should watch the video.)