(no subject)

[slemslempike]

My main pleasure in Taskmaster now is being delighted every time something goes wrong for Ian. It would be nearly the only pleasure, but I do still like Lou a lot. Despite this I remain optimistic that it is a mere blip, and have applied for tickets for the studio record of the next series.

I like Dakar. My French class is going quite well - two men were jumped into our class when their level was cancelled, so I'm always not the worst, which I enjoy. I did end up in a very polite argument with my teacher during a mock interview because he kept trying to do ending FGM wrong.

My current televisual obsession is Shameless (the UK one). There are lots of problems with it but I still love them.

Comments

[norfolkian]

We only started watching Taskmaster a few months ago, so we have been binge-watching the whole thing! I think we are up to series 8 now.

[slemslempike]

I only started watching a little before series 7, and loved everything up until then. I think part it's that I loved last series so much I find this one aet down.

[jekesta]

I am really hoping that it is actually helpful for Ian to see himself in the group tasks. I mean it won't be, but I kind of think that he looks genuinely uncomfortable back in the studio and not that kind of surprise that other people think it's bad, and then fake 'I'll pretend it's bad but actually I was right' attitude that I expect from men. (Ian doesn't bother me as much as he bothers EVERYONE ELSE I KNOW. It's really odd.)

The being one person that Joe and Sian did made me really laugh for the first time this series and it wasn't that funny and it definitely wasn't clever, but I did like how calm and non expressive he was, and I like their level of awkwardness where they both wish the other person was funnier, and I love that they have to do small talk about dentists because they have nothing to say.

Still though I wish that they had put Sian and Lou together for the group tasks, I think that would be the only combination of these 5 people who might have actually created something.

I don't think Susan Calman has ever done Taskmaster, so she should. And I saw Vic Reeves on celebrity crystal maze yesterday and I think if he does that he might do taskmaster. I feel like they've definitely been pressuring Richard Ayoade to be on taskmaster for a while now because they struggle so much to find people of colour and I can't quite see how he would do it and stay in character but he should try. I'm assuming they can't make Victoria Coren go on. But there is Adam Buxton and Richard Herring, I would think you could talk them into it. And then there is a whole raft of newish female comedians now and I don't know why they are not on taskmaster - suzi ruffell and cariad lloyd and rachel parris and rose matafeo and kiri pritchard-something. Just those people would make almost two good seasons of taskmaster before they had to resort to the current selection. And it would mean you could have seasons with three (3!) women on. Put Susan Calman and Vic Reeves and Richard Ayoade in three different seasons, and you've got at least three seasons people will definitely watch even if you fill in spaces with nobody good.

(I am very upset with whoever fails to talk people into doing taskmaster.)

Everybody I know loves Shameless and I still can't bring myself to like it.

I find it so weird that I just never have any idea AT ALL where in the world you are from day to day.

[slemslempike]

I agree that Ian looks genuinely uncomfortable, and not just in a "I'd better pretend I care" way. It is the group tasks that make me hate him so, when we've not seen kne for a bit I start thawing towards him a little.

David Baddiel has apparently accidentally revealed he's a contestant. I don't mind him as himself but I've really disliked him when he's on heresy and taking charge jokingly when it's vcm's show now. She would be INCREDIBLE on it. I would like Susan Calman and Richard Ayoade too. I would like John Robins but not sure he could actually rein in his too uncomfortable competitiveness and self hatred at losing to be copable to watch. Def Suzi Ruffell, yes! I would really enjoy Ed Byrne in the established man slot. I really like Sindhu Vee, and Ed Gamble for their younger white guy slot.

I know. I feel very adventurous in Dakar where I don't have my exact plans mapped out, even though that just means that I'm lounging around the house this weekend instead of going anything

[ankaret]

I dislike David Baddiel and have since the 90s but I can't really remember why.

[jekesta]

YES ALL YOU SAY. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THEY COULD PUT ON TASKMASTER, WHY ARE WE BEING DEALT THIS SEASON OF NOTHING?

(David Baddiel is a bit of a dick but at least he's a real person from the 90s.)

[slemslempike]

I found an interview where Alex said they nearly got Dawn French but she was busy, I think she'd be ace. People) fools) keep saying they want to see Johnny Vegas on it. Urrrrrrgh.

[jekesta]

Of course she was busy, she's Dawn French. They could have worked around her, just like tailed along with whatever she was doing and then quickly set up tasks for her tea breaks.

I'd never even had the terrible thought that Johnny Vegas might be on it one day. That's upsetting.

[antisoppist]

Yes the only redeeming thing I can find about Ian is that he did genuinely seem to have a moment of realisation of "actually I was being an arse" in the first group task. I am a couple of episodes behind at the moment. I mostly like Lou being really good at accurately throwing things.

Susan Calman should definitely be on it. And John Finnemore. And then they could do team tasks together and it would be like the episode of her radio series where he terrified her by making her go on a train trip to somewhere totally random without any planning at all and it was Oxford and they went to a board game cafe and fell off a punt.

[slemslempike]

Ooh, John Finnemore! I bet they don't because they want people who are TV people, but I'd like to see him.

[ankaret]

Peter, who is the least noticing of social nuances person ever, actually paused Taskmaster early in this series (the first group task, I think) to rant about what an arse Ian was being.

Meanwhile, I have just discovered via Wikipedia that he is involved in a hidden camera show which brings magicians into schools under the guise of supply teachers, which as someone with such a phobia of close up magicians that I once had to flee a work do of Peter's in tears on unexpectedly sighting one makes me like him even less. (I don't mind magicians on stage, and have actually reacted with equanimity when unexpectedly asked to get up on stage and say left or right when a magician was slamming his hand down on cups, one of which had a spike underneath, but the idea of a lot of people gathering round and staring at me while someone else mucks around with my perceptions makes my flesh creep)

[antisoppist]

What is it about computing people and work parties and close-up magicians? Flesh creeping solidarity.

[slemslempike]

That is exactly the kind of thing I want uld EXPECT from Ian.