Greg Davies & Alex Horne Behind the Scenes of Taskmaster | On Set 

Agreed, he's a funny man. However, I'm not sure how much choice he had about his role, as nobody was going to finance it with him as taskmaster.

It didn’t start like that, if you watch series 1 Greg is actually pretty nice to Alex and it just turned more into Greg being horrible to Alex as the show went on because it was funnier. So based on the original format, Alex made all the tasks, oversaw them, and took zero blame of people were upset or didn’t like it since he wasn’t the Taskmaster. It’s genius actually.

I reckon he just has a humiliation fetish so the meaner Greg is the better he enjoys it

Love it when Alex loses it or didn't expected the task to be that funny. ( Like activate Jamali task)

I believe Steven Fry once said in an interveiw that most Brittish actors prefer to play the fool, because it makes for a more interesting character. David Letterman also said the same sort of thing with Norm Mcdonald, quoting that you shouldnt be seen as the smartest guy in the room as the host of a show.

The Alex Greg dynamic absolutely makes the show what it is. That's the reason why the US version failed.

@@etch3130 i feel like a lot of things went wrong in the US version, but that Taskmaster-Assistant relationship would be a constant throughout the series. So, in terms of longevity, it was a huge mistake.

@@somejellykid I have only seen the UK one and the NZ version. Had no idea there was a USA version. I wonder how many other countries have copied it.

@@catherinekilgour2563 im not sure how many other versions there are, but I heard the new zealand one is really good! Ive seen some clips and it maintained the taskmaster vibe pretty well :))

@@catherinekilgour2563 I can say for the Scandinavians we have it in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. There's also a Spanish one I believe

I thought that was the whole joke and reason for it. It's a reference to his role as a teacher in an earlier TV show and to his stand up bits about teaching school for real.

Major teacher energy. Love it

I love it sm

But also a REALLY good teacher 😁👍

"ah open the box you p$$y" is one of my all-time favorite taskmaster moments 🤣

It's like the Santa con, "oh no Santa didn't get you the drone you wanted? Wish I could help"

I think in one interview Alex let everyone in on it. He said that he didn't want to be the face because that would take the part of designing the tasks away from him. He likes that part because he is very methodical. On the other hand, Greg was a choice early on, even more so because of the fact he is very off the cuff.

Quite machiavellian, indeed.

I mean most of the time they whine about the task is DURING the task and usually Alex is there so they take it out on him. They only complain about Greg to disagree with his judgments. So I don't think any of that is actually being diverted.

I noticed that Tim Key (mentioned in the vid, appeared in Series 1) was credited as a task consultant ever since his appearance, so I thought it was more him than Alex that came up with the tasks.

Can’t find it to buy anywhere!

thats joe cool how dare you

actually, 236%, but I'm not gonna quibble. ;-P

i want one

yes, but don't forget: the backwards hat is making him tough (as long as its lether)

This should have more likes. The editor doesn't get enough credit!

I think it’s hard to notice because of the great editing itself. It’s like a police work or breathing: you always notice it when it sucks, but rarely otherwise.

The way some clues are often revealed later on is so good. Like with the light switch in the dark paint a rainbow task or how Frank Skinner references other candidates and then immediately jump cut to Romesh

Oh his personality shines through in so many moments for me I made a similar comment on a different video, so I’m glad to see others also appreciate Thomas’ work!

Agree!!! The impeccable editing is the final layer of brilliance.

Not to mention, Alex's awkwardness and being forced into helping the contestants makes for great comedic moments such as the "special cuddle" challenge

He's fantastic at playing into his "serious, awkward, submissive" character, despite us getting glimpses during the tasks of how outgoing, confident and intelligent he is. Writing yourself as a "beta" sidekick to be humiliated on your own TV show takes balls of steel. He's definitely my favorite part of the show.

One of the reasons why US Taskmaster doesn't work

​@@johnny_lash3398 I dont think Americans know how to really laugh at themselves. US contestants were just bitter and mean in my opinion. No way another country can really copy the tone successfully. Its just quirky magic.

@@jenk289 yeah sure, that too. That why I said "one reason" definitely not the only one. But I disagree with ur opinion that americans can't laugh at themselves. Maybe the average american is not as quick witted as an average Brit. But at the end that's all just generalization. I have friends in the US that have a very similar humour to me. Also most of the contestants in the US taskmaster were just obnoxious unfunny idiots. If they put genuinely funny comedians and another taskmaster in the show i think it could result in a maybe even equally funny show. Americans can make themselves the butt of the joke, one example is conan o brien, who in my opinion is hilarious. It is an unfair assumption to say americans in general can't be funny in that way Still, I agree. British televion and comedy has a unique Charme to it, hardly seen elsewhere. I just don't like the generalization, especially in such a character driven game show

Yeah lol. Alex is around 6’2

Frog Man WHAT?! I had no idea!

It's a common joke between tall people I feel, I'm 194cm and whenever someone is 193 they're tiny, if they're 195 I'm tiny. Funny how common it is.

@@Morkat1991 so tall ppl act like height is on a logarithmic scale then, got it

In one of the early series he asked Greg to stop, pointing out that he was 6'2" and overweight and that his own children had started calling him Little Alex Horne! Spoiler alert, Greg did not stop.

Eadlin Dobbs not only that but it is snoopy!

No need to apologize we all think that

don't you hate it when people use the word "literally" in a nonsensical way?

​@@Janinho897 Hate would be a strong word to describe the feelings I have toward it. There are cases I don't agree with the use of the word, because someone means the exact opposite of "literally", as in "I'm literally dying of laughter". In that sentence, "literally" actually takes on the meaning of "figuratively", the exact opposite of the actual meaning of "literally". But no, in the comment you are posting your reaction to, I don't really mind the use of the word "literally". Why am I typing such a long response? I don't know, I should be sleeping.

@@Janinho897 Yes I do. I also do not see any problem saying hate. Use it freely!

I believe that it was a real theatre for series one

Yeah, Taskmaster always looks like a really cheap show to make and I assumed the theatre thing tied into that

Clapham grand it used to be

Yeah I was in the audience one time and the illusion was just shattered

Mark Pentler THANK YOU! Just the other day I was trying to find out where series 1 was shot and couldn't at all! I've seen series 6 and 7 being filmed and knew that series 1 definitely wasn't a set.

Was pure brilliance

"don't take this away from me"

The only thing about that task is when you watch doc doing it you can see his foot hit the red green one of the time he was retrieving the potato. So its even funnier thathe was one of the people against Joe getting the points for that task.

It was absolutely divine.

Don't forget the part where Katherine broke down over her indifference to sports. _"I don't _*_care_*_ where the ball goes!"_ and then Greg starts laughing at the unexpectedness of it all.

ITS LITTLE MRGEMHUNTEEEEER

That juxtaposition of abusing him constantly on the show, but clearly admiring him dearly in real life.

"that's my kink"

@@dragonmasterlance123 I mean, I think that is even more admirable. He knows how incredible Alex can turn everything into a joke and take anything without batting an eye. Damn, I would admire that kind of person and continue abusing them in front of a camera out of sheer admiration.

the two top replies are all on 69 likes. please don't change them haha

i mean....its HIS show..

He literally created it

@@lfcwilli true but alot of people create shows and aren't actually in the show

[Davies] And look, it's Little Alex Horne! *screaming* That was my favorite introduction.

he is like a mother-bird, who made a nest, got the children hatched and then is absolutely pleased with the nest, the children an the bird father who does fuck all but just scream at the top of his lungs figuratively speaking

Howl with laughter? Really?

​@@swanningabout My eyes are circle

@@swanningabout I will, on many occasion watching the show, howl with laughter, as well.

@@Kernel15 😂😂😂

@DraKaleel 18 hehehe

Shirtless Russell is nothing to complain about, though!

Best part of the whole video!

TRiG (Ireland) FACTS

That's just his casual outfit

THIS is the comment I was looking for! 👌🤣

I completely agree, but then again, these are UK comedians. Look at how terrible the US version went us. It was absolutely awful because the contestants acted so fake. It honestly seemed like a low budget RU-vid remake. Sad.

umm they did the solo tasks in the first season. not sure what you mean by building confidence

@@-chanye- Americans are also way too competetive for a joke contest show.

@@Eckendenker Hard disagree, given Whose Line ran for several seasons and is universally beloved. Comedy Central likely wasn't a great fit for it and the contestants chosen could have been a better crew. The format being cut down to 20 minutes and prize task being changed entirely both hurt the show much more than any sort of culture gap. The first episode of the US version is absolutely its weakest as well, so that doesn't really help people's impressions of it. Reggie Watts quickly comes into his own as the Taskmaster, though, and works the role for some good laughs throughout. Shame it went the way it did and I genuinely hope that Alex gives another shot for a US production now that they have a stronger grasp on what is core to the quality of the show.

​@@ErimlRGG There were tasks given to just one comedian in subsequent years. Like Josh Widdecombe's counting of tinned spaghetti hoops/beans/etc., Mel Giedroyc's tasks with the giant inflatable ball, and Mark Watson's three months of daily texts. Tasks that only one contestant was given that the others weren't.

Agreed, it's an extremely clever move. I've been a fan of the show for years and only just learned it's Alex's show. But it all makes sense now :D

Douglas Bond I’m from Québec Canada and I discover by accident to. What a show! And in this coronavirus time the home task is a big thing!

@@miriamsinclair1655 Glad to see the rest of the world's recognising the greatness of Taskmaster. Hope you're watching series 10 right now.

Lucky. I discovered it only this year

@@katonnor same, im binging it... so good.

@@robertbrookes2000i’m in the same group with the rest… youtube showed me a clip earlier this year. i got curious, realized they were all fully on youtube, and now i’m watching, random season at a time. i’ll move 10 to the top of the list! ^^

Mine too 😂 Makes me laugh every time I think about it.

I love when they give them tasks that only one of them has.

Who was it that ate the toothpaste? Was that Joe Wilkinson?

@@krashd Alex had to eat it. Twas disgusting.

If I remember correctly, in some interview at least one of the comedians from series 1 stated that Frank Skinner agreeing to be part of the show as the reason they agreed as well :)

The funny thing is, I'd literally never heard of Frank before TM.

boa format but also the editing is top notch

That's true for the guests. I think Alex and Greg play a big role in success because of their character. Take a look at the US version, it's not even half as good

Except for season seven bc james acaster and Rhod Gilbert made that 10x more insane

It does matter. Compare to the US one. Same format but shitty result because of different people with different opinions of what comedy is.

@@SwedishNeo US Comedians suck

I agree

oh yes sean lock would be amazing but i also want jon richardson tbh

@@tama-up8cm Jon Richardson has already been on it. Series 1 I think

yeah i just realised and im binging the series now

Allan Carr

Me and my partner found it in lockdown and binged the whole thing twice. Amazing show

You put 7 comedians in a room doing ANYTHING, and it's almost guaranteed to be funny. Making them do ridiculous and absurd things just makes it so much better.

its the ur not a bad guy that kills everytime lmaoo

brave?

Easy money.

Winning T.V formula: Celebrities and/or comedians as host and guest. Random task. Live audience reaction.

turgid fungus compared to a panel show it’s very expensive to make

who's dave

For sure a huge part of the comedy is due to the editing. Since it's pre-recorded he has to make sure not to misrepresent their humour and keep the comedians style and humour. That means the editor must be familiar with their work and comedic timing

they just look for when they decide how to do a task, and then any changes they make to their approach. Repeat for the rest, make any connections you can with each person's strategy, then stuff in general funny moments till you hit the time needed. Not that much too it, but it is super important.

Yes, editing is very powerful and can completely change the narrative of pretty much anything.

An editor thinks an editors job is really important. Hot take.

Clearly not the most important person as an editor without anything to edit isn't gonna produce anything.

thesimpsons17 me too, it's heaven

thesimpsons17 same here, I laugh like a fucking idiot whilst sat on my own watching the telly, over and over again. That's how good this show is.

Literally exactly the same here. And it makes me laugh every single time, even though I now know exactly what is going to happen!

Sadly, America will pick it up and fuck it up just like they do everything else.

Same here.

And Chris o’dowd

Alan Davis, Lee Mack, Sean Lock, Bill Bailey

seconded

Sarah Millican, David Mitchell, Claudia Winckleman, Henning Wehn and Noel Fielding

@@Fiyeroification Noel Fielding has done a series. He wore a yellow jumpsuit through out & I think he won the series, if I remember rightly.

And they are probably shorter than alex

Way to many

His own children call it him lmao

MinscS2 8 out of 10 cats! Look for, 8 out of 10 cats does countdown. It’s very funny!

MinscS2 where did you find the other season? I’m from America. And RU-vid only has 3 up

lemonaid 4 , actually

And Swedes get prominent airtime on the show!

They do have a lot of Swedes on the show, don't they

Every day. TREE WIZARD! Makes a balloon...

@@karashallenberg3670 'Back from the dead to create a baloon!' The sheer commitment of this character for a passion some might find mundane.

😂😂😂

Also "That's Peter Hudson. You know that you can trust him... Yeaaahh" is one of my favorite tunes from this show

@@mrdewarion Tree wizard, tree, wizard, tree wizard!!

A non-comedian/non-celeberity Task Master would be great, maybe it could be done in the Australian bush or Shepherds Bush and have people making money for a grumpy old fart?

If you follow Alex Horne on Twitter, he sets tasks for the general public!

Well, thanks to the corona virus, now you kind of can... #hometasking

@@elisagalliker2730 yes, I haven't seen many of them the ones I have seen. Haven't had much of an idea. I should keep an eye out though. Great show.

I've heard of people organizing task master themed parties, which seems like an absolute blast.

He's a good looking lad.

Yeah he is. I like his explanation that he didn't feel like he could act as host and set himself in the assistant role while actually creating all the tasks

Just remind yourself it's unscripted, suddenly all those takedowns from greg feel genuine again!

I presume Alex has sold the versions of the show to other parts of the world! Alex was heavily involved with the US version when that was on I think, cause he was even the assistant in that version

@@ropowo Either Avalon or Alex will get royalties depending on how well he negotiated with Avalon when trying to get the show made. As the producer putting up all of the cash companies like Avalon can often stiff the owners of the show by making them sign over a percentage right at the beginning. I'm sure I've heard of Avalon before though in the British comedy scene so they likely treat their creators well or else no one would go to them with new show ideas.

On his way back to Chesham.

Agreed, loved Bob Mortimer, brilliant.. (And so many others!) But reading the lists of celebs suggested by public, No way would some agree to do it, their EGO's are too big..!

Just watched episode 1 Not the case Haha

Having watched the entire series.... is his entire act/character just a mild riff on Rodney Trotter?

Maybe, but then there was Rhod Gilbert. I don't think that man's thought processes have ever seen the inside of a box. ^^ It was funny how mad he got James though. XD

Season 7 was amazing, Rhod didn't just think outside of the box, there never was a box to begin with.

I loved him.. Especially when he ignored Alex saying hello to him before each task

cole003f oh my god it’s another ballon

How many times will he check the balloon?

"Do you know how long it took me to find that song?"

ᗯᕼᗩ丅 Ꭵᔕ ᕼᗴ Ǥᗝᑎᑎᗩ ᗪᗝ?!

They are top notch tasks makes me wonder how he organizes them. Like does front load or end load the seasons with funnier tasks or space em out evenly. Hell maybe they film them all and then organize, but it does appear the on show portion happens shortly after the tasks are filmed. Or random, I really have no idea but I’m curious lol

@@monhi64 I'm pretty sure they film them randomly, and organize what'll be on an episode afterwards. In one season, the last group task shown was called out by the participants as the first one shot.

What's a DVD grandad?

Sarah L google it 😉

oh so it's like some early version of netflix with just one thing on? sounds pointless to be honest

Sarah L No, Pointless is co-hosted by Richard Osman. I can see why you would be confused, as Richard was also a contestant on Taskmaster. I'm sure there are more tasks, extended failures, and behind the scenes shenanigans that I would love to get as a DVD box set as well.

Yard Wolves 😂😂😂😂 I love this comment section

Id LOVE to see Claudia Winkleman and Miranda Hart do it.

Karl Pilkington would be incredible but I don’t think he would do it. Too cynical!

Miranda eurgh

Lee Mack is a must.

Lee Mack would be amazing

@alphadawn2015 lennon Ok I'll definitely look them up, Thanks

I really enjoyed reading this

if Claudia Winkelman is a contestant I need Josh Widdicombe to be in one of the tasks so we can watch him squirm.

I'm in the USA and discovered it in 2020 while recovering from brain surgery! It helped me heal and made covid lockdown so much more bearable. And now I'm watching all the seasons all over again :)

Hi hi. Quick word for the Sandford Citizen?

I've always thought he'd be an obvious choice

I love him but think he's better at stuff he's written more than anything. Not sure if he would enjoy this kind of show

I would love that... Adam Buxton in Portugal with Richard Ayoade had me in tears 😅

Bobby Socks I'd like to see ed byrne do it, him and dara on the same series doing the team tasks together

cole003f Agreed! That would be very entertaining!

Bobby Socks in a future series I'd like to see the likes of lee mack dara o briain ed byrne rachel riley henning wehn stewart francis

cole003f wow, that would be a fantastic line up!

cole003f Karl Pilkington, Jonny Vegas, , Jonathon Ross, Grado, Richard Ayoadh?

You know I don’t really get this angry head teacher vibe that everyone talks about. Maybe cuz I’m not British idk

​@@monhi64 Greg used to be a headteacher though before he got into comedy so I guess having that knowledge influences how we see him

nothing matches that hair. ( i'm only jealous. I have marginally more than Tim Vine)

It's like he got struck by lightning then got really stoned to cope with the shock

that hair should be an arrestable offence

I was just wondering what socket he'd stuck a finger in

he looks like Eraserhead

'That Terrifying Woman' is a perfect descriptiom of Anne Robinson

Oh my goodness Anne Robinson would definitely be an interesting casting choice! Wow!