Just A Minute

 
<<<<   1558   >>>>

Sticking up for Nick was: Re: Two Kenneth Williams questions - for Dean

Messages in this topic: 7 View All
lapsedcatDec 7, 2007
 

 
I listened to an episode from the early seventies last night (episode
101 or 102 I think) in which Parsons shamelessly favoured the Rather
Squeaky, Dim and Altogether Unlovely Aimi MacDonald by awarding her
points for downright ignorance and ineptness. I am surprised that the
other panellists (including KW) were so restrained and didn't really
challenge his blatantly partisan chairmanship.

The more MacDonald giggled the more NP aurally tumesced, to this
listener's ear at least.

I know it was over thirty-fives years ago, and it's a light-hearted
panel game, and that I probably do need to get a life, but I was
genuinely outraged. So, while my wife fretted over our mortgage
repayments and worried about how to clothe and feed our children, I
was getting irate over a scratchy 1971 recording of Just A Minute.






--- In just-a-minute@..., Robert Torres
<bobbyshaddoe3004@...> wrote:

>
> The reason he seems to emerge unscathed by the insults is because

he takes large doses of anti-depressants. Thus his inability to even
understand certain moments when someone tries to come to his aid and
defend him usually goes with the usual sort of inattentive ignorance
Nicholas usually displays.

>
> For example, there was an episode I think from the early 80's, I

think the subject was 'Records I'd Most Like to Break', and Clement
was talking about taking a record and breaking it over Nicholas
Parsons' head, Derek buzzed in, trying (in vain) to pretty much say
that what Clem was saying was going over the line, but Nicholas said
that he was enjoying it, which prompted Derek to say 'It's the last
time I'm ever nice to you, I can tell you. His brain's so thick,
nothing can get through'.

>
>
>
> lapsedcat <lapsedcat@...> wrote:
> Nicholas Parsons has come in for a lot of stick on JAM.

Mostly it has

> been pretty light-hearted mockery, but on occasions panellists

(Derek

> Nimmo in particular) could be quite bilious about him.
>
> Parsons always held it up as a virtue that he could laugh it all

off

> and emerge unscathed by the criticism.
>
> This is accepted as fact by most serious scholars of Messiter. The
> fact that he went home after every recording, drank a pint of gin

and

> beat the kittens half to death to assuage his bitterness is a less
> well-known fact but deserves a wider audience.
>
> See this Saturday's Daily Express for an exclusive serialisation of
> my forthcoming tell-all book, "Nicholas Parsons: Booze, Birds &
> Blazers" (Harper Collins)
>
> --- In just-a-minute@..., "jeremy_keens"
> <jeremy.keens@> wrote:
> >
> > This comment from Dean from the KW letters is a springboard for an
> > opportunity to stick up for Nick as chairman. I would agree that

he

> > was a bad chairman from the episode I listened to (and also that
> Nick
> > was not a good panelist).
> >
> > KW did not seem to be listening - he basically agreed with a
> challenge
> > or asked the speaker whether they had repeated or not. Nick does
> > seem(mostly)to listen and (whether or not he is being 'clever dick
> > parsons' as noted by derek) often mentions repeats that panelists
> had
> > missed
> >
> > I would also agree that often his decisions are made with an
> objective
> > of keeping the flow going or leaning towards someone who seems to

be

> > doing a bit better
> >
> > plus his inconsistency is not surprising over so long with such

fast

> > decisions to make - I am still not sure about hyphenated words or
> > homophones or whether you can use sub-sections of the topic [eg

if

> it
> > was harmony could you use harm? to be extreme!]
> >
> > Jeremy
> > who gets annoted by Nick but think he is great overall
> >
> >
> > --- In just-a-minute@..., Dean Bedford <dbedford@>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > He also says in the letter that he was terrible as chairman....
> > > I think he's being a bit hard on himself there.
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
>

 
<<<<   1558   >>>>

Back to the Top