Just a Minute usually by mistake or for laughs. The game rewards those who make entertaining challenges, even if they do not speak for very long. If successful, last-second challenges can be especially rewarding, as they allow one to speak for a short time but earn two points—one for the challenge and one for being the last speaker. The game is then scored and a winner declared, but the attraction of the show lies less in the contest than in the humour and banter among participants and the chairman. Nicholas Parsons has chaired the show since its inception. On nine occasions he has
Richard Vranch their cartoons published in "Maxim", "Punch", and "The Spectator". He presented the children's shows "Let's Pretend" on ITV and "Jackanory" on BBC One, and was a contestant on a charity special of "The Weakest Link" in 2005. He guested on BBC Radio 4's long-running panel game "Just a Minute" in 1999. In 2002 he was commissioned by Tamasha Theatre (East is East) as a writer for their show "Ryman and the Sheik" and worked for a few years as an Artistic Associate of the company. Vranch had a previous career as a research physicist, and has appeared on the panel