''Taskmaster Australia'' is an Australian comedy panel game show first broadcast on Network 10 in 2023. Based on the UK series '' Taskmaster'' created by comedian Alex Horne, it sets five comedians ridiculous tasks to complete, and judged against each other by the "Taskmaster",

Tom Gleeson Thomas Francis Gleeson (born 2 June 1974) is an Australian stand-up comedian, writer, television and radio presenter. Gleeson formerly co-hosted ''The Weekly with Charlie Pickering'' alongside Judith Lucy and currently hosts ''Hard Quiz'', both ...

, accompanied by his assistant, comedian

Tom Cashman Tom Cashman (born 28 August 1957) is an Irish former hurler, coach and selector who played for Cork Senior Championship club Blackrock. He played for the Cork senior hurling team for 12 years. Equally comfortable as a half-back or at midfield ...

. The show's first season was broadcast in early 2023, and a second season was announced in mid-2023 and is set to air in 2024.

Format

''Taskmaster'' is a comedic

panel show A panel show or panel game is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Celebrity panelists may compete with each other, such as on ''The News Quiz''; facilitate play by non-celebrity contestants, such as on ' ...

wherein five contestants compete in the completion of tasks set by "The Taskmaster" (

) and umpired by the "Taskmaster's Assistant" (

). The tasks can involve physical, creative and lateral thinking skills. Following the format of the British version, in each episode contestants compete for five prizes that they have brought in, along a theme that they are ranked against for points. Three pre-recorded tasks—completed separately by each contestant (or occasionally in teams)—are shown and judged in the studio by The Taskmaster. Tasks are filmed within the Taskmaster Retreat, with the areas including The Lounge, The Kitchen, The Lab and The Caravan. A final live task takes place in the studio. As well as winners within each episode, one contestant becomes the winner of the series and takes home a trophy modelled after The Taskmaster's head.

Cast

In the studio, other than while attempting the live task, the contestants sit on a row of chairs in alphabetical order of forename from left to right.
Key * Series champion

Production

The ''Taskmaster'' franchise was conceived by Alex Horne and first televised in Britain, where Horne plays the Taskmaster's Assistant. The British version debuted in 2014. Confirmation of an Australian version was announced in October 2022, to be produced by Avalon Television (the British production company) with Kevin & Co for Network 10. The pre-recorded tasks were filmed in the same house in New Zealand that Taskmaster New Zealand uses. It is known as "The Taskmaster Retreat" in the Australian version and "The Taskmaster Ranch" in the New Zealand version. Filming took up to ten hours per day. Filming for the studio shows took place in December 2022 at the NEP Studios in

Eveleigh Eveleigh is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Eveleigh is located about 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney. ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, New South Wales. Gleeson remarked of the filming, that it was the first show he had done where "right from the very first episode, all the audience seats were sold out". Tasks for the series were written by a team, which includes Sam Smith (who also writes tasks for the New Zealand version), alongside Cashman, with development assisted by show producer Cam Bakker, and, as with all the international adaptations, sent to show creator Alex Horne for final approval. Executive producer Sarah Thornton remarked that the aim is to bring in new writers each series to "keep it fresh". A second season has been confirmed for 2024. Filming began in July 2023. The cast was revealed on 10July 2023 as Peter Helliar,

Mel Buttle Melinda Claire Buttle is an Australian comedian, television and radio presenter and writer. Buttle is co-hosting ''The Great Australian Bake Off'' alongside Claire Hooper. In April 2013, she was awarded the Directors Choice Award at the Melbour ...

Aaron Chen Aaron Chen (born 1995) is a Chinese-Australian comedian from Sydney. Early life Aaron Chen was born in 1995. He went to North Sydney Boys High, where he started doing stand-up. Career In 2012, aged 15, Chen won Melbourne International Comed ...

, Concetta Caristo, and Rhys Nicholson.

Episodes

The first series consists of 10 episodes and was broadcast on Network 10 starting on 2February 2023. In order of placement, the contestants were Danielle Walker (winner),

Julia Morris Julia Carolyn Margaret Morris (born 20 April 1968) is an Australian comedian, television presenter and actress who has worked extensively in Australian television and radio, touring the country with her solo comedy shows. She relocated to the Un ...

Jimmy Rees James Rees (born 15 July 1987) is an Australian children's entertainer best known for playing the role of Jimmy Giggle on ABC Kids' flagship program ''Giggle and Hoot'' from 2009 to 2020. Personal life Rees was born in Frankston, Victoria an ...

, Nina Oyama and

Luke McGregor Luke William McGregor is an Australian comedian, writer and actor, who has performed at various national and international comedy festivals, as himself in many TV shows, and is known for his roles in the ABC (Australian TV channel), ABC TV seri ...

Reception

Ratings

Chortle Chortle is a British comedy website launched in 2000 by Steve Bennett. The site is a major source of comedy news in the UK. It also reviews comedy shows nationwide, including extensively at the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and presents the ...

'' reported that the pilot was a "strong start" for ratings, as the show was third in its timeslot.

Critical reception

'' The Age'' praised that the third episode saw the series "continue to settle in nicely", largely in the style of the British version. The reviewer noted that Gleeson—"a cheerful, friendly-looking chap who has built a career on telling people they suck"—has a different Taskmaster personality to British host Greg Davies.

References

External links

* *
''Taskmaster Australia'' at TaskMaster.Info
in '' The Sydney Morning Herald'' {{Network 10 programming 2023 Australian television series debuts Australian panel games 2020s Australian comedy television series 2020s Australian game shows Taskmaster (TV series) Australian television series based on British television series English-language television shows Network 10 original programming