RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted June 1, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 1, 2016 If the licence fee wasn't (more or less) compulsory would you part with money for BBC TV? Chaz Yes. I listen to the radio (BBC output) most of the day and I have to say that BBC4 is becoming the channel of choice in the house 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted June 1, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 1, 2016 Mr Evans on his radio show bugging up the first show, it is now officially the best viewing figures for a summer launch of Top Gear. It's official, it's a success! Onwards to episode 2 I wonder if the figures are so high because people are just watching it so see if it really is a bad as everyone else says? The realistic numbers will be a couple of shows in. Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB-AU Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Top Gear is NOT paid for with the licence fee. It's paid for by BBC Worldwide which gets all its income from foreign sales, makes a profit and pays a dividend to the BBC. In fact until the last series (bet it won't happen with this series) around 10% of its income was from Top Gear. That's more than it makes from Doctor Who. Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nile_Griffith Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 (edited) Didn't work for me. Now I'm not going to go all "Hallelujah" at the alter of Clarkson. Personally I feel the trio pulled of a rare thing in broadcasting and their achievement shouldn't be overlooked. However back to new "Top Gear". Like most who have commented there were certainly good bits and most certainly bad bits. On the subject of Chris Evans. Well I can't help but feel that any development in program style is going to become more "Evans" centric. We have seen it in pretty much every program format he fronts. It all starts very egalitarian and then somehow the Evans dynamic comes into play and the "Look at me kid" comes to the fore. Some folks love it and some hate it. I'm of the latter camp. Would be great to think that Matt LeBlanc might get the chance to really develop his role along side Sabine Schmidt, but somehow I don't think thats going to happen. Both LeBlanc and Schmidt strike me as being fairly confident individuals who are comfortable with their own abilities and potential. Possibly not the sort of people prepared to subserviently slot into Evan's style of "King of the playground" style of broadcasting. Edited June 1, 2016 by Nile_Griffith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 If the licence fee wasn't (more or less) compulsory would you part with money for BBC TV? Chaz In a heartbeat, the BBC is a little bigger than one show... Back to watching Cbeebies. 100% ad free educational viewing for toddlers? Where else would I get that... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB-AU Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I'll be honest , I thought Top Gear was getting pretty tired three years ago regardless of who was presenting. 300 million people in 100 countries disagree with you. TG is (or was until this series) the single biggest income earner for BBC Worldwide. Around £100 million per season in foreign sales alone, not counting the merchandise, magazine, DVDs, etc. Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted June 1, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 1, 2016 Yes. I listen to the radio (BBC output) most of the day and I have to say that BBC4 is becoming the channel of choice in the house I'd pay for a radio license as I also love Radio 4 and also Radio 4Xtra. I find that BBC radio is much better than BBC TV in every way. However if I had the choice I'm not sure I'd pay for a TV license as I find that I watch very little BBC TV (actually, TV of any sort) and my wife and kiddies tend to watch other channels when they watch TV. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted June 1, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 1, 2016 Top Gear is NOT paid for with the licence fee. It's paid for by BBC Worldwide which gets all its income from foreign sales, makes a profit and pays a dividend to the BBC. In fact until the last series (bet it won't happen with this series) around 10% of its income was from Top Gear. That's more than it makes from Doctor Who. Cheers David That may be so, however it is something of a moot point since to watch TV in the UK you need a TV license regardless of whether or not you watch the BBC. That may be the correct approach, but it may not be. I used to support it as we got pretty good TV in return for the license fee but I find that nowadays when there are more TV channels than you can shake a stick at, streaming services etc and when it is perfectly viable to have a pay to view service I think it is outdated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 What else would he say? the figures are for the first show, where a good percentage were there to see whether he made a car crash or not! Next weeks figures are the vital ones, as are the figures from the States. All they have are 8 shows, and every one will be a winner for Chris!!....... in his dreams!! I doubt at this rate he will continue, it the States TV critics and viewers comments that have hurt most at present, the UK are more forgiving. Stephen I believe that this series is only six episodes long rather than eight. The length was cut some time ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Top Gear is NOT paid for with the licence fee. But it is, as is the entire output of the BBC under it's Charter. It so happens that Worldwide Distribution is done by a commercial operation, run by the BBC, and of course the BBC are partnered by other companies who help finance the programme on a split basis. If the show is profitable, like Top Gear, the money is treated as income on the published yearly balance sheets. Such series as Blackadder were co-productions with the Australians, but the up front costs were met by the BBC, who then accepted finance in proportion to what the partners wanted to put in. BBC Worldwide is there to market and generate interest in all BBC output, they cherry pick the interesting ones to tailor them to a particular market. In many cases, and the US is a special case, where they seem to barely speak the same language!! .. they sell the rights to allow the show to be remade locally so that the US viewer can understand it..... Top gear is run in the States with a local team, part different car interests, and part language issues. Any trace of a Cockney or northern accent and the US companies get cold feet about showing it, the big advertisers will not risk "foreign" accents. These days this is trailing away, as the net brings the original show to the US audiences, and they have little problem, although the original Steptoe and Son is still said to be incomprehensible to this day by most US viewers. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I believe that this series is only six episodes long rather than eight. The length was cut some time ago. Yes your right, and I have just spoken to a friend about the show, he works for BBC radio, and he says three shows were abandoned on the cutting room floor, only the filmed sections are to be retained. But such wastage is usual in working up a new show, which this is in effect, and they can justify the cost due to the world wide income. They are in a damage limitation mode at the moment...... On the license it is plain cheap compared to say Sky subscription, but the issue remaining is why should you pay watching ITV only? The loopholes in the licence about watching non live output were closed in the last budget, and do not forget the license is for the TV reception, (or equivalent), not the right to view it! All is altering rapidly, the net is taking over, and view when you please is normal even now. I rarely watch live, just use TiVo or the computer, but this cannot suit everybody as the net has not got the capacity, and people do not all have fibre at 200meg. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 1, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 1, 2016 Top Gear is NOT paid for with the licence fee. It's paid for by BBC Worldwide which gets all its income from foreign sales, makes a profit and pays a dividend to the BBC. In fact until the last series (bet it won't happen with this series) around 10% of its income was from Top Gear. That's more than it makes from Doctor Who. Cheers David Well not really. 'Top Gear' is a BBC programme which they pay for - i.e. it is paid for with TV Licence payers' money. BBC Worldwide hold the worldwide distribution and merchandising rights having bought out control of Bedder 6, a company it previously jointly own ed with Clarkson and Andy Wilman (the past producer) thus enabling it to gain 100% of the revenues from worldwide sales. In 2013 Bedder 6 had revenues of £149m and paid out a dividend of £7.5m to BBC Worldwide, its total dividend paid in that year was £16.2m. In 2012/13 figures for BBC Worldwide had a turnover of £1,115.8m generating a profit of £156.3m, the following year sales were £1,042.3m and profits were £173.8m BBC Worldwide took over Clarkson and Wilman's share of Bedder 6 in September 2012. Thus BBC Worldwide's 2013/14 figures would include all the Bedder 6 revenue and profit but unless profit rose in that yeear Bedder 6 would not have contributed 10% of BBC Worldwide's profit although it might have contributed 10% of sales. BBC Worldwide is a wholly owned subsidiary of the BBC and is effectively a development and renaming of much of BBC's previous commercial sales arm (BBC Enterprises) and its business is much wider than simply selling BBC programmes overseas as it includes all the BBC commercial arms some of which trade primarily in the UK. The nett income from BBC Worldwide is a drop in the ocean for the BBC - the profit of £178.3m in 2013/14 while no doubt welcome needs to be compared with Licence Fee income of £3,722m,; i.e. the BBC Worldwide nett contribution is less than 5% of the BBC's income although the income from BBC Worldwide makes up getting on for one third of total income. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Yes. I listen to the radio (BBC output) most of the day and I have to say that BBC4 is becoming the channel of choice in the house You have a point - Radio 3 & 4 are gems and I'm a fan. BBC4 on digital TV has some worthwhile stuff but the schedules on BBC1 & 2 are largely a desert to me. So much dross - to which I now must add Top Gear. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Can anyone remember the first series of TG with the 3 amigos - was it actually any good ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Can anyone remember the first series of TG with the 3 amigos - was it actually any good ? The move to Dunsfold was even before James May joined, but the problem with looking back at the first few series was you only end up comparing them to the later ones, and they invariably appear to have not faired very well. But they knew they were onto something, unlike the new series which is trying and failing to replicate the heyday era. A drastically different TG (more than just changing to a Rallycross circuit) is beginning to sound like a better idea... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Can anyone remember the first series of TG with the 3 amigos - was it actually any good ? A lot of viewers hated the changes, less serious, more non review items, it was Clarkson himself who orchestrated the changes to suit him. It took a whole series to bed in and work. Since then little has changed, and maybe that's the real problem..... a tired format, and nobody with vision at the helm. It only keep going due to the three being so popular. But them taking that popularity to Amazon maybe a move too far, Amazon are going to want a quick return on the money spent, and although huge sums were talked about, it was for a period of several years, each show will be made for less than the BBC spent, apart from their wages. This could lead to cost cutting and it may show them up badly. I still think the best option the BBC had was to find a presenter, not a driver as such, and for him to hold the centre job, but use the others to do the reviews and stunts, only getting involved occasionally, the main time spent with the audience, getting them involved, allowing audience cars to be brought along and run, challenges between the presenters and audience, but with the Host not involved in everything at once. Chris Evans fits the bill as presenter, but he is an acquired taste for a lot of viewers, and a reputation of wanting to do everything going himself. Top gear has always wasted the Dunfold audience, Clarkson just used them as a laughter track to his jokes. What better than to involve them, carefully of course, but any interaction with the audience in the studio gets the viewer involved in supporting them. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 quite enjoyed it was informative and entertaining bit rough about the edges but has potential Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 In a heartbeat, the BBC is a little bigger than one show... Back to watching Cbeebies. 100% ad free educational viewing for toddlers? Where else would I get that... And more "grown up" programming than Top Gear.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 And more "grown up" programming than Top Gear.... Certainly more purposeful... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 And more "grown up" programming than Top Gear.... Certainly more purposeful... You didn't like it then? You really should have said something!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 You didn't like it then? See my earlier post upthread for my views on the show. I was watching Cbeebies with our 2 year old at the time I wrote that reply, it was completely literal that I was going back to watching Cbeebies... Over the years Top Gear has made some stunning television which i've loved watching - but ultimately it's just entertainment, something that's freely available elsewhere in many different formats, and it's a long, long way from being the most important thing that the BBC has ever done to my eye. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 See my earlier post upthread for my views on the show. I was watching Cbeebies with our 2 year old at the time I wrote that reply, it was completely literal that I was going back to watching Cbeebies... Over the years Top Gear has made some stunning television which i've loved watching - but ultimately it's just entertainment, something that's freely available elsewhere in many different formats, and it's a long, long way from being the most important thing that the BBC has ever done to my eye. It was meant as sarcasm...I am getting a bit bored of this constant Top Gear bashing. I think the first episode has been picked over enough, I await the debate on episode two. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted June 2, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 2, 2016 It was meant as sarcasm...I am getting a bit bored of this constant Top Gear bashing. I think the first episode has been picked over enough, I await the debate on episode two. I don’t think it is so much Top Gear bashing as Chris Evans bashing. And it did all look like a copy of stuff we’ve already seen, only done less well. However, fear not, I will not be bashing or picking over episode 2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 It was meant as sarcasm...I am getting a bit bored of this constant Top Gear bashing. I think the first episode has been picked over enough, I await the debate on episode two. The comment you quoted wasn't "bashing" the show at all though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter220950 Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 II await the debate on episode two. It shouldn't be anything like as critical - after all only a moron would think it's as bad as some on here seem to think, and then waste their time watching further episodes? Didn't think it was a brilliant first episode, but things have to bed down, and as long as they maintain the old format, (that was in itself getting tired), it's never going to be anything more than a copy. If they can keep it running for a series or two it may evolve slowly into something better. As one who is equally unimpressed by Chris Evans or Jeremy Clarkson it was never going to get me too excited, at least Chris Evans appears to have some technical knowledge and he has a habit of bringing new ideas into programmes. I watched the 'Extra' on the IPlayer yesterday and found it to be better, if that had gone out as a first episode I would have given them a thumbs up for a good replacement show, let's hope some of the participants will get further embedded into the main programme. - The jur'ys out on Eddie Jordan. At the moment I consider him to be a bit like a wasp, existing but serving no particular purpose, but let's wait and see. Ultimately it will be down to viewing figures, not our opinions, if it fails there are two options, Pay £79.00 per year for Amazon Prime, which I persoally will never do, or watch old repeats on Dave, which is pretty much what the last couple of series looked like anyway. Peter. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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