there’s one game show that when i chance on it i have to drop everything to pay attention – radio 4’s just a minute. four contestants. one minute per topic. one starts to talk about the topic but can not hesitate, repeat (apart from the topic and various little words) or deviate. Contestants who pick up on an uhm or aah, a repetition or think the topic has been lost, buzz away, state their reasons and if they’re deemed correct, they take over the topic. over and over until the minute is up. then a new topic is raised. and round and round it goes.
i’ve caught it sometimes on sunday’s, lolling about the house, and it gives me an excuse to curl back up in bed and have a little chuckle.
it also seems to be playing in the early hours when radio 4 switches over to the world service and it won’t let me fall asleep until they say goodbye.
unfortunately no audio archives available from bbc but here’s a transcript of one show which features one of my favourite comedians, Ross Noble (who happened to be on ‘just a minute’ when it came on the radio last night).