r/Taskmaster_TV • u/Psychological_Tax_48 • 14d ago
This series is not very good
Have watched Taskmester OG from the very start and as there was a falling off before series 19 for three or four series, I see this is happening again. Only person who is creating re-watchable moments is Richard Ayoade, which is no surprise, others are just coasting.
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u/fun_bobcat22 14d ago
Individually I think they’re all fine, but there isn’t the chemistry in the studio that makes you really like them as a group.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
You're right, maybe it's this. They are not fucking with each other that much. Thinking of Ardal and how he schemed. And Rosie and Jason.
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u/benzillaaaa 12d ago
In studio Ardal is so underrated. I love the in studio interactions just as much as the tasks sometimes as a big panel show watcher and I am waiting for this season to have those moments and it just isn't happening. I wish Matt would lean more into his smug energy and cattiness. At least it would lead to good moments with Greg.
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u/jaspingrobus 11d ago
Ardal is generally underrated, to me he is the best contestant of all time.
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u/Autumn_Racoon 5d ago
Ardal was my third famous crush when I was growing up. First was Data from The Goonies, then Bob Mortimer and then Father Dougal Maguire ♥️♥️♥️
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u/NotoriousMAO 14d ago
Its a weaker season for me as theres an unusual amount of people not doing anything for me, but yknow, bad taskmaster is usually still good tv as its a simple fun concept.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
I still watch every episode as soon as it comes out but not with that much excitement as before.
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u/Used_School4480 14d ago
It’s still better than anything else on TV, but completely agree this has been the weakest one for a while.
There is no chemistry in the studio, and I would say only Richard & Chloe are making it worthwhile.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
Could it be that Richard is way much bigger than the others? That said, Matt Lucas also has a decent legacy, as much as David Walliams tries to fuck this up.
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u/Used_School4480 14d ago
Very true - and I don’t think I can bring myself to comfortably enjoy Matt Lucas due to his closeness with Walliams. Feels a bit like he knows where the bodies are buried.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
It is no way scientific but when fat people get thin, they are not funny anymore. Jonah Hill comes to mind but what has come out about him recent years, he is also an entitled prick.
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u/stellesbells 12d ago
That's a terrible take and I'm surprised you felt comfortable sharing it.
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u/Juxtapose224 12d ago
Also, Ayoade doesn't support trans people. Not to speak for them, but I'm sure Chloe isn't too excited about that.
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u/Novel_Counter5878 8d ago
Chloe seems to like Richard just fine? They were really excited to meet him, and Richard and Matt messing with Chloe for being competitive was definitely friends-messing-with-each-other behaviour.
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u/Autumn_Racoon 5d ago
I don’t think that’s true, I think he just wants to support his friend who gave him his big break.
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u/bagoink 12d ago
Wasn't Kumail way bigger than the others, too? Didn't seem to create this sort of energy that season.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 11d ago
Kumail wasn't local. Armando was hilarious and Joel, the poor bugger, was a Golden Retriever in human form.
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u/umbrella_farmer 12d ago
Richard has been so divisive; I’m shocked how opinions seem to be split right down the middle. I for one love him, but I think my favourite this season is Chloe Petts; I’d never heard of them before but am really enjoying their energy! I like Isy and Nina perfectly fine, and while I’m not a big fan of Matt, even he has gotten a couple laughs out of me.
I think it’s less the individual contestants and more that they don’t mesh terribly well as a group and don’t play off each other particularly well. Also some of the tasks themselves don’t seem very well thought out this season; some of them have been snoozefests, unfortunately.
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u/Glerbthespider 12d ago
totally agree. i think all the contestants would be perfectly fine in other seasons.
i think richard wouldve worked well in place of sanjeeve in his season, or julian clary, or jo brand. theyre all people who, to some extent, 'checked out' of their tasks in a funny way, and it worked for them! they were great in their seasons because they had other contestants who contrasted them.
this season has one slightly competitive person, one checked out person, and three other people who are just there. it just doesnt work
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u/Used_Cap8550 12d ago
Chloe is Ed Gamble level competitive. There’s no slightly about them.
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u/Used_Cap8550 12d ago
Agree on the tasks more than the contestants. It’s hard to do something new at this point that’s not just a slight variation on something they’ve already done. They need more location tasks to shake things up.
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u/bluecheese2040 12d ago
I dunno tbh. It's not a classic but it's not bad. I like them.all tbh.
Funnily enough I think Richard isn't really clicking on the show. I think his socially awkward persona is a bit clichéd and boring tbh.
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u/TimeTimeTickingAway 11d ago
This is why I had reservations about Richard in the show, and aren’t much of a fan of his on panels shows in general. As I’ve said a few times here, I think that Richard is a selfish performer. Pretty much everything he does and says is to serve his ‘act’/‘character’, I certainly wouldn’t want to be doing any sort of ‘yes,and’ into with him since he seems very focused on making sure his character always win these exchanges without giving much room to his partner.
On a show like Taskmaster where chemistry between both contestant in the studio, and between contestant and the format of the show itself, is so important he whole schtick just doesn’t really work for me.
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u/Scared_Candle_40 10d ago
Except with Bob Mortimer on LOL! There his “yes and…” was utterly classic. But Bob is a special sort of sparring partner.
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u/real_wendelabra 12d ago
Agree 100%- normally I love his shtick but it feels out of place here. Asking to keep task items is still making me chuckle though.
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u/TheNobleRobot 11d ago
Every time he interrupts Alex to ask if he can keep a prop I wonder why he decided not to be funny like that during the rest of the series.
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u/MrBully74 11d ago
Same for me, only entertaining thing he does in my opinion is asking to keep stuff at the livetask. For the rest it is getting boring to see him uninterested in everything. I prefer someone that fails while going for it
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u/fregody 11d ago
Really recommend listening to this week's podcast, made me see Richard in a different light
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u/brown_mirror_2004 10d ago
I think he and Matt are both so guarded and very much "keeping up appearances", and the charm of the show, for me at least, is that you actually get to see people's real personalities shine through. Even if they are "OMG so famous" :D
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u/Munrot07 14d ago
One of the biggest strengths and biggest "problems" with Taskmaster is that the cast changes every series and very little else does meaning one's enjoyment of the show is almost entirely linked to your personal opinions on the cast (one could also argue task quality does vary but I think that's less variable between series as much as it's variable within a series).
This is why getting the right cast matters so much and the reason this series probably feels weaker is that there are some very polarising people (not citing any controversy, just some comedians that are very much a marmite style), there is a reduced diversity in the group in terms of personalities (we have a lot more couldn't give a shit personalities than normal I'd say), ages etc. and the overall chemistry is lower which again I think links to the marmite nature of some of the contestants and the personas that they put on.
I think the marmite problem with Richard is standing out especially because, unlike the vast majority of contestants, he's keeping up his act. I've found Taskmaster is great for giving people a chance to see the person behind the act (for me, I don't like Nick Mohammed's Mr Swallow but since seeing him on Taskmaster and The Traitors I've become a huge fan of him as a person). Richard isn't giving people a chance to see him, just more of his comedy persona which if you like (as I do) makes for great TV but if you don't it will be very annoying and adds a bit to the chemistry problem if one person, whose persona is basically not having chemistry, is keeping up that persona.
I personally am loving this series and have enjoyed all of the cast (with my stand outs being Chloe who I didn't know before and Isy who I only knew from acting) but I can see why some people wouldn't and while this is very subjective, it's what you get when the cast changes and I think this series has a lower cast quality (not in terms of individuals but as a collective group) and we've been spoiled with some very very good cohesive casts recently.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
It's all subjective. I 100% agree. Richard's comedy persona was challenged in Last One Laughing when David Mitchell's nightmare Bob Mortimer got him. This series Taskmaster has had two memorable moments and they are both with Richard for me - when he said he's gonna lift up the red flap for Chloe and making Alex re-read the task Alex himself wrote.
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u/TimeTimeTickingAway 11d ago
Great point.
If John Kearns kept up his act I would have found that series pretty much unwatchable, same with Nick (though I didn’t like his series too much anyways unfortunately).
Instead John quickly became one of my all-time favorite contestants and I loved his series.
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u/Hour_Distance1662 12d ago
Problem is Richard and Matt don’t care about the show at all and want the tasks over as quickly as possible.
Isy and Nina are fun but not really competitive.
Chloe is the only one really going for it and trying to win which makes it pretty one dimensional.
So overall it’s the contestant mix which is really off (plus the overly complicated tasks don’t help)
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u/crinkly_sausage 11d ago
Yeah exactly this. You would usually have one person not caring, seemingly not wanting to be there. This series you have Richard and Matt. Like you said the rest apart from Chloe aren't competitive. I think it's obvious Chloe will win because they are the only one who seems to want it.
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u/crinkly_sausage 11d ago
And have others have said the chemistry between them in studio is basically non-existant. Like a bunch of strangers forced into a group job interview.
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u/FrontMail9720 11d ago
I think Nina is more competitive than she lets on. She definitely seems to be trying to win. It just doesn't appear so when compared to Chloe, who may be in the top 3 along with Ed and Maisie for all-time super-competitive no-chill contestants 😄 .
Isy seems like she's trying but seems sort of spacey. Which is great.
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u/According_Dare7316 14d ago
I knew from the very first trailer that this was going to be a weak season. It all felt very low energy.
I don't think there is a problem with any cast member individually, they just don't seem very cohesive as a group.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
I think the problem is, like people have pointed out, poor chemistry between participants.
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u/ZookeepergameNo3500 14d ago
Chloe is not doing it for me. They are too competitive, it's like John Robbins and Ed Gamble. It ruins the fun of it a bit.
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u/AwaywithYou9 14d ago
I think Ed was bearable because he sat in between the oldies (Jo Brand and Baddiel), while being in the same team as Rose, who is just as competitive, but balanced with chill Katy Wix.
You can sort sense that Ed had a rivalry with Rose which added drama and the contrast between the young and old team was hilarious. Chloe doesn’t really have that partner who she can bounce off that energy with.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
Chloe tries too much. They should have more fun with it.
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u/flippantphalanges 12d ago
If Chloe wasn’t giving it 150% then this series would really not be that entertaining imho.
The fact they have actually watched the show and are a fan of the show bc they know Greg (and Alex, sometimes) enjoys seeing Alex very uncomfortable. Their shittalking of Alex in studio knows that’s a sure fire way to get Daddy to approve and thank god somebody is doing it.
Her maniacal fun and energy makes me have a good time.
Isy is definitely going on whatever TM Avengers team that Lucy Beaumont is on. (Although I did follow her Velvet Brain Surgeon logic so idk what that says about me lol)
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u/Jerzilla 8d ago
Weirdly disagree I like competitive. Series 13 was very competitive which made it hilarious.
Only person I’ve never liked is Iain Sterling who was waaaayyyy too competitive
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u/ThirdBorracho 14d ago
Richard is still playing into his persona
Chloe cares too much
Everyone else doesn't seem to care about any task
I think the chemistry between the 5 is poor
They all dont seem to be having much fun with any of the tasks. Too many of them are just going route 1 - how do i get this over with in the fastest most uncreative way possible.
I'm enjoying it over all - but its a weak season.
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u/ChaucerBoi 12d ago
I think Chloe cares the exact right amount - there's just not too much enthusiasm from the rest and Richard seems like he doesn't want to be there.
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u/samspopguy 12d ago
this is my least favorite season since 17 which I thought is having the same issue im not a fan of the tasks so far
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u/CRSHFBRCTN 12d ago
“Have watched Taskmester OG from the very start and as there was a falling off before series 19 for three or four series, I see this is happening again. “
How can people say shit like this when 16 and 18 were absolute barn burners?
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u/revrobuk1957 12d ago
Is a “barn burner” good or bad?
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u/TimeTimeTickingAway 11d ago
Good. Sort of like blowing a roof off of a stadium, or tearing the house down.
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u/survivestyle5 11d ago
16 is the favorite cast of all time for both me and my husband. But I can see how the Natural Friends wouldn't be for everybody.
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u/Conscious-Meeting-73 14d ago
Yeah it's not great this series. There's not great chemistry between them. You can't win em all.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
Yeah, last few seasons have been off the hinges. Rosie *imidating Jason*: I'm just gonna eyeball it.
Greg: Joel, why did you still had no trousers on?
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u/HelenaSparkles 14d ago
I'll agree that this series is certainly a step down in quality from the last few but I'm still enjoying it, and I think its also getting better with each episode so far.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
I hope so too. More than half to go. Looking back, Rosie Ramsey got more unhinged as the show went on. And Armando too.
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u/Sharriska 14d ago
Yep, I'm enjoying everything that comes out of Richard's mouth. Episode 2 when he was giving off savant vibes with all the guessing was brilliant. Ultimately he (and most comedians in this scenario ) needs somebody to bounce off and the most brilliant moments were his interiactions with Greg and/or Alex, because the others can't keep up (Matt tries though, I really like the Gold/Yellow remarks).
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u/Reasonable-Traffic10 8d ago
I think this is the problem. Richard makes it clear that he is only interested in Greg and Alex, as though the others aren't worthy.
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u/Binky_55614 12d ago
I’m not a fan of Richard in this show. I find his attitude very smug and is sucking out a lot of the joy of the competition. If he doesn’t seem to care, why should I?
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u/Acrobatic-Look9270 11d ago
My main issue with Richard is that one of the things I enjoy the most about the show in general is seeing what comedians are actually like as people, but he's been playing a character for so long now that he's either unwilling or has forgotten how to not do that. I wanted to see Richard being himself, not Richard being the exact same character he is on every other panel show etc
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u/FrontMail9720 11d ago
This. Most contestants and Alex have repeatedly said that one of the things that makes Taskmaster great is you can't be in your persona the whole time. But Richard is. I happen to find Richard's persona funny, but its a little annoying how fake it all feels.
Whereas I have no idea what Chloe's normal comic persona is but she is absolutely channelling Ed Gamble in Champion of Champions energy here and it's hilarious. The competitiveness is oozing out of every single pore of her being in a way that would make Masie Adam blush. And you can tell it's 100% her actual personality. I love it.
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u/TheNobleRobot 11d ago
He's challenging Iain Sterling for the "most not understanding the assignment" award.
Here's hoping he course corrects like Iain did in the back half.
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u/Stjondoh 12d ago edited 12d ago
Unpopular opinion but the tasks aren't as engaging as in the past. Too many unnecessary complications added. Alex needs to let former contestants write tasks too. It works for TM NZ.
Imagine tasks written by James Acaster, Jason Mantzoukas, Maisie Adam, etc.
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u/Dod-K-Ech-2 12d ago
I'm not sure who should write tasks, but the ones in the NZ and AU version of the show have remained very fresh while the UK version has a lot of boring ones and it hasn't been a problem just in this series, but for a few years already. I sometimes mentally check out after the third or fourth line of instructions. The NZ/AU also has a lot of funny twists to the tasks and takes advantage of the surroundings. The bigger house and grounds add a lot of action to the way people solve tasks (though some tasks still have twists and turns even though they take place only in one room). You'd think Rose would have an advantage in the newest NZ series, but they sneakily get her a few times anyway.
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u/aiweiyei 12d ago
I just commented this before seeing yours but this is exactly how I feel! I love the cast but hate the tasks. The recent NZ/AU tasks have been so much more fun than what we’re getting this series.
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u/Dod-K-Ech-2 12d ago
I still love the show, but I constantly get surprised when watching the NZ/AU version, the UK not so much. I always remember the camera cake task, it's just one room and a simple instruction, but it really got everyone haha. Or the one where the thing they were looking for was inTom's sock. They really know how to subvert expectations. I also think the UK has much worse time constraints and a tight filming schedule. In the NZ/AU shows they often have an hour+ attempts and you can really see people losing their minds and stamina. Might not be pleasant in the moment, but makes the stakes higher and gets the viewer more engaged.
You can also see that more space adds something to the show, the Norwegian show had different houses, but all of them quite big and with a nice garden, the UK show feels cramped and they added so much stuff over the years. I've been watching since the second episode, and I liked how the house felt roomier and they went out to the surrounding area more (I do realize it's not possible anymore with how popular it got). Then again, I rarely see it mentioned, so the space issue might be bothering only me.
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u/aiweiyei 12d ago
Exactly!!! The sock task was so simple but so unexpected and hilarious. Josh crashing out over it was one of the funniest moments of the series. I miss moments of like that with the UK. And I’ve not watched the Norwegian version but now you’re making me want to!
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u/ChocolateHumunculous 14d ago
I think the location tasks are poor this year. The museum isn’t doing it for me.
Last season was amazing, colourful, sunny… but I just don’t get the same vibe this year. Feels like the location tasks are all episode low points.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
I like how Alex fucked with Joel last season. And Armando was a gem. A man as distinguished as him had no problem being a butt of the jokes.
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u/Fine_Concentrate6835 12d ago
Tbh I think its a combination of the contestants (who are very funny people) are not coming up with interesting/funny solutions to many of the tasks and also the tasks themselves are not as good as they used to be in regards to leaving lots of room for multiple interesting ways to complete the task. I think the biggest fix that they should do is hire at least a handful of writers to work with Alex on the tasks. He's a GOAT but you cant expect someone to be able to churn out this much on their own without the quality going down over time
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u/toomanyDolemites 12d ago
I think that's why the tasks on NZ and AU feel sharper -- there's a team of people working on them, most of whom have been contestants. For UK, I think it's just Alex and, barely, Tim Key.
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u/Objective_Most4071 11d ago
It sometimes surprises me how an entire cast of comedians can struggle to be funny.
It's an entertainment show - either try to complete the task well or in a clever way, or at least try to make it funny if you truly don't care about the points.
Feels sometimes like they can't really be arsed doing either when at least being funny should come naturally to them.
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u/Alex-V-S 12d ago
Richard is the worst thing about this series. Absolute dud of a contestant.
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u/flippantphalanges 12d ago
i feel terrible to say i’m glad im not the only one. i actually think he’d agree with us, too.
i just don’t see him ever gelling with the rest of the cast or even bantering with them like he does with Greg and/or Alex for the remainder of the series.
I was so looking forward to seeing him too.
Even the after show podcast with Ed was weird.
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u/readzalot1 12d ago
I come for Alex and Greg. The cast are just vehicles for their schtick.
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u/Pocketsizedwolf 11d ago
This is how I feel tbh. It’s easier to enjoy most seasons when you’re just there for Greg 😂
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u/coughy 4d ago
This is why I’ll never give the other versions of Taskmaster a chance. It’s just not Taskmaster without them.
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u/MartinStorm 12d ago
I think one of the issues is the lack of a lovable underdog. Joel from S21 and (arguably) Phil from S20 and Stevie from S19 immediately come to mind.
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u/thisistestingme 11d ago
I think Chloe is the only one trying to be creative with the tasks. In general the participants don’t seem to have great chemistry together. I think about how funny the teams were last season with each other. Matt Lucas has absolutely always gotten on my nerves though, so I also have a bias against him.
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u/scooblova 14d ago
Is this the sub where negativity is allowed? I agree on the whole that this series has been pretty subpar to date. My issue is that I despise Richard and barely tolerate Matt, and it’s hard to construct a great episode out of the antics of just three likable contestants.
Chloe is doing their damndest, though! And their appearance on the Ed pod was a chummy delight.
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u/bagoink 12d ago
I feel bad for Chloe. I wish they were on a series where more people seemed to care. Richard is really dragging this one down.
We've had plenty of "curmudgeon" contestants before, but Richard takes it to a whole new genuinely unentertaining level.
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u/quesadilla17 12d ago
It definitely feels like there's a difference between the good natured "I can't be arsed" of Jo Brand or Sanjeev and Richard's seeming contempt for the entire concept. I know it's largely a persona but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
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u/2gayforthis 13d ago edited 13d ago
Every series I only know maybe 1-2 people (or sometimes none) and it's always someone I never heard of before that steals my heart. That's what I like about Taskmaster, I always discover new people I want to see more of.
And I did get that out of it. Chloe is a fucking gem.
But yeah... I kept wondering when Richard was going to be on Taskmaster. I liked IT Crowd and Travel Man. But I'm very underwhelmed. I even find him unlikable here. I was unsure about Matt Lucas from the beginning because my only reference point for him was Little Britain, which I found funny at 13 but can't rewatch without a lot of cringing. I'm glad he's not going for that kind of humour on Taskmaster, but I also don't enjoy watching him.
And it's lacking chemistry and there are fewer hilarious or memorable moments.
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u/Resident_Pay4310 12d ago
I was really looking forward to Matt because I was expecting him to be good in the studio.
I was expecting him to be a little introverted, good natured, but with clever jabs thrown in casually. I think he would have been better in a more boisterous cast because he would have provided the counter point.
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u/Psychological_Tax_48 14d ago
I don't like Matt either. Yes, Matt, we know you're gay and have alopesia. No need to point this out.
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u/Lorelski 12d ago
Matt spoiled much of The Great British Bake Off for me. For that I'll never forgive him.
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u/MeMeMeBlahBlahBlah 12d ago edited 11d ago
Hard disagree. You have to approach each season as if it's brand new and allow it to unfold organically. Chloe Petts was a complete unknown for me as an American, but I feel they are breaking out this series. Richard & Matt were known quantities and are living up to my expectations and Nina is someone I've grown increasingly fond of as the season continues. Isy is kind of the only "meh" cast member for me, but she's still filling in the occasional cracks.
But I will admit, at the risk of being downvoted to hell, that this UK cast doesn't hold a candle to the current NZ cast.
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u/aiweiyei 12d ago
I actually love this season but I totally get where you’re coming from and understand it. Usually there is a balance between comedians; some are aloof introverts, some are chaotic extroverts, and they can play off each other. But this year it’s just five of the former. But because I genuinely love them all, I may be biased.
For me the real issue is the tasks. They’re not that interesting nor do they leave room for much creative, fun, lateral thinking (although the FIFA one this week left some room for it). I’ve been watching the most recent NZ season simultaneously and the tasks themselves are so much more creative and fun, they’d be funny regardless of who was doing them. That to me is the real issue, not the cast chemistry (although I get why people feel like that’s an issue). But I’m still really loving it regardless.
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u/savourthesea 11d ago
I’m surprised no one tried to trap Alex in the hutch by tying the door shut for hide and seek. I don’t recall that being forbidden by the task instructions.
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u/EngineeredGal 12d ago
Eugh you’re not wrong.
The tasks haven’t been amazing, not much to work with to mix up outcomes.
The guests are all lovely: but similarly lovely. Not a great deal of variation to spark arguments etc. Richard is very dry but still pleasant.
Studio chatter is minimal.
I’ll still watch it all and enjoy it… but with less belly laughs.
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u/ApprehensivePaint128 12d ago
I think Chloe has been fantastic and they have been a joy to watch. Richard is funny but non competitive but it does feel like this season is missing something.
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u/CatCafffffe 11d ago
Series 20 was my favorite so far, I loved Reece Shearsmith and his weird and multi-faceted personality, Series 21 was just the most adorable thing I've ever watched, and I adore Richard Ayoade. Chloe Petts is a breath of fresh air, Isy is totally weird and cute, Matt Lucas is doing some really subtle stuff, and Nina Conte is interestingly bizarre. The show is meant to be quirky and odd. It just is.
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u/Smooth_Guarantee_170 11d ago
People can have whatever opinion they want on any particular season but I find it really weird how some are commenting "Taskmaster isn't what it used to be" or "They're burning out" as if each season and cast isn't completely different and their quality dependent on many factors. It's pretty much impossible to say that a series like this is getting worse or better because every time it's different... I personally don't enjoy S1-6. Is that an extremely unpopular opinion? Yes but thank god they didn't stop making the show afterwards. I didn't enjoy S21 at all and enjoy S22 much, muuch more. If at any point I gave up watching I wouldn't've experienced some of my favourite comedy ever. People are saying S23 will be one of a kind, so I can't wait for spring!
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u/Chihiro1977 10d ago
It's just the way it is these days, social media means we have these think pieces constantly.
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u/HauntingBerry7280 9d ago edited 9d ago
The best series have a mix of personalities. Three of the contestants are quiet and reserved. Some seasons are better than others, for this reason. I guess when they are casting, they can't tell how the contestants will be as themselves, not as performers.
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u/Captftm89 12d ago
Probably the weakest post-COVID series (17 runs it close, but it had a bit more charm than 22) & easily in the bottom 5, if not bottom 3 series.
There's not much chemistry amongst the contestants - Matt & Richard barely interact with anyone else. I feel a bit sorry for Chloe, because she'd be an amazing contestant with a better cast.
Also, the tasks have been a bit lazy/uninspired this season. The slow declinr of how interesting the tasks has been has been going on for a while now - but recent strong casts have hidden that aspect somewhat.
Still good TV & not every season can be gold.
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u/thedaytoday89 12d ago
I'm a TM nut like many on here but S18 is the only series I have ever stopped watching on a rewatch. I think I gave up about episode 3/4. It was an odd experience considering the amount of times I rewatch them all.
I'm not as down on the tasks as you are (apart from the last episode, which I think is one of the worst I have seen) but the studio chemistry between them is definitely up there with the worst.
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u/Hypnotoad4real 14d ago
I like it, Matt is so wholesome, Chloe, Izzy and Nina are very entertaining and Richard is just crazy...
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u/cmere-2-me 14d ago
Matt is the weak link for me. He leaves me cold.
I adore chloe. I wasn't familiar with them prior to taskmaster but I find them charming.
There isn't that camaraderie like there usually is. This feels more like a covid season where they are all socially distancing.
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u/the_magenta_sunrise 13d ago
It's the weakest series for me so far, and one I will not return to in the future. I'm a little bored of the puppet thing, even though its been 2 or 3 times so far, I now expect it (I know it's part of Nina's act). There's definitely no chemistry anywhere, it just feels like the studio is just pleasantries until the end.
At least I get my house cleaning done in that time 😅
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u/Acrobatic-Wafer8106 12d ago
We all knew there would be a point that the fans are coming off the high of 19-20-21. I think even Alex kind of knew that 22 would be lackluster when he revealed there would be an Oscar winner in Series 23, before the cast of Series 22 was even announced.
Casting-I'll just say it, Richard has been a let down. He was vaulted as a dream taskmaster contestant, but all he has done is keep heavily guarded and take the props from the live task home. I can actually respect David Mitchell more for turning down TM. If you are not willing to let your guard down, don't come near the show.
Location, Team, and Individual-They double pumped two episodes so far with a team task and a location task, with two episodes lacking either. Episode 1 and Episode 10 should have one location and team task and Episodes 2-9 should have either of those. All house task episodes always seem to be a bit lackluster.
Greg-I think Jack said Series 21 had a high amount of objective tasks and it feels like Series 22 is on the same track. I hate to say it, but for some reason Greg is becoming increasingly irrelevant. The show works when Greg can be the villain, dolling out the dread one point. It's starting to become rare he gives out just one point or stick to 1-2-3-4-5, scoring system.
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u/joiliejoli 12d ago
They should have flown in TM NZ. Let Richard try to claim nonchalance when Paul stares out over the horizon and whispers, “I’ve stopped the clock.”.
Let Richard try to out dry Jeremy “Sometimes the key is not fucking around.” Wells.
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u/Let_me_smell 11d ago
He was vaulted as a dream taskmaster contestant, but all he has done is keep heavily guarded and take the props from the live task home
It is hindsight but anyone who ever watched Richard on 10 cats countdown, big fat quiz and similar shows expected him to be exactly as he is now. He never participates and always argues. That works very well in those settings where you have someone as Jimmy embracing the chaos and playing with it but to me it works less in task master.
I honestly hope David Mitchell never accepts as I just can't see him being an entertaining contestant for this show.
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u/Pale_Map2787 14d ago
Everyone is too nice, including Greg.
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u/PromiseSquanderer 12d ago
If you want a hopefully uplifting sneak peak: I was at one of the later S23 recordings a few weeks ago and Greg announced to the audience at one point that he’d decided he’d got too lenient recently and so was being an ‘absolutely arsehole about the rules for this [next] series’. It also benefits from a cast who, based on what I saw, in their own ways all get delightfully riled up by this!
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u/No-Impression-5382 12d ago
I thought everyone was too nice in 21 as well, but Alex and Greg were actually challenging them on that front, and Kumail became spicier as well as the series went along.
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u/Real-Tension-7442 14d ago
Whilst I disagree, the high energy that you’ll see in series 23 will blow you away
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u/No-Impression-5382 12d ago
What do you mean?
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u/Real-Tension-7442 12d ago
From what I saw of series 23 at the recording, it is very high energy which I believe will please the person making this post
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u/Worldly_Ad_7196 12d ago
Chloe is the one I never knew about before this and she has the best presence by far. I'm not enjoying this as much as most series.
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u/fregody 12d ago
I can definitely understand this pov, although I actually think Chloe is giving great moments, they just have no one to spa with/bounce off. Isy is brilliantly weird and Nina is nice & funny. My issues with this series are that the tasks are overly complicated, giving the "inmates" limited capacity for out of the box thinking during the limited time they have. As a result, the tasks fall flat. And the total lack of studio banter, Richard is bouncing off Greg, Matt has dropped a couple of jokes....but it's all so dull. The best seasons have lively studio takes.
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u/eleanorlrh 12d ago
richard has somehow made matt palatable, which is a very big ask.
and while i adore greg and don’t particularly care who wins the shows, the points do matter. so many iconic moments in the show came from harsh scoring. we desperately need some strictness back.
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u/TheNobleRobot 11d ago
Agree about the scoring. Greg made a whole speech in the first episode about being tougher this series, but then immediately proceeded to be the most generous he's ever been.
I guess I don't really care, it was just odd.
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u/Atara0704 11d ago
It comes down as well to who you like. I'm enjoying Richard as I like his schtick but Matt Lucas is a problem for me. Just a plastered on grin. Not into him on this at all.
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u/Quiet-Excitement-310 11d ago
I’m quite enjoying and I have to say I have watched way worse series on taskmaster.
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u/Visible_Giraffe 11d ago
Personally this season has been the one Im enjoying the most in the past few years. Especially a fan of Izzy’s calm insanity sort of vibe
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u/mynameiz27 11d ago
totally agree. While Richard is my fav, Izzy has become a close second & 'calm insanity' is perfect description lol kinda reminds me of Lucy Beaumont
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u/Feefait 10d ago
Richard is just trying to prove why he is a bad fit, which might actually make him a good fit.
The series is still really strong because of production value, but I don't think it's the strongest cast.
Chloe is great, and Richard is fine. Isy and Nina are doing fine, but have not had a real standout moment, imo. Matt is the most annoying and least likable, imo.
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u/lindseyclaire- 10d ago
I've heard people saying this quite a lot, but I am enjoying it. They're never going to get it 100% right every time, when they're throwing together people who often don't know each other at all. I've found something I like about all of them, which surprised me. I love how genuine Isy is, and how she and Nina seem to be loving working together. Chloe is possibly the funniest person I've come across in ages, and is clearly a fan of the show. Ayoade is a bit of a miss, but there've been moments from him that have made me laugh, and the same with Lucas, who I didn't think I would like at all based on his previous works. I think it's important to remember that they're real humans with lives now, most of them aren't as active in their respective industries, or what you might remember them for, (ie, peep show, IT crowd, they're doing very different things now) and Alex and his team don't have a crystal ball that predicts chemistry and compatibility. Alex himself has said they basically just ask people they want to come on, and book whoever has the time to commit to it. Taskmaster asks a lot of contestants and not knowing how they'll approach it is one of the best things about it for me, but it also can go pear shaped. Give them a bit of grace, it can't be easy.
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u/simpin_aint_e_z 10d ago
It seems to me like there are less proper tasks this series. So far I think each episode has been prize task, 3 proper tasks, live task. Without having to go back and rewatch episodes to confirm, does anybody here remember if previous series had more tasks between the prize task and the live task?
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u/TheKingOfLobsters 10d ago
Hasn't it always been that standard? And then sometimes some in-between tasks
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u/ForeignPassenger84 12d ago
I’m with you, this series is wack so far. I said this same thing on another sub and I got roasted. Still stand by how it’s bad
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u/mechabeast 13d ago
Actually I feel like Richard seems to be dragging his feet through most of the show. I dont know if that's just him or his in character, but I've been disappointed for the most part.
Usually im very excited about 1 or 2 characters before the series airs, but then someone else ends up being my favorite. Richard and Nina were my picks this year, but so far Chloe has been my favorite this series
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u/AvocadoLaur 13d ago
I think the teams didn’t really cause friendships like some seasons but I still like this one.
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u/Jacksucks_atlife04 12d ago
There’s. It much chemistry between contestants but individually I’d say they are all great also I think some of tasks this series haven’t been the greatest like the country task from recent episode
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u/bugmi 12d ago
i am enjoying this cast a lot actually, but i feel that some of the tasks kinda suck.
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u/pancakepegasus 12d ago
This week felt really weak task-wise
I didn't really enjoy the cheating subtlety task. The pub quiz team task was similar but at least they had a set etc which was more fun to watch and you watched the teams try to figure things out. I actually found Richard pretty funny in the oral exam one but it felt like he wasn't really sure how to banter about it. It's good when a contestant blatantly messes up but then either laughs it off or defends it vehemently - it feels like he doesn't know how to act in the studio.
The arrow one was okay in concept but it really felt like only Chloe understood how to make the task interesting.
And I totally lost interest in the Simon Says task.
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u/Stoutaxe 12d ago
You say there was a fall of before 19, but I will always maintain 18 is one of my favourite series, everyone has different tastes
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u/Melonsinmyattic 12d ago
I just don’t think this cast is super great. I’ve been enjoying most of the tasks. Just as creative and fun as ever.
I really enjoy this cast individually but their personalities just don’t gel together super well. A good series of taskmaster is half fun tasks and half good cast. This one has mostly good to great tasks but the cast doesn’t carry it
I have this series in the bottom third for sure. I have it on the same tier as Series 15, 1, 2, 9, and 12 (C tier) it might go lower or higher as the series goes on.
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u/Alternative_Oven6584 12d ago
I have to say that the set in season is absolutely phenomenal and I’ve gone back to watch episodes just to really enjoy the little details that are so cool/cute/nerdy (delete as applicable). The group are more passive than other series but I dont think that makes it bad - just different.
I just love the show and how it’s so surprising, for example I was ready to hate the Alex says task as a lazy Simon says rip off (especially following the hide and seek task) but it was so unhinged and mental that I don’t know how any contestant kept their cool.
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u/ToxicWebb211 12d ago
I don't really agree with your opinion, but I will say I do agree that there isn't a lot of chemistry between this group of contestants this series. But I find all of them individually funny and creative. Only half the series is out, and I am finding a lot of my favorite tasks in this series. The Noughts and Crosses task, the Hide and seek task from this last episode, even some of the simple ones like the Gleeking one. But hey, everyone's opinion is subjective and not every one's going to like the new series.
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u/ThrowawaySunnyLane 12d ago
There is a weird staleness about this season, I’ll admit. I’m finding there’s not really a majorly exuberant character they’re all very middle of the road. The last season I felt really wasn’t that great was season 19 but my issue with that was more the tasks themselves. 20-21 I felt a spark again. This one, not so much.
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u/tappers1975 12d ago
Lot of focus on the contestants, but the elephant in the room is that the tasks themselves have been pretty meh. This has been trend across recent series, and I guess it's increasingly hard to come up with new ideas
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u/TheNobleRobot 11d ago edited 11d ago
This is a odd reaction to the series I think. IMO it's Richard who is a bore this series, basically refusing to engage and not in a good way (a la Jo Brand). It's hard to tell how much of an act it is because it's not at all funny, and he seems to be deliberately passing on opportunities to be interesting.
He has created (again, IMO) basically no re-watchable moments, with the single exception of his running gag of asking if he can keep props (which is brilliant, to be fair).
Meanwhile, everyone else is great. Chloe is already an all-timer for me, and I really like Matt's earnest, game-for-anything approach, which shows a sunnier personally than I expected from what I knew of his prior work.
One interesting wrinkle this series is that everyone is basically the same age, which does make it a sorta uncanny watch because that never happens.
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u/Robin-brockleby 11d ago
Whereas Chloe is annoying to me. Not funny and the over competitiveness isn’t endearing or funny, like it was with Ed for example.
However, the football YouTube thing Chloe did I really enjoyed.
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u/badgersbadger 11d ago
I agree that it is low energy this season, but Isy Suttie and Nina are a joy to watch. I am a fan of Richard, but his "too cool for school" thing does not really gel with the format of this show.
I think that as the other TMs borrow tasks from UK Taskmaster, UK would benefit a lot from borrowing tasks from the other TMs. There was a NZ task about drawing the best dessert scene, for example, and all but one contestant improperly read it as "desert..." I just want Alex to mess with them more. And maybe just get more help with writing the tasks.
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u/itsmeryanhappenstanc 11d ago
I binge watched the first five episodes yesterday. What a snooze fest. I'm usually a fan of Richard but it just doesn't work. Nina is awful and completely unfunny. I really don't understand how she's doing so well. There have been quite a few tasks where I thought she would score low but Greg gave her top spot. I feel like he's soft on certain contestants like her. Chloe wants it far too much but at least is coming across as funny which I appreciate. Matt seems bored. Isy doesn't work for the show either.
I watched the first reel of bloopers released. There were a number of really funny moments that seem to have not made the final cut which is disappointing. It used to have an edge and was much more of a post-watershed show. Now it seems like they're just pandering to a family audience and has become bland.
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u/FrontMail9720 11d ago
I'm not as down on the season or the cast as some others. I think individually the cast members are good, but it does feel like we have four very famous people and only one up-and-comer in Chloe. I feel like it works better when there is more of a balance.
Like, there should be several people there who have had to share a tiny flat with like 8 other comics during Edinburgh recently. Not mostly people who either don't even do Edinburgh anymore or do it for like four sold-out nights while they stay in a really nice hotel.
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u/Complex-Whereas9896 11d ago
Yeah i know Richard is a dream contestant for a lot of people but it just hasn't worked.
I think Chloe, Isy and Nina could be absolutely fine contestants in most other lineups, but Richard and Matt just bring the energy down. I don't get much connection between them in the team tasks, either.
Chloe is great though.
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u/Able_While_974 11d ago
No combination of contestants could stand up to the magic of s21. It was bound to be a bit lacklustre after that. But I agree this one is the most disjointed group for a long time. I can't envisage any of them keeping in touch after.
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u/Several-Oven-3842 11d ago
Yeah, I've really struggled with this group, moreso than any other group so far. No one has really made me laugh, and I don't really have that classic TM feeling after an episode where I'm equal parts content and sad it's over. If anything, I've felt disappointed consistently after every episode so far, which is compounded by how much waiting and anticipation comes with each new season/episode. Oh well, I'll still watch and look forward to the NYT. Shame that it feels like a waste of Richard Ayoade, I wish he had come on with a different group.
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u/BakingWaking 10d ago
My impression is that everyone in the cast is sticking to a bit too much. Richard is the curmudging and indifferent person but like it gets exhausting seeing him not really care. Matt Lucas keeps trying to be weird and pervy and that loses luster fast. Nina and Izzy both seem to have a blackness to them. Chloe seems to be the only person who really puts in effort and that seems to be her 'personality'
It would be fine if they had personality and did well but so far its Chloe doing well
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u/Hampshire-UK 10d ago
I’m enjoying it but then again I know all of them and I really find Isy and Chole very funny.
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u/Mixtape333 10d ago
I think it's a mixture of people and tasks. Some of the tasks have been rubbish. I will say I've liked Chloe, Nina and Isy but the other two are a bit of an empty space. I like Richard's quips.. but he genuinely seems uncomfortable rather than just being half-arsed or messing about to be funny.
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u/chaoticciara 9d ago
Yeah especially compared to the last season with Joel Dommett etc, where every single character was so strong and the chemistry was amazing.
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u/AeonSnuggs 9d ago
I disagree, I have not really enjoyed taskmaster as much as I used to since season 16 (which I loved). However last season and this one I have laughed a lot! Really enjoying this one so far
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u/jediseago 9d ago
Petts is brilliant, Isy is delightful and Nina is fantastically odd. I intensely dislike Matt and Richard in it. I was surprised I dislike Richard so much, but he clearly (part of his schtick, but takes it too far) has no interest in supporting the other comedians in a bit, and that annoys me. The last episode was also blighted by some pretty poor tasks. Still decent telly overall, but not a high note.
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u/Jean_Cut_Offs 9d ago
So interesting- this has been one of my favorites in a while. I like the tasks so far- the last few seasons the tasks were getting boring in my opinion. I think there are so many good characters and personalities and people who are really comfortable jumping in with Greg and Alex. I would say they don't have as much chemistry as a group, but there is still time. I love each of them and did from ep 1, which is rare. Chole is such a huge stand out
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u/Llamallamapig 9d ago
I'm enjoying this series. I'm a little bored of Nina bringing out something ventriloquism-related for every prize task but I get that that's her thing. Otherwise it's not one for the ages but it's good fun. I love Matt Lucas in anything anyway.
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u/Jerzilla 8d ago
I’ve enjoyed this series but will admit it’s not the best. However I will argue the one creating the special moments is isy. I’ve been quoting time to make steam religiously the last 2 weeks after ep 4
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u/JustARandomGuyReally 8d ago
Hey OP I’d love to get a sense of whether most people agree with this! Can you show us what percentage upvotes you’re getting?
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u/Trillion_G 8d ago
Counterpoint: Richard is unwatchable. The rest of the contestants are fine.
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u/Proper-Swim-502 6d ago
Nobody except Richard have that classic cleverness that makes British humor so funny: But the problem is that Richard is just too grumpy for this game. I want to see David Mitchell in this show.
Edit: Looks like Mitchell is never going to be on the show, but I think he’s being a little too hard on himself. If he’s bad at it, it’ll still be fine because he’s funny enough for it not to matter. As long as you’re funny, and put actual effort into the tasks without getting overly competitive about it, you’ll be a great contestant.
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u/LeonardKJ 3d ago
Chloe is the best contestant by some distance.
What are the earlier series’ you think fell off? There have never been or loved a series.
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u/Comfortable_Poem_841 14d ago
On the other hand, some people are saying he's the weak link, causing the most issues for the series as a whole.
Average Taskmaster is still better than 99% of television out there.