The David Tennant Treat 4 Today is an extract from an article comedian Julian Clary wrote for The Independent in 2015 about David Tennant's first round on the radio show Just A Minute in which he was the first panellist in its 47 years history to speak for the full 60 seconds on a given subjects 'without hesitation, repetation or deviation.'
The part of the article about David Tennant is:
'The wild and euphoric applause that greeted David Tennant's debut on Radio 4's Just A Minute on Monday didn't only come from the studio audience - the other panellists (Stephen Fry, Paul Merton and I) joined in the rapture - as did the chairman Nicholas Parsons, the whistle blower, the producer and even the surly BBC security.
Tennant had managed to do something unprecedented in the show's 50-year history and we all knew we had seen something brilliant and thrilling: first time on the show and indeed the first time he opened his mouth, he spoke for the full 60 seconds without hesitation, repetation or deviation on the subject Exit, Pursued by a Bear. This is the verbal equivalent of a record-breaking pole vault performed by someone who was a stranger to the pole. Tennant's command of the airwaves may not quite go down in history alongside Edward VIII's abdication speech, but for the many Just A Minute fans around the world it isn't far off.
These days Just A Minute is recorded at the BBC Radio Theatre in Portland Place, London. When we all meet in the Green Room before the recording newcomers are sometimes nearly incontinent with nerves. Remembering my initiation, I always try to be sympathetic and say something reassuring, like: "Just throw yourself into it, that's my advice." Very similar to the director Gerard Damiano's advice to Linda Lovelace, I expect.
Young David paced up and down and had a look of firce determination about him. but really there was no inkling of what he was about to achieve. By comparision, it took me about 10 years to get the hang of JAM. The fact is that the brain has to multi-task content, vocabulary and delivery in a franly unnatural way. I swear I saw steam coming out of Terry Wogan's ears when he did it for the first time.
Then, more importantly, there's the pressure of getting laughs on top of all the other things you have to worry about. You can't savour the laugh you get, either, because that would be perceived as hesitation. So you plough on. Then somewhere in your mind you criticise your own tecnique, which is fatal and causes a lapse in concentration, so you deviate or repeat and are buzzed anyway. It's a minefield!
On the rare occasions when I managed an uninterrupted minute, deftly avoiding all the obstacles involved, it's as if the planets have aligned in my favour. There is no thrill quite like it. For David Tennant achieving this on his first try must be like having an out-of-body experience. Clever man. And nice cheek bones, too. No wonder we all roared our admiration.'
