Flintoff’s accident, maybe the end of Top Gear?

[Cold]

There has been the odd report about this, mostly shrouded in corporate health and safety speak. The show is on hold anyhow, maybe even finished for good.

It seems he flipped a Morgan on track and wasn’t wearing a helmet and did some potentially career ending damage to himself. He was airlifted from the scene so it must have been serious enough. There is some speculation that he suffered a lot of cosmetic injury. It’s not good whatever it was but it doesn’t sound life threatening.

If he was instructed to not wear a helmet for filming reasons… there could be all sorts of implications maybe even criminal. I’m sure the hush hush is done for a reason.

From my own observations, the old Clarkson era Top Gear used stunt men and other professionals a lot of the time for the more daring stuff mixed with interior shots of the cars with the presenters in them pretending to be scared. Maybe particularly after Hammond’s crash. But in this new breed, it seems Flintoff did a lot of the stuff himself and CH obviously doesn’t need anyone else to drive a car.

I’m sure we’ll hear more in due course but I suspect a gentler Top Gear from now on, if it survives.

[Leins]

I think it’s well run its course at this stage anyway. They need to replace it with a more car-focused programme, get some proper car presenters in like Jonny Smith and Tiff Needell, maybe even move it to Channel 5 with a name change. Not sure what they’d call it then though

[deltona]

I think the fact it was still pulling in huge viewership numbers across many demographics is why it has continued this long. A car focussed TV show won't do that, and has too much competition from other platforms, so that's extremely unlikely to ever happen. Top Gear is/was a huge entertainment program for the BBC, so if it was replaced they'd be seeking out another big hitter of a show which could do the numbers. As car enthusiasts we're spoiled for good quality content these days anyhow. There's not a hope any of us could watch it all.

Only time will tell re. both Flintoff (hope he's ok) and what happens with Top Gear.

Partially related, but who has seen James May's accident in one of the most recent episodes of The Grand Tour? The one where he crashed a Lancer Evo in a tunnel. The in-car footage of that was very uncomfortable viewing.

[Titan]

It seems Freddie Flintoff was a bit of an adrenaline junkie and "willing" to put himself in what I would consider some pretty dangerous situations.

The one that sticks in my head is him dangling over the edge of a tall damn in Switzerland (maybe?) in a classic car and being dropped head first.

But he seems to have reached his limit with this latest crash,hopefully he will recover from it but it sounds like mentally he has had enough of it all as well.

I think the crash happened back last November or something and the report on it is out now.

And yes deltona,that crash of James May in the Evo was not good either,that could have turned into a proper tragedy seeing his head bounce off the side as he hit the rather solid mountain wall.

He also hit his head in an earlier Christmas special when he was standing to the side of a tow rope that was pulling Clarksons car out and it caught him and sent him flying and hitting his head on a rock on the ground.

Seems you have to be part stunt man now when applying for these sort of jobs.

[crank_case]

I think it’s well run its course at this stage anyway. They need to replace it with a more car-focused programme, get some proper car presenters in like Jonny Smith and Tiff Needell, maybe even move it to Channel 5 with a name change. Not sure what they’d call it then though

Final Drive?

[Leins]

Final Drive?

Or maybe “Over Drive”

[deltona]

Spotted this linked over on PH;

http://digitaleditions.telegraph.co....70/article/NaN

According to Parrot Analytics – which measures the global demand, rather than the local ratings, using a mix of data sources to come up with figures you can compare country to country – demand for Top Gear is over 15 times higher than for the average TV series in the US, over 10 times the demand in Germany, and over five time higher in India. In the UK, demand is even higher, at over 23 times the demand for the average TV series. UK demand for The Grand Tour, by comparison, is just over 11 times the average.
And these Parrot figures are for the UK-produced version of the show. There’s also locally made Top Gear in South Korea, China, France and Hong Kong. “They might rest it for a bit, but they won’t let the brand die,” explains Ed Waller, editorial director of industry bible C21. “They can reformat, add new hosts, offer new twists. This is a global TV industry, not a national one. Both the network and the studio side have compelling reasons not to let it go – it gets the BBC a good chunk of a demographic it doesn’t usually get but even if BBC One dropped the show, BBC Studios is set up to keep making it – potentially on a different UK channel or a streamer but certainly around the world. Top Gear doesn’t rely on the whims of BBC One.” In other words: BBC Studios may flog their health and safety nightmare of a show to a much less risk-averse and increasingly beleaguered buyer.

[Cold]

Other than sport, Top Gear is pretty much the only broadcast TV that I watch so I can well believe it. Creating a worldwide show like that is not easy and they won’t let it go in a hurry. It’s one of the few shows that you can talk to anyone about the world over. If it keeps going that is probably good news for Chris Harris as he would otherwise just be known as someone who plugs a classifieds site. And Singer. I did like his M3 Touring review, though.

I’m sure Amazon were well aware of this when they initially spent huge on the Grand Tour, no doubt hoping to repeat the success. I read somewhere that Clarkson’s Farm is only really watched in the UK and this is why it was canned.

[Titan]

I think one of the big reasons for Clarksons Farm only really doing well in the UK and not in other territories is that he spends a lot of time going on about the whole rigmarole that the British farmer has to go through and put up with an overly meddling officialdom.

Which might not be too interesting to a foreign audience,whereas doing some stupid stuff in cars sort of translates very well to a worldwide audience,without too much explaining needed.

[Padrio]

Clarkson's Farm was brilliant and mainly because he, for once, was not in control. It's been canned because his big mouth got himself into trouble again with his obnoxious misogyny rearing his head once more

[llcoolmac]

Clarkson's Farm was brilliant and mainly because he, for once, was not in control. It's been canned because his big mouth got himself into trouble again with his obnoxious misogyny rearing his head once more

What do you mean it's been canned? It hasn't been cancelled.

[crank_case]

I think one of the big reasons for Clarksons Farm only really doing well in the UK and not in other territories is that he spends a lot of time going on about the whole rigmarole that the British farmer has to go through and put up with an overly meddling officialdom.

Which might not be too interesting to a foreign audience,whereas doing some stupid stuff in cars sort of translates very well to a worldwide audience,without too much explaining needed.

Kinda like Mr. Bean vs. Blackadder - Blackadder will only appeal to english speaking audiences and ones that like that sort of sarcastic wit, but Mr. Bean is universal in the same way silent actors like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton were.

Top Gear is automotive slapstick.

[Eoin]

What do you mean it's been canned? It hasn't been cancelled.

Season 3 is in the works !

[Ptank]

It's done and dusted after season 3 I believe. As for top gear, it's run its course. I was a big fan of Harris all along but I find he's a bit repetitive these days

[markcro]

It's done and dusted after season 3 I believe. As for top gear, it's run its course. I was a big fan of Harris all along but I find he's a bit repetitive these days

Amazon only said that were mking 2 more seasons. So it's not canned because of Clarkson.