Five sensational series of the classic panel show, hosted by the late Nicholas Parsons

Born the same year as Radio 4 itself, Just a Minute is one of the BBC's longest-running and most popular panel games. In these five series from 2016-2018, collected together to mark the 55th birthday of the show, Nicholas Parsons presides over more hilarious linguistic shenanigans. Highlights include a festive edition, Just a Minute Does Panto!, which sees the players journeying through Panto-land in search of the missing Golden Whistle. Also featured is Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes, which was specially compiled to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary in 2017 and featured panellists from across the decades.

Among other sparkling moments in this ferociously funny collection are Paul Merton's 400th appearance, and Katherine Ryan's amazing achievement of talking for a full minute without hesitation, deviation or repetition on her very first turn. Endeavouring to follow in her footsteps are fellow first-timers Pippa Evans, Zoe Lyons, Will Self, Al Murray, Fern Britton, James Acaster and Mark Watson, as well as a multitude of JAM stalwarts including Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock and Graham Norton.

The topics range from 'Schrödinger's Cat', 'Hair of the Dog' and 'The Early Bird' to 'Sailing Close to the Wind', 'Playing Second Fiddle' and 'Giving Up the Ghost'. So join the plucky panellists as they prepare to do verbal battle on the show where every second counts!

Cast and credits

Devised by Ian Messiter

Produced by Matt Stronge and Victoria Lloyd

Chairman: Nicholas Parsons

Series 76 featuring: Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Josie Lawrence, Katherine Ryan, Julian Clary, Tony Hawks, Zoe Lyons, Janey Godley, Nish Kumar, Marcus Brigstocke, Fred MacAulay, Pippa Evans, Ross Noble, Sheila Hancock, Will Self

Just a Minute Does Panto! featuring: Paul Merton, Sheila Hancock, Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks, Tom Allen, Rufus Hound, Pippa Evans, Julian Clary

Series 77 featuring: Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Zoe Lyons, Graham Norton, Sheila Hancock, Tom Allen, Gyles Brandreth, Jenny Eclair, Marcus Brigstocke, Al Murray

Series 78 featuring: Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Graham Norton, Stephen Fry, Pam Ayres, Zoe Lyons, Julian Clary, Ross Noble, Fern Britton, Gyles Brandreth

Series 79 featuring: Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Andy Hamilton, Sue Perkins, Tony Hawks, Phill Jupitus, Sheila Hancock, Jenny Eclair, Josie Lawrence, Fred Macaulay, James Acaster, Paul Sinha, Janey Godley, Mark Watson, Rufus Hound, Zoe Lyons

Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes featuring Paul Merton, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock, Gyles Brandreth, Graham Norton, Jenny Eclair, Sue Perkins, Andree Melly, Linda Smith, Ross Noble, Wendy Richard, Liza Tarbuck, Aimi Macdonald, Stephen Fry, Chris Neill, Fred MacAulay, Shappi Khorsandi, Patrick Moore, Janey Godley, Richard Murdoch, Lance Percival, Maureen Lipman, Susan Calman, Peter Cook, Betty Marsden, Ian McMillan, David Mitchell, Annabel Giles, Sandi Toksvig, Barbara Castle

Series 80 featuring: Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Jenny Eclair, Tony Hawks, Shappi Khorsandi, Jo Caulfield, Julian Clary, Paul Merton, Stephen Fry, Jan Ravens, Gyles Brandreth

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 8 August - 26 September 2016 (Series 76), 25 December 2016 (Just a Minute Does Panto!), 20 February-27 March 2017 (Series 77),15 May-19 June 2017 (Series 78), 7 August - 25 September 2017 (Series 79), 25 December 2017 (Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes), 19 February-26 March 2018 (Series 80)