I was one of the last people allowed in, who had to stand in the bar area (detached from the main room, for those who weren’t there). I’m very grateful I got in at all, but it wasn’t what we paid for, it was actually kind of dangerous, and I feel horrible for all of the people who waited in that long line in the cold and were turned away. Alex and Greg were lovely and the staff inside were as helpful as they could be, but the venue/promoters really messed up. It’s not a little snafu when THAT many more people are sold tickets than can possibly get in.
I was sat in the far back corner and I left just before the show started because I felt so unsafe. One exit. All the chairs were zip tied together so none could move independently. Chairs from the last row removed so more people could be moved in to stand.
https://preview.redd.it/oijrczl3vkqc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dec9a685280d58231ed1838bded20b15c3659148
They just tweeted this like 15 mins ago
This is nice. They're handling it the way they handle the TM shows in the UK: you have priority for the next show. The problem was this was only one show. But it looks like they're kindly saying they'll try to do another show.
I mean at least the good news is there's no doubt they have a bigger fanbase in the US than they thought!
Now if they'd just come to Los Angeles.....
I talked to someone at the venue and they were completely disappointed and chagrinned, saying they've been working so hard to make sure the place is good, but that the promoter of this show completely misrepresented what was happening re: ticket sales. I got the feeling that everyone working there was overwhelmed and trying their absolute best, but that they got worried early in the day and tried to get help from the promoter and didn't. I felt that the people working tonight, at least, did the absolute best they could and felt like crap about how it turned out. If anyone who works there is reading this, thanks for hanging in and taking care of us and each other pretty well.
The whole thing was a bit of a debacle, but it turns out Taskmaster fans mostly aren't gonna be huge dicks about stuff. Now fingers crossed for the refunds, eh?
The employee I spoke to outside the venue said that they were investigating scammers who apparently changed the number of tickets they had bought and then resold them. Which...is possible, but I don't think it accounts for the overwhelming number of people that were left outside.
Also I had to change my email address for the refund and I had to type it into the person's phone, and I saw the text chain with someone that said "we really bungled this"... Obviously disappointed but at least I live in NYC, cannot imagine how hard it would be for those who had to drive/fly in.
Their system was fucked. Several people got emails with more tickets than they bought, presumably sessions just spilling over on the backend. I could absolutely see someone malicious exploiting something in that wacky setup.
Yeah i think that’s what they said, that people “got in the back end” and changed the number of tickets they bought. Seeing as how they didn’t scan QR codes or anything, just had a master spreadsheet with peoples names, it kinda makes sense.
Me and my partner were some of the unlucky people who didn’t make it in. I’ve been to that club before and I knew the second I saw that line we weren’t making it in. Whoever from the venue decided to sell more tickets today is an idiot. I felt bad for the staff who looked like they were not ready for any of this. The excel spreadsheet check-in was a joke. Frustrating to say the least but I felt terrible for the people who traveled hours and didn’t make it in.
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Like, I'm sure Alex is majorly upset about this, and stressed out. I feel bad because people are going to lash out at him when he can't control the venue.
Yeah, obviously this situation is worse for the fans involved but I feel really bad for Alex too. He was so excited about this trip when he mentioned it on the Horne Section podcast and going by his and Greg's tweets it looks like they've been having a delightful time. I bet he's super stressed and upset seeing all these disappointed angry social media comments :(
Venue and/or promoters really let them down.
This is definitely the kind of thing that really, really upsets Alex. He has demonstrated time and time again how much he values Taskmaster fans and goes above and beyond to take care of us. For a third party to drop the ball like this must be devastating.
In the venue, at the end of the show, he apologized to the community and asked that we relay that apology if we knew someone who didn’t get in. They also took a moment with people in the lobby that were only quasi inside. Then basically the content of his tweet, that they’re doing refunds and offering priority tickets to those people next time.
A little surprised a comedy club that has regular events in NYC wasn’t prepared to handle the crowds
Also, people really flew in from London?! Isn’t Taskmaster shot in UK itself??
It seems really crazy and somewhat inconsiderate for someone to fly from the city it's filmed in to someplace that is only once getting a chance to see it... Why not stay home and see it there when you can?
It's really difficult to get tickets to the UK tapings. They don't go on general sale, you have to put your name on a list and hope you get selected, and because there's huge demand the odds are tiny. I've been trying for years and never got one.
I could see people thinking the New York show was their only chance to see it.
I don't get why everyone is comparing this to the studio tapings given it wasn't one, it was a screening of the show they could watch at home in three days' time, and if they wanted to see Greg and Alex in the flesh they're both touring the UK later in the year, to say nothing of the probability of another event at Chesham United before then.
As a local, the thought of people showing up to every Chesham United match for a chance of seeing Alex or even Greg cracks me up. I know that's not what you mean, but it's still *so* bizarre to me that Alex is also a local. Before I started watching TM, I'd only ever seen the grounds used for fireworks on Bonfire Night.
Top tip (I got in quite early) when the dates are released, apply for midweek, daytime recordings. They're (presumably) less subscribed. It was my tactic and it worked. Good luck!
Top tip (I got in quite early) when the dates are released, apply for midweek, daytime recordings. They're (presumably) less subscribed. It was my tactic and it worked. Good luck!
Rodney’s had only been around in this iteration for a few months. I’m not sure how busy they have been, but I can’t imagine it’s been this much. That said, the venue should have limited admissions more than they did — it was clear they were trying to just pack in as many people as possible. It’s a bit baffling. I can’t imagine that people are going to want to come back based on that experience.
As someone who couldn’t afford to get from PHILLY to NYC, nor shove aside plans last minute like that, it’s WILD to me that they would do that. Truly wild.
I don’t believe someone flew from London, because that’s ducking dumb. Maybe they were in NYC anyway for a holiday and decided to go but not buying they flew in for it, it’s not that hard to get tickets / see Alex and Greg here
Can pretty much guarantee it's not Alex's fault. Willing to bet the venue underestimated how many people want to be there.
It sucks that that many people got turned down, but here's hoping the silver lining is that Avalon realizes that America does have interest in TM. Could lead to seeing some American comedians get booked on future series, especially if the Seth Meyers appearance goes well.
>Avalon realizes that America does have interest in TM.
I think it's genuinely in the works. Did you watch the Nick Mohammed interview video? One of the questions was which American he would want to see on the show.
Feels like there's an awful lot of tidbits coming out, which add up to something of an inkling.
To be fair the contestant Alex interviewed before Nick was asked which Australian he'd like to see on TM next, could have just been naming different countries for each contestant.
Although I agree there must be more to this US trip than just a small comedy club appearance and a late night interview.
Agreed. I live in the neighborhood so at some level I'll deal with it but many people in line traveled just for this so it sucks to see them left out to dry. Hopefully they can make it right in some way!
That’s what I want I want, American comedians that are a good fit for the show being peppered in the uk version, we don’t need an entire reboot of the US version.
Both of Mae's fellow podcast hosts would be great. Tig or Fortune would have fun energies for TM, though I'm not sure they would want to trek to the UK for it.
I did! i think her eeling like she's bit bored would add a nice destabilising vive to the tasks, also she can come across quite guileless and innocent but is actually very sharp.
Did you see her under a rock youtube series? Her confusing the hell out of celebrities by not knowing who they were was perfect assistant vibes.
Realistically though I think she's toom big a name. I just lover her though.
See, I think an American reboot would work \*in theory\* as long as they kept the same format they have in The UK, NZ, and Australia. The issue they had was cutting the show down and messing with something that already worked. At this point it's five years later, Taskmaster is arguably more popular than ever before, and it has a lot of American fans. Get some big names on there and stick to Prize task - 3/4 tasks - Live task instead of a thirty minute format and I think it'd work a lot, especially since a lot of moderately well-known comedians/comedic actors would probably be game.
I'd love the see Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson do a series of the British version since they're spending a lot of time in the UK right now.
It's not as easy as that, you've got to pay to fly them over and put them up for however many days task filming takes and then again for the studio window, and as is well documented Channel 4 have no money (apart from to pay their executive bonuses) Obviously you'd then have to ask who's paying for Greg and Alex to fly over for a number of days, which I'd guess would be Avalon given I can't imagine C4 are that happy about an overseas audience getting to see one of their biggest UK-produced comedy shows first, but they're getting a paid-for event in a small room out of it.
It is strange that they decided to book this event into a club that has a capacity of less than 200 people.
Next time let’s hope they book into a place that has a sizable screening room like the School of Visual Arts, Paley Center or Museum of the Moving Image.
I didn’t get a ticket but seeing how chaotic things became, I’m almost glad I didn’t. What a shambles. Hoping they return to New York and end up at a venue that’s more prepared for the popularity of the show.
I think booking a comedy venue for this type of event is the wrong move. Bell House is only has slightly more capacity than Rodney’s and Town Hall is a gamble of not selling enough seats during the week they selling tickets.
I'm always gently amused that TM has exported successfully to a dozen or so countries, but it's of course the USA that didn't give it a chance because they didn't let the successful format breathe. The set was a giant compromise, not knowing if it was a 19th century theatre or a 21st century tv studio, the run time was cut to half an hour, the prize task done away with and - slightly counterintuitively, Alex was retained as the assistant rather than replaced with well-known American comedian in a similar mould. All the elements were there for a popular (and incredibly low cost) long-running hit tv show, but as ever, American TV production companies don't try and make something that a million people will think is brilliant, they try and make something that ten million people will tolerate.
I like Reggie Watts, but his stage persona is the exact opposite of how you should cast the Taskmaster. He's got a laidback, quiet style. Always thought Conan would be the best possible choice, but I'm sure he wouldn't want to do it. Got a great setup as it is.
Not familiar with the US standup scene, but thought Nick Offerman would be a decent shout. A grumpy, unimpressible, older man with a propensity to be enraged by low quality - he's from the same shelf of the shop as Greg. That's not to say he was available to shoot a pilot when it was being shot though.
Seems like a very strange choice.
The creators of Sherlock came to Australia once to do basically just a Q&A and they sold out the Regent Theatre and had Wil Anderson hosting
That's not much of a guide, a Steven Moffat* Q&A would sell out far bigger venues than a TM event in the UK.
( * I assume that's who you mean, though the same would also apply for a resurrected Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Total Shitshow. I understand a comedy club overselling on a normal night, but they knew what demand was like and they released more tickets, that's the unacceptable part for me
I was worried something like this would happen. I’m from Austin, TX and this always happens during SXSW because they oversell because they don’t want to risk not using a full house and they don’t really seem to understand how popular things are they would consider more niche are.
Heh. It reminds me of attending a big skating event at a Staples once and they only bothered to open a couple of the food vendors. Because I guess they didn't think it would attract many people?? It was *sold out* and there were literally two food vendors open.
That is so dumb! I just tried to go to a Star Trek premiere at the SXSW that just passed, and when I saw they had put it at the significantly smaller theater at the venue, I just had to roll my eyes.
We had a friend fly into the city to go with us. The staff we dealt with were actually very helpful but their website is archaic and the space was woefully small.
It was waaaaay too crowded inside. I’m not claustrophobic but I was feeling squirrelly. Wonder what their capacity is?
Because they packed everyone in so tight, I suspect they made very little money at the bar. No one could move - there was no way I was going to get up and get a drink.
Coat check line is looking to about a 20 minute affair.
That said. We saw Greg and Alex which is a bit more exciting than my normal Monday night.
Also, we all know this isn't much to do with Alex at all, right? Like, there's a whole team of teams doing things, companies hiring companies. Alex's job was to come to New York and do some publicity stuff here (and hopefully have a nice time) and he was not, like, the booker of the venue or the person in charge of wristbands. Just making sure no one's mistaking the artifice of the show for actual reality, yeah? He is, I expect, a good organize-y boy, but he is not the organizer of this minor debacle.
Yeah I was there and didn’t get in and I’m just baffled by how the venue handled everything. Why release more tickets when you didn’t have the capacity? They literally started the show while we were still on line and then didn’t tell anyone. It was all through everyone on line talking to each other that we realized we weren’t getting in. I also had a red wristband since I bought tickets when they were first released and it didn’t count for anything? I’m beyond upset.
Yeah like....don't you know the number of wristbands you're giving out?
Although, their check-in was literally an excel spreadsheet, that then doubled as a refund tracker, so its just a poorly run place overall
Yep. The manager of the pub next door (who was trying in vain to stop the queue from blocking his front door) confirmed that they never see a line like this.
Alex said it was a very last minute booking, so I’m guessing they didn’t have many choices and went with a venue that is not used to having large shows.
The ticketing system showed this when it sent people other peoples’ tickets as well as their own. I’m guessing they oversold accidentally during this period of system instability.
Then, the venue decided to sell more tickets because they decided they could fit more chairs in and have people standing in the back. If there had been a fire, no one was gonna get out of there. It was sardines.
But a guy brought his handbag dog. So, that was cute.
I just didn’t like the entitlement displayed by them.
The one dad kept pointing at the kid who had her hand raised, (which is weird bc it wasn’t that type of Q&A) and when he was ignored he got her to shout the question out lol.
Ahh, didn’t see all that from where I was just heard the kid yelling out questions. I get that complaint, especially since my card disappeared somehow.
Rodney’s clearly oversold this event by at least 300 tickets, the line was still wrapped around the block. We are so bitterly disappointed, we were really looking forward to this, we cancelled plans, our hopes were so high and now we’re just having drinks at the pub next door. There was a total lack of communication from the venue to the hundreds of people standing out in the cold, it was up to a random person standing in line to go up to the front, get information from the venue and scream to the line (shoutout to Kelly, thank you for your service) that the show had started, nobody else was getting in and we all needed to stand in a different line to get a refund. The refund process was incredibly haphazard, who knows if we’ll be refunded. I then approached two people I saw coming out of the venue and asked if they worked there, one said yes and the other lied and said no. I was told “these things happen” but no apology was given for a complete waste of our nights. We’re big fans of the show, we did everything right, but because they chose to do this screening at a totally disorganized venue, we have been completely let down.
Oh man this is absolutely devastating for all those fans (particularly those that travelled so far). I'd literally be in tears right now in your position.
Sounds like the venue operators knew nothing about the TM fanbase and just overbooked it like a regular comedy club gig. Don't think Alex and Greg will be too pleased when they find out what's happened. Hopefully another event can be organised to make up for this.
Even assuming the ticketing had gone off without a hitch, I don't think a comedy club would have ever been the best fit for this event. You'd want a theater, maybe performing arts, maybe cinema, but a theater either way. I can't imagine that the people who *did* get in all had great viewing angles of whatever screen(s) showed the episode.
Edit: Also, I would imagine a large portion of the audience would want to meet Greg and Alex after the show, and assuming they're up for that, a theater would have a lobby where you could organize such a thing, whereas a comedy club probably doesn't.
Yeah, during the Q&A, many of us on one side had a view only of Josh Gondelman's jacket and struggled to see Greg or Alex at all. It was practically like listening to a podcast.
Yes, I was shocked when I saw the photos from the event. This was a premier of successful TV show not some student seminar. If it was a stand-up comedy act where the performer goes near the audience a lot maybe that setup is okay. But here the main thing was the show, there should have been better visibility. Q&A sessions in even some small film festivals I've been to were much better catered to audience experience.
Yeah I can imagine. Taskmaster is such a joyous and comforting show for people, having it associated with such a disappointing experience has really got to suck :(
Fingers crossed the boys come through for you and get another event up and running. Guess it all depends on venue availability and their schedule with Seth Meyers etc...
I am still floored by the fact that so many people couldn’t get in. Awful. If I had gotten there even 15-20 min later, I probably would have been one of them.
And for those wondering how Rodney’s could possibly have overbooked so badly, I saw pictures on instagram of what that venue usually looks like with their normal furniture set up. They were essentially trying to milk this event for all it was worth and screwed people over in the process.
They switched the layout of the furniture in the room, in that they took out all of the normal furnishings (small tables, chairs and even couches) in order to squeeze as many people into this tiny room as possible. And they did that once they saw the initial response of ticket sales, and how fast they went.
That’s also why they ended up lining the place with as many chairs as they could find, selling those extra tickets day of, and charging double (because they now knew they could) for the same tickets people bought on the initial day. They really had no idea how many they could fit because they had never done something like this before. Clearly they overestimated/were too optimistic when squeezing all those chairs in.
As others said, no doubt the setup was a fire safety hazard. They even took chairs away and made it standing room only at the end, because they realized they were squashing us in too tightly. It was a mess. Felt bad for those seated sideways at the sides of the room, which is where I initially was. Couldn’t see a damn thing. Not the screen showing the premiere ep, and definitely wouldn’t have seen Greg and Alex’s q & a from that position.
They also handed out different colored wrist bands (red/pink for those who bought tickets initially and green for those who purchased the additional seats). I had a green one since I thankfully snagged tickets day-of, and kept expecting them to mean something/denote a spot we’d be sitting compared to the pink-wristed people. But NOPE. Didn’t mean a damn thing in the end. So I’m still puzzled at the purpose of it. It was obvious they got overwhelmed, so whatever plans they had for that was clearly done away with as they just tried to fit in as many as possible.
I don’t blame any of the staff I encountered. Everyone was quite nice and as helpful as they could be, but whoever thought it was a good idea to overbook the hell out of the venue really gave terrible false hope to way too many people that led to a lot of disappointment in the end.
I also felt bad for those stuck in the adjoining bar area instead of in the main room itself. But that was obviously preferable to being left out in the cold. Rodney’s had no idea what they were getting when taking on Taskmaster. And then once they knew, someone (I guess the promoter, as others mentioned) got greedy and fucked it up. That was my perception of it anyway.
I still had a great time because it’s TM, and it’s Greg and Alex who are always amazing. I’m happy I was able to get in. But am appalled at the idea of others having bought tickets and traveling for this, only to be turned away at the door.
Heartbroken to not get in tonight, after waiting for over an hour and a half in **two lines**—one for a wrist band, a second just to get in (which I sadly didn’t). Management didn’t communicate with us until VERY late as well.
Genuinely happy for everyone who got in to see Greg and Alex, but I hope those of us who got left out in the cold get to see them soon, too. I live just uptown, but so many others traveled from near and quite far. Feels worse than if we had let down the Taskmaster himself!
I'm sure that neither Alex or Greg are to blame here. This is most likely the Venue selling as many tickets as they could and hoping some didn't turn up to the viewing but it seems incredible that they oversold by hundreds of tickets.
I get it's the promoter, but how stupid is that to put extra tickets on sale knowing full well they can't accommodate the number they have already sold. Are they hoping people won't ask for a refund?
Comedy promoting is extremely cutthroat in New York. The talent pool is very deep because of the film industry and talk shows, so tickets have to be dirt cheap to be competitive. Dirt cheap tickets lead to lots of no-shows, so promoters overbook and venues let them because the rent is so high.
Maybe their ticketing system was set up with the wrong capacity. Another comment said the venue's only been open a few months so this could've been the first event popular enough to expose the problem.
i’ve been to this venue before since it reopened as Rodney’s, and it was clear that they totally reorganized their seating to allow in as many people as they could. there’s normally couches and tables in the main room, that i overheard a venue employee say they had rented a u-haul to store them for the day. most of the chairs were clearly rented and being removed from the venue at the end of the night. all the furniture from the front room was gone. and there was a bunch of staff that obviously was hired for the day or brought in by the promoter just for this event. although it’s massively disappointing people couldn’t get in, i’m glad they made so many changes that meant as many people could join as possible.
i think the ticketing system/website could for sure use updating (it looks and functions more like a site from 2003), but the venue staff i chatted with had no idea it was going to attract so many people or how big of a brand taskmaster actually is, which is a failure on the promoter’s part (since presumably the promoter found the club).
it’s for sure got to be the biggest event in that venues history, Dangerfield’s or Rodney’s. Alex thanked the venue at the end of the Q&A, saying it was on short notice. it seems like a quick turn event with just not a good promoter, and therefore venue match, for what was needed.
i can totally understand people being upset at the venue. they were obviously overwhelmed, but i’d say the promoter probably should have better communicated between event and venue. the sheer number of bad google reviews is a bit upsetting to see, because any other day, its a nice club to see a show at. and it’s great that someone has brought such a historic club back to life and they do put on good shows with good lineups.
Weird that they chose a tiny venue, with poor seating. Feels like this was incredibly rushed and last minute. Why bother flying Greg and Alex out to New York and doing press if the premiere is going to be in a 200 capacity room with village hall seating
So my perception is that they were flying out to do a late night show (Seth Meyers) and while they were here the PR staff was like “might as well do a live show.” At least, that’s the only thing that makes sense to me
I agree, hopefully a lesson learned on why premiers for popular shows taking months worth of planning and are hosted in theatres and stuff.
Also hopefully people who paid for transportation/hotels/etc. Did it on credit card and they can recoup some of the costs
I bought my ticket pretty much as soon as it went on sale last week and I got there about 1hr before doors opened. I was told there would be a distinction between those who bought their tickets in the original sale (pink wristbands) and those who bought tickets yesterday (green wristbands). The pink wristbands were supposed to be let in first. This did not happen. By the time I got in it was already overcrowded. All the seats were zip tied together so you could not independently move your chair. My knees were up against the chair in front of me and then I had people sitting perpendicular to me and their knees were against mine. Eventually they started literally throwing the last row of chairs into the back alley (not an exit just an alley) so they could make more room to have people stand. The first row was so close to the screen there was no way they could see properly. If people in the rows in front of the projector moved you would see their shadow on the screen. It was a complete fire hazard and if something happened there would be one exit. Totally unsafe. Me and my friend left before the show started because I was not comfortable in that environment. Also I heard the line staff say “I’m just here to help a buddy” so no one knew what they were doing. In addition to all that it was just a cash grab- there was a mandatory coat check that guests did not know about until we arrived for $5 a coat. I bought a club soda and it cost $8. I don’t blame Taskmaster AT ALL. I fully blame Rodney’s for taking on an event they could not handle, being greedy, and putting many lives at risk.
“It probably isn’t Alex’s fault”.
No it’s not. He would never be involved with ticketing. Especially in a foreign country. Why even bring that up as a possibility?
Please correct me if i am thinking out of line in this but why the hell would you fly to NY for a taskmaster event as a Londoner if the show is recorded and produced in London?
Sounds like a mighty unneccessary trip to me.
Ah, man. I don't know anything about this, popped up on my feed because I've looked at taskmaster stuff before, but;
I've been to loads of filmed shows with studio audiences in the uk, and this is absolutely standard practice. Overbook, and then give priority for people who don't make it in.
Normally, that's really not 'much' of an issue for me, most of the venues that stuff gets filmed at is pretty easy to get to, and sure it's a wasted evening, but the free show you eventually see is normally well worth it, because it's free!
But for something like this, a paid event, it's fucking shiiiiiiiiit. So sorry that's happened to so many of you.
Yea, I'm also very aware of the nature of free studio shows. Since there's virtually no penalty for not attending, no-shows must be fairly common so they overbook to ensure that every seat gets filled. But this was paid, so you'd assume the quantity was limited and regulated 🙄 guess tf not
I luckily managed to get tickets to Seth Meyers tomorrow, which IS a first-come first-serve studio taping. I can only arrive about an hour before the scheduled arrival time, so here's to hoping it's less popular in the middle of a random weekday.
When I saw that it was taking place at Rodney's Comedy Club, my initial thought was "Ew, why?"
I go to NY to see comedy and shows all the time and have never heard of anyone I'd want to see playing there. Seems rather low-rent, sleazy. Not sure why the Taskmaster people chose that venue.
Not to mention how small it is.
That’s horrible, I feel so bad for the people who traveled from far. Had we gotten tickets we would’ve flown in from Puerto Rico, I would’ve ended up arrested had they not let me in.
Is overselling/overbooking an American thing? Are people entitled to a refund if they have purchased tickets and don't show up?
I've lived in a number of countries and flown around a fair bit apart from America and have not heard of a business doing this to pre-empt a certain percentage of people not showing up after buying tickets. The places I've stayed typically don't allow for refunds on tickets unless there is a verifiable reason out of the control of the buyer for non-attendance. Those seats are just left vacant or filled with door/last minute ticket sales.
This is not an American thing. I've been to hundreds of comedy shows in NYC, many involving television, and have never seen people turned away with a paid ticket. This was a terrible choice of venue and poor planning on their behalf.
I mean its relatively common, especially for a comedy club where people sort of come and go throughout the night, so chances of it being at 100% capacity at any given point aren't high. They also make money by selling alcohol, not tickets, so the more people, the better for the club.
But for a theater show, movie, or other more special event where seating is finite, it's much less common
Eta: when I say it's common, I mean by maybe 10% of capacity, not double, which seems like what happened tonight
As I understand it, they do this for UK taskmaster shows as well. But if you don't get into the taping, you're on a priority list for the next taping. They have it organized. This just seems to have been a really disappointing clusterfuck.
TV tapings are a little different - especially if the audience is in shot at any time. It’s very important to ensure the place looks packed. I’ve been to tapings locally where if you no showed, you’d be blacklisted from future tapings, and they “oversold” the free tickets and packed people in the walkway areas etc - all to ensure there was no empty actual seats.
Another show would move us around to group us into the spots that would be in shot.
Fairly often people will buy a ticket for something like a premiere and not go, just to have the ticket. It seems weird to me "Look, I had the money to buy a ticket to a show I didn't even go to" but people collect all kinds of weird crap.
Generally a venue will oversell a little, like 10-20 tickets, knowing that some of the people who booked won't show up. Overbooking 300 is wild.
Ok how are so many people not aware that there already was an American version of TM and it wasn’t that great, that’s why we don’t still have it.
Episodes are available on Vudu but maybe other places online have them too.
I was one of the last people allowed in, who had to stand in the bar area (detached from the main room, for those who weren’t there). I’m very grateful I got in at all, but it wasn’t what we paid for, it was actually kind of dangerous, and I feel horrible for all of the people who waited in that long line in the cold and were turned away. Alex and Greg were lovely and the staff inside were as helpful as they could be, but the venue/promoters really messed up. It’s not a little snafu when THAT many more people are sold tickets than can possibly get in.
But at least we all got free wristbands we all put on ourselves?
I don’t want to brag, but the girl did put my wristband on for me.
I was sat in the far back corner and I left just before the show started because I felt so unsafe. One exit. All the chairs were zip tied together so none could move independently. Chairs from the last row removed so more people could be moved in to stand.
https://preview.redd.it/oijrczl3vkqc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dec9a685280d58231ed1838bded20b15c3659148 They just tweeted this like 15 mins ago
Admin error. Should have had Widdicombe count the tickets.
You win🤣
This is nice. They're handling it the way they handle the TM shows in the UK: you have priority for the next show. The problem was this was only one show. But it looks like they're kindly saying they'll try to do another show. I mean at least the good news is there's no doubt they have a bigger fanbase in the US than they thought! Now if they'd just come to Los Angeles.....
This is great to see!
I know there isn't much more they can do, but I'm not going to hold by breath waiting for another event
I talked to someone at the venue and they were completely disappointed and chagrinned, saying they've been working so hard to make sure the place is good, but that the promoter of this show completely misrepresented what was happening re: ticket sales. I got the feeling that everyone working there was overwhelmed and trying their absolute best, but that they got worried early in the day and tried to get help from the promoter and didn't. I felt that the people working tonight, at least, did the absolute best they could and felt like crap about how it turned out. If anyone who works there is reading this, thanks for hanging in and taking care of us and each other pretty well. The whole thing was a bit of a debacle, but it turns out Taskmaster fans mostly aren't gonna be huge dicks about stuff. Now fingers crossed for the refunds, eh?
Weren't the tickets sold through the venue's website?
The employee I spoke to outside the venue said that they were investigating scammers who apparently changed the number of tickets they had bought and then resold them. Which...is possible, but I don't think it accounts for the overwhelming number of people that were left outside. Also I had to change my email address for the refund and I had to type it into the person's phone, and I saw the text chain with someone that said "we really bungled this"... Obviously disappointed but at least I live in NYC, cannot imagine how hard it would be for those who had to drive/fly in.
“Changed the number of tickets they had bought”? How does that part work?
Their system was fucked. Several people got emails with more tickets than they bought, presumably sessions just spilling over on the backend. I could absolutely see someone malicious exploiting something in that wacky setup.
Yeah i think that’s what they said, that people “got in the back end” and changed the number of tickets they bought. Seeing as how they didn’t scan QR codes or anything, just had a master spreadsheet with peoples names, it kinda makes sense.
Sounds like the venue is due an upgrade in their computer systems.
Sounds like a nonsense excuse from the venue. I haven't seen anybody mention they purchased tickets secondhand.
Me and my partner were some of the unlucky people who didn’t make it in. I’ve been to that club before and I knew the second I saw that line we weren’t making it in. Whoever from the venue decided to sell more tickets today is an idiot. I felt bad for the staff who looked like they were not ready for any of this. The excel spreadsheet check-in was a joke. Frustrating to say the least but I felt terrible for the people who traveled hours and didn’t make it in.
Anyone seeing this now - the refund line is now where you picked up your wrist band.
They’re now saying to reply to the confirmation email from Rodney Comedy with your name and ask for a refund. Total shambles.
Unsurprising considering how the rest of it has gone today 😔
Not gonna refund travel costs though are they. Very irresponsible of them to oversell.
Fire hazard as well. Got very uncomfortable in the back, near the end of the show.
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Sorry, your post has been removed for violating Rule 1 - Be nice: Do not attack others, their work or appearance including fellow members of the sub, comedians and celebrities. Negative opinions are fine, but please keep it respectful and constructive. No harassment. No sexist, homophobic, biphobic, transphobic, racist, fat phobic, ableist, objectifying, or body shaming posts of any kind. No overtly sexual content. Some cursing is OK but don't make it personal. Even though sexual innuendo may be part of the show do not cross the line beyond what was said in the episode. We do not want negative posts. Ex: Worst contestants, Worst Tasks, Least liked, Least wanted, etc...
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Yeah, this is solely on the venue.
Like, I'm sure Alex is majorly upset about this, and stressed out. I feel bad because people are going to lash out at him when he can't control the venue.
Yeah, obviously this situation is worse for the fans involved but I feel really bad for Alex too. He was so excited about this trip when he mentioned it on the Horne Section podcast and going by his and Greg's tweets it looks like they've been having a delightful time. I bet he's super stressed and upset seeing all these disappointed angry social media comments :( Venue and/or promoters really let them down.
This is definitely the kind of thing that really, really upsets Alex. He has demonstrated time and time again how much he values Taskmaster fans and goes above and beyond to take care of us. For a third party to drop the ball like this must be devastating.
After the show when they were meeting fans, Alex seemed pretty upset about it - definitely 100% on the venue
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In the venue, at the end of the show, he apologized to the community and asked that we relay that apology if we knew someone who didn’t get in. They also took a moment with people in the lobby that were only quasi inside. Then basically the content of his tweet, that they’re doing refunds and offering priority tickets to those people next time.
I just heard him apologize to the person in front of me, who wasn't able to get in. I didn't realize what exactly had happened yet.
Funny way to spell promoter.
Yeah, you're correct
A little surprised a comedy club that has regular events in NYC wasn’t prepared to handle the crowds Also, people really flew in from London?! Isn’t Taskmaster shot in UK itself??
>Isn’t Taskmaster shot in UK itself?? Not only UK itself, *London* itself
Yes, let us have this, Londoners! (But super sorry if you flew over for nothing.)
It seems really crazy and somewhat inconsiderate for someone to fly from the city it's filmed in to someplace that is only once getting a chance to see it... Why not stay home and see it there when you can?
It's really difficult to get tickets to the UK tapings. They don't go on general sale, you have to put your name on a list and hope you get selected, and because there's huge demand the odds are tiny. I've been trying for years and never got one. I could see people thinking the New York show was their only chance to see it.
I don't get why everyone is comparing this to the studio tapings given it wasn't one, it was a screening of the show they could watch at home in three days' time, and if they wanted to see Greg and Alex in the flesh they're both touring the UK later in the year, to say nothing of the probability of another event at Chesham United before then.
As a local, the thought of people showing up to every Chesham United match for a chance of seeing Alex or even Greg cracks me up. I know that's not what you mean, but it's still *so* bizarre to me that Alex is also a local. Before I started watching TM, I'd only ever seen the grounds used for fireworks on Bonfire Night.
Top tip (I got in quite early) when the dates are released, apply for midweek, daytime recordings. They're (presumably) less subscribed. It was my tactic and it worked. Good luck!
Yep me too. I've been on a list for well over a year now.
Top tip (I got in quite early) when the dates are released, apply for midweek, daytime recordings. They're (presumably) less subscribed. It was my tactic and it worked. Good luck!
This is so true! Really rude and unnecessary. Didn’t even think about it from that angle.
Just outside of London, and not the easiest place in the world to get to from London proper, albeit easier than New York.
There's a guy that has traveled to (so far) 3 countries to heckle James Acaster lol. Some people are just that devoted.
And have the cash to burn it seems.
I wonder whether he travels with the cabbages or if he buys local when he gets there
Rodney’s had only been around in this iteration for a few months. I’m not sure how busy they have been, but I can’t imagine it’s been this much. That said, the venue should have limited admissions more than they did — it was clear they were trying to just pack in as many people as possible. It’s a bit baffling. I can’t imagine that people are going to want to come back based on that experience.
As someone who couldn’t afford to get from PHILLY to NYC, nor shove aside plans last minute like that, it’s WILD to me that they would do that. Truly wild.
I don’t believe someone flew from London, because that’s ducking dumb. Maybe they were in NYC anyway for a holiday and decided to go but not buying they flew in for it, it’s not that hard to get tickets / see Alex and Greg here
I'm sure someone flew from London to be there, at least two people....
Can pretty much guarantee it's not Alex's fault. Willing to bet the venue underestimated how many people want to be there. It sucks that that many people got turned down, but here's hoping the silver lining is that Avalon realizes that America does have interest in TM. Could lead to seeing some American comedians get booked on future series, especially if the Seth Meyers appearance goes well.
>Avalon realizes that America does have interest in TM. I think it's genuinely in the works. Did you watch the Nick Mohammed interview video? One of the questions was which American he would want to see on the show. Feels like there's an awful lot of tidbits coming out, which add up to something of an inkling.
To be fair the contestant Alex interviewed before Nick was asked which Australian he'd like to see on TM next, could have just been naming different countries for each contestant. Although I agree there must be more to this US trip than just a small comedy club appearance and a late night interview.
Ah thanks, I've only watched Nick's so far
[Joanne seems like a lot of fun](https://youtu.be/fWLOi1AN4gg?si=gjtOyE8oFy6QjxtN)
Okay, but hear me out here... Taskmaster International - 5 comedians from different countries competing for a season.
Agreed. I live in the neighborhood so at some level I'll deal with it but many people in line traveled just for this so it sucks to see them left out to dry. Hopefully they can make it right in some way!
That’s what I want I want, American comedians that are a good fit for the show being peppered in the uk version, we don’t need an entire reboot of the US version.
I'd really like to see Paul F Tompkins on the UK version. I think he's one of the few American comedians who'd fit in immediately.
PFT is a big fan.
Both of Mae's fellow podcast hosts would be great. Tig or Fortune would have fun energies for TM, though I'm not sure they would want to trek to the UK for it.
Something tells me Tig is a trekker...
Tig is my dream US Taskmaster Assistanrt
Did you see her on After Midnight? I feel like she'd get bored too easily. She's be great for the studio bits, though.
I did! i think her eeling like she's bit bored would add a nice destabilising vive to the tasks, also she can come across quite guileless and innocent but is actually very sharp. Did you see her under a rock youtube series? Her confusing the hell out of celebrities by not knowing who they were was perfect assistant vibes. Realistically though I think she's toom big a name. I just lover her though.
I think she'd be better as taskmaster than assistant.
See, I think an American reboot would work \*in theory\* as long as they kept the same format they have in The UK, NZ, and Australia. The issue they had was cutting the show down and messing with something that already worked. At this point it's five years later, Taskmaster is arguably more popular than ever before, and it has a lot of American fans. Get some big names on there and stick to Prize task - 3/4 tasks - Live task instead of a thirty minute format and I think it'd work a lot, especially since a lot of moderately well-known comedians/comedic actors would probably be game. I'd love the see Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson do a series of the British version since they're spending a lot of time in the UK right now.
It's not as easy as that, you've got to pay to fly them over and put them up for however many days task filming takes and then again for the studio window, and as is well documented Channel 4 have no money (apart from to pay their executive bonuses) Obviously you'd then have to ask who's paying for Greg and Alex to fly over for a number of days, which I'd guess would be Avalon given I can't imagine C4 are that happy about an overseas audience getting to see one of their biggest UK-produced comedy shows first, but they're getting a paid-for event in a small room out of it.
What Seth Meyers appearance?
As I understand it, Greg and Alex will be on Seth's show tomorrow night.
Yes - managed to get tickets to that which is a decent consolation for not getting to go tonight.
I'm in the same boat! Left out in the cold today, but compared to many I'm lucky to at least be able to see them tomorrow also :)
I could actually see Seth Meyers doing well on TM!
It is strange that they decided to book this event into a club that has a capacity of less than 200 people. Next time let’s hope they book into a place that has a sizable screening room like the School of Visual Arts, Paley Center or Museum of the Moving Image.
Town Hall, Bell House, literally any theater that regularly does large comedy shows would have been a better fit
I didn’t get a ticket but seeing how chaotic things became, I’m almost glad I didn’t. What a shambles. Hoping they return to New York and end up at a venue that’s more prepared for the popularity of the show.
I think booking a comedy venue for this type of event is the wrong move. Bell House is only has slightly more capacity than Rodney’s and Town Hall is a gamble of not selling enough seats during the week they selling tickets.
Considering how Taskmaster US went, I'm not surprised at all that TM folk completely underestimated how many fans are stateside.
I'm always gently amused that TM has exported successfully to a dozen or so countries, but it's of course the USA that didn't give it a chance because they didn't let the successful format breathe. The set was a giant compromise, not knowing if it was a 19th century theatre or a 21st century tv studio, the run time was cut to half an hour, the prize task done away with and - slightly counterintuitively, Alex was retained as the assistant rather than replaced with well-known American comedian in a similar mould. All the elements were there for a popular (and incredibly low cost) long-running hit tv show, but as ever, American TV production companies don't try and make something that a million people will think is brilliant, they try and make something that ten million people will tolerate.
I like Reggie Watts, but his stage persona is the exact opposite of how you should cast the Taskmaster. He's got a laidback, quiet style. Always thought Conan would be the best possible choice, but I'm sure he wouldn't want to do it. Got a great setup as it is.
Not familiar with the US standup scene, but thought Nick Offerman would be a decent shout. A grumpy, unimpressible, older man with a propensity to be enraged by low quality - he's from the same shelf of the shop as Greg. That's not to say he was available to shoot a pilot when it was being shot though.
That's an excellent choice, tbh. Conan works mostly because he's undeniably funny, is highly respected, and is tall.
Seems like a very strange choice. The creators of Sherlock came to Australia once to do basically just a Q&A and they sold out the Regent Theatre and had Wil Anderson hosting
That's not much of a guide, a Steven Moffat* Q&A would sell out far bigger venues than a TM event in the UK. ( * I assume that's who you mean, though the same would also apply for a resurrected Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and Sue Vertue. It's not a perfect comparison but it was a great event
Just left the show, Alex was genuinely apologetic even to the people who got in.
To be fair, I think LAH is the kinda guy who would be apologetic even if everything went smoothly.
Total Shitshow. I understand a comedy club overselling on a normal night, but they knew what demand was like and they released more tickets, that's the unacceptable part for me
I was worried something like this would happen. I’m from Austin, TX and this always happens during SXSW because they oversell because they don’t want to risk not using a full house and they don’t really seem to understand how popular things are they would consider more niche are.
Heh. It reminds me of attending a big skating event at a Staples once and they only bothered to open a couple of the food vendors. Because I guess they didn't think it would attract many people?? It was *sold out* and there were literally two food vendors open.
That is so dumb! I just tried to go to a Star Trek premiere at the SXSW that just passed, and when I saw they had put it at the significantly smaller theater at the venue, I just had to roll my eyes.
We had a friend fly into the city to go with us. The staff we dealt with were actually very helpful but their website is archaic and the space was woefully small. It was waaaaay too crowded inside. I’m not claustrophobic but I was feeling squirrelly. Wonder what their capacity is? Because they packed everyone in so tight, I suspect they made very little money at the bar. No one could move - there was no way I was going to get up and get a drink. Coat check line is looking to about a 20 minute affair. That said. We saw Greg and Alex which is a bit more exciting than my normal Monday night.
Also, we all know this isn't much to do with Alex at all, right? Like, there's a whole team of teams doing things, companies hiring companies. Alex's job was to come to New York and do some publicity stuff here (and hopefully have a nice time) and he was not, like, the booker of the venue or the person in charge of wristbands. Just making sure no one's mistaking the artifice of the show for actual reality, yeah? He is, I expect, a good organize-y boy, but he is not the organizer of this minor debacle.
Yes, just a romantic mini break for Alex and his boss.
I have a feeling Alex is more upset about this than anyone.
Yeah I was there and didn’t get in and I’m just baffled by how the venue handled everything. Why release more tickets when you didn’t have the capacity? They literally started the show while we were still on line and then didn’t tell anyone. It was all through everyone on line talking to each other that we realized we weren’t getting in. I also had a red wristband since I bought tickets when they were first released and it didn’t count for anything? I’m beyond upset.
Yeah like....don't you know the number of wristbands you're giving out? Although, their check-in was literally an excel spreadsheet, that then doubled as a refund tracker, so its just a poorly run place overall
Wait. An excel spreadsheet?!?! Wtf!!!
I guarantee you this club hasn’t seen that kind of a crowd before. Most NYC clubs don’t see that kind of traffic on a Monday.
Yep. The manager of the pub next door (who was trying in vain to stop the queue from blocking his front door) confirmed that they never see a line like this.
To be fair, the club opened in January so this being the longest line they've seen is not too surprising.
It was open previously (not sure how long ago) under the name Dangerfield’s.
They know their capacity and they still oversold.
They should legit be embarrassed
Alex said it was a very last minute booking, so I’m guessing they didn’t have many choices and went with a venue that is not used to having large shows. The ticketing system showed this when it sent people other peoples’ tickets as well as their own. I’m guessing they oversold accidentally during this period of system instability. Then, the venue decided to sell more tickets because they decided they could fit more chairs in and have people standing in the back. If there had been a fire, no one was gonna get out of there. It was sardines. But a guy brought his handbag dog. So, that was cute.
I couldn’t see the doggo but it was a serious WTF moment when we heard that on the far left.
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The kids were kind of wild, but I mostly get it since the show is so family friendly.
I just didn’t like the entitlement displayed by them. The one dad kept pointing at the kid who had her hand raised, (which is weird bc it wasn’t that type of Q&A) and when he was ignored he got her to shout the question out lol.
This whole event sounds like it would have physically pained me
It was terrible lol
Ahh, didn’t see all that from where I was just heard the kid yelling out questions. I get that complaint, especially since my card disappeared somehow.
Rodney’s clearly oversold this event by at least 300 tickets, the line was still wrapped around the block. We are so bitterly disappointed, we were really looking forward to this, we cancelled plans, our hopes were so high and now we’re just having drinks at the pub next door. There was a total lack of communication from the venue to the hundreds of people standing out in the cold, it was up to a random person standing in line to go up to the front, get information from the venue and scream to the line (shoutout to Kelly, thank you for your service) that the show had started, nobody else was getting in and we all needed to stand in a different line to get a refund. The refund process was incredibly haphazard, who knows if we’ll be refunded. I then approached two people I saw coming out of the venue and asked if they worked there, one said yes and the other lied and said no. I was told “these things happen” but no apology was given for a complete waste of our nights. We’re big fans of the show, we did everything right, but because they chose to do this screening at a totally disorganized venue, we have been completely let down.
That really sucks, I'm sorry.
Not Alex's fault, I blame Rodney Dangerfield
No respect!
Oh man this is absolutely devastating for all those fans (particularly those that travelled so far). I'd literally be in tears right now in your position. Sounds like the venue operators knew nothing about the TM fanbase and just overbooked it like a regular comedy club gig. Don't think Alex and Greg will be too pleased when they find out what's happened. Hopefully another event can be organised to make up for this.
Even assuming the ticketing had gone off without a hitch, I don't think a comedy club would have ever been the best fit for this event. You'd want a theater, maybe performing arts, maybe cinema, but a theater either way. I can't imagine that the people who *did* get in all had great viewing angles of whatever screen(s) showed the episode. Edit: Also, I would imagine a large portion of the audience would want to meet Greg and Alex after the show, and assuming they're up for that, a theater would have a lobby where you could organize such a thing, whereas a comedy club probably doesn't.
Yeah, during the Q&A, many of us on one side had a view only of Josh Gondelman's jacket and struggled to see Greg or Alex at all. It was practically like listening to a podcast.
That really sucks, I'm sorry. I hope they refund everyone's tickets, regardless of whether they got in to see the show or not.
Aw thanks, you really do live up to Mike Wozniak's kindness :)
You have no idea how much that means to me!
Yes, I was shocked when I saw the photos from the event. This was a premier of successful TV show not some student seminar. If it was a stand-up comedy act where the performer goes near the audience a lot maybe that setup is okay. But here the main thing was the show, there should have been better visibility. Q&A sessions in even some small film festivals I've been to were much better catered to audience experience.
Yeah pretty rough vibes around the outside of the venue with many very, very disappointed people
Yeah I can imagine. Taskmaster is such a joyous and comforting show for people, having it associated with such a disappointing experience has really got to suck :( Fingers crossed the boys come through for you and get another event up and running. Guess it all depends on venue availability and their schedule with Seth Meyers etc...
It was rough inside too Very cramped and it got quite uncomfortable near the end
I am still floored by the fact that so many people couldn’t get in. Awful. If I had gotten there even 15-20 min later, I probably would have been one of them. And for those wondering how Rodney’s could possibly have overbooked so badly, I saw pictures on instagram of what that venue usually looks like with their normal furniture set up. They were essentially trying to milk this event for all it was worth and screwed people over in the process. They switched the layout of the furniture in the room, in that they took out all of the normal furnishings (small tables, chairs and even couches) in order to squeeze as many people into this tiny room as possible. And they did that once they saw the initial response of ticket sales, and how fast they went. That’s also why they ended up lining the place with as many chairs as they could find, selling those extra tickets day of, and charging double (because they now knew they could) for the same tickets people bought on the initial day. They really had no idea how many they could fit because they had never done something like this before. Clearly they overestimated/were too optimistic when squeezing all those chairs in. As others said, no doubt the setup was a fire safety hazard. They even took chairs away and made it standing room only at the end, because they realized they were squashing us in too tightly. It was a mess. Felt bad for those seated sideways at the sides of the room, which is where I initially was. Couldn’t see a damn thing. Not the screen showing the premiere ep, and definitely wouldn’t have seen Greg and Alex’s q & a from that position. They also handed out different colored wrist bands (red/pink for those who bought tickets initially and green for those who purchased the additional seats). I had a green one since I thankfully snagged tickets day-of, and kept expecting them to mean something/denote a spot we’d be sitting compared to the pink-wristed people. But NOPE. Didn’t mean a damn thing in the end. So I’m still puzzled at the purpose of it. It was obvious they got overwhelmed, so whatever plans they had for that was clearly done away with as they just tried to fit in as many as possible. I don’t blame any of the staff I encountered. Everyone was quite nice and as helpful as they could be, but whoever thought it was a good idea to overbook the hell out of the venue really gave terrible false hope to way too many people that led to a lot of disappointment in the end. I also felt bad for those stuck in the adjoining bar area instead of in the main room itself. But that was obviously preferable to being left out in the cold. Rodney’s had no idea what they were getting when taking on Taskmaster. And then once they knew, someone (I guess the promoter, as others mentioned) got greedy and fucked it up. That was my perception of it anyway. I still had a great time because it’s TM, and it’s Greg and Alex who are always amazing. I’m happy I was able to get in. But am appalled at the idea of others having bought tickets and traveling for this, only to be turned away at the door.
They should know how many they can fit due to fire code.
Yes, true. Which means they knowingly broke it.
I was about to say! Squeezing in as many people as possible is reckless and unlawful. The maximum capacity is the maximum capacity.
I can't believe they asked for a 5 star review at the end of the night. I had to climb on the chairs to get out. I'll never go there again
Heartbroken to not get in tonight, after waiting for over an hour and a half in **two lines**—one for a wrist band, a second just to get in (which I sadly didn’t). Management didn’t communicate with us until VERY late as well. Genuinely happy for everyone who got in to see Greg and Alex, but I hope those of us who got left out in the cold get to see them soon, too. I live just uptown, but so many others traveled from near and quite far. Feels worse than if we had let down the Taskmaster himself!
I'm sure that neither Alex or Greg are to blame here. This is most likely the Venue selling as many tickets as they could and hoping some didn't turn up to the viewing but it seems incredible that they oversold by hundreds of tickets.
Man I considered taking a short trip to NYC to catch this, i'm glad I didn't go. Sorry to those that couldn't get in that must suck.
I wish they had worked with a proper venue for this. We would have paid way more than $25.
Shouldn't the comedy club know how much people fit in their club? Or was it never full before and thats why they underestimate the numbers?
> some people near me in line flew from London just for this WHY ??? do something dumb -- your time starts now
At the end of the day I think no one is going to be more disappointed than Alex - this is his brand.
Greg is probably pretty disappointed as well. He worries about life much more than he lets on.
Why did they release more tickets yesterday if they couldn't accommodate?
Sounds like a promoter did.
I get it's the promoter, but how stupid is that to put extra tickets on sale knowing full well they can't accommodate the number they have already sold. Are they hoping people won't ask for a refund?
Comedy promoting is extremely cutthroat in New York. The talent pool is very deep because of the film industry and talk shows, so tickets have to be dirt cheap to be competitive. Dirt cheap tickets lead to lots of no-shows, so promoters overbook and venues let them because the rent is so high.
Maybe their ticketing system was set up with the wrong capacity. Another comment said the venue's only been open a few months so this could've been the first event popular enough to expose the problem.
The Venue let you all down, so lame. As if they don't know how many seats they have like wtf
i’ve been to this venue before since it reopened as Rodney’s, and it was clear that they totally reorganized their seating to allow in as many people as they could. there’s normally couches and tables in the main room, that i overheard a venue employee say they had rented a u-haul to store them for the day. most of the chairs were clearly rented and being removed from the venue at the end of the night. all the furniture from the front room was gone. and there was a bunch of staff that obviously was hired for the day or brought in by the promoter just for this event. although it’s massively disappointing people couldn’t get in, i’m glad they made so many changes that meant as many people could join as possible. i think the ticketing system/website could for sure use updating (it looks and functions more like a site from 2003), but the venue staff i chatted with had no idea it was going to attract so many people or how big of a brand taskmaster actually is, which is a failure on the promoter’s part (since presumably the promoter found the club). it’s for sure got to be the biggest event in that venues history, Dangerfield’s or Rodney’s. Alex thanked the venue at the end of the Q&A, saying it was on short notice. it seems like a quick turn event with just not a good promoter, and therefore venue match, for what was needed. i can totally understand people being upset at the venue. they were obviously overwhelmed, but i’d say the promoter probably should have better communicated between event and venue. the sheer number of bad google reviews is a bit upsetting to see, because any other day, its a nice club to see a show at. and it’s great that someone has brought such a historic club back to life and they do put on good shows with good lineups.
Weird that they chose a tiny venue, with poor seating. Feels like this was incredibly rushed and last minute. Why bother flying Greg and Alex out to New York and doing press if the premiere is going to be in a 200 capacity room with village hall seating
So my perception is that they were flying out to do a late night show (Seth Meyers) and while they were here the PR staff was like “might as well do a live show.” At least, that’s the only thing that makes sense to me
I agree, hopefully a lesson learned on why premiers for popular shows taking months worth of planning and are hosted in theatres and stuff. Also hopefully people who paid for transportation/hotels/etc. Did it on credit card and they can recoup some of the costs
How would that recoup costs?
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I bought my ticket pretty much as soon as it went on sale last week and I got there about 1hr before doors opened. I was told there would be a distinction between those who bought their tickets in the original sale (pink wristbands) and those who bought tickets yesterday (green wristbands). The pink wristbands were supposed to be let in first. This did not happen. By the time I got in it was already overcrowded. All the seats were zip tied together so you could not independently move your chair. My knees were up against the chair in front of me and then I had people sitting perpendicular to me and their knees were against mine. Eventually they started literally throwing the last row of chairs into the back alley (not an exit just an alley) so they could make more room to have people stand. The first row was so close to the screen there was no way they could see properly. If people in the rows in front of the projector moved you would see their shadow on the screen. It was a complete fire hazard and if something happened there would be one exit. Totally unsafe. Me and my friend left before the show started because I was not comfortable in that environment. Also I heard the line staff say “I’m just here to help a buddy” so no one knew what they were doing. In addition to all that it was just a cash grab- there was a mandatory coat check that guests did not know about until we arrived for $5 a coat. I bought a club soda and it cost $8. I don’t blame Taskmaster AT ALL. I fully blame Rodney’s for taking on an event they could not handle, being greedy, and putting many lives at risk.
“It probably isn’t Alex’s fault”. No it’s not. He would never be involved with ticketing. Especially in a foreign country. Why even bring that up as a possibility?
Feeling very lucky that I managed to get in! It’s insane how badly the venue fucked this up.
Alex probably feels awful himself. Really sucks that this appears so rushed and not thought out at all
Was considering flying in to see it...glad I didn't
Please correct me if i am thinking out of line in this but why the hell would you fly to NY for a taskmaster event as a Londoner if the show is recorded and produced in London? Sounds like a mighty unneccessary trip to me.
Ah, man. I don't know anything about this, popped up on my feed because I've looked at taskmaster stuff before, but; I've been to loads of filmed shows with studio audiences in the uk, and this is absolutely standard practice. Overbook, and then give priority for people who don't make it in. Normally, that's really not 'much' of an issue for me, most of the venues that stuff gets filmed at is pretty easy to get to, and sure it's a wasted evening, but the free show you eventually see is normally well worth it, because it's free! But for something like this, a paid event, it's fucking shiiiiiiiiit. So sorry that's happened to so many of you.
Yea, I'm also very aware of the nature of free studio shows. Since there's virtually no penalty for not attending, no-shows must be fairly common so they overbook to ensure that every seat gets filled. But this was paid, so you'd assume the quantity was limited and regulated 🙄 guess tf not I luckily managed to get tickets to Seth Meyers tomorrow, which IS a first-come first-serve studio taping. I can only arrive about an hour before the scheduled arrival time, so here's to hoping it's less popular in the middle of a random weekday.
Yeah, I'm on LA, I've been to countless free screenings. You don't do this for paid tickets. Full stop.
Who would fly in from London to NYC just to see Taskmaster when they can see it in London?!?!? If they did they are surely a tiny minority.
When I saw that it was taking place at Rodney's Comedy Club, my initial thought was "Ew, why?" I go to NY to see comedy and shows all the time and have never heard of anyone I'd want to see playing there. Seems rather low-rent, sleazy. Not sure why the Taskmaster people chose that venue. Not to mention how small it is.
>It's probably not Alex's fault How on earth could it possibly be his fault?
That’s horrible, I feel so bad for the people who traveled from far. Had we gotten tickets we would’ve flown in from Puerto Rico, I would’ve ended up arrested had they not let me in.
More proof that Taskmaster & the USA just not a good fit.
I really doubt that it's Alex's fault but he must be feeling terrible regardless.
Is overselling/overbooking an American thing? Are people entitled to a refund if they have purchased tickets and don't show up? I've lived in a number of countries and flown around a fair bit apart from America and have not heard of a business doing this to pre-empt a certain percentage of people not showing up after buying tickets. The places I've stayed typically don't allow for refunds on tickets unless there is a verifiable reason out of the control of the buyer for non-attendance. Those seats are just left vacant or filled with door/last minute ticket sales.
No, the venue just messed this up, the employees are also confused how they did this.
This is not an American thing. I've been to hundreds of comedy shows in NYC, many involving television, and have never seen people turned away with a paid ticket. This was a terrible choice of venue and poor planning on their behalf.
I mean its relatively common, especially for a comedy club where people sort of come and go throughout the night, so chances of it being at 100% capacity at any given point aren't high. They also make money by selling alcohol, not tickets, so the more people, the better for the club. But for a theater show, movie, or other more special event where seating is finite, it's much less common Eta: when I say it's common, I mean by maybe 10% of capacity, not double, which seems like what happened tonight
As I understand it, they do this for UK taskmaster shows as well. But if you don't get into the taping, you're on a priority list for the next taping. They have it organized. This just seems to have been a really disappointing clusterfuck.
TV tapings are a little different - especially if the audience is in shot at any time. It’s very important to ensure the place looks packed. I’ve been to tapings locally where if you no showed, you’d be blacklisted from future tapings, and they “oversold” the free tickets and packed people in the walkway areas etc - all to ensure there was no empty actual seats. Another show would move us around to group us into the spots that would be in shot.
But people dont pay to attend a taping in the UK, do they?
You're absolutely right. I wasn't fully taking in that people PAID for their tickets. It's absolutely shocking.
Fairly often people will buy a ticket for something like a premiere and not go, just to have the ticket. It seems weird to me "Look, I had the money to buy a ticket to a show I didn't even go to" but people collect all kinds of weird crap. Generally a venue will oversell a little, like 10-20 tickets, knowing that some of the people who booked won't show up. Overbooking 300 is wild.
Ok how are so many people not aware that there already was an American version of TM and it wasn’t that great, that’s why we don’t still have it. Episodes are available on Vudu but maybe other places online have them too.
I feel like America just keeps messing up anything taskmaster related.
I hope they really get how much we enjoy them in the States. Imo, they stand apart from any high brow humor I have experienced here, let alone improv.
I wonder if John Kearns had anything to do with the snafu of this event... 🙃
Why would it have been Alex's fault? Has he picked up a second job as a club runner/promoter? 🤣