It is being reported by news outlets around the world that Jeremy Clarkson has been fired for the physical altercation with a producer that he instigated a short time ago. The statement made by the BBC made it clear that they understood the potential gravity of the decision but would not cave to public pressures to keep Clarkson on as part of the show. Obviously, violent behavior in any sort of workplace is largely frowned upon and it doesn’t matter if you are driving a cement truck or making one of the world’s most popular shows, you rarely can get away with slugging someone that you work with. According to the investigation into the “fracas” the attacked producer took himself to the hospital after it was all said and done to get checked out. New reports are surfacing that Clarkson may face criminal charges stemming from the incident. Things are certainly getting rougher by the minute for Clarkson.
Lord Hall was quoted by the Telegraph as saying, “It is with great regret that I have told Jeremy Clarkson today that the BBC will not be renewing his contract. It is not a decision I have taken lightly. I know how popular the programme is and I also know that this decision will divide opinion.”
He’s surely right.
Thats it then the end of an era.Top Gear has been around on and off since i was a kid in the UK.It was unbelievably boring until Clarkson reinvented it.I would imagine May and Hammond will now throw in the towel as well.Cant say as i had any intersest in the so called Supercars they drove on the show more the lunacy and the acidic humour.I still think he would make a good Primeminister as he obviously doesnt take any sh*t!
I regret to see him go but I can’t see how any workplace can tolerate someone who punches out coworkers. I imagine he’ll still have his column and may eventually pop up is some other car show.
The entertainment industry aint like no workplace you\’ve ever seen or can even imagine . Suffice it to say … the odd punch up … a shove here .. a little sexual harassment there .. enough insults and foul language to make a longshoreman blush … is the norm thru out the entire entertainment industry . Hint ? The more money involved and the bigger the stars … the worse it gets . Trust me …
As to Top Gear UK the show ? No Jezza … no show .. even if the other two do stick around …
I’ve read enough of your comments to have no faith in your credibility.
I think they should put him on the U.S. version of the show. Maybe he can make it better. But alas… I don’t think even he can help that show.
The only thing that could ever help Top Gear US is to put them out of our misery 😉
As I\’ve said elsewhere … Top Gear UK was about three genuine automotive journalists ..[ one .. James May that apprenticed under the late great LJK Setright ] that occasionally acted like idiots for the camera
Whereas Top Gear US is three idiots trying in vain to pretend to be automotive journalists in front of the camera .. when they can remember which camera is the one that is on !!!
So either ;
A) I completely misread all the clues … and the BBC really is stupid enough to throw away 4.2 million fans .. the $10 million they already spent on the episodes they won\’t be showing as well as the multibillion dollar empire that Top Gear is and has become . Remembering the BBC did throw away the now billion dollar Downton Abbey empire [ all but handing it over to PBS ] etc etc etc … which is to say … blatant stupidity is in their repertoire .. on a fairly regular basis .. so … maybe …
or
B) This really is the most convoluted , complicated and utterly cluster****ed publicity stunt in the entire history of the entertainment business
Either way … I\’ll bet dollars to donuts we haven\’t heard even 1/10th of this story before its finally over …. and errr …. If I\’ve been right along … and B is the correct answer …. can you say ..
Top Gear Reunion Gala special . To be followed by the new Top Gear series with the whole cast of character and everything back to normal .
[ my prognostication currently is … I have no prognostication currently ]
The weirdest revelation today about all this ? According to BBC etc … it was Clarkson who informed them about the incident . Not the victim reporting it . And oh yeah … supposedly … despite the victim not filing a complaint … the police are now involved in the whole mess .
Proving once again folks … Truth [ or some variation thereof ] Is a hell of a lot Stranger than Fiction 😉
RIP Top Gear?
Why no!
Ah’ll de it man – wey a’ll caal it the Chevy Hatin’ Geordie show an’ gan oot’n steal loads o cars like. Ah’m mad me Ah smoke loads o tack an Ah steal cars like Ah hate Makems like why what’s this Top Gear like that Hammond looks like a puff…..
Sorry – my house has been invaded by chavas!
(for a translation of the above try a Geordie (the dialect of Newcastle upon Tyne England)English website.
I new I shouldn’t have smoked that crack…..
It’s funny that as soon as I saw your spelling, I immediately slipped into a mental northern accent.
It also translates well into a Yorkshire accent.
Well this is sad news. It’s too bad that any attempt to bring the show back will be a failure because the Clarkson, May and Hammond have something that can not be bought, forced or made, and that’s chemistry. The way those cats played off each other was second to none. It’s the same reason why Top Gear USA didn’t do well. Those guys are all cool but they lacked that chemistry. It really is a shame.
As far as the BBC goes they honestly did the right thing. You can’t have a violent environment for anyone working together. Now even them being in the right I still choose to not support them any more. It’s a decision made out of my own selfish reasons. They have killed the golden goose but they had no other real options.
How long before ITV/SKY/BT has a new show called Overdrive with Hammond, May and Clarkson?
Clock is on,………..now……………
I could never understand why so many Americans liked someone who clearly hates Americans. Sure Clarkson can be funny at times but I could never overlook the fact that he hates my country and lets that hatred bias his reviews.
I am sure that the BBC can find someone else who is funny but not an ass. I for one am glad he is gone.
The problem with finding someone else who’s funny is s/he’s not going to have that necessary chemistry.
Why like him even when he hated Americans? Because it was comical. Also, he didn’t completely let it bias his reviews. See him agreeing with Hammond on the review of the Stingray.
“Why like him even when he hated Americans? Because it was comical.”
Perhaps it is comical if you hate America and don’t care how it is portrayed around the world. Perhaps you are from another country and it really does not mean anything to you but it should at least mean something to Americans.
For those who could care less about the American aspect, Clarkson repeatedly insults just about every group and country sans the UK that I can think of including hot rodders for not sticking with factory specs…anyway to each his own. Apparently, I am in the minority on this one.
They may or may not find someone with chemistry, but there are a lot of people to choose from. I wish them the best in their search and would happily give a replacement host(s) a chance.
I heard the news breaking yesterday whilst listening to BBC Radio 2 and had to smile at the irony of the report being followed by a show fronted by Jonathon Ross.
(For those outside the UK, Ross was one of the stars of the BBC, top TV chatshow, radio show, guesting all over the place before he was sacked for unacceptable behaviour a few years back).
So maybe its a case of run off and have a couple of years holiday from the BBC and we’ll get you back when the new Top Gear tanks (which it surely will)
Johnathan Ross’ punishment wasn’t nearly severe enough.
So much as implying that Russell Brand is funny should be considered a crime against humanity.
Good riddance and kudos to Lord Hall for doing the right thing. Assaulting a coworker should result in automatic termination no matter who you are. As for the TG show, it has needed a major revamp for years. New hosts and a new format could again make it the entertaining show it once was.