While we’re not going out, let Lee Mack and friends entertain you
Taskmaster is back with a new cast and more silly challenges, says show creator Alex Horne
Hit Channel 4 show Taskmaster proved to be just the comic remedy the nation needed in the midst of a global pandemic.
A show initially conceived at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Taskmaster rapidly garnered a cult following, built upon the simple premise of comedians making complete and utter fools of themselves through the medium of improvised comedy.
Returning to our screens for an 11th series, the latest instalment brings with it a new line-up of comedy talent, as five renowned names battle it out to complete gloriously simple tasks in the most creative ways possible.
Hosted by comedian Greg Davies, 52, alongside the Taskmaster’s loyal assistant, writer and comedian Alex Horne, 42, the series 11 line-up features Not Going Out star Lee Mack, standup Jamali Maddix, Ghosts actor Charlotte Ritchie, Man Down’s Mike Wozniak, and actor and comedian Sarah Kendall.
Ahead of the new series returning to our screens, we discover more from Taskmaster creator Alex Horne.
Do you feel the pressure when it comes to selecting the line-up of comedians?
I always feel slightly anxious when you say goodbye to the last set of contestants and everyone’s got to really love them and now there’s a new five that have got to impress. I think this lot settles in straight away, so I think the fact Lee’s there, wearing an Evel Knievel outfit, doing a task, means you’re automatically invested. And the other four, whether you know them or not, are really, really funny and competitive people. So I’m not worried about this one at all.
Did any of the comedians surprise you?
Yes, Charlotte Ritchie is an idiot. I really love her, she was great, she really made me laugh a lot, but she was very bad at some of the tasks. Jamali went in there and most of the time he opened the task and did the thing – he wasn’t fazed by much. Whereas Charlotte, she went into a different place in her brain and she panicked. Lee quite often over-stretched himself thinking, ‘I’m a bloke, I can do this’ and then couldn’t. And that’s always quite gratifying to see.
What kind of tasks can we expect from series 11?
I think it’s a good mix. You’ve got simple ones like there’s a big rat and you’ve got to catch it in the best way to some really complicated ones where you’ve got to do something with one hand while the other hand is under the table.
Following the success of the Taskmaster board game, would you ever consider a Taskmaster theme park?
Well, we have considered it. I love The Crystal Maze Experience and I went to Harry Potter World. It was more of a museum than a theme park, but it was still brilliant. I think there’s a Taskmaster fanbase who would really like to be able to do some of the tasks and see some of the things that have been done, so yeah, watch this space.
● Taskmaster returns to Channel 4 at 9pm on Thursday