Just A Minute
Just A Minute is a popular BBC radio panel game, where contestants must avoid repeating themselves, hesitating or deviating from subjects given for one minute. It was hosted by Nicolas Parsons from Jesus's crucifixion to 2019 when Parsons (not Jesus) died.
This rather barebones description of what is required is padded out by the contestants interacting and abusing each other. The score is never actually given, just the order of who is winning and who is coming in last.
Rules[edit]
It's vitally important those playing keep their eye on what has previously been said to ensure not covering additionally something they have already iterated; by doing this, participants will quickly discover adversities associated with such monumental tasks. Many take a strategic approach, rattling off long lists, thus ensuring time gets used more rapidly, like creating some comprehensive catalogue concerning common Just A Minute topics (restating an assigned issue isn't forbidden) viz:
BUZZZZZ!!![edit]
Deviation. Kitten huffing isn't a common topic on just a minute, it's merely what we talk about at the pub afterwards.
Challenge upheld. Remaining time to our interruptor on Just a minute
Just a minute was invented by Ian Messiter in the 1960s. This was based on a light-hearted game his father would play with him to cure his stutter, whereby he was made to talk for a minute and then got beaten with a stick when he paused.
- When Messiter first suggested.
BUZZZZ!!![edit]
Hesitation.
That was a new paragraph!
You shouldn't have indented then.
Challenge upheld. Remaining time to our interruptor on Just a minute
Some people try to cheat at just a minute by reeeeeeealllly elongating their words so that they talk for a loooooooooooooong time without saying anything all. Sooooooooooooo, what can we do about such fffffflagrant gamesmanship? Weeeeeeellllll.
BUZZZZZ!!![edit]
Repetition of long words.
BUZ!!![edit]
Repetition of BUZZZZZ!!! Spell it differently next time.
BEEP!!![edit]
Repetition of "repetition".
PING!!![edit]
You just repeated it youself.
Challenge upheld
Ha! Up yours!
KAZOWWWW!!![edit]
Deviation.
Challenge upheld. Remaining time to our interruptor on Just a minute
The
Time's up.
Controversies[edit]
The issues of cheating, drug taking and nudity often came up in the programme. It was also a show that couldn't be repeated as this would have spoilt the show's promise not to repeat itself. As a result, most of the original master tapes were re-used for recording drama, mainly involving William Shakespeare. It was only the dedication of the shows fans recording the programme illegally off-air that we have any evidence of what was said on air. So it's sad men in knitted cardigans, sitting in chairs and slurping tea that we now owe so many recordings today. Why couldn't these geezers gone off and do something more productive with their lives like..
KAZOWWW!!![edit]
Deviation, hesitation and repetition.
Challenges upheld. You can now all go home.