BAFTA WINNING TASKMASTER SOLD TO 106 COUNTRIES

London – 9th December 2020 – After reaching its highest ratings on record with three million watching the tenth series premier on Channel 4, more countries have picked up Alex Horne’s BAFTA winning Taskmaster. TV4 have picked up the UK show for Sweden and Finland, and SBS Viceland for Australia, bringing the total number of countries to 106; with 94 airing the original Taskmaster programme, while the format has been sold to 12 including New Zealand’s local version which recently premiered to top ratings on TVNZ in November 2020.

TV4 have picked up the entire back catalogue of the original Taskmaster, airing series one to nine across Sweden and Finland, while SBS Viceland have picked up the full catalogue for Australia.

New Zealand’s local version of the Taskmaster format premiered on TVNZ this month becoming an instant hit and winning it’s primetime slot. The show was the highest rating show of the night in the 18-49 and male demographic, beating the 6pm News.

The original Taskmaster programme has been sold to 94 countries, while the format has been sold to 12 with 140 local episodes being made outside the UK which have seen huge success. The Swedish version won Programme of the Year at the Kristallen 2019 (Sweden’s TV Academy Awards) and the fourth series for SVT reached ratings of over a 50% market share in a primetime weekend slot. It was announced earlier this year that a second series has been ordered for MTV in Finland after its first episode ranked in the top ten most watched shows in the country, and there are returning series for Discovery in Norway and TV2 in Denmark, as well as local versions produced for VTM in Belgium and TVE in Spain.

Closer to home, series ten of Alex Horne’s original Taskmaster launched in its brand new slot on Channel 4 and enjoyed its best performance on record. It reached top ratings of three million consolidated viewers and won the young share of the 16-34 demographic, attracting more than two million additional viewers from its previous ninth series premier on Dave, and making it “the best performing new entertainment show of this year” (Broadcast).

ENDS

For more information please contact:

Florrie Sheehan at Avalon – [email protected]

Dan Lloyd at Avalon – [email protected]

Notes to Editors
About Avalon

Avalon is a multi-award-winning talent management, television production and live promotion group with offices in London, Los Angeles and New York.  Avalon and Artist Rights Group (ARG) represent a prolific roster of artists including comedians, actors, presenters, writers and directors, including Chris Addison, David Baddiel, Greg Davies, Rob Delaney, Adam DeVine, Jenny Eclair, Dave Gorman, Richard E. Grant, Freddie Highmore, Alex Horne, Russell Howard, Toby Jones, Adrian Lester, Lee Mack, Lesley Manville, Marc Maron, Rose Matafeo, Al Murray, James Nesbitt, John Oliver, Daniel Radcliffe, Chris Ramsey, Iliza Shlesinger, Frank Skinner, Will Sharpe, Imelda Staunton and Reggie Watts.

Avalon’s numerous ground-breaking returning television shows currently in production include: Not Going Out (BBC), the UK’s longest running sitcom on air; Taskmaster (Channel 4), the BAFTA-winning hit entertainment format showing in 100 countries; multi Emmy-winner, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO); The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), the network’s most successful entertainment show launch since 2010; Starstruck, a new sitcom from the 2018 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Rose Matafeo (HBO Max/BBC); Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, from creator Josh Thomas (Freeform); Breeders, a sitcom starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard (FX/Sky); a new series of the iconic British satirical puppet show, Spitting Image (BritBox UK); and multiple comedy specials for Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and Netflix.

Other landmark Avalon shows include BAFTA winning and multi Emmy nominated Catastrophe (Amazon Prime Video/Channel 4), Fantasy Football League (BBC/ITV), multi BAFTA-winning TV Burp (ITV), and Workaholics (Comedy Central USA). Avalon also distributes its catalogue of programmes to over 150 countries worldwide.  Avalon has produced many globally successful podcasts and is at the top of the UK iTunes chart with the multi-award-winning Shagged. Married. Annoyed by Chris and Rosie Ramsey.

As a leading promoter of live comedy, Avalon produced Newman and Baddiel: Live at Wembley, the UK’s first arena comedy show; Jerry Springer: The Opera, the first West End show to win all four UK ‘Best New Musical’ awards; and has continued to produce and promote live shows globally, as well as promoting more winners and nominees of the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award than any other company.

For Avalon news visit: www.avalonuk.com/press or follow @avalonent