Taskmaster (TV series)

Taskmaster is a British comedy panel game show created by comedian and musician Alex Horne. It is presented by Horne (who acts as an umpire/task facilitator) and Greg Davies (in the titular role of "Taskmaster").

In each series of the programme, a group of five celebrities – mainly comedians – attempt to complete a series of challenges in the Taskmaster House or at an offsite location. The Taskmaster then reviews the performance of the contestants and awards points based on performance, interpretation or other arbitrary, comedic factors. A winner is determined in each episode and for the series overall.

The concept for the programme was first created by Horne for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010; he later secured a deal with Dave to adapt it for television with the first episode premiering in 2015. After the ninth series in 2019, the programme was acquired by Channel 4. The programme has completed eighteen series as well as three Champion of Champions specials and five New Year Treat one-offs by January 2025, and is set to continue for at least three more series until 2026.

Taskmaster's success on British television led to international versions in Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Canada (Quebec), Sweden, Spain and the United States.

A British spin-off series, Junior Taskmaster, premiered on Channel 4 on 8 November 2024, with Rose Matafeo as Taskmaster and Mike Wozniak as the task setter. Additionally, a tie-in board game, two books, and a VR game have been released, as well as a live experience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Horne hosted #HomeTasking, a series of tasks for people to film in their own homes; for each task, a montage of attempts was posted on YouTube that featured Davies awarding points to his favourite entries.