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Re: Paul Merton: Innovative Rebel turned Straight-Laced Conformist?

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j_a_m_fanMar 4, 2010
 

 
I've also noted Paul's mellowing, certainly in terms of his appearances on Just A Minute.
I put it down to he has now become an accepted member of the BBC establishment - and even the general UK show biz establishment. Eg. He now does many travel shows and the like 'Paul Merton in India' or whatever - and they really aren't him, in my opinion. Another example of him being part of the general establishment was his visit to the Lord's test during the last ashes series. The camera picked him out in the crowd wearing a jaunty trilby style-hat. Now this is a man who didn't know what a 'yorker' was just 12 or so years ago in one episode, but the cricket at Lord's is about as establishment as it gets.
So perhaps he feels a responsibility to toe the line in JAM, possibly
he believes, and perhaps correctly, that the future of this pillar of British radio culture is firmly in his hands and he has to help conserve its format.

--- In just-a-minute@..., "Bobby" <bobbyshaddoe3004@...> wrote:
>
> One thing I've noticed in the fairly recent episodes of Just a Minute is a shift in Paul Merton's behavior. In his youth when he first came on the show, he was something of a rebel, and an innovative one that not only argued with panelists but argued with Nicholas to no end. Nowadays, he seems to no longer argue with Nicholas' decisions or challenge his authority. In fact, there are some episodes that go by that have Paul pretty much towing the company line, not just with the audience, but with other panelists.
>
> By which I mean, that when a panelist or the audience disagree with the rulings or challenges the rules themselves or show their disappointment at the fact that someone dared to interrupt someone, and it happened to be something they were enjoying, he will now remind them about the rules, as they have been for 40 years now.
>
> I can understand Paul having a great love for the history of the program, but it just gets my goat that he now seems to have become essentially the new Kenneth Williams, the new face of the program who in his later years seemed to reach a comfort zone with the program and more often than not praise Nicholas for being the 'best chairman they've got'.
>
> Its like he accepts all of Nicholas' decisions without a fight now, just tows the line and accepts his judgement like a good little boy, and that's simply not on. Granted, I'm only listening to the 2008 episodes at the moment, I have no idea what 2009 or 2010 will bring to the table, so maybe Paul gets some of his fire back in those recordings. Who knows?
>

 
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