The Traitors has really taken the reality world by storm, and with a "normie" spinoff on the way, I think the franchise zigged when it should've zagged. Sure, there's an audience that loves the series and its gameplay, but what about the crowd that's just there to see their favorite Bravo stars and reality television royalty?
I think those with a Peacock subscription want, maybe even need, another series for these stars to play on in between appearances on The Traitors. Fortunately, I found the perfect solution recently, and wouldn't you know it is also a show that originated in the UK. Let's bring Taskmaster back to the United States and load it up with Bravo stars.
An American Taskmaster Featuring Bravo And Traitors Stars Feels Like A Great Companion Show
I realized, when watching Taskmaster's Season 22 premiere with my Hulu subscription, that an American version of this would be the perfect companion series to The Traitors. For the uninitiated, the flagship series is centered on host Greg Davies and Alex Horne, who welcome five celebrities who compete in various odd challenges over the course of a season.
Each hour-long episode follows a similar format, with contestants earning points across the season based on how they perform in each of the following rounds:
- Prize Task: Contestants must bring in or present an object that falls in line with the Taskmaster's given theme for the week.
- Taskmaster House: Usually a bizarre challenge or logic puzzle that's pre-recorded with points awarded to who completes it in the fastest time.
- Live Task: Contestants compete in an in-studio challenge and gain points based on that.
The contestants of the season remain the same each episode, so their points would carry over from each episode as the game progresses. Presumably, Peacock would want to cast people who were well-liked on the previous season of The Traitors, as an added incentive for those already tuning in to stick around. After watching one episode, I would love to see Tom Sandoval on this show, and I think he'd be perfect for it.
The First American Attempt At Taskmaster Failed, But This Would Be Different
It is worth noting that Taskmaster did try to come to the United States, but the execution was quite different than the beloved UK version. Coincidentally enough, the spinoff also starred former Traitors star Ron Funches, which may prove it's destined to be a Peacock companion series.
The failed Comedy Central version had too short a runtime, and I really think Taskmaster is a show that needs a full hour. Fortunately, those who watch The Traitors are already conditioned to that, so they'd have no problem watching Season 4 winner Rob Rausch attempt to find a golden apple while handcuffed to a thirty-pound ham bone or whatever he had to do.
Aside from the growing trend of reality stars appearing on other reality shows, I think Taskmaster has the same general vibe as The Traitors when it comes to aesthetics. I'd love to hear if someone at the streamer thinks the same, because I'd love to see this series get another chance to be a hit stateside. If not, I still have the original series, which has me rooting for Richard Ayoade and Matt Lucas as they battle their way to win, with plenty of laughs along the way.
As mentioned, catch new episodes of Taskmaster on Hulu on Thursdays. I encourage everyone to check it out, and then think about how much more fun it would be to see Real Housewives and the like attempt these challenges!
