Taskmaster Australia

Taskmaster Australia is an Australian comedy panel game show first broadcast on Network 10 on 2February 2023. Based on the UK show Taskmaster created by comedian Alex Horne, it sets five comedians ridiculous tasks to complete, and judged against each other by the "Taskmaster", Tom Gleeson, accompanied by his assistant, comedian Tom Cashman.

The show's first season was broadcast in early 2023. Two further series have been filmed, one announced in mid-2023 and the other in 2024; both will air back-to-back and in reverse order of filming  from 23May 2024.

Format
Taskmaster is a comedic panel show wherein five contestants compete in the completion of tasks set by "The Taskmaster" (Tom Gleeson) and umpired by the "Taskmaster's Assistant" (Tom Cashman). The tasks can involve physical, creative and lateral thinking skills.

Following the format of the British version, in each episode contestants compete for five prizes that they have brought in, along a theme that they are ranked against for points. Three pre-recorded tasks—completed separately by each contestant (or occasionally in teams)—are shown and judged in the studio by The Taskmaster. Tasks are filmed within the Taskmaster Retreat, with the areas including The Lounge, The Kitchen, The Lab and The Caravan. A final live task takes place in the studio. As well as winners within each episode, one contestant becomes the winner of the series and takes home a trophy modelled after The Taskmaster's head.

Cast
In the studio, other than while attempting the live task, the contestants sit on a row of chairs in alphabetical order of forename from left to right.

Key
 * Series champion

Production
The Taskmaster franchise was conceived by Alex Horne and first televised in Britain, where Horne plays the Taskmaster's Assistant. The British version debuted in 2014. Confirmation of an Australian version was announced in October 2022, to be produced by Avalon Television (the British production company) with New Zealand-based Kevin & Co. for Network 10.

The pre-recorded tasks were filmed in the same house in New Zealand that Taskmaster NZ uses. It is known as "The Taskmaster Retreat" in the Australian version and "The Taskmaster Ranch" in the New Zealand version. Filming took up to ten hours per day.

Filming for the studio shows took place in December 2022 at the NEP Studios in Eveleigh, Sydney, New South Wales. Gleeson remarked of the filming, that it was the first show he had done where "right from the very first episode, all the audience seats were sold out".

Tasks for the series were written by a team, which includes Sam Smith (who also writes tasks for the New Zealand version), alongside Cashman, with development assisted by show producer Cam Bakker, and, as with all the international adaptations, sent to show creator Alex Horne for final approval. Executive producer Sarah Thornton remarked that the aim is to bring in new writers each series to "keep it fresh".

In July 2023, a second series began filming for a 2024 airdate. The cast was revealed on 10July 2023 as Peter Helliar, Mel Buttle, Aaron Chen, Concetta Caristo, and Rhys Nicholson.

Studio filming for a third series took place in the week beginning 18 March 2024. The cast was confirmed as Anne Edmonds, Jenny Tian, Josh Thomas, Lloyd Langford and Wil Anderson on 21 March 2024.

In May 2024, it was announced that the third filmed series would instead air as season two from May 2024. The airing of the second filmed series would air in late 2024.

Series 1 (2023)
The first series consists of 10 episodes and was broadcast on Network 10 starting on 2February 2023. In order of placement, the contestants were Danielle Walker, Julia Morris, Jimmy Rees, Nina Oyama and Luke McGregor.

Series 2 (2024)
Originally filmed as the third series, the second series started airing on 23 May 2024 and will consist of ten episodes. The contestants are Wil Anderson, Jenny Tian, Josh Thomas and couple Anne Edmonds & Lloyd Langford.

Series 3 (2024)
Originally filmed as the second series, the third series will air following the conclusion of the second series. The contestants featured this season are Peter Helliar, Mel Buttle, Aaron Chen, Concetta Caristo, and Rhys Nicholson.

Series 1
Chortle reported that the pilot was a "strong start" for ratings, as the show was third in its timeslot.

Series 2
From 28 January 2024, OzTAM ratings changed. Program viewership data will now focus on National Reach and National Total ratings instead of the 5 metro centres and overnight shares.

Critical reception
The Age praised that the third episode saw the series "continue to settle in nicely", largely in the style of the British version. The reviewer noted that Gleeson—"a cheerful, friendly-looking chap who has built a career on telling people they suck"—has a different Taskmaster personality to British host Greg Davies.