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Taskmaster

2015–Ongoing20 seasons216 episodes~45 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

Greg Davies is the Taskmaster, and with the help of his ever-loyal assistant Alex Horne, they will set out to test the wiles, wit, wisdom and skills of five hyper-competitive comedians. Who will be crowned the Taskmaster champion?

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Taskmaster?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Taskmaster streaming on Hulu and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

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Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Taskmaster?

Taskmaster earns 6 badges, led by Top 1% of shows and Modern classic.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Taskmaster worth watching?

Taskmaster's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all shows, from 33K ratings across 2 sources. 93% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of shows

99th percentile among Comedy99th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

88 /100

98th percentile of all shows

99th percentile among Comedy98th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

93% liked it

97th percentile of all shows

98th percentile among Comedy97th percentile among 2010s
93% rated it 7–107% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

97th percentile

33K ratings across platforms

95th percentile among Comedy96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 22% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show is a simple concept built around absurd tasks and the Greg/Alex dynamic, but opinions differ sharply on whether that execution is hilarious or dull.

Fans praised

  • Greg and Alex's comedic chemistry
  • Clever, absurd, and creative task design
  • Consistently hilarious with high rewatch value

Detractors panned

  • Tasks became tame and neutered over time
  • Humor feels sub-par, slow, and unfunny
  • Alex Horne lacks charisma; jokes fall flat

What stands out

HumorDivisive85

Side-splitting, laugh-out-loud vs. sub-par and unfunny

Originality80

Simple but brilliant concept; unique and fresh

DialogueDivisive75

Witty banter between Greg and Alex; dry humor

Atmosphere75

Chaotic, fun, and heartwarming; unique atmosphere each series

Characters70

Greg and Alex's dynamic is magical; hosts fit perfectly

Emotional impact70

Lifts mood; tears of laughter; helps with depression

Acting70

Contestants' personalities shine; comedic timing perfect

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 34 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Episodes

22 seasons

Series 22 · 2026 · 10 episodes

  • S22E1

    In My Mind There's a River

    Sep 3, 202647 min
  • S22E2

    This Is Food Glue

    Sep 10, 202648 min
  • S22E3

    The Butterfly Centurion

    Sep 17, 202647 min
  • S22E4

    An Act of Self-Erasure

    Sep 24, 202647 min
  • S22E5

    You're Nice

    Oct 1, 202647 min
  • S22E6

    To Void an Oblong

    Oct 8, 202647 min

Watch experience

What is Taskmaster like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you feeling good.

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Realistic
  • Institutional

Feelings

  • Joyful
  • Absurd

How it leaves you

  • Feel-good
  • Fun

What it asks of you

  • Slow burn
  • Casual
  • Easy watch
  • Resolved

Themes

  • Ambition
  • Freedom
  • Self-worth

Style

  • Playful
  • Absurdist: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.

Story

  • No archetype
ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Heaviest: throughout
Told as
Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show treats its own absurd premise with playful sincerity, never undercutting the comedy.
The rideThe viewing experience is consistently light, frequently funny, and occasionally chaotic without any significant shifts in emotional tone.
StructureThe show is a non-narrative game show; no storytelling structure.
Episode formatEach episode is a self-contained set of tasks, but it is threaded onto the season-long arc of accumulating points to crown a series champion.
Season formatEach season features a new cast of five contestants competing through the same format, with the season's arc culminating in a single winner.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves the viewer smiling and entertained, with no lasting weight.
How it ends · evidence
Cyclical ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeTaskmaster is a game show, not a narrative; no Booker archetype applies.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 14% (this title) · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4% (this title)
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

Ambition · 14% of showsFreedom · 4% of showsSelf-worth · 7% of shows
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe core of the show is the contestants' drive to win the approval of the Taskmaster through their ingenuity and performance in absurd challenges.
StanceThe show observes and often mocks the competitive drive of its contestants, but it does so with affection and a clear-eyed understanding of the low, comedic stakes.

The world

JazzElectronicBackground music · original score
SettingA stylized television studio and various off-site locations where the tasks are filmed.

Content guide

Is Taskmaster okay for kids?

TV-14

Taskmaster is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (3/100), sexual content at mild (30/100), language at intense (72/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (8/100) and frightening material at minimal (4/100). Overall it is heavier than 38% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France18
  • Ireland15
  • FinlandS
  • RO12
  • Spain16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 31% of all showsHeavier than 38% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a TV-14 show
heavier than 2%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 31%
Profanity
Intense
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 92%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a TV-14 show
heavier than 5%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a TV-14 show
heavier than 2%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language. Everything else sits at or below what TV-14 shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Taskmaster have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Taskmaster?

Cast

Greg Davies
as Self - Taskmaster
Alex Horne
as Self - Assistant
Kerry Godliman
as Self - Contestant
Ed Gamble
as Self - Contestant
James Acaster
as Self - Contestant
Maisie Adam
as Self - Contestant
Sarah Kendall
as Self - Contestant
Mathew Baynton
as Self - Contestant
Sophie Duker
as Self - Contestant
Richard Herring
as Self - Contestant

More like this

What are shows like Taskmaster?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Taskmaster include Wild 'N Out (2005), Less Than Perfect (2002) and Archie Bunker's Place (1979).

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