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Just a Minute : N.Parsons, T.Slattery & Dale Winton

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Stuart Owen

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Jun 30, 1995, 3:00:00 AM6/30/95
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Has anyone else seen this wonderful new program? It was on last night at 11.40pm
on Central and had Nicholas Parsons as the host, Tony Slattery and Dale Winton
(camp presenter of Pets Win Prizes and Supermarket Trolley) as the two captains
of the London and Midlands teams respectively and two other chaps, whose names
I have forgotten.

It was like Whose Line..?, but the idea was to speak a whole minute on a given
subject and, basically, try to be at least interesting without pausing, erming
or ahhing, repeating words too often or using bad english.

If this is a sign of what the program is like every week then I thank my lucky
stars I have a video recorder. Making me stay up till after midnight just to
watch good TV is, quite frankly, not the done thing, amen, hallelujah (christ,
I'm been in the sun too long again).


Paul Rhodes

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Jun 30, 1995, 3:00:00 AM6/30/95
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rb...@dbrw.win-uk.net (Stuart Owen) writes:

>Has anyone else seen this wonderful new program? It was on last night at 11.40pm
>on Central and had Nicholas Parsons as the host, Tony Slattery and Dale Winton

[....]


>It was like Whose Line..?, but the idea was to speak a whole minute on a given
>subject and, basically, try to be at least interesting without pausing, erming
>or ahhing, repeating words too often or using bad english.

Funnily enough, it sounds rather like the *very* long-running game show, "Just
a Minute", which has been hosted by Nicholas Parsons since the dawn of time.
The TV version isn't entirely new either - it was first broadcast (at least
in London) a year or so ago.


______________________________________________________paul....@liffe.com

Dave Budd

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Jun 30, 1995, 3:00:00 AM6/30/95
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In article <paul.rhodes....@liffe.com> paul....@liffe.com (Paul Rhodes) writes:
>rb...@dbrw.win-uk.net (Stuart Owen) writes:

>>Has anyone else seen this wonderful new program? It was on last night at 11.40pm
>>on Central and had Nicholas Parsons as the host, Tony Slattery and Dale Winton
>[....]
>>It was like Whose Line..?, but the idea was to speak a whole minute on a given
>>subject and, basically, try to be at least interesting without pausing, erming
>>or ahhing, repeating words too often or using bad english.

>Funnily enough, it sounds rather like the *very* long-running game show, "Just
>a Minute", which has been hosted by Nicholas Parsons since the dawn of time.

Paul forgot to make it absolutely explicit that JAM originated (of course)
on Radio 4.

--
Copyright 1995 David Budd (for those parts of the above text written thereby)
Reproduction in whole or part permitted for non-profit usage only if and only
if attribution is included and no deliberate misrepresentation occurs ;->
Dave Budd: +44|0-161-275-6033 fax 6040 D.B...@mcc.ac.uk

Ian Collier

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Jun 30, 1995, 3:00:00 AM6/30/95
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In article <2...@dbrw.win-uk.net>, rb...@dbrw.win-uk.net (Stuart Owen) wrote:
>Has anyone else seen this wonderful new program?

Yes. I have to admit last nights was one of the best so far, but actually
it isn't new as it has been on for about 4 weeks already. It is also the
second series, but the first one wasn't shown in the Central region for
some reason (I saw 6 editions by pointing my aerial at Hannington in the
Meridian region). And, as several people will no doubt point out, it has
been running on Radio 4 for over 20 years. I prefer the radio version
actually.

>It was like Whose Line..?, but the idea was to speak a whole minute on a given

No it's nothing like Whose Line actually... :-)

Incidentally, this game was definitely not designed for the "teams"
format. Suppose your partner challenges you. If he is right, your
team gets a point. If he is wrong, guess what - your team gets a point!

BTW why haven't they had Peter Jones on yet?

Ian Collier - i...@comlab.ox.ac.uk - WWW Home Page:
http://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/oucl/users/ian.collier/index.html
rec.arts.tv.uk is dead. Long live rec.arts.tv.uk.misc and uk.media.tv.misc!

Simon Collings

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Jul 1, 1995, 3:00:00 AM7/1/95
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In article <2...@dbrw.win-uk.net>, Stuart Owen (rb...@dbrw.win-uk.net) writes:
>
>Has anyone else seen this wonderful new program? It was on last night at 11.40pm
>on Central and had Nicholas Parsons as the host, Tony Slattery and Dale Winton
>(camp presenter of Pets Win Prizes and Supermarket Trolley) as the two captains
>of the London and Midlands teams respectively and two other chaps, whose names
>I have forgotten.
>
>It was like Whose Line..?, but the idea was to speak a whole minute on a given
>subject and, basically, try to be at least interesting without pausing, erming
>or ahhing, repeating words too often or using bad english.
>
>If this is a sign of what the program is like every week then I thank my lucky
>stars I have a video recorder. Making me stay up till after midnight just to
>watch good TV is, quite frankly, not the done thing, amen, hallelujah (christ,
>I'm been in the sun too long again).
>
>
>
Oh Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Another Radio 4 icon bites the dust. Like "Whose Line...", this
show is only funny if you can't see it.

I dread the day they put "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" on TV :(

Did anyone else see JAM on TV in other areas? They are obviously
not going for prime time TV.

Does anyone know if it will still be on radio?

Simon

----------------------------------------------------------------
Simon Collings, G4SGI Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, ENGLAND
----------------------------------------------------------------


Stuart Owen

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Jul 2, 1995, 3:00:00 AM7/2/95
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In article <paul.rhodes....@liffe.com>, Paul Rhodes (paul....@liffe.com) writes:

>rb...@dbrw.win-uk.net (Stuart Owen) writes:
>
>>Has anyone else seen this wonderful new program? It was on last night at 11.40pm
>>on Central and had Nicholas Parsons as the host, Tony Slattery and Dale Winton
>
>Funnily enough, it sounds rather like the *very* long-running game show, "Just
>a Minute", which has been hosted by Nicholas Parsons since the dawn of time.
>The TV version isn't entirely new either - it was first broadcast (at least
>in London) a year or so ago.

<sfx: embarressed silence>

Excuse my ignorance. I don't listen to Radio 4. I cringe every time I'm told
I'm missing some of the UK's best entertainment, but I can't listen to the
radio when my computers on and it's one most of the time. Sorry...

Paul Rhodes

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Jul 3, 1995, 3:00:00 AM7/3/95
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sco...@sapphire.win-uk.net (Simon Collings) writes:

>Another Radio 4 icon bites the dust. Like "Whose Line...", this
>show is only funny if you can't see it.

For Just A Minute, I don't think it makes a blind bit of difference if it's on
radio or TV, EXCEPT that the radio series regulars are much better than Tony
Slattery and the hodge-podge of celebrities brought in for the TV series.
(Some of them *are* very good - tellingly, most of those have also guested on
the radio series)

I think "Whose Line..." probably works better on TV than on radio - mainly
because they adapted the format to make it more visual, thus introducing
some much-needed variety. Although I enjoyed it at the time, somehow I don't
think the radio series would have lasted as long. My least favourite rounds
now are the only ones which could have been done on radio.

>I dread the day they put "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" on TV :(

Although it is very entertaining to see it "in the flesh", I agree: apart
from anything else, it's just not a particularly visual programme. And that
Samantha's pig-ugly, too.

>Did anyone else see JAM on TV in other areas? They are obviously
>not going for prime time TV. Does anyone know if it will still be on radio?

The first series was sponsored by the Evening Standard, so had a fair amount
of London-based publicity (although it was still in a graveyard slot). When
they do finally stop the radio series, I think it will be because the regulars
have all died (assuming they don't just replace Nicholas Parsons with a robot)
rather than because of a 6-episodes-a-year TV version.


______________________________________________________paul....@liffe.com

Ian Collier

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Jul 3, 1995, 3:00:00 AM7/3/95
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In article <4...@sapphire.win-uk.net>, sco...@sapphire.win-uk.net (Simon Collings) wrote:
>I dread the day they put "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" on TV :(

They already did. Fortunately it was only a 5-minute thing which they filmed
for a "Children in need" evening during the taping of a programme for radio.

>Does anyone know if it will still be on radio?

This is its second TV series and there has been no indication that the
radio one will be stopping. And I should jolly well hope that it won't!

Cma

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Jul 4, 1995, 3:00:00 AM7/4/95
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In article <paul.rhodes....@liffe.com>,
paul....@liffe.com (Paul Rhodes) wrote:

>For Just A Minute, I don't think it makes a blind bit of difference if it's on
>radio or TV, EXCEPT that the radio series regulars are much better than Tony
>Slattery and the hodge-podge of celebrities brought in for the TV series.

It's not yet come to my region, but I have listened to it occassionally.
I'd like to know how they visualised it and why they felt the need to.
Visually I would expect it to be rather boring, and visuals no matter how
naff cost money. I can only imagine they were looking for a bigger
audience, but JAM should have been left on the radio IMO.



>(Some of them *are* very good - tellingly, most of those have also guested on
>the radio series)
>
>I think "Whose Line..." probably works better on TV than on radio

I agree. There are visuals to Whose Line - even mime has a lot of potential
in improvisation.

Paul Rhodes

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Jul 10, 1995, 3:00:00 AM7/10/95
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C...@droog.demon.co.uk (Cma) writes:

>It's not yet come to my region, but I have listened to it occassionally.
>I'd like to know how they visualised it and why they felt the need to.

>Visually I would expect it to be rather boring, ...

Well, yes it is rather... it's just a panel game in front of an audience. The
only concession to the visual medium (apart from a horrible set) is a "mystery
object" round, where the contestants have to talk about an object rather than
a subject.

>I can only imagine they were looking for a bigger
>audience, but JAM should have been left on the radio IMO.

"And the score at the end of round one is... Ian Messiter, lots of money"
(from The Burkiss Way)



______________________________________________________paul....@liffe.com
"Harry! It's that nice lady Dalek on the 'phone again!"

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