Just A Minute - back on TV
The BBC has announced it is bringing JAM back to the TV screen. They are just dipping a toe in the water - 10 shows over two weeks in a daytime slot. The show is to be chaired by Nicholas Parsons and Paul Merton has been signed up to at least some of the shows.
There have been three other TV series, two on ITV in 1994 and 1995 respectively, and one on daytime BBC in 1999. The BBC also tried two pilots that never made it to the screen in 1969 and 1976.
I link to some of the the material here. Sadly although the facts are easily checked, there are some silly errors. There have been three TV series, not four, and John Cleese has not appeared on JAM.
I did hear about this possibility while I was in the UK earlier this year. At the time it was on the back-burner, but there had been talks earlier this year.
One thing worries me. Nicholas continues to be a splendid chairman, with plenty of energy. But he does not look very old, dare I say frail. This is hardly surprising in a man aged 87. But he may seem a bit exposed under thr bright lights of TV.
I'm interested that some of the comments suggest the show won't work on TV. I don't see why not. What's crucial is they get a lot of people who are good at the game. Please no enthusiastic amateurs, at least three experienced people on each panel please, people like Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock, Graham Norton, Gyles Brandreth, Stephen Fry, Ross Noble, Sue Perkins, Julian Clary, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Marcus Brigstocke, Jenny Eclair and Josie Lawrence. If this group (plus Paul) makes up 90 percent of panellists, the show will succeed.
In the Daily Mail.
In the BBC.
In the Telegraph.
Also in the Telegraph.
In the Guardian.
Also in the Guardian.
There have been three other TV series, two on ITV in 1994 and 1995 respectively, and one on daytime BBC in 1999. The BBC also tried two pilots that never made it to the screen in 1969 and 1976.
I link to some of the the material here. Sadly although the facts are easily checked, there are some silly errors. There have been three TV series, not four, and John Cleese has not appeared on JAM.
I did hear about this possibility while I was in the UK earlier this year. At the time it was on the back-burner, but there had been talks earlier this year.
One thing worries me. Nicholas continues to be a splendid chairman, with plenty of energy. But he does not look very old, dare I say frail. This is hardly surprising in a man aged 87. But he may seem a bit exposed under thr bright lights of TV.
I'm interested that some of the comments suggest the show won't work on TV. I don't see why not. What's crucial is they get a lot of people who are good at the game. Please no enthusiastic amateurs, at least three experienced people on each panel please, people like Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock, Graham Norton, Gyles Brandreth, Stephen Fry, Ross Noble, Sue Perkins, Julian Clary, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Marcus Brigstocke, Jenny Eclair and Josie Lawrence. If this group (plus Paul) makes up 90 percent of panellists, the show will succeed.
In the Daily Mail.
In the BBC.
In the Telegraph.
Also in the Telegraph.
In the Guardian.
Also in the Guardian.
posted by Dean | 8:03 pm
1 Comments:
This is interesting news for which I've got very mixed views about.
Positives
- Good to get more JAM.
- Excellent that the BBC is investing in more JAM coverage.
- It may raise the profile and interest in the radio version.
- As someone who never has been to the radio recordings, I'll be fascinated to see how the shows look visually.
Concerns
- Daytime? Surely it should be considered a peak-time (albeit not perhaps on BBC1) show?
- If it fails the radio programme may suffer.
- The TV version attracts new players who have never appeared on the radio version and they perform poorly.
- We may get less JAM on the radio.
- The format changes to be more TV friendly.
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