BBC Top Gear - Series 23 discussion thread

Merlin5 · 6 Jul 2016 at 17:04

I don't know why Top Gear is being kept alive to be perfectly honest. It's not the cars and it's not the comedy episodes that catches the audience. It was always just Clarkson that kept the ratings high. They're flogging a dead horse! They should cut their losses now and accept that without Clarkson, the show is dead. It is no more. It's Amazon's now.

The_Abyss · 6 Jul 2016 at 17:05

lucarocks92 said:
Well its the BBC's loss. If they were smart they would have kept it under wraps and compensated the victim.

For something that allegedly took place whilst he was working for Channel 4? Or are we talking about the punch up again?

Glaucus · 6 Jul 2016 at 17:07

Merlin5 said:
I don't know why Top Gear is being kept alive to be perfectly honest. It's not the cars and it's not the comedy episodes that catches the audience. It was always just Clarkson that kept the ratings high. They're flogging a dead horse! They should cut their losses now and accept that without Clarkson, the show is dead. It is no more. It's Amazon's now.

they should have sold the rights to amazon when it was worth something.

I wouldn't go that far there's room for a second entertainment show around cars, albeit it smaller.
but they just messed so many things up in that series.

cant wait for The grand tour the snippets that have been released look great.

Merlin5 · 6 Jul 2016 at 17:13

Glaucus said:
they should have sold the rights to amazon when it was worth something.

I wouldn't go that far there's room for a second entertainment show around cars, albeit it smaller.
but they just messed so many things up in that series.

cant wait for The grand tour the snippets that have been released look great.

I agree, they missed a golden opportunity to receive a lot of money not selling the rights to Amazon. Yes there's always room for a car show, but they shouldn't be approaching it by trying to emulate what has been and gone, it's too contrived. The whole success of Top Gear was how organically it evolved from a serious car show on BBC2 in the 1970s to what it became in later years. It earned its stripes from humble beginnings.

Uriel · 6 Jul 2016 at 17:25

Merlin5 said:
I don't know why Top Gear is being kept alive to be perfectly honest. It's not the cars and it's not the comedy episodes that catches the audience. It was always just Clarkson that kept the ratings high. They're flogging a dead horse! They should cut their losses now and accept that without Clarkson, the show is dead. It is no more. It's Amazon's now.

But even with the droop for the current series it got some of BBC2's highest ratings.

I don't think it'll get cancelled. It may get a budget cut.

Just for a giggle - if MLB goes I think they should go for Reid, Harris and Rowan Atkinson. At least the guy can write a script (which Clarkson used to do for the previous incarnation).

gothic_hobbit · 6 Jul 2016 at 22:57

tom_e said:
I'm sure I read somewhere that this has been the most profitable series yet in terms of selling it off to other countries.

Well the main host for the next series will be American.

America is a huge market, so you can only imagine the profit margins will be even higher.

Top Gear is the BBC's cash cow.

TheVoice · 6 Jul 2016 at 23:01

gothic_hobbit said:
Well the main host for the next series will be American.

America is a huge market, so you can only imagine the profit margins will be even higher.

Top Gear is the BBC's cash cow.

This whole series felt more like it was intended for an international market than a British one anyway.

Angilion · 7 Jul 2016 at 00:15

AHarvey said:
It didn't need to be made public, it could have been sorted out between the two of them, a final written warning for Clarkson to show it was taken as serious. The other guy wanted it public so he could get a payout.

It was already public. It took place in a hotel with witnesses.

There was a payout aspect, particularly with calling it racially aggravated assault, but it couldn't have been hushed up.

~>Dg<~ · 7 Jul 2016 at 00:26

Angilion said:
Maybe Chris Evans was hired as the fall guy to take the criticism that was inevitable with the change in presenters.

this could be a clever move but we wont know. even if it isnt they will say it was in a few years

think about it. if evans is asked in few years. yes i was the fall guy so the show would go on and succeed. i knew all along.

people saying the show should pack up. no. its actually pretty decent in parts and some of the new stuff is good.

Fr0dders · 7 Jul 2016 at 09:07

iaind said:
Slightly OT, but seemed like a good place to ask. What's the name of the irish motoring journalist who's appeared on fifth gear a few times? Dark hair and glasses...

It came to mind because I was waiting for baggage at Rome airport a few weeks ago and heard a familiar voice talking to people about Ferrari engines.... I just couldnt ever remember his name. I definitely recognised him but I do remember him being a pretty good presenter of car stuff

Jason Barlow ?

iaind · 7 Jul 2016 at 09:15

Fr0dders said:
Jason Barlow ?

YES! Thats been driving me mad since

Fr0dders · 7 Jul 2016 at 09:15

was it him you saw ?

Artery · 7 Jul 2016 at 09:17

chroniclard said:
Mike Brewer? Seriously, he is a ******* of the highest order and the most useless salesman I have ever seen. (Having Edd locked up in his garage is the only thing that makes that show)

Brewer : Were looking for 10 grand for this car today.
Punter : I will offer you 5k.
Brewer : Meet me in the middle, 4k? Go on! Old out yer aaaand!
Punter : er, yes, I will gladly pay that.

Haha couldn't agree with you more. Edd makes that show, Mike is just a moron.

iaind · 7 Jul 2016 at 09:19

Fr0dders said:
was it him you saw ?

Yep definitely

Uriel · 7 Jul 2016 at 09:33

gothic_hobbit said:
Well the main host for the next series will be American.

America is a huge market, so you can only imagine the profit margins will be even higher.

Top Gear is the BBC's cash cow.

Coincides with Top Gear America getting cancelled.

Fr0dders · 7 Jul 2016 at 09:39

There is no new "main host". they're not replacing him.

http://jalopnik.com/top-gear-wont-replace-chris-evans-1783117697

tom_e · 7 Jul 2016 at 09:45

Fr0dders said:
There is no new "main host". they're not replacing him.

http://jalopnik.com/top-gear-wont-replace-chris-evans-1783117697

Well as MLB was basically the main cohost it would make sense that he will now become the "main" presenter in everything but name.

Burned_Alive · 7 Jul 2016 at 09:46

I've really enjoyed the new series, apart from the star in a rallycross car section. They need to revert that to the old format and bring back the news. Chris Evans wont be a miss and will happily see more of Chris Harris and Rory Reid who I think have been great.

Marvin · 7 Jul 2016 at 20:30

Uriel said:
Coincides with Top Gear America getting cancelled.

That's not within the BBC's control. Top Gear America is made by the BBC, but in the US doesn't have its own channel; it's just a production company essentially, so it has to sell its content to channels. In this case, the History channel chose not to renew, so the BBC are looking for a new host channel.

[TW]Fox · 7 Jul 2016 at 20:52

Marvin said:
That's not within the BBC's control. Top Gear America is made by the BBC, but in the US doesn't have its own channel

Yes it does - BBC America. A subscription cable channel.