TOP GEAR

[STEVE G]

To be fair to the BBC, I would be fired from my job if I physically assaulted someone, as it's one of the surprisingly few things that comes into the "gross misconduct" sector of the contract.
The show is puerile nonsense anyway, however many people watch it!

[margaretcarnes]

Apparently for lamping (or at least trying to) the producer of the show over the fact that no food had been provided at one of the "shoots"........ they guy must like his grub!!

Whilst I have enjoyed the majority of the shows over the years, several (in recent seasons) have been with "dumbed down humour" in the extreme.... Clarkson is not quite as hysterical as he seems to think he is and is one arrogant tw@t...... liked and loathed in equal measures I would say.

The show had pretty much run it's course IMHO and I believe there was talk of axing it anyway - this (as Pete says) is probably the final nail in the coffin... That said, it seems a little strange not to air the final 3 episodes of this series (where filming has already been completed).

By all accounts there is a petition already signed by some 150,000 fans demanding his reinstatement..

I love Top Gear - yes Clarkson is irreverant in the extreme, and also arrogant. But that's what makes the programme unique. He says what he thinks, but does also seem to have been dumbed down a bit since the Burma incident.
But the problem is - Clarkson is reported to own 40% of the rights to the show. So is he really answerable to a mear producer?
Sure, if he was just an employee he would have been suspended immediately for gross misconduct, and rightly so. But we really don't know how the heirarchy of the programme works. Do May and Hammond also have shares? If so is the Beeb just a minority in the whole thing?
I just feel that the Beeb has been waiting for some excuse to get TG off the schedule, or at least to get rid of the 3 presenters (because if one goes they will all go.)
If that is the case the Beeb IMO is shooting itself in the foot, at the very time when it is having to consider cut backs in channels and is debating the future of the TV licence.
The organisation is already showing signs of backing down on the issue of the party political debate. It is filling the existing channels with repeats, and only survives 24 hours a day because of those repeats and repeats with signing for the deaf. OK maybe fair enough - and the news broadcasts continue to be the best IMO. But there is far too much competition now for them to risk abandoning a very popular programme like TG. The whole thing is smacking of bad management.

[STEVE G]

But the problem is - Clarkson is reported to own 40% of the rights to the show. So is he really answerable to a mear producer?
Sure, if he was just an employee he would have been suspended immediately for gross misconduct, and rightly so. But we really don't know how the heirarchy of the programme works. Do May and Hammond also have shares? If so is the Beeb just a minority in the whole thing?

According to the Times this morning, BBC Worldwide bought out Clarkson's shares a couple of years ago for eight odd million pounds and now own the show outright so he is an employee, apparently on a million pound a year contract.

[pharvey]

^ Some fair points Mags, but regarding the rights to the show, Clarkson from memory made millions by selling his stake to the Beeb a couple of years ago - then going onto signing a deal to host the show (along with May and Hamster) for the following 3 or 4 series (at a million or so quid a series!!).

[EDIT] DOH!! Apologies Steve - crossed post.

[J.J.B.]

What an amazing piece of publicity from the BBC. Painting Jezzer (The Orangutan) as the 'bad boy' of TV will only help to push the ratings up even further, along with international sales. He'll be back on Aunty before you know it, he's far too valuable to them for the franchise to be lost to a competitor.

[Bristolian]

^^ agree 1000% loath Clarkson or love his style, the audience rating and overseas sales will determine. Expect the resumed series to attract record audiences. Have we become so politically correct that we can not accept a comedy show with an orangutan. I hope not! Keep going JC

[Khundon1975]

I think the contracts for all three presenters run out after this series.

Perhaps they will all pop over to ITV and set up a similar programe

[pharvey]

I think the contracts for all three presenters run out after this series.

Apparently so, and it'll be interesting to see what happens - the Beeb has the rights to the show itself, but no doubt others would be queuing up to sign the three of them up should in the (now unlikely) event they actually leave...

As J.J.B. also says, it's certainly been one hell of a publicity event for TG, Clarkson and the Beeb - incredible amount of coverage here in the UK.....

[caller]

It might be free publicity for the beeb, but it sure isn't helping them. As reported earlier, they could lose millions based on these cancelled shows that other broadcasting companies have paid for, then there's the planned live shows with the 3 amigos, including sold out shows in Norway and Australia. If Clarksons sacked, what's going to happen to them?

The beeb are in a difficult position. If he did thump the guy he's out, end of. If they do try a cover up - having chosen to publicise it in the first place by, which is a bit unfair on Clarkson, innocent until proven guilty and all that - then the truth will out in any case and they will get slaughtered. There is a lot of hate from the media luvvies towards Clarkson (and many of us), for not toeing their political righteousness view of the way things should be, including many from within the beeb itself.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

[Dannie Boy]

The whole things a mess - normally its in everybody's interest to conduct a disciplinary hearing ASAP and determine the outcome "guilty or innocent" and then move on, either sack JC or get him back to work. The BBC will have laid down procedures for dealing with such cases, timescales etc. and celebrity or not, it shouldn't change the principles.

[pharvey]

I agree Caller, it's not particularly done the Beeb any favours - quite the reverse. For Top Gear and Clarkson on the other hand - it's worked wonders.... if the show (or the Orangutan) needed more coverage!!

Personally, I like the show - used to love it, but the (more-often-than-not) "low IQ humour" spoils it for me these days. As I've said earlier, Clarkson is an arrogant tw@t, but I do (mostly) like him, and at the end of the day (like it or not) he is the show. Should he be sacked, I'm sure we'll see him, May and the Hamster working together on a very similar show elsewhere in the very near future....

Strange isn't it that just as the 3 guys contracts are up, we have this "event".......

[arcadianagain]

If I were staying at this "Luxury" hotel I would expect to be able to have proper food at 9.30. The only time I get moody is if I`m hungry, maybe JC, no not that one, Jeremy Clarkson is the same.

[STEVE G]

If I were staying at this "Luxury" hotel I would expect to be able to have proper food at 9.30. The only time I get moody is if I`m hungry, maybe JC, no not that one, Jeremy Clarkson is the same.

According to the Telegraph, the reason there was no food available was because they went to the pub first:

"A guest at the hotel where the BBC team were staying said Clarkson was furious to find that there was no hot meal available when he and his co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond returned from a drinking session at a nearby pub."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/top ... Irish.html

[margaretcarnes]

The whole things a mess - normally its in everybody's interest to conduct a disciplinary hearing ASAP and determine the outcome "guilty or innocent" and then move on, either sack JC or get him back to work. The BBC will have laid down procedures for dealing with such cases, timescales etc. and celebrity or not, it shouldn't change the principles.

As of course they would have had with Jimmy Savile?

[arcadianagain]

I read in the Daily Mail (so it must be true!) that Stephen Fry is being considered as a replacement for Clarkson. A gay leftie luvvie would suit the BBC very well.