Taskmaster's Alex Horne explains "mistakes" with spin-off – and why he and Greg Davies would "jump" to do it again
The comedy star reflected on a past misstep as Junior Taskmaster prepares to launch.
Taskmaster creator Alex Horne has opened up what went wrong with the show's short-lived US version – and expressed interest in another attempt at cracking the States.
The popular Dave-turned-Channel 4 entertainment format casts Horne as the underling of Greg Davies's eponymous Taskmaster, who sets a group of comedians wacky tasks to complete however they see fit.
The show has grown into an international franchise, with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Portugal among those with ongoing local iterations on television.
Alas, a US edition starring Horne and musician Reggie Watts received the axe after just one season, with the former saying in the latest issue of Radio Times that "a few mistakes" were made during the adaptation process.
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"We sort of did everything the channel told us to do," explained Horne, "so we halved the length of the show. It was 22 minutes in total. And all the tasks were tasks we’d already done, because we thought we’d play it safe.
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"We made a few compromises, which we regret. Greg and I would jump at the chance at doing it in America again, but on our own terms."
Even in its short run, the US edition did attract some recognisable faces, with Bates Motel and The Good Doctor star Freddie Highmore participating alongside Kate Berlant (Search Party), Ron Funches (Trolls), comedian Lisa Lampanelli and DJ Dillon Francis.
Horne was reflecting on the show's history of Taskmaster spin-offs as a major new addition to the franchise prepares to debut on Channel 4: Junior Taskmaster.
As the title suggests, the new show lets kids have a go at the silly challenges that have often perplexed their elders, building on the foundation laid by the Taskmaster Education programme, which applies elements of the show to curriculum-based learning.
Horne takes a backseat for Junior Taskmaster – handing the reins to Rose Matafeo and Mike Wozniak – and remains coy over whether the franchise could expand any further.
"We did a pilot for Foodmaster," he revealed. "We’ve talked about Dogmaster and Carmaster and so on. But I think we’re pretty happy with where we are. There's obviously a danger of diluting the product. I think, currently, junior and senior are our lot."
You can find more from Alex Horne and other TV stars in this week's issue of Radio Times.
Junior Taskmaster is coming soon to Channel 4. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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