Plus, they are lining up a Junior Taskmaster spin-off too.
The seemingly unstoppable Taskmaster, which sees celebrities taking on a series of strange and surreal challenges, continues to thrive. Launching on UKTV’s Dave in 2015, it ran for nine series. Migrating to Channel 4 in 2020, it has continued for six more.
Now, Channel 4 have commissioned a further six series, ensuring the show’s future for three more years.
The Taskmaster format is an international success too with the show selling to 94 countries. Local versions also air in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Nordics, Croatia and Portugal.
The show comes from Avalon. Executive Producers for the series are Alex Horne, Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, James Taylor and Jon Thoday. Plus, Andy Devonshire who also acts as Series Director. Andy Cartwright is the Series Producer.
Junior Taskmaster
Now, its creators are hoping that success will translate into a children’s version of the show. Junior Taskmaster, an eight part series, will see young people aged 9 to 11 bring their fledgling wiles, athleticism and creativity to the game that recognises genius at any age.
Alex Horne, the show’s creator, said:
“I’ve watched many, many comedians flounder when given simple instructions over the past few years and I fully expect the competitors in Junior Taskmaster to be both more competent and just as funny. For that series, I will be handing over my assistant’s clipboard to someone equally as efficient and persistent as myself because I have a lot more admin to do with six further handfuls of supposedly talented adults. I live for bureaucracy so this is all excellent news”.
Greg Davies, the main show’s Taskmaster, added:
“My long-term contempt for young people is a matter of record but other people here at Taskmaster HQ seem convinced that they have merit. I am thrilled that two new team members are putting this questionable hypothesis to the test and will take on the challenge of corralling and assessing them on television. I will be watching closely to ensure standards are met. I am also delighted that Alex and I return to test the intelligence of comedians in the most scientific of ways. I’ll be pretty angry. It’s not even an act anymore.”
The production has yet to announce the hosts for Junior Taskmaster – we’ll keep you posted. If you can’t wait, there’s also an official board game available via the Official Taskmaster Store.
There are 14 series of Taskmaster available to stream on All 4.