Show Discussion: Taskmaster Series 2

By | June 20, 2016
26 Comments

taskmaster2Tuesdays, 10pm,
Dave and on demand on UKTV Play.

We’re super pleased for the return of last year’s surprise hit, which ranked second on the OFFICIAL list of last year’s best new gameshow formats. Another five comics (Doc Brown, Jon Richardson, Katherine Ryan, Joe Wilkinson and TV’s hardest working man Richard Osman) are challenged to complete in often absurd challenges testing skill, wit and creativity and then argue with Taskmaster Greg Davies and assistant Alex Horne over the results, frequently pushing the boundaries of the rules if not always managing to stay in the spirit of them.

Last year’s shows were funny, inventive and surprising and had a really good cast, we’re hoping for more of the same. It’s probably the closest we have to an Asian style variety show, not withstanding Cats Does Countdown and Top Gear.

If you can’t wait for episode one, it’s actually been up on UKTV Play as a series preview but we’ve not watched it yet because UKTV Play isn’t on Roku and I can’t be bothered to plug my Fire Stick in. Or watch it sitting in front of a computer. I think this sort of thing is better watching as a shared experience anyway, which is my other excuse and I’m sticking to it.

I would ask in this instance not to spoil specifics until it’s gone out on television, but people have suggested the first episode is very funny.

Trapped Doors

By | June 18, 2016
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With thanks to Buzzerblog for spotting this, Endemol Shine have a format called Trapped Doors knocking about, a show where couples must escape a series of concentric circles banking money along the way by picking good doors. Run out of keys and it’s game over.

The game doesn’t sound all that, it’s a scratchcard basically. But just take a look at the set. Very cool, and a potential health and safety nightmare.

In other news, Endemol Shine are working with the director of Bother’s Bar favourite The Genius for a new show called Society Game, which is looking for contestants. We’re trying to work out what it actually is.

Interesting stuff. Basic translation suggests something a bit like Survivor In A Village, but I don’t know.

Comedy timing

By | June 15, 2016
6 Comments

Great news for fans of comedy sort-of gameshows (or at least Unscripted Of Interest), the new series of Murder in Successville starts on BBC3 on iPlayer (with a proper broadcast at some point in the future) TODAY, episode one is Vicky Pattison.

Certainly the Jaime Laing episode last year was the hardest I’d laughed at anything for quite some time.

Meanwhile on UKTV On Demand, the first episode of the second series of Taskmaster is up on demand. I’m pondering whether I’m going to watch it tonight or enjoy it as a shared experience on Twitter when it goes out properly next week. Decisions decisions.

The Chase Family Edition

By | June 14, 2016
9 Comments

This might be a fun idea, ITV looking for families to take part in family editions of The Chase.

You can apply here, players need to be 16 or over and they want several generations ideally. You’ve got until October to register interest, so it will be a while before we see how it affects the team dynamic.

Euro 1983

By | June 12, 2016
2 Comments

Last night we found the intro to pan-Scandinavian version of Treasure Hunt Skattjakten on Youtube from 1983, the intro has an incredible synth-jazz-fusion theme tune, not unlike the sort of thing you could find on a Spectrum demo in the early to mid-80s (Edit: It’s from Jean-Michel Jarre’s 17 minute Magnetic Fields Part 1, which might explain it):

 

Also of interest, although slightly less interesting is the intro to Rätselflug, the German version, as it’s just the same theme as La Chasse Au Tresor: