So who is going to watch Top Gear Now?

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 11:12 am

I know what you mean, but it was already unrecognisable from how it used to be though and that worked?

I grew up with the original TG show and loved it. After Clarkson left though, they had a mix of presenters, some very good (I liked Willman and Coogan, for example) some good, some bad, one at the end who was absolutely dire (I forget his name, but some fat bloke from one the magazines of the time

) it was only when he was on it that I really struggled to watch it - because he was just a complete rhubarb.

When it was relaunched it was completely different but we all loved it again, then it started to tail off recently because it was a bit stale (although as I say, I think the latest series was largely back to its best)

These things go in cycles. I reckon a refreshed show could do the same as the 2002 relaunch did.

Or it might just die on its arse of course

But I doubt it

hondaman · Post by **hondaman** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 11:24 am

I don't have a problem with Chris Evans at least he knows about cars and is a proper petrol head, whether this will translate into an interesting and watchable Top Gear as we all know and love is another thing,

As for the other two co-presenters alleged to be joining him, well Jodi Kidd is pretty easy on the eye, and a bit of a petrol head, ex-racer

and the current co-presenter on the Classic Car Show with Quinton Wilson, but I'm not entirely convinced about her as a presenter who really knows what she's on about, especially after she dropped a million pound XJ220 off the side of the road on a country lane during a road test.... the bang it mad could be heard from the camera car, not cool in my book

As for Dermot O'Leary, don't like him, have never liked the bloke and he irritates me intensely...

So to summarise, I'll probably watch the first one as I expect will a lot of old TG fans, but after that, errmm probably not.

The BBC have well and truly killed TG off big time because of a little fracas between 2 blokes that could have been salvaged by the producer manning up and both shaking hands, but perhaps it was all calculated so Clarkson, May & Hammond could move on as their contracts were coming up for renewal.....

conspiracy theory... oh yeah

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 11:56 am

hondaman wrote:The BBC have well and truly killed TG off big time because of a little fracas between 2 blokes that could have been salvaged by the producer manning up and both shaking hands

That's bollocks. You can't have an employee hit another employee and get away with it and you can't apply double standards for one employee over another.
Are you telling me if you hit someone at work you wouldn't expect to get sacked?

hondaman · Post by **hondaman** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:03 pm

wurlycorner wrote:
hondaman wrote:The BBC have well and truly killed TG off big time because of a little fracas between 2 blokes that could have been salvaged by the producer manning up and both shaking hands
That's bollocks. You can't have an employee hit another employee and get away with it and you can't apply double standards for one employee over another.
Are you telling me if you hit someone at work you wouldn't expect to get sacked?

Jump down my throat why don't you.. that's my opinion, obviously you don't agree

Theres a little to much of this namby pamby wrap every one up in cotton wool approach to life in this country these days and tbh it pisses me off, Clarkson and that producer have worked together for years on TG and while its not acceptable to go punching people, it seems to me it was blown up out of all proportion, and could have been settled fairly easily, but as I said the BBC being the sort of place it is (i've worked there so I know) chose to come down on the side of namby pamby, which tbh doesn't supprise me in the slightest.

YouTube · Post by **Sailor** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:17 pm

I read the other day that Clarkson was being asked to do some voice-overs to finish off the two segments they'd already filmed. "Part of his old contract" was the story given.

Post by **Pushki** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:18 pm

I'll watch it, but if it's all about cars I'll switch over.

I only watch it for the banter.

Post by **Greg-SiR** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:20 pm

I'll watch it,always liked Chris Evans tv presenting through the years,the 3 stooges will be missed for their comedy though but they will be screening theirs soon enough too so all good and an extra car show to watch then

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:38 pm

hondaman wrote:Jump down my throat why don't you.. that's my opinion, obviously you don't agree

Yep fair enough and I am not in a good mood today so probably being a bit blunt - apologies if so.
However what I said was not based on my opinion, it's based on experience in managing people in large organisations and understanding employment law.

hondaman wrote: Theres a little to much of this namby pamby wrap every one up in cotton wool approach to life in this country these days and tbh it pisses me off, Clarkson and that producer have worked together for years on TG and while its not acceptable to go punching people, it seems to me it was blown up out of all proportion, and could have been settled fairly easily, but as I said the BBC being the sort of place it is (i've worked there so I know) chose to come down on the side of namby pamby, which tbh doesn't supprise me in the slightest.

It was reported by a member of the public who witnessed it, not the aggrieved party.
If the BBC had ignored it, it would have been all over the press anyway and then they'd have been crucified for not controlling their employees and applying equal standards to 'celebrity' employees and 'ordinary' employees.
Because Clarkson knew it had been witnessed and was going to be reported, he then contacted the BBC to formally report on it.
As such, they had no other option but to investigate and there can only be one outcome - an employee acted unreasonably, at variance with company HR policies and their contract. Disciplinary action required.

The BBC acts no differently to any other big employer in that regard - it's just because of their profile and the field they're in, the rest of the press loves to report on it and have a field day whenever they can.

If no-one had witnessed it, you're right, Clarkson would probably have apologised to the guy a short while later and he may well have accepted it and that been the end of it (assuming there was then no next time...). But he's high profile and did it in a public place. We all make mistakes, sometimes we get away with them, sometimes we don't. This time he didn't, but that's perfectly fair enough and no-one can have any grumbles about it (including him)

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 12:50 pm

Yep, back OT, I do think it'll be really intriguing to see what they come up with.
I don't think they can necessarily keep on with the same kind of 'silliness' in the 'challenges' that the last 3 did - Otherwise it just risks looking like a poor pastiche?

I've no doubt Evans has plenty of ideas on that front though.

Do they even keep the same stuff in the studio linking back to 'new old' Top Gear?

These are important questions!!!

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Jun 17, 2015 1:48 pm

RattyMcClelland wrote:TFI Friday the other day was the best tv I personally have watched in ages.

Missed it. Worth a watch OD then?

hondaman wrote: As for the other two co-presenters alleged to be joining him, well Jodi Kidd is pretty easy on the eye, and a bit of a petrol head

Yep, well according to here there definitely will be one;

Evans also said there will "absolutely" be a woman in the new Top Gear line-up

Agree with you, Kidd is a front runner and I've said before I think she works well in pre-filmed sequences, but not 'in the studio', where she's really wooden. Suzi Perry would be the other and would be great in both of those situations

but hasn't she also said she's not up for doing the 'ladishness' of TG?

If we're very unlucky, someone might suggest Jodie Marsh for the job - she's both 'laddish' and into motorised stuff, but...

As for Dermot O'Leary, don't like him, have never liked the bloke and he irritates me intensely...

I've never understood why he's been linked with the job. I like him as a presenter, but don't get him working on a programme like that.

is he even 'into' cars?