Adrian Juste Radio 1. Was he really a 'comedy genius' on his show?

Zeropoint1 · 26/04/15 - 21:47

Could somebody please tell me if there was some actual comedic talent** involved with Adrian Justes Sunday afternoon Radio 1 show? As far as I can remember it was just him adding his own lines to other greater comedic works.

** Comedic talent. I use those words as he was really bitter on the Blood on the Carpet documentary and I've read other interviews where he thinks he was a huge loss to radio. So I just wondered what the opinion of others older than me who would have known the show far better, I believe I was around 12 or 13 when it was axed but didn't really appreciate the significance of just how big the changes were.

EDIT -

I know he didn't just pick a comedy record that day and say something funny without any preparation, but he does come across as somebody who was up there with the greats.

Apprentice 2 SA · 26/04/15 - 21:56

Yes. He was a great talent. Superbly entertaining DJ.

Glenn A · 26/04/15 - 22:30

He introduced a new generation to the likes of Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne. I doubt his successors would even know who they are.

Zeropoint1 · 26/04/15 - 22:43

Glenn A wrote: »

He introduced a new generation to the likes of Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne. I doubt his successors would even know who they are.

Good point I hadn't thought about that. I suppose he did help bring the classics in to the 90's and with that then young generation (mine) who hopefully have introduced their children to the masters. I also suppose the like of UK Gold would have helped too but that's a different argument. At the time I did like to listen and would usually be walking my dog so had my AM / FM <<STEREO>> Saisho 'walkman' (with it's orange foam padded earphones

) so would listen to Juste on that. May be I am being unfair as I've heard clips from the show in the last few years and the sounded 'cheesy' but that show was probably of it's time.

TUC · 26/04/15 - 22:48

I wouldn't say 'comedy genius but he was a good listen. He had a good ear for how different comedy clips would fit well together. He wasn't funny in himself but was a great director, knowing how best to assemble different parts into something good.

paulx23 · 27/04/15 - 02:13

Hated it.
Jimmy Savile followed by Adrian Juste, then Sing Something Simple on R2, the main reasons why I absolutely hated Sundays as a child.

Only just redeemed by the Chart then Annie Nightingale after it...

commseng · 27/04/15 - 06:53

paulx23 wrote: »

Hated it.
Jimmy Savile followed by Adrian Juste, then Sing Something Simple on R2, the main reasons why I absolutely hated Sundays as a child.

Only just redeemed by the Chart then Annie Nightingale after it...

I don't recall Adrian's show ever being on a Sunday, only ever a Saturday lunchtime, usually followed by Paul Gambaccini or a documentary.

I enjoyed it, the comedy I hadn't always heard before - possibly I had heard the artist before on "Fun at One" with Paul Burnett, and it was well put together. It certainly sounded as if it had been carefully produced.

Adrian's links were the right way at the time to pull it all together, but I don't recall him being a great comedian in his own right.

I don't think I heard him doing a show without the comedy, he worked for BRMB I understand for a while on breakfast, but I can't remember that.

As for the Blood on the Carpet programme, I'd be careful with making too much from that - they edit those programmes you know!

Station ID · 27/04/15 - 07:00

Juste was not a 'conedy genius' by any stretch of imagination. His show did use the work of people who were masters at comedy but not him.

He was not even a big star at Radio 1 and was on Saturdays only by the time he was binned off. He was no great loss to Radio 1 or indeed the bbc. His ego believes he was as was proved on the blood on the carpet tv show.

FM Lover · 27/04/15 - 07:31

Although the show only aired for an hour each week I expect Adrian put more work into that hour than any of the other presenters did during the work.

I wouldn't have class him as a comedy genius but he was/is a very clever man who knew his craft.

Station ID · 27/04/15 - 07:45

Yes he was a master of his craft but like many stars at Radio 1 he believed that he was there for life. The bbc owed him a living until he decided otherwise. To find out the truth was very hard for some of them.

Even after all this time I don't think Juste has ever changed this view.

Charlie · 27/04/15 - 10:00

He was good but, in my opinion, a poor man's Kenny Everett.

commseng · 27/04/15 - 10:24

Charlie wrote: »

He was good but, in my opinion, a poor man's Kenny Everett.

I've never thought of them as similar, Everett was a genius and an amazing listen, Adrian's show was very different.

Was he recruited to R1 when Everett was sacked (again)?

JT2060 · 27/04/15 - 10:33

Not a genius, but I enjoyed the show.

One fragment that stood out was him interviewing a comic power lifter who eventually gave himself a hernia. He immediately segued into the first line of 'You Little Trustmaker' by The Times. After the first line, he did have the grace to say 'I'm sorry' and fade back to the song.

SnrDev · 27/04/15 - 10:33

If a genius is someone who knows a huge amount about his subject and has the intelligence to pull it together in a fluent cohesive way, the Juste can be included in that description. I used to enjoy his shows hugely; he did more than just play comedy sketches, he pulled them together and made a very entertaining show. It was consistent too.

Yh - top bloke was AJ.

My fave joke of his? He played Smithers of the MMC, very crusty RP accent... A phone rings, a voice answers - "G'day, Sidney Cricket Ground here". Smithers introduces himself and asks to speak to Mike Brearly, then England capt. "Mike Brearly mate? He's just gorn out to bat". "Oh that's ok. I'll hang on".

Inkblot · 27/04/15 - 10:51

Didn't Jack Jackson do the quickfire comedy thing long before Juste?

http://www.radiorewind.co.uk/sounds/jack_jackson_64k.mp3

JT2060 · 27/04/15 - 11:00

Inkblot wrote: »

Didn't Jack Jackson do the quickfire comedy thing long before Juste?

http://www.radiorewind.co.uk/sounds/jack_jackson_64k.mp3

Never heard of this guy, but the style sounds similar.

Inkblot · 27/04/15 - 11:05

JT2060 wrote: »

Never heard of this guy, but the style sounds similar.

http://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio2/jack_jackson_page.htm

Also he was the subject of a Radio 4 programme a few years ago: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0169255

I think he was on the Light Programme around lunchtime at the weekend as we used to listen to him in the car.

Anthony_Ryan · 27/04/15 - 19:51

Adrian Juste is a genius. It was because of his Saturday lunchtime Radio 1 show that I became a fan of Round The Horne and Hancocks Half Hour.

TUC · 27/04/15 - 19:58

Station ID wrote: »

Juste was not a 'conedy genius' by any stretch of imagination. His show did use the work of people who were masters at comedy but not him.

He was not even a big star at Radio 1 and was on Saturdays only by the time he was binned off. He was no great loss to Radio 1 or indeed the bbc. His ego believes he was as was proved on the blood on the carpet tv show.

Why do you feel the need to be so negstive and destructive? To say'he was on Saturdays only by the time was binned off' makes it sound as if he had been dropped from werkdays. He had aleays been on Saturdays only .

occy · 27/04/15 - 20:00

I saw the bloke a lot work when he came to hospital Radio crawley years ago. He did put a lot of effort into the hour broadcast every week. He also used to sit back in London incase the road shows used to go off air during the summer. Simon bates was his producer when he did a few Christmas shows for bbc local but they dried up last year.

Shame the genius can't return

Ollie_h19 · 27/04/15 - 20:09

I might have to watch Blood on the Carpet again now...

North Downs · 27/04/15 - 20:17

Charlie wrote: »

He was good but, in my opinion, a poor man's Kenny Everett

Sorry fans, I didn't like his show, just lots of clips of old comedies with him behaving like a poor imitation of Kenny Everett.

Station ID · 27/04/15 - 20:33

TUC wrote: »

Why do you feel the need to be so negstive and destructive? .

What you call negative and destructive is my opinion of the man and his show. Ok I never knew or worked with him but based on his show and subsequent interviews I think I'm capable of forming an opinion about him, his work and his attitude.

rjb101 · 27/04/15 - 20:40

Adrian Juste Radio 1. Was he really a 'comedy genius

He might have been if he was in the slightest bit funny rather than just very very irritating.

Amara · 27/04/15 - 20:59

Anthony_Ryan wrote: »

Adrian Juste is a genius. It was because of his Saturday lunchtime Radio 1 show that I became a fan of Round The Horne and Hancocks Half Hour.

Loved the Adrian Juste show always listened legendary.

TUC · 28/04/15 - 00:01

Station ID wrote: »

What you call negative and destructive is my opinion of the man and his show. Ok I never knew or worked with him but based on his show and subsequent interviews I think I'm capable of forming an opinion about him, his work and his attitude.

No, you implieed that he was dropped down on Saturdays only at the end of his R1 career which was simply incorrect.

Hey there!

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Adrian Juste Radio 1. Was he really a 'comedy genius' on his show?

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