Just A Minute

>
> I'd like to take this time to begin a series of discussions

> the new generation of performers who have come on JAM and become a
> core cast of regular performers much in a similar vein to the
> Original Foursome.
>
> Who better to start off with than the man who could be seen as the
> one responsible for revitalizing the series after the death of
> Kenneth Williams: Paul Merton.
>
> Paul Merton was brought onto the show for two episodes in the 1989
> season which came following the death of Kenneth Williams. His

> appearances had a more reserved Paul Merton trying his best to
> contribute well amongst the more seasoned veterans, but he did

> to display the very talents which have made him something of an

> in British comedy.
>
> I remember on one of his first appearances, he had been given the
> subject of 'Bottle' and in spite of several slip ups, the subject
> wasn't taken away from him. In addition, it was one of the first
> examples of his off-the-cuff improv style when he talked about
> someone jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, trying to

> back up to the plane, but didn't make it because he fell to the
> ground at such speed, he was flattened as a pancake by the time he
> hit the ground. And then says, 'And his wife later called his
> condition as very satisfactory'. He then gets challenged by Derek
> for deviation, saying 'What has this got to do with bottle?' and
> Peter springs to Paul's defense, saying 'Well, it certainly takes
> bottle to tell a story like that.'
>
> Paul's style was unique and very different amongst those who had

> associated with JAM in the past, although Paul would occasionally
> tell anecdotes about his life now and then, more often than not his
> material was simply stuff he would think up off the top of his

> which definitely showcased the depth of his intelligence and
> creativity. Not to mention he became very adept at picking up on
> other people's material and mining the comedy gold for all its
> worth.
>
> Very often the best stuff from Paul would come from his journey

> the surreal, and would very often be allowed to go off in this

> well past the minute mark.
>
> Paul eventually helped open the door for many of his contemporaries
> to appear on the show, people like Tony Hawks, Graham Norton, Jenny
> Eclair, Linda Smith, Julian Clary, and so on.
>
> He was pretty much able to breathe much needed life into the

> which by the time of Kenneth Williams' death, had begun to sound a
> bit stale, in that some of the panelists tended be of an older
> variety, and there didn't seem to be any attempt on Ed Taylor's

> to appeal to a younger audience.
>
> With Paul in, Ed Taylor was soon out, and in came Sarah Smith, and
> then Claire Jones, who would steer the show through the 90's on a
> crest of comedy the likes of which no other radio panel show would
> exhibit.
>
> Amongst my other favorite bits of Paul's humor is the way he took

> the banner of making fun of Nicholas' age, and soon came up with

> sorts of things to use as ammunition: such as the notion of

> liking to dress up in women's clothing and go around the streets of
> London like a prostitute, or the fact that Nicholas seems to have

> certain sexual dalliances with certain barnyard animals, or the

> that Nicholas has had sexual dalliances with women three times
> younger than he is.
>
> Case in point I believe was during one particular show, I think the
> whistle blower at the time was Elaine Wiggley. Anyway, Nicholas
> stopped the show for a moment because Elaine was telling him
> something, and just before Nicholas could start the next round,

> picks up on this and creates this idea that what Elaine was trying

> tell Nicholas was that she was pregnant, which remains one of my
> favorite Paul Merton moments.
>
> The first time I ever saw Paul Merton or even became aware of who

> was, was during his appearances on the original 'Whose Line is it
> Anyway?'
>
> He was excellent on that series, and displayed his improv skills
> exceptionally well.
>
> Amongst his other accomplishments that I am aware of include 'The
> Masterson Inheritance' (perhaps one of the funniest shows, and an
> excellent example of Paul's brand of comedy), and 'Have I Got News
> For You'.
>
> I seem to recall one of the funniest moments on the series came

> when both Paul and Ian spent most of the show making fun of Angus
> Deayton for the tabloid reports of him being caught in some hotel
> with drugs and prostitutes or something like that.
>
> Paul has also appeared on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, although I'm
> not sure what else he's done.
>
> I'd like to open the floor now to anyone else who wishes to discuss
> this exceptionally talented and funny individual.
>

--- In just-a-minute@..., "Miriam" <delmelza@...> wrote:
>
> -If it wasn't so late here I would gladly spend an hr talking about
> Paul Merton-I am a Huge fan- have almost every video ( just need
the
> pantos) and have 2 dvds from amazon uk on order that are Paul
Merton.
>
> The Paul Merton Collection DVD will be released this week! (And
> Someday they Will release the Paul In China travel dvd I've had on
> Preorder for over 3 months now!)
>
> Not to mention the books ( waiting for the silent comedy to go
> paperback), the cassettes and cds ( JAM/ Clue /
mastersons's/reading
> his book/ jacknory/HIGNFY etc.
> The last time I was in London ( I live in Seattle USA) my
> friends took me to see Paul do the Improv stuff at the Comedy Store
> for my birthday. I waited in line in the rain for Front Center
seats.
> I was in Heaven!--- Ok I really need to get to bed but I shall
return
> to sing more Praises to Mr Merton LOL. Miriam
>
> -- In just-a-minute@..., "Robert L. Torres"
> <bobbyshaddoe3004@> wrote:
> >
> > I'd like to take this time to begin a series of discussions
> regarding
> > the new generation of performers who have come on JAM and become
a
> > core cast of regular performers much in a similar vein to the
> > Original Foursome.
> >
> > Who better to start off with than the man who could be seen as
the
> > one responsible for revitalizing the series after the death of
> > Kenneth Williams: Paul Merton.
> >
> > Paul Merton was brought onto the show for two episodes in the
1989
> > season which came following the death of Kenneth Williams. His
> early
> > appearances had a more reserved Paul Merton trying his best to
> > contribute well amongst the more seasoned veterans, but he did
> manage
> > to display the very talents which have made him something of an
> icon
> > in British comedy.
> >
> > I remember on one of his first appearances, he had been given the
> > subject of 'Bottle' and in spite of several slip ups, the subject
> > wasn't taken away from him. In addition, it was one of the first
> > examples of his off-the-cuff improv style when he talked about
> > someone jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, trying to
> get
> > back up to the plane, but didn't make it because he fell to the
> > ground at such speed, he was flattened as a pancake by the time
he
> > hit the ground. And then says, 'And his wife later called his
> > condition as very satisfactory'. He then gets challenged by
Derek
> > for deviation, saying 'What has this got to do with bottle?' and
> > Peter springs to Paul's defense, saying 'Well, it certainly takes
> > bottle to tell a story like that.'
> >
> > Paul's style was unique and very different amongst those who had
> been
> > associated with JAM in the past, although Paul would occasionally
> > tell anecdotes about his life now and then, more often than not
his
> > material was simply stuff he would think up off the top of his
> head,
> > which definitely showcased the depth of his intelligence and
> > creativity. Not to mention he became very adept at picking up on
> > other people's material and mining the comedy gold for all its
> > worth.
> >
> > Very often the best stuff from Paul would come from his journey
> into
> > the surreal, and would very often be allowed to go off in this
> veing
> > well past the minute mark.
> >
> > Paul eventually helped open the door for many of his
contemporaries
> > to appear on the show, people like Tony Hawks, Graham Norton,
Jenny
> > Eclair, Linda Smith, Julian Clary, and so on.
> >
> > He was pretty much able to breathe much needed life into the
> series,
> > which by the time of Kenneth Williams' death, had begun to sound
a
> > bit stale, in that some of the panelists tended be of an older
> > variety, and there didn't seem to be any attempt on Ed Taylor's
> part
> > to appeal to a younger audience.
> >
> > With Paul in, Ed Taylor was soon out, and in came Sarah Smith,
and
> > then Claire Jones, who would steer the show through the 90's on a
> > crest of comedy the likes of which no other radio panel show
would
> > exhibit.
> >
> > Amongst my other favorite bits of Paul's humor is the way he took
> up
> > the banner of making fun of Nicholas' age, and soon came up with
> all
> > sorts of things to use as ammunition: such as the notion of
> Nicholas
> > liking to dress up in women's clothing and go around the streets
of
> > London like a prostitute, or the fact that Nicholas seems to have
> had
> > certain sexual dalliances with certain barnyard animals, or the
> idea
> > that Nicholas has had sexual dalliances with women three times
> > younger than he is.
> >
> > Case in point I believe was during one particular show, I think
the
> > whistle blower at the time was Elaine Wiggley. Anyway, Nicholas
> > stopped the show for a moment because Elaine was telling him
> > something, and just before Nicholas could start the next round,
> Paul
> > picks up on this and creates this idea that what Elaine was
trying
> to
> > tell Nicholas was that she was pregnant, which remains one of my
> > favorite Paul Merton moments.
> >
> > The first time I ever saw Paul Merton or even became aware of who
> he
> > was, was during his appearances on the original 'Whose Line is it
> > Anyway?'
> >
> > He was excellent on that series, and displayed his improv skills
> > exceptionally well.
> >
> > Amongst his other accomplishments that I am aware of include 'The
> > Masterson Inheritance' (perhaps one of the funniest shows, and an
> > excellent example of Paul's brand of comedy), and 'Have I Got
News
> > For You'.
> >
> > I seem to recall one of the funniest moments on the series came
> about
> > when both Paul and Ian spent most of the show making fun of Angus
> > Deayton for the tabloid reports of him being caught in some hotel
> > with drugs and prostitutes or something like that.
> >
> > Paul has also appeared on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, although
I'm
> > not sure what else he's done.
> >
> > I'd like to open the floor now to anyone else who wishes to
discuss
> > this exceptionally talented and funny individual.
> >
>

It's wierd that we think of him as member of the new breed-his first
time on the show was in 1989!

--- In just-a-minute@ yahoogroups. com, "Miriam" <delmelza@.. .> wrote:
>
> -If it wasn't so late here I would gladly spend an hr talking about
> Paul Merton-I am a Huge fan- have almost every video ( just need
the
> pantos) and have 2 dvds from amazon uk on order that are Paul
Merton.
>
> The Paul Merton Collection DVD will be released this week! (And
> Someday they Will release the Paul In China travel dvd I've had on
> Preorder for over 3 months now!)
>
> Not to mention the books ( waiting for the silent comedy to go
> paperback), the cassettes and cds ( JAM/ Clue /
mastersons's/ reading
> his book/ jacknory/HIGNFY etc.
> The last time I was in London ( I live in Seattle USA) my
> friends took me to see Paul do the Improv stuff at the Comedy Store
> for my birthday. I waited in line in the rain for Front Center
seats.
> I was in Heaven!--- Ok I really need to get to bed but I shall
return
> to sing more Praises to Mr Merton LOL. Miriam
>
> -- In just-a-minute@ yahoogroups. com, "Robert L. Torres"
> <bobbyshaddoe3004@ > wrote:
> >
> > I'd like to take this time to begin a series of discussions
> regarding
> > the new generation of performers who have come on JAM and become
a
> > core cast of regular performers much in a similar vein to the
> > Original Foursome.
> >
> > Who better to start off with than the man who could be seen as
the
> > one responsible for revitalizing the series after the death of
> > Kenneth Williams: Paul Merton.
> >
> > Paul Merton was brought onto the show for two episodes in the
1989
> > season which came following the death of Kenneth Williams. His
> early
> > appearances had a more reserved Paul Merton trying his best to
> > contribute well amongst the more seasoned veterans, but he did
> manage
> > to display the very talents which have made him something of an
> icon
> > in British comedy.
> >
> > I remember on one of his first appearances, he had been given the
> > subject of 'Bottle' and in spite of several slip ups, the subject
> > wasn't taken away from him. In addition, it was one of the first
> > examples of his off-the-cuff improv style when he talked about
> > someone jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, trying to
> get
> > back up to the plane, but didn't make it because he fell to the
> > ground at such speed, he was flattened as a pancake by the time
he
> > hit the ground. And then says, 'And his wife later called his
> > condition as very satisfactory' . He then gets challenged by
Derek
> > for deviation, saying 'What has this got to do with bottle?' and
> > Peter springs to Paul's defense, saying 'Well, it certainly takes
> > bottle to tell a story like that.'
> >
> > Paul's style was unique and very different amongst those who had
> been
> > associated with JAM in the past, although Paul would occasionally
> > tell anecdotes about his life now and then, more often than not
his
> > material was simply stuff he would think up off the top of his
> head,
> > which definitely showcased the depth of his intelligence and
> > creativity. Not to mention he became very adept at picking up on
> > other people's material and mining the comedy gold for all its
> > worth.
> >
> > Very often the best stuff from Paul would come from his journey
> into
> > the surreal, and would very often be allowed to go off in this
> veing
> > well past the minute mark.
> >
> > Paul eventually helped open the door for many of his
contemporaries
> > to appear on the show, people like Tony Hawks, Graham Norton,
Jenny
> > Eclair, Linda Smith, Julian Clary, and so on.
> >
> > He was pretty much able to breathe much needed life into the
> series,
> > which by the time of Kenneth Williams' death, had begun to sound
a
> > bit stale, in that some of the panelists tended be of an older
> > variety, and there didn't seem to be any attempt on Ed Taylor's
> part
> > to appeal to a younger audience.
> >
> > With Paul in, Ed Taylor was soon out, and in came Sarah Smith,
and
> > then Claire Jones, who would steer the show through the 90's on a
> > crest of comedy the likes of which no other radio panel show
would
> > exhibit.
> >
> > Amongst my other favorite bits of Paul's humor is the way he took
> up
> > the banner of making fun of Nicholas' age, and soon came up with
> all
> > sorts of things to use as ammunition: such as the notion of
> Nicholas
> > liking to dress up in women's clothing and go around the streets
of
> > London like a prostitute, or the fact that Nicholas seems to have
> had
> > certain sexual dalliances with certain barnyard animals, or the
> idea
> > that Nicholas has had sexual dalliances with women three times
> > younger than he is.
> >
> > Case in point I believe was during one particular show, I think
the
> > whistle blower at the time was Elaine Wiggley. Anyway, Nicholas
> > stopped the show for a moment because Elaine was telling him
> > something, and just before Nicholas could start the next round,
> Paul
> > picks up on this and creates this idea that what Elaine was
trying
> to
> > tell Nicholas was that she was pregnant, which remains one of my
> > favorite Paul Merton moments.
> >
> > The first time I ever saw Paul Merton or even became aware of who
> he
> > was, was during his appearances on the original 'Whose Line is it
> > Anyway?'
> >
> > He was excellent on that series, and displayed his improv skills
> > exceptionally well.
> >
> > Amongst his other accomplishments that I am aware of include 'The
> > Masterson Inheritance' (perhaps one of the funniest shows, and an
> > excellent example of Paul's brand of comedy), and 'Have I Got
News
> > For You'.
> >
> > I seem to recall one of the funniest moments on the series came
> about
> > when both Paul and Ian spent most of the show making fun of Angus
> > Deayton for the tabloid reports of him being caught in some hotel
> > with drugs and prostitutes or something like that.
> >
> > Paul has also appeared on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, although
I'm
> > not sure what else he's done.
> >
> > I'd like to open the floor now to anyone else who wishes to
discuss
> > this exceptionally talented and funny individual.
> >
>

>
> I'd like to take this time to begin a series of discussions

> the new generation of performers who have come on JAM and become a
> core cast of regular performers much in a similar vein to the
> Original Foursome.
>
> Who better to start off with than the man who could be seen as the
> one responsible for revitalizing the series after the death of
> Kenneth Williams: Paul Merton.
>
> Paul Merton was brought onto the show for two episodes in the 1989
> season which came following the death of Kenneth Williams. His

> appearances had a more reserved Paul Merton trying his best to
> contribute well amongst the more seasoned veterans, but he did

> to display the very talents which have made him something of an

> in British comedy.
>
> I remember on one of his first appearances, he had been given the
> subject of 'Bottle' and in spite of several slip ups, the subject
> wasn't taken away from him. In addition, it was one of the first
> examples of his off-the-cuff improv style when he talked about
> someone jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, trying to

> back up to the plane, but didn't make it because he fell to the
> ground at such speed, he was flattened as a pancake by the time he
> hit the ground. And then says, 'And his wife later called his
> condition as very satisfactory'. He then gets challenged by Derek
> for deviation, saying 'What has this got to do with bottle?' and
> Peter springs to Paul's defense, saying 'Well, it certainly takes
> bottle to tell a story like that.'
>
> Paul's style was unique and very different amongst those who had

> associated with JAM in the past, although Paul would occasionally
> tell anecdotes about his life now and then, more often than not his
> material was simply stuff he would think up off the top of his

> which definitely showcased the depth of his intelligence and
> creativity. Not to mention he became very adept at picking up on
> other people's material and mining the comedy gold for all its
> worth.
>
> Very often the best stuff from Paul would come from his journey

> the surreal, and would very often be allowed to go off in this

> well past the minute mark.
>
> Paul eventually helped open the door for many of his contemporaries
> to appear on the show, people like Tony Hawks, Graham Norton, Jenny
> Eclair, Linda Smith, Julian Clary, and so on.
>
> He was pretty much able to breathe much needed life into the

> which by the time of Kenneth Williams' death, had begun to sound a
> bit stale, in that some of the panelists tended be of an older
> variety, and there didn't seem to be any attempt on Ed Taylor's

> to appeal to a younger audience.
>
> With Paul in, Ed Taylor was soon out, and in came Sarah Smith, and
> then Claire Jones, who would steer the show through the 90's on a
> crest of comedy the likes of which no other radio panel show would
> exhibit.
>
> Amongst my other favorite bits of Paul's humor is the way he took

> the banner of making fun of Nicholas' age, and soon came up with

> sorts of things to use as ammunition: such as the notion of

> liking to dress up in women's clothing and go around the streets of
> London like a prostitute, or the fact that Nicholas seems to have

> certain sexual dalliances with certain barnyard animals, or the

> that Nicholas has had sexual dalliances with women three times
> younger than he is.
>
> Case in point I believe was during one particular show, I think the
> whistle blower at the time was Elaine Wiggley. Anyway, Nicholas
> stopped the show for a moment because Elaine was telling him
> something, and just before Nicholas could start the next round,

> picks up on this and creates this idea that what Elaine was trying

> tell Nicholas was that she was pregnant, which remains one of my
> favorite Paul Merton moments.
>
> The first time I ever saw Paul Merton or even became aware of who

> was, was during his appearances on the original 'Whose Line is it
> Anyway?'
>
> He was excellent on that series, and displayed his improv skills
> exceptionally well.
>
> Amongst his other accomplishments that I am aware of include 'The
> Masterson Inheritance' (perhaps one of the funniest shows, and an
> excellent example of Paul's brand of comedy), and 'Have I Got News
> For You'.
>
> I seem to recall one of the funniest moments on the series came

> when both Paul and Ian spent most of the show making fun of Angus
> Deayton for the tabloid reports of him being caught in some hotel
> with drugs and prostitutes or something like that.
>
> Paul has also appeared on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, although I'm
> not sure what else he's done.
>
> I'd like to open the floor now to anyone else who wishes to discuss
> this exceptionally talented and funny individual.
>

On Tuesday, June 3, 2008, at 07:04 AM, Cat wrote:

> I don't remember him being on Whose Line when I first watched it, I
> was too young. I mainly knew him through Have I Got News For You and
> Room 101 (although when I bought the Galton & Simpsons DVD I realised
> that some of the sketches I'd committed to distant memory were
> actually him, I just hadn't made the connection). Funny what you
> remember as a child. For years I wondered who had done the 'Burt
> Reynolds' sketch...
>
> The first time I heard Just A Minute on the radio was about 18mths
> ago, and I had just seen Greg Proops perform with the Comedy Store
> Players, and I found the show online with him on. I thought it was
> funny so immediately bought a couple of CDs (best of 2005 and 2006)
> and the first one I listened to had the 'herbaceous borders' bit with
> Linda Smith. After replaying it all day I moved on to other episodes
> and haven't looked back since, largely in thanks to this group.
>
> He has brought about a different way of playing the game, with players
> often confused as to whether they can lie or not, or whether it
> constitutes deviation. He always seems to confuse Nicholas too, which
> amuses me no end. Bless!
>
> One of my favourite examples of how Paul manipulates the game is the
> Mavis Drinkwater/Hilda Biscuit bit where Stephen Fry buzzes as he's
> convinced it's a lie....But Nicholas says he cannot prove it. Then
> when Stephen takes up the story, Paul buzzes as it's false.
>
> He's very clever, as much as he likes to pretend otherwise, and the
> breadth of his knowledge of comedy means he can pretty much go
> anywhere he likes with a story, any style, any situation. Anyone who
> tries to go up against him pretty much finds out that he can turn
> their weapon against them, so to speak.
>
> But I think the best thing about him on Just A Minute is that he
> obviously is a fan of the show, and enjoys it. Much like when you se
> him on Sundays down in the Comedy Store. People can throw money at him
> for touring China and presenting dodgy impro shows, but it seems that
> some things he does purely for the fun.
>
> (sorry for going on a bit!)
>
>

no harm in going on a bit - I enjoyed reading that.

I keep meaning to write my own Paul tribute.... he's a brilliant man, no
doubt and I'm beginning to think he's even better than Kenneth!! Paul
has totally changed the whole style of the programme too - it's arguable
no-one has had a greater impact on the show.




On Tuesday, June 3, 2008, at 07:04 AM, Cat wrote:

> I don't remember him being on Whose Line when I first watched it, I
> was too young. I mainly knew him through Have I Got News For You and
> Room 101 (although when I bought the Galton & Simpsons DVD I realised
> that some of the sketches I'd committed to distant memory were
> actually him, I just hadn't made the connection). Funny what you
> remember as a child. For years I wondered who had done the 'Burt
> Reynolds' sketch...
>
> The first time I heard Just A Minute on the radio was about 18mths
> ago, and I had just seen Greg Proops perform with the Comedy Store
> Players, and I found the show online with him on. I thought it was
> funny so immediately bought a couple of CDs (best of 2005 and 2006)
> and the first one I listened to had the 'herbaceous borders' bit with
> Linda Smith. After replaying it all day I moved on to other episodes
> and haven't looked back since, largely in thanks to this group.
>
> He has brought about a different way of playing the game, with players
> often confused as to whether they can lie or not, or whether it
> constitutes deviation. He always seems to confuse Nicholas too, which
> amuses me no end. Bless!
>
> One of my favourite examples of how Paul manipulates the game is the
> Mavis Drinkwater/Hilda Biscuit bit where Stephen Fry buzzes as he's
> convinced it's a lie....But Nicholas says he cannot prove it. Then
> when Stephen takes up the story, Paul buzzes as it's false.
>
> He's very clever, as much as he likes to pretend otherwise, and the
> breadth of his knowledge of comedy means he can pretty much go
> anywhere he likes with a story, any style, any situation. Anyone who
> tries to go up against him pretty much finds out that he can turn
> their weapon against them, so to speak.
>
> But I think the best thing about him on Just A Minute is that he
> obviously is a fan of the show, and enjoys it. Much like when you se
> him on Sundays down in the Comedy Store. People can throw money at him
> for touring China and presenting dodgy impro shows, but it seems that
> some things he does purely for the fun.
>
> (sorry for going on a bit!)
>
>

>
> Tis true. Arguably its a lot funnier and less serious, but he's also

On Thursday, June 5, 2008, at 05:22 AM, Robert Torres wrote:

> Tis true.  Arguably its a lot funnier and less serious, but he's also
> taken a lot of drama and tension out of the show in some respects,
> depending of course on the panelists that appears.  I mean, no one
> argues over points anymore, although there are moments, but more often
> than not, everything seems to be a joke, bonus points are handed out
> willy nilly regardless of whether someone actually said anything
> particularly clever, humorous or inventive, everyone gets so muddled
> that no one knows anymore whether a person said a word twice or not,
> people tend to acquiesce to the decisionmaking without a fight.
>  
> I miss that, because the arguments and the way people would get very
> angry and passionate was just as funny.  I'm not sure I'm all that keen
> on everyone playing nice when they slip up. 
>  
> granted, Paul's influence certainly opened doors for all sorts of
> convoluted types of challenges from other panelists.  And not to
> mention Paul is now without a doubt the master of the one-lined joke
> challenge.  He obviously learned that from Peter Jones, who introduced
> that concept during his time as a panelist.
>  
>  
>
>
> Dean Bedford <dbedford@...> wrote:
>
> no harm in going on a bit - I enjoyed reading that.
>
> I keep meaning to write my own Paul tribute.... he's a brilliant man, no
> doubt and I'm beginning to think he's even better than Kenneth!! Paul
> has totally changed the whole style of the programme too - it's arguable
> no-one has had a greater impact on the show.
>
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, June 3, 2008, at 07:04 AM, Cat wrote:
>
> > I don't remember him being on Whose Line when I first watched it, I
> > was too young. I mainly knew him through Have I Got News For You and
> > Room 101 (although when I bought the Galton & Simpsons DVD I realised
> > that some of the sketches I'd committed to distant memory were
> > actually him, I just hadn't made the connection). Funny what you
> > remember as a child. For years I wondered who had done the 'Burt
> > Reynolds' sketch...
> >
> > The first time I heard Just A Minute on the radio was about 18mths
> > ago, and I had just seen Greg Proops perform with the Comedy Store
> > Players, and I found the show online with him on. I thought it was
> > funny so immediately bought a couple of CDs (best of 2005 and 2006)
> > and the first one I listened to had the 'herbaceous borders' bit with
> > Linda Smith. After replaying it all day I moved on to other episodes
> > and haven't looked back since, largely in thanks to this group.
> >
> > He has brought about a different way of playing the game, with players
> > often confused as to whether they can lie or not, or whether it
> > constitutes deviation. He always seems to confuse Nicholas too, which
> > amuses me no end. Bless!
> >
> > One of my favourite examples of how Paul manipulates the game is the
> > Mavis Drinkwater/Hilda Biscuit bit where Stephen Fry buzzes as he's
> > convinced it's a lie....But Nicholas says he cannot prove it. Then
> > when Stephen takes up the story, Paul buzzes as it's false.
> >
> > He's very clever, as much as he likes to pretend otherwise, and the
> > breadth of his knowledge of comedy means he can pretty much go
> > anywhere he likes with a story, any style, any situation. Anyone who
> > tries to go up against him pretty much finds out that he can turn
> > their weapon against them, so to speak.
> >
> > But I think the best thing about him on Just A Minute is that he
> > obviously is a fan of the show, and enjoys it. Much like when you se
> > him on Sundays down in the Comedy Store. People can throw money at him
> > for touring China and presenting dodgy impro shows, but it seems that
> > some things he does purely for the fun.
> >
> > (sorry for going on a bit!)
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>

> What I meant Paul changed was the style of humour ...
> when before him the style of humour was more anecdotal.

i wonder am i missing the point robert i always thought j.a.m was meant
to be a comedy show .
cheers
Linda

--- In just-a-minute@ yahoogroups. com, Robert Torres
<bobbyshaddoe3004@ ...> wrote:
>
> Tis true. Arguably its a lot funnier and less serious, but he's also
taken a lot of drama and tension out of the show in some respects,
depending of course on the panelists that appears. I mean, no one
argues over points anymore, although there are moments, but more often
than not, everything seems to be a joke, bonus points are handed out
willy nilly regardless of whether someone actually said anything
particularly clever, humorous or inventive, everyone gets so muddled
that no one knows anymore whether a person said a word twice or not,
people tend to acquiesce to the decisionmaking without a fight.