Two series of Taskmaster have come and gone since we did a comprehensive ranking of each season. And now that we’re at a nice round number, I think it’s a good opportunity to go back through the rankings.
This edition features the inclusion of Series 19 and 20, two very strong seasons in my opinion. But are they good enough to crack the top five? Have no fear - this edition will be spoiler-free (for at least those two series).
Now, I’m not going to post an entry for every single Taskmaster series. I’m too tired for that. Plus, I’ve done it before. Not a whole lot has changed for me since I did this back in May. So if you want a more comprehensive review of the Taskmaster rankings, check this one out. Otherwise, entries for the updated rankings will show the newer seasons and notable movements in the standings:
Series 10: Always a touch watch, and it’s not this series’ fault. Taskmaster was trying a new thing during Covid. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work.
Series 8: This one gets a small bump up from my May rankings. Still, I dislike the Iaian Sterlin-Lou Saunders dynamic just as much as I did then. But there were some fun tasks. Paul Sinha and Joe Thomas are highlights.
Series 17: This one gets a big step down (minus 5 spots). Less because of my dislike for this one, but more because of how much I enjoyed others. Nick Mohammed was delightful.
Series 20: The latest Taskmaster series makes it just outside Fitzie’s Top 10. This was an incredible series, although it took a while to grow on me. There’s nothing I disliked, there were just other series I liked more. But it was the most competitive series ever.
Series 2: This one is still so good. The more I watch it the more I appreciate how kind Richard Osman is.
Series 19: One of the two new series to be aired since my May rankings. The cast got along great and Jason Mantzoukas was a particular joy to watch. I would also say this went down as one of the most chaotic series ever.
Series 1: The more I watch Series 1, the more I like it. From Tim Key’s reindeer skull, to Romesh Ranganathan’s tree wizard, to Frank Skinner’s push-ups and Roisin Conaughty’s fears of riding a horse, this series set the theme for how this show would be defined. A great shame it was less than 10 episodes.
Series 12: The best of the Covid-era seasons. Morgana Robinson won, but it was Victoria Coren Mitchell who stole my heart. And Alan Davies’ final task that took my breath away.
Series 16: The first series I ever watched. I’m glad it’s one of their best. Sam Campbell and Julian Clary were hilarious, and Susan Wokoma, Sue Campbell and Lucy Beaumont all had great moments too.
Series 5: But nothing will ever surpass the supremacy of series five. Just look at the cast: Aisling Bea, Bob Mortimer, Mark Watson, Nish Kumar and Sally Phillips. There’s not a single moment where I don’t laugh myself silly, even after many rewatches. The pinnacle of Taskmaster.
Fitzie’s track of the day: Let The Day Begin, by The Call
And now for your links:
BBC: “‘Scotland cash in almost 30 years of glorious failure as dreams come true’”
The National ($$): “Scotland 4 Denmark 2 - Instant reaction to the burning issues”