# Taskmaster, and other British panel shows: the omnibus thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [February 10, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600 "2023-02-10T22:52:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/1 "2023-02-10T22:52:54Z")
Series 15 of _Taskmaster_ (U.K.) starts in March, with Frankie Boyle, Ivo Graham, Jenny Eclair, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, and Mae Martin as contestants. The [“Your Insomniac-Bored-Anxious YouTube Videos” thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-insomniac-bored-anxious-youtube-video-choices/979514) over in MPSIMS flushed out a couple of fans of the show; this thread is for discussion of the new series, past seasons, and other British comedy panel shows such as _Would I Lie To You_, _8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown_, _I Literally Just Told You_, and _Mock The Week._ Who’s your favorite contestant? Best moment? Most hopeless incompetent (looking at you, Nish Kumar and John Kearns)? Favorite sociopath (looking at _you_, Rhod Gilbert)? Of the next cast, I’ve only ever heard of Frankie Boyle, but finding out about unfamiliar comedians and actors is part of the pleasure of the show. I’m currently working my way, not in any particular order, through the previous 14 series, and getting exposed to a bunch of comedians and actors I’d never before heard of, like Guz Khan, Munya Chawawa, Sally Phillips, and Fern Brady. I’m curious to see Frankie, because I can’t really square his acerbic, transgressive black comedy with the surreality of, say, herding ping-pong balls or cooking a pancake while wearing as many kitchen utensils as you can cram into a headband. But I wouldn’t have thought Romesh Ranganathan’s comedy would work, either, so I’m prepared to be surprised. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/2 "2023-02-10T23:33:31Z")
My daughter introduced me to Taskmaster, and I’ve just started watching them on YouTube, season 3 at the moment, but I’m watching whatever comes up. Is there a better place to watch? In 2019 I got here a Taskmaster game, which we all played. Great fun. You do tasks. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/3 "2023-02-10T23:52:09Z")
I like _Taskmaster_, _The Big Fat Quiz_ (particularly the plays featuring children from the Mitchell Brook Primary School) and _8 Out Of Ten Cats Does Countdown_, though I’ve seen only a couple of episodes of _8 Out Of Ten Cats_ and even fewer of _Countdown_ itself. Rachel Riley and Suzy Dent are both geniuses. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/4 "2023-02-10T23:57:43Z")
I confess I cannot stand Jimmy Carr and don’t understand 8outof10cats. I can watch WILTY endlessly especially if Bob Mortimer is on. Fingerprints on an abandoned handrail never fails to crack me up, along with sniper’s dream. Other excellent panel members are Greg Davies (of Taskmaster) and James Acaster. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/5 "2023-02-11T00:00:41Z")
I love Taskmaster, I’ve watched almost every episode available in the US. It’s format is great and allows it to be fresh nearly every single time. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/6 "2023-02-11T00:09:06Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Of the next cast, I’ve only ever heard of Frankie Boyle, Ivo Graham is a quiet self-deprecating posh “public schoolboy” type (not dissimilar to Ed Gamble or Rhys James). Jenny Eclair is an effusive and sometimes grating personality. Kiell Smith-Bynoe is from _Ghosts_, and on that he has a low key dry wit, but that’s scripted. Mae Martin is actually a Canadian who has lived in the UK for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/7 "2023-02-11T00:18:14Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Rachel Riley and Suzy Dent are both geniuses I’m fairly literate, and I can always at least take a crack at the anagrams; if there are an “e” and a “d”, you can make a past tense verb, a “g” can be blended with “h”, “l”, “n”, or “r”; that sort of thing. But I truly have no idea how Rachel can blindly pick five small numbers, and combine them to add up to a randomly chosen three-digit number, in just _thirty seconds._ I mean, I literally wouldn’t know where to begin. Just blows me away. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/8 "2023-02-11T00:24:50Z")
I read somewhere that one bit of advice she offers to help solve the numbers rounds is to memorize the 75 times table (i.e., 75, 150, 225, 300, 375, 450, etc.). Usually there’s four small numbers and two large ones and often one of the large ones is 75, or two of them are 25 and either 50 or 100. BTW, I tried to find an iPhone app to practice the numbers round but couldn’t find one. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/9 "2023-02-11T00:28:10Z")
She’s also working backwards. She’s not looking at the factors and trying to reach the number (which is what I do), she’s looking at the number and subtracting and dividing back to zero. Coupled with tricks and techniques like going larger then back to smaller, or knowing the tricky times tables as @Dewey_Finn mentioned, she also likely has help in her earpiece on rare occasions (I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt). ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/10 "2023-02-11T03:55:27Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Ivo Graham is a quiet self-deprecating posh “public schoolboy” type ( **not dissimilar to Ed Gamble** or Rhys James) (My emphasis) I’m sorry, Ed Gamble is self-deprecating and quiet? _Ed Gamble_? This guy? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lVfktXzuHgo/maxresdefault.jpg "Contestants Who Woke Up And Chose Violence | Taskmaster") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVfktXzuHgo) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/11 "2023-02-11T07:02:56Z")
No, Ed Gamble is a posh public schoolboy type. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/12 "2023-02-11T14:37:46Z")
I didn’t realize they were all on YouTube. We’ve been watching on PlatoTV the free tier version of Paramount+. It’s truly awful, clear designed to be as irritating as possible to use to make you upgrade to the paid version. ---
**Author:** ![Amikejo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/amikejo/32/13637_2.png) [@Amikejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amikejo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/13 "2023-02-11T14:45:38Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Rachel Riley and Suzy Dent are both geniuses > > I’m fairly literate, and I can always at least take a crack at the anagrams; if there are an “e” and a “d”, you can make a past tense verb, a “g” can be blended with “h”, “l”, “n”, or “r”; that sort of thing. > > But I truly have no idea how Rachel can blindly pick five small numbers, and combine them to add up to a randomly chosen three-digit number, in just _thirty seconds._ I mean, I literally wouldn’t know where to begin. Just blows me away. As Jimmy Carr said over and over again, it’s her only job! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_McQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Steve\_McQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_McQwark)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/14 "2023-02-11T14:51:17Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Ivo Graham is a quiet self-deprecating posh “public schoolboy” type (not dissimilar to Ed Gamble or Rhys James). > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > I’m sorry, Ed Gamble is self-deprecating and quiet? _Ed Gamble_? At least Rhys James does self-deprecation well. One of my favorite lines of his from Mock the Week - “Rhys James: when Ed Gamble isn’t available.” ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/15 "2023-02-11T16:35:35Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > No, Ed Gamble is a posh public schoolboy type. I guess that’s a nuance of British class culture I just hadn’t picked up on. I associate “posh public schoolboy” more with people like David Mitchell, Robert Webb, or Stephen Fry. It would never have occurred to me to think of Ed Gamble as an Old Etonian or Wykehamist or something. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/16 "2023-02-11T17:58:36Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Rachel Riley and Suzy Dent are both geniuses > > I’m fairly literate, and I can always at least take a crack at the anagrams; if there are an “e” and a “d”, you can make a past tense verb, a “g” can be blended with “h”, “l”, “n”, or “r”; that sort of thing. > > But I truly have no idea how Rachel can blindly pick five small numbers, and combine them to add up to a randomly chosen three-digit number, in just _thirty seconds._ I mean, I literally wouldn’t know where to begin. Just blows me away. I distinctly remember Rachel Riley saying once, “This was a difficult one,” followed by, “I could only think of three ways to solve it.” Not sure if she was kidding. And a couple of times, she’s admitted not to having a solution immediately, saying, “Leave it with me.” But then a few minutes later, she will present a solution. Only very rarely have I seen her say that it’s not possible. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/17 "2023-02-11T18:15:10Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > > > Rachel Riley and Suzy Dent are both geniuses > > > > I’m fairly literate, and I can always at least take a crack at the anagrams; if there are an “e” and a “d”, you can make a past tense verb, a “g” can be blended with “h”, “l”, “n”, or “r”; that sort of thing. > > > > But I truly have no idea how Rachel can blindly pick five small numbers, and combine them to add up to a randomly chosen three-digit number, in just _thirty seconds._ I mean, I literally wouldn’t know where to begin. Just blows me away. > > I distinctly remember Rachel Riley saying once, “This was a difficult one,” followed by, “I could only think of three ways to solve it.” Not sure if she was kidding. And a couple of times, she’s admitted not to having a solution immediately, saying, “Leave it with me.” But then a few minutes later, she will present a solution. Only very rarely have I seen her say that it’s not possible I’m sure she has some mental tricks, as @GuanoLad mentioned above. Nevertheless, they’re pretty damned impressive tricks. I’m sure she can do much more than play games with arithmetical processes, too; the woman earned a first-class honors degree in mathematics from Oxford University, for all love. They didn’t give that to her for having a pretty face. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/18 "2023-02-11T21:36:07Z")
You all should try to track down **Richard Osman’s House Of Games**. I think many of you would like it very much. It’s a very gentle quiz show with very simple questions and games, but only celebs (i.e. comedians, TV presenters, sportspeople) compete. You will be introduced to a lot of UK culture and personalities via this show, and it’s also just loads of fun. It’s been running for six years, and they just celebrated their 500th episode, so lots to catch up on. ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/19 "2023-02-11T21:48:13Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > BTW, I tried to find an iPhone app to practice the numbers round but couldn’t find one. > **[‎Countdown Game & Solver](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/countdown-game-solver/id1394219228)** > > ‎Countdown is a game show on British television (French original: Des chiffres et des lettres). This app reworks the “Numbers” portion of the game show as a Scrabble®-like tile game for your iPhone or iPad. It includes a Universal Solver that finds... I’ve been playing this a few times each day for about 3 months, and I’m proud to say I’d be willing to take on Roisin Conaty. But I am improving. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600/20 "2023-02-11T22:23:38Z")
Thank you. Now I know what I’m going to be doing at work instead of, you know, actually working. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taskmaster-and-other-british-panel-shows-the-omnibus-thread/979600.md?page=2)