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Basil Exposition
Basil Exposition Dork
3/10/15 4:51 p.m.
oldtin wrote: Rowan Atkinson would be an interesting host

Basil Exposition
Basil Exposition Dork
3/10/15 4:57 p.m.
Swank Force One wrote:
kanaric wrote:
yamaha wrote: In reply to novaderrik: That would get shut down within an hour or so due to lack of political correctness.....
I highly doubt that. Bill Maher still has a show and there are people actually protesting at HBO about his comments on muslims and vaccines. There is a place for clarkson somewhere. Except everyone needs to see this if this is true: "Top Gear series postponed after Jeremy Clarkson “punches producer”" http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-03-10/top-gear-series-postponed-after-jeremy-clarkson-punches-producer
93EXCivic wrote: I enjoy how they describe it as a fracas. I probably wouldn't bother watching without Clarkson honestly.
Why? It could still be good. The show has been kind of stale the past few seasons. This season, however, so far has bucked that trend.
I understand the difference is paid programming vs whatever BBC is, but that fact pisses me off. Bill Maher is a talentless, arrogant, smug and unfunny moron with a show based on at best, 50% "facts." He's damn near running a cult, and the people in the audience of his show are mindless drones. Clarkson may not be the smartest guy around, but he also doesn't seem to pretend to be. And he's FAR less offensive than Bill.

FTFY

secretariata
secretariata GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/10/15 5:29 p.m.
tuna55 wrote: I'll say it. In a position where it is basically his job to walk the bleeding edge of insulting every ethnic group and nationality and country and automaker every day, it would be supremely tough to know where the real line was. I feel bad for him. He had the best job in the world.

He created the best job in the world for himself and then over time got bored with it. So he pushed the limits to see what he could get away with and entertain himself by doing so (or get kicked out of his contract to follow other pursuits/ideas that he now finds more interesting/challenging). I'd imagine he is tremendously wealthy and doesn't need the job, so I'm sure that could turn it into something restraining if he doesn't have creative control. As some have said he is juvenile and coarse but that is probably why most of the TG audience is paying attention...

I for one hope he returns and the BBC does air the cancelled episodes as I find this show to be generally more entertaining than most TV shows.

Maybe they should make the Stig a producer considering he never takes his helmet off. Clarkson might injure his hand if he takes a swing which might make him think twice about that..

HappyAndy
HappyAndy UltraDork
3/10/15 6:18 p.m.

HappyAndy
HappyAndy UltraDork
3/10/15 6:37 p.m.

captdownshift
captdownshift GRM+ Memberand Dork
3/10/15 6:41 p.m.

BBC should make him narrate a documentary on futball and the primer league before returning

RX Reven'
RX Reven' GRM+ Memberand Dork
3/10/15 6:43 p.m.

Nimoy…Clarkson…all that remains is for a Myth Busters cast member to get whacked to complete the trilogy.

bearmtnmartin
bearmtnmartin GRM+ Memberand Dork
3/10/15 6:49 p.m.

The BBC is publicly funded so they don't need to worry too much about ratings. I guess he is gone and they will find someone easier to work with for next year. The tax dollars will still roll in. Can you imagine a crown corporation who can launch a car into space worrying about whether people are watching?

A similar story in Canada last year had a hugely popular ( by our standards) talk show host canned by the CBC and he is not coming back. Of course he was hitting girlfriends, not producers.

Nick_Comstock
Nick_Comstock PowerDork
3/10/15 7:03 p.m.

I probably will not watch it without him. I find Hammond extremely annoying, but like May a lot. I liked the old Top Gear too and would likely watch it if they went back to that format. But if they try to keep Hammond and May and replace Clarkson it will absolutely not work. I would rather it go away completely.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid
SyntheticBlinkerFluid PowerDork
3/10/15 7:11 p.m.

Well Car and Driver is reporting that the rest of the season may be cancelled.

Basil Exposition
Basil Exposition Dork
3/10/15 7:35 p.m.
bearmtnmartin wrote: The BBC is publicly funded so they don't need to worry too much about ratings. I guess he is gone and they will find someone easier to work with for next year. The tax dollars will still roll in. Can you imagine a crown corporation who can launch a car into space worrying about whether people are watching? A similar story in Canada last year had a hugely popular ( by our standards) talk show host canned by the CBC and he is not coming back. Of course he was hitting girlfriends, not producers.

The show represents huge revenues to the BBC. If they lose it they either have to cut back on dart and snooker tournaments, cut executive salaries, or raise the license fees. It will have an effect.

patgizz
patgizz GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
3/10/15 7:42 p.m.

i vote he stay, and also that they replace adam on the us top gear with me, because i'm funnier, a better driver, a tad crazy, and have awesome sideburns.

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
3/10/15 7:44 p.m.
bearmtnmartin wrote: The BBC is publicly funded so they don't need to worry too much about ratings.

Yes and no. Exporting TV shows makes a rather large - some would say outsized - contribution to the BBC's budget. Yes, they still get the license fee that people are supposed to pay to watch TV, but the one thing that has allowed the BBC to constantly punch about their weight is the money from selling shows abroad.

Dr. Hess
Dr. Hess MegaDork
3/10/15 7:46 p.m.

I think he should stay. But ONLY if he punches other BBC producers in the face.

jharry3
jharry3 GRM+ Memberand New Reader
3/10/15 7:57 p.m.

They could can Hammond and no one would notice. Clarkson made the show with his arrogant sarcasm and his ridiculous smokey laps but we were all in on the joke.

gamby
gamby UltimaDork
3/10/15 11:20 p.m.
GameboyRMH wrote: The only automotive journalist offensive enough to fill Clarkson's offendin' shoes is the only one more offensive than Clarkson - Jack Baruth. Here he is now to tell us that racism is *so overblown* and that the UK's gone off the deep end of political correctness, which surely led to Jeremy's suspension! http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/03/jeremy-clarkson-suspended-top-gear/

Jack Baruth was fantastic on the Smoking Tire podcast recently. Dude is really funny. He's not British, though, so he's out.

Rowan Atkinson is a really good suggestion.

I think there will be worldwide upheaval if Clarkson doesn't return.

Rufledt
Rufledt SuperDork
3/10/15 11:28 p.m.

I think Atkinson would be awesome, I'd watch the e36m3 out of that, but i'm guessing he wouldn't be entertaining in the same way as clarkson. Entertaining, sure, that's practically his middle name, but perhaps not the same?

SyntheticBlinkerFluid
SyntheticBlinkerFluid PowerDork
3/11/15 12:35 a.m.

dean1484
dean1484 GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
3/11/15 7:43 a.m.

I bet there is a huge contract out there waiting for Clarkston at Discovery or some other network that makes what ever he has been paid at TG seem like a joke.

alfadriver
alfadriver UltimaDork
3/11/15 8:13 a.m.
dean1484 wrote: I bet there is a huge contract out there waiting for Clarkston at Discovery or some other network that makes what ever he has been paid at TG seem like a joke.

I doubt that. His reputation preceeds his ability for results. Seeing what happened to other shows that had legal issues with the personalities on the Discovery family- I just can't see them taking a chance.

Nick_Comstock
Nick_Comstock PowerDork
3/11/15 8:17 a.m.

If he is gone and finds another show that is in any way car related I'll be watching.

Duke
Duke MegaDork
3/11/15 8:21 a.m.
SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote:

That was actually describing May. He was late to a taping one day, so Hammond and Clarkson where live-tweeting a search for May's replacement.

Adrian_Thompson
Adrian_Thompson UltimaDork
3/11/15 8:29 a.m.

This is BRILLIANT. The BBC has finally found a way to stop people illegally down loading the show. Cancel it! Stroke of genius I tell you

Most of us will probably still watch the show sans Clarkson, but it will wither and die within a season, two at most. He is the show and I can't think of anyone who can replace him. He's part acting, but he's also obviously an ass in real life too. If they shot can him he will either take the show to ITV, or if he can't take the name he will re-invent FirthGear which is what he did with the Top Gear franchise when it came back on the air in 2002 or whenever it was. Don't forget Top Gear used to be a regular factual car show with no studio, just a series of reviews and features, all serious. I bet ITV is salivating at the thought of picking him up and printing money as he makes Top Gear Mk III with them.

NOHOME
NOHOME UltraDork
3/11/15 9:05 a.m.

I watch Top Gear BECAUSE of the political incorrectness; I hate me a sacred cow unless its on a BBQ. And I like Clarkson's delivery, the boy has a way with vocabulary.

Watching every other show walk around trying to pick a turd up from the clean end gets old. I have seen a lot of this world, the human condition, is pretty berkeleyed up no matter where you go...AND funny, so why can we not laugh?

What bothers me way more than a lack of political correctness are individuals who go around looking for offense where none was intended. The TG Argentina episode is a good example of that kind of witch hunt mentality.

mtn
mtn MegaDork
3/11/15 9:18 a.m.
NOHOME wrote: I watch Top Gear BECAUSE of the political incorrectness; I hate me a sacred cow unless its on a BBQ. And I like Clarkson's delivery, the boy has a way with vocabulary. Watching every other show walk around trying to pick a turd up from the clean end gets old. I have seen a lot of this world, the human condition, is pretty berkeleyed up no matter where you go...AND funny, so why can we not laugh? What bothers me way more than a lack of political correctness are individuals who go around looking for offense where none was intended. The TG Argentina episode is a good example of that kind of witch hunt mentality.

In general I agree with you. Not necessarily that I agree with what is being said, or even that it is being said, but free speech and put on your big kid britches and get over it.

However, we have a little different situation here. It sounds like he took a swing at a co-worker. In my business, as in most any business short of ice-hockey and boxing, you take a swing at a coworker and you're out.

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