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Top Gear

edited October 2006 in Everything Else
I was just listening to one of the old episodes and found that Scott mentioned Top Gear. I don't know if you heard the news, but the little fella who presents it, Richard Hammond, recently crashed in a jet car going 300 mph! I think he is OK now, he was at the hospital where I live in intensive care for a while. This was big news in England and terrible news for me as I am a big fan.
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  • From what I read (all stuff off the BBC Top Gear website) it sayes that he is recovering but it will be some time before he will be up to working. I hope that they don't stop making the show. Top Gear is one of my favorite shows (I download it via Bit-torrent).
  • I'm not a car guy at all, but I really enjoy shows like Top Gear and Car Talk which blend information and humor. The episode where they accidentally set the camper on fire was pure comedy gold. I didn't know the little guy was hurt in an accident and I hope he gets better soon =/
  • Filming has resumed. They are not filming the bits with Richard Hammond at this point.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5409608.stm
  • Richard Hammond is back on the show. Here is the segment of the episode where they talk about the crash.
  • That was a pretty awesome snes game.
    (that O.C. remix song is never gonna leave my mind)
  • edited January 2007
    Ive been a bIg fan of the show for a few years now and i have been impatiently waiting for the show to come back.
    If you guys would like to watch the show http://www.finalgear.com/ has torrents to most of the series.
    they also has a torrent up a few hours after the shows airing Sunday at 8pm GMT or 3pm Eastern you can figure out the rest.
    Post edited by tiny on
  • I've watched many episodes and clips on Google Video and YouTube. It's a very awesome show.
  • edited January 2007
    Yes, I just started watching this two episodes ago in Australia.

    Love the show.
    Post edited by Rym on
  • Death of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson fired.

    This show was an institution, how do you do 22 seasons and then lose the main host. It would be odd ever if one left now, let alone Clarkson.

    I know he's super polarising, but it's like doing Scrubs without Zach Braff (and you saw how trash that was).
  • The last I heard Clarkson said that he hadn't been told anything so there is sort of hope. Also both Man and Hammond have said that they would not do it with out him so Top Gear is dead of the BBC. That being said he will go to Channel 4 or ITV in a flash as both of them love to piss off the BBC and would be silly not to have such a massive cash earner on their books.
  • Amp said:

    The last I heard Clarkson said that he hadn't been told anything so there is sort of hope. Also both Man and Hammond have said that they would not do it with out him so Top Gear is dead of the BBC. That being said he will go to Channel 4 or ITV in a flash as both of them love to piss off the BBC and would be silly not to have such a massive cash earner on their books.

    If you read the link it states "his contract has not been renewed".
    Surely they would have to rebrand due to BBC ownership but all 3 have made more than enough money to retire from TV if they choose.
  • edited March 2015
    I'm not going to say that I knew it was coming, but it's not a surprise. The BBC don't screw around with these things, and frankly, he deserved it. I don't particularly care if he's talent, or how much he's worth - he swung on a member of staff. He deserved to be fired, without question. If the producer had done so, he'd have been sent in for tea and biscuits with the boss basically instantly. Clarkson is a professional, and deserves similar treatment - though I don't blame them for considering the decision for longer, since he's worth rather more money than a producer.
    Amp said:

    Also both Man and Hammond have said that they would not do it with out him so Top Gear is dead of the BBC.

    May made a statement earlier saying that he never said any such thing, and in fact, was never consulted by the BBC regarding the continuation of the show(And he also mentioned that as far as he knew, neither had Hammond). He also didn't give any such statement to the press, as best I can tell - all claims as such have been secondhand.

    Saying it's the death of Top Gear at this point is jumping the gun. We don't know what's happening just yet.
    Post edited by Churba on
  • There's a balance to strike between a fun but trivial TV show and continuing to give money and a voice to an unrepentant racist/sexist/most-things-ist thug.

    I think if they put as much effort and money into a new car based show, it could be as entertaining and successful as Top Gear. That's a big gamble though! If they were willing to pay a few lead presenters as much as they paid Clarkeson, May and Hammond, the BBC could have their pick of some of the best in the business.
  • Churba said:



    Amp said:

    Also both Man and Hammond have said that they would not do it with out him so Top Gear is dead of the BBC.

    May made a statement earlier saying that he never said any such thing, and in fact, was never consulted by the BBC regarding the continuation of the show(And he also mentioned that as far as he knew, neither had Hammond). He also didn't give any such statement to the press, as best I can tell - all claims as such have been secondhand.

    Saying it's the death of Top Gear at this point is jumping the gun. We don't know what's happening just yet.
    Ah thats a bugger, finding anything accurate from this stuff is a ballache. Oh well, its a shame but yeah they could all retire quite comfortably.

    Yeah Clarkson is a chronic tool but entertaining. If he just kept his mouth shut at the right time then it would be golden, but I think people sort of liked that side of things. Its really frustrating to watch as they do one thing thats really cool then do something thats incredibly stupid. Its not like he hasn't had any warnings either and he should have known better.

    It would be cool if they could remake Top Gear with new presenters but I don't think it would stick, it would forever be stuck in the shadow of the original.
  • edited March 2015
    You know the "Clarkson and friends in an aircraft hangar doing stupid shit" formula isn't the original format of Top Gear? It's the most successful so far, but before it there was a different format.

    See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_(1977_TV_series)
    Post edited by Luke Burrage on
  • AmpAmp
    edited March 2015

    You the "Clarkson and friends in an aircraft hangar doing stupid shit" formula isn't the original format of Top Gear? It's the most successful so far, but before it there was a different format.

    Yeah I knew that it wasn't the original format, and your right it is the most successful format so far. What I think is how most people know Top Gear is as that format. It would be cool to see something else come along, I know the challenges stuff is a big draw, that either focuses on the cars or the silly stuff.

    Edit; As a thought who would you have instead? Tiff could come back and I'm sure that there will be a Stig like figure. It would also be interesting to see who out of the crew behind the sences (I know thats spelt wrong but I can't for the life of me find the right one) stays around.
    Post edited by Amp on
  • It wouldn't surprise me if Clarkson instigated this situation in order to jump in with a higher paying network. I thought he owned the show too and would take it with him but a quick Google tells me I'd misunderstood that part: the BBC bought out the global distribution company that Clarkson had a stake in back in 2013.
  • Its the end of an era, for sure, but it'll go on. Top Gear is one of the BBCs most successful brands but Clarkson was only a part of it. I watched it because I love cars and I'll keep watching it because I love cars.
  • It would be funny if he just ended up on the American version.
  • I've enjoyed Top Gear over the years, don't really care if it ends or not though. It's not particularly great at any one thing. I'd imagine some other TV company will hire Clarkson anyhow.

    The tank petition to keep Clarkson is just sad. #Clarksongate
  • Actually, it's about ethics in televised auto journalism/variety shows.
  • lol oh the parallels
  • Besides, Top Gear USA is still good!
  • Besides, Top Gear USA is still good!

    i thought that was cancelled?
  • I heard Clarkson is heading to Netflix.
  • Its the end of an era, for sure, but it'll go on. Top Gear is one of the BBCs most successful brands but Clarkson was only a part of it. I watched it because I love cars and I'll keep watching it because I love cars.

    I thought people who loved cars hated Top Gear because it's not actually about cars. It's about three guys dicking about and they just happen to be in cars at the time.
  • Top Gear used to be mostly about cars with some dicking about. Lately it was sometimes about cars and mostly dicking about. I have enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed the show before Hammond had his big crash.
  • "your near death experience was the shows jump the shark moment"

    Things you should never say to anyone
  • Amp said:

    Besides, Top Gear USA is still good!

    i thought that was cancelled?
    I thought it was pretty crap. The hosts were flat, dull, unfunny, and didn't have really good chemistry with each other.
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