How many Taskmaster series are there? The running count, plus the deal that books Greg and Alex through 2029
How many series of Taskmaster are there? The current UK total, the Dave years, the move to Channel 4, every special, and the new deal that keeps Greg Davies and Alex Horne setting tasks until 2029.
As of September 2026, Taskmaster stands at 22 series — 21 complete, with series 22 just underway on Channel 4 — and the paperwork already exists to take it to series 27. If you're planning to watch the lot, budget generously.
From Edinburgh to Dave to Channel 4
Alex Horne invented the format at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010, as a year-long game for fellow comedians. The TV version debuted on Dave on 28 July 2015 with Greg Davies installed as the all-powerful Taskmaster and Horne as his put-upon assistant. Nine series ran on Dave before Channel 4 acquired the show, starting with series 10 in October 2020 — and it's been a fixture there since, winning a BAFTA along the way.
The count in full
- Series 1–21 — complete, from the 2015 original through to the series produced in early 2026.
- Series 22 — premiered September 2026, with Richard Ayoade, Matt Lucas, Nina Conti, Isy Suttie, and Chloe Petts competing for Greg's shiny head.
- New Year Treats — one-off celebrity specials, an annual tradition since January 2021.
- Champion of Champions — winners-only tournaments, first held in 2017, with more promised as champions accumulate.
- International versions — 13 of them worldwide, including New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.
The deal through 2029
In April 2026, after series 21 had been made, Channel 4 announced a recommission of six further series — taking the show up to series 27 and keeping it on the channel until at least 2029, with more New Year Treats and Champion of Champions along for the ride. The same deal puts the New Zealand, Australian, and Canadian versions on Channel 4's streaming service and YouTube channel, plus full UK episodes on YouTube.
The Taskmaster himself greeted the news with characteristic warmth:
"I am delighted the comedian meat grinder remains open for business," Greg Davies said in Channel 4's April 2026 announcement — promising to keep it fed with the help of a small, introverted man he owns.
Horne, the man who has to write all those tasks, admitted to being pleased and quite stressed in equal measure, though three more years in Greg's embrace was, he said, "soothing my little head".
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What that adds up to
Do the arithmetic and the guaranteed future looks like this: at least 27 UK series by the end of the decade, roughly 15 years on air, and hundreds of grown adults having painted, catapulted, and duct-taped their way through a suburban house and one very patient caravan.
The renewal maths has one quiet implication: somewhere in Britain, five comedians who don't know it yet are already booked for humiliation in 2029.