The Future of Top Gear
Mar 26th 2015, 10:16 am
#31
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,287
Re: The Future of Top Gear
The police are now interested in Clarkson regarding the assault.
Jeremy Clarkson faces assault charge after being sacked by BBC - as it happened, March 25, 2015 - Telegraph
Jeremy Clarkson faces assault charge after being sacked by BBC - as it happened, March 25, 2015 - Telegraph
Mar 26th 2015, 1:14 pm
#32
Magnificently Withering
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Oakville, ON
Posts: 6,892
Re: The Future of Top Gear
I don't know whether Clarkson was astute enough to have played the long game when he sold his stake in the production company two years ago. But one of the comments on the other thread was along the lines of (a) he gets a bit bored with the format and wants to do something else, but knows he's sitting on a BBC cash cow, (b) he sells out at the peak of the show's value, netting himself a small fortune, (c) he exhibits increasingly unacceptable behaviour on set and around the show, leading inevitably to a failure to renew contracts, (d) he goes and sets up shop elsewhere, with the nature of his dismissal from the BBC negating any non-compete nonsense, and with a whole heap of cash to inject into a new production company for whatever NewTopGear becomes.
That would be ultimately Machiavellian in its cynicism, but almost plausible given Clarkson's reputation.
Mar 26th 2015, 1:28 pm
#33
Magnificently Withering
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Oakville, ON
Posts: 6,892
Re: The Future of Top Gear
My thought on the situation is that Clarkson had some food that wasn't to his liking in some respect. He, in his usual pillock like way mentioned this to the producer chap. The producer quipped back, likely in the same form as Clarkson had made his comment. This then escalated to a heated argument. I would not be too shocked to find out that one / both of them made a comment along the lines of "go on, MAKE me", and Clarkson was the one to let the fists fly.
Yes, it was extremely stupid of him to do so. It was only ever going to cause trouble.
The BBC couldn't let a physical assault go, so they had to do something. Not renewing his contract is the old boys way of firing someone, so that's what they did.
I think TG on the BBC is dead. May and Hammond, and XXXX won't be the same as with Clarkson being there. It's the three of them or nothing.
If it is to continue, who to present. Much as I'm no fan of Mr Evans, he DOES know about cars, and that counts for something. I think Coogan does, am sure he's a car nut. Rowan Atkinson would also be quite good, deffo a car nut, but not sure he'd fit the role.
Rumours are that Netflix is interest, so I could see a TG like show there, but it won't be the same, likely just their escapades, without the news and other audience bits. That was part of the fun, I've got quite a few friends who went to the filming and it was meant to be rather enjoyable - obviously loads of things going on that never get shown on the TV.
Yes, it was extremely stupid of him to do so. It was only ever going to cause trouble.
The BBC couldn't let a physical assault go, so they had to do something. Not renewing his contract is the old boys way of firing someone, so that's what they did.
I think TG on the BBC is dead. May and Hammond, and XXXX won't be the same as with Clarkson being there. It's the three of them or nothing.
If it is to continue, who to present. Much as I'm no fan of Mr Evans, he DOES know about cars, and that counts for something. I think Coogan does, am sure he's a car nut. Rowan Atkinson would also be quite good, deffo a car nut, but not sure he'd fit the role.
Rumours are that Netflix is interest, so I could see a TG like show there, but it won't be the same, likely just their escapades, without the news and other audience bits. That was part of the fun, I've got quite a few friends who went to the filming and it was meant to be rather enjoyable - obviously loads of things going on that never get shown on the TV.
As to presenters for what the BBC will inevitably try to resurrect, I heard Johnny Vaughan's name bandied around a bit. I'd prefer him to Chris Evans: he's another proper car nut, has had a wide assortment of presenting and journalism jobs (including a chat show), and certainly has the bad-boy credentials (ex-con, no less) to add a little spice to the show. He'd need a straight-man foil - Chris Harris, perhaps? His online video pieces are pretty watchable, and he has the same kind of schoolboy enthusiasm for fine engineering as James May (his piece on
Mar 26th 2015, 4:30 pm
#34
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,113
Re: The Future of Top Gear
Well I think if the three of them signed up to Sky for a brand new show, im sure they could come up with a brand new format based on a similar theme, but different if you know what i mean.
Base it on all things cars and motorsport and related blokey banter and take it from there, i dont think it would be difficult for those three and a decent writer/producer to come up with something that embraces all that but a different show. Its the three hosts that made the show after all. There must be a limit as to how far the BBC could control the development of a new show.
As for the existing Top Gear it may limp along for another season, but its basically finished now with the team gone.
Last edited by Paul_Shepherd; Mar 26th 2015 at 4:32 pm.
Mar 26th 2015, 4:47 pm
#35
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,113
Re: The Future of Top Gear
THere's quite a long and involved thread on this in the Trailer Park ("Let's talk about cars.")
I don't know whether Clarkson was astute enough to have played the long game when he sold his stake in the production company two years ago. But one of the comments on the other thread was along the lines of (a) he gets a bit bored with the format and wants to do something else, but knows he's sitting on a BBC cash cow, (b) he sells out at the peak of the show's value, netting himself a small fortune, (c) he exhibits increasingly unacceptable behaviour on set and around the show, leading inevitably to a failure to renew contracts, (d) he goes and sets up shop elsewhere, with the nature of his dismissal from the BBC negating any non-compete nonsense, and with a whole heap of cash to inject into a new production company for whatever NewTopGear becomes.
That would be ultimately Machiavellian in its cynicism, but almost plausible given Clarkson's reputation.
I don't know whether Clarkson was astute enough to have played the long game when he sold his stake in the production company two years ago. But one of the comments on the other thread was along the lines of (a) he gets a bit bored with the format and wants to do something else, but knows he's sitting on a BBC cash cow, (b) he sells out at the peak of the show's value, netting himself a small fortune, (c) he exhibits increasingly unacceptable behaviour on set and around the show, leading inevitably to a failure to renew contracts, (d) he goes and sets up shop elsewhere, with the nature of his dismissal from the BBC negating any non-compete nonsense, and with a whole heap of cash to inject into a new production company for whatever NewTopGear becomes.
That would be ultimately Machiavellian in its cynicism, but almost plausible given Clarkson's reputation.
Mar 27th 2015, 11:49 pm
#36
Grumpy Know-it-all
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Re: The Future of Top Gear
I don't agree that the show can't survive without them either, people keep saying the American and other versions of the show aren't as good, but that's because of the budget, not the presenters. Some of the episodes of the American show have been really good I think, like the one they did in Alaska and the one in Iceland, (and the one with the race against the Aston Martin and the powerboat) but then it's back to cheap cringe-making nonsense. They seem to blow 90% of the budget on one episode.
I can't see if Clarkson et al go to another network they would get the same budget the BBC had. Just isn't going to happen.
Mar 28th 2015, 12:55 am
#37
Resident Maple Leaf Lush
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,747
Re: The Future of Top Gear
Really depends. I think Netflix, while not having the same budget as the BBC, does have a fair bit, and they'd likely love to have NewTopGear as an exclusive.
