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Taskmaster

Taskmaster

2018Ended1 season8 episodes~22 min/epMidcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows

Reggie Watts hosts a game show like no other, where contestants compete in a series of incredibly taxing and strange challenges under his harsh judgment.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Taskmaster?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Taskmaster to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Reception

Is Taskmaster worth watching?

Taskmaster's Midcredits score is the 1st percentile of all shows, from 418 ratings across 2 sources. 29% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

1st percentile

Among the least well received shows

1st percentile among Comedy1st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)2nd
Approval (how many liked it)3rd

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

48 /100

2nd percentile of all shows

2nd percentile among Comedy3rd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

29% liked it

3rd percentile of all shows

2nd percentile among Comedy2nd percentile among 2010s
29% rated it 7–1071% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

39th percentile

405 ratings across platforms

23rd percentile among Comedy46th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show is a direct adaptation of the UK format, maintaining the same task structure and Alex Horne as assistant, but with a half-length episode and a different host.

Fans praised

  • faster 22-minute runtime with fewer lulls
  • task format remains fun and creative
  • Ron Funches stands out for comedic timing

Detractors panned

  • Reggie Watts lacks the commanding presence and wit of Greg Davies
  • shortened runtime eliminates banter, chemistry, and live tasks
  • tasks are recycled from the UK version with no new surprises

What stands out

PacingDivisive40

22-minute format feels rushed versus 45-minute original

Characters30

contestants have no chemistry and are mostly unknown

Humor25

heavily censored, most laughs come only from Ron Funches

Atmosphere25

feels forced, with awkward tone and no affectionate rapport

Dialogue20

banter between host and contestants is missing

Originality10

all tasks are direct copies from the UK version

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2018 · 8 episodes

  • S1E1
    S1E1

    Physics.

    Apr 27, 201830 min
  • S1E2
    S1E2

    Ebony.

    Apr 27, 201830 min
  • S1E3
    S1E3

    Bubbles.

    May 4, 201830 min
  • S1E4
    S1E4

    Die, die, die.

    May 4, 201830 min
  • S1E5
    S1E5

    Magnets & Magic

    May 11, 201830 min
  • S1E6
    S1E6

    Engineering.

    May 11, 201830 min
  • S1E7
    S1E7

    Hostage.

    May 18, 201830 min
  • S1E8
    S1E8

    101 Ducks.

    May 18, 201830 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Taskmaster like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — an even-paced watch that leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulAbsurd
Heaviest: throughout
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
PlayfulAbsurdist · 6% of shows: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Unscripted · 15% of showsSingle-season story
ToneThe show presents a light, playful competition where contestants tackle creative tasks; it is earnest in its game show format and aims for laughter without irony.
The rideThe show maintains a consistent lighthearted, amusing atmosphere from start to finish.
StructureThe show is a non-narrative game show; each episode is a self-contained series of challenges with no overarching story structure.
Episode formatEach episode follows the same repeated game-show format: competitors complete challenges and are scored.
Season formatThis is a single, self-contained season of the game show with a concluded run.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
FunFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayViewers leave entertained by the creative tasks and lighthearted competition.
How it ends · evidence
Happy 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 archetypeThis is a non-narrative game show format: each episode presents a series of creative challenges, not a story arc.

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 showsSelfAmbitionSelf
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% · Ambition 14% (this title) · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • 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% (this title) · 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 showsCommunity: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe show explores competitors' drive to win creative challenges and the shared camaraderie of the game.
StanceThe show celebrates competitors' creativity and playful ambition in a low-stakes environment.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score
Settinga game show studio with unconventional challenge setups

Cast and crew

Who is in Taskmaster?

Cast

Reggie Watts
as Self - Taskmaster
Alex Horne
as Self - Assistant
Kate Berlant
as Self - Panellist
Dillon Francis
as Self - Panellist
Ron Funches
as Self - Panellist
Freddie Highmore
as Self - Panellist
Lisa Lampanelli
as Self - Panellist
Kate Hudson
as Self

Crew

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