Ian Messiter

Ian Cassan Messiter (2 April 1920 – 22 November 1999) was a BBC Radio producer and the creator of a number of panel games, including '' Just a Minute'', ''Dealing With Daniels'' and '' Many a Slip''. Messiter brought the successful '' twenty questions'' format to BBC Radio and was programme associate for '' Family Fortunes''. Messiter was born in Dudley, Worcestershire, and educated at Winton House School, near Winchester, and Sherborne School in Dorset.

In his autobiography, ''My Life and Other Games'' (1990), Ian Messiter described how an incident during a history lesson at Sherborne School became the inspiration for the ''Just a Minute'' radio panel-game.

Ian acted as whistle-blower on ''Just a Minute'', and its predecessor ''One Minute, Please''. He appeared in the first series of BBC science-fiction quiz show '' The Adventure Game'' in 1980 as the Rangdo, the leader of the alien Argonds, and contributed ideas for puzzles in the series. He published his autobiography ''My Life and Other Games'' in 1990.

Nicholas Parsons stated that ''Just a Minute'' is "perhaps the most deceptively simple, enduring, popular and much-copied comedy game on radio or television anywhere" In each edition, Messiter is acknowledged as the inventor of the game.

Family

Messiter married Enid, née Senior. They had two children: a daughter, Susan, who lives in Cambridgeshire, and a son, Malcolm Messiter, who is an oboist.

References

External links

Messiter's game show magic, Obituary of Ian Messiter
''BBC News''

in ''The Guardian''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Messiter, Ian
1920 births
1999 deaths
People from Dudley
BBC radio producers
English radio producers
People educated at Sherborne School