“Taskmaster” has long been one of my favorite shows, and among my favorite things about it is that there are no bad seasons. In each outing, five performers, mostly comedians, compete in a series of kooky challenges, then regroup in front of a studio audience to see how they’ve done. In addition to being silly and enchanting, “Taskmaster” is breathtakingly novel: I’m amazed by its capacity to remain unpredictable to both its viewers and its participants.
The gap between “this is the best episode of the best season” and “this is the worst episode of the worst season” is minuscule. That said, this season — Season 19 (19!) — is among the best of the best, and it’s an ideal entree for new viewers. The American comedian Jason Mantzoukas is one of the contestants this season, and his gleeful maniac persona fits perfectly with the show’s sense of mischief. He is also clearly a student of the game … not that it helps him win.
The contestants most familiar with the workings of the show are no more likely to win a task than those least familiar, and no single virtue is more desirable than another. Nervous pedantry earns a certain amount of mileage, but a “Cs get degrees” approach leads often to a faster, funnier conclusion. Brazenness and preciousness are equally valuable. Athleticism has its rewards, but defaulting to an athletic method can and does backfire. There are a lot of ways to be funny, and on “Taskmaster” there are also a lot of ways to be smart.
I was curious how the show would incorporate Mantzoukas’s antic energy, but everything feels harmonious — and no one person is singing the melody. Mathew Baynton, the creator and a star of the original British version of “Ghosts,” brings a twee braininess, and the comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri’s impeccable timing and tough-girl shtick add warmth, raunch and surprise. Stevie Martin’s sweet openness and Rosie Ramsey’s grounded wit keep everything in balance.
Seasons 9-19 on are on the show’s YouTube channel, with new episodes of Season 19 arriving weekly on Fridays. And if you burn through all those, seek out the international versions.
If that’s not enough to sate your need for British panel shows, “Richard Osman’s House of Games” makes its way to BritBox this week, with Season 1 arriving on Tuesday. (All the seasons are on YouTube, too, but in an unofficial capacity.) Osman is a panel-show staple as a contestant, the author of the popular book series “The Thursday Murder Club” and a creator of the game show “Pointless.” Here he hosts one of the trickiest quiz shows this side of “Only Connect.”
“House of Games” makes several fun tweaks to the trivia format. Its contestants — comedians and presenters — stick around for five episodes, which creates an arc for the week beyond just the right/wrong moments in each segment. The games themselves are often brainteasers, testing participants not only on arcane knowledge but also on their ability to recognize songs played backward, or to mash together bizarre portmanteaus. The formats are difficult enough, and as someone who knows nothing about snooker, darts, rugby, cricket or granular British politics, I often find entire rounds completely impenetrable. But that’s part of the fun.
Margaret Lyons is a television critic at The Times, and writes the TV parts of the Watching newsletter.
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