TV4, SBS take on Taskmaster

Greg Davies (left) and Alex Horne in Taskmaster

Scandi broadcaster TV4 and SBS Viceland in Australia have picked up the original version of British comedy format Taskmaster.

TV4 has acquired the series for its channels in Sweden and Finland, which along with the SBS Viceland deal takes the total number of countries the series has reached to 106.

TV4 has taken the first nine seasons of Taskmaster, which aired on UKTV’s Dave channel, while SBS Viceland has picked up the full 10-season catalogue, which includes its debut run on new home Channel 4.

Of the 106 countries to have acquired Taskmaster, 94 air the original UK version while the remaining 12 have developed local adaptations. New Zealand’s local version was the most recent to debut, launching on TVNZ last month.

Created by Alex Horne, who fronts the original show alongside comedian Greg Davies, Taskmaster first premiered on Dave in 2015, before moving to C4 earlier this year. The format features a group of comedians competing in a variety of bizarre and funny challenges set by the Taskmaster.