Written by Russell T Davies (A Very English Scandal), the series follows a group of queer men in 1980s London set against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis.
Olly Alexander plays 18-year-old Ritchie Tozer, a youngster beginning a new life in London. There he meets the unassuming Colin (Callum Scott Howells) and party boy Roscoe (Omari Douglas) and the trio form a close friendship.
The tenth series will air on 15 October on Channel 4, its new home having been acquired from Dave.
The line-up of comedian contestants was announced earlier this year, including Daisy May Cooper (This Country), Johnny Vegas (Benidorm), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd), Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring (RHLSTP with Richard Herring).
Alex Horne created Taskmaster for a live show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012, before it was picked up by Dave who ran it for nine series. It has since been exported to seven countries.
Speaking at the RTS Digital Convention 2020, Mahon recalled that in the spring when Britain was hit by the first wave of coronavirus: “Indies came to the rescue of Channel 4 and said ‘We’ll be flexible, we’ll work out how to produce in lockdown.’
“They said, ‘We have to delay this programme or we can’t make it or we’ve found a cunning way to make this programme.’”
She added: “Indies did incredible things and produced things cheaply.”
Watch Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4, in conversation with Tim Hincks, co-CEO of Expectation as part of the RTS Digital Convention 2020, sponsored by YouTube.
Alex and Tim discuss Covid strategies, editorial direction and production budgets, the rate of change at Channel 4, Ofcom’s PSB review and much more.
The session is part of a number of online events from leading industry figures for RTS Digital Convention 2020, sponsored by YouTube.
The six-part series is based on the hit Swedish thriller of the same name, with the UK adaptation taking place in Bristol.
Before We Die follows detective Hannah Laing (Lesley Sharpe) who discovers her son is playing a crucial role in a brutal murder investigation as an undercover informant.
Patrick Gibson (The OA) stars as Christian, Hannah’s mixed-up son whose role is causing deep conflict for his mother.
Each series sees host Greg Davies and sidekick Alex Horne stump five comedian contestants with their tasks.
Ahead of the show’s October 2020 return on Channel 4, we take a look at who and what makes Taskmaster tick.
Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Taskmaster.
Viewers will get unprecedented access to the counter corruption unit and learn about the work of the Professional Standards Department (PSD), unveiling a side of policing that is largely unknown to the public.
Avon and Somerset Police opens its doors to Story Films at a time when police conduct is under more scrutiny than ever before, allowing them to uncover the work of their PSD teams.
Covid-19 has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people in the UK to date, and almost shut down the TV airtime advertising industry. Across April and May revenues dropped by more than 50%.
Most citizens were locked down in their homes with their children homeschooled – or not – for close to four months. The world seemed to have gone mad. Worldwide, the message was to wash your hands, wear a face mask, socially distance and pretty much hope for the best.
It was easier in the old days – if a show was good enough, families in their millions watched it from their living rooms. But as choice, channels and platforms mushroomed, finding an audience for a programme became more complicated. The fight to be heard now requires broadcasters to break out to digital platforms, mobile devices and new audiences – who increasingly receive their recommendations from social media.
