With all the kerfuffle surrounding our beloved Taskmaster, series 10 of the whimsical comedy challenge felt like it could be a long way off.

Thankfully though, the wait wasn't as long as we initially suspected, and the cogs are very much in motion for a return to our screens very soon.

With a line-up announcement and a brand new trailer already out, the countdown is on for Taskmaster's debut on Channel 4 – and we're pleased to report that, other than one very obvious COVID-related change, it looks set to be the Taskmaster we've always known and loved.

Here's everything you need to know about the brand new series, coming soon.

UK TV/Avalon

Always known as a Dave original, speculation of an impending Taskmaster channel hop first started back in November of 2019.

It turned out that this was for good reason, as reports then started to claim that a number of broadcasters – including BBC One, Channel 4 and ITV – were vying to take the successful show format for themselves.

In the end, Channel 4 was victorious and will now be the new setting for the famous Taskmaster house.

Taskmaster series 10: When will it start?

UK TV/Avalon

With the exception of its very first series in 2015, which was a standalone, there have been at least two Taskmaster runs per year.

In 2019, for example, series eight spanned from May to July, and the most recent series nine ran from September to November. The same was true in 2018.

If the usual pattern was to have followed for 2020, we would have expected Taskmaster series 10 to debut in May. But this year is hardly comparable to others. Even if you remove the possible delay that the channel switch might have presented, TV production has certainly been impacted by the pandemic (as if you need us to tell you at this point).

But thankfully, Taskmaster must have managed to film before things shut down because all signs point to a release date very soon.

Taskmaster has a very specific way of filming its winning format, and it is quite a lengthy process. During an exclusive interview with Digital Spy back in early 2019, ahead of series eight, creator Alex Horne (that's Little Alex Horne to you and me) broke down exactly what went into pulling it all together.

UKTV

"[Filming the tasks takes] about six months. It's a long time," Alex said, before revealing that it's only once all the tasks are filmed that they move onto the studio stage. "So it's a long period of their [the contestant's] life."

Following the announcement of the Channel 4 move, Alex Horne promised that "the show won't change" – so we expect that the same amount of love and care went into the filming process this time around too.

We have our nose to the ground for Taskmaster news, so we'll update you as soon as there's a whiff of anything else to share.

Taskmaster series 10 contestants: Who will be in it?

Dave

If there's one thing we love about Taskmaster – and trust us, there are a lot of things – it's the fact it introduces us to some stellar comedic talent.

We now know who is going to be taking the hot seats for the first ever Channel 4 series, and this autumn you'll be watching:

Avalon Channel 4

Daisy May Cooper

Johnny Vegas

Katherine Parkinson

Mawaan Rizwan

Richard Herring

This fun bunch will be competing in a variety of outlandish tasks, as always, in a bid to impress Greg Davies and Alex Horne.

Alex teased what we can expect from this mix of people during a chat at the virtual BAFTA Awards earlier this year (July 31).

"All five bring something to it – Johnny Vegas and Daisy May Cooper are sat next to each other and they do have a chemistry which I've not seen before on the show, it's quite extraordinary," he told Digital Spy and other media.

"At the other end, you've got Katherine Parkinson and Richard Herring trying to cope with what's going on around them," he added.

"Mawaan Rizwan is wearing the best clothes we've ever had and I think steals the show many times."

We can't wait.

Taskmaster will air on Channel 4. You can catch up on previous series of Taskmaster on UKTV Play.



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