I’ve just remembered that we’re now three episodes into the latest series of Just A Minute and I haven’t blogged or recommended it once. Everyone in Britain absolutely must give it a listen. Fantastic light hearted entertainment and one of the longest running radio series so it has to be doing something right. Built around the deceivingly simply challenge of asking guests to speak for just one minute without hesitating (pausing or stumbling over words), repeating a word or deviation (discussing a subject which they’ve not been asked to speak on) it’s amazing how much amusement can be gained. Particularly enjoyed the third episode of this series: Tony Hawks and Paul Merton are both very good guests and Ross Noble’s humour actually words when he is constrained from deviating!
Books
Comics
Me
Misc
Politics
Sport
Sorry to say its past it – all involved are extremely talented but format is too too old. quote from a alternate show u dont have to hesitate, repreat or wot ever else u only need to be funny. Change please to something else
Wrong, wrong, wrong!!!
The panelists are great, Nicholas Parsons is an institution, and the programme illustrates beautiful use of the English language and wit as it is rarely found now.
Anyone got EVERY episode?
I’m with you, Ron! For past series, visit radioarchive.cc – a fab fan website where you can find downloads of shed-loads of BBC comedy from down the years.
The format is great fun, not past it at all. A bit of a mental challenge along with the funny makes it more fun. Some classics are still around for good reason and this is one of them.
Dear Nicholas Parsons
You’re my hero!! As I sit here in a wee town outside Seville in Spain and you welcome the listeners from indeed around the world, I feel like you’re talking just to meee!
…I nearly choked on my gaspacho as you titilated our imaginations to have a good old ruck(?!) tonight…….
I really miss just a minute when each series ends….Ron expressed my opinion perfectly..the language is amazing!
I’ve listened to JAM since the days when Kenneth Williams, Derek Nimmo, Clement Freud and Peter Jones were almost the permanent panel. It’s been wonderful hearing how different personalities have turned out to be just as riveting as, for example, Kenneth Williams used to be. Paul Merton is just wonderful. I still miss the sardonic wit of Peter Jones, the exuberance of Derek Nimmo, but then such panelists as Graham Norton and some of the more recent female panelists are hugely enjoyable. This show’s format is perfect and need never stop. I thought I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue may founder when Humph died, but new chairman Jack Dee is excellent and, as with Just a Minute, the newer panelists frequently prove themselves naturals, which makes me appreciate that the true comic, raconteur (whatever!) doesn’t depend on a scriptwriter.
I thoroughly recommend both shows and continue to listen on-line since re-locating to Greece in 2005.
There are still witty people on Just a Minute but sadly Paul Merton, the show’s one full-time panellist, is not one of them. He isn’t funny, his challenges are puerile, he is incapable of talking about any subject that isn’t in the first person singular and he doesn’t understand the meaning of the word deviation. Apart from that, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t continue for many years to come, given a new chairman. Quite frankly Parsons is past it and it is only through his indulgence that Merton gets away with half of the tenuous challenges he makes.
My 13 year old daughteris a huge fan how do you get tickets to the recordings
I’m not able to work out if tickets are available to watch this being recorded. Does anyone know? It would make a fantastic present for quite few people I know.