Just A Minute blog

more details on JAM recording in India

2012-01-28T12:08:00.002+13:00

The two Indian Just A Minutes are being recorded in Mumbai in India on Wednesday February 1. You can see the ad for the recording here.

The two British regulars are Paul Merton and Marcus Brigstocke - they will be joined by Indian comedians Cyrus Broacha and Anuvab Pal.

Looks like a great team!

more of the lovely Aimi Macdonald

2012-01-22T09:09:00.001+13:00

the lovely Aimi Macdonald in the 60s....

and in the 80s

JAM news

2012-01-22T08:57:00.002+13:00

some bits of news...

* JAM is back on February 6th for a series of eight shows. According to the BBC listings, the first shows will feature Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Jenny Eclair and Ross Noble. Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Sue Perkins, Julian Clary, Liza Tarbuck, Charles Collingwood and Josie Lawrence are also appearing in the season.

* There are still two shows to be recorded and they are being recorded in Bangalore in India on January 26th. Paul and one other British regular are going to India, to join local comedians on the panel.

* Nicholas has done a really good interview here for Radio Ulster. There isn't a hell of a lot that is truly fresh for the JAM fanatic, but it's still more interesting than most interviews with Nicholas. Well worth a listen. And gee, doesn't his voice sound a lot younger than 87!

comedy awards

2011-12-25T08:19:00.003+13:00

Two of the big prizes at the British Comedy Awards are worth mentioning here.

Graham Norton won best Comedy Entertainment Personality, while Paul Merton's Have I Got News For You won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Watch them win prizes here

Gyles - I love being a woman

2011-12-12T18:32:00.004+13:00

In this article Gyles Brandreth talks about why he loves his latest role.

And what about this pic!

Read what Gyles has to say here.

TV JAMs - a chat with the producer

2011-12-11T16:17:00.003+13:00

As I mentioned a few days ago, Andy Brereton, the BBC producer in charge of the coming TV series of Just A Minute, chatted to me over the phone a few days ago. I have to begin by thanking him very much for being so generous with his time. I should say it was his idea to have the chat which of course I readily accepted.

It did make me think that maybe a series of interviews for the website and blog might be quite good fun. If you read this through to the end, and find it interesting, let me know and who knows - maybe this will be the first of a series of JAM related interviews.

I think it would be a bit boring to read a word for word transcript so I have written it up as an interview in the first person.

The first thing to say is that Andy is clearly a big fan of Just A Minute. He quoted to me things that happened on the show, word for word, both on radio editions and in the TV shows which he was in the process of editing. He told me had been following the show for 20 years or so, about the time Paul Merton started on the show.

In his letter to me Andy said that he saw his TV series as being a conscious effort to honour or pay tribute to the radio version. I may have misunderstood but I think he said the TV shows are to be regarded as a celebration of the show and they have done a bit of historical work, listening to old shows. The first ever subject used on JAM will be used in the TV shows, excuses for being late.

The Minute Waltz will be used at the start of the show which sounds like it will sound pretty much identical to the start of the radio shows with Nicholas saying "welcome to Just A Minute".

One of the two current radio producers Tilusha Ghelani has been involved in the production of the TV series and Andy also made it clear that Nicholas Parsons and Paul Merton have been closely consulted about things too. The Messiter family have also been consulted.

He said that as he went into putting JAM on TV people often said that it was an amazing radio show and he was clear he didn't want to mess that up.

Andy told me his current favourites of the panellists are Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, Marcus Brigstocke, Graham Norton and Tony Hawks.

I asked how the decision to do the TV series came about and he said that he had been in charge of the "Twenty-four Hour Panel People" programme from earlier this year. For those who haven't seen this, this involved the comedian David Walliams playing just about every panel game live on TV over 24 hours. One of the games was Just A Minute where David appeared with Nicholas, Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock and Lee Mack. He said that when he asked Nicholas to appear on it, he was very keen. He said he was watching it as it was being performed with programme commissioners from the BBC and they all agreed it was very funny and worked well on TV. He said he'd also been to radio recordings and it was great fun to see people doing it, and that he thought that was what could be added to the radio version.

I asked him if he thought the show could continue past these initial 10 shows and he said there was no commitment beyond that and the thing they had to do was to make the 10 shows they have made really work. He is also clear that he does not want it to harm the radio show. Andy said "the thing I love about Just A Minute is that it's kind of a treat every week", and you didn't want to have it constantly on the air.

I asked him what had been learned from the past attempts to put JAM on TV, and Andy said he had spent some time looking at previous pilots. He said he had been involved in daytime game shows in the past and they had sometimes recorded four or five a day, and it felt like they were churning them out as if from a factory - he had decided they would record just two at each recording. He said one of the JAM pilots had been filmed without an audience which he thought odd. He didn't like the series where the panellists were divided into teams, or the mystery object, or the clock-like set of the late 90s. There will not be a clock on screen - Andy believes part of the enjoyment of JAM is when the blowing of the whistle is a surprise and the clock visuals can be distracting.

Andy said "in the past they messed with it and had an object round which you don't need. What you need is all the right people who can play it, as much as you can, or at least three of them, and you just need really good subjects, and you need Nicholas."

He talked at some length about how the programme was filmed in a directorial sense and I have to say some of this went over my head. He doesn't like lots of short cuts between performers, he'd rather we watched Sue Perkins keeping going so the camera will never be entirely off whatever performer is talking, though it may be moving in slowly on her.

I asked him if he had considered replacing Nicholas as chairman, and he made it clear he had not. He said Nicholas was exceptionally clever, had lots of energy and understood so well the timing of the show. He regarded him as key to the show's success. I also asked him about Paul Merton's involvement, given that he had refused to be involved in the past. Andy said that Paul at first was unsure about moving it to TV, but that he was enthusiastic once they described what they wanted to do, and played a part in getting others to appear on the show. He said that Paul had said he would do all the shows or none - a deal they were happy to accept!

On casting he clearly wanted to get all the people currently closely associated with the show. Of those they didn't get that he would have liked to have had on the show, he said he was particularly disappointed not to have been able to book Sheila Hancock, who was in a West End show, and Ross Noble, who was in Ireland. Others he mentioned as being unavailable on the days he wanted them were Jenny Eclair and Lee Mack. He also said that Helena Bonham Carter, the Bafta award winning, Oscar nominated actress, was interested in doing the show and was a fan, but in the end the dates didn't work out.

Of the new players, Andy said he thought Steven Mangan was brilliant and that Jason Manford and Russell Tovey were also very good.

He said he thought the shows with four regulars were probably the best but he also thought it good to bring in some new people too as that changed the dynamic. He said they had some difficulty booking for the last recording which was why that was the only recording that didn't have three regulars.

The audience response was very strong - they turned away people which apparently is very unusual for what is a pilot series. He says everyone thinks the shows that have been finished so far were brilliant and he is very happy with what they have done.

The programmes will play at 6pm each weeknight over two weeks and I think will run after the completion of the next radio series, in mid to late March.

Dean's JAM rankings for 2011

2011-12-11T15:00:00.002+13:00

My fifth annual ranking for all the players this year - this year there were 23 players used over 22 shows, slightly down on last year in both respects.

Here's the stats on appearances this year.

Paul Merton 18
Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks 8
Julian Clary, Graham Norton 6
Sheila Hancock, Josie Lawrence, Sue Perkins, Rick Wakeman 4
Shappi Khorsandi 3
Pam Ayres, Marcus Brigstocke, Jenny Eclair, Stephen Fry, Fi Glover, Phill Jupitus, Miles Jupp, Ross Noble, Liza Tarbuck, Terry Wogan 2
Jason Byrne, Alun Cochrane, Russell Kane 1

So to my rankings.

They won't be back next year

Jason Byrne - Patronised robustly by Nicholas, Jason was no good at the game and the rules just didn't suit his style of comedy.
Fi Glover - She seemed nice enough but a bit in awe of her big-mouthed competition.
Miles Jupp - Miles was very good at the game and even won the second show once he had warmed up, but didn't seem to have anything of interest to say when he did get the subject.
Terry Wogan - One of that list of people who were comnpletely abysmally bad at the game - stand up Elaine Stritch and Thora Hird - but were still very funny. Still the joke probably won't work again.

They had some good moments

Pam Ayres - Pam's unique style didn't provide as many giggles as usual.
Alun Cochrane - Likeable and able to improvise in a reasonably amusing way without doing anything to suggest he'll be back soon.
Shappi Khorsandi - She seems nice and can be funny, but not often enough.
Rick Wakeman - Really good at the game but not strong in the humour department.

About average

Stephen Fry - By his own high standards Stephen wasn't as funny as he has been on some of his other appearances. But still very good.
Tony Hawks - One of those long-serving players who is a reliable contributor but I feel he isn't as consistently good as he was a few years ago.
Phill Jupitus - A very funny man, he needs to appear more often to hone his JAM skills.
Russell Kane - Funny in his first appearance which he won. A possible future star or a one-off fluke? We will see, I hope.
Liza Tarbuck - Two of the best shows she has had though still not one of the funnier performers.

Let's hear more of them

Gyles Brandreth - Arguably the second banana on the show now to Paul, Gyles has clearly sharpened his style and is now original and competitive and very funny. I should have had him in my top group.
Marcus Brigstocke - Only two shows but was as funny as ever, we need to hear him more often.
Jenny Eclair - Very amusing and a great contributor, one of the best ever.
Ross Noble - Only did two shows and was warm and witty, but perhaps not at his brilliant best.
Sue Perkins - Quickly becoming one of those reliable people who we all enjoy seeing on the panel list.

Stars of the year

5th best - Graham Norton - Close to his hillarious loquacious best.

4th best - Josie Lawrence - She gets better every time she is on and I think is a real star of the very near future.

Bronze medal - Julian Clary - Just fits in like a glove these days, always funny and great with the banter, and he knows how to play the game too.

Silver medal - Sheila Hancock - After 44 years on the show, Sheila may just about have been at her all-time best this year. Very funny and full of authority.

Champion of the year - Paul Merton - Still a champ and still the best player in just about every show.

For those interested, here are my previous rankings...

2010 - click here for full commentary

They won't be back next year: Kevin Eldon, Dave Gorman, Fred MacAula, Liza Tarbuck, John Sergeant.
They had some good moments: Stephen K. Amos, Alun Cochrane, Shappi Khorsandi, Ian McMillan, David Mitchell.
About average: Pam Ayres, John Bishop, Charles Collingwood, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Justin Moorhouse, Chris Neill.
Let's hear more of them: Sheila Hancock, Tony Hawks, Josie Lawrence, Graham Norton, Sue Perkins.
5th best - Julian Clary.
4th best - Jenny Eclair.
Bronze medal - Gyles Brandreth.
Silver medal - Ross Noble.
Champion of the year - Paul Merton.

2009 - click for full commentary here.

They won't be back next year - Jack Dee, Janey Godley, Josie Long, Pauline McLynn, Mike McShane, Paul Sinha.
They had some good moments - Richard Herring, Josie Lawrence, Helen Lederer, Tim Rice, Liza Tarbuck, Suki Webster.
About average - Pam Ayres, Charles Collingwood, Sheila Hancock, Tony Hawks, Shappi Khorsandi, Chris Neill.
Let's hear more of them - Julian Clary, Jenny Eclair, Stephen Fry, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, David Mitchell, Justin Moorhouse.
5th best - Graham Norton.
4th best - Gyles Brandreth.
Bronze medal - Sue Perkins.
Silver medal - Paul Merton.
Champion of the year - Clement Freud.

2008 - click here for full commentary.

They won't be back next year - Lynn Ferguson, Janey Godley, Shappi Khorsandi, Josie Lawrence, Liza Tarbuck.
They had some good moments - Chris Addison, Rhod Gilbert, Robin Ince, Ian McMillan,
Mike McShane, Owen O'Neill.
About average - Jack Dee, Dave Gorman, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Phill Jupitus, Fred MacAulay, Chris Neill.
Let's hear more of them - Gyles Brandreth, Marcus Brigstocke, Jenny Eclair, Clement Freud, Tony Hawks.
5th best - Ross Noble.
4th best - Julian Clary.
Bronze medal - Graham Norton.
Silver medal - Sue Perkins.
Champion of the year - Paul Merton.

2007 - click here for full commentary.

They won't be back next year - Jo Caulfield, Alun Cochrane, Maria McErlane, Pauline McLynn, Greg Proops.
They had some good moments - Jenny Eclair, Dave Gorman, Phill Jupitus, Maureen Lipman, Neil Mullarkey.
They're about average - Clement Freud, Tony Hawks, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Fred MacAulay, Dara O'Briain, Tim Rice.
Let's see more of them - Chris Addison, Pam Ayres, Janey Godley, Graham Norton, Sue Perkins.
5th best - Chris Neill.
4th best - Julian Clary.
Bronze medal - Gyles Brandreth
Silver medal - Marcus Brigstocke.
Champion of the year - Paul Merton.

perfect minutes

2011-12-11T14:42:00.002+13:00

as noted below I was asked to pick some "perfect" minutes.

Here are some of my favourites - I'd love to read about yours!

No list could not start without a selection from the greatest of them all, Kenneth Williams...

On "emperors"

Many names spring to mind! I would mention Hadrian and Marcus Araelius, perhaps Allogabilus is an interesting example. He arrived in Rome, you know, on a dray, and had a lot of makeup on. The Senators are reputed to have made representations and indignant noises about this. But he held full sway and filled every post far and wide, Gall, Britain, Manorca, Majorca, all with posts with his favourite in charge. And I don't blame him because I mean if you've got a bit of authority, you might as well splash it about and say well, have a good time, I'm only here for a short while. Might as well enjoy it while we can. And I think when I look back on my own life, ah yes, Acton's dictum, all power corrupts, that is true...

On "the Omar Khiam"

Most of what England knows of Omar Khiam is of course the Rubiat, which comes by courtesy to us through the good work of Fitzgerald. How often these words reverberated through my mind! Myself when young did eagerly frequent and with askance foot steps, cards gathered on the grass, in my joyous errand reach the spot where I may once turn down and empty last. Oh moon of my delight that knows no way. Oh even to hear those again sends me into an ecstatic realm, and I think Omar Khiam, ah you old Persian nit, you were good when it came to writing the verse. Because in life he was completely misguided. And laid up for himself the most dreadful debts and was continually being asked...

on "parson's nose"

I have never actually eaten this part of the bird. But I understand it belongs to an unmentionable area. And though delectable, I am assured by those who have savoured of it, I remain in total ignorance. I realise of course that Parsons' nose could well be a reference to the patrician appendage on our chairman's face. And that feature which has earned him so much admiration from the ladies, and not to mention several actors I've seen hanging about and followed him all the way from Glasgow when he was as you know an apprentice shipwright. And never has lost his affection for Caledonia and all the traditions of that country which do not include...

on "the chair"

Well at all the council meetings I attend, you must defer to the chair. And at an AGM I am not likely to forget, there was a challenge by Dulcie Grey who rose and said "Mister Chairman, there is no paper in the ladies lavatory!" Then a cry went up "this is holding up the motion!" And on the other hand that the chair that I most adore is to be found in the home of Samuel Johnson in Market Square, Lichfield. I almost sat in it and an usher appeared, not allowed, I was told. So I had to stand back and simply admire, because the stability of that piece of furniture actually suggested the grandeur of...

on "Robert Houdin"

Yes well of course he means (spelled as he pronounces it) Robeer Houdarn. And ninety-old. I know little about that period anyway, shall we say. 1805 he was born and became an internationally famous prestigateur. Probably the only man of his ilk to be ordered by the Government of his country which was France, naturally as you'll have gathered by my pronounciation, to go and outdo the Maribouts which as you know were allegedly working soem sort of miracle. And saying "hey presto!" and up came a load of spectres or whatever you like to call on them, depending on your proclivities. I don't much approve of him. And when Orson Welles was forced to give an afternoon performance he remarked at the curtain "I would like..."

WHISTLE

NP: What did he remark at the curtain?

KW: Well Orson said at the curtain call, as it was an afternoon performance and he hated giving them, he said at the curtain call "I would just like to mention Robert Houdin who in the 14th century invented the vanishing bird cage trick and the theatre matinee, may he rot and perish!"

On "genius"

Of course it's something that I am tremendously sympatico with, and always respond with enormous enthusiasm to whenever I encounter it, either in life itself or in history, literature, the plastic arts, painting. I mean these are things in which genius continuously manifests itself. And ennobles us, lifts us all in the process! Even as we gaze upon the incredible Michelangelo David statue we think "ooh how marvellous!" I mean he makes an ordinary person seem incredibly God like! And in those limbs we see the....

on "George Peabody"

He was the most probably famous in Baltimore philanthropist ever born and was of considerable benefit to this city when he arrived here in the 19th century. And of course by municipal housing did a considerable amount to improve the lot of residents of that kind of property. He interested himself in Keynes' expedition to the Antarctic and forked out to the tune of one and a half million which isn't bad when you come to think of it. And know that money would be worth far more then than it is now! He also loved this city which we're all living in now. And he chose never to return to North America or the city in that...

on "hauntings"

Haunting times, haunting tunes, haunting pictures, haunting ectoplasms. Oh yes what manifestations are there here? And I once saw a person manifesting themselves on the bacon counter. And I took aside the manager and said "have you seen that?" And he said "yes it only occurs at Ash Wednesdays usually, because you see, it's rumoured that the previous incumbent used to have a yen for streaky." And I said "what do you mean..." and then I repeated the word. I can't do it now, you know what I mean. And he said "well it took his fancy" and then did this terrible sort of slow wink. And it was a sort of walleye look, you know? I thought "well that's odd. I'm not coming back here because I don't want to feel that people around here with these strange proclivities..."

and a few others...

here's Sheila Hancock on "what I fancy"

It would take me much longer than 60 seconds to describe what I fancy actaully and anyway it wouldn’t be allowed. But instead of that I will say I would like to be by a river in my bathing costume with a bottle of champagne and a few sandwiches. Then I would like to plunge into the same water, swim around for a bit, find Kenneth Williams who I also fancy, sitting in his little bathing costume on the edge of the bank dabbling his tiny feet amongst the tadpoles, fishing with a little net. And then I would go off down the road and there would be Peter who I fancy and Derek whom I also fancy waiting to take me out to dinner because the aforesaid bread and jam hadn’t exactly filled me up. So we would then go to my favourite...

Paul Merton on "loans"

Whenever I'm short of money, I go into the sea and borrow some off a loan shark. These peculiar creatures carry great big wads of cash around with them. They are in fact known as the er money lenders of the sea. And when I'm down in this particular briney piece of water I see them swimming past with fivers sticking out of their spoutholes. But they don't have those of course, because I'm thinking of whales. It's something else entirely and everybody's going to carry on and let me talking now, so I'll just talk gibberish for the next minute and a half. Pears are my favourite fruit er because without a doubt there is something about a pear that I absolutely love. And if I haven't got enough money to buy a pear I will go down to the bank and I say "excuse me, can you give me a loan because I simply must have more of this particular fruit?" And they say "of course and here's a thousand pounds". And so I go down to the greengrocer and I say "look, I've got a thousand pounds" and he'll say "yeah it's a thousand pounds actually." And I say "how many pears have you got?" And he said "for that amount of money, you did say a thousand?" And I said "I did yeah". He said "I can give you, I can give you about 8000 pears for that because they are about um eight pounds each." I said "well that's not right, is it? Because I mean if they were eight pears a pound, they would be 8000." He said "all right," he said, "but I didn't do algebra at school and um, I'm very pleased that you've come here now to my shop because with this money I can have a holiday..."

Paul Merton on "flying saucers"

Well a flying saucer landed in my back garden about 19 years ago, and I got on it and went to the planet Venus. And it's true because I've got photographs here of me standing on that particular planet. And anybody who says that this is false can come outside and I'll give them a damn good fight! Because I was trapped on that particular orb in space for years! I tried, benee, speaking to the Venusians and said "look it's not my fault I'm here, I was kidnapped by one of your people." They said "it's got nothing to do with us, it could have been anybody they picked up. We had Winston Churchill about 30 years ago. And before that Sir Stanley Matthews, the wizard of the wing, spent a fortnight on this very surface." I thought well, I'm very proud to be in such august company. And they said "so you should be and all! What do you want for your dinner?" I said "well what have you got?" They said "well, we can offer you fish cakes if that's not too fantastic for you." I thought it's quite an extraordinary concept, the idea of eating that particular meal out here this far away from the Earth where I originally came from. They said "look do you want it or not?" I said "well fine". So at that point they produced a doner kebab which to my, to all intents and purposes was completely cold. I said "why is this not served up hot?" They said "we got it from a shop in Highgate and it's a long way away to bring it all the way from that particular part of North London to where we're standing now." I said "okay, I'll go along with that, what have you got to drink?" They said "well we've got Whatney's Red Barrel." I said "oh that is just too fantastic because nobody outside of the..."

Graham Norton on "the writing on the wall"

The writing on the wall is a very long way of saying graffiti. and I remember as a boy looking up and seeing scrawled on a flat surface along the side of a house "Kilroy was here". Oh sweet mystery of life, what did that mean? And how depressing it is to turn on the television and realise the orange thing is still with us! No past tense at all! His great arms like animated garden hoses flap about his head as he runs up and down steps forcing grown women to cry! It must be stopped! I feel that... The subject is the writing on the wall? And so it is said joined up can be difficult if there's a lot of stonework or masonry...

and finally the great man, Sir Clement Freud on "the best putdown I ever heard"

The best putdown I ever heard was exceedingly short, as are all good putdowns. And in a game in which you have to waffle for 60 seconds, and best being not a word that one can conditionalise in any way, I will have to give you the build-up to this putdown, in order that the short sentence with which I will end my speech may not be outside the rules of Just A Minute. It was a summer evening in Aberdeen. It was raining slightly and the mist was coming down from the hills. And at the banqueting hall in the Royal Station Hotel, the head waiter nudged the main speaker and said "functions are about to begin, it is up to you to open your mouth". And Mister Gladstone, who was there on this occasion, was introduced at such very great length by so boring a man that when he was finally told "and now we come to the Prime Minister to give his address", the aforementioned gentleman said "Ten Downing Street".

news

2011-12-11T14:31:00.002+13:00

The current season of Clue finishes on Dec 19th and I am told The Unbelievable Truth will follow, meaning JAM won't be back now until February.

The TV shows are running after that series finishes in mid to late March.

The six shows in that season were recorded in September and November - I guess at least they have plenty of time for editing!

I can also pass on that Radio Four Extra is currently preparing a three hour long Just A Minute special. Nicholas Parsons is to introduce six specially chosen JAMs with the extra time filled in with some specially chosen rounds of uninterrupted minutes. The BBC asked me to choose some favourites which I was happy to do, and I'll post them in a moment.

TV series

2011-12-05T23:27:00.001+13:00

Just finished a long conversation with Andy Brereton who is producing the Just A Minute TV series – we talked for 48 minutes!

I will try and write up something in the next day or so.

But I think there are two key messages – one is he feels the recordings went very very well and the show is a success. And secondly they have really tried very very hard to make shows that reflected the radio version – no mystery objects or regional teams this time.

As I say, more to come.

Ian Messiter's house is for sale

2011-11-26T16:55:00.002+13:00

Interesting information about the old Messiter home can be read here.

Sorry to read that Enid Messiter is now in nursing care. She was a wonderful contributor to many of Ian's games, and I know she was a great fan of Just A Minute. I do hope she is still following the show and that she enjoys a long retirement!

You should have more women on the show!

2011-11-26T16:44:00.002+13:00

My dear friend Keith Matthews told me when I was in the UK earlier this year that he'd try to persuade one of the radio producers to have an all-woman panel, without success.

I have a bit of sympathy for him because there are a lot of very taalented women on the show at the moment.

In the two and half a years since Clement's death, here's the list of female panellists.

Sue Perkins 18
Jenny Éclair 11
Josie Lawrence 10
Sheila Hancock, Liza Tarbuck 8
Pam Ayres, Shappi Khorsandi 6
Fi Glover 2
Janey Godley, Pauline McLynn, Suki Webster 1

So what do you think? Would a panel of say Sheila Hancock, Sue Perkins, Jenny Eclair and Josie Lawrence be entertaining? I think it would. They all have distinctive styles and they're all in different ways competitive. I think it would be a good show. Or if you wish add in one or more of Liza Tarbuck, Pam Ayres and Shappi Khorsandi - all again very different.

Maybe we should have Sheila, Sue, Jenny and Josie, with Liza as chairperson??? Now that would be interesting.

The TV series recordings are done

2011-11-26T15:50:00.005+13:00

Time for some thoughts on the TV recordings recently completed. Obviously the final say will be when we all see the programmes on TV.

Nevertheless there are some things we can say.

Firstly, the producer of the TV series, Andy Brereton wrote to me last week. He sent the nice pics that I have put up here, and also made a few brief comments about the TV recordings that will be of interest. I don't think he'll object to me relaying that he describes himself as a huge fan of the radio show and he says he has tried very very hard to honour the show. I know that the radio show's current producer, Tilusha Ghelani, has had some involvement in the TV show too.

By the way, Andy has offered to chat to me about how the TV show came together so if anyone has any POLITE questions about the TV shows, please send them and I'll ask.

I think too that you can see the radio influence in the casting. Here's the panellists since Clement Freud's death by appearances, including the radio shows recorded but yet to play. I've bolded those who have been in the TV shows.

Paul Merton 56
Gyles Brandreth 23
Tony Hawks, Sue Perkins 18
Graham Norton 14
Julian Clary 12
Jenny Éclair 11
Josie Lawrence 10
Sheila Hancock, Liza Tarbuck 8
Pam Ayres, Charles Collingwood, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Shappi Khorsandi, Ross Noble 6
Stephen Fry, Rick Wakeman 4
Alun Cochrane 3
Marcus Brigstocke, Kevin Eldon, Fi Glover, Dave Gorman, Phill Jupitus, Miles Jupp, Ian McMillan, David Mitchell, Justin Moorhouse, Chris Neill, Tim Rice, John Sergeant, Terry Wogan 2
Stephen K Amos, John Bishop, Jason Byrne, Janey Godley, Richard Herring, Russell Kane, Fred MacAulay, Pauline McLynn, Mike McShane, Paul Sinha, Suki Webster 1

So of the top 10 since Clement's death, only two didn't appear. But Sheila Hancock is in a stage play on the West End and Jenny Eclair is doing panto. So maybe they couldn't do the TV shows for timing reasons. Personally I would have had both of them on if they were available. Of the next group, on six shows, Ross Noble is in Ireland I believe, and Pam Ayres is touring New Zealand and Australia. So maybe the timing is the key to them not doing the TV shows too.

Now here are the casts for the 10 shows organised by number of appearances.

* Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Graham Norton and Sue Perkins
* Paul, Tony, Gyles Brandreth and Liza Tarbuck
* Paul, Graham, Sue and Phill Jupitus
* Paul, Gyles, Liza and Miles Jupp
* Paul, Sue, Marcus Brigstocke and Ruth Jones
* Paul, Sue, Marcus and Stephen Mangan
* Paul, Julian Clary, Stephen Fry and Shappi Khorsandi
* Paul, Julian, Stephen Fry and Russell Tovey
* Paul, Josie Lawrence, John Sergeant and Jason Manford
* Paul, Shappi, Jason and Hugh Bonneville

Look down the list and apart from the bottom two, there are at least three very experienced players of the game in each show. And Paul as an anchor panellist. This is a very good sign.

The problem for a lot of the TV shows in 1994, 1995 and 1999 were the panellists that really didn't know how to play the game. Some were good at picking up on mistakes of others, but had nothing to say when they got the subject. Some were excessively pedantic. Some seemed lost. In the second show in 1994, there were three people playing for the first time plus Tony Slattery in his fourth show. The game is difficult - it needs people who know how to play it. New people need to be introduced with players who do know how to get the balance between being competitive and being pedantic, and are also able to improvise.

The newcomers - Hugh Bonneville, Ruth Jones, Jason Manford, Stephen Mangan and Russell Tovey - are all either comedians or comedy actors and they're all people who do already do comedy panel shows. They're all people who could well have been on the lists of the radio producers for doing the radio show. That doesn't guarantee success on Just A Minute, but it's a good sign.

The only show I'm a bit concerned about is the one with Paul Merton, Shappi Khorsandi, Jason Manford and Hugh Bonneville. Shappi is not an especially strong player, and Jason and Hugh are new. Jason has a pile of panel game experience so hopefully he will be okay. Still I would have kept Josie Lawrence on the second panel at that recording as she is such a good player these days.

But let's be honest - if Paul Merton is at his brilliant best, these will be funny shows. It's noticeable that all of the audiences seem to have loved the shows. Of course its the fans who will have turned up but I have yet to see anyone who came away from one of the recordings disappointed.

I see Andy is described as being from "BBC Comedy Entertainment Development". Does this mean that if these shows are successful, it could "develop" into something more? If he does agree to a chat, I'll ask him!

last TV recordings

2011-11-23T12:34:00.001+13:00

the two panels were Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, John Sergeant and Jason Manford.

And then Paul, Jason, Shappi Khorsandi and Hugh Bonneville

some more thoughts on the TV shows to come

piccies from the TV recordings

2011-11-22T01:27:00.009+13:00

Some great pics from one of the JAM recordings - hope you enjoy them...

The old master back in the saddle again

Newcomer Russell Tovey picks up some tips on playing the game from Stephen Fry

Long shot of the set with Paul, Julian, Nicholas, Russell and Stephen

Another long shot

Paul Merton and Shappi Khorsandi look to the audience for inspiration.

Nicholas hams it up

Shappi and Nicholas hanging on Paul's every word

Julian Clary and Stephen Fry want the subject back!

JAM panel

2011-11-21T08:26:00.002+13:00

one of them for today’s recording is Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, Marcus Brigstocke and Stephen Mangan.

I’m expecting someone will replace Stephen at the second recording.

UPDATE: First panel was Paul, Sue, Marcus and Ruth Jones. Stephen Mangan replaces Ruth for the second recording. So two newbies, Stephen and Ruth.

today's shows

2011-11-19T10:30:00.001+13:00

The panels for today's TV recordings

Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Gyles Brandreth and Liza Tarbuck

Paul, Gyles, Liza and Miles Jupp

The flash set for the TV version

2011-11-19T07:42:00.002+13:00

second day of TV recordings

2011-11-17T19:57:00.002+13:00

The team for the first show was Paul Merton, Julian Clary, Stephen Fry and Shappi Khorsandi. The team for the second show was Paul, Julian, Stephen and Russell Tovey.

It'll be Russell's JAM debut and creates some sort of record with three openly gay performers (Julian, Stephen and Russell) joining Paul.

Again, experienced players and the involvement of Stephen Fry is a huge plus for the show.

So far, so good... in fact, so far, more than good.

first TV panel

2011-11-15T22:28:00.002+13:00

The first show recorded featured Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Graham Norton and Sue Perkins.

then for the second show they had Paul, Graham, Sue and Phill Jupitus.

The reaction I've heard has been that these were two very funny shows and the signs that they are going to use people who know how the game works are very promising.

I'm particularly pleased Graham is doing at least a couple of shows and maybe more as he is one who could surely attract new viewers.

A very good start!

today

2011-11-14T22:47:00.001+13:00

is an important day – the first TV recording of JAM in 12 years will be filmed!

Good luck to Nicholas, Paul, and whichever others are appearing.

If you’re lucky enough to be going, I hope you’ll send us a message with the cast and so on.

The Guardian on Stephen Fry

2011-11-07T08:03:00.001+13:00

Stephen Fry does not merely bestride our narrow world like the proverbial colossus. His bounty to us is also as boundless as the sleepless airwaves. Switch on your radio or television any day, and the great immanent polymath will be there, giving of himself. Tonight it will be in the latest episode of QI XL, a show that gets better and better. The other day he was Napoleon's horse. But that's merely the iceberg tip of his serial benefactions.

In recent times, Mr Fry has been in California to say farewell to Steve Jobs, in New Zealand to film the Hobbit, backed the new Jarrow march, supported efforts to save a crab-processing factory in Cromer, opined to Australians that Adam Gilchrist would make a good president, and got into an unfortunate spat with the Observer about female sexuality. At the end of the month he will be a voiceover at Southwark Playhouse. And then, of course, there is Twitter, on which it comes as something of a surprise to discover that Mr Fry has only 3 million followers.

On Friday, the fact that his Qantas plane was diverted to Dubai after pilots decided to shut down one of its engines was global news. Whether it is cricket, the Greek bailout, new technology, Oscar Wilde, Chekhov or Wagner, Mr Fry always has more to say than anyone. He is inexhaustible. The rest of us, sadly, are not. Can he not grant mere mortals an annual Fry-free Friday? If only, of course, to allow us to savour the other 364 days all the more keenly.

Ray Alan

2011-11-06T08:26:00.001+13:00

This JAM guest is featured on the new Classic Collection - here he is working, believe it or not, two dummies.

JAM on TV thoughts

2011-11-05T20:51:00.002+13:00

Since the announcement a couple of weeks ago that JAM is returning to the TV screens, I've been fascinated by the generally negative reaction.

I've hardly seen a soul who thinks this is a good idea.

I do find this more than a bit baffling. It is 12 years since JAM has been on the TV screen and since then if anything it has been gaining in popularity. Many of the current JAM teeam are definitely more known for their TV work than their radio work. Is there any reason why people wouldn't turn their TV on to watch say Paul Merton, Graham Norton, Stephen Fry and Jenny Eclair? I don't think that there is.

Some information that may help reassure the fans who are worried about what we might see. It is pretty clearly going to be very similar in style to what we hear on the radio. I'm told Paul Merton has signed up for all 10 TV shows and that all of the JAM semi-regulars - that is Tony Hawks, Graham Norton, Gyles Brandreth, Sue Perkins and Julian Clary have all signed up to appear too. Also while TV people are in charge of the production, Nicholas and the current radio producer Tilusha Ghelani are signed up as consultants to the show. Obviously all this suggests the production team are keen to get advice from people who know how the show works.

The principal problem with the earlier attempts to bring the show to TV are that they based the casts around people who didn't know how to play the game. The second show in 1994 featured three people making their debut, as did another in the series. In 1999 the cast included someone who had never even heard of the game. And the show clearly needs an anchor, someone who can get the show back on track when it starts to get dull. Tony Slattery had a good try but having Paul there is as close as you can get to having a guarantee that the shows will work.

The reasons people are expecting this version won't work seem vague to me. I saw someone write that Just A Minute is particularly suited to radio because it means people focus on what is being said. This sounds to me like someone trying to make up a reason for me. Do people watching QI or Have I Got News For You or Would I Lie To You watch because of the beauty of the panellists? They watch to listen to the humour.

The success of so many panel games on TV shows these things can work. There is nothing at all especially visual about Would I Lie To You or QI past the pleasure of watching people talk. The same applies to countless TV chat shows. It's interesting watching people chat on The View, but if you turned down the sound, all you would see is people sitting on a couch.

It is interesting watching people chat and it will be interesting to watch JAM. In the end whether or not the show succeeds will depend on the same things as on the radio, how funny the panellists are, and how much they interact. If they do interact well, and if they are funny, the show will work.

I believe it will work.

JAM fans in India

2011-11-03T15:45:00.002+13:00

I’ve been asked by the BBC to see if I can find any fans in India, in particular ones who play the game.

If this is you, or you know how to contact someone who is, please email me

UPDATE: The BBC's PM programme went ahead and interviewed Nicholas. Go here, hit Wednesday's edition and it's on at about 52 minutes in.

panel news

2011-11-02T07:20:00.001+13:00

if my info is correct the panel for the recording taking place about now is Paul Merton, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Liza Tarbuck and Josie Lawrence.

But the other bit of news is that the show is not back on radio until Boxing Day. I assumed it would be back in mid-November but apparently it’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue that starts then.

India?

2011-11-02T05:10:00.001+13:00

The Guardian is reporting that as part of the 45 year celebrations, JAM will record shows in India.

BBC Radio 4 panel show Just A Minute is to go to India for its 45th anniversary next year – but the future of The Archers spin-off Ambridge Extra is in doubt.
Radio 4 controller Gwyneth Williams said long-running Just A Minute panellist Paul Merton and its chairman Nicholas Parsons would travel to India for the special edition of the show.
She said it was hugely popular in India with "clubs there who play the game with a fantastic passion".
It remains to be seen how the change of scene will come across on radio for the show, which will also transfer to BBC2 to mark next year's anniversary.

Johnny Depp

2011-10-30T11:52:00.001+13:00

appears on Graham Norton's show this Friday - that should be something to see!

rant

2011-10-26T11:23:00.002+13:00

I've been asked to provide some information for publication in an article in Britain about JAM and my interest in it.

I don't expect that more than a few lines if anything will end up in the published article, so I am copying it here.

I try not to blab on about myself too much but still this covers some personal stuff that may be of interest, and a few interesting facts and figures so I think it's worth putting up.

I’m by nature fairly modest though I am very proud of the website work. So many “fansites” on the web are ephemeral, the product of brief spasms of enthusiasm, or just regurgitate what is already publicly available. Mine isn’t. It’s also a writer’s site.... it’s very sparse on design and pictures, and though I sometimes regret that, part of me likes that whoever reads it is being drawn by the written content, rather than flashy design and finding ways to work the Google system.

Me – well... I live in Wellington, New Zealand. I work in radio, at Radio New Zealand, the non-commercial broadcaster here. I’m the deputy editor of a daily news programme, Morning Report, which is broadly similar to Radio Four’s Today programme, a mix of reports and live interviews, sports, business news, etc. It has a huge audience in New Zealand terms. I’ve worked there since 2002, before that I worked in newspapers for eight years.

My interest in Just A Minute started when I was a kid, in the mid 70s. At the time Radio New Zealand gave prominent slots to many of the BBC panel games – Many A Slip, My Music, My Word, and especially Just A Minute. I was looking at some old schedules a few months ago and was a little surprised to find JAM popping up on both commercial and non-commercial stations in prime time slots. I can remember noting times and listening avidly, keeping the score which only rarely ended up the same as that announced at the end of the show. (At the time I assumed it was me scoring wrongly.)

The main thing that drew me into the programme as opposed to the other shows was of course Kenneth Williams. I adore all the players and of course Paul Merton is a genius – but no-one will ever replace the distinctive style of Kenneth. The loquacity, the knowledge and erudition, the wit, and of course his tantrums and the abuse of the chairman. The thing was you were never quite sure with him whether he was genuinely angry and causing the most appalling scene, or whether it was all for fun. He provided a sense of real drama in the programme, a sense that something was about to happen every time he started a subject or pressed the buzzer. It is special if a comedy game show can also provide drama – it’s so easy for this sort of show to fall into a sense of smugness. The anticipation that Kenneth would come in and change the whole atmosphere in a few seconds was, and I think still is, really special. I can remember hoping each week that he would win and being almost as happy as he was on the infrequent occasions that he won.

I’d have to say too that the naughtiness of the taunting of the chairman was also a part of the appeal, something that I think is still fairly unique to the show. So much of broadcasting is staid, scripted and very civilised, when in a way, the real magic of radio, should be the anticipation that anything can happen. Here you had middle-aged men shouting “shut your row” at the authority figure, demanding he resign and so on. The way Nicholas responds to all this is a huge part of the success of the programme, but again it was a contrast to some of the other panel shows where everybody seems so pleased with themselves all the time.

I do remember being with my grandparents listening to the show but it was and is something of a private pleasure. I am sure many people of my age would remember the show but it has for a long time been off air here. Over time Radio New Zealand has slowly taken off air many of the BBC programmes, replacing them with more distinctive home-grown fare.

It is still playing every week in Australia, on the ABC’s national programme, just before their main breakfast news programme. I’m not at all sure it is playing in many other places, the BBC World Service played it for many years but stopped a few years ago. It still has many fans around the world who listen via the Internet and swap files of shows. In the 90s, the success around the world, including in New Zealand, of Whose Line Is It Anyway, drew many people to Just A Minute via Paul Merton. In more recent years, Graham Norton’s chat shows can be seen in many countries and that is drawing people to Just A Minute too.

I have been over three times now to see recordings. In 2002 I was in Edinburgh, in 2007 at Stratford-upon-Avon and I was back in Edinburgh in August this year.

Curious facts... here are some.

* Only two players have failed to score a point in an episode of Just A Minute, those two being Christopher Timothy (All Creatures Great and Small) and one of the show’s true greats, the much missed Peter Jones.

* In August, Russell Kane won the show on his first appearance. This was the first time someone making their debut had won since 1999 – in between these two wins there have been 273 radio editions of the show.

* One of the show’s current mainstays, Gyles Brandreth, appeared on the show in the mid 80s semi-regularly from 1982 until 1986 – and then didn’t return to the radio series until 2002. (He did appear on some of the 1999 TV shows.)

* Kenneth Williams is easily the player who has most often gone for the full minute without being challenged. He did that 66 times, more than twice the next in that list (Clement Freud on 30).

* There have now been 774 radio editions and 48 TV editions, and Nicholas Parsons has been part of every show. (He has been a panellist on nine shows, the others to chair the programme are Kenneth Williams, Clement Freud, Andree Melly, Geraldine Jones and Ian Messiter.)

* Does Paul Merton “always win”? Not always, but he has won 63 percent of the shows he has appeared in. Clement Freud has won most often.

* Clement Freud and Gyles Brandreth are panellists who became politicians. Other politicians to appear on the show are the former Labour Cabinet Minister Barbara Castle, the former Labour MP Tony Banks, and the Labour MEP Michael Cashman.

A few brief facts too about the TV editions....

There have been three seasons. ITV did two seasons on evening slots in 1994 and 1995. Tony Slattery appeared on all shows in both seasons, and Dale Winton also appeared on all shows in 1995. There were two seasons of 14 shows each, 28 shows in total. The BBC did a day-time series of 20 shows in 1999. There were no regulars but Peter Jones, Tony Hawks, Gyles Brandreth, Linda Smith and Wendy Richard appeared most frequently.

last panel

2011-10-26T09:32:00.002+13:00

I hear the last panel for the year will include Paul Merton, Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Liza Tarbuck. Last person not yet decided - I am thinking Tony Hawks, although he is on tour with his own comedy show at the moment.

If Tony misses out, it will be the first season since season 32 that he hasn't appeared in!

I mentioned too in an earlier post that it continues a long unbreaken run for Kit who has appeared every year since 1994. I like Kit's distinctive way of playing the game and am glad to see him back - I hope he makes an appearance too on the TV shows.

Pink List

2011-10-25T09:10:00.002+13:00

The Independent's annual list of prominent gay people has again got a sprinkling of JAM stars - Graham Norton, Sue Perkins, Julian Clary, Stephen Fry, Clare Balding and Sandi Toksvig all get a mention.

Derek Nimmo goes punk

2011-10-23T22:03:00.001+13:00

Latest recording

2011-10-23T00:14:00.000+13:00

featured Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Jenny Eclair and Ross Noble

TV recording dates

2011-10-22T08:35:00.001+13:00

are November 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22.

The great Clement takes on gossip coumnist Rona Barrett

2011-10-21T23:13:00.000+13:00

Just A Minute - back on TV

2011-10-21T20:03:00.003+13:00

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.

Classic Collection

2011-10-19T11:04:00.003+13:00

We now have a list of shows in this collection.

They are:

CLASSIC PETER JONES

91/6/1, 19 October 1971, with Peter, Clement, Kenneth and Andree Melly
244/11/25, 20 April 1977 with Peter, Derek, Kenneth and Magnus Pyke
386/21/6, 9 June 1988 with Peter, Clement, Lance Percival and Christopher Timothy
512/35/6, 9 August 1999 with Peter, Clement, Paul and Stephen Fry

CLASSIC CLEMENT FREUD

1/1/1, 22 December 1967, with Clement, Derek, Beryl Reid and Wilma Ewart
225/11/6, 8 December 1976 with Peter, Clement, Kenneth and Ray Alan
409/24/3, 19 January 1991, with Peter, Clement, Derek and Paul
517/36/1, 20 December 1999, with Clement, Paul, Graham Norton and Linda Smith

CLASSIC DEREK NIMMO

294/15/7, 18 April 1981, with Peter, Clement, Derek and Kenneth
390/22/2, 4 April 1990, with Peter, Derek, Paul and Richard Murdoch
407/24/1, 5 January 1991 with Peter, Clement, Derek and Paul
501/34/5, 15 February 1999 with Clement, Derek, Tony Slattery and Steve Frost

CLASSIC PAUL MERTON

452/28/9, 18 February 1995 with Peter, Paul, Wendy Richard and Lee Simpson
455/29/1, 6 January 1996 with Peter, Clement, Derek and Paul
487/33/1, 8 June 1998 with Clement, Derek, Paul and Julian Clary
498/34/2, 25 January 1999 with Peter, Clement, Paul and Tony Hawks

CLASSIC KENNETH WILLIAMS

226/11/7, 15 December 1976 with Peter, Derek, Kenneth and Sheila Hancock
295/15/8, 25 April 1981 with Peter, Clement, Kenneth and Tim Rice
306/16/5, 20 February 1982 with Kenneth, Tim, John Junkin and Brian Johnston
374/20/6, 9 May 1987 with Peter, Clement, Kenneth and Stanley Unwin

BONUS DISC

230/11/11, 12 January 1977, with Peter, Derek, Kenneth and Nicholas Parsons, chaired by Ian Messiter
415/25/1, 4 January 1992 with Peter, Clement, Derek and Maureen Lipman

So there are 17 shows featuring Peter Jones, 16 featuring Clement Freud, 12 featuring Derek Nimmo, nine featuring each of Paul Merton and Kenneth Williams, two featuring Tim Rice, and one each featuring Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock, Graham Norton, Andree Melly, Linda Smith, Wendy Richard, Julian Clary, Tony Slattery, Stephen Fry, Steve Frost, John Junkin, Richard Murdoch, Lance Percival, Maureen Lipman, Ray Alan, Ian Messiter, Magnus Pyke, Lee Simpson, Christopher Timothy, Brian Johnston, Stanley Unwin, Wilma Ewart and Beryl Reid.

Sounds great!

on and on

2011-10-14T06:54:00.002+13:00

I'm asked in comments on who has longest service in terms of players in the past three years.

I did this stat last year, but here's the updated version for players who have appeared in the past three years.

Players from 2009, 2010, 2011, with their debut year, listed chronologically. Where they debuted on TV rather than radio, both debuts are listed.

1967: Clement Freud, Nicholas Parsons, Sheila Hancock
1980: Tim Rice
1982: Gyles Brandreth
1989: Paul Merton
1992: Stephen Fry, Helen Lederer, Tony Hawks
1994: Jenny Eclair, Kit Hesketh-Harvey (TV), Graham Norton (TV), Kit Hesketh-Harvey (radio)
1996: Fred MacAulay, Graham Norton (radio)
1997: Julian Clary
1999: John Sergeant (TV), Pam Ayres (TV)
2000: Sue Perkins, Ross Noble
2001: Liza Tarbuck, Charles Collingwood
2002: Chris Neill
2003: Pam Ayres (radio)
2004: Marcus Brigstocke
2005: John Sergeant (radio)
2006: Pauline McLynn, Janey Godley
2007: Alun Cochrane, Dave Gorman, Phill Jupitus
2008: Josie Lawrence, Jack Dee, Ian McMillan, Shappi Khorsandi, Mike McShane
2009: Josie Long, Justin Moorhouse, David Mitchell, Paul Sinha, Richard Herring, Suki Webster
2010: John Bishop, Stephen K. Amos, Kevin Eldon
2011: Rick Wakeman, Terry Wogan, Fi Glover, Jason Byrne, Russell Kane, Miles Jupp

47 players (plus Nicholas) in three years! Seems a lot, doesn't it.

long service

2011-10-13T13:03:00.001+13:00

If Kit Hesketh-Harvey is part of the final two recordings this year, he will bring up an unbroken run of 18 years on the show. The only ones with longer unbroken runs – ie. appearing on a show every year – are Paul Merton, on 23 years, and Tony Hawks, 20 years.

If you include TV shows, Graham Norton is on 18, he debuted on TV in 1994, and on radio in 1996.

I hope Kit is part of the final shows this year!

too few women on panel games

2011-10-13T11:04:00.002+13:00

An interesting article on this subject.

and here's an interesting graph

first (or second) time winners

2011-10-13T10:46:00.003+13:00

Russell Kane's feat of winning his first show last season sparked some interest in how frequently this had been done.

My dear friend Keith Matthews compiled this list for us.

1967 Derek Nimmo.
1968 Lucy Bartlett, Nicholas Parsons (first show as panellist).
1979 Tim Brooke Taylor.
1980 Tim Rice.
1982 Brian Johnston, Libby Purves, Gyles Brandreth, Victoria Wood.
1983 Jeremy Beadle, Jan Ravens.
1993 Richard Morton.
1994 Mariella Frostrup (TV), Ann Bryson (TV), Neil Mullarkey (TV), Jo Brand (TV), Ted Robbins (TV)
1999 Linda Smith, John Sergeant (TV).
2011 Russell Kane.

So as you can see it's been a long long time since this feat was achieved. Well done Russell... especially as he managed to beat Paul and Gyles, probably the best two current players.

On the Yahoo group, a poster, Matthew, extended this to someone winning in their first two shows, as most people do two shows at once.

Radio: Derek Nimmo (first ever winner), Lucy Bartlett, Nicholas Parsons (in his debut as a panellist), Tim Brooke-Taylor, Peter Cook (2nd episode), Tim Rice (joint with Kenneth Williams, Peter Jones, AND Derek Nimmo!), Brian Johnston, Libby Purves, Gyles Brandreth (won first TWO episodes, second joint with Peter Jones), Victoria Wood (joint with Peter Jones), Jeremy Beadle, Jan Ravens, Martin Jarvis (2nd episode), Richard Stilgoe (2nd episode, joint with Peter Jones), Richard Morton, Jenny Eclair (2nd episode), Fred MacAulay (2nd episode), Linda Smith (joint with Tony Hawks and Derek Nimmo), Rick Wakeman (2nd episode), Russell Kane, Miles Jupp (2nd episode).

Television: Mariella Frostrup, Ann Bryson, Neil Mullarkey, Jo Brand, Ted Robbins, Dale Winton, John Sergeant (won first TWO episodes), Brian Sewell (2nd episode, joint with John Sergeant), Isla Blair (2nd episode), Pam Ayres (2nd episode, joint with Wendy Richard), Michael Cashman (2nd episode).

Matthew also made the point that there is relatively few who went on to a long career in the show - Derek, Gyles, Linda, Tim, Jenny.... (and Nicholas!).

upcoming recordings

2011-10-13T10:43:00.001+13:00

on Friday 21 October and Tuesday 1 November. This should complete the last season of the year. Two shows with Paul, Sue Perkins, Julian Clary and Charles Collingwood have already been recorded.

Sad news

2011-10-13T10:07:00.001+13:00

Former Just A Minute guest Rob Buckman has died. Rob appeared in one show in 1980, with Kenneth Williams, Derek Nimmo and Clement Freud.

He was one of the guests whose career was not in entertainment, but was still very entertaining.

The Guardian here nicely sums up his life.

The oncologist, writer and performer Rob Buckman, who has died aged 63 in his sleep on board a plane, spent last week making a series of short films. We were working on them together, and Rob was his usual irrepressible self, full of good humour, jokes and kindness. On Sunday the whole film crew had lunch in a pub, and Rob left to catch the flight to Toronto on which he died. The films, ironically, are called Top Ten Tips for Health.

The Guardian writer Nancy Banks-Smith described Rob as "one of those exciting scientists in full fizz who look as if they have access to a strong tonic not yet on the market". She was reviewing a film he made in 1981 called Your Own Worst Enemy. He was then suffering from an autoimmune disease called dermatomyositis, in which the body's defences start to attack the body itself. At the time he started filming, Rob assumed the disease would prove fatal, and had determined to make the film to educate people on the subject. But one last treatment of blood plasma replacement and a new drug stopped the disease. However, he later suffered from another autoimmune disease that left him semi-paralysed. Banks-Smith remarked on his courage and fortitude: "The surviving drive to describe his own disease and dissolution was one of the most striking scientific achievements I have seen on television."

Rob was born in London to Bernard Buckman, a trader, and his wife, Irene, a barrister. He began his acting career at the age of 13, while still at University College school, north London, playing the Midshipmite in Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore at the Savoy theatre. Then he went on to St John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in medicine in 1972, after having featured in a vintage Footlights team.

As a junior doctor at University College hospital, London, he met Chris Beetles, and they teamed up as Beetles and Buckman to perform live comedy and revue. Rob wrote for the long-running satirical BBC Radio 4 show Week Ending, and for an LWT sitcom, Doctor On the Go, based on Richard Gordon's Doctor in the House books.

Beetles and Buckman then performed their own material in another LWT series, The Pink Medicine Show (1978). I first encountered them at the Amnesty International fundraiser The Secret Policeman's Ball in 1979, and Rob went on to front a long-running ITV medical series in the 1980s with Miriam Stoppard, Where There's Life.

Unable to find a consultant's job in oncology in the UK, Rob emigrated to Canada in 1985 and took up a post at the Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto. But he carried on making television programmes. In Magic or Medicine? (1994), he investigated alternative therapies, while Human Wildlife: The Life That Lives On Us (2002) looked at microbes in the home environment.

Besides contributing to Punch and writing a weekly column for the Toronto Globe and Mail, Rob also wrote many books, including Jogging from Memory: Letters to Sigmund Freud (1980); How to Break Bad News: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals (1992); Not Dead Yet: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Dr Robert Buckman, Complete With Map, Many Photographs and Irritating Footnotes (1999); Cancer is a Word, Not a Sentence (2006); and Can We Be Good Without God?: Biology, Behaviour and the Need to Believe (2002).

He was president of the Humanist Association of Canada; chair of the advisory board on bioethics of the International Humanist and Ethical Union; and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in the UK, and of its Canadian counterpart. He became a pioneer of communication and supportive care in medicine at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, and was professor in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto.

Despite his physical problems, Rob was the most positive and energetic person I have met. He was constantly in good spirits, able to fill a room with warmth and laughter, and never short of ideas and projects. He was also a fount of kindness – always thinking about other people and never about his own problems.

With his first wife, Joan van den Ende, he had two daughters, Joanna and Susie, and with his second, Pat Shaw, two sons, James and Matthew. All of them survive him.

Classic CD

2011-10-13T09:58:00.002+13:00

The 22 ep collection was supposedly released last week but I haven't actually heard that anyone has received it yet. Amazon and some other book stores are saying it's out of stock. Some say they do have it, but as I say, so far, I haven't heard that anyone has received their copy.

Here's the latest info I have seen on what's in it

"Twenty-two episodes of the ever-popular BBC Radio 4 panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons, showcasing five key players from the past five decades - Kenneth Williams, Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Peter Jones and Paul Merton - and including two very special editions of the show.

Kenneth Williams, Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Peter Jones and Paul Merton are the `Famous Five' of `Just a Minute': sparkling raconteurs whose sharp wits and skill made them consistently a pleasure to listen to. Each brings their own unique quality to the show, and this box set showcases their highlights - the moments which reveal these talented players at the very top of their game.

Also among the featured shows are the first ever `Just a Minute', plus the 25th anniversary edition and the infamous episode when Clement Freud failed to appear and the show's ever capable chairman Nicholas Parsons replaced him as a panellist.

Full of fast-paced, irreverent fun and ferocious competition, this collection is a goldmine of wonderful comedy nuggets from five fantastically funny comedians."

And then there's this

Just a Minute Classic Derek Nimmo
Publisher: Audiogo Ltd (2 Feb 2012)
ISBN-10: 1408470748
ISBN-13: 978-1408470749

Looking at this info and the upcoming “Classic Derek Nimmo” material, it looks to me like there will be four shows each for each of the five regulars in the Classic Collection. They will then try to sell each of these separately. ie. a four show Just a Minute Classic Derek Nimmo, a four show Just a Minute Classic Kenneth Williams, a four show Just a Minute Classic Clement Freud, a four show Just a Minute Classic Paul Merton, and a four show Just a Minute Classic Peter Jones. I’m not sure why you’d start with Derek rather than Paul or Kenneth. But still.

For the collection 4x5 is 20, plus apparently the first show with Derek, Clement, Beryl Reid and Wilma Ewart, and the truly classic 1977 show that had Kenneth, Derek, Peter and Nicholas on the panel with Ian Messiter in the chair. This really is a very funny show. And that adds up to 22 shows.

I am interested in the reference to the 25th anniversary edition. I’m not sure if this refers to the first show of 1992 where the anniversary is mentioned – that show featured Derek, Clement, Peter and Maureen Lipman, and was the first time JAM went on the road. But that would mean the collection has 23 episodes.

Or does it mean they are reissuing the Silver Minutes collection? I rather hope the latter as that collection is a lot of fun and is very much out of print.

Anyone who does get this, please let us know exactly what is in it.

views on last season

2011-10-13T09:42:00.000+13:00

I do think the shows with Paul, Sheila, Tony and Graham were up with the very best. The two shows at Edinburgh were good too, but not as good. The shows with Julian, Josie, Rick Wakeman and Phill Jupitus were okay, below average but okay. I thought Josie held things together – she is on her way to being a real star, being both very funny and very competitive.

The shows with Tony, Gyles, Pam Ayres and Miles Jupp were disappointing. I’ve just transcribed the first of these and Pam and Miles really were “non-starters” to use Kenneth’s phrase. Pam does have a unique style, which is good, but she just isn’t competitive enough, or consistently funny enough. She needs to be on with three strong players where her contributions would add spice. Miles was struggling with the game – he eventually worked that out and won the second show. But in mastering the game itself, he wasn’t very funny.

So it was up to Tony and Gyles to keep the show going. I think Gyles gets better every time he is on – has anyone else noticed he almost never falls back into his old routine poems and stories any more. He’s inventive and funny and likes the banter. Tony I think isn’t strong enough to hold a show together. There are times in the show when something funny is said between the panellists – Gyles was teasing Pam about her marriage. Now if Paul had been there, he would have joined in and kept it going – but Tony isn’t quick enough to do the same.

Of course it’s hard to judge Tony by the standard of Paul – there aren’t many people as funny and quick as Paul. Nevertheless the producers do seem to regard Tony as the alternate lead player if Paul is away.... and sorry Tony fans, but I don’t think he is good enough.

this blog - so influential???????????

2011-10-13T09:07:00.002+13:00

One of the odd things I am experiencing at this moment is reasonably regular e-mails from people wanting me to plug things on the blog. I always ignore these and sometimes get follow-up posts from people demanding I follow their wishes.

In 99 percent of cases, there is no link at all to the only subject we cover here.

Here's one I received today (with specific links and project info removed)...

Dear dean,
>
> I would be honored if you’d take the time to review our
> product on your blog.
> In exchange for an unbiased review, we will provide a copy
> of the product for free!
> We will also place link to your review from our product's
> page with your logo.
>
> The review may be written in any language you want, on any
> your blog/forum, min 100 words.
> You are free to get photos and sample description from our
> site: (LINK REMOVED BY DEAN)
> >
> If you use Facebook ( you are welcome to become my friend,
> my page is (LINK REMOVED BY DEAN) ),
>
> Twitter, Digg or MySpace, please mention about this tool
> there.
>
> Here is a brief information about our product:

(PRODUCT INFO REMOVED BY DEAN)
>
> > Looking forward to hearing from you.
>
> Sincerely,
>(NAME REMOVED BY DEAN)
> Senior Public Relations Specialist,

Now as I'm a journo, I'm not the sort to be knocked over by this sort of attention. But I do find it puzzling. This blog is by no means popular. Why waste time on what is very much a niche interest blog? And how many bloggers do post reviews of things at the behest of demanding PR people?

JAM cartoon!

2011-09-06T14:28:00.002+12:00

Here's the cover of the new JAM CD - The Classic Collection.

Still no info on the shows included - but what a wonderful cover! And note it says 22 shows are to be included - will they be from previous collections or shows not previously released? I hope the latter!

The Best of 2011 will also be released at the same time and will feature shows with

* Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Ross Noble and Liza Tarbuck.

* Paul, Graham Norton, Julian Clary and Terry Wogan.

* Paul, Gyles Brandreth, Shappi Khorsandi and Rick Wakeman.

* Paul, Sue Perkins, Stephen Fry and Fi Glover.

In other news, the team for the fvirst recording of the next season, due to start in November, was Paul, Sue, Julian and Charles Collingwood.

JAM in video

2011-08-23T02:48:00.005+12:00

Two clips from the Just A Minutes recorded in Edinburgh are now on the BBC site.

You can see them both here on this page.

Or look at the one featuring Nicholas Parsons, Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Alun Cochrane, Jason Byrne and Sarah Sharpe here

Or look at this featuring Nicholas, Paul, Gyles, Sarah, Shappi Khorsandi and Russell Kane, with an interview of Nicholas by Arthur Smith.

Nicholas Parsons' Happy Hour

2011-08-16T20:33:00.002+12:00

I went to this last night. It was good fun and very JAMmy. The crowd was a bit elderly and clearly Nicholas fans.

He chats to the audience a bit and then has guests. Last night he had Gyles Brandreth - great as always, Ken Orkian, also very good, and then Lorraine Chase and Joe Simmons. Lorraine even talked about her one JAM back in 1979, as well as working with Kenneth Williams.

Nostalgic, nice and funny - I very much enjoyed it.

Brandreth - the sequel

2011-08-16T20:04:00.003+12:00

At the recording, while they were testing the mikes Nicholas talked about his Edinburgh show. He then invited each of the others to talk about theirs. Gyles talked about his son Benet Brandreth who is doing a show up here. Gyles said Benet was funnier than him as well as better-looking and Paul piped up with "have we got the right Brandreth here?"

Benet Brandreth is actually a lawyer - his website makes him sound as if he has a very good career in the law. His show here sounds like fun though I don't think I will now get the chance to see it.

We had the Freuds together on the show - is it time for two Brandreths. I must say Benet looks - and I believe sounds - a hell of a lot like Gyles. That would really make Paul's eyes pop.

Here's a nice article about them both from The Telegraph.

Interview: Benet and Gyles Brandreth - That's my boy
By Jackie McGlone

Self-proclaimed ‘cult figure’ Gyles Brandreth has passed on the performance bug to son Benet. Here, the pair tell Jackie McGlone the truth – but perhaps not the whole truth –about this family tradition

WELL, aren't I a lucky lass? Here I am, sitting in the darkened lobby of a smart London hotel, with a brace of Brandreths. It's like having them in stereo - one in each ear, father and son. We're meeting over coffee - which the gallant Gyles insists on paying for - to talk about the fact that the son also rises. For 36-year-old Benet Brandreth is making his Fringe debut this month, with a solo show, The Brandreth Papers. His father Gyles, 63, is a seasoned Edinburgh performer, after disporting himself in many guises, most notably in fishnet stockings and suspenders - a first for a former Conservative government whip. In public, at any rate. In other words - his, in fact - he's "a cult figure".

Seasoned does not begin to describe the rich, fruity tones of Brandreth Senior. If a plum pudding could talk, it would sound like Gyles. Let us take a deep breath and enumerate his many personae listed on his website: "Author, broadcaster, after-dinner speaker, awards ceremony host, entertainer and former MP and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury."

Educated at St Paul's School, London, and at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Benet is a mere beginner, a barrister, specialising in intellectual property rights. He's also a prize-winning exponent of the art of rhetoric, "whether it is debating, rabble-rousing, after-dinner speaking or court-room advocacy".

Something in the genes, perhaps? "I guess," responds the dashing, derring-do Benet, who boxed for Cambridge University, where he was vice-president of Footlights (David Mitchell was a contemporary). He's also an expert Filipino knife-fighter and recently completed a course in "accelerated freefall skydiving". He sounds uncannily like his father, of whom he's the spitting image - only more handsomely muscular, but every bit as charming. Indeed, the Brandreth brand is charm, oodles of it oozing out of every pore.

It is the art of rhetoric that Benet, two-times world public speaking champion and rhetoric coach with the Royal Shakespeare Company, deploys in The Brandreth Papers, a tall tale told by a tall, tailored chap, with cut-glass vowels, involving Socratic irony, mind-bending erudition, the curdling of hopes of Hollywood stardom and an epic love life. It is, claims Benet, the only show on the Fringe in which jokes by Cicero will have them rolling in the aisles.

When we convene, Gyles arrives early; Benet is in transit from Chambers. So there's just time for Gyles to tell me how his hopes of making yet another appearance on the Fringe have been dashed. He and his wife, Michele, have just become grandparents for the fifth time - they also have two daughters, Saethryd, a writer, and Aphra, an economist. ("My wife is responsible for their names - Saethryd and Benet are from the writings of the Venerable Bede; Aphra comes from the playwright Aphra Behn," explains Gyles.)

Benet's wife, the multiple award-nominated American actress Kosha Engler (one of lesbian cop Kima's girlfriends in The Wire) has just given birth prematurely to their first child, Cornelius.

I am shown photographs on Benet's phone of this delightful scrap, who is currently smaller than his father's hand. Cue opportunity for Gyles to repeat the story he's already regaled me with. "I was hoping Cornelius would arrive six weeks late, then I could go on for Benet, but it was not to be." Then he adds hastily: "Delighted, of course, that mother and baby are both doing well."

By now Benet's eyebrows are more arch than the Marble. In fact, it's a miracle they are not permanently so because Gyles - who has a very disconcerting way of leaning into your space to address you as if you were at a public meeting - has his son's eyes rolling heavenwards every few minutes. "Do you need me to cosy any further up to you?" asks Gyles. Errr, no thanks.

What was it like growing up with a parent as garrulous as Gyles? Surely no one ever got a word in edgeways at the dinner table? "You have not met my clever, witty mother and sisters, who are nothing like as ego-maniacal as my father and myself," declares Benet. "We sat back and listened to the women. We know the meaning of the word respect - we didn't say a word at home. The cat said more," adds Gyles.

So, don't put your son on the stage, Mr Brandreth? "Oh, that's a very good opening line," exclaims Gyles, who is as expert at barbed flattery as his son is with a Filipino knife. "I couldn't agree with you more. Happily, my son is a successful and brilliant barrister and although this is happening on the Edinburgh Fringe, it is nothing to do with me.

"Michele and I have seen the previews - we bought our own tickets. No family discount. It is strange to see your own son perform, although I have seen Benet in school plays where he was excellent and at Cambridge, when he starred in a production of Hamlet before he went off to become a lawyer. Then he announced he was doing this and sent us a flyer.

"We had no idea what to expect. It turns out to be completely unique; it is rip-roaring, rib-tickling, surreal storytelling. I would willingly have paid ten times as much as people will soon be doing in Edinburgh on the black market." (Benet's eyes roll upwards.) Ah, but Gyles, you're biased.

"I hope so," murmurs Benet. "Possibly," his parent concedes. "But I may just be biased against. I did try to talk him out of it. My advice would be, 'Don't put your son on the stage, Mr Brandreth,' but he's put himself on stage and his show is sensational, even if it is not my kind of storytelling. I will shut up now. Thank you and goodnight. Proud father sits back." (Chance would be a fine thing.)

The Brandreth Papers grew out of Benet's work with the RSC. "I'd been coaching the actors in the art of rhetoric and I thought I'd really like to have a go myself, find out whether if, as well as teaching, I could also do it," he reveals.

A friend asked him to take part in the Tall Tales series he stages around London Fringe theatres - "a cross between Armistead Maupin and Lake Wobegon," according to Gyles. "I'd no idea what to do, then I thought, 'I know, I'll tell the most enormous lie, the biggest lie I could think of'," says Benet.

"The best lies are always 99 per cent true; it's the one per cent that is untrue that is astonishing. So I told a story about the time that I went to the British Museum to attend the parade of the acquisition of new objects, in the course of which I saved the life of our Queen. From this grew further appearances at Tall Tales and it was fantastic to be in front of an audience again. The laughter, the tension as a story unfolds. Suddenly, I understood why my father is so addicted to performing."

"May I butt in?" asks Gyles. "What intrigued me is Benet's remark about the big lie; then he tells us of his first story that he rescued the Queen, so I want to know which is the one per cent lie." Benet's lips are sealed, however.

Surely being called to the Bar is pure theatre? "Absolutely," Benet agrees. "When I became a barrister, I remember thinking how much I wanted to be an actor, but they never seem to make any money. I thought about becoming an academic but that seemed dry and dusty, so I became a barrister. You get to do all the performing, you actually get to be an actor but you also get to earn all this fabulous money.

"But my disappointment has been that the judges at the Chancery Division don't laugh at my jokes quite as often as I would like them to. But the mirth aside, I do love the academic aspects of the law, I love explaining abstract aspects of it - the rhetoric, the oratory, the performing."

"May I point out that there is a familial history of storytelling?" asks Gyles. Telling lies? "Just because I was a Member of Parliament there's no need to get that dig in. The interviewer is trying to get in on the act." He proceeds to tell of an ancestor, Dr Benjamin Brandreth, who went to America to sell pills that claimed to cure everything.

A snake-oil salesman? Gyles: "She's sharper than she looks. You are right, but I think they worked as they were homeopathic. He was a pioneer of advertising. He created the billboard and made a fortune. So we come from a long line of storytellers - Dr Brandreth could certainly spin a yarn."

So, interjects Benet, the Brandreths have been telling lies for a living for centuries. "I hope that what makes my show unique, though, is the fact that it's story, it's stand-up - and it's a very big lie."

• The Brandreth Papers is at Gilded Balloon Teviot until 28 August. Today 6pm.

does experience matter

2011-08-16T19:51:00.002+12:00

Contrasts in the make-up of the teams for the first two shows of this season.

The first show featured Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock and Graham Norton, the four most experienced players of the game that are still alive. The result was a really outstanding show full of fun and good banter. Sheila in particular I thought was outstanding. I might write a separate post on her but I thought she really offers something fresh.

The second show featured Julian Clary, Josie Lawrence, Phill Jupitus and Rick Wakeman. Julian was the most experienced with 39 shows, Josie was on her 11th, Phill 4th, Rick 3rd - so an inexperienced panel. I thought the players sounded like they were having fun and there were some good lines, but the thing didn't quite get going, the programme never established a flow.

I have a feeling there has never been a really good show without at least one of these four - Kenneth Williams, Peter Jones, Paul Merton or Graham Norton. They need someone of that ability to anchor the show. I wondered if Julian might be the one, but he wasn't quite strong enough. The best player I think was Josie, and she can only get better. She needs to learn to be not quite so picky on repetitions, for example.

oh and also

2011-08-15T04:49:00.004+12:00

I meant to mention that the shows were being filmed for the BBC's Red Button coverage. I think this means they put video of some of the shows up on the website - not sure if it goes on TV as well. Anyway Brits will no doubt know what this means. They also filmed some of the audience after so if you see a fat bald bloke in a blue shirt....

JAM in Edinburgh

2011-08-15T04:04:00.002+12:00

Am just back from the JAM recording in Edinburgh, so a bit of a write-up while things are fresh in my mind.

The BBC has taken all its shows out of the Pleasance and to a big tent at Potterow. Inside the tent it was dark, with dry ice in the air, and the top of the tent was littered with little lights so it did look as if you were looking up at a starlit sky at night. (I mention this because Paul made a joke of it which the listeners won't really get.) The producer Tilusha Ghelani described it as the most camp venue they had had yet and it was a bit camp.

They were playing ads before like ay a movie theatre, including the JAM one. Marcus Brigstocke's line towards the end of that always makes me laugh.

Anyway for those who haven't been to a recording - it starts with a recorded announcement about emergency exits and turning mobiles off, voiced by Arthur Smith, who interestingly was in the audience at both recordings, and smoking like a fiend outside.

Then Tilusha comes out, repeats some of that, tells us when the show will be aired (August 22 and 29). She then introduces Nicholas who warms up the audience a bit with some jokes and chit-chat. He told us at the first one he had just been listening to the show on the radio and thought it was awfully good. So did I!

He then introduces the panellists who come on one by one. For the first show, the team, was Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Alun Cochrane and Jason Byrne. For the second show it was Paul, Gyles, Shappi Khorsandi and Russell Kane.

Jason and Russell were both making their debuts and are both rising stars in stand-up. Both have popular shows here. (I am going to see Jason's later tonight and will now try and see Russell too.)

Anyway they test the mikes and buzzers and the show begins.

I am no good at remembering jokes and punchlines so just some impressions. Paul won the first show but wasn't ultra competitive. He always has a look on his face as if he's a bit worried about what is being said, a slightly grumpy but puzzled look. He remains a master of the game and could bring the house down any time he wanted with a witty line.

Gyles was in top form, mugging madly at the audience and got different running jokes going in both his shows. One was on Royalty which he weaved into every subject, on the second show he pretended to be Russell Kane's father. He really is very very fluent these days and very original too. A hard man to challenge.

Shappi looked a bit nervous. She was described by both Tilusha and Nicholas as being almost new to the game, though the show was actually her tenth. There is a Peter Jones-ish quality to her in that she builds a rapport with the audience even though she isn't a great challenger. She had some good lines.

Alun Cochrane had a big grin on his face the whole time - he really loved it, and he seemed to enjoy chatting to Paul who he was sitting beside. He wasn't that competitive but as in previous appearances, he had something funny to say every time he had the subject.

Jason Byrne is an Irish comedian who specialises in interaction with the audience. He was a big chatter, before during and after the show, but didn't really get going when he had the subject. Nicholas had to resort to pressing his buzzer for him twice to get him involved! But when it didn't matter points-wise, he was very funny. I'll be interested to see how he sounds in the edit. It's possible a lot of his stuff will be edited out because it was outside the game.

Russell Kane is a stand-up - couldn't quite pick his accent, he said he was from Essex but I'm not sure if that was a joke or not, because he didn't sound Essexish. He is sorta camp, but if the Internet can be trusted, is actually straight. Has done some TV, things like I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, and Big Brother. When he came out he looked bloody nervous and he indeed tweeted he was nervous. Well he was as funny as any of the others and ended up winning the game! Not many win on their first show, especially against Paul and Gyles. Gee he looked like someone who will be doing the show a lot - just fitted in, was great at the banter and so on.

The other thing I noticed is how much Sarah Sharpe enjoys doing the show. She had this huge smile on her face the whole time.

Nicholas - what can I say? He did bugger up his introductions and farewells more than once. But he ran the shows so well, a virtuoso performance. And the crowds just love him. A reminder yet again of just how good he is.

Afterwards I spoke briefly to Tilusha and Gyles. Tilusha said Nicholas had wanted to say hello but had to leave for an interview. I am hoping to have a yarn to Tilusha in the next couple of days.

Well, two really tremendous shows. Really enjoyed them.

JAM today

2011-08-14T22:08:00.000+12:00

am off today to see the JAM recording in Edinburgh.

Shappi Khorsandi has tweeted that she is on with Paul, Gyles and Russell Kane.

Radio Times says one of the shows is to include Paul, Gyles, Jason Byrne and one other.

We shall see...

Gyles and Sheila on Kenneth and his diaries

2011-08-14T05:13:00.001+12:00

new recording

2011-08-11T21:13:00.001+12:00

They're recording two more shows on Sunday 4th September at the Radio Theatre.

I can't quite work this out because they have already recorded six this season with two to go at Edinburgh, and the season has been advertised as eight shows - it seems awfully early to be recording for the following season already.

Maybe this summer season will be 10 shows?

Peter Jones - the fans' all-time favourite panellist

2011-08-07T11:36:00.004+12:00

We've been having a bit of fun on the Yahoo group.

We did a series of one-on-one polls to establish who was the fans' favourite.

I ranked the top 16 panellists by appearances (both TV and radio) and then paired them off in one-one-one polls until we got a winner.

My initial ranking (by number of appearances) was
1. Sir Clement Freud
2. Kenneth Williams
3. Peter Jones
4. Derek Nimmo
5. Paul Merton
6. Tony Hawks
7. Sheila Hancock
8. Graham Norton
9. Gyles Brandreth
10. Andree Melly
11. Sir Tim Rice
12. Linda Smith
13. Kit Hesketh-Harvey
14. Wendy Richard
15. Sue Perkins
16. Jenny Eclair

The voting went like this
ROUND ONE - Gyles Brandreth (8) beat Graham Norton (4)
ROUND TWO - Clement Freud (15) beat Jenny Eclair (3)
ROUND THREE - Sheila Hancock (11) beat Andree Melly (1)
ROUND FOUR - Tony Hawks (15) beat Tim Rice (3)
ROUND FIVE - Derek Nimmo (7) beat Kit Hesketh-Harvey (5)
ROUND SIX - Peter Jones (15) beat Wendy Richard (0)
ROUND SEVEN - Paul Merton (11) beat Linda Smith (3)
ROUND EIGHT - Kenneth Williams (16) beat Sue Perkins (2)

FIRST QUARTER-FINAL - Clement Freud (15) beat Gyles Brandreth (4)
SECOND QUARTER-FINAL - Kenneth Williams (10) beat Sheila Hancock (8)
THIRD QUARTER-FINAL - Peter Jones (13) beat Tony Hawks (4)
FOURTH QUARTER-FINAL - Paul Merton (18) beat Derek Nimmo (5)

FIRST SEMI-FINAL - Clement Freud (12) beat Paul Merton (11)
SECOND SEMI-FINAL - Peter Jones (12) beat Kenneth Williams (10)

GRAND FINAL - Peter Jones (12) beat Clement Freud (11)

Oh the irony of Peter beating Clement on the whistle! That didn't happen very often in the game!

Some thoughts, bearing in mind the low numbers voting.

* Don't get me wrong, I love Gyles and think he is a great asset for the show. But I just can't imagine anyone not voting for Graham Norton who is so funny and original on the show.

* In only four of 15 contests did the one with fewer appearances win. In only five of 15 did the person who started playing the game more recentlyr win. People say the show is funnier today than it was in the past, but seems people love the olden days when it comes to players.

* Neither of the two stars of the show Paul Merton and Kenneth Williams made the final. Of course Clement and Peter were both brilliant in their own ways. But could they have carried the show. Clement while witty was something of a straight man while Peter went long periods without saying anything at all. I don't think the show would still be going without the contributions of Paul and Kenneth.

* Women did very badly. Six of the 16 were women but only one of the 14 contests was won by a woman and that was when Sheila was paired off with another woman. I'm sure, were she still alive, that Linda Smith would be much further up the rankings, perhaps between Sheila and Tony. Perhaps she would even be a regular with Paul - she certainly had a wonderful wit and her style of humour is an effective contrast to that of Paul.

But overall women fared badly. Could Kenneth have been right all along?

* Finally I can't help feeling that one who would have been surprised he did so well is Clement Freud. He is clearly held in great affection by many many fans.

In London and Edinburgh

2011-08-07T10:50:00.001+12:00

I’m in London for the next week... then Edinburgh. If any fans would like to get together for a chat about JAM, send me an email. If enough reply maybe we could even have a go at playing the game...

the lovely Aimi Macdonald

2011-08-07T09:53:00.000+12:00

back on monday

2011-08-05T23:34:00.002+12:00

The first show of the new season features Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock and Graham Norton. This Monday.

web videos

2011-07-22T20:00:00.002+12:00

The BBc put these out a couple of years ago - you might be interested to have a look and listen

Nicholas being inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame

2011-07-22T19:52:00.001+12:00

Nicholas Parsons inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame from Siddharth Khajuria on Vimeo.

Question...

2011-07-17T14:17:00.002+12:00

David Gill writes with this question

For some reason I've always assumed that the players are given advanced notice of each programme's subjects. I've had this mental picture of the players gathering together pre-show in the green room during which the JAM producer has told them individually of the subjects which they'll be asked to talk about, thus giving them a few valuable minutes to think of their approach (which would be particularly useful for difficult or obscure subject).

But during series 60 (episode 3), I heard Stephen Fry give a reaction almost of surprise when Nicholas told him of his subject. This has made me question my previously held assumption.

Any thoughts?

A while ago now - in 1999 I think - the British daily paper The Telegraph decided to make an issue of this with the revelation that the show was not totally spontaneous. The producer at the time Chris Neill gave as comprehensive an answer as we are ever likely to get.

I've looked to see if the story is still on the web but it seems the Telegraph's archives don't go back that far.

But anyway - as I recall it - the answer was that the panellists can choose whether they wish to see the subjects or not. Most do see them. But some didn't - Clement Freud was named as one of those who refused to see the list.

In the Kenneth Williams Diaries there are a couple of references to Kenneth getting the historical subjects at least a couple of days beforehand so that he could research them!

So I'm guessing most do see the subjects before the show. Perhaps Stephen Fry doesn't, or perhaps he was just playing along.

The show is more spontaneous though than say I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue which is all but scripted. As Chris Neill said at the time, the show is really about the way the players interact with each other and how they carry on with running jokes that couldn't be thought up beforehand.

Anyway I hope that answers your question David.

Kenneth Williams as Darth Vader

2011-07-17T11:11:00.004+12:00

Lichfield panel

2011-07-15T12:15:00.002+12:00

was Tony Hawks, Gyles Brandreth, Pam Ayres and Miles Jupp - Miles's first programme.

team for second recording of new season

2011-07-09T00:16:00.000+12:00

if I read Twitter correctly was a very strong one – the most experienced living panel!

Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock and Graham Norton.

Those will certainly be two shows worth hearing!

more thoughts on the poll

2011-07-01T12:15:00.000+12:00

Someone on the blog has grumbled that the voting was very conservative which it was. I didn’t vote, but had I done so, I would have voted for Paul, Ross, Graham and Stephen Fry. Now in 2006 on the blog and again in 2009 I ranked my all-time favourite players and on both occasions, of those still alive, those four were my favourites.

I would very much like to have included Julian and Jenny in particular – Julian just gets better every time he plays and Jenny’s unique style always makes me laugh hard. But I couldn’t find one of my top four to drop out.

So I’d be ecstatic if I turned up for a recording and found Paul Merton, Ross Noble, Stephen Fry and Graham Norton on the stage.

But I’d be almost as ecstatic to see Gyles Brandreth, Marcus Brigstocke, Jenny Eclair and Julian Clary up there with Nicholas.

And I’d be more than delighted to walk in to Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock, Sue Perkins and Kit Hesketh-Harvey.

It would be a great evening in the company of Tim Rice, Pam Ayres, Josie Lawrence and Chris Neill too.

And I’m sure I’d get some laughs from Charles Collingwood, Liza Tarbuck, Shappi Khorsandi and Fred MacAulay. But I would probably be a little disappointed at first!

That’s the thing – the standards really are very high.

Perhaps a better way to have done the poll would be in a Big Brother/American Idol style and let everyone pick as many as they liked and have the bottom ranked fall off each time until we got a winner. It might get a bit tedious to be voting continuously though.

Or we could take away four players – or add another 12 – and put them in a series of one-on-one showdown polls till we ended up with a winner.

Anyway I’m glad you seem to have found it a bit of fun.

poll over!

2011-07-01T11:52:00.001+12:00

Seeing as we didn't look like getting near the 100 voters total, I thought I'd close the poll, which ran on the yahoo group as well as here.

Votes were as follows:

Paul Merton 23
Ross Noble 15
Stephen Fry 13
Gyles Brandreth, Julian Clary, Tony Hawks 12
Graham Norton 11
Sue Perkins 10
Sheila Hancock 7
Marcus Brigstocke, Charles Collingwood, Jenny Eclair, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Josie Lawrence 5
Pam Ayres, Shappi Khoprsandi 4
Liza Tarbuck 3
Fred MacAulay, Tim Rice 2
Chris Neill 0

The final results are about where the producers would be, I'd suggest. Apart from Ross and Stephen, the top raters are those that appear most frequently - and one imagines the producers would be delighted to have Ross and Stephen on more often.

Women didn't rate very well... Sue Perkins was best at eighth.

I feel a bit sorry for Chris Neill - I suppose I can't honestly say he would have received one of my four votes - but he's always been very funny on the programme, and is tops at banter and repartee. I think I'd have had him in my top 10.

The other interesting point to me is how well Gyles Brandreth did. You get a few people who say they dislike him but he adds something different. I think he deserves the rating he got.

poll update

2011-06-29T13:43:00.002+12:00

Here's the current voting

Paul Merton 19
Ross Noble 14
Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks 11
Julian Clary, Stephen Fry 10
Graham Norton 8
Sheila Hancock, Sue Perkins 7
Marcus Brigstocke, Kit Hesketh-Harvey 5
Pam Ayres, Charles Collingwood 4
Jenny Eclair, Shappi Khorsandi 3
Josie Lawrence, Liza Tarbuck 2
Fred MacAulay, Tim Rice 1
Chris Neill 0

I'll still take votes for another day or so. I'm itching to comment on this, but don't want to bias the voting!

latest panel

2011-06-29T13:42:00.001+12:00

if I read twitter correctly the panel at tonight’s recording was Julian Clary, Josie Lawrence, Phill Jupitus and Rick Wakeman. If correct, it will be the first Paul has missed in a while.

Perhaps Paul was there and two of the above – Phill and Rick perhaps – did one show each? Or perhaps Paul or someone else (Tony Hawks?) was ill and pulled out late in the piece?

Anyway interesting to have Phill on again, and also interesting that Rick has been brought back so quickly.

Poll update

2011-06-28T13:58:00.003+12:00

Including those on the Yahoo group, we have had 20 votes in the first 24 hours - doesn't look like we will reach 100!

Running score

Paul Merton 13
Gyles Brandreth 10
Julian Clary, Stephen Fry, Ross Noble 8
Tony Hawks 7
Graham Norton 6
Sue Perkins 5
Sheila Hancock 4
Pam Ayres, Marcus Brigstocke, Jenny Eclair 3
Charles Collingwood, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Shappi Khorsandi 2
Fred MacAulay, Tim Rice 1
Josie Lawrence, Chris Neill, Liza Tarbuck 0

I do find this an interesting list. I'll keep the poll open for a few days so please feel free to add in your opinion.

more CDs coming

2011-06-27T17:13:00.003+12:00

Two more are being released in October.

No details yet on who will be on the CDs, but you'll soon be able to hear

The Best of 2011 and Just A Minute: The Classic Collection.

Can't wait!

Poll time

2011-06-27T17:05:00.002+12:00

Time for a poll.

Vote in the comments for your favourite panel of the current regular and frequent players.

Here's 20 of them - write in the comments or email me with your favourites and if we get at least 100 votes I'll forward the results to the BBC.

Here's the current cast - get choosing!

Pam AYRES

Gyles BRANDRETH

Marcus BRIGSTOCKE

Julian CLARY

Charles COLLINGWOOD

Jenny ECLAIR

Stephen FRY

Sheila HANCOCK

Tony HAWKS

Kit HESKETH-HARVEY

Shappi KHORSANDI

Josie LAWRENCE

Fred MACAULAY

Paul MERTON

Chris NEILL

Ross NOBLE

Graham NORTON

Sue PERKINS

Tim RICE

Liza TARBUCK

Julian confronts Rex Mossop

2011-06-18T19:27:00.003+12:00

One of my other interests is Australian rugby league. And one of the great commentators of the game was Rex Mossop who died today.

Here he is in a famous TV appearance with JAM star Julian Clary...

bits of news

2011-06-16T19:11:00.002+12:00

Four honours for JAM guests in the recent Queens Birthday Honours.

Graeme Garden was made an OBE. Graeme appeared in seven shows between 1975 and 1982, appearing with Clement Freud, Kenneth Williams, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Sheila Hancock and Barry Cryer. I thought he was very funny, exchanging banter with Kenneth Williams. Graeme is still best known as the one of the stars of The Goodies, but has gone on to be an inventor of and regular on several panel games, including I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue and more recently The Unbelievable Truth. I also enjoy watching him on If I Ruled The World - do a search for that on YouTube and watch him being incredibly funny.

Tim Brooke-Taylor was made an OBE. Tim appeared in three shows in 1979 and 1981, appearing with Kenneth Williams, Peter Jones, Barry Took, Clement Freud and Kenneth Robinson. He would have to be one of my absolute favourites of the short-term players, out-bantering Clement and Kenneth to win his debut show on his merits. Tim also is best known these days for The Goodies and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, but I used to enjoy him very much as a comic actor on Me And My Girl.

Bernard Cribbins was made an OBE. Bernard appeared in two shows in 1978, appearing with Kenneth Williams, Derek Nimmo and Sheila Hancock. One of the shows was included on Just A Classic Minute 6. Bernard wasn't a star at the game, but enjoyed having fun with the others and contributed to what were funny shows. He's done many different things, including Carry Ons, The Wombles and Doctor Who. But I often think of him in a very funny part in an eppy of Fawlty Towers.

Emma Freud was made an OBE. Emma appeared on one show in 1990, appearing with Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo and Tim Rice. It was a cute show with her father refusing to challenge her or disagree with her challenges against him. Her award is mainly for her charity work with Comedy Relief but she had had her own varied comedy career especially on radio.

The other bit of news - JAM's two Edinburgh recordings were among the first three shows to sell out when ticket sales opened! So if you haven't got in already, you may be unlucky. Of course JAM is also among the cheaper shows...

next season

2011-06-04T04:07:00.003+12:00

The BBC has announced recording dates for the next season - it looks like we will get FOUR seasons this year, with 28 shows! Certainly a vote of confidence in the show.

They're going to be a recording on Tuesday 28th June and Wednesday 6th July at the Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House, London. Then again recording on Thursday 14th July at the Garrick Theatre, Castle Dyke, Lichfield, as part of the Lichfield Arts Festival. And finally recording on Sunday 14th August at the Edinburgh Festival.

So the current season finishes on June 20. There's then six fresh shows of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, and JAM resumes - it seems for eight shows - on August 8th. I'm guessing it will then be six shows of something else - probably The Unbelievable Truth, before we get more JAM in November/December.

It's slightly odd to be already halfway through the current season. The three shows so far have been very good I think. Stephen Fry and Sue Perkins were a top team this week, but I think the Paul-Jenny Eclair-Josie Lawrence-Graham Norton team is my current favourite. In just three recordings we have heard most of the top players this season and it has certainly made for very good radio.

RIP Miriam Karlin

2011-06-04T03:48:00.002+12:00

JAM guest Miriam Karlin has passed away at the age of 85. I've thought of her as one of the more interesting guests of the first years of the show. She was best known for her part in The Rag Trade with co-stars Peter Jones and Sheila Hancock. She was also a good friend of Kenneth Williams. She wil certainly be missed.

The Telegraph's obituary...

The star, who also appeared in films such as A Clockwork Orange and Room At The Top, died in a London hospital after a battle with cancer.
She was best known to 1960s and 1970s television viewers for her role as shop steward Paddy in The Rag Trade, who punctuated the show with her call to action: ''Everybody out''.
Her friend David Pugh, the West End theatre producer, said: ''She was a wonderful woman.''
Karlin, a patron of Dignity In Dying, had also been a committed trade unionist and supporter of humanitarian causes.
Among those today paying tribute to Mim - as she was known to friends - were Lord and Baroness Kinnock.
In a statement they said: "As an actor Miriam Karlin was superbly talented in roles of every kind. As an activist for freedom she was supremely brave and persistent.
"From the Anti-Nazi League to Amnesty and One World Action to the Burma Campaign and all enlightened causes in between, Mim was always committed, energetic, productive.
"She was an unwavering Equity trade unionist and democratic socialist. Her Labour Party membership started in the 1940s and continued through alternating periods of dedicated loyalty and vituperative frustration.
"Mim was easy to love, an infectious friend, a true comrade and a sparkling spirit. She will be mourned by all who work for justice, admire creativity and enjoy fun."
The Hampstead-born Jewish actress - who lost some of her family in Auschwitz - trained at RADA, and cut her teeth as a performer with forces entertainment organisation ENSA.
She performed in rep, making her film debut in 1952 in Down Among The Z Men.
Later roles included appearing opposite Lord Olivier in The Entertainer, and she featured in an infamously brutal scene in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. As the "Cat Lady", she was beaten to death with a sculpture, a pivotal scene in the film version of Anthony Burgess's novel.
Karlin's stage roles included Golde in the original West End production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof.
But it was her Rag Trade performance for which she will be best remembered, starring in the BBC series in the early 1960s, and again for its ITV revival in 1977.
Stage work included stints with the Royal Shakespeare Company and becoming the first woman to play the central role in Harold Pinter's The Caretaker.
It was her trade union and welfare work which were recognised with an OBE.
Karlin - who never married - had been unwell for a number of years, suffering from peripheral neuropathy for a decade. And she was battling her third bout of cancer when she died.
But despite her ill health, she took to the stage as late as 2008 to appear in Many Roads to Paradise at London's Finborough Theatre.
Friend Philip Hedley, the respected theatre director, said: "She was a very brave woman and she was committed to every campaign going. She was in that great line of campaigning British left-wing actresses - along with Sybil Thorndike - who gave her her first break - and Peggy Ashcroft.
"They were down there on the picket lines. She was friends with them both and they had tremendous respect for each other."
Actor Sir Antony Sher also paid tribute today. He said: "Working with Miriam Karlin on Torch Song Trilogy was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my career.
"She gave a tremendous performance as the Jewish mother, full of power and anger, but there was always a twinkle in her eye, and I was often in danger of breaking into giggles.
"There was always laughter with Miriam. A great actress. A great lady."

and in the Guardian

The actor Miriam Karlin, who has died of cancer aged 85, became famous in the early 1960s as Paddy, the militant shop steward of a London clothing firm in the BBC television comedy series The Rag Trade. As Paddy, who was always willing to signal a strike with a whistle and her catchphrase "Everybody out!", Karlin was watched by millions, and quoted by millions. But neither that success, nor her more serious roles on stage, removed the gnawing dissatisfaction she felt at not achieving something more serious. She channelled some of that feeling into promoting broadly leftwing causes as a member of the council of the actors' union Equity, and as a campaigner for the Anti-Nazi League, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Soviet Jewry.
She was born Miriam Samuels and brought up in Hampstead, north London, the daughter of a wealthy Jewish barrister, Harry Samuels, and his wife, Céline. She revered her father, who specialised in industrial and trade union law. When she was doing one of her first radio shows, Terry-Thomas's Top of the Town, she based some of the zany characters she invented and played on people who had appeared before the rent tribunal chaired by her father.
Tall and dark, she admitted to being a "pain in the neck" as a child because she would always mimic her parents' guests. After attending South Hampstead high school and Rada, she called herself a "character comedian" and appeared at music halls, as well as touring with the Entertainments National Service Association during the second world war.
Karlin made her London stage debut in The Time of Your Life at the Lyric Hammersmith in 1946. She was later spotted by a BBC producer and, in 1950, joined Peter Sellers in the radio series Variety Bandbox, centred around a hotel called Blessem Hall. They played all the characters themselves. Among her creations were Mrs Bucket and Mrs Snitchlepuffle.
After appearing in revues at the Strand and Saville theatres, she played Mrs Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank at the Phoenix theatre in 1956. For two years she played Lilly Smith, the tart with the heart, in Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1959-60), one of London's most successful stage musicals, first at the Theatre Royal Stratford East and then at the Garrick in the West End. However, she left the cast because she felt she was getting worse, not better, in her role.
This was part of a recurring pattern of self-doubt. When The Rag Trade had been running for two years, Karlin said she would leave at the end of the second series, whatever inducements were made for her to stay. In 1962 the show made the leap – with her among the cast – to the London stage, where it flopped. However, she enjoyed her roles in a series of plays by Saul Bellow, which were staged in London in 1966. She played Golde (one of her favourite parts) in Fiddler On the Roof at Her Majesty's theatre in the West End in 1967 and took the title role in Mother Courage at the Palace theatre, Watford, in 1972.
Karlin had appeared in films since the early 1950s, taking small roles in Room at the Top (1959), The Entertainer (1960) and The Small World of Sammy Lee (1963). In 1971 she made a brief but memorable appearance in A Clockwork Orange as Catlady, who is attacked by the delinquent Alex with a phallic sculpture. In 1974 she was Aunt Rosa to Robert Powell's Mahler, in Ken Russell's biopic of the composer.
Having acquired the rights to the translated letters of Liselotte, the wife of Louis XIV's homosexual brother, Philippe, Duke of Orléans, she read from them in a one-woman show that she put on in the mid-70s. It was panned as thin and undramatic but, undeterred, she took it to Versailles, where the action was located, and to Vienna and Australia.
Karlin boasted that her artistic judgment was excellent, because every play she turned down flopped. Nevertheless, she grew more and more disssatisfied with her achievements, chiding herself, sometimes publicly, for not applying herself enough. In 1975 she was appointed OBE and, two years later, she returned to the role of Paddy in two series of The Rag Trade, still opposite Peter Jones as the hapless boss, Harold Fenner. This time it was broadcast by LWT, with less success than the original series.
The publication of her memoir, Some Sort of a Life, in 2007 revealed the full extent of her psychological and physical difficulties during this period. "Throughout my 50s the battle with my health, my weight and my addictions raged," she wrote. She had recurring back problems and peripheral neuropathy, which caused pain in her legs. She joined the Neuropathy Trust and wrote to Exit, the organisation offering advice for assisted suicide, to find out "how to depart if it got more than I could bear". Later, she was told she was in denial about her eating disorder.
None of this stopped her going on CND and miners' strike marches and refusing to pay her poll tax. When she played in The Witch of Edmonton for the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1982, a letter containing five razor blades was delivered to her. The part also required her to be beaten by other members of the cast and, without padding, she was badly hurt. She told herself that she must be "really hated".
She continued to perform on stage in her 70s and appeared on primetime TV series such as Casualty, The Bill and Holby City. In 2006, while making a Miss Marple television episode, By the Pricking of My Thumbs, she was told that she had cancer and that part of her tongue would have to be removed. She worried what would happen to her if her speech was affected. But after the operation she appeared in the demanding film Children of Men (2006) as a German grandmother. In 2008 she was in Flashbacks of a Fool, starring Daniel Craig.
Karlin said that people concerned her most – supporting "the suppressed ... those minority groups who flee from home and country because they can't live with prejudice". She was unflagging in her work for such causes, but sometimes reflected sadly that she would not have had time for it had she married and had children, which she never did. She said that she had shied away from being tied down, and that in any case all the men she knew were actors, and she would never dream of marrying an actor.
Over the years, Karlin often contributed to the Guardian's letters pages, on matters ranging from the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to broadcasting and funding for the arts. In 2008, at a meeting at the Young Vic in London, she called for a vote of no confidence in proposed Arts Council England cuts. Throughout her career she did things, dramatically and as a political activist, which made her intensely nervous, the hallmark perhaps of a genuinely courageous and life-affirming spirit.
Michael Billington writes: My abiding memory of Miriam Karlin is of her passionate political convictions. If ever I wrote a piece attacking cuts in government subsidy or the problems confronting grant-starved drama students, she would send a vigorously supportive letter. Miriam didn't just talk a good political game. She was also fervently active.
She was a remarkably versatile actor and enjoyed a great year with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982, including a voracious aristocrat in Edward Bulwer-Lytton's Money and an earthy Mistress Quickly in the two parts of Shakespeare's Henry IV which opened the Barbican. I would have liked to have seen her in more classical roles but recall a beautiful performance she gave in Ellen McLaughlin's Tongue of the Bird at the Almeida in London in 1997, as a Polish-Jewish grandmother permeated by memories of loss and separation. Above all, Miriam ("Mim" to her friends) had a fighting spirit that marked her work, both on and off stage

Baftas

2011-05-29T18:09:00.002+12:00

JAM star Graham Norton won the Bafta for "best entertainment performance" for The Graham Norton Show. You can see him receiving the award here. Other finallists were Stephen Fry and Rob Brydon.

JAM guest Jo Brand won the Bafta for "best female performance in a comedy role" for Getting On. You can see her here.

JAM guest David Mitchell was a finallist for "best make performance in a comedy role".

The Graham Norton Show and Have I Got News For You were finallists for "best entertainment programme".

I see Graham is also to present a new TV panel game - as if there were not enough!

by any other name

2011-05-28T17:33:00.002+12:00

An interesting if trivial fact about the team this week - they all use stage names.

PAUL MERTON is actually Paul Martin.

GRAHAM NORTON is actually Graham Walker.

JENNY ECLAIR is actually Jenny Hargreaves.

JOSIE LAWRENCE is actually Wendy Lawrence.

And NICHOLAS PARSONS is actually Christopher Parsons.

I wonder if there has ever been another team like this!

Not JAM but...

2011-05-28T08:23:00.001+12:00

perhaps the best ever scene from my favourite sitcom Taxi, and featuring classic comic timing from Christopher Lloyd and Jeff Conaway who has sadly passed away... a happy way to remember him

RIP Janet Brown

2011-05-28T07:55:00.004+12:00

Very very sad to hear of the passing of Janet Brown. Janet appeared on six JAMs beween 1976 and 1978 and used her gift of mimickry to great effect.

Here's the BBC's obituary

Actress and comic Janet Brown, who was best known for impersonating former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, has died aged 87.
Her agent said she died in her sleep at a nursing home in Hove, East Sussex, after a short illness.
In a career beginning in the 1930s, she gained national TV fame in the 1970s and 1980s for her impersonations on The Mike Yarwood Show.
She also played Lady Thatcher in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
Over the years, the star who was born in Rutherglen, near Glasgow, worked with a number of stars including Hughie Green, Tony Hancock and George Cole.
In 1987 she wrote her autobiography, Prime Mimicker, chronicling her childhood and career as impressionist.
More recently she appeared in dramas including Midsomer Murders, Casualty and Hotel Babylon.
Her final stage role was in a production of The Country Wife at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2007.
"She was a delightful client and we will all miss her very much," said agent Susan Angel.
"Her knowledge of sport was second to none. We will miss the endless discussions about football and her fellow Scot, the tennis star Andy Murray."
The actress, who was married to Carry On actor Peter Butterworth until his death in 1979, is survived by a son, the actor Tyler Butterworth, and a grandson.

and here's the Telegraph's version

She managed to perfect not only the Prime Minister’s manner of speaking — itself very distinctive — but also her mannerisms and style of dress.
Perhaps her finest performance was when she was in New York to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In the VIP lounge at Kennedy Airport she convinced the acid-tongued American comedienne Joan Rivers that she was indeed Mrs Thatcher. Rivers became obsequiousness itself, and apologised to “the Prime Minister” for berating the British Royal family. When told of the deception, she asked Janet Brown: “If you’re not Margaret Thatcher, for God’s sake who are you?”
Janet Brown admired the Prime Minister as a politician and as a woman, and the admiration was mutual. The two women struck up a friendship and occasionally met at No 10 Downing Street. When she was Prime Minister Mrs Thatcher also invited her “alter ego” to stay for the weekend at Chequers. Janet Brown was preparing to go to sleep in her bedroom when there was a knock on the door. It was Mrs Thatcher — concerned that her friend’s quarters were on the chilly side — bearing a hot-water bottle. On one of the occasions when Mrs Thatcher was reelected to government, she wrote to Janet Brown: “I half expected to find you at No 10 before me!”
Janet Brown was first asked to try her famous impersonation by Eamonn Andrews for Thames Television’s Today Show shortly after Margaret Thatcher had been elected leader of the Conservative Party in 1975. After Mrs Thatcher was elected to government four years later, demands for Janet Brown’s impersonation snowballed.
Janet McLuckie Brown was born on December 14 1923 at Rutherglen, near Glasgow, the daughter of a shipyard worker, and was educated at Rutherglen Academy. She left school early and worked briefly in a local branch of the Co-Op before leaving Glasgow, with the blessing of her father, to tour in a show with Hughie Green.
During the war she served with the ATS, joining a Stars in Battledress entertainment ensemble which gave shows for troops serving in Europe. Among those she worked with were Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd and Harry Secombe.
She then sought to make a career in London working in radio, and in 1946 received an offer to join a summer revue show at Scarborough. It was there that she met her future husband, the actor Peter Butterworth, best known for his roles in the Carry On films. They married in 1947, and worked together on a number of occasions, including on children’s television.
She continued to be in demand on radio — she later appeared on The Goon Show — and she also appeared on stage in Mr Gillie, with Alastair Sim. She later recalled: “He taught me to always 'feel’ myself into a character from the inside.”
On television, Janet Brown appeared in Rainbow Room, Where Shall We Go? and Friends and Neighbours before the Seventies’ taste for impressions led her to concentrate on the showbusiness niche that would make her famous.
On shows such as Who Do You Do (in which she appeared with Freddie Starr) and Mike Yarwood in Persons she gave impressions of the Coronation Street character Hilda Ogden, the entertainer “Two-Ton” Tessie O’Shea, Noele Gordon and Pam Ayres among others.
In 1981 she was given her own show, Janet and Co, making an impact with her impersonations of Mrs Thatcher and the celebrated dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse. She also played Margaret Thatcher in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only (1981) and on Roy Hudd’s The News Huddlines on Radio 2.
She continued to work until late in life, and had recently appeared in shows such as Midsomer Murders (2004), Casualty (2005) and Hotel Babylon (2009) — her final stage role was as Old Lady Squeamish in The Country Wife at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2007.
Nothing gave Janet Brown more pleasure at the end of her life than watching sport on television, particularly snooker and tennis — she was always keen to follow the progress of her fellow Scot Andy Murray.
In 1987 she published an autobiography, Prime Mimicker.
Janet Brown died at a nursing home in Hove, East Sussex. Her husband Peter Butterworth died in 1979, aged 59, and she is survived by their son; a daughter predeceased her.

Radio 4 Extra Promo

2011-05-25T01:18:00.000+12:00

The promo that was done using Just A Minute to promote the Radio Four Extra Station has surfaeced. It features Nicholas Parsons with Paul Merton, Sheila Hancock, Gyles Brandreth, Marcus Brigstocke and Clive Anderson. And Sarah Sharpe!

Here's the link that takes you to the promo.

Reader Ewen Moore has written this description of what happened...

I was at the recording of the TV promo at the Radio Theatre last Saturday. It was only advertised to the public on the Thursday beforehand and a friend of mine who works for BBC studio audience services said they’d only been contacted to work on it provisionally on that day too – and the producers weren’t definitely sure it was going to go ahead. Although the auditorium was full, there wasn’t the usual queue round the block and no-one was turned away – unusual for JAM but I guess that’s the result of the last minute advertising.
It was great fun but very odd. It began like a normal episode, except with TV cameras there too, and the Radio Theatre all on display, rather than hidden behind the usual panels. They had fancy tables too, rather than the cheap ones they have for radio recordings. Paul quipped that it was the first time a tv budget had entered radio-land.
Marcus was in the 4th chair (I have a feeling the panellists were those they could get at the last minute, too). A couple of rounds in, the round was ‘Radio 4 Extra’ and then everything stopped, Marcus stepped down into the audience, and Clive Andersson came on to replace him. And a new round began, but with the same subject – ‘Radio 4 Extra’. Whenever Clive buzzed Nicholas accidently called him Marcus, because it said ‘Marcus’ above Clive’s light. This became something of a running joke.
The idea was evidently to get the panellists to talk as much as possible about what Radio 4 Extra is and what can be found on it. I think Clive was there because he does other shows that will be repeated on the channel. However, it appeared that no-one had really briefed the panellists (or indeed Nicholas Parsons) so everything kept going round in circles, being stopped, re-starting etc. They said that the show was entirely improvised so I guess they’d not been briefed about subjects etc. At one point Nicholas said something like ‘ the audience will be very confused’ at which Sheila said ‘no more than we are!’ Sheila also kept saying, in the rounds, how much she’d loved Radio 7 and why did they need to change it, which is obviously not what the producers wanted to hear!
Marcus was brought back, and then Clive was brought back and Marcus hid behind Clive and Sheila, and popped up to interject funny comments. It was all a total shambles but very funny. Nicholas, however, kept worrying about continuity and keeping the scores on track, and conferring in a worried way with Sarah Sharpe. I got the feeling he was finding it difficult to have the format of the show played around with so much.
Interestingly the producer was John Lloyd, which took me by surprise, making a JAM return (of sorts) after more than 30 years. The round kept reverting to Radio 4 Extra and at one point, when they needed more material and they’d run out of subject cards, someone from the audience suggested The Radio Theatre as a subject. Eventually, when it became clear that John Lloyd wasn’t getting the material he needed, he asked the panellists just to challenge at anything, and when asked what their challenge was, call out ‘documentaries!’ or ‘comedies!’ or other things to be found on the station.
Apparently they are going to make a short TV promo, and interject film of various celebs like Colin Firth and Imelda Staunton ‘challenging’ and saying what can be found on the channel. Not quite sure how that’s going to work! In total they filmed/recorded over an hour of material, but I doubt they’ll use more than a minute or two of it.
All in all, an extremely unusual afternoon and one in which a lot of the comedy derived from the confusion on stage. Paul and Gyles largely held the show together and made for an extremely funny paring and, as ever, it was lovely to see how much Paul looked out for and looked after Nicholas, who is obviously not getting any younger!

The Guardian on Just A Minute

2011-05-18T07:22:00.002+12:00

a nice editorial - it even links to me so I'd better link back!

Just a Minute: why it's never paused
The brilliantly simple format and a host of incredible players are the reasons for its longevity – long may it continue

Last night as the strains of the Minute Waltz faded away, Just a Minute chairman Nicholas Parsons introduced the 761st episode of Just a Minute. Now in its 60th series, Just a Minute has managed to defy the ravages of time; changing little since it began its radio life 44 years ago and recently picking up a silver in the comedy category at the Sony Awards. As Paul Merton once put it in the Arena documentary It's Time for Just a Minute, "it is a brilliantly simple radio show; you don't need to see the visuals".
But what is the secret of its success? "I think it's because the format is insanely basic," says radio comedy writer David Quantick. "It's so blank that it can be filled by people as diverse as Paul Merton and Graham Norton, who don't have to adapt their style of humour to the show at all."
On the surface Just A Minute is built on a ridiculously easy to grasp concept – speak for 60 seconds on a given subject without repetition, hesitation or deviation. Yet within this simple construct lurk many complexities. It is a pedant's dream, and doubtless there are plenty who get their thrills by tuning in with virtual buzzer poised.
It was Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Sir Clement Freud and Kenneth Williams who reigned supreme for the first two decades of the programme's life. Williams's appearances were either hysterical rollercoasters or exhausting and tetchy depending on his mood, but always extraordinary.
Now, as then, it is the interruptions that often make the show. In recent times that has lead to some charming sparring between current omnipresent player Merton and schoolmaster Parsons, in contrast to the prickly exchanges the former Sale of the Century host endured with Freud. But they can also ruin it. In the early years of the show players seem to have only been buzzed if their pauses were of the pregnant variety, but in our impatient age a nanosecond's hesitation is often pounced on.
Despite its simplicities the format can be frustrating for some guests. Bill Bailey, whose bee swarm of a mind usually excels at panel games, once complained "I hate it. They say you can't repeat or hesitate or deviate but that's how I actually talk, I don't know why they ever got me on."
In truth the magic of the show often comes from the deviation and how a simple topic such as "Suduko" or "Chickens" can be spun into a wild story – the latter involving Ozzy Osbourne going on tour with Colonel Sanders in the hands of Ross Noble. Never forgetting it is a comedy show; unspoken sportmanship affords contestants to transgress the rules if they are being suitably amusing.
There are plenty of panel shows on TV (interestingly there have been several attempts to bring JAM to television) but all of them seem to consist of the same pool of 12 people. Just a Minute has always cast its net a bit further and unlike TV isn't afraid to employ pensioners (Parsons is now 87).
The new series sees a predictable but much-anticipated return visit from grand comedy owl Stephen Fry but in the past some of the best players have been the least expected – Patrick Moore, Pam Ayres, Wendy Richard were all wonderful.
Not everyone works – Terry Wogan just boomed incomprehensibly on his debut in the last series and plenty of standups have withered in competition against Merton – but the programme is a brilliant platform for the nimble-minded and often brings out another side of a comedian. Both Liza Tarbuck and Sue Perkins are consistently brilliant, as are Marcus Brigstocke, Tony Hawks and Graham Norton.
But what do you think? Are you a fan? Or is it an outdated Oxbridge parlour game that's outstayed its welcome. And who are your favourite players – and what would be your dream (living and dead) lineup?

there's also a lively debate going on there if you feel like jumping in

The best ever interview with Paul Merton

2011-05-17T08:46:00.002+12:00

From The Guardian - just fascinating what he says about Just A Minute

Paul Merton: 'Am I allowed to call myself working-class now?'The standup comedian and silent film aficionado talks about the relationship between class and comedy, his love of improvisation and why he still believes the old jokes are the best

In my experience there are two types of comedian who, no matter how funny they may be on stage, you wouldn't really want to meet in real life. There's the cliche of the curmudgeonly comic – grouchy, aloof, a bit passive aggressive – and there's the one who can't switch off, and craves laughter like you or I need oxygen. When I told people I was going to meet Paul Merton, everyone had him down as a classic case of the former – and to be honest, that was my fear too.
Merton's comic persona can be pretty devastating towards others' stupidity, which is terrifically funny to watch, but presumably not quite as fun to find oneself on the receiving end of. And my worry was that while I quite enjoyed his new documentary series, I couldn't think of a single question to ask about it. It's a history of the early days of Hollywood, and if old film is your thing then I'm sure it's brilliant – but it's not really mine, and a BBC press officer had been making matters worse by sending slightly ominous emails, specifying scenes which he claimed Merton was "particularly" keen for me to see. Oh God, was I going to be quizzed on them?
It takes less than a minute to forget all these fears. For a start, the press officer is politely but firmly waved away by Merton, who casts a puzzled glance at the departing figure and asks, "Who was he anyway?" Then he bursts out laughing – and keeps laughing on and off for the best part of two hours. In fact I've seldom met anyone who seems happier in their own skin – even if he is dressed like a runaway from the circus, in a big charcoal suit over a psychedelic swirl of multicoloured silk shirt. "Ah, well I've got a sort of clothes blindness," he admits cheerfully.
So the cliche of the curmudgeon is wide of the mark – and so, happily, is that of the needy performer who has to turn every conversation into a standup routine, and everyone around him into an audience. Merton has the most exuberant enthusiasm for humour, but in his company you feel as if he's willing you to be funny too, and he's one of the few comics I've met who seems genuinely happiest when sharing the jokes. He has a formative early memory of hearing audience laughter, as a five-year-old at a clown show, and being "absolutely knocked out by it". But when I ask why the sound affected him so profoundly, he doesn't say anything about the epiphany of humour's power, which so many comedians cite. "Oh," he says intensely, "it was just – it was just – it was just joyful!"
Almost half a century later, Merton still seems just as intoxicated by the joy of it. Now 53, he's been making us laugh ever since the mid-80s, first as a standup at the Comedy Store, then on Whose Line Is It Anyway, before joining Radio 4's Just a Minute in 1988, and BBC1's Have I Got News For You in 1990. Success, of course, has a habit of looking inevitable with hindsight, and it's impossible to imagine Just a Minute or Have I Got News For You without Merton. But the producer who first hired him for Just a Minute admitted to Merton, when they were reunited recently, that at the time he'd feared he was booking "some oik".
It's hard to remember now, but Merton first emerged as a member of the alternative comedy generation – edgy, impudent, and as Ben Elton would say, "a bit poli'ical". But his career has in fact never been particularly political, and his humour has always sailed closer to surrealism than iconoclasm, so class consciousness was the last thing I was expecting to come up. When Merton recalls his early life, however, class is the defining theme of his experience.
Merton had been playing Just a Minute by himself since he was eight years old. "Kids love it because it's very easy to understand, and very difficult to play – which is a brilliant combination." But he grew up in a working-class home, in a council house in Fulham, failed his 11-plus, and left school at 18 – "university never even crossed my mind" – to go and work in an employment office. He spent the early 80s living in south London bedsits, flat broke and lonely, working on his craft as a comedian.
"I didn't have a telly – the radio was my only entertainment thing – so I'd make a little library of Just a Minute tapes to play when I was going to sleep at night. I heard one of the episodes recently on BBC7," he laughs, "and I knew every word of it." By the late 80s Merton was making a name for himself in improvisation on Whose Line Is It Anyway? – so when Just a Minute regular Kenneth Williams died in 1988, Merton wrote to the show's producer, asking to appear on the show.
"He phoned me up in my bedsit, and said," – and Merton puts on a posh voice – "'Now you know what sort of show it is, don't you?' Yes, I said, I do. 'Well, don't swear. And what will you be wearing?' I think he thought he was booking Sid Vicious or something."
Merton is laughing as he recalls the conversation, and seems anxious at first to make light of it. "Well, class is awkward, isn't it? Am I allowed to call myself working-class now? Because obviously I'm now very rich. But the phrase 'working-class' is the phrase I grew up with – and so much of the working-class thing is about thinking you're not allowed to do stuff." The more he talks, the clearer it becomes that class was no joke for him as a young man – and still isn't, even now.
"When I started off as a comic, aged 23 or 24, I remember looking at another comedian who used to read the Guardian, and thinking to myself: 'God, I wish I read the Guardian.' And then I thought: 'Hang on a minute, just go and buy it. Yes I can!' But actually I had to get over that barrier. It's just like I used to say: 'Oh, I wish I liked jazz, jazz seems to be something you could really get into.' It's bizarre, isn't it?"
But then he starts to look a little uneasy. He can't bear, he says, to look as if he might have a chip on his shoulder – "cos that's what gets thrown at you – as if to complain about your position is somehow not allowed. And there's nothing about my life I can resent now. But how the working class are sometimes portrayed is – well, galling." I ask for an example, and he hesitates - but then, after a long sigh:
"Well you know, someone like Boris Johnson, he's done Have I Got News for You several times, but Boris doesn't know anything about – well, Boris is just not from the world where you think: 'I've got 36p in my pocket and the giro doesn't arrive for another two days, what am I going to do?' But that used to be my world."
Then he tells a story about standing in a park next to Fulham's football ground with his dad when he was only eight or nine. He looked across the Thames, and asked his father what was on the other side of the river. And his father told him there was nothing there; that he couldn't go over there.
"Then when I got to the age of about 19, I wondered if something was there. And this is going to sound ludicrous, but it's as it was. I thought I'll go and have a look. So I got off the bus, and instead of going over the bridge I went along the other side of the bank. And there was a rowing club, and people rowing; people from Cambridge, and Barclays, and stuff. And I felt so inhibited by them, I couldn't go any further on. I had to go back. These rowers and stuff – this is it, this is the thing – not feeling you fit in. I didn't feel as if I fitted in. Feeling that you shouldn't be there. That somebody's going to tell you off. That you're in the wrong place. And I realised I'd been told something at the age of 10, that you can't go there – that it's not for you. And I just believed it. So when people say: 'Oh what's wrong with the working class? All they've got to do is this and that.' Well no, it's not as easy as that."
He breaks off, looking slightly apologetic. "I'm just trying to talk about this without sounding as if I've got a grudge, cos there is no grudge. I hope this isn't sounding like a terrible sob story, I don't mean it to be at all."
It was comedy that changed everything for him. "When I started performing, I never felt: 'Oh that person's far superior to me because of their class.' Cos comedy doesn't come into that, nobody ever says the middle classes are instinctively funny or anything like that. You're all in the dressing room together, and nobody says: 'You'd better go first cos you've got a private education.'"
When Merton launches into one of his surreal comic riffs on Just a Minute or Have I Got News For You, it's tempting to think him gifted with a kind of genius that transcends not just class but anything prosaic enough to be quantifiable. I've always wondered whether he's thinking furiously about what to say next, or has entered something closer to a state of trance, in which he's as surprised as anyone to hear what comes out of his mouth next.
"Well it's not a trance or a daze; that's not quite right. How can you describe it? There's a phrase athletes use – 'in the zone' – and you can't make it happen, you can't force it. But sometimes you just let yourself go, and I don't know where it's coming from." Does it feel more as if he's channelling something than creating it? "Yes, that's what I'm hesitating to say, I suppose," he agrees, looking slightly bashful.
But just as athletes don't find themselves in the zone by magic, Merton insists that whatever comic gift he may have can be attributed to decades of study of comedy as a discipline.
"I remember being fascinated by the very nature of comedy from the age of 10; why is this funny, and that isn't? What's the difference between rhythm and timing? In comedy it doesn't look like there's an art going on; it should look as if it's easy, cos there shouldn't be a sense of strain. But it is as difficult as playing the violin; there's a skill to be learned, there's a timing, there's a projection, there's how you sit, eye contact, how much room you give people."
To this day he still performs improv every Sunday at the Comedy Store, and insists – though I'm not quite sure I believe him – that anyone could learn how to do it if they practised enough. There are rules, and he cheerfully admits to being very old-school about treating it as a discipline.
"I looked at longevity in show business when I was about 13, and the people who seemed to have longevity were the ones who'd spent quite a bit of time learning about what they were doing before they made it. You know, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, the Marx brothers – they knew what they were doing, they weren't flash-in-the-pan overnight successes. They grew, and they built, and they sustained."
Does he feel that he's now seeing young comedians achieve overnight fame without, in his terms, doing enough hard work? "Um – I don't know," he says vaguely, sounding suspiciously diplomatic. "I really don't take any interest at all in contemporary comedy." In fact, it turns out that he's never even seen most successful contemporary acts – not Gavin and Stacey, nor Peep Show, nor The Inbetweeners. "Nope," he apologises, "afraid not." What about Miranda Hart?
"Miranda Hart?" he says, brightening at once. "Oh yes! Excellent, excellent. She's really good." Because she's old-school?
"Yes, I think that's it. One of the things that basically never changes is that people like laughing at people falling over. Look at You've Been Framed! Every week it's children being carried out of playgrounds with serious head injuries while we all laugh and clap. But she does it with real skill, she has the most amazing physicality, and it's unusual for a woman to have that much confidence in it."
It was this sort of old-fashioned concern for attention to discipline and detail that made Merton fall in love with early Hollywood. His three-part documentary series is an authoritative and entertaining narrative, not only presented by him, but written and directed as well – and he says he'd quite happily never perform again if he could spend the rest of his career directing. "For ages," he grins, "I'd fallen into that trap of saying, 'Oh yes, I'm going to direct a film' – but not actually doing it. Then I suddenly realised one thing that distinguishes directors from other people is that they actually direct! And now I love it, I just love it. It's something to really get your teeth into."
His co-writer on the series is his third wife and fellow comic improviser, Suki Webster. Merton was married to the actor Caroline Quentin in the 90s, but it was his second marriage that many more may remember, because he wed actor Sarah Parkinson just three months before she died in his arms of breast cancer in 2003. Throughout her illness Merton cut a heartbreaking figure, heavily bearded, and bringing organic juices to her bedside following her decision to decline chemotherapy.
I suspect it was her death that contributed to a public impression of Merton as a glum, even tragic soul. But it was comedy again that rescued him, for within weeks he was seen in the audience of the Comedy Store, where he says he found profound comfort in the sound of people laughing. He seems so happy today that when he talks of his frustration at not having more time to make and direct films, I suggest he could always stop doing Have I Got News for You, or stop doing Just a – but before the words are even out of my mouth he interrupts.
"Ooh no, I could never stop doing Just a Minute," he exclaims, looking appalled. "Oh God, no. I still can't believe I'm in it."

woohoo!!!!!! Celebration time

2011-05-16T09:45:00.002+12:00

Have only just picked up on the fact that JAM has won a Silver Sony award for best comedy.

Wonderful news!

Here's the citation and what the judges said.

Host: Nicholas Parsons
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani
Producer: Claire Jones
Production co-ordinator and scorer: Sarah Sharpe
Executive Producer: Jane Berthoud, Steve Canny
Editor: John Whitehall
Regular Panellist: Paul Merton
Regular Panellist: Gyles Brandreth
Panellist: Shappi Khorsandi
Panellist: John Bishop
Sound Engineers: Iain Hunter, Tim Sturgeon, Roger Danes
Audience Steward: Gill Carter

What the Judges Said
An evergreen show at the top of its form, still sounding as fresh as ever. A smart single programme entry that started with an exciting home run from Paul Merton.

the JAM connection to the Madeleine McCann case

2011-05-16T09:30:00.000+12:00

the McCanns made a friend of Sir Clement Freud!

(for those outside Britain, this is possibly the biggest crime story in the UK of the past five years)

JAM guest's fight with cancer

2011-05-16T09:17:00.003+12:00

From The Daily Mail

They told me I had throat cancer. I wasn't brave...just terrified I'd miss my boys grow up, says TV's Jimmy Mulville
By Nikki Murfitt

As his sons – Joe and George, both toddlers without a care in the world – played nearby, his natural instinct was to scoop them up in a giant bear hug.
But to do so would have allowed the knot of emotions he was holding in check to break loose.
The anarchic humour of his most memorable shows, including Father Ted, Drop The Dead Donkey and Have I Got News For You, made him a millionaire – but that counted for little as he was forced to face his own mortality.
At the age of 48 he was suffering from oropharyngeal cancer – a tumour on his tonsils.
Normally associated with smokers, Jimmy’s diagnosis, given that he hadn’t touched a cigarette for more than 20 years and ran eight miles a day, was as inconceivable as it was shocking.
‘The weekend I found out was the longest of my life. I wasn’t brave, I just felt very, very frightened,’ he says today, sitting in the private members’ club at The Ivy restaurant in London.
‘Watching my children, I knew I might not see them grow up. There were moments when I’d feel sorry for myself and others when I’d be planning my funeral in my head.
'My dad died at the age of 48 and I had a horrible feeling of history repeating itself.’
Oropharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer that affects 5,400 new patients a year in Britain, and numbers are rising.
The pharynx, the medical name for the throat, is divided into three parts and the oropharynx is one, the others being the nasopharynx (related to the nose) and the laryngopharynx (the throat).
The oropharynx connects the mouth to the top of the throat, and includes the back third of the tongue, the soft area at the back of the roof of the mouth (the soft palate) and the tonsils.
Smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol to excess (and even more so, doing these two things at the same time) are the main risk factors for mouth and oropharyngeal cancers.
Although in Britain it used to be mainly men who suffered, today increasing numbers of women are being diagnosed, which experts believe is the delayed effect of their heavier drinking and smoking.
Obesity, poor oral hygiene, ill-fitting dentures that cause long-term irritation, and even mouthwash containing alcohol have also been implicated as possible factors.
Mouth and oropharyngeal cancers have also been linked to the human papilloma virus (HPV).
There are more than 100 different types of HPV. Some are called the wart virus, because they cause warts on the genital area or skin.
Others are known to increase the risk of some types of cancers, including cancer of the cervix.
Researchers believe there is a link between HPV and certain forms of oropharyngeal cancer, and there is some evidence to show that the virus may be spread through certain types of sexual contact – in particular oral sex – but more research is needed to prove this.
In August it will be nine years since Jimmy, 56, who, as the co-founder of Hat Trick Productions, brought Paul Merton, Angus Deayton and Clive Anderson to British television, was diagnosed.
A slight scar on the right-hand side of his neck as it curves underneath his jawline is the only sign of the six-hour operation he underwent to remove the golf ball-sized tumour and cancerous lymph glands.
But the memories are as fresh as they are poignant.
‘Thank goodness I’ve always been a hypochondriac – it saved my life,’ says Jimmy.
‘I first noticed a small lump at the right side of my neck in August 2001. I immediately went to my GP who said that because I was a non-smoking teetotaller who exercised every day, it was probably nothing.
‘I still wasn’t happy, so I was referred to a doctor in Harley Street who gave me a cursory examination and also told me it was nothing to worry about. I got a third opinion and they said I was perfectly OK, too.
‘There comes a point, even for a hypochondriac like me, when you think, “Maybe they’re right.” I’d had no sore throats and apart from the lump I had no other symptoms.’
Astonishingly, it was a year before Jimmy finally received a diagnosis.
‘I’m a workaholic and lead a busy, stressful life so it was easy to get caught up in the day-to-day running of Hat Trick [the company he co-founded with his then wife Denise O’Donoghue and comedian Rory McGrath] but when the lump was still there after a year I was determined to see a specialist.
'I was referred to Professor Meirion Thomas, a surgical oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.’
Jimmy was immediately sent for an ultrasound scan and given a biopsy.
Five days later he was told he had cancer. The writer and producer, who has been married three times, admits telling his wife Karen, 43, was incredibly difficult.
‘Karen’s first husband died from lung cancer at the age of 42, leaving her with daughter Paige who was 11 at the time. She was going through the whole thing again.
'It was a feeling of utter disbelief.’
It was not the first time that tragedy had struck the Mulville family, either.
Jimmy had just finished his French and classics degree at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he’d been president of the famous Footlights club, when he discovered his father, also Jimmy, was gravely ill with a rare strain of viral polio.
‘I was ringing home regularly but my father was never there,’ he says.
‘When my finals were over, my mum, June, burst into tears and said that he was in hospital. He’d been ill for three weeks but insisted on not telling me during my exams.
‘I drove back that night and instinctively put my hand out to shake his hand, but he couldn’t move because he was paralysed. There was a look of shame on his face.
'I know, having been ill myself, that for some reason you think it’s your fault. It was breaking his heart.’
Jimmy Snr overcame the paralysis but never escaped the shadow of polio. A year after his diagnosis, he hanged himself.
Jimmy was 21, and claims it was this that triggered his slow but steady descent into alcohol addiction.
I drank a lot in my 20s,’ he says, ‘but I never really smoked. It was a gradual thing and in 1988, two years after we started Hat Trick, I realised I had to sort my life out.
'I went into rehab and have been teetotal ever since. I asked my doctors, could what I did to myself in my past have caused my cancer? They said it was impossible to know.’
Royal Marsden surgeon Peter Rhys Evans was confident that Jimmy had a very good chance of a cure but after his initial operation warned him that he was going to get worse before he’d get better as he endured six weeks of daily radiotherapy.
Mr Rhys Evans says: ‘Side effects of the radiotherapy include loss of taste and
difficulty in swallowing because the mouth becomes very dry.
'In Jimmy’s case his throat became very ulcerated and he couldn’t eat much for a
few weeks.’
Jimmy says: ‘For a couple of months I could eat only blended food because my throat was so tender and the cumulative effects of the radiotherapy meant that by the end of it I felt like an old man.’
At first he had check-ups every month, and after each one he’d phone his mother to tell her he’d got the all-clear.
‘My wife was incredible throughout, she’d tell me to snap out of it when she thought I needed it and was just very practical and supportive while at the same time looking after our young family,’ he says.
The couple have since had son Jack, now seven, a brother to Joe, 12, George, ten, and Paige, 21.
Although officially cured, Jimmy still has annual check-ups.
He says: ‘I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the amazing team at the Marsden, as do my family.’
As president of the Oracle Cancer Trust, the oral cancer charity, Jimmy is spearheading a £10million fundraising drive for a new centre of excellence for head and neck cancers.
The unit will house a radiotherapy research planning laboratory, three new research laboratories and the John Diamond Voice laboratory – named in memory of Nigella
Lawson’s first husband who died of cancer of the tongue.
Nigella is backing the campaign and is its vice-chairman.
‘There are about 30 different types of head and neck cancer. We want to improve cure rates but also the quality of life, especially for those who may be disfigured or
unable to speak after surgery,’ says Mr Rhys Evans.
Jimmy admits: ‘Not only have I been doing a job I love since the age of 21 but I’ve been able to get through a terrifying period in my life thanks to some expert help.
‘I’ve been very lucky. I’m still a hypochondriac, though.’

and coming up

2011-05-14T10:16:00.003+12:00

The show is back on Monday with Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Gyles Brandreth and Julian Clary.

Six shows this season, the other panels are

* Paul, Graham Norton, Jenny Eclair and Josie Lawrence

* Paul, Sue Perkins, Stephen Fry and Fi Glover

Looking forward to it!

promo panel

2011-05-14T08:43:00.000+12:00

Last Saturday a Radio Four promo for Just A Minute was filmed before a live audience. The panel for this non-programme was Paul Merton, Sheila Hancock, Gyles Brandreth, Marcus Brigstocke and Clive Anderson with Nicholas Parsons. If there’s anyone reading this who attended, I’d be interested to hear how it worked with five panellists.

Still it’s an interesting panel. Perhaps some others refused to front for something that was just a promo, but it’s interesting that Marcus was there – could he be appearing more often in the future. And of course Clive Anderson, a Radio Four regular and a man with a skill with words, a sharp wit, and someone who is so good at banter, you might feel he should already have done many JAMs. I’d love to see him in the next season.

more news

2011-05-04T13:29:00.002+12:00

The panel for the last recording was Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, Stephen Fry and Fi Glover. A show with Stephen Fry is always special so I would think we can look forward to two great shows.

The six shows are playing very soon - the show resumes on May 16, so pencil in May 23, May 30, June 6, June 13 and June 20 as well.

And that brings up 50 shows in the post-Clement era - two years. The show seems to be sounding as good as it's ever been to me.

panel news

2011-04-27T08:58:00.000+12:00

The second recording of the new season just finished and the team was Paul Merton, Graham Norton, Jenny Eclair and Josie Lawrence.

the first recording featured Paul, Tony Hawks, Gyles Brandreth and Julian Clary.

So the producers certainly going for the experienced players this season.

And I may be wrong – but I reckon the show will be back in just three weeks time...

questions

2011-04-22T11:51:00.002+12:00

Some questions from a reader...

1) Appeal of JAM outside Britain
At the start of each programme, Nicolas still welcomes listeners ".....not only in this country, but around the world". But isn't it the case that JAM hasn't been broadcast on the BBC World Service for several years? If so, presumably the foreign listening numbers for the programme must be lower than before. Does the Beeb rely solely on the Internet for its overseas audience and if so is there any evidence on the number of downloads which JAM attracts? Your own NZ location may help to inform your answer.

2) Radio 4 Extra
As you may have heard, next month the BBC is to rename and relaunch Radio 7 as Radio 4 Extra. We're promised that the channel will air extended versions of shows broadcast on Radio 4 (e.g. the Now Show and the News Quiz). Do you think there is scope for JAM to receive similar treatment and could this happen?

On the overseas broadcasts - there are still overseas broadcasters playing JAM, totally separate from the World Service. Indeed someone wrote to me this week to advise that the ABC in Australia is re-running the show from the first episode again. I gather also from my correspondents that the show still plays in India. I've never been entirely sure if the World Service has entirely dropped the show or if it still runs on some of its networks.
But the Internet is I am sure in part what Nicholas is referring to. As to evidence of its popularity, JAM usually appears on the list of Radio Four's top downloads while it's on air, but I can't say how many of them are overseas. I've always been interested that only about half the people who write to me or join the group, perhaps even a little less than that, are from the UK.

As to whether unedited programmes could air, of course it is always possible. They usually record 40 to 45 minutes for every 28 minute show that makes me to air. But I used to debate this with the Whose Line fans who used to pray for unedited clips to be found. My argument was - presumably they edited out the dud games - why do we want to see those? I think the argument also applies to JAM and I suspect people might be disappointed that a 45 minute show might not be as much fun as a well edited 28 minute version.
But and I think I've related this before. At the Edinburgh recording I saw back in 2002, Paul Merton was being very funny and had gone about 50 seconds on a subject when he used the word "shit". He immediately stopped and hung his head. Ross Noble buzzed and said Ï don't think you can say shit on the radio". The whole round was edited out.
So could there be some funny rounds edited out just because of bad language? It has to be possible, doesn't it, and if so, there could be good material aired on Radio 4 Extra if they had a higher threshold for matters of taste.

Minuteers

2011-04-21T21:38:00.003+12:00

A while ago I was asked by someone how rare it was for someone to go the full minute without interruption. I told the correspondent I would do a count-up and -- I have!

Bearing in mind we are talking about someone speaking for 60 uninterrupted seconds... someone who is buzzed but resumes speaking doesn't count.

There have been 229 examples in the 44 year history of the show... here's the list. My thanks to Gary Brown for the idea.

Kenneth Williams 66
Clement Freud 30
Derek Nimmo 23
Peter Jones 21
Paul Merton 14
Sue Perkins 6
Gyles Brandreth, Sheila Hancock 5
Pam Ayres, Janet Brown, Graham Norton 4
Ross Noble, Linda Smith 3
Ray Alan, Julian Clary, Jenny Éclair, Graeme Garden, Tony Hawks, Aimi Macdonald 2
Isla Blair, Marcus Brigstocke, Rob Brydon, Charles Collingwood, Peter Cook, Kevin Eldon, Kenny Everett, Fenella Fielding, Liz Fraser, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Hardy, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Thora Hird, Martin Jarvis, John Junkin, Helen Lederer, Fred MacAulay, Betty Marsden, Andree Melly, Patrick Moore, Richard Morton, Richard Murdoch, Nicholas Parsons, Wendy Richard, Victor Spinetti, Liza Tarbuck, Christopher Timothy, Joan Turner, Stanley Unwin, Katharine Whitehorn, June Whitfield 1

transcribing and the website

2011-04-20T15:15:00.003+12:00

Whew! I've finally got up to date again with my show transcriptions after being out of date for more than a year. I've done 18 in the past month - a marathon effort, but I really wanted to get these up to date again.

I'm not sure that there are many people reading through all the transcripts but I there is some demand, no doubt. The email correspondence I get often refers to the transcripts and thanks me, and once or twice every season I get letters from English as a Second Language teachers saying they heard today's programme and would I immediately send them the transcript, so they can use them in tomorrow's class, as if these things happen with the snap of fingers.

The transcripts are written in much the same way as I have done them now for 12 years. I listen, I play a few seconds, I pause, I type what I heard. I do each show in four parts. I do seven minutes at a time and each sitting takes about an hour or slightly less than that. They are by no means perfect. I am not a perfect listener and far more importantly, I am a very poor two-fingered typist. The transcripts get spell-checked but I don't always check geographic names. So transcripts will contain mistakes. If you spot mistakes in spelling, feel free to let me know. But don't be too hard on me. I once had a person complain about how often I left two spaces between words rather than just one. If this is the sort of error that gets your heart racing, you'd better find another website. I'm a lousy typist, I admit it.

In a way now that all the shows are so widely available on the Internet, the transcripts are less important than they once were. You don't need to read the older shows - you can download them and listen to them as they were intended to be enjoyed. Still I expect I will continue to try and keep these up to date. I am expecting the show to resume again at the end of this run of The Unbelievable Truth, ie, in just three weeks time. So I am not going to get much of a rest.

My next project is a new stat which was suggested to me by a correspondent. It will take a while to bring together. After that I might have a look at some of the bits that haven't been updated for a while... we shall see.

last season

2011-04-17T21:25:00.002+12:00

I used to write a post on each show as soon as I heard it. I'm not as good these days and here I am, almost three weeks since the last show and I haven't as yet written on the last season. So here goes.

1. Clearly recording all the shows in London makes it easier for the producer to fashion the panels she wants. There is a pattern to the panels of the seasons in the past year. Tony Hawks, Gyles Brandreth and Sue Perkins do one recording each season as a sort of number two to Paul. Each are very competitive, and funny, without being a major threat to Paul in the starring role. Only exceptions in the 22 shows recorded in the past 12 months were one show in Edinburgh where Jenny Eclair was the number two, and the last recording where Graham Norton was in that role. Then there is a group of highly experienced players in the third slot - Graham, Jenny, Sheila Hancock, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Liza Tarbuck, Julian Clary, Ross Noble and so on. The fourth slot goes usually to a fresh or reasonably fresh player, or occasionally someone else from the third ranked group.

2. The season had two newcomers, neither of whom are from the ranks of stand-up comics that make up most of the panels these days. Rick Wakeman and Terry Wogan were both interesting, but somehow I doubt they will be appearing too often in the future. They were certainly contrasts. Rick Wakeman quickly proved to be adept at the game, and indeed won the second show of his recording. That was a pretty good achievement as he was up against the two best players of the game of the current era, Paul Merton and Gyles Brandreth. So Rick was good at picking up the mistakes of the others, and pretty good at keeping going without repeating or hesitating. But he wasn't very funny. I think the two shows he was on were the weakest of the season, in part because the person in the third role, Shappi Khorsandi, just can't get in enough. She is charming and can get a good line out, but as she usually stumbles early when speaking, and seldom successfully challenges, she just doesn't make a strong contribution.

3. Terry Wogan had the opposite problem - he wasn't fluent when speaking and wasn't good on challenging. But he was amusing and had some good jokes. Still the folk who make fun of their own lack of ability at the game are usually not called back - think Elaine Stritch, Lorraine Chase, Thora Hird, Tommy Trinder. It'll be interesting to see if he is asked on the programme in, and if he is, if he is a bit better at the competitive aspects.

4. The other shows were really very very funny. It was great to hear Marcus Brigstocke and Ross Noble again. We wish they were on more often. Sheila Hancock was again very good and pairing up Graham Norton and Julian Clary worked very well. I thought Liza Tarbuck was also in good form.

So a very very good season. One to be enjoyed again and again, I'm sure.

the show

2011-04-17T21:22:00.002+12:00

Thought I'd post this picture of the recording last week. Note how drab the whole scene is - not even the name of the show to be seen.

From left - Paul Merton, Julian Clary, Sarah Sharpe, Nicholas Parsons, Gyles Brandreth and Tony Hawks.

panel - 2

2011-04-17T20:28:00.002+12:00

Further to my last post, someone in the comments posted a picture of the recording so happy to say that the panel for the first recording of the new season was Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Julian Clary and TONY HAWKS.

The next recording will be on the evening of Tuesday 26th April. I'll tip the team to be Paul and Graham Norton. Also I think it's time to hear again from Josie Lawrence or Jenny Eclair or Pam Ayres.

panel news

2011-04-13T09:18:00.002+12:00

The team for the shows recorded on Sunday - I have two emails, one says it was Paul Merton, Graham Norton, Gyles Brandreth and Julian Clary. The other says Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Gyles Brandreth and Julian Clary. We'll have to see if someone else lets me know!

nice article about Nicholas

2011-04-09T15:06:00.001+12:00

from The Daily Mail

Nicholas Parsons has never been more active.
At the age of 87, he is celebrating his 44th year as host of the BBC Radio 4 comedy quiz show Just A Minute, on which he has enjoyed verbally sparring with Paul Merton, Kenneth Williams and Clement Freud over the decades.
'There is no doubt the show sharpens me up,' he says. 'You need a good memory - with contestants being challenged on hesitation, repetition or deviation as they try to speak on a subject for up to a minute. I think the memory keeps you feeling young.'
And he may have a point. Dementia is on the rise in the UK with the 700,000 already diagnosed cases expected to swell to one million by 2020.
About 20 per cent of people who are Nicholas's age have dementia and thousands far younger suffer age-related memory loss, often seen as a precursor.
Research has shown the key to staving off mental decline is keeping active in older age, and Nicholas is a shining example of this.
He also writes - he has just completed an autobiography - and has a one-man comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival each summer.
He typically rises at 8am for a day that might not end until 1am the following day.
'Sometimes I power-nap in the recording studio between takes and when I get the opportunity I also take siestas - between 3pm and 4.30pm. It keeps me lively and I often get a second wind at about 10pm - perhaps it comes from when I was young and was a late night comedian.'
So how does he do it?
'I see the brain as just another muscle - it needs exercising in the same way as the rest of your body,' he explains.
Nicholas, who lives in rural Buckinghamshire with his second wife, Annie, with whom he shares nine grandchildren, admits to being fortunate that his job provides a regular workout for the mind.
But he also keeps lively in other, even more surprising ways. Nicholas is a keen horologist - he is a member of the British Watch and Clock Makers' Guild.
'If you are mechanically minded you can take great pleasure in the intriguing mechanisms of an old clock - different wheels that work off each other to keep time. They can be beautifully creative,' he says.
His favourite is a 1640 'Cromwell' lantern clock that belonged to his father - a physician who was once a doctor to Margaret Thatcher's family in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
'He purchased it in 1913 for seven shillings and sixpence when he went off to Cambridge to study medicine.
It stopped working about 50 years ago so I took the whole thing apart, cleaned it and put everything back together again. It has kept perfect time ever since.'
Nicholas is surrounded by three grandfather clocks and half-a-dozen smaller clocks.
'The sound can drive guests crazy in the night so I have to turn the chimes off, but I find them therapeutic.'
He recognises that as people get older they can get crabbier - something he fights with a positive attitude and a self-deprecating manner.
'Just A Minute is perfect for keeping your humour,' he says. ' Comedians like Merton have such a gift for taking the mickey without malice.'

JAM on 24 hour panel people

2011-03-29T07:47:00.002+13:00

David Walliams and others played panel games for 24 hours as part of a charity gig earlier this month.

This clip has part of the Just A Minute played which featured Nicholas, Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock, Lee Mack and David.

It starts abt 1-30 and runs for about 5 minutes.