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

It was announced today (Wednesday 24th August) that Taskmaster, produced by Avalon Television for UKTV, will launch internationally. The format has been licensed to four new territories: Belgium, Sweden, The Netherlands and Finland.

In Belgium, broadcaster VTM has licensed the first series of Tasmasker. The 8 x 60 minute episodes will be produced by DeMENSEN, Gert Verhulst will be the host and Ruth Beeckmans will take on the role of the Taskmaster’s assistant. The series will launch in September.

Swedish public broadcaster SVT have also licensed a first series of Taskmaster, and option deals have been agreed in Finland and the Netherlands.

An Avalon Television production in the UK, the third series of Taskmaster will broadcast in October 2016. Taskmaster was nominated for Best Entertainment Programme at the 2016 Broadcast Awards, was 2015’s most watched commission on UKTV’s VOD service, UKTV Play and was UKTV’s highest rating original series of 2016

Taskmaster started out as a critically acclaimed live show, devised by 2014 Foster’s Comedy Award nominee ALEX HORNE, which ran at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010 and 2011.

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For further information please contact:

Lottie Robertshaw at Avalon: [email protected] / 020 7598 8000

NOTES TO EDITORS

Taskmaster in produced in the UK by Avalon Television for UKTV’s Dave. Avalon Television is a completely independently owned production house operating out of New York, Los Angeles and London. Avalon Television are currently in production with: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO),Not Going Out (BBC One), Catastrophe (Channel 4),  Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central (Comedy Central UK), Russell Howard’s Travelogue (w/t Comedy Central UK), Man Down (Channel 4), Adam DeVine’s House Party (Comedy Central USA),  Unspun With Matt Forde (Dave) and Workaholics (Comedy Central USA).