Taskmaster

[wev]

1 hour ago, Mawdlin said:

I dunno. I like Paul Foot but he was on Would I Lie to You? and was very weak. I wonder if his humour doesn't translate to TV well... Although tasks would maybe be a better fit. I'd prefer him over Iain Love Island any day. Someone who just got massively lucky.

You say that about Iain but his puppet rant last week was pretty funny (made all the more amusing because his own puppet was shit!) as was his dismay at being disqualified for the noise game this week. Besides, I've never watched Love Island but he was on CBBC when my eldest was much younger

[wullie]

I'd love to see Vic Reeves and Adam Buxton in a future series.

[wev]

Oh god, I've gone down the rabbit hole of the Taskmaster Reddit, which obviously led to YouTube and Mark Watson's individual challenge

 

 

[wev]

Didn't think much of this week's tasks, I think the contestants did the best they could with the material they had for the most part, although all but Lou could have tried harder for the apology task.

[wev]

This series has been quite weak hasn't it? It's also difficult to laugh at how shit Paul Sinha is when he's just been diagnosed with Parkinsons

[Delargey]

Lou and Iain are the best this season. Though Joe's baffled  expression makes me laugh.

[Mawdlin]

This show is great and the concept is right up my street but it is reliant on the candidates. Poorest contestants so far though I quite like Lou, but have no idea who she is.

 

 

[Stigweard]

32 minutes ago, Mawdlin said:

This show is great and the concept is right up my street but it is reliant on the candidates. Poorest contestants so far though I quite like Lou, but have no idea who she is.

 

 

 

No way, the poorest series was Season 6 imo. Russel Howard was a massive let down and Alice Lavine was trying way to hard to be "different".

 

Theres been some real great laugh out loud moments this series.

[Papaya Dance]

4 minutes ago, Stigweard said:

 

No way, the poorest series was Season 6 imo. Russel Howard was a massive let down and Alice Lavine was trying way to hard to be "different".

 

Theres been some real great laugh out loud moments this series.

I'm inclined to agree about series 6. This is definitely a close second weakest though. I love that they're churning out two series a year of this at the moment but that kind of turnaround might be leading to diminishing returns in terms of the calibre of contestant they can get.

 

Lou is clearly the best this season, though I have developed a weird crush on Sian. Their album cover was fantastic this week.

[El Pibe]

13 hours ago, Mawdlin said:

This show is great and the concept is right up my street but it is reliant on the candidates. Poorest contestants so far though I quite like Lou, but have no idea who she is.

 

 

 

Worth listening to her on RHLSTP. She's bonkers and very funny!

[wev]

Lou definitely wants Greg's babies

[wev]

Good one this week!

 

[wev]

More gold from Lou:

 

get up my arse and wriggle

[Jammy]

I’ve warmed to these contestants over the series, actually. There seemed to be some genuine pleasure from the other contestants that Paul had won an episode. Greg’s takedown of Lou’s dolphin gift was hilarious 

 

If I was an extremely famous actor in blockbuster movies, or some sort of comedy giant, I’d insist my agent got me on a series of this just for the laugh.

[c-cat114]

I kind of like this series: Lou and Iain the stand outs for me but also I'm developing a crush on Sian (was utterly entranced by Kerry last series :)).

 

But I've grown to alnost dislike Greg over the whole banter thing. It almost feels like bullying. Alex does the tasks, the scoring, the stage tasks and everything else. Greg just sits down and judges and can't be arsed to join in with the banter section. Drives me nuts. 

 

That said yes. Some very funny moments this year. Lou reminds me of a human version of Sackboy when she sticks her tongue out

[Uncle Mike]

The thing with the Alex/Greg dynamic is that, actually, it's Alex's show.

 

He's essentially paying Greg to front it and abuse him. And seemingly gone out of his way to find someone who just genuinely doesn't find Alex funny at all. The actual disgust you see on Greg's face at some of Alex's tortured jokes is real, I think.

 

When you remember Alex is in charge, it feels different.

 

Having said that, I went to some charity comedy night recently, where one the spots was Greg. He was absolutely rubbish and had no material. I do think he's just riding the character now.

[Bazjam]

Come on people. The Greg disliking Alex thing is clearly an act. And a funny one too.

[wev]

I'm with @Bazjam it's all an act and there's no real toxicity between them

 

 

[Uncle Mike]

I think they like each other fine. I think Greg quite often doesn't find his jokes funny. They've got different senses of humour. I think they lean into that as part of the show setup. I get the impression Alex takes pride in trying to actually annoy Greg.

[c-cat114]

Oh i think they like each other, or used to certainly. But the banter section has morphed from the genuinely funny (bandana guy, toilet roll etc) to him saying 'this'll be crap, let's get it over with with no effort or interaction on my part...' 

 

No idea why he/they think it's better, if they do, but I find it sad/painful and a frustrating waste of the double act.

[Uncle Mike]

We were watching the first few episodes of Season 1 tonight, and even back then the "banter" section is deliberately disjointed and disdainful.

[Stigweard]

Just catching up with this week episodes fucking hell the 2nd part of that team task had me proper laughing.

 

Also on the flip side @Uncle Mike I saw Greg do stand up and thought he was well funny.

[Jammy]

Yeah, I don’t see anything in that section other than a deliberate dynamic. In the main show you can see them trying not to laugh at each others’ jokes all the time when they break character, like the dolphin bit this week. Alex has perfected that nervous sideways double-take like he’s worried Greg is going to beat him up for doing something he disapproves of.

[Stigweard]

Its clearly an act.

[Pete]

I can't believe people think it's anything other than an act. If you're interested Horne goes into the reasoning and how it came about on Richard Herring's podcast. I also like the fact that Horne is 6 foot 2!

[wev]

17 minutes ago, Pete said:

I can't believe people think it's anything other than an act. If you're interested Horne goes into the reasoning and how it came about on Richard Herring's podcast. I also like the fact that Horne is 5 foot 4!

 

[wev]

Not watched last night's finale yet but they've announced the season 9 contestants

 

Not too sure about Jo Brand.

 

[Mawdlin]

I did warm to the contestants this year but I still feel it was the weakest series. Next line up looks good though, a combo of old school and new blood. I don't like Jo Brand's stand up (although she has pretty much retired) but she's decent on panel shows because she really doesn't give a shit about what people think. Should be good.

[Yobo Ahoy]

Couldn't stand Lou this season, she's basically an older Alice Levine. The next champion of champions (if they do one) will be awful, Kerry Godliman, Liza Tarbuck and now her. 

 

Everyone else definitely grew on me, TM is great for this - for example, I couldn't stand the likes of Rhod Gilbert, Katherine Ryan and Joe Lycett prior to their appearances but they were so funny. 

 

Don't really think much of the next lineup. Baddiel will probably be another Mark Watson, I can't see Brand setting the show alight and I've no idea about the others. Anyway the person who sits in the middle has won the last 3 series so that needs to change. Fix! 

[Butters]

11 hours ago, Yobo Ahoy said:

Couldn't stand Lou this season, she's basically an older Alice Levine. The next champion of champions (if they do one) will be awful, Kerry Godliman, Liza Tarbuck and now her. 

 

Everyone else definitely grew on me, TM is great for this - for example, I couldn't stand the likes of Rhod Gilbert, Katherine Ryan and Joe Lycett prior to their appearances but they were so funny. 

 

Don't really think much of the next lineup. Baddiel will probably be another Mark Watson, I can't see Brand setting the show alight and I've no idea about the others. Anyway the person who sits in the middle has won the last 3 series so that needs to change. Fix! 

 

Totally agree with this. I was fine with Lou at the start, but she's just become more annoying as the season has gone on. And yes, that next Champion of Champions is not one I'm looking forward to.