Series 17 is a good series that never quite reaches the heights of the best series.
Taskmaster: UK Series 17
Year: 2024
Channel: Channel 4
Contestants:
Number of Episodes: 10
Notes:
You have some good casting- John Robins and Steve Pemberton are working hard on the tasks (one is consistently good; the other is very hit-or-miss), Sophie Willan and Joanne McNally are chaos agents, and Nick Mohammed is both having a blast and takes the Nish Kumar role of being terrible at tasks. Everyone is good, and the tasks are enjoyable. What it's missing is an S-tier moment that would put the series at the top of the rankings, IMHO.
One reason Series 17 doesn't quite reach top tier is that the show is so dominated by the eventual winner, who wins half the episodes, ties for the top in another episode, and never finished worse than tied for third. With two people doing objectively terrible on the tasks, the winner becomes very obvious.
It's a fun season- everyone is having a blast. And if there's ever a 'Loser of losers' show, with the most entertaining bad contestants, there's two top choices here. I'd argue that this is the series that separates the good series from the great ones.
Portrait Decor:
Series 17 went with a Victorian theme, and the portrait of the Greg Davies had him in a long beard, top hat, and suit:
"Team: Put the watermelon on this table. The table may not be moved. Once you leave this room, you may not re-enter this room. Also, you may not step on the stage and the watermelon may not touch the stage, floor or ground. Finally, you must speak into your hand-held microphones at all times." This is a fun task for two reasons- first, everyone is given a secret task that they try to complete while also doing the Team task. And second, one team is very very good at the Team Task. And the other is... not.
Worst task of the season:
"Team: Present the best new short-form shiny floor American gameshow. Alex will be the contestant, one of you must be his rival and somebody must win."
Once again, one team does really well, and the other team is awful. And I really, really, REALLY, do not like disgusting tasks...
Trivia:
* The location tasks were at the Kennel Farm in Buckinghamshire
* It say something about the show that at no time do Alex or Greg ever mention that Nick Mohammed is dressed as Dracula
Contestant Rankings:
- Dara O'Briain (Series 14)
- Kiell Smith-Boyle (Series 15)
- Mel Giedroyc (Series 4)
- Rhod Gilbert (Series 7)
- Ed Gamble (Series 9)
- James Acaster (Series 7)
- Sarah Millican (Series 14)
- Mike Wozniak (Series 11)
- Rose Matefeo (Series 9)
- Sophie Duker (Series 13)
Season Ranking:
- Season 14
- Season 9
- Season 7
- Season 15
- Season 13
- Season 17
- Season 12
- Season 16
- Season 4
- Season 11
- Season 5
- Season 10
- Season 8
- Season 6
- Season 2
- Season 1
- Season 3
