Juhis

Happy #FediDonutFriday to all who celebrate!

All I can say is I'm so happy it's Friday. It's been another rough week with very little to celebrate.

I did have a wonderful long discussion with a friend about Taskmaster this Wednesday, a nice MTG evening and some fun board gaming last night so I guess it's not all bad.

Come take a break from doomscrolling and enjoy a virtual (or real) donut or pastry and share something positive from your week to cheer me up — or a cute picture of a red panda.

Feb 27 at 12:38pmWeb
Show threadPixel DunnFeb 27
@hamatti if i had anything positive…
Show threadbugbearFeb 27

@hamatti wait Taskmaster is back on TV already?

Edit: I'm sorry, I just realised you might not be talking about the British Taskmaster

Show threadJuhisFeb 27
@bugbear We talked about Taskmaster in general. Mostly about UK for sure but we're both big fans of other countries too. Personally, I love New Zealand, Australia and Norway most (in addition to UK of course).
Show threadbugbearFeb 27

@hamatti I still haven't tried the other versions, but I've heard Australia is good.

My friend showed me clips of the Swedish version and I want to try it. Sadly I haven't been able to find full episodes. I'll add New Zealand and Norway on my list 

Show threadJuhisFeb 27
@bugbear You're in for a treat once you fall into the rabbit hole and realise how much there is to watch
Show threadJuhisFeb 27
@bugbear So far, I've enjoyed everything but Finland (except for season 6 which was okay-ish) and US.
Show threadbugbearFeb 27

@hamatti Oh, shame. The Finnish one could have been a nice introduction to Finnish comedy for me.

I think my friend said he didn't like the American version either. On one hand it's not surprising, American adaptations of British programming are often not good. On the other hand, I often found Americans on Taskmaster UK a hoot. Maybe Americans just shine in British environment 

Show threadJuhisFeb 27

@bugbear The Finnish one has some structural issues and some casting issues.

Structurally I don't like that they have a seasonal cast of 4 with a fifth rotating member every week. It really breaks the formula of building up relationships between people throughout the weeks. Also, the prize task is often just described by the taskmaster instead of contestants telling their stories.

The roles of taskmaster and assistant are also bit weird even though both of the actors doing them are great.

Show threadJuhisFeb 27

@bugbear Casting-wise, the biggest problem is that there aren't really comedians there.

Most of the contestants are actors, musicisians or otherwise celebrities.

Show threadbugbearFeb 27

@hamatti They do that for Taskmaster UK's New Year specials (as you're probably aware), which is fun (obviously depending on the cast). But I'm not sure it would work for the whole series, so I can see how it's hurting Finnish series.

I assume they do it to attract viewers, but surely there are big enough names in Finnish comedy that would attract an audience, too.

Show threadbugbearFeb 27

@hamatti Ah yes, that's a strange choice. As you said, the relationships between contestants are a part of the fun. Also I really enjoy when they try to defend their prizes.

Very strange they decided to go a completely different route when they got a successful formula already they could just copy.

Show threadJuhisFeb 27
@bugbear Bunch of countries have the rotating cast version so it's not just a Finnish thing. Maybe it's part of the licensing package where they get the tasks and everything from.
Show threadbugbearFeb 27
@hamatti Oh, that's interesting. I had no idea, good to know.
Show threadJuhisFeb 27
@bugbear And in every one of them, I've felt that it's a big negative. It just doesn't work for me.
Show threadbugbearFeb 27

@hamatti I guess that solves my partner's problem of "what to watch while we're eating" after we finished Stranger Things  

It reminds me when my friend got into Skam years ago and then she watched all the other versions, too, haha.

Show threadISDFeb 27

@hamatti I almost bought a pair of gluten-free Omar buns to finally try them out, but somehow didn't. Some other day.

Positive stuff... It's been a _week_ again but the good news is that as in a decent-sized project the team is rapidly ramped down, there are many new and interesting options floating around. Even for me, a hand-waver-not-coder-anymore 😅 ☕

Show threadJuhisFeb 27

@isd_d Omar buns are fantastic!

So happy to hear you're having interesting options, hopefully you'll end up with a great one!

Show threadISDFeb 27

@hamatti So I've been told, I am quite interested. The g-Berlin Buns are just about as glorious as the real ones 🤤

Thanks! A change is welcome 👍🏻👍🏻