Television Taskmaster

b82REZ said:
I'm sure we can all agreed that Aisling Bea was the worst contestant.
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Massive Spanner said:
I used to think Ian Sterling was a complete prick before Taskmaster and after watching him on it, I still think he's a complete prick.
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TheMagicFoolBus said:
Daisy May Cooper for me by a country mile.
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Completely agree about Stirling and Cooper - and obviously Bea, who I listed myself.

I was going to include Iain Stirling and Daisy May Cooper in my list as well, but I didn't want to list too many as I really do love the show. There's just probably been about a handful that I've found overly hard work...

Aisling Bea, Lou Sanders, Iain Stirling, Daisy May Cooper, Mawaan Rizwan.

And I'm fully expecting Desiree Burch to be added to that list - although, hopefully, she may be one of those who proves a pleasant surprise and is a lot more toned down and bearable on Taskmaster than elsewhere.
 
Massive Spanner said:
I used to think Ian Sterling was a complete prick before Taskmaster and after watching him on it, I still think he's a complete prick.
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To be fair, listening to him on the TM podcast, he's aware that he comes across as a complete prick. It's probably lost on most that he's mates with the two other contestants he was grouped with, so the way he was with them comes across a lot worse without that knowledge.
 
Massive Spanner said:
I used to think Ian Sterling was a complete prick before Taskmaster and after watching him on it, I still think he's a complete prick.
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I don't know, I quite warmed to him after seeing the crushing realisation in himself just how much of a prick he is. The podcast tells us to this day it still haunts him how he comes across.

I'll allow that personal growth.
 
decorativeed said:
To be fair, listening to him on the TM podcast, he's aware that he comes across as a complete prick. It's probably lost on most that he's mates with the two other contestants he was grouped with, so the way he was with them comes across a lot worse without that knowledge.
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Redlambs said:
I don't know, I quite warmed to him after seeing the crushing realisation in himself just how much of a prick he is. The podcast tells us to this day it still haunts him how he comes across.

I'll allow that personal growth.
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Yeah, I think they're good points.

Most of the time Iain that was 'horrified' by his own behaviour, Lou had come across just as argumentative and insufferable and yet she seemed incredibly proud of herself and showed little signs of self awareness or personal growth.

At least Iain seemed aware of coming across as a prick and wasn't proud of it. I don't think I've ever seen a more smug and self pleased contestant as Lou (well, maybe tied with Aisling).
 
Bertie Wooster said:
Yeah, I think they're good points.

Most of the time Iain that was 'horrified' by his own behaviour, Lou had come across just as argumentative and insufferable and yet she seemed incredibly proud of herself and showed little signs of self awareness or personal growth.

At least Iain seemed aware of coming across as a prick and wasn't proud of it. I don't think I've ever seen a more smug and self pleased contestant as Lou (well, maybe tied with Aisling).
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I think Lou was playing the character of herself, kind of like what Paul Chowdhry does but on a much more basic level. Aisling I don't particularly dislike and I'm not sure why she gets any hate as I didn't think she was stand out annoying, but she definitely is more just being herself.
 
Redlambs said:
I think Lou was playing the character of herself, kind of like what Paul Chowdhry does but on a much more basic level. Aisling I don't particularly dislike and I'm not sure why she gets any hate as I didn't think she was stand out annoying, but she definitely is more just being herself.
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I guess it's a similar reason to why any celebrity is disliked by some and liked by others? It's all subjective, and what appeals to some is an anathema to others.

People like Michael McIntyre, Jonathan Ross, Jimmy Carr, Iain Stirling get plenty of dislikes as well as likes. I'm not sure why some seem puzzled that the same might just as validly apply to the likes of Aisling Bea or Desiree Burch?

As regards Lou, yeah, I think you're right that she's always 'on' and playing a character. The trouble is, it's a loud, in your face character that demands attention so while some may absolutely love it, if you don't then it quickly becomes very annoying. I'd say she's OK in small doses, and I found her OK for a few episodes, and for the first couple of days on House of Games. But by the end of both I'd seen more than enough of the act and was finding her very hard work.
 
Bertie Wooster said:
I guess it's a similar reason to why any celebrity is disliked by some and liked by others? It's all subjective, and what appeals to some is an anathema to others.

People like Michael McIntyre, Jonathan Ross, Jimmy Carr, Iain Stirling get plenty of dislikes as well as likes. I'm not sure why some seem puzzled that the same might just as validly apply to the likes of Aisling Bea or Desiree Burch?
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I get all that, you are preaching to the choir, I just wondered with Bea as she seems so nondescript to me is all. I've no idea who Burch is at all, so maybe I'm about to find out :lol:


As regards Lou, yeah, I think you're right that she's always 'on' and playing a character. The trouble is, it's a loud, in your face character that demands attention so while some may absolutely love it, if you don't then it quickly becomes very annoying. I'd say she's OK in small doses, and I found her OK for a few episodes, and for the first couple of days on House of Games. But by the end of both I'd seen more than enough of the act and was finding her very hard work.
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I find the likes of her like the anti-Noel Fielding/Richard Ayoade. With them you think quirky and weird is annoying, but the more you watch and actually get the more it works. With her, you want to like it but you quickly find it one dimensional and loud.
 
Bertie Wooster said:
She's just not my kind of humour and although that's inevitable with panels of comedians, it's the ones who are loud and in your face that I find harder to put up with if I don't find them funny to begin with. I'd put Desiree Burch in that group. Same with Aisling Bea.

I'm sure some others will like them, and some will dislike ones that I like - and I wouldn't be puzzled by that as styles of comedy are subjective and many will have different favourites and least favourites. Desiree Burch's style is just one that I find overly loud and not particularly funny.
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Aisling Bea is just the worst. She's not... she's not funny. She tries so very hard to be funny, but she isn't.
 
Just finished Taskmaster NZ series 2. Brilliant and hilarious season. I'd put it up there with top tier UK seasons
 
Annihilate Now! said:
Just finished Taskmaster NZ series 2. Brilliant and hilarious season. I'd put it up there with top tier UK seasons
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I agree, in fact both seasons are imo. There's always a lighty odd tone with them, it works perfectly

I do think they should have a better TM though, I've warmed to Jeremy but he doesn't provide any humour or substance at all, whereas Greg can carry the show when it lulls.
 
Redlambs said:
I agree, in fact both seasons are imo. There's always a lighty odd tone with them, it works perfectly

I do think they should have a better TM though, I've warmed to Jeremy but he doesn't provide any humour or substance at all, whereas Greg can carry the show when it lulls.
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Yeah, that's what I've thought so far.

Having read about it here, I've watched the first couple of each series to get a flavour of them both. I've found the tasks similar to the UK, and the tone has been upbeat (hampered a little for me by the fact I don't know any of them and I find the New Zealand accent a little strong and grating). The assistant is fine, but the Taskmaster doesn't really offer much conviction or humour to the role and is no Greg Davies.

I've enjoyed them so far as a very watchable bonus, but I much prefer the UK version.
 
Annihilate Now! said:
Just finished Taskmaster NZ series 2. Brilliant and hilarious season. I'd put it up there with top tier UK seasons
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Finished it last night myself. It was a great watch. Thought the milk challenge was a brilliant idea.
 
Just started watching NZ, and some of the tasks are brilliant.



Side note, it tickles me that all the uploads on /r/panelshows have subtitles, I'm assuming because Americans can't understand the accent?

Oh yeah, and the taskmaster's assistant is the brother of the New Zealand Today guy.
 
nimic said:
Just started watching NZ, and some of the tasks are brilliant.



Side note, it tickles me that all the uploads on /r/panelshows have subtitles, I'm assuming because Americans can't understand the accent?

Oh yeah, and the taskmaster's assistant is the brother of the New Zealand Today guy.
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I recognize that guy with the terrible hair. He was in Viva La Dirt League I think.
 
nimic said:
Just started watching NZ, and some of the tasks are brilliant.



Side note, it tickles me that all the uploads on /r/panelshows have subtitles, I'm assuming because Americans can't understand the accent?

Oh yeah, and the taskmaster's assistant is the brother of the New Zealand Today guy.
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He was a contestant on season 1.
 
nimic said:
NZ Taskmaster is good, but the taskmaster guy isn't great. He's honestly pretty boring.
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He gets a lot better in season 2, he's very bland in season 1 though... definitely nowhere near Greg's level.

I really like Paul Williams as the assitant though, think he's brilliant.
 
Annihilate Now! said:
He gets a lot better in season 2, he's very bland in season 1 though... definitely nowhere near Greg's level.

I really like Paul Williams as the assitant though, think he's brilliant.
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I actually started with the 2nd season, so I can't imagine how boring he must be in the 1st season now that you say this :D

Sometimes he doesn't even remotely explain the points (to make it entertaining), he just throws out some points (to his best friend) and then makes his sidekick do all the comedy (and he's great to be fair).
 
I started watching the NZ series 2 due to recommendations here and it's actually really good. David Correos is a great contestant.
 
Greg Davies chairing the new season of Buzzcocks on now with regular guests Noel Fielding, Daisy May Cooper and Jamalii Maddix so a taskmaster flavour there
 
Redlambs said:
Wait, didn't you weirdos start at S1?
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You're really going to dislike me. I started with s2 episode 8 or something like that (whatever was the latest at the time the link was posted in here), then the episode before that. Then skipped back and have watched 1-4 so far, once I decided I wanted to keep watching.
 
Almost time for the new season. High hopes for Victoria and Guz Khan
 
Looks like perhaps Channel 4 aired the bleeped version by accident?

 
Quite enjoyable first episode. :)

I was fully expecting to find Victoria my favourite and Desiree loud and annoying and my least favourite - and I did.

Alan Davies was OK but a bit meh in the first episode and maybe being set up to be the Hugh Dennis of the series? I didn't know much about Morgana or Guz - they seem OK, but not really my type of humour.

I'm not expecting any of them to be hilarious or standout contestants, but it should hopefully be a solid series.
 
Pretty decent episode. Desiree on the balloon task :lol:
 
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