and a JAMmy New Year
In honour of the first show of the new season, I thought I'd try and live blog it - my reactions as I hear them. It's something different - if it goes well, I will try andf do it again. Note I find my first reactions are often harsher than a second or third listening - but hopefully you'll get an idea of how the show was, through my ears...
I'm listening live - just two minutes till the Minute Waltz. The BBC has a news bulletin leading up to the programme.
Those familiar words - "weclome to Just A Minute" and the theme song sounds shorter than usual. Only about three seconds of it before Nicholas comes in again.
Introductions are also short - just names! I quite like the longer introductions. Could this be a move to cut back the long long introes by the new producer?
Paul Merton starts with "Alfred the Great" - he only goes a few seconds before being challenged. Lovely then to hear Greg Proops' voice again. He only lasts a few seconds too, before Chris Neill gets it. He goes a sentence before it goes back to Paul - and then Clement Freud is in with only 30 seconds gone. Paul has it again now and he is talking about Batman - not many great jokes so far but they all sound well lubricated! Paul reaches the buzzer.
Greg starts with "Zen Buddhism". Greg says he lives in Hollywood - for some reason I thought he was a New Yorker. I like hearing him, he is very funny. Paul suggesting silence for the next 45 seconds - gets a deserved joke. The programme is getting patchy - no-one able to get going, not because of over-enthusiasm but because it seems no-one can go no more than a few seconds without hesitating. Programmes with too many challenges can lose momentum, let's hope this gets better. Clement goes a while and gets the buzzer.
Chris now on "how to write your autobiography" - he's being very rude and funny about "potato-faced" Wayne Rooney, says he must write five volumes because he can only write in crayon. Paul then , now Clement, who has written an autobiography. He says "how to write a biography is, in a word, by yourself..." and Paul challenges "by yourself is two words". I would have given that challenge as funny and sharp, but for some reason Nicholas doesn't.
Clement on "Picasso". Chris is again challenged quickly after winning a challenge - I doubt he's gone 10 seconds so far. Greg Proops on art? It's back to Paul now. There's a nice fun atmosphere but it's a show with probably too many challenges at the moment. Paul ends strongly with some quick-fire surrealism.
Paul starts on "the local High Street". Says Winchester's High Street is one of the best and responds to a cheer from the crowd by saying "you are joking, aren't you?" That works well! This round is going well - Chris Neill has just started on the subject and apparently doesn't even have it. Nicholas says "he's on another planet!" Order now being restored - Greg Proops has it, says it's a really tough game. Clement getting a good laugh now - he sounds in good form.
Chris starting on "the round table". He's got a distinctive style in that camp voice of his - I think he is a welcome addition to the semi-regulars. Paul joking about Nicholas's age, says he was born in 1168. Nicholas replies "for someone born in 1168, I've worn rather well." Paul: "But for someone born in the 20th century, you're a disaster!" Scorewise, Clement is two points behind Paul, with a distance then to Chris and Greg.
Clement starts on "breaking news". He says "I don't know why it's called breaking news, like breaking wind..." Chris starts on that theme and starts to stumble and says breaking news is behind a screen, tries to explain. Nicholas: "you're talking rubbish." Paul: "don't knock it, we've been doing the show for 40 years".
One thing about this show - just about everyone has talked on every subject!
Greg starts on "how to throw a great party". He's trying a list - stumbles, challenged, Nicholas says "yes and no"... Greg going well. "It's important to have twice as many women at a party as men", and Chris challenges, "it really isn't". Greg at last seems comfortable on this subject - could he be a great party host? Paul suggests Nicholas Soames as a great party... great ending, the idea of throwing Nicholas Soames out the window!
Greg finished 4th, Chris 3rd, Clement 2nd and Paul is the winner!
The producer is named - and it is someone new. The name was something like Toulousa Kimlani - but I'm bound to have both heard that wrongly, and spelled it wrongly. So anyone who has the correct spelling - please please let me know.
Overall - a good solid start. Not a great show but plenty to smile at. Greg Proops was good, Chris Neill was good, Clement and Paul and Nicholas good. Great to have the show back!
I'm listening live - just two minutes till the Minute Waltz. The BBC has a news bulletin leading up to the programme.
Those familiar words - "weclome to Just A Minute" and the theme song sounds shorter than usual. Only about three seconds of it before Nicholas comes in again.
Introductions are also short - just names! I quite like the longer introductions. Could this be a move to cut back the long long introes by the new producer?
Paul Merton starts with "Alfred the Great" - he only goes a few seconds before being challenged. Lovely then to hear Greg Proops' voice again. He only lasts a few seconds too, before Chris Neill gets it. He goes a sentence before it goes back to Paul - and then Clement Freud is in with only 30 seconds gone. Paul has it again now and he is talking about Batman - not many great jokes so far but they all sound well lubricated! Paul reaches the buzzer.
Greg starts with "Zen Buddhism". Greg says he lives in Hollywood - for some reason I thought he was a New Yorker. I like hearing him, he is very funny. Paul suggesting silence for the next 45 seconds - gets a deserved joke. The programme is getting patchy - no-one able to get going, not because of over-enthusiasm but because it seems no-one can go no more than a few seconds without hesitating. Programmes with too many challenges can lose momentum, let's hope this gets better. Clement goes a while and gets the buzzer.
Chris now on "how to write your autobiography" - he's being very rude and funny about "potato-faced" Wayne Rooney, says he must write five volumes because he can only write in crayon. Paul then , now Clement, who has written an autobiography. He says "how to write a biography is, in a word, by yourself..." and Paul challenges "by yourself is two words". I would have given that challenge as funny and sharp, but for some reason Nicholas doesn't.
Clement on "Picasso". Chris is again challenged quickly after winning a challenge - I doubt he's gone 10 seconds so far. Greg Proops on art? It's back to Paul now. There's a nice fun atmosphere but it's a show with probably too many challenges at the moment. Paul ends strongly with some quick-fire surrealism.
Paul starts on "the local High Street". Says Winchester's High Street is one of the best and responds to a cheer from the crowd by saying "you are joking, aren't you?" That works well! This round is going well - Chris Neill has just started on the subject and apparently doesn't even have it. Nicholas says "he's on another planet!" Order now being restored - Greg Proops has it, says it's a really tough game. Clement getting a good laugh now - he sounds in good form.
Chris starting on "the round table". He's got a distinctive style in that camp voice of his - I think he is a welcome addition to the semi-regulars. Paul joking about Nicholas's age, says he was born in 1168. Nicholas replies "for someone born in 1168, I've worn rather well." Paul: "But for someone born in the 20th century, you're a disaster!" Scorewise, Clement is two points behind Paul, with a distance then to Chris and Greg.
Clement starts on "breaking news". He says "I don't know why it's called breaking news, like breaking wind..." Chris starts on that theme and starts to stumble and says breaking news is behind a screen, tries to explain. Nicholas: "you're talking rubbish." Paul: "don't knock it, we've been doing the show for 40 years".
One thing about this show - just about everyone has talked on every subject!
Greg starts on "how to throw a great party". He's trying a list - stumbles, challenged, Nicholas says "yes and no"... Greg going well. "It's important to have twice as many women at a party as men", and Chris challenges, "it really isn't". Greg at last seems comfortable on this subject - could he be a great party host? Paul suggests Nicholas Soames as a great party... great ending, the idea of throwing Nicholas Soames out the window!
Greg finished 4th, Chris 3rd, Clement 2nd and Paul is the winner!
The producer is named - and it is someone new. The name was something like Toulousa Kimlani - but I'm bound to have both heard that wrongly, and spelled it wrongly. So anyone who has the correct spelling - please please let me know.
Overall - a good solid start. Not a great show but plenty to smile at. Greg Proops was good, Chris Neill was good, Clement and Paul and Nicholas good. Great to have the show back!
Labels: eppy review, JAM commentary
posted by Dean | 7:25 am
5 Comments:
At the recording the credits had to be recorded again and again and again because Nicholas kept getting the name of the producer wrong and they all kept bursting out lauphing! :D
That's a lovely comment Anonymous - thanks for posting that.
no surprise there that Nicholas kept getting the name of the producer wrong, but you have to expect that from someone who was not only raised by cats but was also once outwitted by an herbacious border.
if people remember the last episode from the previous season Nicholas started off the show by actually saying they were in North Hampshire when they were actually in Dorsett.
It doesn't surprise me in the least. :)
Indeed - recording the credits for the last show took almost as long as recording the rest of both the other shows!
Did anyone else notice that Nicholas was slurring his words a bit on Monday's episode? I hope he is in good health....
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