Because of the triumphant return of The Great British Baking Off, not only do we have bread, but we also have our circuses.
The Return of the Taskmaster Sure, in an idealistic situation we’d have a working test and trace scheme instead, and just a government completely on top of all broad approach security precautions for its citizens.
But we’re not there yet, and for the time being, we’ll have to make do with surface level distractions and sentimental buttressing through comfort-entertainment.
Like Bake Off, which has recently made the jump from the BBC to Channel 4, Taskmaster was previously on UKTV’s Dave but has since made the jump to Channel 4.
Every every thing is just how it should be. That is to say, it is consistently endearing, humorous, bizarre, low-stakes, riveting, and restorative.
I’m Curious To Find Out The Show’s Premise
Greg Davies still holds sway, with show creator Little Alex Horne serving as factotum and supervisor of the weekly challenges faced by a team of five famous people (typically comedians) competing for a gathering of prizes those who have themself brought in.
Horne is 6 feet 2 inches tall, but Greg is 9 feet 6 inches tall and has placed him on the a tiny chair.
A bottle of acid reflux medication and an informative story about a friend that pours it on his kebabs are provided by Johnny Vegas. As he smugly exclaims, “Cut out t’middleman,” we know what he means.
Many different kinds of enjoyment can be had in Taskmaster. Of course, schadenfreude is at the top of the list.
It’s always entertaining to watch someone you thought were strong and smart fall under pressure or show themselves as being so unrealistic that you have to wonder how they manage to stay upright most of the time.
Also read: Season 26 Of South Park On Comedy Central – What Do You Think? Should You Watch It?
These honours will be passed from Roisin Conaty, a hapless rival from the Dave years, to actor/comedian Mawaan Rizwan in the first installment in the brand-new series (the very first of six that Channel 4 has commissioned).
The other candidates give Mawaan the task of securely moving an egg from a rooftop to something like a cooking pan on something like a tripod, and he tries to inflate the egg, which is already renowned for being full, using helium.
From a canister under intense pressure. Nothing you do helps. Mawaan has realised his error.
The thing’s sheer audacity is another source of enormous pleasure. It’s wonderful that there exists something so useless, dumb, and eternally stupid.
It’s as difficult to make as a spun sugar ornament on top of an overly complicated pastry, but it’s just as pleasant. Horne and the other people both in front of and behind the camera must keep everything perfectly balanced.
The challenges should be simple but not too easy, open to multiple interpretations without being arbitrary, and provide opportunities for both success and failure without ever risking moving beyond the most trivial stakes. The finalists should represent a wide variety of perspectives that work well together.
Also read: 20th Episode Of Sistas (Season 5): Preview, Recap, Spoilers, And More
More Fun Than You Can Possibly Imagine
Katherine Parkinson plays the aloof bystander this week, bringing intellectual integrity and obtuseness to every struggle; Richard Herring plays the cheerful but determined father figure; and Daisy May Cooper plays the earnest loser (“You’ve just ploughed a cow into a hedge,” says Greg sadly after the task of instantaneously letting an enormous object disappear.
Do you believe that’s how Siegfried and Roy ruled Las Vegas for so long? “); Johnny Vegas seems to be Johnny Vegas (“‘S what life has in store for you,” he sobs, trying to hold the award teddy as they watch some other contestant attempting to move pints from call box to tear without stepping on the lawn somewhere between); and Mawaan…
Well. Mawaan. Just keep in mind that his variation of the disappearing cow trick is just as impressive as the original.
Also read: Moviesrush: Download The Most Recent Hollywood Hindi-Dubbed Films Right Away!
Whilst it’s good news that switching to a “big boy” channel hasn’t altered the show’s fundamental immaturity, the fact that recording under Covid conditions—without a live viewership, among other things—hasn’t changed its dynamics is cause for even greater satisfaction.
The effect, if any, has been to add an exciting new level of panic. Greg yelled, “You don’t need more things! No need to do anything but hold each other.
The end times are arrived! The show has always relied to some extent on the same hook that The Crystal Maze rides on: the viewer’s desire to join in on the action and become a part of the merry band of misfits.
In a strange way, it draws us closer to our dreams to know that people are carrying on as usual, playing the scapegoat in the midst of the contagion that engulfs us all.
Also read: Episode 3 Of Season 26 Of South Park – This Is What We Have Learned Thus Far
Conclusion
Although test and trace could be more helpful for doctors, will it be as entertaining? Enjoy yourself as much as you can.
