Taskmaster but International

Taskmaster is one of my favourite TV shows of all time. I absolutely adore it, and regularly spend lunch breaks and evenings watching Taskmaster. I’ve watched up to series 14 and am waiting patiently for season 15, which will have Frankie Boyle (a terrifyingly amazing comedian) on it. But did you know that Taskmaster has been done in other countries too?

I’ll start with the ones in languages I don’t understand. Bast I Test is the Swedish version of Task Master, and it does have a good spin on the normal Taskmaster layout. The Taskmaster herself is a woman called Babben Larsson, an older lady and she actually fills the role of Taskmaster pretty well. However, the cast only consists of four regulars, and every episode, they have a guest contestant. I actually quite like this twist, keeps the lineup fresh.

Kogen Befaler, Norway’s version of Taskmaster, is also an interesting one. It feels like it has a slightly smaller budget, and of the two series they did, it felt as if they couldn’t get enough people to join in. In series 2, two of the cast from series 1 return, so it’s not completely new. I’m also of the opinion that they’re all psychopaths in a way, especially in the don’t blink task. In UK’s Taskmaster, the don’t blink task lasted about 10 minutes but in Kogen Befaler, that task continued for a whole day. There’s also a sibling rivalry in the cast of series 1, and it does make them somewhat predictable. It also lacks team tasks for some reason. However, I do like how everyone has their prize task objects hidden under sheets underneath their chairs, rather than just having a picture of them.

While most international versions can be found on the Taskmaster Youtube channel, you have to search a little deeper to find some versions. In fact, I stumbled across a Taskmaster Australia channel. I doubt it’s official, but the uploads are very new, to the point that the finale was uploaded a few hours before I started writing this article. Taskmaster Australia works pretty much the same way that Taskmaster UK does, and follows the format much more closely. I do like their choice of Taskmaster and Assistant, they’re both called Tom and they both fill the roles nicely. The cast is also rather enjoyable, despite me not knowing any of them.

But my favourite international version has to be Taskmaster New Zealand. Every clip I have watched has been absolutely amazing. As expected, I don’t actually know anyone from the cast, but it’s always a laugh. The choice of Taskmaster here is also great, but what I really love is the Taskmaster Assistant, a guy called Paul Williams, who perfectly nails the role. Unfortunately though, I haven’t found any full episodes, I’ve only been able to find clips. Which is a shame, because Taskmaster New Zealand is genuinely enjoyable.

Are these international versions of Taskmaster as good as the original? I’m not really sure. But then again, Taskmaster UK has got nearly 15 series under its belt, and has had time to perfect the format. Still, watching international versions is genuinely fun. Even if I have to read subtitles in order to enjoy them.