BBC to attempt to relaunch Top Gear again

[pemma]

Paddy McGuinness and Andrew Flintoff will be the new presenters of Top Gear, the BBC has confirmed.

The pair will take over from Matt LeBlanc, after he steps down from presenting duties at the end of the next series.

The comedian and former England cricket captain will join existing presenter and former racing driver Chris Harris to complete the new-look line-up.

Filming for the 27th series of the BBC Two show will begin in early 2019.

Rory Reid, who joined the Top Gear team after the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, will no longer have a main presenting role.

He began fronting spin-off show Extra Gear in 2016, and went on to co-host the main programme alongside LeBlanc and Harris on the most recent series

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45937945

I'm surprised about Reid being dropped as a main presenter as I like him as a presenter and think he helps provide balance to the presenting team. With McGuinness, Flintoff and Harris it'll be like having a presenting team of Clarkson, Clarkson and Clarkson rather than 3 different people with different presenting styles.

 

[underbank]

BBC should have just stopped it when they sacked Clarkson. Now they're just flogging a dead horse as no one can successfully follow Clarkson, May and Hammond. They should start afresh with a whole different program if they want a motoring program at all. Trying to do the same with different presenters was never going to work, especially, as per usual BBC, they just select presenters from their usual stable of "personalities". It needed some strong personalities to put their own stamp on it, not just some has-beens pretending to be Clarkson, May or Hammond. Anyway, it was a failing program years ago, before C, M and H took it over - it was them who made it popular - take them away and it's back to its failing ways.

 

[Howardh]

Flintoff??

RIP TG.

 

[pemma]

BBC should have just stopped it when they sacked Clarkson. Now they're just flogging a dead horse as no one can successfully follow Clarkson, May and Hammond. They should start afresh with a whole different program if they want a motoring program at all. Trying to do the same with different presenters was never going to work, especially, as per usual BBC, they just select presenters from their usual stable of "personalities". It needed some strong personalities to put their own stamp on it, not just some has-beens pretending to be Clarkson, May or Hammond. Anyway, it was a failing program years ago, before C, M and H took it over - it was them who made it popular - take them away and it's back to its failing ways.

With Top Gear under Clarkson and co, producer Andy Wilman came up with many of the ideas and they were heavily scripted. On The Grand Tour Clarkson is more willing to admit the ideas have come from Wilman and they come across as more obviously scripted than the Top Gear ideas - they even comment on the voice over and subtitle text during location recording, which obviously has to be done in the studio after the location filming is done.

 

[Groningen]

I did not want to talk about a dead horse, but someone was in front of me. Well maybe they can focus on women. New horizon; new viewers; new pink Mini's.

 

[IanD]

Freddy Flintoss? Can't think of anyone worse. Except Paddy McGuiness. I'm guessing that Claudia Winkelman, Tess Daly and Zoe Ball were all too busy this time.

 

[DarloRich]

BBC should have just stopped it when they sacked Clarkson. Now they're just flogging a dead horse as no one can successfully follow Clarkson, May and Hammond. They should start afresh with a whole different program if they want a motoring program at all. Trying to do the same with different presenters was never going to work, especially, as per usual BBC, they just select presenters from their usual stable of "personalities". It needed some strong personalities to put their own stamp on it, not just some has-beens pretending to be Clarkson, May or Hammond. Anyway, it was a failing program years ago, before C, M and H took it over - it was them who made it popular - take them away and it's back to its failing ways.

it hasn't been a motoring show for about 20 years. It is a show about 3 blokes cocking about.

 

[underbank]

it hasn't been a motoring show for about 20 years. It is a show about 3 blokes cocking about.

Which is exactly why it became so popular and why it's not popular anymore now that the Beeb are using talentless presenters again.

 

[DarloRich]

Which is exactly why it became so popular and why it's not popular anymore now that the Beeb are using talentless presenters again.

in your view. We don't know how "matey" the new chaps might be!

 

[bnm]

Clarkson sacked - RIP Top Gear.
Chris Evans hired - RIP Top Gear.
Matt Le Blanc hired - RIP Top Gear.
Rory Reid and Chris Harris hired - RIP Top Gear.

And yet it still commands respectable viewing figures and overseas sales.

Reports of Top Gear's death are greatly exaggerated. I await Flintoff and McGuinness with interest. Rather than outright hostility for something not even broadcast yet.

And to my mind the recent series' have been far more interesting to watch than the fare offered by W. Chump & Sons Ltd over on Amazon.

 

[pemma]

Clarkson sacked - RIP Top Gear.
Chris Evans hired - RIP Top Gear.
Matt Le Blanc hired - RIP Top Gear.
Rory Reid and Chris Harris hired - RIP Top Gear.

And yet it still commands respectable viewing figures and overseas sales.

Reports of Top Gear's death are greatly exaggerated. I await Flintoff and McGuinness with interest. Rather than outright hostility for something not even broadcast yet.

And to my mind the recent series' have been far more interesting to watch than the fare offered by W. Chump & Sons Ltd over on Amazon.

Clarkson argues he wasn't sacked. His contract was coming to an end, he was told it wouldn't be renewed and he didn't have to turn up for the remaining period on his existing contract after assaulting a producer - presumably because it would have costed more to end his contract early.

Rory Reid and Chris Harris were employed to do Top Gear Extra, a separate program to the main one but after Chris Evans and Eddie Jordan proved unpopular on the main program Reid and Harris got promoted.

 

[trash80]

Those are the new hosts, was the Cilit Bang guy not available?

 

[EM2]

...especially, as per usual BBC, they just select presenters from their usual stable of "personalities".

Of all the presenters that have been on Top Gear since C, M & H left, who has been a regular BBC personality, except Evans?
Harris - motoring journalist.
Reid - bloke off YouTube.
LeBlanc - sitcom actor, best known for a show on C4.
Flintoff - sportsman.
McGuinness - presenter most seen on ITV, C4 and C5.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Flintoff??

They're trying to copy Fifth Gear who brought in Ronnie O'Sullivan for their recent re-launch.

I'm surprised about Reid being dropped as a main presenter as I like him as a presenter and think he helps provide balance to the presenting team.

That's really, really stupid.

IMO they should try and get Idris Elba since it's looking less and less likely he'll be Bond.

Basically, all this could have been solved if Clarkson & Willman didn't sell off the rights to the BBC...

 

[swj99]

I tried to watch Top Gear after Clarkson went, and managed about 20 minuutes of the Chris Evans version, then gave up.
I signed the petition to bring Clarkson back, as I'm sure many others did, but the BBC didn't listen.

As far as I'm concerned, there would be more chance of success in a remake of Chucklevision starring Rees Mogg and Blair.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Freddy Flintoss? Can't think of anyone worse. Except Paddy McGuiness. I'm guessing that Claudia Winkelman, Tess Daly and Zoe Ball were all too busy this time.

I think his surname is spelt Flintoff.

 

[Kite159]

I will probably give Top Gear 2019 a go when it eventually airs, just to see what it is like.

Then I will judge after watching if I can be bothered watching any of the remaining episodes in the series.

 

[IanD]

I tried to watch Top Gear after Clarkson went, and managed about 20 minuutes of the Chris Evans version, then gave up.
I signed the petition to bring Clarkson back, as I'm sure many others did, but the BBC didn't listen.

As far as I'm concerned, there would be more chance of success in a remake of Chucklevision starring Rees Mogg and Blair.

I'd watch that.

 

[Typhoon]

As far as I'm concerned, there would be more chance of success in a remake of Chucklevision starring Rees Mogg and Blair.

Catchphrase - 'To Me, To Me!'

 

[Darandio]

I will probably give Top Gear 2019 a go when it eventually airs, just to see what it is like.

Then I will judge after watching if I can be bothered watching any of the remaining episodes in the series.

Top Gear 2019 will actually still be with the existing line up, the new line up are stated to start later in 2019. But then they did say earlier this year that the final Matt le Blanc series would be later this year before changing it.

 

[pemma]

Of all the presenters that have been on Top Gear since C, M & H left, who has been a regular BBC personality, except Evans?
Harris - motoring journalist.
Reid - bloke off YouTube.
LeBlanc - sitcom actor, best known for a show on C4.
Flintoff - sportsman.
McGuinness - presenter most seen on ITV, C4 and C5.

Matt LeBlanc may be best known for a show which C4 had the rights to. However, more recently he worked on Episodes which was co-produced by the BBC, so LeBlanc had direct connections to the BBC pre-Top Gear, something he never had with C4.

Reid and Harris were relative unknowns pre-BBC but they were recruited to do Top Gear Extra and then promoted to the main program. When Richard Hammond started for the BBC there was no BBC 3, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button etc and he started for BBC Radio before moving to TV and Top Gear - you could Reid and Harris entered the BBC a similar way but the difference being BBC had additional visual platforms available for newbies which didn't exist when Hammond was starting out.

While I agree Flintoff isn't one of the BBC's own, I'm pretty sure the first time I saw him on TV in a non-sports role was when he was a contributor to the BBC series John Bishop's Britain.

 

[Kite159]

Top Gear 2019 will actually still be with the existing line up, the new line up are stated to start later in 2019. But then they did say earlier this year that the final Matt le Blanc series would be later this year before changing it.

That I didn't know (that there was more Matt LeBlanc episodes still to be aired).

[I was trying to be lazy and put Top Gear 2019 instead of looking up what series it is since the 2002 reboot]

-----

Before Top Gear, I believe Hammond was doing motoring shows on channels such as "Men & Motors", and May only came in on the 2nd series as Jason (?) didn't have a good screen presence.

 

[Sowerbylad]

If you want a kill or cure for tg hire Keith lemon as a presenter......

 

[LOL The Irony]

Before Top Gear, I believe Hammond was doing motoring shows on channels such as "Men & Motors", and May only came in on the 2nd series as Jason (?) didn't have a good screen presence.

Jeremy and Andy wanted James from the start but he was otherwise engaged so Jason was always temporary. Also Richard was going to be dropped by the beeb after the first season but since he brought in female viewers, someone must have seen sense (for once...).

 

[MotCO]

How about Kelly Clarkson, Phil Hammond and Theresa May as the next line-up?

 

[LOL The Irony]

How about Kelly Clarkson, Phil Hammond and Theresa May as the next line-up?

I'd rather watch the original American Top Gear. Maybe even Chris Evans' Top Gear. Or even that "the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my entire life" Thunderbirds movie of 2004. And I hate that movie with a passion.

 

[MotCO]

I'd rather watch the original American Top Gear. Maybe even Chris Evans' Top Gear. Or even that "the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my entire life" Thunderbirds movie of 2004. And I hate that movie with a passion.

I forgot to add the in my original post.

 

[Cowley]

I forgot to add the in my original post.

No I think you’ve got something...

 

[LOL The Irony]

I forgot to add the in my original post.

I should have also added them. It's still a god awful idea anyways.

 

[hooverboy]

I did not want to talk about a dead horse, but someone was in front of me. Well maybe they can focus on women. New horizon; new viewers; new pink Mini's.

not a problem with that.

get suzi woolf and jessica barton presenting it. The ratings will go through the roof!