Just A Minute

 

Contacting sound archives is a waste of time, I too tried that already and was simply ignored. my contacts at radio 4 extra have investigated in any case, so I already know that s.a. only hold 3 editions of jam from before 1980.

My Forebears: 1 December, 1969
The First of a New Series: 16 September, 1974
What to Do With The Hole in the Doughnut: 27 February, 1973
When We Meet Again: 27 April 1977
Jockeys: 30 January 1979
Parbuckles & The Most Extraordinary Person I Have Ever Met: 22 May 1979

These are the clips used in Parts 3 and 4 of Silver Minutes, a clip show made in 1992, long after the BBC's practice of junking tapes had come to an end.

From this, we know for certain that the BBC hold at least six editions from before 1980, and as we know they have the very first episode, we know they hold at least seven.

If the Sound Archives only hold three editions, was BBC Worldwide involved in the production of Silver Minutes, or another source?

Per Dean's Site, the CD releases include shows from:

1967
1968 (Three different shows in the "Classic Just a Minute" range)
1969
1971
1976 (Two different shows in the "Classic Just a Minute" range)
1977 (Three different shows in the "Classic Just a Minute range)
1978 (Two different shows in the "Classic Just a Minute" range)
1979 (Two different shows in the "Classic Just a Minute" range)

I don't have the patience to research which specific episodes are in each collection, but for each year, if we subtract episodes that we already know exist (assuming they're also on these CDs) then we can still deduce that there are at least 9 additional episodes here, bringing the total up to 12.

So for certain, the BBC have (and KNOW they have) 12 editions of Just a Minute from before 1980.  I'd be willing to be that the total is greater than this...

A final thought.  The missing episode from Series 9 bothers me.  It seems strange that ABC wouldn't have it.  What's our source for knowing that this was a Christmas Special?  With it being Christmas Week, is it possible that the BBC just threw a repeat into this timeslot?  Are we absolutely certain it's a missing episode?