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

A number of readers have submitted news coming out of popular show Top Gear. Chris Evans has announced he is leaving his role as a presenter on BBC Two's Top Gear after one series. His resignation comes amid falling ratings for the show -- which hit a series low on Sunday night, with an average of 1.9 million viewers. The Verge reports:Evans was brought in alongside Matt LeBlanc and host of other new faces to fill the positions left by Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. The first series of the show had poor ratings, with fewer than 2 million viewers tuning into its series finale this weekend -- lower than any episode helmed by Clarkson.

Comments

of course

[Anonymous Coward]

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

[somenickname]

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

[bestweasel]

He hosts a breakfast radio show, I think because it helps to hurry people out of their homes in the morning.

It is not like it was not expected...

[Anonymous Coward]

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:To be fair...

[RDW]

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.

Here's an idea

[93 Escort Wagon]

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.

Three men and some cars

[jrq]

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.