Just A Minute

Aren't you actually saying that what the show really needs is a new
Producer?

There seem to be various problems with the current series. Not the least of
the faults with this week's show was that John Sergeant was dull, dull,
dull. But this series lacks any coherence.

In the past, there has always been a band of regulars to glue the show
together. When the regulars diminished to Clement and Paul, things started
to come unstuck. And now the show really has come un-glued.

There isn't any consistency, or even stability, from week to week. Nicholas
is the only constant factor, and there's a limit to what he can do in his
restricted role as chairman, to inject any sense of continuity, when faced
with more or less a complete change of cast every week.

A half-decent Producer would be working hard to rebuild a core of regulars.
But this one is content to let the show drift aimlessly. Some weeks it's
funny, if Paul is in it, and if he's on form. But it's a difficult game to
play well, and people need regular experience on it if they're going to
improve.

John Sergeant is only one example of how bad the current crop of players
are. Even Peter Jones was rubbish in the beginning. He became good by
appearing every week, and gaining experience and confidence.

When the Producer's clueless, the show is bound to suffer. This show
urgently needs a new Producer.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dean" <dbedford@...>
To: <just-a-minute@...>
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 9:19 AM
Subject: [just-a-minute] this week's show

My thoughts on the show this week, posted on the blog

I'm sure sometimes I must come across here as an unthinking admirer of JAM,
someone who loves every edition and everything about it. If I do I can't
complain really, because I do LOVE the show and enjoy virtually all of the
panellists.

But anyway occasionally the opportunity is there to say that a particular
show didn't work. That's what I would say about this week's show.

Paul Merton and Sue Perkins are arguably the two best and funniest players
of the game among current players. (I would put Graham Norton up there as
funnier but he is not as skilful a player of the game itself as Sue.) Liza
Tarbuck, as I've said before, can make good contributions but they are
usually spread thinly. This week's show was typical - of seven rounds, she
had the subject in just two of them, and didn't say anything especially
memorable.

John Sergeant was a problem. John's career was as a political reporter, but
as someone who could come out with a bon mot or two. He won a couple of
games in the TV series of 1999, but against the not exactly stellar
opposition of Brian Sewell, Barry Cryer and Su Pollard. He had one previous
radio appearance in 2005 when he was overwhelmed by the heavy artillery of
Paul and Clement.

Since retiring from day to day reporting, he has become a sort of part-time
game-show celeb, popping up in various places, most memorably perhaps on
Strictly Come Dancing, a celeb dance contest where he was a public
favourite.

So he was worth a try. But I rather think in the context of being up against
players who could keep the comedy flowing. If say Chris Neill or Kit
Hesketh-Harvey or Josie Lawrence had been in Liza's seat, the show may have
worked better.

Instead John became the centre of attention for not being funny and not
getting many points. Jokes were made about his ponderous delivery, and the
last round degenerated into one of those rounds where people kept
challenging him and Nicholas kept rejecting the challenges even though they
were clearly legitimate. That can work to liven things up, but it needs the
person being challenged to come to the party, play along and have a few
witty things to say. Peter Jones was a master of it. John just seemed like a
possum trapped in the headlights.

The teasing of John Sergeant just seemed over-the-top and boorish to me, as
he didn't have the verbal skills to return fire. And the last round just
seemed silly.

The things is from John's perspective is that all he was trying to do
throughout the show was PLAY THE GAME. He was trying to speak within the
rules. But in the Paul Merton era, that isn't enough any more.

Often people say to me that it would be nice to have people who aren't
professional comedians and entertainers on the programme. They mention
people like Magnus Pyke and Patrick Moore who contributed well in the 70s.
But that was a different era. If John Sergeant had been on in the late 70s
with say Kenneth, Clement and Peter, they would probably have praised his
verbal acuity and dexterity. But there weren't enough jokes per second for
the liking of the others so they reacted as they did. Used to be if you had
nothing to say, you kept trying - remember how often the great Kenneth used
to turn to accents or Unwinese gibberish to keep going and hide the lack of
content. These days you're encouraged to shut up once the jokes run out.
John didn't.

And I thought neither Paul nor Sue was at their best either. The show really
needed Paul to race to the rescue with some improvisational brilliance. He
often does. But he's human and in this show, he didn't.

So yes, John Sergeant wasn't a great choice. I assume there is a second
recording with him still to come. But Tilusha Ghelani must be wishing she
had booked Kit Hesketh-Harvey or Chris Addison or Marcus Brigstocke.