Channel 4 has confirmed a new Taskmaster spin-off, Your Time Starts Now, devised and hosted by Alex Horne.

Set in the ‘Taskmaster universe’, the new show will see British households compete against one another in tackling a host of his typically devious tasks without ever leaving their homes.  The tasks are said to require a combination of ‘creativity, lateral thinking, speed, some general knowledge and teamwork’.

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.’

Channel 4 has commissioned a pilot episode of Your Time Starts Now, which is still just a working title. It builds on the programme The Button, which Horne also devised and which ran for just one series on BBC One in 2018. That was billed as ‘a cross between Gogglebox and Taskmaster’ with families participating in challenges at random intervals whenever the titular button changed colour.

That show, also narrated by Horne, was welcomed by Digital Spy, which called it 'another addictive triumph', while the Radio Times declared that it was ‘a simple, silly yet surprisingly good new game show’. The Courier in Scotland was more neutral, concluding that it was ’cheerful, undemanding viewing’, but The Guardian gave it only a two-star review.

Horne also set ‘HomeTasking’ challenges for families stuck at home during lockdown.

Jon Thoday, executive producer at Avalon, said: ‘After years of being asked by fans about a little-known show we produced nearly 10 years ago called The Button and following the success of HomeTasking in lockdown, we are delighted Channel 4 has given us the opportunity of seeing if combining the spirit of those shows may bring more comedy gold from the brilliant minds of Alex Horne and [director] Andy Devonshire.’

Channel 4 commissioning editor Tom Beck said the show was ‘wildly inventive, properly funny and rooted in real people being brilliant (and, occasionally, absolutely rubbish)’.

He added: ‘It’s an utterly distinctive celebration of British family life in all shapes and sizes, and I can’t wait to see how our families get on as they try and tackle Alex and Andy’s ludicrous tasks.   Why should comedians get all the fun?"

Andy Devonshire, who also directs Taskmaster, added: said: ‘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.’ 

Chortle first reported on the existence of this spin-off project in April, when a casting call for families went out.