Just A Minute

I'd actually just come back here to mention Pauline McLynn, as she's on this week's, which I'm listening to now.  I have to say, although I like Pauline McLynn a lot on Father Ted and in her own stand-up, I'm not a fan of her on Just a Minute.  She makes too many of the weakly-humoured attempts to get out of challenges that just grate on me, and I think she gets away with too much - she's now been on the show too many times to get points just effectively for being there.  Most of all, though, I just don't think she's very funny on the show.  I think maybe she's one of those comedians who is very funny, but not very skilled at open improvisation.

On 2/26/07, Robert Torres <bobbyshaddoe3004@ yahoo.com> wrote:

Here's a foursome for ya:

Sue Perkins, Jenny Eclair, Sheila Hancock and Pauline McLynn

Nathan Leonard <dreadedwoekitten@ gmail.com> wrote:

I'm trying to think if there are four women who have been on it recently.  Jenny Eclair and Sheila Hancock are still going strong.  Sue Perkins and Liza Tarbuck have been on a few in the last couple of years.  There.  That's four for you, producers.  Now get it sorted!

On 2/26/07, Robert Torres <bobbyshaddoe3004@ yahoo.com > wrote:

I think the fact that there are so many people to choose from regarding the semi-regulars is quite a feat actually, because it really opens things up for all sorts of combinations, with the inclusion of guests and so on.  I think for the most part that's what they've been trying to do, with a great deal of success actually. 

 

To be honest, I'm actually still holding out hope that they'll actually experiment with an all female panel, because its usually either four men, or three men and a lady, rarely do you ever have more than one woman on the show nowadays.  the JAMs on TV during '99 nearly achieved it with people like Linda Smith, Wendy Richard and Maria McErlane, and also Pam Ayers to great effect actually. 

Dean Bedford <dbedford@ihug. co.nz> wrote:

On Tuesday, February 27, 2007, at 06:00 AM, Dave wrote:

> It is a shame that there aren't more regulars, because I do
> believe that a central kernel of regulars around which 'guests'
> revolve enhances the quality of the show. Hence my earlier comment
> in this thread expressing the hope that Paul Merton and Clement
> Freud keep on going.
>
> Excellent other regulars would be Stephen Fry, Ross Noble, Graham
> Norton, Tony Hawks (How sad that I can no longer include Linda
> Smith in this list). Perhaps one or two others.
>
> Then around these regulars the introduction of ONE guest like
> Jenny Eclair, Dara O'Brien, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Wendy Richard
> (especially with Clement), Sheila Hancock, Marcus Brigstocke
> (a possible new regular in the making), Gyles Brandreth, and,
> yes, Sue Perkins.

I totally agree with the thrust of this - we might differ on specific
names - but i do think having four, max five regulars, with three of
them on every week on average as they used to would be the best way to
do the show. The regulars would get to really know how to tease the
others and it would be very funny.

I wonder what will happen when Clement goes. Will say Tony Hawks for
example appear a lot more often - or might it become "Paul Merton And
Friends"... Oh well we don't have to contemplate this for a while yet...

My four of five regulars - taking into account the unlikeliness of
Stephen and Ross agreeing - would be Paul, Clement, Graham, Kit and
Jenny - five people each with a different style. I would then include
the others you mention in rotation, maybe not Dara - I think his style
might be too hesitational to really be successful.. .

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