Avalon Television’s BAFTA, Royal Television Society and Broadcast Award-nominated programme Taskmaster has been commissioned for a series by Comedy Central in the USA, as announced today, (Tuesday, 18th April, 2017). The show is a break-out hit for UKTV entertainment channel Dave starring GREG DAVIES as the Taskmaster and ALEX HORNE, series creator and Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee 2014, as his assistant.
The American version of the show will star US stand-up comedian REGGIE WATTS (The Late, Late Show with James Corden) as the Taskmaster who, with ALEX HORNE as his loyal assistant, will judge five unwitting comedians as they compete against each other with creativity, cunning and genius in a series of stupefying tasks.
Taskmaster started out as a critically acclaimed live show, devised by ALEX HORNE, which ran at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010 and 2011. Multi-award winning broadcaster UKTV has ordered a fourth and fifth series of Taskmaster with each series increasing from five to eight episodes. The show was 2016’s most watched commission on UKTV’s on demand service, UKTV Play. Series four of Taskmaster is back on air in the UK this week on Dave on the 25th April at 9pm and features HUGH DENNIS, JOE LYCETT, LOLLY ADEFOPE, MEL GIEDROYC and NOEL FIELDING.
Taskmaster is already popular internationally with the format having been licensed into five territories – Belgium, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands and Finland. A Belgian version has already aired on VTM and the Swedish version is currently on air on SVT 1. The original UK show has also been sold to BBC Worldwide Australia and TVNZ’s Duke.
The US show will be produced by Avalon Television and executive produced by Reggie Watts, Alex Horne, Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, Kara Baker, David Martin, James Taylor, Jon Thoday and Andy Devonshire (The Apprentice and The Great British Bake Off), who will also direct. Kellyn Parker, Adam Londy and Jordan Ellner are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central. Further details to be shared at a later date.
Jon Thoday, Joint Managing Director of Avalon Television, said: “It’s great to be working with Alex, Reggie and Comedy Central on making this innovative and funny programme for the US.”
Avalon Television are also currently in production with: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO), Not Going Out (BBC One), Catastrophe (Channel 4/Amazon USA), Man Down (Channel 4) and The Russell Howard Hour w/t (Sky One)
WHAT THE PRESS HAVE SAID ABOUT TASKMASTER IN THE UK
Caitlin Moran once wrote that the comedy panel game is one of the glories of British TV. A new one shone bright last night ★★★★★
The Times
You haven’t lived until you’ve seen some of the nation’s finest comedians trying to cram as much watermelon in their mouths as possible ★★★★★
Mail on Sunday
For further information contact: Charlotte Robertshaw or Dan Lloyd at Avalon: charlotter@avalonuk.com / danl@avalonuk.com or 020 7598 7222
