Taskmaster is back

It’s press release time! Via TV Tonight:

Taskmaster Australia is returning to 10 later this month, but in a surprise twist, the network will screen its third batch of comedians now as a second season.

Last July, 10 announced Peter Helliar, Mel Buttle, Aaron Chen, Concetta Caristo and Rhys Nicholson for a second season. In March TV Tonight revealed Anne Edmonds, Jenny Tian, Josh Thomas, Lloyd Langford and Wil Anderson were also filming next episodes -these will now form a second season to screen later this month.

TV Tonight understands the switcheroo is due to talent availability for promotion, with the remaining season to screen later this year.

Returning to their hosting thrones for season two, is tough-love Taskmaster Tom Gleeson, and his loyal sidekick “lesser Tom” a.k.a. Tom Cashman, both ready to test the wiles, wit and wisdom of our five new comedians.

Stepping up to the Taskmaster challenge and competing for the golden version of Tom Gleeson’s delectable noggin, is comedy royalty Anne Edmonds, Jenny Tian, Josh Thomas, Lloyd Langford and Wil Anderson.

Each week viewers will witness these best and brightest comics go head-to-head in a string of ridiculous, rambunctious and bewildering tasks to bag the highest points, all for our amusement.

From building scarecrows, to catching hot chips and fielding a lesson with lemons, will they have the prowess to win over our supreme Taskmaster?

Taskmaster Australia is produced for Network 10 by Avalon / Kevin & Co.

Thursday, 23 May at 7.30pm on 10.

More comedy on TV is good, but is Taskmaster comedy? Or just some comedians doing stupid tasks? And are stupid tasks, even if done by comedians, actually funny? Or is “doing stupid tasks” a concept better suited to YouTube or TikTok?

Also: two series of this in one year? Really? When there are actual comedy ideas out there being pitched all the time?

Both the Taskmaster concept and that we’re getting two series of it in one year, say a lot about where TV comedy is today. Networks are too scared or too poor to do the kind of comedy that TV’s great at (sketch, sitcoms, tonight shows, satire), so they’re scrabbling around for cheap, YouTube-esque concepts that aren’t particularly funny but, hey, there’s probably an audience somewhere. What a time to be alive!