Line #2 Series/Taskmaster


1	%% This page is for tropes related to the original UK version only.
2	%% Tropes related to adaptations should go on their own pages or the franchise page
3	%% Add tropes specific to that series there. Your time starts now!
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8
9	[[WMG:[[center:''Series/{{Taskmaster}}'' [[Franchise/{{Taskmaster}} Global Index]]\
10	''Taskmaster'' \| ''Series/TaskmasterUS'' \| ''Series/TaskmasterNewZealand'' \| ''Series/TaskmasterAustralia'' \| [[Franchise/{{Taskmaster}} Other Global Versions]] ]]]]
11	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/x720_3.png]]
12	[[caption-width-right:350:Your task is to read every trope listed, then click the "Random Trope" button. Fastest person to read every single trope wins. Your time starts now.]]
13	%%
14	->"''In this show, I, Greg Davies, make some accomplished, but needy comedians to do stupid things for me. Why? Because I can. I'm a powerful man. Look at me.''"
15	-->-- '''The Taskmaster, Greg Davies'''
16
17	''Taskmaster'' is a British [[ComedySeries Comedy]] GameShow which first aired on [[Creator/{{UKTV}} Dave]] in 2015, before switching to Creator/Channel4 in 2020. Creator/GregDavies is the host and titular Taskmaster, and is assisted by Creator/AlexHorne (who also acts as showrunner and the head task-deviser behind the scenes). Each series features five different contestants (almost invariably stand-up comedians or comedy actors / perfomers with the occasional wildcard), with "Champion of Champions" specials featuring the winners of the preceding five series.
18
19	The show consists of the contestants being assigned a series of odd, seemingly simple and trivial yet often quite surprisingly challenging tasks to complete, many of which involve some kind of creative or lateral thinking. They are then ranked and given points (usually between 1 and 5) according to how well (or not) they completed the task, either based on relevant measurable criteria (fastest completion, most required objects accumulated, etc.), Greg judging them on his personal preferences, or some combination of the two. HilarityEnsues.
20
21	While the nature of the tasks vary, each episode follows a general structure of the prize round, about three-four pre-filmed tasks, and the final in-studio task.
22
23	[[folder:Segments]]
24	* The '''prize round''' involves each contestant bringing in an item, implicitly one of their personal possessions, that has been chosen around a particular theme; themes range in eccentricity from "most valuable item" to "most pleasing thing the size of a cat". Each item goes into the prize pot which is taken home by the winner of each episode; as such, each contestant must make a case for why their item both meets the theme and is the best item brought in. Greg then ranks the items from best to worst, based usually on his own subjective opinions.
25	* The '''pre-recorded tasks''' are all filmed on location, either at the "Taskmaster House" [[note]][[https://globalfilmlocations.net/2018/01/31/taskmaster-house-location/ in reality]] a bungalow rented from a golf course in Chiswick, London[[/note]] or a secondary location that varies from season to season. They are then played to the audience, with reactions from Greg, Alex and the contestants spliced in. These are further split into:
26	** The '''individual tasks''', where each contestant performs the tasks in isolation from each other and are bound to secrecy until the recording, meaning they are unaware of how they performed compared to their rivals. They must then explain -- or, more typically, defend -- their ability or lack thereof in completing the task to Greg, Alex and the audience. With some exceptions, tasks are usually worth a maximum of five points and a minimum of one (with disqualified candidates getting zero).
27	** The '''team tasks''', where the five contestants are split into two teams for the series, one of three members and one of two[[note]]one exception was in Series 2, where Josh Widdicombe of Series 1 made a one-off return to even out the numbers[[/note]]. In Series 1, the winning team got two points each and the losing team got zero. From Series 2 through 9, Greg usually divided five points between the two teams (for example, if the first team scores three points, the second gets two). In Series 10, Greg started scoring each team out of five instead of splitting the points or even score players individually due to COVID-related social-distancing rules often making team tasks more difficult. This continued into Series 13 (the first full series post-restrictions) and beyond, despite Alex trying to prod Greg into returning to the original format of splitting five points.
28	* The '''live studio task''', as the name suggests, is performed live in front of Greg and the audience, and involves the contestants directly competing against each other. Sometimes, the live task is played as a team task instead; in this instance, the teams usually remain the same as the pre-recorded tasks, though there have been a few exceptions. The live tasks are usually themed along some kind of competitive party game requiring physical and/or mental dexterity and are often performed against the clock. As with pre-recorded tasks, live tasks are usually worth a maximum of five points and a minimum of one point, although some live tasks are played on a "winner takes all" basis, with all other contestants receiving zero points. Following this, the final tally is counted and the episode's winner revealed.
29	* In the case of a tie, the episode will end with a '''tiebreaker'''. The tiebreakers are usually quick and simple in nature (examples have included a game of hide-and-seek and removing the lid off a jar of mayonnaise covered in Vaseline) and are frequently pre-recorded along with the live tasks. While all contestants will record a tiebreaker, only the attempts of the contestants who are tied will be shown. No points are awarded for winning the tiebreaker. The winner of the tiebreaker consequently wins the episode.
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	A lot of the show's appeal and humour comes from the contestants thinking outside the box, abusing the ExactWords of a task letter, and employing LoopholeAbuse to bypass certain task requirements; a trope so well-loved and used so much by this show that [[LoopholeAbuse/{{Taskmaster}} we had to give it its own page!]] This means a lot of the contestants' attempts at a given task can be very different to one another.
33
34	At the end of each series, the contestant with the most points is crowned Taskmaster Champion and receives a trophy, usually in the form of Greg's golden head. There have been several exceptions; the Series 1 Champion received a cheap karate trophy; the Champions of Champions receive a lifesize model of Greg's body; and the New Year Treat Champions receive Greg's golden eyebrows.
35
36	The show has proven incredibly popular in the UK, and has spawned a multi-media franchise spanning international TV adaptations, books, a board game, and a podcast. More information can be found on [[Franchise/{{Taskmaster}} the franchise page]].
37
38	Full episodes can be viewed on [[https://uktvplay.uktv.co.uk/shows/taskmaster/watch-online UKTV Play]] and [[https://www.channel4.com/programmes/taskmaster All4]] (both UK only). The official [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT5C7yaO3RVuOgwP8JVAujQ/featured Taskmaster YouTube channel]] also features full episodes,[[note]]though the channel is region blocked in some countries, and new episodes are uploaded a day after their initial broadcast[[/note]] along with clips and compilations. The episodes of the Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish adaptations are available on the channel as well. In March 2022, a new dedicated subscription service called [[https://taskmastersupermaxplus.vhx.tv/ Taskmaster SuperMax+]] was launched, allowing viewers from around the world to watch the series ad-free.
39
40	Complete summaries of casts, episodes and tasks can be found at [[Recap/{{Taskmaster}} the show's Recap page]]. A brief cast listing for each series of the British edition can be found in the folder below.
41
42	[[folder:Contestants by Series]]
43	* Series One: Frank Skinner, Josh Widdicombe, Roisin Conaty, Romesh Ranganathan, Tim Key
44	* Series Two: Doc Brown, Joe Wilkinson, Jon Richardson, Katherine Ryan, Creator/RichardOsman
45	* Series Three: Al Murray, Dave Gorman, Paul Chowdhry, Rob Beckett, Sara Pascoe
46	* Series Four: Hugh Dennis, Joe Lycett, Creator/LollyAdefope, Mel Giedroyc, Creator/NoelFielding
47	* Series Five: Creator/AislingBea, Bob Mortimer, Mark Watson, Nish Kumar, Sally Phillips
48	* Champion of Champions Special: [[spoiler:Bob Mortimer, Josh Widdicombe, Katherine Ryan, Noel Fielding, Rob Beckett]]
49	* Series Six: Alice Levine, Asim Chaudhry, Liza Tarbuck, Russell Howard, Creator/TimVine
50	* Series Seven: James Acaster, Jessica Knappett, Kerry Godliman, Phil Wang, Rhod Gilbert
51	* Series Eight: Iain Stirling, Joe Thomas, Lou Sanders, Paul Sinha, Sian Gibson
52	* Series Nine: David Baddiel, Ed Gamble, Jo Brand, Katy Wix, Rose Matafeo
53	* Series Ten: Daisy May Cooper, Johnny Vegas, Creator/KatherineParkinson, Mawaan Rizwan, Creator/RichardHerring
54	* New Year Treat 2021: Creator/JohnHannah, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Creator/NicolaCoughlan, Rylan Clark-Neal, Shirley Ballas
55	* Series Eleven: Creator/CharlotteRitchie, Jamali Maddix, Creator/LeeMack, Mike Wozniak, Sarah Kendall
56	* Series Twelve: Alan Davies, Desiree Burch, Guz Khan, Morgana Robinson, Victoria Coren Mitchell
57	* New Year Treat 2022: Adrian Chiles, Claudia Winkleman, Lady Leshurr, Jonnie Peacock, Sayeeda Warsi
58	* Series Thirteen: Creator/ArdalOHanlon, Bridget Christie, Chris Ramsey, Judi Love, Sophie Duker
59	* Champion of Champions 2: [[spoiler:Ed Gamble, Kerry Godliman, Liza Tarbuck, Lou Sanders, Richard Herring]]
60	* Series Fourteen: Creator/DaraOBriain, Fern Brady, John Kearns, Munya Chawawa, Sarah Millican
61	* New Year Treat 2023: Amelia Dimoldenberg, Carol Vorderman, Mo Farah, Greg James, Self Esteem
62	* Series Fifteen: Creator/FrankieBoyle, Ivo Graham, Jenny Eclair, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Mae Martin
63	* Series Sixteen: Creator/JulianClary, Lucy Beaumont, Sam Campbell, Sue Perkins, Susan Wokoma
64	* New Year Treat 2024: Deborah Meaden, Kojey Radical, Lenny Rush, Steve Backshall, Creator/ZoeBall
65	* Champion of Champions 3: [[spoiler:Dara Ó Briain, Kiell Smith-Bynoe (standing in for Mae Martin), Morgana Robinson, Sarah Kendall, Sophie Duker]]
66	* Series Seventeen: Joanne [=McNally=], John Robins, Nick Mohammed, Sophie Willan, Steve Pemberton
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	Now has its very own [[Characters/{{Taskmaster}} character sheet]]. Fill in tropes related to contestants and their time on the show there. Your time starts now!
70
71	Not to be confused with the [[Characters/MarvelComicsTaskmaster Marvel Comics supervillain/anti-hero of the same name]], with the professional pseudonym of wrestler Wrestling/KevinSullivan or with the video game ''VideoGame/TaskMaker''.
72
73	%%Note to editors: For obvious reasons, the names of contestants from Champions of Champions need to have spoiler tags around their names when referring to the tasks from that series. On a related note, spoilers should be, in general, limited to the score results for each task, except for the Disqualification Induced Victory trope, and the Cheaters Never Prosper, trope which needs the names of the contestants spoiler tagged, as it ruins why the results are what they are otherwise.%%
74
75	----
76	!!Go to each of the following pages and read through the tropes related to ''Taskmaster''. Your time starts now:
77	%%
78	%%
79	%% Note to editors: Please take some time to re-sort the tropes alphabetically if you have a chance
80	%%
81	%%
82	[[index]]
83	* [[Taskmaster/TropesAToF Tropes A to F]]
84	* [[Taskmaster/TropesGToQ Tropes G to Q]]
85	* [[Taskmaster/TropesRToZ Tropes R to Z]]
86
87	* [[{{LoopholeAbuse/Taskmaster}} Loophole Abuse]]
88	* [[{{ShoutOut/Taskmaster}} Shout Out]]
89	[[/index]]
90	----
91	->''So what have we learned today? We've learned that the Tasks set by the Taskmaster are SeriousBusiness, Nish Kumar and Mark Watson know how to make a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQxDyceIdK4 song]] in under 30 minutes, and of course, that [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife TV Tropes will indeed ruin your life!]]. But for now, please give it for a round of applause, [[AWinnerIsYou for you! You completed the Task!]] Goodnight!''

Context Series / Taskmaster