Top Gear Host Chris Evans Steps Down After Poor Ratings (theverge.com)

of course by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 04:03 · Score: 5, Insightful

Back when the Top Gear 2002 was (re)booted, I wouldn't have said it but after 20-something seasons - there's no team that can replace Clarkson, Hammond and May. Their charisma together was quite unique and I loved the show, for all of its faults.

Re:of course by mccalli · 2016-07-04 04:05 · Score: 1, Interesting

Clarkson,Wilson and Needell. But that was when it was about cars.
Re:of course by monkeyxpress · 2016-07-04 05:14 · Score: 2, Informative

The other problem they have is that the old show hasn't stopped. It has simply moved to a new channel where it will get an even bigger budget.
Unless Clarkson and co really stuff up, it is hard to see how their *new* show won't be at least as popular as their old gig. With Amazon's budget, a break, a license to try some fresh stuff, and in some ways even, a 'don't care, nothing to prove' attitude, they will probably be pretty successful at keeping the franchise alive with its previous viewers. Whether they can broaden that base to the US market is another question, and probably the bigger challenge.
Personally I'm happy Evans has gone. I hadn't heard of him before the show was announced, but he just came across as a wannabee Clarkson with an extremely irritating voice (seriously, I would never have believed his job was in radio if I hadn't read it myself). Perhaps he does have an interesting personality, but I didn't see it on the show. Matt Leblanc seems to have been an inspired choice though. It will be interesting to see whether he gets the show traction in the US.
Re:of course by somenickname · 2016-07-04 05:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

Exactly this. It was a silly show but, you couldn't help but watch it even if your didn't give a shit about cars. It was *fun*. And had the added benefit of seeing insanely expensive cars that you'll never drive. Being driven by a mute gimp in a helmet. Brilliant.
Re:of course by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 05:54 · Score: 1

For nostalgia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNTnrpL1Uw0
Re:of course by umafuckit · 2016-07-04 06:36 · Score: 2

Personally I'm happy Evans has gone. I hadn't heard of him before the show was announced,
Yes, he's been broadcasting for years and years and he's always been annoying. He's had several talk shows on TV in addition to the radio work. For some reason a lot of people seem to like listening to him rabbit on about nothing in particular. I can't see the attraction myself.

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Re:of course by arth1 · 2016-07-04 06:53 · Score: 1

The other problem they have is that the old show hasn't stopped. It has simply moved to a new channel where it will get an even bigger budget.
But not the clout of the British Broadcorping Castration.
I can guarantee you they won't be able to swing things like Spitfires or aircraft carriers or being welcomed at embassies.
Re:of course by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 07:16 · Score: 3, Insightful

Clarkson,Wilson and Needell. But that was when it was about cars.
And there is a reason why pretty much nobody remembers the last two.
Re: of course by bestweasel · 2016-07-04 07:42 · Score: 5, Funny

He hosts a breakfast radio show, I think because it helps to hurry people out of their homes in the morning.
Re:of course by Dogtanian · 2016-07-04 08:01 · Score: 2, Interesting

Clarkson,Wilson and Needell. But that was when it was about cars.
Yep.

It's easy to forget now, but the "old" Top Gear was itself pretty successful in its 90s heyday. Not to the extent that people banged on and on and on and on about it to the tedious extent they do with the post-2003 version. But still a well-known touchstone of 1990s television that was responsible for making Clarkson popular in the first place and strongly associated with him.

It feels strange to say in hindsight (given that nowadays it's clear that Clarkson is the epitome of the boorish, tedious, right-wing, middle-aged, Middle English tosser), but I actually enjoyed him during his time on the original show, possibly because he was actually doing his ******* job of reviewing cars in an entertaining manner. In fact, he was a good presenter on the other stuff I saw him in (admittedly car-related shows he'd obviously got because of his Top Gear fame). I'd even say Top Gear lost something when he left. (Along with some other changes, I clearly remember enjoying it less in the year or two running up to its cancellation).

Problem was that by the time he'd come back for the 2003 relaunch, he'd gone from being a presenter who said non-PC things that were often pretty amusing- such as the infamous "good enough to snap knicker elastic at 50 paces" description of one car- to someone whose defining characteristic was Professional Non-PC Merchant. Not in the service of being amusing, but for its own sake. And Clarkson was famous enough by this point that it was now about him; you can't watch him as a presenter any more because he isn't.

This brings me to the most fundamental difference in the relaunched show (even more so than the format change). Old Top Gear was a factual magazine show about cars that was presented in an entertaining manner. (#) The new Top Gear was- and is- an entertainment show that happens to revolve around cars, quite happy to sideline or twist any secondary factual aspects if it gets in the way of some stuffed shirt getting vicarious thrills or amusement through The Clarkson and His Two Mates in Car Porn Hijinks Show before he returns to work in his Vauxhall Astra the following day.

A lot of people obviously enjoy this- good for them. I don't have any time for it personally.

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Re:of course by Dogtanian · 2016-07-04 08:52 · Score: 1

Yes, he's been broadcasting for years and years and he's always been annoying.
He seemed to be reasonably likeable in his early career; first as the presenter of The Big Breakfast in the early 1990s, followed by the short-lived Don't Forget Your Toothbrush.

But something happened between "Toothbrush" and TFI Friday because he seemed to become very dislikeable to me at that point. Hard to say why, but I think there was a subtle but obvious shift from him giving the impression that he was having fun and doing indulgent things for the viewer's (vicarious) enjoyment to giving the impression that the whole thing revolved around Him.

This was shortly before his reputation for egotistical and diva-like behaviour (e.g. not bothering to turn up for presenting duties on his radio show, getting other people to do TFI, etc. etc.) started getting into the press.

To be fair, not everything I've heard about him has been bad, and some reports in recent years have led me to revise my opinion. OTOH, some of the news reports about Top Gear suggest the egocentric, diva-like behaviour is still in play. Though to be fair, he at least came across quite well when he announced his resignation.

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Re:of course by Dogtanian · 2016-07-04 10:16 · Score: 2

You got old. You lost your sense of humour. I remember when you used to be cool.
Damn, even *I* knew I was never cool!

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Re:of course by mrchaotica · 2016-07-04 12:02 · Score: 1

One other thing- in hindsight it's also clear that Clarkson was more palatable on the old Top Gear because you got him in smaller doses. He was just one of a team of presenters and didn't appear on every bloody item; much better balanced. It wasn't All Clarkson, All The Time. It wasn't *about* Professional MegaBoor Clarkson (TM) And His Laddish Chums.
Hammond and May did (enjoyable!) segments by themselves too, you know. I also like May in particular in some of his non-Top-Gear presenting (e.g. "James May's Toy Stories").

I've seen clips of some early Top Gear from the late-1970s with Noel Edmonds (FFS) and it's needlessly slow, dry and tedious. Being factual doesn't mean you have to be *that* boring.
You want to see boring? Watch Motorweek on PBS!

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Re:of course by stealth_finger · 2016-07-04 19:43 · Score: 1

Clarkson,Wilson and Needell. But that was when it was about cars.
And there is a reason why pretty much nobody remembers the last two.
Unless you watch channel 5 and they're both on 5th gear.

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Re:of course by stealth_finger · 2016-07-04 19:47 · Score: 1

Personally I'm happy Evans has gone. I hadn't heard of him before the show was announced,
Yes, he's been broadcasting for years and years and he's always been annoying. He's had several talk shows on TV in addition to the radio work. For some reason a lot of people seem to like listening to him rabbit on about nothing in particular. I can't see the attraction myself.
Yeah but they're the type of people that listen to radio 2 and thought big breakfast was cool.

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Re:of course by drsquare · 2016-07-04 21:29 · Score: 1

It won't be anywhere near as big because it's on an obscure subscription service instead of BBC2.
Re:of course by Big+Hairy+Ian · 2016-07-05 01:38 · Score: 1

Ironically the Other Chris Evans news story that just broke is he's facing a historical sexual assault investigation http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...

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Re:of course by mjwx · 2016-07-05 01:40 · Score: 1

Back when the Top Gear 2002 was (re)booted, I wouldn't have said it but after 20-something seasons - there's no team that can replace Clarkson, Hammond and May. Their charisma together was quite unique and I loved the show, for all of its faults.
The first season of Old New Top Gear was Clarkson, Hammond and a fat bloke from Cornwall named Jason Dawe. James May made his debut in season 2.
What you've got to remember is that Clarkson, Hammond and May (and Dawe) hadn't just worked together, they were mates for years before Old New Top Gear started in 2002 so the chemestry was well established before their first season together. The hosts of New New Top Gear were thrown together because someone at the BBC thought you could design that by committee, you cant. Chris Harris has a reputation for being a complete prat, so a lot of us are completely unsurprised by this.

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Re:of course by tehcyder · 2016-07-05 02:39 · Score: 1

Clarkson,Wilson and Needell. But that was when it was about cars.
And there is a reason why pretty much nobody remembers the last two.
Unless you watch channel 5 and they're both on 5th gear.
Both of its viewers thank you for mentioning them.

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Re:of course by tehcyder · 2016-07-05 02:44 · Score: 1

The problem with Chris Evans is that he has no real sense of humour. This is a bit of a disadvantage if you're presenting a light entertainment show.

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Re:of course by 10bellies · 2016-07-05 17:43 · Score: 1

Until he gets his cock out which, thankfully, is spared radio listeners.
Except when his Virgin Radio breakfast show used to be recorded by in-studio cameras and shown late at night on Sky One (a TV channel here in the U.K.) where he once stood up, dropped trousers/underwear, and shook his cock a couple of feet away from Holly Samos' face (one of his (then) acolytes, who would laugh at anything he did for the paycheck). "Funniest thing in the world to do" apparently...
Re:of course by ihtoit · 2016-07-05 18:34 · Score: 1

all hail the Stig.
If I wanted to watch some old git talk about the capacity of the boot of a Ford Focus, I'd watch channel 5. Fuck that, I *want* to see people enjoying themselves, having a laugh, racing airport vehicles and bendy buses, turning VW campers into cross-channel ferries, strapping a Reliant Robin onto a large bottle of hydrogen for shits and giggles, turning a Transit van into a hovercraft... the kind of stuff you wouldn't even in a million years think of doing with an old banger but having seen would love to give it a go, and oh yes, flinging insanely expensive cars around an airfield in Surrey.
Not this:
"This is the four door model, with a five inch road clearance and a perky 12km per litre..." ::CLICK!::

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Re:of course by ihtoit · 2016-07-05 18:35 · Score: 1

historical? I saw him on TV once, my eyes are still fucked.

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To be fair... by YuppieScum · 2016-07-04 04:05 · Score: 1, Troll

the last couple of shows have had to contend with being aired against Euro2016 football matches, and he was trying to fill some of the biggest boots in broadcasting. On the other hand, he is a charmless, loud-mouthed ginger twat, and I'm glad that he's gone. Now, if only we can get Matt Le Blanc to quit as well...

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Re:To be fair... by ArchieBunker · 2016-07-04 04:09 · Score: 3, Informative

Matt Le Blanc isn't a bad host but they really need someone dry and British. Eventually they're going to run out of jokes about him being American.

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Re:To be fair... by jonnyj · 2016-07-04 04:15 · Score: 3, Insightful

...charmless, loud-mouthed ginger twat...
Try replacing the word 'ginger' with a pejorative term for any ethnic group other than the indigenous population of North West Europe and see how intelligent you sound.
Re:To be fair... by Mashiki · 2016-07-04 04:17 · Score: 1

He's a loud mouth idiot who was screaming right up until last week that the "ratings have never been higher" and he was the best thing to ever happen to the show. Seems to me they might end up pulling a Rogers. For those that don't know, Rogers got the contract to Hockey Night in Canada and then replaced the old host(Ron MacLean who was host for 30 years) with George Stroumboulopoulos(another loud mouth hipster prick that grates on your neves) believing that he would be really good for the ratings, and they needed a fresh face to make it in the market. Well ratings have tanked through the floor faster then the Titanic going down, so they're now bringing back Ron MacLean to hopefully pull the show out of the ground.

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Re:To be fair... by thegarbz · 2016-07-04 04:20 · Score: 2

... because 'ginger' was the problem with the rest of that line, and he was actually going for a sugar coated complement.
Re:To be fair... by max99ted · 2016-07-04 04:24 · Score: 1

But..but... where will I get my fix of grown men re-enacting hockey plays in skinny pants on a lit floor?

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Re:To be fair... by wonkey_monkey · 2016-07-04 04:29 · Score: 1

He's a loud mouth idiot who was screaming right up until last week that the "ratings have never been higher"
[citation needed]

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Re:To be fair... by RDW · 2016-07-04 04:42 · Score: 5, Funny

He's a loud mouth idiot who was screaming right up until last week
If they want to stick with the formula, I believe Nigel Farage is now available.
Re:To be fair... by justthinkit · 2016-07-04 05:00 · Score: 3, Interesting

they really need someone dry and British.

Jimmy Carr it is then.

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Re:To be fair... by damn_registrars · 2016-07-04 05:03 · Score: 3, Insightful

they really need someone dry and British.
Jimmy Carr it is then.
I was actually quite surprised they didn't recruit him for it. He's been on both the top and bottom of the leaderboard for star in a reasonably priced car. He has the humor that would keep the show going even in the post-Clarkson era. To a global audience he's as British as the queen. And of course, his name is Carr.

I don't know what he's doing for work right now, but it certainly doesn't get as much TV time on this side of the pond as Top Gear.

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Re:To be fair... by oobayly · 2016-07-04 05:32 · Score: 1

He said that after the first episode, not the penultimate.
Re:To be fair... by Anonymous+Psychopath · 2016-07-04 06:16 · Score: 1

Matt Le Blanc isn't a bad host but they really need someone dry and British. Eventually they're going to run out of jokes about him being American.
Matt only looks decent because he's standing next to Chris most of the time.

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Re:To be fair... by LynnwoodRooster · 2016-07-04 06:50 · Score: 1

No, no we're people. We don't have souls, but we are people!

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Re:To be fair... by ytene · 2016-07-04 07:22 · Score: 1

Matt has done OK in this short run - he's a big car fan and (as his piece on the Rolls in Episode 5 shows) he has a good sense of humour. I'm also a big fan of Chris Harris and desperately hope that the poor ratings don't dent his chances of having a crack at a second season. He's a gifted driver and lots of fun behind the wheel. Having said that, you could see that he was getting a bit irked at times, especially in some of the studio work for Extra Gear. Sabine is batshit crazy and worth keeping for that reason alone. That she's also an exceptionally good driver is pure bonus.... And Rory Reid made Extra Gear his own. So how about this:- Keep Matt, Chris Harris, Sabine and Rory. Sack Chris Evans, Eddie Jordan and "the Stig"... Instead of "the Stig", let Sabine and HarrisMonkey take turns doing the hot laps...
Re:To be fair... by newcastlejon · 2016-07-04 07:45 · Score: 1

To a global audience he's as British as the queen.
And to quite a lot of the British audience he's an insufferably smug, unfunny git whose most recent claim to fame is being publicly shamed for tax avoidance.

I don't know what he's doing for work right now...
8 out of 10 Cats and not much else. I can't imagine why.

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Re:To be fair... by Jim+Hall · 2016-07-04 07:45 · Score: 1

He's a loud mouth idiot who was screaming right up until last week
If they want to stick with the formula, I believe Nigel Farage is now available.
He wasn't always screaming - sometimes he was throwing up due to motion sickness after driving around in a fast car. That doesn't seem like someone who should host a show about fast cars.
Disclaimer: I haven't watched the show. Not interested.
Re:To be fair... by viperidaenz · 2016-07-04 08:48 · Score: 2

...charmless, loud-mouthed blonde twat...?
Re:To be fair... by viperidaenz · 2016-07-04 08:50 · Score: 1

Hair colour isn't a race.
Re:To be fair... by Dogtanian · 2016-07-04 09:03 · Score: 1

Is it just a bizarre (and unintentional) coincidence that the word "ginger" is a single letter swap away from the racial epithet people were obviously referencing? :-O

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Re:To be fair... by rikkards · 2016-07-04 10:49 · Score: 1

Oxford dictionary tends to disagree:
http://www.oxforddictionaries....
(too lazy to link)
Re:To be fair... by MyGirlFriendsBroken · 2016-07-04 13:10 · Score: 1

they really need someone dry and British.
I'ld put Chris Harris into the studio, I think he has a sharp wit and could quickly gather a following

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Re:To be fair... by pipingguy · 2016-07-04 13:45 · Score: 1

Everyone's a racist now.
Re:To be fair... by wwalker · 2016-07-04 14:31 · Score: 1

I don't think when someone is saying "charmless, loud-mouthed ____ twat" they are trying to sound particularly intelligent. That's the whole point. OP is sufficiently upset about the choice of the new Top Gear host to use fairly insulting words like "twat". Also, if we didn't have enough triggers already, a color of someone's hair is off-limits too now? What's next, I can't call someone "that bold fuck" or "that blond bitch" any more? How am I supposed to refer to Donald "The Hair" Trump then?!
Re:To be fair... by NotAPK · 2016-07-04 18:15 · Score: 1

Wow, no wonder you have race issues in America.
So what do we call "racial discrimination" towards ginger people (or blond people, or black people, etc...) if you don't believe the word "racisim" is appropriate?
Do we have to invent a new word?
Re:To be fair... by stealth_finger · 2016-07-04 19:50 · Score: 1

he's busy making truck loads of money from netflix and live shows
And 8 out 10 cats does countdown. That shit's on all the time.

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Re:To be fair... by drsquare · 2016-07-04 21:30 · Score: 1

Ginger isn't a race.
Re: To be fair... by Mashiki · 2016-07-04 22:28 · Score: 1

But did Ron MacLean punch one of his colleagues in the face?
Don Cherry did but there were no charges, both people involved just dropped the whole thing(back in the 70's). MacLean never has, and has never been charged with such.

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Re:To be fair... by Rakarra · 2016-07-05 04:37 · Score: 1

but they really need someone dry and British
Ok, fine, Piers Morgan it is. Are you happy now??
Re:To be fair... by TangoMargarine · 2016-07-05 07:04 · Score: 1

Probably because nobody discriminates based on hair color? Is this really a thing? WTF?

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Re:To be fair... by NotAPK · 2016-07-05 07:12 · Score: 1

Yes my friend, it is a thing.
For exhibit A, see the GPPP post that started this whole thread of BS.
Re:To be fair... by NotAPK · 2016-07-05 07:13 · Score: 1

*Obviously GPPP == GGGP ....so fucking angry right now!!!
Re:To be fair... by TangoMargarine · 2016-07-05 07:24 · Score: 1

It's called an adjective. Not every adjective is an insult.
"It's a shitty blue car." -- is the word "blue" an epithet?

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Re:To be fair... by NotAPK · 2016-07-05 07:27 · Score: 1

"ginger twat" == "black bastard"
Neither have a place in civilized society.
Re:To be fair... by TangoMargarine · 2016-07-05 07:32 · Score: 1

You're kind of proving my point. How would you feel about the following phrases:
white bastard
Asian bastard
Hispanic bastard
It's the "bastard" part that's offensive, not the phrase as a whole.

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Re:To be fair... by damn_registrars · 2016-07-05 15:48 · Score: 1

And to quite a lot of the British audience he's an insufferably smug, unfunny git whose most recent claim to fame is being publicly shamed for tax avoidance.
I was not aware of that. You probably know that if he were in the US, he would instead be publicly celebrated for tax avoidance. Perhaps he's been corrupted by too much western contact?

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Re:To be fair... by ihtoit · 2016-07-05 18:37 · Score: 1

oh no, you can keep him. We do not want him back.

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Re: To be fair... by ihtoit · 2016-07-05 18:40 · Score: 1

was Ron McLean served a fucking salad after a thirteen hour day during which he didn't even get a piss break?

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Re:To be fair... by HornWumpus · 2016-07-06 04:14 · Score: 1

What kind of moron is ashamed of 'tax avoidance'?
Tax avoidance is legal by definition. Anybody not doing it should be ashamed.

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FACT by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 04:07 · Score: 1, Informative

Chris Evans was cocky 5 weeks ago that he had massive viewers and was quoting FACT FACT FACT on twitter, now it's a FACT he was so crap he has shut the door and turn the lights off and gone home with his tail between his legs FACT

Re:FACT by alex67500 · 2016-07-04 04:38 · Score: 2

There are also reports that he's being questioned by the police regarding sexual assault claims made against him.
Re:FACT by justthinkit · 2016-07-04 06:55 · Score: 1

Yup

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Re:FACT by stealth_finger · 2016-07-04 19:56 · Score: 1

Chris Evans was cocky 5 weeks ago that he had massive viewers and was quoting FACT FACT FACT on twitter, now it's a FACT he was so crap he has shut the door and turn the lights off and gone home with his tail between his legs FACT
I think it's probably more he was starting to smell. He had pretty much the same shitty outfit on every week. Blue jeans tucked into his fucking boots then that yellow top with scrappy black jumper.

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Viewers hate political correctness by jonnyj · 2016-07-04 04:13 · Score: 4, Insightful

I never watch Top Gear. It's not my kind of thing. But I always had a sneaking admiration for the ability of Jeremy Clarkson, the wildly popular former host, to retain his job whilst thumbing his nose at everything the politically correct thought-police hold dear. When they finally find an excuse to sack Clarkson, the cheering and whooping from Broadcasting House could be heard all over the British Isles.

I always imagined that a politically correct replacement show would tank badly with its core demographic of non-metropolitan blokes. Viewers hate being told what to think, and I'm delighted to see they've rebelled in huge numbers.

Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 04:24 · Score: 1, Insightful

I think you're right, and it isn't isolated to just this case. The political left has gone way too far, and this has rubbed normal people the wrong way too many times. That's why there's low viewership in this case. That's why Brexit happened. That's why Trump is happening in the United States. The political left ends up being the biggest generator of support for the political right!
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by ArchieBunker · 2016-07-04 04:27 · Score: 4, Informative

Firing him wasn't an excuse, he punched a co-worker. They had to fire him at that point. That said, I am a fan of him but had no idea he would get physical with anyone.

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Re:Viewers hate political correctness by PRMan · 2016-07-04 04:44 · Score: 1, Troll

In the old days, lots of people punched a co-worker. Was the guy hurt? Did they go have a beer afterward? People are too sensitive these days.

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Re:Viewers hate political correctness by AmiMoJo · 2016-07-04 04:55 · Score: 1

The show would have been better if the other two stayed and he was replaced. Those two were quite interesting, he was just a twat.

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Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 05:09 · Score: 1, Insightful

Yes, we need to get rid of all this political correctness and just laugh it off when TV presenters punch their staff. I'm sure you wouldn't mind at all if a rich person in a senior position punched you in the face, it's all just banter you know.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 05:13 · Score: 2, Informative

Now, a reasonable staff member would punch back, and the issue wouldn't exist in the first place.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Richard_at_work · 2016-07-04 05:20 · Score: 2

There's actually no rule or law which says an employer has to sack someone for a physical assault - they could have reprimanded him, fined him, put him on unpaid leave etc etc and left criminal or civil proceedings to the police and courts.
But its well known that Clarkson was disliked by the current BBC management.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by hyades1 · 2016-07-04 05:39 · Score: 3, Informative

And yet, Jimmy Savile spent half a century raping his way through nearly 600 children while the Beeb's management feigned ignorance of his depredations.

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Re:Viewers hate political correctness by JustNiz · 2016-07-04 05:53 · Score: 2

I'd just punch him back and get on with my day. Seriously kids of today are such whiny little bitches that can't take care of anything for themselves and run and hide behind the system. This apparently includes not having the balls to post their own opinions as themselves, rather than AC.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by roman_mir · 2016-07-04 05:57 · Score: 1

Firing him wasn't an excuse, he punched a co-worker. They had to fire him at that point.

- the society is sick when the system is set up in such a way that if a company doesn't fire somebody who punches somebody else, it is the company that gets screwed at the end.

--
You can't handle the truth.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 06:04 · Score: 2, Insightful

LOL you'd be the first person filing a lawsuit if someone assaulted you at Burger King.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by barc0001 · 2016-07-04 06:45 · Score: 1

> he punched a co-worker. They had to fire him at that point.
Clarkson should have bit him instead, then he would have made Director General of the BBC:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/mar/24/broadcasting.bbc
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by trailerparkcassanova · 2016-07-04 06:59 · Score: 1

John Ford punched Henry Fonda during the production of 'Mister Roberts'. Ford was canned before the movie was.
Re: Viewers hate political correctness by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 07:43 · Score: 4, Informative

^^^^ that's what we did in my time. You fist fight and live to fight another day. After it was over, you shook hands. We had a mutual respect after that.
Now a days you can't do that. My son got into a fight at school. We had to go to court. Yes real court. For a simple shoving match.
The world is fucked.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by radarskiy · 2016-07-04 07:50 · Score: 1

Except they didn't actually fire him. He was suspended while the incident was being investigated, and the BBC declined to renew his contract which was already ending. They were no obligation to renew the contract.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by SvnLyrBrto · 2016-07-04 08:08 · Score: 1

Not to say that was acceptable behavior, because it's not. But in the category of "celebrity jackassery" that little scuffle was pretty low in the hierarchy of sins. And we routinely tolerate much worse from our entertainers. Just google, for example, for those lists of celebrities who have killed people (outside of military service, that is) and see how many are not only not ostracized and blacklisted, but have been forgiven and are still actively celebrated. ('ll go ahead and toss out Caitlyn Jenner, Mathew Broderick, William S. Burroughs, Howard Hughes, and Charles S. Dutton, to start that list.)
So yeah. I'm fairly inclined, as well, to believe that the BBC execs were just waiting for an excuse to sack Clarkson; which he unfortunately gave them.

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Imagine all the people...
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by CrashNBrn · 2016-07-04 08:20 · Score: 1

AC knows some mean Kung Fu.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by BasilBrush · 2016-07-04 10:10 · Score: 4, Informative

Yes he was bloodied and dizzy and had to go to hospital. And no they didn't have a drink afterwards. There's no workplace where it's acceptable to punch a colleague other than the boxing ring.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by BasilBrush · 2016-07-04 10:16 · Score: 1

It's got nothing to do with political correctness. People turned off in droves because Clarkson et al were entertaining and the new presenters weren't. There are plenty of ways of being entertaining other than testing the limits of political correctness.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by rikkards · 2016-07-04 10:52 · Score: 2

So? Just because they made a mistake before means they have to continue?
I would say they learned and obviously learned well.
Clarkson got what was coming. I liked him on the show (and absolutely hate Evans) and am looking forward to their new show and I assume he has learned his lesson.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by mwvdlee · 2016-07-04 19:31 · Score: 1

I believe if they had just Rory and Chris Harris with somebody actually funny as lead presenter and slightly altered the format, new Top Gear would have been a lot better. Their bits are actually interresting and they seem to know their way around cars.
Instead we were left with an annoying git as lead and a show which seems to actually double down on the crappiest part "some B-stars I couldn't give a fuck less about driving around in a car I couldn't give a fuck less about".

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Re:Viewers hate political correctness by stealth_finger · 2016-07-04 21:35 · Score: 1

You punch me without provocation, im going to HURT YOU IN A PERMANENT WAY as a reminder to control yourself. Fighting is not a fucking joke. I would have permanently disfigured Clarkson if he pulled that shit on me.
Woah, we got a badass over here!

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Re:Viewers hate political correctness by mjwx · 2016-07-05 01:46 · Score: 1

Firing him wasn't an excuse, he punched a co-worker. They had to fire him at that point. That said, I am a fan of him but had no idea he would get physical with anyone.
He was fired due to politics. Certain parts of BBC management had been gunning for Clarkson for years, in particular a man named Danny Cohen who was the BBC director of television at the time. Clarkson was untouchable because he (and Wilman) owned a part of Top Gear's production company up until 2015 where the BBC bought it from them. Remember the Enie Meanie Minie Moe video debacle, that never went to air. In fact someone had to steal that off the cutting room floor and release it to the Daily Mail.

So the punch was the perfect excuse for Cohen to get his way. However it wasn't long before Cohen got his comeuppance. The entire production team quit along with Clarkson, this combined with the BBC having money troubles and asking to raise the TV tax at the same time as gutting one of their biggest earners meant that Cohen was unceremoniously dumped (asked to resign) in October 2015.

Trying to take Clarkson down ultimately caused his downfall... Meanwhile Clarkson is laughing all the way to the bank.

--
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by tehcyder · 2016-07-05 03:13 · Score: 1

In the old days, lots of people punched a co-worker.
Punched? You wimp. In my day we battered each other half to death with mattocks just to work up an appetite for breakfast.

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To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by tehcyder · 2016-07-05 03:19 · Score: 1

You punch me without provocation, im going to HURT YOU IN A PERMANENT WAY as a reminder to control yourself. Fighting is not a fucking joke. I would have permanently disfigured Clarkson if he pulled that shit on me.
Woah, we got a badass over here!
He's almost certainly an ex-Navy SEAL.

--
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by tehcyder · 2016-07-05 03:27 · Score: 1

There's actually no rule or law which says an employer has to sack someone for a physical assault
In the UK, it's pretty much covered under the general heading of "gross misconduct" which means you're liable to instant dismissal (same as for things like nicking the petty cash).

--
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Rakarra · 2016-07-05 04:39 · Score: 1

Even more reason NOT to punch a staff member, then?
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Rakarra · 2016-07-05 04:42 · Score: 1

In the old days, lots of people punched a co-worker.
Yeah, well, the old days sucked. It's better that they're in the past and you don't necessarily have to put up with the brute anymore, or the fake camaraderie of beer-drinking with an asshole.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Rakarra · 2016-07-05 04:44 · Score: 1

AC, that is a very very well-put-together satire. It straddles the line perfectly, getting the point across without being ridiculously over the top or hostile. Bravo.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Rakarra · 2016-07-05 04:46 · Score: 1

And hot man on man gay snogging -- they literally can't seem to get enough of that in their TV Shows over there
GDI, there's not nearly enough of that on BBC America.
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by Rakarra · 2016-07-05 04:47 · Score: 1

And yet, Jimmy Savile spent half a century raping his way through nearly 600 children while the Beeb's management feigned ignorance of his depredations.
Are you sure the decision makers in both cases were the exact same individuals?
Re: Viewers hate political correctness by ihtoit · 2016-07-05 18:43 · Score: 2

There is another word for it, but it isn't "progress". It does start with a P though.
Pussywhipped.

--
Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by ihtoit · 2016-07-05 18:55 · Score: 1

the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
I mean, fucking SERIOUSLY?? Is size really the determining factor for you? I have two words for you: VIET NAM.
The NVA and their allies sacked French occupation then kept the United States covering their balls for TWENTY FUCKING YEARS. With STICKS COVERED IN SHIT and captured French rifles that didn't work when it rained. And the United States, through all of their might, couldn't deal with such a poorly-equipped army of half a million with oh what was it, 2 million plus mechanised units?

--
Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by HornWumpus · 2016-07-06 04:26 · Score: 1

What? It's not reasonable to be a pussy.
Study some history you twat. The best way to get hit repeatedly is to not do anything about it.
Self defense is reasonable.

--
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Re:Viewers hate political correctness by HornWumpus · 2016-07-06 04:29 · Score: 1

You don't have to win, you just have to _hurt_ the motherfucker.
Next time, he will find someone who believed his kindergarten teacher's lies and doesn't defend himself.

--
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'

It is not like it was not expected... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 04:19 · Score: 5, Interesting

I mean the moment they announced the guy, almost everybody said he was a really bad choice. It is not only that he doesn't really know about cars, most important is the fact that nobody outside Britain finds him funny (we are talking about a show that is sold to many countries), and even the British are rather divided on this. Hiring Matt LeBlanc was a last-ditch effort, but I guess it was too little too late. Perhaps Rowan Atkinson might be persuaded to give it a go next year?

Re:It is not like it was not expected... by hyades1 · 2016-07-04 06:08 · Score: 3, Interesting

If I had mod points, I'd give you one. I suspect not many people here know that Rowan Atkinson is a hard-core car fanatic who knows his subject.
If they managed to sign him up, I'd certainly start watching again.

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I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Re:It is not like it was not expected... by mrchaotica · 2016-07-04 12:16 · Score: 1

Sounds good. And Top Gear America needs Jay Leno.

--
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
Re:It is not like it was not expected... by mwvdlee · 2016-07-04 19:34 · Score: 1

Luckily Top Gear is mostly scripted.
It seemed like improvisation, but that's mostly due to the script being very closely written for their real personalities; the old presenters basically played charicature versions of themselves.

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Re:It is not like it was not expected... by stealth_finger · 2016-07-04 21:49 · Score: 1

Luckily Top Gear is mostly scripted. It seemed like improvisation, but that's mostly due to the script being very closely written for their real personalities; the old presenters basically played charicature versions of themselves.
That was part of the problem, the script writers didn't seem to get the memo and you had evans reading lines that were clearly written for clarkson. Didn't help he wore the same outfit every week and ran around shouting like a teenager.

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Re:It is not like it was not expected... by hyades1 · 2016-07-05 05:15 · Score: 1

Excellent idea! Leno's another guy who can talk cars all day long, and make it interesting.

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I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Re:It is not like it was not expected... by hyades1 · 2016-07-05 05:19 · Score: 1

With Atkinson, I think they could even have gone beyond just trying to clone Clarkson, May and Hammond. They could have gone for a completely different dynamic and had a reasonable chance of making it work.
The bonus is that then, with any luck, we'd have had TWO great shows to watch.

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I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Re:It is not like it was not expected... by hyades1 · 2016-07-05 05:28 · Score: 1

You're right about skill sets, but Atkinson was being modest. I've seen him interviewed, and he was anything but boring. And just a little FYI: Top Gear was a bit more scripted than it seemed. It wouldn't have been a big stretch to provide lines for Atkinson, if he actually needed them.
Here's an example of Atkinson chatting with Jay Leno...about cars, among other things. He seems relaxed and easy-going, and amusing rather than drop-dead hilarious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

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I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Re:It is not like it was not expected... by ripvlan · 2016-07-06 02:11 · Score: 1

"Top Gear was a bit more scripted than it seemed" ? The last few seasons it was obviously scripted - I thought the Jerusalem special was too on-script, or the last crazy episode where they built emergency vehicles. The early days - sure it was all a setup - but they genuinely went off script. The script was a framework to help stay on track (like when they built their own caravans and Clarkson's was 3 stories tall and buffeted on the highway....cut to Capt Slow laughing his ass off).
Yeah the in studio stuff was scripted and sometimes it showed. But professional shows and humor needs that to be top quality. Listen to RadioLab - very engineered but considered to be one of the best radio/podcasts.

Replacing Clarkson, May, and Hammond is like... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 04:27 · Score: 2, Insightful

Replacing the entire cast of Monty Python, and expecting the audience to like the shit that was just shoved down their throat. The only way Top gear is going to succeed is to get Clarkson, May, and Hammond back and fire the dumbass producer that Clarkson backhanded. The US version is crap too and was just cancelled.

Re:Replacing Clarkson, May, and Hammond is like... by Feral+Nerd · 2016-07-04 04:51 · Score: 1

Replacing the entire cast of Monty Python, and expecting the audience to like the shit that was just shoved down their throat. The only way Top gear is going to succeed is to get Clarkson, May, and Hammond back and fire the dumbass producer that Clarkson backhanded. The US version is crap too and was just cancelled.
I didn't even like "the shit" before they changed the cast.... on another note how is this 'News for Nerds'? Did they use a giant trebuchet to eject Evans from the BBC building and into that swampy pond in Hammersmith Park? ... because that would be (a) funny and (b) 'News for Nerds'.

Clarkson et al... by Anna+Merikin · 2016-07-04 04:27 · Score: 3, Insightful

might have been boors, but were never bores.

Yeah, didn't see that coming! by Ecuador · 2016-07-04 04:29 · Score: 1

I was rather shocked at the announcement of Chris Evans - I am not British, but I currently live in the UK and he's one of the people on TV here that I don't get at all. Well, I thought, perhaps he is more versatile than I give him credit for? Then I saw them hiring Matt LeBlanc at the last moment, "oh, so he is not more versatile, and they realize it now... uh oh...". In any case I tried watching the premiere with my wife, who is not a big fan of Top Gear, but usually enjoys the good episodes (and is also a big "Friends" fan). Well, she left about 3 minutes into the premiere and I stayed a bit longer but gave up as well after a while... Maybe I'll give it another go next year with another presenter/format (or wait for another car show coming to a streaming service near you, wink, wink...)

--
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Re:Yeah, didn't see that coming! by JustNiz · 2016-07-04 05:37 · Score: 4, Insightful

I totally agree. I never did get what anyone ever saw in Evans.Have no idea why the BBC ever hired him for anything,
GT (the old TG team) will be hitting Amazon Prime in supposedly 8 weeks or so with a budget per episode that makes what the BBC gave them look like pocket change. Just what the doctor ordered to get rid of the awful aftertaste of the first season of the new Top Gear.

Good. by mustermark · 2016-07-04 04:31 · Score: 2

As a fellow unfiltered mouther, I'm glad that Clarkson's boot has had repercussions. The show was about cars, not politics and diplomacy.

PC BS by megalomaniacs4u · 2016-07-04 04:35 · Score: 3, Interesting

What the BBC forgot - Clarkson/May/Hammond Top Gear was basically Last of the Summer Wine with Cars & decent locations & slick production.

The got the cars/locations/production about right but got the chemistry wrong & went with Chris Evans purile humour. Matt LeBlanc seemed to get it, but was badly let down.

Re:PC BS by tehcyder · 2016-07-05 03:39 · Score: 1

Clarkson/May/Hammond Top Gear was basically Last of the Summer Wine with Cars
Except that Top Gear was funny.

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To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it

It's Not His Fault by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 04:38 · Score: 4, Insightful

It's not his fault, alone. The show sucks. Matt Leblanc sucks.

BBC failed to realize that the popularity of the show was due to Clarkson, Hammond, and May combined. Watch an episode where it is only any two of them and it sucks. Those specific three COMBINED are just the right chemistry for hilarity. Watch the American TopGear, it sucks. Australian TopGear, it sucks.

The whole of TopGear UK was greater than the sum of its parts. Here's hoping that Amazon's The Grand Tour, with the real TopGear crew, won't let us down.

Re:It's Not His Fault by Ries · 2016-07-04 05:18 · Score: 1

Even thou most of it is "scripted", I watched it for their wild trips and screwing each other over. Don't care about cars at all.
Re:It's Not His Fault by serviscope_minor · 2016-07-04 05:30 · Score: 1

BBC failed to realize that the popularity of the show was due to Clarkson, Hammond, and May combined
No, I expect they knew it well, but you know Clarckson punched his producer so they had little choice but to fire him.

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SJW n. One who posts facts.
Re: It's Not His Fault by bestweasel · 2016-07-04 08:01 · Score: 1

Just like the management and staff of the hospitals, children's homes, charities etc where Savile molested a lot of his victims. Maybe they were all in on the conspiracy.
Re:It's Not His Fault by serviscope_minor · 2016-07-04 08:37 · Score: 1

Aah I see. So, because they majorly fucked up in the past, they should definitely keep on fucking up, because why try to improve?

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SJW n. One who posts facts.
Re:It's Not His Fault by tehcyder · 2016-07-05 03:53 · Score: 1

"Little choice" but to fire Clarkson? That's hilarious. A child-molesting pervert hunted on BBC premises for close to half a century, claiming nearly 600 victims. Their upper management claimed they had no idea.
So yes, they had a choice.
The BBC upper management had no more idea than the rest of the country.
The idea that they were all involved in some sort of left wing/paedophile conspiracy is simply absurd.

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To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
Re:It's Not His Fault by ihtoit · 2016-07-05 19:22 · Score: 1

bullshit.
They KNEW what he was doing, they just turned a blind eye to it because he pulled in the viewers away from ITV.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...
In 1969, a 16-year-old girl was molested by Savile while standing next to him on a podium during the filming of Top Of The Pops. She complained to a member of staff but was "ejected from the building and left on the street". That girl was Colleen Nolan.
In 1976, Savile molested a young girl on camera while filming Top of the Pops. She complained to an employee, who told her to get out of the way, as staff were trying to move a camera.
Douglas Muggeridge, then controller of Radio 1, launched an inquiry into rumours of Savile's behaviour in 1973 and also asked a press officer to investigate whether the rumours were known on Fleet Street. But Savile denied the allegations and the inquiry was closed. Police were not informed.
When a junior female employee at Television Centre complained to her supervisor that she had been sexually assaulted by Savile, she was told "keep your mouth shut, he is a VIP".
http://order-order.com/2016/02...
They knew. They didn't want to do anything about it because he was too well connected.

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Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel

Do the smart thing BBC by ttyX · 2016-07-04 04:39 · Score: 2

End the show for good, it was never going to top the original everybody knew it and it has happened. Waiting for the grand tour now.

Well of course! What did they expect! by PRMan · 2016-07-04 04:45 · Score: 2

You can't put Captain AMERICA on a British show... (Yes, I know. It's a joke, guys...)

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Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...

Re:USA 2, UK 0 by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 04:57 · Score: 1

For all we know LeBlanc and whoever replaces the loud mouth will come up with a new format which will succeed, rather than just try to act as replacements for the former hosts.

Only time will tell how big of a victory this will be.

Here's an idea by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2016-07-04 05:01 · Score: 5, Funny

Maybe they should bring Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, and Courtney Cox on board to co-host the show. During the season, they could all share a London flat - maybe have some special episodes hosted from the flat.

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#DeleteChrome

Re:Here's an idea by ThatsNotPudding · 2016-07-04 12:56 · Score: 1

Maybe they should bring Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, and Courtney Cox on board to co-host the show. During the season, they could all share a London flat - maybe have some special episodes hosted from the flat.
With Jezza as Ugly Naked Guy.

Re:WHY IS THIS HERE?! by InfiniteBlaze · 2016-07-04 05:02 · Score: 1

Probably because some people who frequent the site care about the show. It could very well be that this site wasn't designed with only you and your tastes in mind...nerds come in many flavors.

Re:WHY IS THIS HERE?! by TigerPlish · 2016-07-04 05:15 · Score: 3, Interesting

Because it's news for nerds. Oh, there are more nerds than you think they are. I think your definition of nerd is extremely narrow.

There are car nerds, computer nerds, aviation nerds, boat/ship nerds, literature nerds, and more.

So yes, an article about a controversial (and beloved) TV show that was about cars, politics and humor appeals to a broad spectrum of nerds and merits discussion on a board about news for nerds.

I rarely reply to ACs but this whole "DOES THIS BELONG HERE" faction is even screechier and irritating than SJWs.

GO away. If you don't like Slashdot, GTFO. Do I need to spell it out for you? OUT!

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Wrong approach ... by garry_g · 2016-07-04 05:16 · Score: 3, Insightful

The BBC, the new Top Gear production team, or Evans (or combination of those) made one major mistake - they attempted to copy the original Top Gear team ...
When TG US started, they also tried to set up the format identical to the UK original - and more or less failed. Until they found their own way and just stuck to the format of doing their show ...
And unless TG UK tries to actually do their own thing (albeit that might take another season or two of learning), they will fail again ...

Re:Wrong approach ... by umafuckit · 2016-07-04 06:47 · Score: 3, Interesting

I agree, the lack of any real change was a big problem for them. Without a format shift it was Top Gear without Clarkson and Co and that just didn't work. Top Gear worked because of the chemistry the three presenters had; they obviously got on and were having fun, which drew you in as a viewer. There was no chemistry between Evans and LeBlanc so everything felt contrived. I think if the BBC want it to survive they should keep LeBlanc and just let him pick two other people who he really wants to work and go with that. If they fail a second time around the series is dead on the BBC.

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YAAAAAAAYY!!! by JustNiz · 2016-07-04 05:29 · Score: 1

YAAAAAAAYY!!! what were they ever thinking choosing Evans in the first place? H'es such an irritating little twat who obviously knows nothing about cars (Yes I know he's bought a lot of very expensive cars such as GTO but clearly money doesn't also automatically buy skill or knowledge). Hopefully the BBC have finally come to their senses and will now put Chris Harris in charge.

"Monty Python" by demon+driver · 2016-07-04 05:42 · Score: 1

Yes, except neither of the Pythons was an arsehole or would have punched an underling because of not serving him well enough.

Re: "Monty Python" by bestweasel · 2016-07-04 07:56 · Score: 1

Yep, neither Monty nor Python was known for being an arsehole.
Re:"Monty Python" by mwvdlee · 2016-07-04 19:37 · Score: 1

Ofcourse not, they would have used fish.

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Re:"Monty Python" by HornWumpus · 2016-07-06 04:41 · Score: 1

Chapman was a notorious asshole when drunk. Er, arsehole.

--
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'

Three men and some cars by jrq · 2016-07-04 06:03 · Score: 5, Insightful

The formula for Top Gear, after Clarkson completely revamped it from a very pedestrian ordinary car review show, was lifted, almost directly from Jerome K Jerome's Three Men in a Boat. A quintessential English novel that captured the relationship, in-fighting, sulking, and entertaining dynamic of three men on a boat trip. This theatre was played out week after week on Top Gear, when they went on their contrived, ridiculous, and entertaining adventures. By missing this enormous formula, the producers of the show delivered a turkey. Two hosts, do not give you the opportunity to pit two against one, with the teams always changing.

The signature segment, "star in a reasonably priced car" worked because the guests were driving cars that average people owned. The replacement with a super-charged mini on a part rally course misses this point completely. Top Gear was always silly, slightly annoying, superbly shot and soundtracked.

Chris Evans, who seems to only have one set of clothes in his wardrobe, was shouty, predictable, and seemingly incapable of interviewing anyone. Matt Le Blanc was surprisingly good.

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Re:Three men and some cars by michael_wojcik · 2016-07-05 04:47 · Score: 1

To say nothing of the Top Gear dog! (And we may ask, was Top Gear Germany based on JKJ's "Three Men on the Bummel"?)
I agree, though, that the three-hosts arrangement was indispensable to the TG formula, along with the "Ambitious but Rubbish" DIY disasters and general amateurishness, both of which are certainly features of "Three Men on a Boat".
Re:Three men and some cars by jrq · 2016-07-05 04:53 · Score: 1

I only just found out about the TG dog, which makes the comparison even stronger, given that it was almost as fictitious as the dog in the book.

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My UID is prime!

Matt LeBlanc is why i stopped watching by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 06:04 · Score: 1

I can't stand Matt LeBlanc in this show, he's not even remotely funny or clever. who ever thought putting a has been american actor known for 1 successful show and a string of horrible failures was a good idea is beyond me.

Chris Evans was meh, but it was Matt that made me lose interest entirely.

Top Gear US already exists we don't need another.

Re:Matt LeBlanc is why i stopped watching by viperidaenz · 2016-07-04 08:56 · Score: 1

Top Gear US doesn't exist anymore
Re:Matt LeBlanc is why i stopped watching by mrchaotica · 2016-07-04 12:21 · Score: 1

That sounds more like "in limbo because the History Channel doesn't want it" than "cancelled because the BBC doesn't want it."

--
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
Re:Matt LeBlanc is why i stopped watching by dysmal · 2016-07-05 02:52 · Score: 1

That sounds more like "in limbo because the History Channel is disputing the awaiting tests for that abomination" than "cancelled because the BBC doesn't want it."
FTFY

Re:Medical issue? by vux984 · 2016-07-04 08:09 · Score: 2

You misread the AC. The AC claims that Clarkson was at the time stressed out by a potentially serious medical issue (a cancer scare); not that the 'medical issue' was the late meal itself.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/ce...

I'm not saying that excuses him, but assuming its true, it would have been a source of major stress.

Re:USA 2, UK 0 by Anonymous Coward · 2016-07-04 08:20 · Score: 1

240 years is a bit of a gap to declare a double whammy....

Sounds like you've not done much of worth in the intervening years!

The BBC have succeeded by viperidaenz · 2016-07-04 08:54 · Score: 1

Top Gear UK is now as popular as Top Gear Australia (Cancelled) and Top Gear USA (Cancelled).

Re:Always going to be the case by viperidaenz · 2016-07-04 08:55 · Score: 1

Did Jeremy Clarkson offend you? You would like a tissue?

Under investigation for 1990s sexual assaults?!?! by edwartr · 2016-07-04 08:57 · Score: 1

Could it be that he was forced by the BBC to leave after it was announced that the police were going to investigate him for sexual assaults in the 1990s? This story has spread in the UK a lot and seems to push to a bigger reason why he left. OR it could just be more of a smear campaign; but his leaving sure does let the BBC off the hook with him and Top Gear. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

Re:They still make Top Gear? by petermgreen · 2016-07-04 09:04 · Score: 1

Clarkson got fired after hitting a producer effectively ending the series in progress. There was a farewell episode some time after the incident which IIRC used already-recorded location footage, studio footage with just Hammond and May.and a voiceover recorded by clarkson. Hammond and May also left the show out of solidarity with Clarkson. The trio went to Amazon where they have been working on a new car show (which has not been released yet so it's yet to be seen how succesful it will be).

Meanwhile the BBC who still own the "TOP Gear" trademarks, distribution contracts etc started casting up a new iteration of the show. The first series of this aired recently to dissapointing ratings.

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Stuff that matters by andrewa · 2016-07-04 10:37 · Score: 1

And what does this have to do with tech news exactly?

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Re:Stuff that matters by andrewa · 2016-07-11 09:02 · Score: 1

says the anonymous coward... I mistakenly thought that /. might focus on tech news, but I've only been on this site for about eighteen years, so it's a forgivable error. Mea culpa...

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The first of many by Wuhao · 2016-07-04 11:37 · Score: 2

It is whispered that the Lead Presenter shall meet an untimely end every year, unless BBC once again appoints Lord Clarksomort.

Re:Top Gear 2.0 versus 3.0 by mrchaotica · 2016-07-04 12:09 · Score: 1

Nah, this is like 5.0 or something by now -- there's also Top Gear Australia and Top Gear America, at a minimum. None of them are as good as Clarkson/Hammond/May.

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Re:Top Gear 2.0 versus 3.0 by ACDChook · 2016-07-04 13:49 · Score: 1

Don't forget Top Gear Russia and Top Gear Korea.

I think I have a recommendation to offer... by Mal-2 · 2016-07-04 14:54 · Score: 1

Of course they'll have to work it around his (already limited) tournament schedule, but I think this guy would go over really well. He's famous, he likes fast cars, and he's got the necessary mixture of feigned modesty and self-deprecation the job requires.

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Re:Under investigation for 1990s sexual assaults?! by stealth_finger · 2016-07-04 23:21 · Score: 1

Could it be that he was forced by the BBC to leave after it was announced that the police were going to investigate him for sexual assaults in the 1990s? This story has spread in the UK a lot and seems to push to a bigger reason why he left. OR it could just be more of a smear campaign; but his leaving sure does let the BBC off the hook with him and Top Gear. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

Protip, if you want any kind of credibility don't link to the daily fail. Every thing on there is misrepresented at best.

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Who Ever Was To Replace Clarkson was Screwed by cozytom · 2016-07-05 02:39 · Score: 1

It didn't matter who they picked to replace Clarkson, they were gonna suck. Maybe there were some good choices out there to host the show, all the smart ones said "No" because they would be judged as; Not Clarkson.

No one ever heard of Chris, at least in the US, but now they have. He may have more opportunities now. He may have less who knows. It was a gamble for him, certainly, and I don't blame him for trying.

Matt LeBlanc sort of pulls off a Hammond imitation. I don't think he could be the main host like Mr Clarkson was. If Matt was offered the main host position, he was smart to not take it.

Top gear is still on? by ebvwfbw · 2016-07-05 12:07 · Score: 1

I thought they buried that show long ago. Should have been. All scripted anyhow. Remember the slashdot article on the Tesla? Yea, what crap.

Good riddance. Now bring back the old team by ihtoit · 2016-07-05 18:20 · Score: 1

It is NOT Top Gear without Clarkson, Hammond and May. At least THEY didn't have to use a laughtrack.

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Re: Americans by HornWumpus · 2016-07-06 04:20 · Score: 1

Jay Leno was last funny decades ago, before he had a TV show.

He's also too expensive.

But anybody would be better than the morons on American Top Gear.

I'd pick the host from 'pinks', the girl with the big tits from extreme 4x4 and Myth Busters and any retired popular NASCAR driver available (to get the rednecks watching).

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John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'

Slashdot Mirror

Top Gear Host Chris Evans Steps Down After Poor Ratings (theverge.com)

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