Channel 4 has commissioned a pilot for a new Taskmaster spin-off titled Your Time Starts Now, fronted by Taskmaster co-creator and co-host Alex Horne. The show will pit British families against each other in a series of tasks without them needing to leave their homes.
Format and Inspiration
The format echoes Horne's earlier BBC show The Button, while also taking inspiration from the wildly successful HomeTasking series that emerged during the Covid lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. Channel 4 has confirmed that Your Time Starts Now is "set in the Taskmaster universe" and has been developed by Horne alongside Taskmaster director and producer Andy Devonshire.
Alex Horne's Comments
Discussing the pilot, Alex Horne said: "I've had the pleasure of being in the room while countless comedians have tried and usually failed on Taskmaster and I've learnt that for the most part, that lot are sneaky loveable idiots. With Your Time Starts Now, I'm now excited and intrigued to see how the rest of the country can cope doing simple things under the pressure of time-constraints, dogged rivals and my own snarky gaze. Good luck people of the UK. I shall be watching."
Background and Similarities to 'The Button'
The show was first rumoured back in April, when a casting notice surfaced from production company Avalon seeking contestants for a new entertainment programme that many fans noticed appeared remarkably similar to The Button. The Button aired in 2018 and showcased teams of families who received a giant talking button (voiced by Horne) in their living room. Whenever it lit up, they had to complete the subsequent task faster than their competitors across the UK. At the conclusion of each episode, the household that had amassed the most money could choose to take their winnings and skip the next episode, or carry it forward and return the following week – but risk forfeiting everything they had accumulated.
Channel 4's Perspective
Channel 4's head of live events and commissioning editor Tom Beck said: "Wildly inventive, properly funny and rooted in real people being brilliant (and, occasionally, absolutely rubbish), Your Time Starts Now feels perfectly Channel 4. It's an utterly distinctive celebration of British family life in all shapes and sizes, and I can't wait see how our families get on as they try and tackle Alex and Andy's ludicrous tasks. Why should comedians get all the fun?"
Behind the Scenes
Andy Devonshire, Director and Executive Producer, added: "It's a beautiful gift to have the chance to bring the joy and mischief of Taskmaster into homes and see how families cope with a direct dose of Alex Horne's invention."
Taskmaster's Continued Success
Meanwhile, Taskmaster continues its momentum, with the line-up for series 22 announced last month – Chloe Petts, Isy Suttie, Matt Lucas, Nina Conti, and Richard Ayoade are the latest comedians competing to claim Greg Davies's golden trophy, with episodes scheduled to broadcast later this year. Taskmaster is available to watch on catch-up on Channel 4 and YouTube outside the UK.
