History Radio / JustAMinute

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

A large number of people have appeared on the show, but there have been five "regular" players over the course of its history: Creator/KennethWilliams, Derek Nimmo, Creator/PeterJones, Clement Freud and Paul Merton...

A large number of people have appeared on the show, but there have been five "regular" players over the course of its history: Creator/KennethWilliams, Derek Nimmo, Peter Jones, Clement Freud and Paul Merton...

* BrickJoke: The last subject of the last episode of the 1972-73 series was "Making a spectacular exit". When ''Just a Minute'' returned five months later for the 1973-74 series, the first subject of the first episode was "Making a spectacular entrance". The two episodes even featured the same panel (Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, and Kenneth Williams).

** Peter Jones shared Derek's tendency to get loud and animated,[[note]] Though he mellowed out considerably with age.[[/note]] but almost exclusively when he was arguing with Nicholas or the other panellists over a point of procedure; when he had the subject, he tended to speak more slowly and deliberately.

* ThePointsMeanNothing: Nicholas is quick to remind everyone that it is the contributions that really matter, and indeed some of the most fondly remembered panellists have been those who were consistently funny but seldom won (most notably Kenneth Williams and Peter Jones). Not that this has stopped many panellists over the years from taking the competitive aspect seriously and chasing every last point.

** A television adaptation did air for two 14-episode series on ITV in 1994-95 and one 20-episode series on the BBC in 1999, but mostly with guests who were visibly unfamiliar with the game[[note]] Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, and Peter Jones made a handful of appearances each across all three series, while Paul Merton was completely absent[[/note]] and with various peculiar gimmicks (such as having the panellists talk about a mystery object or, in the second ITV series, dividing them into teams captained by Tony Slattery and Dale Winton).

** Well, Peter Jones frequently started his speeches with "Well..." when he had the subject. This led to many challenges of repetition if he lost a subject and then won it back, only to begin with "Well..." again, and eventually challenges of deviation when he ''didn't'' start a speech with "Well..."
** Kenneth Williams had an unfortunate tendency to overuse "Of course" when he had the subject, and would try to argue that it constituted "parts of speech" when he was inevitably buzzed for repetition after using it twice or even three times in under 20 seconds. Peter Jones was also prone to peppering his speeches with "Of course", though less liberally than Kenneth.

** Also, Clement Freud was delayed for the recording of one episode in 1977, so Ian Messiter took over as chairman while Nicholas took Clement's place on the panel alongside Kenneth Williams, Derek Nimmo, and Peter Jones. (He finished first.) In another episode in 1982, it was Messiter who took Clement's place on the panel alongside Kenneth, Derek, and Peter. (He finished last.)

* IncrediblyLamePun: The words of the subject can be interpreted however the panellists choose; this can lead to some very creative wordplay, particularly from Clement Freud.
-->(''on the subject of "dim sum"'')\\
'''Clement Freud''': If you buy a really expensive car that has lots of buttons and pushers which make the car go faster or more slowly, and there is one that illuminates the headlights and another "dim sum"...

-->''(For full effect, begin reading this page playing Music/FredericChopin's "Minute Waltz" in your head.)''

''(For full effect, begin reading this page playing Music/FredericChopin's "Minute Waltz" in your head.)''

A [[Creator/TheBBC British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4]] comedy PanelGame which has been broadcast since 22 December 1967 and was originally hosted by Nicholas Parsons, who appeared in nearly every single episode for 52 years (apart from just two absences for health reasons). It began in the year that Radio 4 launched, and...

** The idea of panellists' contributions meaning more than points was brought in full force of the last episode of Series 62; after some persuasion from Cyrus Broacha, who pointed out that [[PositiveDiscrimination letting the foreign guy win]] isn't done in India, Nicholas decided that Cyrus and Anuvab Pal were in fact the joint winners, given how well they contributed. The two Indian men rejoiced... then pointed out how this was "yet another victory [[SelfDeprecation not legitimately earned!]]"

** The 22 February 1999 edition took this trope and turned it UpToEleven for the final round, when Nicholas spontaneously switched to French just after the first challenge... A few moments later, Paul was challenged for NOT speaking French, and it just went downhill from there:

* AudienceParticipation: In the early years, if Nicholas were faced with a difficult decision regarding a challenge, he would often put it to the audience, asking them to cheer or boo depending on whether they agreed or disagreed with the challenge. (As something of audience favourite, Kenneth Williams often benefitted from such "decisions".)

** Sweden has had its own version, ''Radio/PaMinuten'', going for almost as long as the UK version (albeit with a six-year hiatus from 1988-94). There are some slight rules differences, with deviation being treated more leniently, while repetition of multiple forms of the same word (such as using both the singular and plural of a noun) is not permitted but repetition either side of being challenged and/or losing the subject ''is'' allowed. The panellists have also played for prizes since 2004, usually some sort of ForeignQueasine (which has led to many panellists trying to ''avoid'' winning at all costs).

** There's actually nothing stopping you from buzzing during your own time, challenging yourself for a mistake before anyone else can, and winning a point ''whether the challenge is accepted or not''. This is only allowed [[RuleOfFunny because it's funny when it happens]], and no-one takes the game seriously enough to really abuse it.

->''"Tropers/RegShoe you have 60 seconds on the subject of the origins of ''Just a Minute'', starting now."''
-->-- '''Nicholas Parsons'''

-->'''Nicholas Parsons''': JustForFun/ReportSiht, it is your turn to begin the next round, our next topic, something you may or may not have heard of, the future of ''Just a Minute''. Will you talk on that subject for sixty seconds as usual, starting now...

->''"Tropers/RegShoe you have 60 seconds on the subject of ''Just a Minute'', starting now."''

-->'''Nicholas Parsons''': JustForFun/ReportSiht, it is your turn to begin the next round, our next topic, something you may or may not have heard of, ''Wiki/TVTropes''. Will you talk on that subject for sixty seconds as usual, starting now...

-->'''Nicholas Parsons''': Tropers/RegShoe you have 60 seconds on the subject of ''Just a Minute'', starting now.

-->'''Nicholas Parsons''': So Trope-tan was speaking as the whistle went, gained that extra point, and she's moved into the lead with that [[Administrivia/WikiMagic final display of incredibly fast speaking.]]

The future of the show was unclear following the death of Nicholas Parsons, who had chaired over 900 editions and missed only four episodes over 52 years, in January 2020. (If one includes the various television adaptations over the years, then Parsons hosted just over 1,000 episodes of the programme in total.) Following a year out, it was announced that in February 2021 the show would return with a series of guest hosts including Stephen Fry, Paul Merton and Gyles Brandreth; one of them, Sue Perkins, was later announced as the show's permanent host beginning with the [=87th=] series in Septembe 2021.

The future of the show was unclear following the death of Nicholas Parsons, who had chaired over 900 editions and missed only four episodes over 52 years, in January 2020. (If one includes the various television adaptations over the years, then Parsons hosted just over 1,000 episodes of the programme in total.) Following a year out, it was announced that in February 2021 the show would return with a series of guest hosts including Stephen Fry, Paul Merton and Gyles Brandreth.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Many panellists over the years have peppered their speeches and/or banter with ''double entendres'' or otherwise suggestive language (often involving Nicholas somehow); notable "offenders" include Stephen Fry, Julian Clary, and Graham Norton.
** In a 1974 episode, Clement Freud got the subject of "my destiny", and decided to throw in a DoubleEntendre:
--->'''Clement:''' I have on occasion been to fortune tellers, clairvoyants and even a gypsy in a tent who had a crystal ball which was terribly painful.
** The subject of "coming out balls" (as in big dances put on by a debutante's family in her honour) would prompt plenty of sniggering today, but even in 1975, Derek Nimmo couldn't resist a play on words:
--->'''Derek:''' I have a very loose pair of swimming trunks and sometimes... ''(the next few words are obscured by loud audience laughter and the buzzer of a shocked Kenneth Williams)''
** One of the most well remembered examples of this occurred in a 1992 episode in which Clement Freud won the subject of "records" with two seconds to go:
--->'''Clement:''' The great thing about Creator/VirginRecords is that they have no holes in them.
** In a 2012 episode, Ross Noble started on the subject of "Music/ElvisPresley" with the following:
--->'''Ross:''' Elvis Presley, or, as he was often known, Elvis the Pelvis, not many people know that he was almost called Enos...

The future of the show is currently unclear following the death of Nicholas Parsons, who had chaired over 900 editions and missed only four episodes over 52 years, in January 2020. (If one includes the various television adaptations over the years, then Parsons hosted just over 1,000 episodes of the programme in total.)

-->'''Nicholas Parsons''': So Trope-tan was speaking as the whistle went, gained that extra point, and she's moved into the lead with that [[WikiMagic final display of incredibly fast speaking.]]

A [[Creator/TheBBC British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4]] comedy PanelGame which has been broadcast since 22 December 1967 and was originally hosted by Nicholas Parsons, who appeared in nearly every single episode for 52 years (apart from a couple of brief absences for health reasons). It began in the year that Radio 4 launched, and...

* LongRunners: ''Just a Minute'' has been airing on Radio 4 since 1967. Nicholas has been present as either the chairman or a panellist in every episode. As of 2013, according to Paul Merton he holds the record for presenting a single show longer than anyone else in radio.

** Kenneth Williams practically made an art form out of stretching out every syllable of every word, sometimes to the point that he was successfully challenged for hesitation. Gyles Brandreth and Graham Norton are among those who have most proudly carried on this tradition.

A [[Creator/TheBBC British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4]] comedy PanelGame which has been broadcast since 22 December 1967 and is hosted by Nicholas Parsons, who has appeared in every single episode since its inception (apart from two editions in June 2018 when he had the 'flu). It began in the year that Radio 4 launched, and...

The game comes from attempts to try to keep within these rules, which whilst they appear to be simple, are very hard not to break. To speak for the full minute without being challenged is extremely difficult, and meritorious when achieved (though the most common cause is when the other players agree to ignore any mistakes in order to watch the poor sap struggle for a whole minute [or longer if Nicholas is feeling malicious as well]).

* FlawlessVictory: The impressive feat of speaking for the full minute without being interrupted once nets you a rather measly two points.

--->'''Clement:''' The great thing about Virgin Records is that they have no holes in them.

A [[Creator/TheBBC British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4]] comedy PanelGame which has been broadcast since 22 December 1967 and is hosted by Nicholas Parsons, who has appeared in every single episode since its inception (apart from two episodes in 2018 when he had the 'flu). It began in the year that Radio 4 launched, and...