Taskmaster. Image shows from L to R: Greg Davies, Alex Horne. Copyright: Avalon Television
Taskmaster

Taskmaster

  • TV comedy
  • Channel 4 / Dave
  • 2015 - 2024
  • 160 episodes (17 series)

TV format in which Greg Davies and Alex Horne set a group of comedians various outlandish challenges. Also features Romesh Ranganathan, Frank Skinner, Roisin Conaty, Josh Widdicombe, Tim Key and more.

Episode menu

Series 8, Episode 8 - Aquatic Sewing Machine

Taskmaster. Image shows from L to R: Alex Horne, Iain Stirling. Copyright: Avalon Television
This episode feature sand, beach balls, water and an angler's keepnet. There are also coffee pots, which don't help Joe Thomas, and a trumpet, which doesn't help Lou Sanders.

Preview clips

Prize task: Nicest thing to hold.

* Paul Sinha: A school chess trophy that he won for three years-in-a-row, and claimed to his father that he was allowed to keep it. He lied and actually just stole the trophy. - 5
* Joe Thomas: A recording of Pavarotti holding the note "cer" when he sings "Vincero" from Nessun dorma. - 4
* Iain Stirling: £200 cash held in a money clip. - 3
* Sian Gibson: A life-size pillow version of herself. - 3
* Lou Sanders: A voucher for a trip to possibly see some dolphins. - 2

Task 1: Make a picture in the sand of a former Taskmaster contestant using one of these implements. You must roll the dice to choose your implement. Nothing but air may touch the sand at any point. You have ten minutes. Your time starts as soon as you roll the dice.

* Iain: Sally Phillips with bellows. - 5
* Paul: Romesh Ranganathan with a barbeque blower. - 4
* Joe: Jessica Knappett with a long horn. - 2
* Lou: Phil Wang originally with long horn, but she continued to roll the dice until she got the barbeque blower. - 2
* Sian: Romesh Ranganathan with panpipes. - 1

Task 2 (Team Task): Catch all the red balls in things from the shed. Catch all the yellow balls in clothing. Don't let the green balls touch anything other than the grass. Catch the blue ball in something from the kitchen. Red balls are worth one point, yellow balls two points, the blue ball five points, but you lose two points for every green ball that touches anything other than the grass. You may not touch the ball machines. Any non-green ball which touches the ground at any point will not count. Highest score wins. The balls will start firing in two minutes from now.

* The Comedians: -27 (Lou 4, Iain -5, Paul -26) - 5
* The Actors: -8 (Sian -12, Joe 4), but disqualified due to Sian cheating. - 0

Task 3: Make this beach ball cross the finishing line. Only water may touch the beach ball. Fastest wins. Your time starts now.

* Iain: 1:10 - 5
* Lou: 5:37 - 4
* Sian: 6:40 - 3
* Paul: 11:30 - 2
* Joe: 16:21 - 1

Live task: Complete the five-syllable word started by the Taskmaster. Honk your horn if you think you know what word the Taskmaster is going to say. If you guess it correctly after one syllable you get five points, if you guess it correctly after two syllables you get four points, three syllables for three points and four syllables for two points. If you guess incorrectly, you lose all your points. You may only guess once per word. Highest score after ten words wins. Winner takes all.

* Paul: 14 - 5
* Iain: 12 - 0
* Sian: 4 - 0
* Joe: 3 - 0
* Lou: 0 - 0

Final scores

* Paul - 21
* Iain - 18
* Lou - 12
* Sian - 8
* Joe - 7

Broadcast details

Date
Wednesday 26th June 2019
Time
9pm
Channel
Dave
Length
60 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Sunday 30th June 2019 11:00pm Dave
Tuesday 2nd July 2019 10:00pm Dave
Sunday 18th August 2019 1:50am Dave
Wednesday 15th January 2020 10:00pm Dave
Wednesday 24th June 2020 10:40pm Dave
Thursday 25th June 2020 6:00pm Dave
Sunday 4th October 2020 7:00pm Dave
Friday 25th December 2020 11:20pm Dave
Friday 8th January 2021 2:20am E4
Friday 21st May 2021 2:00am E4
Monday 24th May 2021 6:00pm Dave
Friday 17th September 2021 11:20pm Dave
Monday 28th March 2022 6:00pm Dave
Friday 8th July 2022 6:00pm Dave
Saturday 9th July 2022 3:10am Dave
Tuesday 27th September 2022 6:00pm Dave
Wednesday 8th February 2023 11:00pm Dave
Monday 27th February 2023 6:00pm Dave
Monday 29th May 2023 6:00pm Dave

Cast & crew

Cast
Greg Davies Host / Presenter
Alex Horne Host / Presenter
Iain Stirling Self
Joe Thomas Self
Lou Sanders Self
Paul Sinha Self
Sian Gibson Self
Writing team
Alex Horne Writer
Tim Key Task Consultant
Production team
Andy Devonshire Series Director
Andy Cartwright Series Producer
Richard Allen-Turner Executive Producer
James Taylor Executive Producer
Jon Thoday Executive Producer
Hilary Rosen Executive Producer
Rob Aslett Executive Producer
Andy Devonshire Executive Producer
Alex Horne Executive Producer
Dan Trelfer Edit Producer
Vicky Winter Line Producer
Thomas Perrett Editor
Rebecca Bowker (as Becky Bowker) Editor
Steve Nayler Editor
James Dillon Production Designer
Kyz Kistell (as Kyz Kistel) Production Designer
Sam Montague Director of Photography
Christina Baker (as Chrissie Baker) Make-up Designer
John Ford Lighting Designer
Dru Masters Composer
Tom Howe Composer

Videos

Joe Thomas moves inflatable watermelon ball

Check out Joe Thomas's technique for moving a blow up watermelon ball with water, to the finish line.

Featuring: Greg Davies, Alex Horne & Joe Thomas.

Catching balls

Sian Gibson and Joe Thomas try and catch the different coloured balls in different objects.

Featuring: Joe Thomas & Sian Gibson.

Outtake: Greg Davies makes Alex Horne uncomfortable

Greg Davies makes Alex Horne uncomfortable with some physical contact.

Featuring: Greg Davies & Alex Horne.

Press

Taskmaster: Series 8, Episode 8 - review

This week we come across the power of ice, flashbacks in sand, and the most unlikely cheat in the history of Taskmaster.

Ian Wolf, On The Box, 26th June 2019

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