The rise of Taskmaster has been an astonishing thing to witness. From its humble beginnings at the Edinburgh festival, to its television debut on the relatively lowly wilds of Dave, the show has a habit of winning audiences through word of mouth alone.
Since Channel 4 acquired the series two years ago, Taskmaster’s mix of inventive games and comedian contestants who can flick from jolly to competitive in the blink of an eye has seen it edge closer and closer to national treasure status – a fact reflected in its recent British Comedy award win for best comedy entertainment show.
The award, in fact, almost threatens to derail our interview before it even begins. I’m due to talk to the show’s creator, Alex Horne, and its executive producer, Jon Thoday, the morning after their win, but word comes through that I have to call them as late as I possibly can, because they’ve spent the previous night celebrating in the pub.
“It was a very nice night,” recalls Horne hesitantly when we do finally speak. And his head today? “Well, I’m currently in a field with a dog,” he offers unconvincingly.
We have convened to discuss the latest step in Taskmaster’s ongoing global domination. Not content with becoming a genuinely beloved institution that – thanks to All 4’s censored version – the whole family can watch together, Taskmaster has taken the unprecedented step of becoming its own streaming platform.
Taskmaster Supermax+, a worldwide subscription-based streaming service, has just launched. For £5.99 a month, subscribers will get every episode of Taskmaster ever made, ad free. And while that might not sound like that great a deal for British viewers, who can already watch every episode of Taskmaster for free on All 4 (and will continue to get new episodes on Channel 4), for fans worldwide who struggle to see full shows, it might just be a godsend. So how did it come about?
“I don’t think I necessarily know the answer,” struggles Horne. “Except…