Top Gear?

[rockershovel]

Certainly can't agree about Jack Dee on ISIHAC, tne HIGNFY solution (rotating cast of presenters) seems better.

 

Chris Evans did, indeed, drive away the Terry Wogan R2 audience in large numbers but no one at the BBC cared, because he had a loyal audience who followed him there. TG was never going to be like that, because the loyal audience was already there and CE could only drive them away.

 

Will Le Blanc get CE's money, doubt it. His idea of his own worth is informed by his experience as a highly successful American soap/comedy actor, not a motoring presenter.

 

I would mention in passing that I've seen some of the dross Hammond knocks out for satellite tv when otherwise unoccupied. Anyone who thinks he should be brought back on his own, I recommend that they watch two or three "Science of Stupid" - that'll change their minds..

Edited July 5, 2016 by rockershovel

[Metr0Land]

Chris Evans did, indeed, drive away the Terry Wogan R2 audience in large numbers but no one at the BBC cared, because he had a loyal audience who followed him there. TG was never going to be like that, because the loyal audience was already there and CE could only drive them away.

IMHO Evans certainly drove R1 listeners away but I don't think the BBC were lacking in care. IIRC by the late 80's/early 90's R1 had tried to hold on to its audience as they grew from 1960's/70's children into adults (bear in mind the population was static or even declining.

 

One day they awoke to find the audience research was showing that Radio1 is the 'station your mum listens to'.  By this time commercial radio had gained a lot of ground.  Therefore the Beeb was faced with the difficult decision to target younger audiences for R1 and 'banish' its older listeners to R2, or have an audience profile that was getting ever older.

 

IIRC M&S had much the same problem at the time.

[Arthur]

 

Certainly can't agree about Jack Dee on ISIHAC,

 

No doubt others would agree but enough listeners do like him for the show to have carried on pretty much unchanged, he was, therefore, a good choice.

 

That clearly cannot be said about Evans.

[MJI]

Some more thoughts. Top Gear was not broke, but wearing out fast, it had to be changed, what else could they do without a change?

 

I think GT will be fine, the presenters are liked, and a new style is being forced on them.

 

All we want is to be entertained and informed, old TG did that.

 

Old TG is tired, change the crew and you can see it.

 

Star in fast forwards the segment, is too much of the show from the bit I saw. The studio screams CHM.

 

If I had been in charge.

 

A few motoring writers, decent journalists, check them over, pick a couple who are entertaining and gell (like Clarkson and May did).

 

Redecorate the set. Rerecord the theme. Lose a lot of the old TG set as it all says CHM.

 

The three on a trip in cars was always one of the better bits, and with more presenters, could be four on a trip. There was also too much fuss over a lead presenter, they have loads, rotate them.

 

Matt was a lucky find, he is liked, and is entertaining, also understands British humour.

[bertiedog]

Don't forget that the Clarkson boys are not exactly totally happy at Amazon so far, the deal was far less comprehensive than expected, over a long period, and the money depends totally on advertising revenue, which is still thin on the ground for an internet show only. There is a rumour that an idea to sell on the internet show to ITV is being scrutinised, first showings on Amazon then highlight shows on mainstream ITV to garner in the advertising revenue. It would throw out though the basic contract that they have and mean starting over again.

The only satisfaction Clarkson has at the moment is the demise of CE, and they are both professional enough not to comment too much on it, despite the newspapers fanning the flames from the sidelines.

 

Stephen.

[Huw Griffiths]

The only satisfaction Clarkson has at the moment is the demise of CE, and they are both professional enough not to comment too much on it, despite the newspapers fanning the flames from the sidelines.

 

I'm not sure he'd find this particularly satisfying.

 

I can remember a number of years back, when Channel 5 pulled the plug on 5th Gear - Clarkson commented in his then programme that he was less than happy about that. He then went on to explain that having viable competition on another channel helped ensure that the channel he was on couldn't ignore the existence of a market for his programme - so they'd be more likely to continue to film his programme.

 

And on that bombshell - sorry, "we don't do that here any more". Anyway, some cynics might be tempted to offer their own translations for CE's TG sign-offs:

 

"You've been great. I've been grate Chris Evans. Thanks for watching. Goodbye."

 

OK - he didn't actually say it like that - I'm not aware of him claiming to be some sort of stand up comic - but some people would never have accepted his brand of humour anyway.

 

 

Regardless of what life was like on the TG set, CE got viewers used to the idea of the programme being presented by people other than the "3 amigos". He also got viewers used to the idea that there would be changes to the programme (I'm sure there'll be more changes now). I actually wonder whether there ever was the intention for him to continue to a 2nd series (although he probably wouldn't have complained if this had happened).

 

Whatever happens with respect to CE (probably the less said the better right now), they've now "blooded" an excellent new team. This new team should be in a position to take the programme forward in a new direction - building on the good bits from the last series - and building on a lot of good stuff from "Extra Gear".

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Rory Reid doing a lot more studio interviews and slightly "off-the-wall" reviews. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Chris Harris doing more "serious" reviews. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if some (not for transmission) pilot programmes were to be put together, based on composites of all this stuff, plus some ideas from earlier series (possibly much earlier). They could even generate alternative studio "link" sequences to footage which might really be intended for transmission at a later date.

 

I'm not sure exactly what the BBC will do, once the dust settles. I am sure that they've now got an excellent presenting team, who will give us many hours of very watchable television - television which I'm looking forward to watching.

 

 

Huw.

[Vanders]

Whatever happens with respect to CE (probably the less said the better right now), they've now "blooded" an excellent new team.*

I am sure that they've now got an excellent presenting team*

* And Eddie Jordan

[MJI]

Channel 5 deserve the low viewing figures when they went down market in I think 2007.

 

They went upmarket in 2002, funny that their best viewing figures were when they were more upmarket than they are now.

 

I last watched 5th gear just before they went down market again. Same with gadget show, mind you I also avoid C4 HD and watch C4 despite having a HDTV.

 

Come to think of it I have not watched any channel 5 for nearly a decade.

[EddieB]

Perhaps the solution is staring the BBC in the face. Just do a HIGNFY and have a different luvvie to be lead presenter every week. They have a seemingly endless supply of the pompous and the vacuous, and they could even throw in the odd decent presenter for good measure. Even better, by subcontracting the show out, they could even have Clarkson himself for a one-off.

[MJI]

Perhaps the solution is staring the BBC in the face. Just do a HIGNFY and have a different luvvie to be lead presenter every week. They have a seemingly endless supply of the pompous and the vacuous, and they could even throw in the odd decent presenter for good measure. Even better, by subcontracting the show out, they could even have Clarkson himself for a one-off.

 

 

Not sure if that would work as what made Clarkson work was the fact he is a trained journalist. He also wrote motoring reviews for papers.

May wrote for the national motoring press.

 

They both have a piss take sense of humour.

 

Hammond worked on minor channel motoring programmes (I think I saw some on DTTV before Itv shut them down)

 

Using these people worked.

 

Of the new team, please remember I only managed to watch 2/3rds of an episode and a few clips afterwards, mainly as I find CE a complete programming turnoff.

 

Chris Harris has a similar start, why was he not used?

Rory Reid again a writer, again why not used?

Matt Le Blanc, a happy success story.

Sabine Schimtz, good driver, does not work as a presenter.

Eddie Jordan, job creation scheme.

 

I think working with the core of MLB RR and CH, the  new Top Gear will work as long as they forget about trying to ape CHM.

[rockershovel]

Jeremy Clarkson was also "media royalty" (Google Paddington Bear, it might surprise you) with considerable leverage within the closed hierarchy of the BBC.

[45156]

Jeremy Clarkson was also "media royalty" (Google Paddington Bear, it might surprise you) with considerable leverage within the closed hierarchy of the BBC.

No need to Google that one, his mother Shirley founded Gabrielle Designs, which was a leading maker of Paddingtons a while back.  I managed to sell a few at a handsome profit on Ebay to US buyers.

[46444]

I wonder if James Martin may appear in the new series as lead presenter?

Edited July 7, 2016 by 46444

[Huw Griffiths]

I wonder if James Martin may appear in the new series as lead presenter?

 

 Probably not - they've already got several people in the TG team who are more than capable of filling that role.

 

I wouldn't be too surprised if he were to appear as a guest - especially if he doesn't have to introduce some guy he's never heard of before.

[RJS1977]

I've discovered this evening that the Routemaster currently undergoing restoration in a barn not far from me was once blown up by Jeremy Clarkson. He's even more of a Philistine than I thought!

[wombatofludham]

I've discovered this evening that the Routemaster currently undergoing restoration in a barn not far from me was once blown up by Jeremy Clarkson. He's even more of a Philistine than I thought!

 

He's just shot up in my estimation by blowing up a Rotmaster.  Vile over-rated buses, the Flying Jockstrap of PSVs.  Now, if he'd blown up a Midland Red D9 he'd have a fatwa hanging over his head...

[45156]

He's just shot up in my estimation by blowing up a Rotmaster.  Vile over-rated buses, the Flying Jockstrap of PSVs.  Now, if he'd blown up a Midland Red D9 he'd have a fatwa hanging over his head...

Still better than the Daimler Fleetline, or the Atlantean - mind you anything's better than the Fleetline, particularly in the variant that LT used as the DM/DMS.

[wombatofludham]

Still better than the Daimler Fleetline, or the Atlantean - mind you anything's better than the Fleetline, particularly in the variant that LT used as the DM/DMS.

 

Funny how London had problems with the Fleetline and Atlantean but the West Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Glasgow and Edinburgh, all with congestion and urban traffic as bad as most of London, operated thousands as standard without any major issues, and that once flogged off at a discount, the second hand DMS Fleetlines, despite their flaky LT special mods, went on to lead long and productive lives all over the country, including around Birmingham, Manchester and other big cities. I suspect a touch of "not invented here" syndrome was responsible for LT's issues together with their specialist one-off modifications they insisted on.

 

The fact that until the Borismaster vanity project London has operated thousands of off the peg buses now for getting on for over twenty years shows that London's traffic conditions are no worse than elsewhere in the UK and that they insisted that hey needed their own unique designs for so many years was nonsense especially as London Country used Atlanteans, Eastern National used Lodekkas and Bristol VRs and Green Line Leyland Nationals in and around outer London without any specialist modifications.

 

Dennis also went on to develop the Fleetline clone the "Dominator", largely at the request of big Fleetline operators.  In fact even WMPTE, then the largest single operator of Fleetlines nearly bought some until political pressure was applied to buy Metrobuses, so outside Aldenham and 55 Broadway, the Fleetline was highly regarded and successful.

[ianwales]

Hi

 

I think I read somewhere that part of London's problem with Atlantean's and Fleetlines were they had doors at the front thus preventing people jumping on and off between stops.

 

Ian

[Huw Griffiths]

I think I read somewhere that part of London's problem with Atlanteans and Fleetlines were they had doors at the front thus preventing people jumping on and off between stops.

 

Very likely - especially in view of rear doors being a key design feature of the "Borismaster". While on the subject of the "Borismaster", I wish they'd fitted them with better seats - ones that go back more than 6 inches and provide some leg support would have been nice.

 

On a more positive note, the ones I've travelled on seem to be solidly put together.

 

 

He's just shot up in my estimation by blowing up a Rotmaster.  Vile over-rated buses, the Flying Jockstrap of PSVs.  Now, if he'd blown up a Midland Red D9 he'd have a fatwa hanging over his head...

 

On the other hand, if he'd done something similar with a Plaxton Elite i "interdeck", some people would have wanted him to get a medal.

 

However, since the bus he actually blew up is of a type popular with tourists and preservationists, I suspect that some people might regard a "dedication" as more in order ... . http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/michael-gove-eliminating-literacy-like-our-forefathers-9238095.html

 

 

Huw.

[jjb1970]

I've worked in London for 8 years and have used the bus twice. London is a great walking city,within Zone 1 if you feel confident about where you're going there is often not that much in it between walking and going by public transport. I rarely use the tube either.

[wombatofludham]

 

However, since the bus he actually blew up is of a type popular with tourists and preservationists, I suspect that some people might regard a "dedication" as more in order ... . http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/michael-gove-eliminating-literacy-like-our-forefathers-9238095.html

 

 

Huw.

 

Flying Jockstrap is popular with Joe and Joanna Numpty who only know three steam trains, Jockstrap, Thomas and possibly Ivor, two of which are fictional and the third the railway equivalent of Katie Price, a useless self serving object famous for being famous.  Popularity is no guarantee of quality!

​Not a fan of celebrity preservation objects as you can probably tell. 

[DDolfelin]

On the A55 this morning there was a long delay (what's new?) and the cause was a caravan parallel parked in a ditch with the towing vehicle still attached at right angles.

Just wondered if the 3 Amigos were still in business.

[RJS1977]

Hi

 

I think I read somewhere that part of London's problem with Atlantean's and Fleetlines were they had doors at the front thus preventing people jumping on and off between stops.

 

Ian

 

I remember hearing a talk by Colin Curtis at the London Transport Museum a few years ago. He mentioned that when London first got Atlanteans, their reliability was so poor that instead of keeping the recovery vehicles in the depot until needed, it was more efficient to keep running them up and down the routes - apparently it was very rare for them to get to the other end without them coming across a failed Atlantean!

[RJS1977]

He's just shot up in my estimation by blowing up a Rotmaster.  Vile over-rated buses, the Flying Jockstrap of PSVs.  Now, if he'd blown up a Midland Red D9 he'd have a fatwa hanging over his head...

 

Irrespective, it breaks my heart to see any type of historic vehicle being destroyed for a few minutes' so-called "entertainment"...