Over the weekend of September 24-26 2021, we surprised our friend Andrew for his birthday by inviting him to star in (and later judge) his very own episode.
September 24
On the 24th, we drove Andrew to a secure undisclosed location under the false premise of a weekend away in the woods.
September 25
On the 25th, Andrew woke up to a west coast version of the Taskmaster house, replete with odd items and hidden cameras, where we took him through four tasks — all birthday-themed.
Unbeknownst to him, we also sent Andrew's friends these same tasks, which they filmed and sent to us. You can read more about the tasks (or try them!) below.
September 26
The morning of the 26th, we gave Andrew one final task: Become the taskmaster and host a live show in his very own (homemade) Taskmaster throne. At 12pm PDT / 8pm GMT that day, we hosted a live Zoom show with Andrew's friends and family — beginning with this opening film. Stay tuned for the rest of the show edit, coming soon.
For our online participants, we provided basic information about each task to prepare accordingly (without giving away the fun of the task). We also put together a basic FAQ.
Location — Somewhere you’re okay with making a mess
Time — 40 minutes or less
Props — Crafting equipment. An egg.
Location — Anywhere
Time — As little as 30 minutes… depends on how elaborate you get!
Props — None required, though you may want to find your own!
Note: While you can do it solo, this task might be a lot of fun to do with some friends.
Location — Outdoors (or a well-ventilated indoor space)
Time — Under 30 minutes
Props — A large-ish baked good or many smaller baked goods. (Store bought is fine.) Five packages of birthday candles. Something that produces fire.
For reference, here are the options we’ll be giving to Andrew when he does this task:
- A 9x13 pan of brownies
- These candles
- Matches
- Zippo Lighter
- Click ‘n Flame lighter
- Butane Cooking Blowtorch
Location — Anywhere with a table.
Time — Under 20 minutes
Props — Put the following on a table: a small or medium-sized box OR an oddly shaped item. Wrapping paper. Tape. A cutting implement. A kerchief or neck tie.