As Alex Horne tells it, Taskmaster was born out of professional jealousy. In 2009, he became a parent and so broke with almost a decade of tradition by not taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe. That same year, his friend and former flatmate Tim Key won the festival’s top comedy award, for which Horne had been nominated in 2003.
At home and envious, Horne sent out emails inviting 20 comedians – including Key – to take part in a new competition in which he would set them a different task each month for a year. The results would be shared in a live performance at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe called The Taskmaster.
The result was organised chaos. An overdraft of comedians (a Fringe-specific collective noun) plus a pianist joined Horne on stage to reveal the results, set tie-break tasks, and eventually crown a winner.
“So this is The Taskmaster,” Horne told the crowd, “It...
At home and envious, Horne sent out emails inviting 20 comedians – including Key – to take part in a new competition in which he would set them a different task each month for a year. The results would be shared in a live performance at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe called The Taskmaster.
The result was organised chaos. An overdraft of comedians (a Fringe-specific collective noun) plus a pianist joined Horne on stage to reveal the results, set tie-break tasks, and eventually crown a winner.
“So this is The Taskmaster,” Horne told the crowd, “It...
- 4/11/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
‘Happy Valley’ Creator Sally Wainwright, Jenna Coleman, Nicôle Lecky, Sacha Dhawan Series Set at BBC
“Hot Flush,” the new show from BAFTA-winning “Happy Valley” creator Sally Wainwright, is one of several series greenlit by the BBC.
A six-part drama from ”Doctor Foster” producers Drama Republic, “Hot Flush” centers on the lives of five women of a certain age who come together to create a makeshift, butt-of-the-joke punk-rock band in order to enter a talent contest, but when they rehearse together they suddenly discover that they have a lot more to say than they ever imagined, and this is the way to say it.
The BBC has commissioned also “Virdee,” a six-part detective series based on A.A. Dhand’s bestselling crime novels and starring Sacha Dhawan (“Doctor Who”), from newly formed production company Magical Society, headed up by Paul Trijbits (“Jane Eyre”).
The Bradford-set series introduces Detective Harry Virdee (Dhawan), a Bradford cop disowned by his Sikh family for marrying Saima, who is Muslim. Virdee struggles with the abandonment,...
A six-part drama from ”Doctor Foster” producers Drama Republic, “Hot Flush” centers on the lives of five women of a certain age who come together to create a makeshift, butt-of-the-joke punk-rock band in order to enter a talent contest, but when they rehearse together they suddenly discover that they have a lot more to say than they ever imagined, and this is the way to say it.
The BBC has commissioned also “Virdee,” a six-part detective series based on A.A. Dhand’s bestselling crime novels and starring Sacha Dhawan (“Doctor Who”), from newly formed production company Magical Society, headed up by Paul Trijbits (“Jane Eyre”).
The Bradford-set series introduces Detective Harry Virdee (Dhawan), a Bradford cop disowned by his Sikh family for marrying Saima, who is Muslim. Virdee struggles with the abandonment,...
- 8/25/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Black British culture is reaching a “sweet spot” and creatives no longer have to move to the U.S. to achieve stardom, according to the creators of BBC comedy-thriller Black Ops.
Speaking exclusively to Deadline as BBC Studios shops the show at the London TV Screenings, creator and producer Akemnji Ndifornyen said cultural touchstones such as Netflix’s Top Boy are “accessible to our American cousins like never before.”
“Black British culture is reaching this really sweet spot,” said Ndifornyen, who played Mr Fergusson in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit. “[Americans] now understand that we’re not just ‘tea and crumpets’ but can really subvert their expectations.”
Alongside fellow Black Ops creator Gbemisola Ikumelo and star Hammed Animashaun, Ndifornyen branded the “one in, one out” Black talent experience in UK TV a thing of the past, partly because “we can go to the U.S. and come back with...
Speaking exclusively to Deadline as BBC Studios shops the show at the London TV Screenings, creator and producer Akemnji Ndifornyen said cultural touchstones such as Netflix’s Top Boy are “accessible to our American cousins like never before.”
“Black British culture is reaching this really sweet spot,” said Ndifornyen, who played Mr Fergusson in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit. “[Americans] now understand that we’re not just ‘tea and crumpets’ but can really subvert their expectations.”
Alongside fellow Black Ops creator Gbemisola Ikumelo and star Hammed Animashaun, Ndifornyen branded the “one in, one out” Black talent experience in UK TV a thing of the past, partly because “we can go to the U.S. and come back with...
- 2/27/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Hello Ladies star and The Office co-creator Stephen Merchant is teaming up with People Just Do Nothing’s Asim Chaudhry in a cross-country comedy for BBC One. The pair are to star in Click & Collect, featuring them as two mismatched neighbors driving across the UK to pick up the one toy that will make a little girl’s Christmas dreams come true.
The 60-minute special is written by Witless’ Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf and directed by The Inbetweeners’ Ben Palmer. It is produced by BBC Studios and Mondo Deluxe. Merchant said, “Every year, my family watch the big Christmas TV specials and my dad falls asleep half way through. This year, I’m very excited to be starring in a big Christmas TV special that my dad can fall asleep half way through.” Chaudhry added, “I’ve been a huge fan of Stephen’s work for many years so...
The 60-minute special is written by Witless’ Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf and directed by The Inbetweeners’ Ben Palmer. It is produced by BBC Studios and Mondo Deluxe. Merchant said, “Every year, my family watch the big Christmas TV specials and my dad falls asleep half way through. This year, I’m very excited to be starring in a big Christmas TV special that my dad can fall asleep half way through.” Chaudhry added, “I’ve been a huge fan of Stephen’s work for many years so...
- 11/1/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Comedy Central has unveiled a new trailer for Big Bad World, its upcoming original comedy starring Blake Harrison.
Harrison, best known as Neil Sutherland in The Inbetweeners, plays Ben Turnbull, a university graduate who reluctantly returns to his home town after three years away.
Big Bad World finds Ben with no job, no girlfriend and living with his parents after his years away at uni.
The show also stars Caroline Quentin, James Fleet, Seann Walsh, Scarlett Alice Johnson and David Flynn.
When the pilot was commissioned, Andrew Newman of Objective Productions said: "Comedy Central already have many of the best comedy shows from around the world and we are very proud to be making a new British one for them."
Big Bad World has been written by Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf, with additional episodes penned by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Black Books). Tristram Shapeero (Peep Show, Community ) will direct.
Harrison, best known as Neil Sutherland in The Inbetweeners, plays Ben Turnbull, a university graduate who reluctantly returns to his home town after three years away.
Big Bad World finds Ben with no job, no girlfriend and living with his parents after his years away at uni.
The show also stars Caroline Quentin, James Fleet, Seann Walsh, Scarlett Alice Johnson and David Flynn.
When the pilot was commissioned, Andrew Newman of Objective Productions said: "Comedy Central already have many of the best comedy shows from around the world and we are very proud to be making a new British one for them."
Big Bad World has been written by Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf, with additional episodes penned by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Black Books). Tristram Shapeero (Peep Show, Community ) will direct.
- 7/23/2013
- Digital Spy
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