Matt LeBlanc and 4 others join Top Gear

[bradford758]

FYI there was am earlier Top Gear 1977-2001, more of an enthusiasts' magazine (vf 6m dropping to 3m), cannot say I ever watched it.

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[Tetchytyke]

Indeed, the options (having given him one last chance already) were

1) Ignore a member of staff being assaulted by a contractor and continue to contract the services of that assaulter, drawing the ire, kicking the problem 6 months down the road to the next event, and proving "one last chance" means "carry on"
2) Get rid of Clarkson, and close Top Gear completely
3) Attempt to keep Top Gear going knowing full well that you can't recreate overnight the magic of a show that grew organically over the last decade

It was a no win situation, and 3 was probably the best choice

Pretty much this.

There are not many lines of work where you can punch someone in the face and racially abuse them without getting severely disciplined. Given how much previous that Clarkson had- both stuff that was reported and stuff that wasn't- I don't see how they had any choice in the matter. Richard Porter- the bloke who wrote the Top Gear script- has said as much several times.

I can understand why they chose Evans- a "blokey" car-buff with a proven track record of filling big shoes (he took over from both Jimmy Young Johnny Walker and Terry Wogan on Radio 2 and managed to increase listenership)- but equally it never really quite gelled. Truthfully I think Evans was trying too hard, and it's not the sort of show that can be forced.

 

[miami]

He took over from Johnny Walker. Jeremy *Vine* took over from Jimmy Young.

Evans taking over from Wogan wasn't my cup of tea, so I bought a cardigan and listen to radio 4 instead, but he increased listenership from record highs, something that everyone assumed would be impossible.

FYI there was am earlier Top Gear 1977-2001, more of an enthusiasts' magazine (vf 6m dropping to 3m), cannot say I ever watched it.

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Be careful comparing viewship figures from 1999 (3 million) with 2016.

Corronation street figures from 1999 had a high of 19,840,000, and a low of 11,160,000.
For 2015 the high was 8,240,000 and low 5,170,000

That's about 45% what it was - which means that old top gear would be about 1.4 million, well below the figures of the Evans series.

 

[Tetchytyke]

He took over from Johnny Walker.

Ah yes!

he increased listenership from record highs, something that everyone assumed would be impossible.

That was my point. Everyone expected listenership to fall off a cliff, just as they did when Evans took over from Walker, and it went up instead. Evans was never really my cup of tea that early in the morning anyway- I've since switched to 6Music because my blood pressure can't cope with the Today Programme that early either- but Evans nailed it.

I think the gig meant a lot to him, and he simply tried too hard, both on screen and off of it judging by the arguments Evans has had with his production crew. Bringing Danny Baker in to write the script was just desperate.

 

[infobleep]

Yes. Like I said the planned schedule for BBC2 was

If ITV showed the football:
As it was on Sunday with Top Gear at 8pm

If BBC1 showed the football:
6:30 Top Gear
7:30 Film: Catch Me If You Can

It seemed BBC were happy to have Top Gear on at the same time as the football if ITV were showing it but not if BBC were showing the football.

That's what I don't understand but then I don't work in the TV industry so perhaps there really are people who only will watch the football if it's on BBC 1 and also wish to watch Top Gear. Does seem rather strange.

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[pemma]

According to reports producer Lisa Clark (who was behind signing up Matt Le Blanc) is to return for the next series of Top Gear. She previously resigned saying she couldn't work with Chris Evans anymore.

 

[Steveman]

A bloke called James Martin who I have never heard of but is apparently a cook on the tv is favourite to take over from the terminally awful Chris Evans who incidentally has also lost his Friday ch4 show.

Is the BBC deliberately trying to kill this show at birth because when you have a bloke fronting a car show who is only known for cooking you wonder who on incredibly high salaries is in charge of recruitment.

 

[pemma]

A bloke called James Martin who I have never heard of but is apparently a cook on the tv is favourite to take over from the terminally awful Chris Evans who incidentally has also lost his Friday ch4 show.

Even though the BBC said there would be no replacement for Evans (other than giving people already on the Top Gear team more airtime)?

 

[Geezertronic]

A bloke called James Martin who I have never heard of but is apparently a cook on the tv is favourite to take over from the terminally awful Chris Evans who incidentally has also lost his Friday ch4 show.

To be honest, I don't know who is worse - Evans or Martin. In my opinion, they definitely need someone to front the show who is from a car background

I wonder what Tiff is doing these days, maybe he can reunite with Plato and VBH

 

[Steveman]

Even though the BBC said there would be no replacement for Evans (other than giving people already on the Top Gear team more airtime)?

Oh so if the BBC says that it must be true ? I wouldn't believe a word that comes out of that place, they don't seem to know what day it is.
The bookies whilst not always right seem to think this bloke is favourite.

 

[DarloRich]

A bloke called James Martin who I have never heard of but is apparently a cook on the tv is favourite to take over from the terminally awful Chris Evans who incidentally has also lost his Friday ch4 show.

Is the BBC deliberately trying to kill this show at birth because when you have a bloke fronting a car show who is only known for cooking you wonder who on incredibly high salaries is in charge of recruitment.

To be honest, I don't know who is worse - Evans or Martin. In my opinion, they definitely need someone to front the show who is from a car background

I wonder what Tiff is doing these days, maybe he can reunite with Plato and VBH

I guess you missed the number of cars James Martin owns, his participation in various classic races ( one was on BBC were his ruinously expensively restored vintage Maserati expired) his appearances in various car based documentaries or his numerous interviews on the subject of................ cars Yeah knows nowt about cars.

You complain about a bloke you have never heard of ( so i assume have never seen or heard) taking over your favorite show. Some of you cant deal with the fact your hero Clarkson has gone and wont be coming back after some unfortunate disciplinary silliness. It is laughable.

 

[pemma]

Oh so if the BBC says that it must be true ?

And you believe something that 3 tabloid papers including the Daily Mail and Daily Star have reported?

Meanwhile Chris Harris has been given his own show on US Cable.

 

[Steveman]

A cook who likes cars, brilliant they should make him the presenter of a car show it worked out very well when they had a disc jockey who liked cars, really well that went.

I've got 4 cars so I must be an outsider.

 

[Johnuk123]

A bloke called James Martin who I have never heard of but is apparently a cook on the tv is favourite to take over from the terminally awful Chris Evans who incidentally has also lost his Friday ch4 show.

Is the BBC deliberately trying to kill this show at birth because when you have a bloke fronting a car show who is only known for cooking you wonder who on incredibly high salaries is in charge of recruitment.

He is like the vast majority of tv cooking "experts" hugely over-promoted and unbelievably lucky to be paid such vast amounts of money to basically do nothing special and nothing particular interesting.

 

[Steveman]

He is like the vast majority of tv cooking "experts" hugely over-promoted and unbelievably lucky to be paid such vast amounts of money to basically do nothing special and nothing particular interesting.

I have seen the odd snippet of cooking shows there is at least one where people make a cake and that's the whole programme, someone making a cake.
Thrilling or what.

I mean what on earth is entertaining about that, what sort of viewer would find that exciting probably the same who watch Big Brother all day.

 

[Geezertronic]

I guess you missed the number of cars James Martin owns, his participation in various classic races ( one was on BBC were his ruinously expensively restored vintage Maserati expired) his appearances in various car based documentaries or his numerous interviews on the subject of................ cars Yeah knows nowt about cars.

You complain about a bloke you have never heard of ( so i assume have never seen or heard) taking over your favorite show. Some of you cant deal with the fact your hero Clarkson has gone and wont be coming back after some unfortunate disciplinary silliness. It is laughable.

Wow... just wow.... completely unnecessary

Evans is a car guy and with it does lots of good things for charity, that never made him a good choice to present Top Gear. Martin is a car guy, so what? That doesn't make him a good candidate to present Top Gear either.

I for one never mentioned Clarkson so you are barking up the wrong tree there. Just have your morning coffee and calm down

 

[DarloRich]

A cook who likes cars, brilliant they should make him the presenter of a car show it worked out very well when they had a disc jockey who liked cars, really well that went.

I've got 4 cars so I must be an outsider.

Clarkson - a reporter who likes cars.

I know: Jenson Button. He knows about cars and rives them for a living. Hang on! What about the bloke next door to me who drives a cab?

Wow... just wow.... completely unnecessary

Evans is a car guy and with it does lots of good things for charity, that never made him a good choice to present Top Gear. Martin is a car guy, so what? That doesn't make him a good candidate to present Top Gear either.

I for one never mentioned Clarkson so you are barking up the wrong tree there. Just have your morning coffee and calm down

So who IS acceptable for the good ship top gear?

You cant have Clarkson back and the BBC wont kill off a show that makes them money worldwide.

 

[ainsworth74]

So who IS acceptable for the good ship top gear?

The people left behind on the show now that Evans has quit would be fine by me. The only thing that really got on my nerves was Evans (and that goes for anything he does, I just don't like him). I would like them to tweak a few things but ditching Evans fixes my number one and main issue.

 

[Steveman]

Clarkson - a reporter who likes cars.

He's a trained journalist and has been writing motoring stories for over 30 years.
He formed the Motoring Press agency 32 years ago and for that has conducted hundreds of road tests. He has contributed to endless publications including the Top Gear magazine for 23 years.

To even mention him in the same breath as a cook and a disc jockey as if they are also respected motoring journalists is ridiculous.

 

[Geezertronic]

The people left behind on the show now that Evans has quit would be fine by me. The only thing that really got on my nerves was Evans (and that goes for anything he does, I just don't like him). I would like them to tweak a few things but ditching Evans fixes my number one and main issue.

+1 although minus Le Blanc

 

[DarloRich]

He's a trained journalist and has been writing motoring stories for over 30 years.
He formed the Motoring Press agency 32 years ago and for that has conducted hundreds of road tests. He has contributed to endless publications including the Top Gear magazine for 23 years.

To even mention him in the same breath as a cook and a disc jockey as if they are also respected motoring journalists is ridiculous.

So a journalist is OK but not a DJ or a cook. Got you.

The fact Top Gear wasnt really a car show and more a three blokes mucking about show seems to suggest being a respected journalist or not isn't the issue. Having a good chemistry with your sidekicks is.

 

[Steveman]

So a journalist is OK but not a DJ or a cook. Got you.

The fact Top Gear wasnt really a car show and more a three blokes mucking about show seems to suggest being a respected journalist or not isn't the issue. Having a good chemistry with your sidekicks is.

It was still a car show and needs people on it who actually know what they're talking about, you wouldn't put Clarkson in charge of a show making cakes would you.

You said Top Gear makes the BBC money worldwide well as it's been a disaster I doubt many countries will be shelling out unless they get a massive discount.
What you should have said was Top Gear used to make the BBC a fortune.

 

[DarloRich]

It was still a car show and needs people on it who actually know what they're talking about, you wouldn't put Clarkson in charge of a show making cakes would you.

You said Top Gear makes the BBC money worldwide well as it's been a disaster I doubt many countries will be shelling out unless they get a massive discount.
What you should have said was Top Gear used to make the BBC a fortune.

No: it has been unpopular in the UK ( although it wasnt that bad) foreign sales are yet to be seen

I might put Clarkson in charge of a cake show. It would get viewers!

 

[Geezertronic]

Clarkson tried his hand at being a chat show host and look how that turned out

 

[cjmillsnun]

+1 although minus Le Blanc

I actually like Leblanc. He provided much more of an anchor to the show than Evans and has the right blend of Humour and irreverence.

 

[NYCSubway137]

So Chris is out, and a tv chief is a possible host... Wonder how this will go.

Just checked RottenTomatoes. It seems the last season Clarkson, May, and Hammond were in had a 100% audience score while the current season with Evans and LeBlanc showed a 6% audience. My God the new hosts are that unpopular.

Links: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/top-gear/s23/
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/top-gear/s22/

 

[Johnuk123]

So Chris is out, and a tv chief is a possible host... Wonder how this will go.

Just checked RottenTomatoes. It seems the last season Clarkson, May, and Hammond were in had a 100% audience score while the current season with Evans and LeBlanc showed a 6% audience. My God the new hosts are that unpopular.

Links: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/top-gear/s23/
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/top-gear/s22/

The new show simply tried to repeat the fantastic success of the proper Top Gear by doing the same things, same stunts, same place etc. never worked because the original presenters were the reason people watched it.
It was simply a case of the BBC shoehorning a DJ into a motoring show it was rubbish from day one.

 

[jon0844]

You cant have Clarkson back and the BBC wont kill off a show that makes them money worldwide.

Do they need someone else? They've got a fair few presenters left who people appeared to like. Make Rory and Chris Harris more focal, and tweak things (now they know that Extra Gear was liked, even if hiding it online wasn't a great idea) to accommodate the current/remaining presenters.

The BBC think it needs a 'main man' because it wants to keep things to the same formula, but surely it can look at what worked this series and now make tweaks.

 

[backontrack]

Great! Just what I said would happen is happening again as well.

LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid will become the main presenters, and ratings will start crawling up again.

 

[richw]

Great! Just what I said would happen is happening again as well.

LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid will become the main presenters, and ratings will start crawling up again.

I and many others also like these 3. The media write ups spoke highly of them as well.