Just a Minute 2021: The Complete Series 86 & 87

Jan 29, 2026 5:08 AM

Author:BBC Radio Comedy,Sue Perkins,Stephen Fry,Paul Merton,Nish Kumar,Jenny Eclair,Gyles Brandreth,Lucy Porter,Julian Clary,Tom Allen,Jo Brand

Sixteen sparkling episodes of the iconic comedy panel show

Radio 4's longest-running panel game returns for the first time since the death of much-missed maestro Nicholas Parsons, who chaired the show for over 50 years. Following in his footsteps for Series 86 are an array of special guest hosts, including Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, Nish Kumar, Jenny Eclair, Gyles Brandreth, Lucy Porter, Stephen Fry, Julian Clary, Tom Allen and Jo Brand, while in Series 87, Sue Perkins takes the chair and endeavours to keep the participants in check.

All are primed to rule on cases of hesitation, deviation or repetition, as the panellists attempt to speak for 60 seconds on a given subject without interruption. Among the players bringing their linguistic A-game to the proceedings are Sheila Hancock (who appeared in the very first JAM episode in 1967), Tony Hawks, Pippa Evans, Desiree Burch, Shaparak Khorsandi, Pam Ayres and Mark Watson. The topics include Eating Like a Horse, Walking in New Shoes, The War of the Roses, Artificial Intelligence, A Big Night Out, The Art of Queuing and Oomph!

Each episode was produced using remote recording technology, with both panel and audience taking part from their homes all over the world - and now you can join them for a magical mix of quickfire improvisation, inspired ad-libbing and spontaneous hilarity, as these consummate entertainers battle for points, glory and the prize of a perfect, uninterrupted minute.

(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Reviews

One of the most important poets of his generation... There appears to be no format in which Young does not shine.

—— Washington Post

Kevin Young perfectly illustrates poetry's enduring vitality.

—— Entertainment Weekly

Keeping up with him is like trying to keep up with Bob Dylan or Prince in their primes. Even the bootlegs have bootlegs.

—— Dwight Garner , New York Times

One of the poetry stars of his generation.

—— Los Angeles Times

Tremain's gift is to create characters whose experiences span every walk of life, but who are grounded in their author's understanding of the world

—— Harper's Bazaar

Enthralling... Tremain evokes Victorian London with visceral intensity in a gripping and deeply humane novel exploring themes of rejection, poverty, guilt and redemption

—— Hannah Beckerman , Observer

It's more than gratifying to open [Tremain's] new novel, Lily, and immediately see that she is still writing at full throttle... This is the literary equivalent of all your favourite Christmas telly programmes rolled into one... Lily's story is a winter's tale: a cosy pageturner that will whisk you away from the 21st century while engaging and sharpening your mind.

—— Melissa Katsoulis , The Times

No writer can inhabit the skin of a historical period and bring it so pulsatingly alive as Rose Tremain. No one can break your heart quite like this. In this compassionate, generous, soaringly beautiful book, Tremain is at the top of her game. Read and be transported

—— Neel Mukherjee

Lily is an ingenious blend of historical novel, moral fable and fairy story. Tremain, a pre-eminent historical novelist, vividly evokes the disparate social worlds of Victorian London... Lily is a tale not just of revenge but of redemption, which carries an intense emotional charge. Tremain again displays her supreme ability to create characters who are at once totally true to the period and instantly identifiable to the modern reader

—— Financial Times

Lily is the perfect heroine, courageous and bold

—— Nina Pottell , Prima

Full of evocative detail and memorable characters

—— Zoe West , Woman & Home

Lily is a wonderful creation - diffident and trying to find her place in the world... But it's Tremain's attention to detail that really sets this novel apart

—— Ian Critchley , Literary Review

Terrific

—— Claire Allfree , Sunday Telegraph, *Novel of the Week*

An authentically melodramatic whydunnit set in Victorian London

—— Anthony Cummins , Daily Mail

Tremain has created a feisty, rebellious heroine in the style of Jane Eyre and Maggie Tulliver, in a setting that owes much to Dickens... a very engaging read

—— Vanessa Berridge , Daily Express

A heart-wrenching tale that blends historical detail, moral fable and fairy story with a powerful heroine at its helm

—— Yours, *Christmas Gift Guide 2021*

Fans of Dickens's heart-tugging Little Dorrit should enjoy this powerful exploration of the human urge to seek places of sanctuary in a pitiless, fickle world. Perfect fireside reading - but better keep a hankie ready

—— Rebecca Wallersteiner , Lady

Tremain brilliantly conjures up the atmosphere of Victorian London while the story is cleverly structured to keep the reader guessing to the end

—— Richard Hopton , Country & Town House

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