I still think we're being a tad unfair to modern panel games in general. As I recall, and please correct me if I'm wrong, both JaM and Clue had terrible trouble actually getting commissioned after the pilots and both very nearly didn't make it to the first series. At the time they were pretty universally thought of as terrible. We're looking at these venerable series with 20-20 hindsight.
And, in my humble opinion, if either Clue or JaM had been proposed today with their original format and personnel then neither of them would have seen the light of day. Frankly I find both the early Clue and the early JaM extremely dull and can't bear to listen to them. If I'm honest, and I know this is heresy as well, neither series has ever been as good as it is has been in the last 5 years.
Anyway, the only way of telling is to listen to a few episodes so, as well as my earlier post regarding MP3s of The Unbelievable Truth, I have posted my collection of Banter MP3s - see
http://tinyurl.com/cjxjkn
Banter is a show in which each panelist is given a subject and they construct a top 3 which they place in an envelope. For example someone may be given the subject of "Top 3 Museums". They have to keep quiet whilst the other panelists discuss the subject and compose their own top 3s. Points are awarded for matching with the list in the envelope. It is staffed (mostly) by comedians, but it does have one of the more original formats around. The permanent "guest" is Richard Herring who most definately has a long comedy heritage and many of the other guests will be familiar to many of us.
I'd encourage people to at least listen to two or three episodes of both series. Neither series is a Clue or a JaM, but that's probably just as well.
Hope this helps.
kJ
--- In just-a-minute@..., Robert Torres <bobbyshaddoe3004@...> wrote:
>
> I agree, from what I've read about people's general disdain for this panel game, it brings to my mind something that happened about 40 years ago on TV.