Taskmaster Retrospective: UK Series 05

The fifth series- if watching spectacular failure is your bag, this is the season for you.

Taskmaster:  UK Series 5

Year:  2017

Channel:  Dave

Contestants:  

Aisling Bea

Bob Mortimer

Mark Watson

Nish Kumar

Sally Phillips

Number of Episodes:  8

Notes:

Series 5 is eight episodes of very funny but terrible players.  .  Nish Kumar sets a new standard for 'loveable loser' (and Greg plays it up, verbally taunting him on his performance), but Mark and Aisling also are enjoyable car wrecks.  The show plays up Alex and Mark Watson's long friendship, usually to Mark's detriment (the solo task assigned only to him is brilliant).  Sally Phillips is slightly weird, playing herself up as sex-deprived, and very competent.  And Bob Mortimer is very competent and just wonderfully weird.  

It's not a good season if you like to see how clever the players are.  It's a great season if you like to see Greg taunting the other players (and Alex) all season long.  

Portrait Decor:  

Series 5 portait was based off Rene Magritte, and the portrait of Greg has a pineapple in front of his face, based off the painting The Son of Man...

Best task of the season:

"Write and perform a song about this woman."  The overall theme of season 5 has been how badly Nish Kumar has been at tasks, and the epic failures of Mark Watson (who is not bad all the time- but he screws up, it's hysterically blatant.  So having the final house task have both of them do a brilliant job is a standout moment.

Worst task of the season:

"With this camera strapped to your head, record the most incredible footage."  A little too long, too many of the contestants think 'disturbing' equals ''incredble', a side discussion on Bob's toilet habits is distgusting, and Nish is so awful that Greg openly asks if he is sabotaging the tasks.

Trivia:

* The reoccuring remote location for the season was at Frensham Great Pond

* Two contestants did not win a single episode, the only time this has happened

* Some seasons have a continuous reference to a prop- in this season, it's coconuts.  

Contestant Rankings:

1. Mel Giedroyc (Season 4)
2. Bob Mortimer (Season 5)
3. Hugh Dennis (Season 4)
4. Noel Fielding (Season 4)
5. Richard Osman (Season 2)
6. Nish Kumar (Season 5)
7. Katherine Ryan (Season 2)
8. Tim Key (Season 1)
9. Sally Phillips (Season 5)
10. Al Murray (season 3)

Season Ranking:

1. Season 4
2. Season 5
3. Season 2
4. Season 1
5. Season 3