TF1 brings Taskmaster to France and tees up Crazy Mini Golf

TF1 has ordered a French version of Taskmaster, the British comedy format where five celebrities take on a run of absurd challenges.

The commission is part of the channel's premium unscripted entertainment push, as reported by Variety. Unscripted means shows made without a script, from games to reality. The plans sit with Julien Degroote, TF1 Group's executive vice-president of content development.

Taskmaster was created by British comedian Alex Horne and launched in the United Kingdom in 2015. Each series follows five famous faces as they tackle strange tasks. A Taskmaster judges them. An assistant keeps score and helps run the games.

In France, that assistant will be Camille Combal. He will also produce the adaptation. French viewers will know him as host of TF1's Masked Singer and Qui sera le plus nul?

The format travels well. A format is a ready-made show idea that broadcasters buy and remake locally. Taskmaster has now been adapted in 15 territories outside the UK.

The numbers explain the interest. The Dutch version opened on RTL4 to more than 1 million viewers. The Polish version gave TVN its biggest primetime launch in five years, according to Variety. Primetime is the evening slot when audiences are largest.

In Britain, the programme has had a long run. It started on UKTV before Channel 4 picked it up under a six-season deal, with new episodes due from 2020, as reported by Deadline. Channel 4 later ordered six further series with Greg Davies and Alex Horne staying in their roles.

TF1 is not stopping there. The channel will also launch Crazy Mini Golf in primetime. It is the French take on Holey Moley, the American competition sold by Fremantle that turns mini golf into a giant obstacle course with big physical stunts.

It will be hosted by McFly and Carlito, the French YouTube comedy duo. The original Holey Moley ran for four seasons on ABC in the US. The French edition was filmed in Portugal, with TF1 sharing the cost with ITV in the UK and Amazon in Germany.

What makes this stand out for fans is the pairing. One show is small, chatty and silly. The other is loud, colourful and physical. Both are easy to pick up, even if you have never seen the originals.

Casting for the French Taskmaster line-up and launch dates for both shows have not yet been announced.