Welcome to ... Just a minute!: a celebration of Britain's best-loved radio comedy

'A joyous compendium of facts, fun and stories. This hilarious and informative guide is destined to become the companion to radio's most enduring panel game' PAUL MERTON In this first ever official companion, chairman Nicholas Parsons tells the fascinating story of the much-loved panel game and Graham Norton, Sue Perkins, Jenny Eclair and Gyles Brandreth share their memories of the show. Over the decades, the greats of British comedy have entertained Just a Minute listeners with performances that have come to define our comic heritage - from Kenneth Williams' outrageously funny 'battles' with Sheila Hancock, Clement Freud's acerbic wit and Derek Nimmo's tall tales to Paul Merton's imaginative flights of fancy, Julian Clary's flagrant innuendos and Pam Ayres' poetic humour. Welcome to Just a Minute! is an entertaining journey through British comedy history and a master class in comic timing, verbal dexterity and sharp one-liners. As its 900th episode approaches, Just a Minute has consistently entertained BBC Radio 4 listeners, and many others around the world, since its first broadcast in December 1967. Inspired by a school punishment, the show's creator Ian Messiter devised a deceptively simple and versatile set of rules that has allowed the game to adapt and thrive as each new era of comedy emerges. Over forty-eight consecutive years, fans have laughed along with Kenneth Williams' outrageously funny 'battles' with Sheila Hancock ('It's a disgrace!! You shouldn't have women on the show!), Clement Freud's acerbic wit, Graham Norton's celebrity 'gossip', Sue Perkins infectious enthusiasm and Paul Merton's surreal flights of fancy to name only a handful of the two hundred plus entertainers who have braved the Just a Minute panel. In this official celebration, chairman Nicholas Parsons, the only person to have appeared in every programme, recalls the very best (and occasionally awkward) moments that have lit up the comedy airwaves over six decades. Magical minutes, verbal dexterity, sharp one-liners and witty challenges can all be enjoyed once again as Nicholas tells the Just a Minute story from it's inauspicious pilot episode, through television and stage versions, and on to the present day, without hesitation, repetition, or deviation. Well, not too much deviation"--Publisher's description.