Taskmaster: Series 3
February 24, 2021 3:09 PM - Season 3 (Full Season) - Subscribe
Contestants are Al Murray, Dave Gorman, Paul Chowdhry, Rob Beckett and Sara Pascoe. Flamboyant clocks! Flag meals! Swedes on Swedes! Scoopy! Weirdly-disturbing winking! All episodes are available in the USA on the Taskmaster YouTube channel and in the UK on Channel 4.
Episode 1: A Pea In A Haystack
Episode 2: The Dong And The Gong
Episode 3: Little Polythene Grief Cave
Episode 4: A Very Nuanced Character
Episode 5: The F.I.P.
The seasons get longer after this one. Do you want to see Scoopy again?
Episode 1: A Pea In A Haystack
Episode 2: The Dong And The Gong
Episode 3: Little Polythene Grief Cave
Episode 4: A Very Nuanced Character
Episode 5: The F.I.P.
The seasons get longer after this one. Do you want to see Scoopy again?
Love the gong. Happy to have the gong in the show. More gong, I say!
Do not love the pee. Not happy to see someone's pee on the show. No pee, no more, please.
posted by meese at 9:07 PM on February 24, 2021
Do not love the pee. Not happy to see someone's pee on the show. No pee, no more, please.
posted by meese at 9:07 PM on February 24, 2021
"Bastard's crying, innit." will haunt me for years to come.
posted by dominik at 2:27 AM on February 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by dominik at 2:27 AM on February 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
When I first watched this series while I was up late feeding my kiddo, I was not initially impressed by this season/series. I think it was because I was only familiar with Sarah Pascoe and Rob Beckett from their various panel show experiences and always thought they were just ok (though, one of my favorite moments of television ever is Richard Ayoade going off on Rob Beckett for stealing his sweets). I'm doing a second viewing now while I'm not totally distracted by an infant, and I'm appreciating Al Murray (I liked how he would randomly show up in later series because he lived near by) and especially, Paul Chowdhry a lot more (the snow bunny covered in slush puppy! The clown in a box!Taking more steps than actually possible to reach the microwave!). I think what really brings down the season/series for me is Dave Gorman, who cheated not once, but twice. I feel like cheating really takes away from the spirit of the show and to be honest, isn't that funny. He also seemed like he really didn't want to be there, which confuses me as to why to cheat.
There seemed to be also a lack of chemistry across the panelists. Sarah Pascoe and Al Murray both had chemistry with everyone (or at least attempted to). I really like it when the panelists are supportive of one another but also not afraid to call someone out when they have cheated or done something offensive. I feel like that didn't really happen too much this season.
This season/series is definitely not one of my favorites but it is certainly not the worst and a lot better on a rewatch.
posted by wasabifooting at 3:27 AM on February 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
There seemed to be also a lack of chemistry across the panelists. Sarah Pascoe and Al Murray both had chemistry with everyone (or at least attempted to). I really like it when the panelists are supportive of one another but also not afraid to call someone out when they have cheated or done something offensive. I feel like that didn't really happen too much this season.
This season/series is definitely not one of my favorites but it is certainly not the worst and a lot better on a rewatch.
posted by wasabifooting at 3:27 AM on February 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
I have to say I've had some really good teaching days now that I'm on a run with Taskmaster. The general formulae of "Do odd thing X, you decide how" or "Do straightforward thing Y, but you cannot do any of the things that would make doing Y easy" are durable ways of inducing creativity and excitement from students.
Thinking very much of Taskmaster, I gave the students in my graphic design class the challenge of designing a magazine cover (using Colors as the model) with one photograph and the word "family" — only no people or animals, or parts thereof, in the photo. The results were absolutely brilliant, in a way that never would have happened if they'd just used a photo of a family.
So — thanks, Taskmaster. Next step is to give myself life challenges in this style.
posted by argybarg at 9:51 PM on February 25, 2021 [11 favorites]
Thinking very much of Taskmaster, I gave the students in my graphic design class the challenge of designing a magazine cover (using Colors as the model) with one photograph and the word "family" — only no people or animals, or parts thereof, in the photo. The results were absolutely brilliant, in a way that never would have happened if they'd just used a photo of a family.
So — thanks, Taskmaster. Next step is to give myself life challenges in this style.
posted by argybarg at 9:51 PM on February 25, 2021 [11 favorites]
Check out the Hometasking Alex and Greg are doing on YouTube/Twitter!
posted by Swisstine at 11:14 PM on February 25, 2021
posted by Swisstine at 11:14 PM on February 25, 2021
For the first couple of episodes I was wondering what was up with Paul Chowdhry but as the series progressed he got so good. The sequence in the final episode where Al Murray shows his grandfather's photo ending with Paul saying "it's like a UKIP rally here" was brilliant.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:15 PM on February 26, 2021
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:15 PM on February 26, 2021
Next step is to give myself life challenges in this style.
here you go
posted by solotoro at 10:31 AM on February 28, 2021
here you go
posted by solotoro at 10:31 AM on February 28, 2021
"Bastard's crying, innit." will haunt me for years to come.
For a couple of years now in this house, a standard comment on the heavy weight, density, or unwieldiness of a thing has been a flat, “‘Melon, innit.”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:56 AM on March 1, 2021 [3 favorites]
For a couple of years now in this house, a standard comment on the heavy weight, density, or unwieldiness of a thing has been a flat, “‘Melon, innit.”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:56 AM on March 1, 2021 [3 favorites]
For the first couple of episodes I was wondering what was up with Paul Chowdhry but as the series progressed he got so good.
I had the same feeling. For a while I was wondering a bit if they were just kind of ragging on the one kinda quiet POC in the group but I think he came into his own and I've been watching his standup and really enjoying it. I kind of liked but also DID NOT LIKE the way Al sort of bought his way into tasks, didn't know him before. Rob was on Big Fat Quiz and he was paired with Roisin and the two of them were sort of pinned as the "don't know anything" pair but he did great. Also the number of times he was like "I HAD A TWO WEEK OLD BABY AT HOME" and it's amazing he was able to do anything.
They don't really give all the stuff away that people bring as prizes right? I am still concerned about Romesh's wedding ring from an earlier season.
posted by jessamyn at 6:00 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
I had the same feeling. For a while I was wondering a bit if they were just kind of ragging on the one kinda quiet POC in the group but I think he came into his own and I've been watching his standup and really enjoying it. I kind of liked but also DID NOT LIKE the way Al sort of bought his way into tasks, didn't know him before. Rob was on Big Fat Quiz and he was paired with Roisin and the two of them were sort of pinned as the "don't know anything" pair but he did great. Also the number of times he was like "I HAD A TWO WEEK OLD BABY AT HOME" and it's amazing he was able to do anything.
They don't really give all the stuff away that people bring as prizes right? I am still concerned about Romesh's wedding ring from an earlier season.
posted by jessamyn at 6:00 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Apparently they do give the stuff away but it makes its way back eventually:
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:05 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
And yes, says Horne, they really take those home with them. The blank cheque Josh Widdicombe offered up on ‘most amount of money’ week was cashed (but the money was later paid back). Romesh Ranganathan’s car and wedding ring went, “I think things were returned but they definitely made the most of the joke.”From this interview with Alex Horne.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:05 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
From an interview with Alex:
What we do have to tell them is that legally, if you win the episode, you get all those things. So if someone puts up their car, and someone else wins that episode, the winner does officially own that thing, legally.posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:05 PM on March 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
Whether or not they squabble about it and hand things back in their own time is up to them.
Does one of us now owe the other a Coke?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:06 PM on March 18, 2021
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:06 PM on March 18, 2021
Under British television law, I think so. All I have is RC though.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:08 PM on March 18, 2021
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:08 PM on March 18, 2021
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Also Sara's pea throwing was amazing. Maybe it isn't actually that hard to do, I don't know I've never tried it, but I was thoroughly impressed that she made three long throws and all of them stayed on the carpet.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:58 PM on February 24, 2021