Future of Top Gear?

[WelshAvenger]

So, with the report on Fracas-gate to be delivered next week and Jeremy Clarkson's future to be decided, what are your opinions?

Can the show move forward without him? Personally, I don't think it can. The dynamic between all three current presenters is too good to believe they can slot anyone else in to the mix and expect them to fit in. This leads to the question of what to do with Richard Hammond and James May? Would they even want to continue without Clarkson? If they all decided to leave, that would end a program that's been on BBC tv since I can remember back in the eighties.

I don't think it's a coincidence that this has happened at a time when all three presenter's contracts are due for renegotiation and that SKY tv is planning a program called "Full Throttle". I can only imagine what a coup it would be for SKY to poach all three guys and throw money at them.

The BBC clearly can't be seen to condone Clarkson's behaviour, but a good producer should know how to handle his presenters, even the difficult ones. Top Gear has been sold to lots of countries and is viewed in 350 around the world making it one of, if not the, most watched British TV programmes ever. Strange days ahead.

[Prototype_No.98]

I dont think Top Gear has any hope at all without Clarkson, he is the bounding block that holds the whole show together.
I wouldnt be surprised if Richard or James decided to walk out as well if they were to give Clarkson the boot.

Top Gear is one of the most popular and most capitalised show the BBC has, and they are going to struggle very hard to find a replacement for Clarkson, never mind the viewers that would want to continue watching it. And we all know how good they are at finding presenters recently... *Cough* American Top Gear *Cough*

[Mike]

Without Clarkson, Top Gear will die...
Hammond and May did not want to film the last few episode's of the seaon.

I would like top gear to return.
But he should not have hit someone...

[Macha]

There's a petition currently for Alan partridge to take over.

I'd actually kind of love that

[Husker]

Well Sky does have silly amounts of money. You can bet they will at least let the 3 know they're interested. The thing is do we really want Top Gear with adverts???

[Sysil]

This leads to the question of what to do with Richard Hammond and James May? Would they even want to continue without Clarkson? If they all decided to leave, that would end a program that's been on BBC tv since I can remember back in the eighties.

I heard that Hammond and May will not go on if Clarkson is not there.

http://jalopnik.com/report-may-and-hamm ... 1692385797

[Fitzgerald]

Been a fan of Top Gear for over ten years. Anyone who has watched the show regularly knows that Clarkson can be a bit of an ass sometimes, but this recent incident is outrageous. Assaulting a colleague because one's supper is not to one's satisfaction? What kind of colossal asshole does one have to be to do this? How large must your sense of self-entitlement be to react in this way?

It's interesting that Jezza only admitted the incident when the entire Top Gear production team, in solidarity with their victimized colleague, gave him the cold shoulder. Ask yourself, if you were a producer or cameraman or stagehand whether you'd work with somebody who will yell at you for 30min then punch you out because you brought him a Chai Mocca Latte instead of a Macchiato (or whatever).

Top Gear without Clarkson isn't Top Gear. I imagine the other UK networks will pick him and the other two up and create a new car show.

And then, mark my words, we'll be back having this same conversation again when Jezza is caught on video punching out somebody else who doesn't meet milord's exacting standards.

[Husker]

Tbh i think the whole thing has bee blown out of proportion. I think there's more to the story than just a punch. Maybe the producer pushed him to far or something. The way i see it is not to think of it as a presenter punching a producer but of 2 people arguing and one getting punched. Seems that way to me anyway.

[Mike]

Yea I also think we do not know everything, and ofcourse media will only focus on JC giving the punch...
But he should have know better then to give a punch...

but media has been trying to bring him down for a long time now...

[Husker]

Well that solves that then.

http://www.eteknix.com/top-gears-clarks ... will-go-on