Television Top Gear

If he does get fired, himself and the daughter from that Korean airline should set up an online seminar for interpersonal communication.
 
Dont get why people say without clarkson theres no top gear.
Not like hes a great comic wit, or that charming or clever.
Hes just become a bit of an obnoxious dickhead and at this point i'd say replacing him would probably improve the show.

I remember people saying the same about have i got news for you and thats still going 10 / 15 (?) years after.
 
Have I Got News For You isn't as funny as it used to be. I don't bother watching it anymore even despite the brainwave of having different main presenters - the same happened with Never Mind the Buzzcocks. I guess you are right in that it could carry on but there will be plenty that lose interest especially if they don't hire a good presenter - who is out there?

Clarkson is Top Gear, without him it wouldn't be the same. Plus watch the US version of Top Gear and you'll see (admittedly I've only watched a couple of them a while back but I felt it was enough to decide it was sub-par version of my usual Top Gear fix).

Add to that Clarkson could reinvent a Top Gear clone on Sky.
 
Have I Got News For You isn't as funny as it used to be. I don't bother watching it anymore even despite the brainwave of having different main presenters - the same happened with Never Mind the Buzzcocks. I guess you are right in that it could carry on but there will be plenty that lose interest especially if they don't hire a good presenter - who is out there?

Clarkson is Top Gear, without him it wouldn't be the same. Plus watch the US version of Top Gear and you'll see (admittedly I've only watched a couple of them a while back but I felt it was enough to decide it was sub-par version of my usual Top Gear fix).

Add to that Clarkson could reinvent a Top Gear clone on Sky.

I still like it but i'd agree it used to be better.
Angus Deaton was a better presenter than Clarkson though imo and was genuinely difficult to replace.

I think the writers for Top Gear are great and in theory they'd still be there so ...
Theres been a few cases of good bbc presenters or shows being reinvented on ITV or wherever and bombing, i wouldn't assume it would be a seemless transfer.
 
One thing I will concede to the BBC Top Gear team is their production work.

The shots they get with their cameras it is brilliant. They nail it pretty much most of the time. Even the stupid stunts. Presentation and delivery is everything.
 
Dont get why people say without clarkson theres no top gear.
Not like hes a great comic wit, or that charming or clever.
Hes just become a bit of an obnoxious dickhead and at this point i'd say replacing him would probably improve the show.

I remember people saying the same about have i got news for you and thats still going 10 / 15 (?) years after.
Show would be nothing without Clarkson tbh. To the casual viewer, he is the man.
 
It's The Clarkson Show. He's the reason the BBC have the most watched factual TV series in the world.

Replacing a personality with someone equally/more talented doesn't necessarily mean a more popular product. The audience like presenters whom they've grown to know. It'd be like replacing an old friend with someone who has nicer hair and whiter teeth. That would be irrelevant to why you liked them in the first place.
 
What like Des Lynam? or Jonathan Ross? Or Doctor Who?

I literally don't understand why the BBC is getting any flack for this. Or why Clarckson is being held up as some kind of campaign worthy paraiah to some. He punched one of his staff. If he's sacked, it'll be his fault. He can go and create a show on Sky if he likes, which won't be as watched as Top Gear, but it'll be his problem, not the Beebs. It's not like they're putting him in jail.

When did the UK turn into the American bible belt? Convinced that the evil liberal left and their demonic political correctness is an all conquering supressive super power that needs a maverick hero to fight against it? It's not like we have a Tory government, or a populist right wing opposition group lead by a similarly chain smoking unPC goon, or another unPC goon as the mayor of our capital city, or that our biggest selling papers are all right wing tabloids, or that Clarkson himself isn't one of the highest paid TV stars in the country or anything. God bless Jezza for being the last bastian of that kind of thing. We'd truly be lost in a sea of sandles and lesbians without him. What kind of mental opposite world are you living in?

I just about understood the dated outrage of the "we can't even say Paki anymore" lot when he was criticised for the Mexican stuff. Or the hooker stuff. Or even the n-word stuff. But what can anyone possibly be annoyed about here? That we can't go around punching our subordinates anymore? Damn the BBC! What a bunch of stuffy PC wankers.

What is actually wrong with people? When more people are concerned about saving Jeremy Clarkson than the NHS, we are well and truly fecked.
 
Last edited:
Pretty much. Most of the defence created for him has very little to do with the actual incident (but HE IS TOP GEAR/How much money does he make the BBC?).
 
To be fair, most of us who'd like him binned want it more out of disliking the things he says rather than a belief the BBC must have zero tolerance on producer punching.
 
What like Des Lynam? or Johanthan Ross? Or Doctor Who?

I literally don't understand why the BBC is getting any flack for this. Or why Clarckson is being held up as some kind of campaign worthy paraiah to some. He punched one of his staff. If he's sacked, it'll be his fault. He can go and create a show on Sky if he likes, which won't be as watched as Top Gear, but it'll be his problem, not the Beebs. It's not like they're putting him in jail.

When did the UK turn into the American bible belt? Convinced that the evil liberal left and their demonic political correctness is an all conquering supressive super power that needs a maverik hero to fight against it? It's not like we have a Tory government, or a populist right wing opposition group lead by a chain smoking unPC goon, or a similarly unPC goon as the mayor of our capital city, or that our biggest selling papers are all right wing tabloids, or that Clarkson himself isn't one of the highest paid TV stars in the country or anything. God bless Jezza for being the last bastian of that kind of thing. We'd truly be lost in a sea of sandles and lesbians without him. What kind of mental opposite world are you living in?

I just about understood the dated outrage of the "we can't even say Paki anymore" lot when he was criticised for the Mexican stuff. Or the hooker stuff. Or even the n-word stuff. But what can anyone possibly be annoyed about here? That we can't go around punching our subordinates anymore? Damn the BBC! What a bunch of stuff wankers.

What is actually wrong with people? When more people are concerned about saving Jeremy Clarkson than the NHS, we are well and truly fecked.


It's a sign of the times, Clarkson is viewed as a bastion of old school men who drink, smoke, and like motors (I include myself in that). Clarkson support in my view is a backlash against political correctness,
 
Pretty much. Most of the defence created for him has very little to do with the actual incident (but HE IS TOP GEAR/How much money does he make the BBC?).

Even the idea that the BBC need him, let alone owe him, is ridiculous. The BBC is one of the world's biggest institutions. It's run for 92 years. It's success or failure doesn't rest on the success of Top Gear, however big it currently is. It's lost many popular institutions in it's time (Dr Who and MOTD in the recent past alone - both far more 'institutionalised' than Top Gear) without so much as a blink. Not to mention that if he really is the show's load bearing pillock, he can take it to another channel and be just as successful (which even his most ardent supporters know probably wont happen) and everyone will be happy. However many hit peices you may read in the Express, I dont know why the Beeb should have any obligation to keep him on.

To be fair, most of us who'd like him binned want it more out of disliking the things he says rather than a belief the BBC must have zero tolerance on producer punching.

Everyone should have zero tolerance on punching their staff tbf, but I don't even really care about Clarkson. I care about the ocean of idiots who see him as a crusading anti-establishment hero when the world is full of people like him. And most of them run it!

It's a sign of the times, Clarkson is viewed as a bastion of old school men who drink, smoke, and like motors (I include myself in that). Clarkson support in my view is a backlash against political correctness,

I agree, it is, but it's a completely misguided one. It's the reaction of a demographic who've had 95% of the world's privilage afforded them for 95% of their existence, suddenly being told they can only have 90, and acting like it's some great cultural genocide. As I said in that post, nearly everyone in power in this country is of the same ilk as Clarkson. He's a maverick against nothing, besides perhaps the largely powerless. Against the evil Guardian readers who make up a paltry fraction of the sales of his beloved Sun. It's a ridiculous perspective. In fact it's a perspective devoid of any perspective.

And besides, what does punching your subordinates have to do with political correctness?

But more importantly than all that, we should appreciate just how good the phrase "load-bearing pillock" was. Cos I was very pleased with that.
 
Last edited:
Even the idea that the BBC need him, let alone owe him, is ridiculous. The BBC is one of the world's biggest institutions. It's success or failure doesn't rest on the success of Top Gear, however successful it currently is. It's lost many popular institutions in it's time (it lost both Dr Who and MOTD in the very recent past) without so much as a stumble. Not to mention that if he really is the shows load bearing pillock, he can take it to another channel and be just as successful (which even the most ardent supporters know probably wont happen) and everyone will be happy. So I'm completely lost on what the problem here actually is...



Everyone should have zero tolerance on punching their staff tbf, but I don't even really care about Clarkson. I care about the ocean of idiots who see him as a crusading anti-establishment hero when the world is full of people like him. And most of them run the country!



I agree, it is, but it's a completely misguided one. It's the reaction of a demographic who've had 95% of the world's privilage afforded them for 95% of their existence, suddenly being told they can only have 90, and acting like it's some great cultural genocide. As I said in that post, nearly everyone in power in this country is of the same ilk as Clarkson. He's as a maverick against the largely powerless. Against the evil Guardian readers who make up a paltry fraction of the sales of his beloved Sun. It's a ridiculous perspective. In fact it's a perspective devoid of any perspective.

And besides, what on earth does punching your subordinates have to do with political correctness?

But more importantly than all that, we should all appreciate how good the phrase "load-bearing pillock" was.
Even the idea that the BBC need him, let alone owe him, is ridiculous. The BBC is one of the world's biggest institutions. It's success or failure doesn't rest on the success of Top Gear, however successful it currently is. It's lost many popular institutions in it's time (it lost both Dr Who and MOTD in the very recent past) without so much as a stumble. Not to mention that if he really is the shows load bearing pillock, he can take it to another channel and be just as successful (which even the most ardent supporters know probably wont happen) and everyone will be happy. So I'm completely lost on what the problem here actually is...



Everyone should have zero tolerance on punching their staff tbf, but I don't even really care about Clarkson. I care about the ocean of idiots who see him as a crusading anti-establishment hero when the world is full of people like him. And most of them run the country!

Interesting response, most people will view the issue as Clarkson deserves to be treated as any employee would. Currently the BBC have acted before there being any internal conclusion as to what has happened, it's strange. I think Clarkson is a massive bell end, not a fan, but think in this scenario the BBC have been stupid, which is not surprising they have a precedent.



I agree, it is, but it's a completely misguided one. It's the reaction of a demographic who've had 95% of the world's privilage afforded them for 95% of their existence, suddenly being told they can only have 90, and acting like it's some great cultural genocide. As I said in that post, nearly everyone in power in this country is of the same ilk as Clarkson. He's as a maverick against the largely powerless. Against the evil Guardian readers who make up a paltry fraction of the sales of his beloved Sun. It's a ridiculous perspective. In fact it's a perspective devoid of any perspective.

And besides, what on earth does punching your subordinates have to do with political correctness?

But more importantly than all that, we should appreciate just how good the phrase "load-bearing pillock" was. Cos I was very pleased with that.
Even the idea that the BBC need him, let alone owe him, is ridiculous. The BBC is one of the world's biggest institutions. It's success or failure doesn't rest on the success of Top Gear, however successful it currently is. It's lost many popular institutions in it's time (it lost both Dr Who and MOTD in the very recent past) without so much as a blink. Not to mention that if he really is the shows load bearing pillock, he can take it to another channel and be just as successful (which even the most ardent supporters know probably wont happen) and everyone will be happy.



Everyone should have zero tolerance on punching their staff tbf, but I don't even really care about Clarkson. I care about the ocean of idiots who see him as a crusading anti-establishment hero when the world is full of people like him. And most of them run it!



I agree, it is, but it's a completely misguided one. It's the reaction of a demographic who've had 95% of the world's privilage afforded them for 95% of their existence, suddenly being told they can only have 90, and acting like it's some great cultural genocide. As I said in that post, nearly everyone in power in this country is of the same ilk as Clarkson. He's as a maverick against the largely powerless. Against the evil Guardian readers who make up a paltry fraction of the sales of his beloved Sun. It's a ridiculous perspective. In fact it's a perspective devoid of any perspective.

And besides, what on earth does punching your subordinates have to do with political correctness?

But more importantly than all that, we should appreciate just how good the phrase "load-bearing pillock" was. Cos I was very pleased with that.
 
If that's an attempt to repeat my pillock joke enough times to gain noteriety, I thank you.
 
Last edited:
Top Gear has become tired and predictable in recent years. Maybe getting rid of Clarkson could give it a chance to reinvent itself and become a car show where the cars are they main point and not all the hijinks.
 
What is actually wrong with people? When more people are concerned about saving Jeremy Clarkson than the NHS, we are well and truly fecked.
It's the trivialisation of modern life combined with the media going bonkers over one of their own. He's a tedious old dino whose increasingly shit behaviour has crossed the line. Sack the forker and move on.
 
It's also bizarre we're talking about Clarkson as an irreplaceable totem for a programme that has been on air since 1977! My earliest memories of the show are of Quentin Wilson rather than Clarkson, and I'm not even that old. Obviously the new iteration has been far more succesful, but some are talking like he created the brand, nurtured it from infancy and produced every segment himself. Clarkson was on the old show when it was cancelled, so it's not like his star pulling power was the magic dust it's being painted as. It was clearly more the format change than the presenter that boosted it's popularity, because only one of them changed.

It was a brilliantly made show at it's peak though, whatever I think of Jezza, but if it wants to continue as a proper institution (like the aformentioned Dr Who or MOTD) it's gonna need to regenerate at some point anyway, like it did before. And from a media savvy POV, it's better to do that while it's still relevant (and in the aftermath of a cultural controversy to boot!) than in the trough of it's popularity. It might not find an immediate heir apparent, but it'll find one eventually. Like Chris Evans found Jonny Vaughn, or SNL found every American comedian ever. Or indeed Tiff Needell and Quentin Wilson found Clarkson himself.

Anyone who thinks it wont evidently knows nothing about TV. Or more crucially, the genuis of that pillock joke.
 
Last edited:
When did the UK turn into the American bible belt? Convinced that the evil liberal left and their demonic political correctness is an all conquering supressive super power that needs a maverick hero to fight against it? It's not like we have a Tory government, or a populist right wing opposition group lead by a similarly chain smoking unPC goon, or another unPC goon as the mayor of our capital city, or that our biggest selling papers are all right wing tabloids, or that Clarkson himself isn't one of the highest paid TV stars in the country or anything.

We live in a country where the Prime Minister, the Mayor of London and the Archbishop of Canterbury are all old Etonians; where public schoolboys shape more than half of Britain's "elite"

(Source: The Independent)
 
What like Des Lynam? or Jonathan Ross? Or Doctor Who?

I literally don't understand why the BBC is getting any flack for this. Or why Clarckson is being held up as some kind of campaign worthy paraiah to some. He punched one of his staff. If he's sacked, it'll be his fault. He can go and create a show on Sky if he likes, which won't be as watched as Top Gear, but it'll be his problem, not the Beebs. It's not like they're putting him in jail.

When did the UK turn into the American bible belt? Convinced that the evil liberal left and their demonic political correctness is an all conquering supressive super power that needs a maverick hero to fight against it? It's not like we have a Tory government, or a populist right wing opposition group lead by a similarly chain smoking unPC goon, or another unPC goon as the mayor of our capital city, or that our biggest selling papers are all right wing tabloids, or that Clarkson himself isn't one of the highest paid TV stars in the country or anything. God bless Jezza for being the last bastian of that kind of thing. We'd truly be lost in a sea of sandles and lesbians without him. What kind of mental opposite world are you living in?

I just about understood the dated outrage of the "we can't even say Paki anymore" lot when he was criticised for the Mexican stuff. Or the hooker stuff. Or even the n-word stuff. But what can anyone possibly be annoyed about here? That we can't go around punching our subordinates anymore? Damn the BBC! What a bunch of stuffy PC wankers.

What is actually wrong with people? When more people are concerned about saving Jeremy Clarkson than the NHS, we are well and truly fecked.

I like this rant. It is on point. And this on a day when the Tories are making the fact that Ed Miliband has two kitchens a political talking point. People are getting priorities all mixed up.
 
Jeremy Clarkson has hinted he may be ready to leave Top Gear after being suspended over a bust-up with a producer.

Writing in his column for the Sun newspaper he appeared to refer to himself as a "dinosaur", explaining that "the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters".

He wrote: "Nature made a mistake when it invented the dinosaur. It was too big, too violent ...

"All the dinosaurs died and now, years later, no-one mourns their passing.

"These big, imposing creatures have no place in a world which has moved on."
 
So he roughed up one of us Paddies and called him lazy, what can you expect from a big oaf like him? He definitely will get tagged with being a bit too UKIP after this. For those who talk about TG getting rid of Clarkson and going back to its old format, theres a reason why it is the way it is today and thats because people like entertainment rather than fact Its the nature of people these days.
 
For those who talk about TG getting rid of Clarkson and going back to its old format, theres a reason why it is the way it is today and thats because people like entertainment rather than fact Its the nature of people these days.

Indeed. But Clarkson was a mainstay on TG before it's format change. For over 10 years in fact. And it was cancelled in 2001. So using a logical, scientific, sandal wearing looney left lesbian loving punch hating rational analysis, it's the format change rather than the host that's built the modern Top Gear.
 
Indeed. But Clarkson was a mainstay on TG before it's format change. For over 10 years in fact. And it was cancelled in 2001. So using a logical, scientific, sandal wearing looney left lesbian loving punch hating rational analysis, it's the format change rather than the host that's built the modern Top Gear.

The format change was his idea though wasn't it?
Hes pretty old and hes been embarasing himself for a while.
It'd nearly be a mercy to cut him loose after some of his recent faux pas.
And the show has great writers,
if they keep them it'll carry on and eventually it'll need to, regardless of if they want to or not
 
Maybe he'll join and restart Fifth Gear :lol:
I am part of minority who prefer Fifth Gear over Topgear, it's probably why it ending up on the History channel :lol:. I wouldn't mind if Tiff came back to Topgear but then the BBC would have to change the entire format of the show, no more dicking around, they would actually have to review cars.
 
So he roughed up one of us Paddies and called him lazy, what can you expect from a big oaf like him? He definitely will get tagged with being a bit too UKIP after this. For those who talk about TG getting rid of Clarkson and going back to its old format, theres a reason why it is the way it is today and thats because people like entertainment rather than fact Its the nature of people these days.

He was clever enough though cause he picked on a small, weakish enough sort of a lad. If he started on me and started mouthing off like that I'd burst his jaw for him fairly handy. He could have all the steak he wanted through a straw then and we'd see how smart he was. Here's your steak now ya big thick ignorant piece of good for nothing shite.
 
Indeed. But Clarkson was a mainstay on TG before it's format change. For over 10 years in fact. And it was cancelled in 2001. So using a logical, scientific, sandal wearing looney left lesbian loving punch hating rational analysis, it's the format change rather than the host that's built the modern Top Gear.

Yep. The old format needed replacing and the new one became successful despite the fact it was headed by Clarkson. I see no reason why he couldn't be replaced. Preferably by a person not stuck in the 70s. It's Top Gear with the massive following, and folk will eventually get used to the change. Like...well...people invariably do. Changes. (Tupac's song starts playing then fades....)
 
I love Top Gear, but I don't really care either way for the presenters as such. I really hope it can continue and we can go back to talking about the show itself in this thread rather than the last 3 or 4 pages of expert 'fracas' analysis.
 
Correct me I'm wrong here, but wasn't Clarkson the Russell T. Davies of Top Gear? Wasn't it he who brought the reformatted concept to the BBC and, as a consequence, now has a significant stake in the new format?

I'm not arguing for or against Clarkson, but I'm not sure it will be so easy for BBC to bin their cash cow.

Watched the ambulance episode on the iPlayer the other day and did laugh my arse off.
 
He was clever enough though cause he picked on a small, weakish enough sort of a lad. If he started on me and started mouthing off like that I'd burst his jaw for him fairly handy. He could have all the steak he wanted through a straw then and we'd see how smart he was. Here's your steak now ya big thick ignorant piece of good for nothing shite.

Ive no doubt you would have taken a hurl to the back of his head mate
 
Correct me I'm wrong here, but wasn't Clarkson the Russell T. Davies of Top Gear? Wasn't it he who brought the reformatted concept to the BBC and, as a consequence, now has a significant stake in the new format?

I'm not arguing for or against Clarkson, but I'm not sure it will be so easy for BBC to bin their cash cow.

Watched the ambulance episode on the iPlayer the other day and did laugh my arse off.

Clarkson owns half the production company, so has a massive stake in the show. Even if the BBC stop showing Tope Gear they aren't going to give up the revenue, it's one of the most syndicated shows in the world.
 
Clarkson owns half the production company, so has a massive stake in the show. Even if the BBC stop showing Tope Gear they aren't going to give up the revenue, it's one of the most syndicated shows in the world.
nope

So who owns Top Gear? In 2008, a grateful BBC rewarded Clarkson by giving him 30 per cent of the series through a joint venture company, Bedder 6 Limited. Long-time producer Andy Wilman got 20 per cent at the same time with the remainder held by BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s commercial wing.

However, in 2012, embarrassed by the hefty dividends that Clarkson was reaping, the BBC bought them both out, with Clarkson netting £8.4m for his stake. This can only be seen as a good move by the BBC as its ability to fire Clarkson would be considerably constrained if he still owned 30 per cent of the series.

So, while for many members of the audience Jeremy Clarkson is Top Gear, in law the format and brand are owned by the BBC.
 
He's done them a massive favour there, surely losing out on millions in the future.
 
If a footballer punched a team mate, he would be instantly be dismissed. It's shocking that TV presenters aren't held to the same level of responsibility.

/s
 
If a footballer punched a team mate, he would be instantly be dismissed. It's shocking that TV presenters aren't held to the same level of responsibility.

/s
What about Bowyer/Dyer? They did it for the world to see and neither got sacked. Punch-ups probably happen all the time in training.
 
Correct me I'm wrong here, but wasn't Clarkson the Russell T. Davies of Top Gear? Wasn't it he who brought the reformatted concept to the BBC and, as a consequence, now has a significant stake in the new format?

I'm not arguing for or against Clarkson, but I'm not sure it will be so easy for BBC to bin their cash cow.

Watched the ambulance episode on the iPlayer the other day and did laugh my arse off.

Clarkson owns half the production company, so has a massive stake in the show. Even if the BBC stop showing Tope Gear they aren't going to give up the revenue, it's one of the most syndicated shows in the world.
He sold his stake in the show a couple of years ago.