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\u201cTaskmaster\u201d has long been one of my favorite shows, and among my favorite things about it is that there are no bad seasons. In each outing, five performers, mostly comedians, compete in a series of kooky challenges, then regroup in front of a studio audience to see how they\u2019ve done. In addition to being silly and enchanting, \u201cTaskmaster\u201d is breathtakingly novel: I\u2019m amazed by its capacity to remain unpredictable to both its viewers and its participants.<\/p>\n
The gap between \u201cthis is the best episode of the best season\u201d and \u201cthis is the worst episode of the worst season\u201d is minuscule. That said, this season \u2014 Season 19 (19!) \u2014 is among the best of the best, and it\u2019s an ideal entree for new viewers. The American comedian Jason Mantzoukas is one of the contestants this season, and his gleeful maniac persona fits perfectly with the show\u2019s sense of mischief. He is also clearly a student of the game \u2026 not that it helps him win.<\/p>\n
The contestants most familiar with the workings of the show are no more likely to win a task than those least familiar, and no single virtue is more desirable than another. Nervous pedantry earns a certain amount of mileage, but a \u201cCs get degrees\u201d approach leads often to a faster, funnier conclusion. Brazenness and preciousness are equally valuable. Athleticism has its rewards, but defaulting to an athletic method can and does backfire. There are a lot of ways to be funny, and on \u201cTaskmaster\u201d there are also a lot of ways to be smart.<\/p>\n
I was curious how the show would incorporate Mantzoukas\u2019s antic energy, but everything feels harmonious \u2014 and no one person is singing the melody. Mathew Baynton, the creator and a star of the original British version of \u201cGhosts,\u201d brings a twee braininess, and the comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri\u2019s impeccable timing and tough-girl shtick add warmth, raunch and surprise. Stevie Martin\u2019s sweet openness and Rosie Ramsey\u2019s grounded wit keep everything in balance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Seasons 9-19 on are on the show\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>, with new episodes of Season 19 arriving weekly on Fridays. And if you burn through all those, seek out the international versions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If that\u2019s not enough to sate your need for British panel shows, \u201cRichard Osman\u2019s House of Games\u201d makes its way to BritBox this week, with Season 1 arriving on Tuesday. (All the seasons are on YouTube, too, but in an unofficial capacity.) Osman<\/a> is a panel-show staple as a contestant, the author of the popular book series \u201cThe Thursday Murder Club\u201d and a creator of the game show \u201cPointless.\u201d Here he hosts one of the trickiest quiz shows this side of \u201cOnly Connect.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHouse of Games\u201d makes several fun tweaks to the trivia format. Its contestants \u2014 comedians and presenters \u2014 stick around for five episodes, which creates an arc for the week beyond just the right\/wrong moments in each segment. The games themselves are often brainteasers, testing participants not only on arcane knowledge but also on their ability to recognize songs played backward, or to mash together bizarre portmanteaus. The formats are difficult enough, and as someone who knows nothing about snooker, darts, rugby, cricket or granular British politics, I often find entire rounds completely impenetrable. But that\u2019s part of the fun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n