There comes a time in every anxiety-prone person’s life when they run out of episodes of World’s Most Extraordinary Homes.
One may think, “I should probably teach myself to code or finally start that Etsy shop my brother’s girlfriend suggested when she saw the jaunty tartan cape I made my cat.” Okay, clearly I’m talking about myself, but from Below Deck to yes, even your problematic fave Great British Bake Off, the overall notion remains. Our ambient TV is steeped in the same late-capitalist hustle culture that reinforces the exact societal ills we’re looking to escape. But in a sea of glitz and grinding, a low budget utopia calls out from across the pond. So put down that Squarespace template, silly American. Taskmaster is here to remind you that rote productivity under the guise of self-fulfillment is the thief of joy!
The show, which premiered in 2015 and is now airing its 10th season in the UK, is basically a mix of classic British panel shows, the late nineties PBS hit Zoom, and a modest dose of mushrooms. (Hot tip, nearly all of the series’ episodes are available in full on YouTube.) Each season features a set of five comedians like Nish Kumar and Aisling Bea competing in a handful of tasks as they wrack up points from the Taskmaster, Greg Davies. The person with the most points at the end of the season wins the grand prize. I know what you’re thinking — “that sounds a lot like every competition show. How is this any different from Chopped or Flavor of Love 2?”
The thing that makes Taskmaster both unlike American reality TV and inherently magical is its complete lack of aspirational content. The tasks are nonsensical. Examples include: “do the most surprising thing with a rubber duck,” “get to a microwave in as few steps as possible,” “fill an egg cup with tears,” and “perform the best stunt using a wheelbarrow.” The majority of these tasks occur offsite at the Taskmaster House, which is a relatively average house located in what appears to be the UK’s version of Akron, OH. Points are awarded by Davies in a scoring system that can only be described as fully lacking objectivity or reason. Plus, the rewards are futile, with each episode’s winner going home with a collection of items the contestants brought for the show-and-tell-esque “Prize Task.” Who needs money when you can have a priceless assortment of the “best sheep-related items” or “most excellent noises?
