World famous British automotive TV show Top Gear might be no more. Presenter Jeremy Clarkson said in the U.K.’s Sun newspaper this weekend the program won’t be returning.
At the end of the last episode of the season, Clarkson closed saying: “We don’t know when we’ll be back.” The BBC claims Top Gear will be back for a summer special, and will start a new season in the fall.
“After last week’s Top Gear, the TV announcer said it would be back in the summer,” Clarkson wrote. “Can I just say, it won’t be.”
Mr. Clarkson, and co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond are rumored to be in rows with producers over the future of the show. The show’s management purportedly wants more celebrity appearances and less focus on cars.
03/14, 12:46 AM
posted by:
Aston_
I must be smoking crack again…It can’t be true!! The whole idea of Topgear was the focus on the cars not the celebs. SCREW THE CELEBS and bring on the funny challenges and cars!!!! A sad day in car entertainment industry… .-_-.
03/14, 12:47 AM
posted by:
n1c2c8
fire the producers then. easy as that.
03/14, 12:50 AM
posted by:
F451
Probably the best car enthusiast show of all time.
03/14, 1:00 AM
posted by:
Adrio
I cant believe the producers want to ruin the show like that. I always fast forward past the celebs anyways. They’re not even celebs to me.
They’re about to ruin on of my favorite shows! Bastards.
03/14, 1:15 AM
posted by:
zerotosixty
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6439449.stm
I don’t understand why Left Lane even bothered posting this, it’s all just speculation. I almost pissed myself when I read the title but after doing a little research this really looks like an overreaction. Top Gear really won’t be back this summer though, it’s just a special. I think Clarkson was just trying to stir up things. Also the reason he said he doesn’t know when they’ll be back at the end of the last season could be because their lease is up at their current location and they’ll have to move as its being developed for housing apparently.
03/14, 2:23 AM
posted by:
Hyperion
I watch Top Gear for two reasons: 1) interesting and absurd car reviews and… 2) Clarkson’s, Hammond’s and May’s humor.
Celebrities are a perk, not a perogative. If the BBC has a problem with that and it can’t be overcome… then kill it and let’s move on. It’s just a show.
What is more annoying is the rumored American Top Gear that The Discovery Channel has been mulling over. I just don’t see this working at all if they are as picky about their cars as Clarkson and Co are. It SHOULD be just as scathing when they review a car that sucks (no matter how much hype its got)… but I doubt American TV producers want that.
03/14, 3:32 AM
posted by:
BAMF
What!? I seriously hope that isn’t the case. I love this show, and I was looking forward to their reviews of all the cool new cars that are coming out in the coming year. If Clarkson is telling the truth, I will be extremely sad.
=(
03/14, 3:33 AM
posted by:
onur
Trying to change things that work/sell is becoming more and more of a trend nowadays. It’s impossible to understand why.
03/14, 4:27 AM
posted by:
peter g
Top Gear is about cars, cars and cars!
…With the occasional celeb.
03/14, 6:04 AM
posted by:
55amg
and i think less people will watch it if it talks less about cars and more about celebs
03/14, 7:11 AM
posted by:
AussieDan
Personally I think that this last season has already strayed a little far from the original purpose of Top Gear.
The ‘challenges’ are fun but what happened to pieces like taking 3 cars out to Pendine Sands, The Isle of Man, etc. With so much time being spent watching the guys building various contraptions and talking to the ’stars’, it seems like there is barely enough time left for driving something on the runway and the Stig taking it for a lap.
To anyone at Top Gear who might read this: Bring back the kind of television that was being produced in Seasons 6 & 7. The beautiful cinematography and interesting pieces made those seasons stand apart from any other program.
The only thing worse then Top Gear coming back would be to see it return as some kind of knackered excuse for the show it once was. That said, it sounds like there is no way Jeremy, James or Richard will let that happen, keep up the great work guys!
03/14, 7:28 AM
posted by:
55amg
true, i think there are already less car reviews in newer than older episodes. some times its fun to have challenges but not always
03/14, 8:31 AM
posted by:
bacalao
NO!!! NO!!! NO!!! THEY CANT DO THIS NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
03/14, 9:04 AM
posted by:
Madcapp
Top Gear will continue on. Clarksons comments are just an indicator of a contract dispute…Clarkson wants more money (big surprise). But they can replace him with any number of Herman Munster looking, Lurch sounding limeys.
03/14, 9:04 AM
posted by:
Gogogodzilla
This is not good. Not good at all!
Where will I be able to see a video car review with the wit and humor I’ve come to expect from the Top Gear crew???
03/14, 9:31 AM
posted by:
Chris C.
Top Gear is certainly better then any of the chucklhead hosted programs we have here. I mean… has anyone ever watched “Car Crazy” and actually thought to themselves, “That was a great show” It’s ****! If the BBC won’t make Top Gear, bring him and the boys over here!
03/14, 9:47 AM
posted by:
nowei
I really hope Clarkson is just trying to bait the producers into seeing the errors of their ways.
I did notice, however, that this last season had a lot more plugs. The celebrities were on the show for the purpose of promoting something, whereas in years past it seems as though a lot of the celebrities were just on the show for no real reason.
That being said, the limousine challenge required more celebrity appearances, and it was wildly hilarious. I’m not suggesting Jeremy, Richard, and James do that sort of thing every week, but once in a while would be ok.
I’ll be really disappointed if the show doesn’t return, though. I was really looking forward to seeing how their farming project worked out.
03/14, 10:12 AM
posted by:
PrimeGTP
Only idiot BBC producers could suggest less of a focus on cars in a CAR SHOW.
03/14, 10:39 AM
posted by:
Hal
Give me Fifth Gear any day. TopGear’s actual car reviews are great and I love the supercars but I’m sick of all the dumb stunts (like the roadbuilding), the boring celeb in the boring car, and the nattering and ribbing that goes on with May, Hammond and Clarkson. There are funnier guys at your local bar. The episode where they drove from Miami to New Orleans was torture.
I don’t believe a word that Clarkson says, he probably wants to make sure the camera is pointing at him an extra 10% of the time or something.
03/14, 10:40 AM
posted by:
Hal
also if the bbc doesnt renew the show, one of the other UK channels will get Clarkson to do a motoring show.
03/14, 11:20 AM
posted by:
sampson
top gear is just waiting on more new cars to come out… It’s the auto industry’s fault…
03/14, 11:22 AM
posted by:
rey323
Glad to see producers justifying their paychecks by fixing problems that don’t exist. Perhaps changing the format of Top Gear would be necessary if there were drops in ratings. But isn’t Top Gear as popular as ever?
03/14, 11:40 AM
posted by:
A4
seriously what a bunch of assholes, i too always fast forward the celebrity parts. people watch this show to see the cars, not to watch hollywood prancing about.
03/14, 12:42 PM
posted by:
eam3
Be thankful for the great years of Top Gear because even at their worst, they were still better than anything made on this side of the pond. In the US we have been force fed absolute undiluted 100% uncut garbage like Car Crazy, Car & Driver television and Motorweek. To make matters worse, the NASCAR channel (formerly known as Speedvision) gives us unpolished turds like Ultimate Whips, Pinks and more forgettable crap. Long live Top Gear.
03/14, 1:29 PM
posted by:
Hal
happily for me eam3 I dont have a tv so i cant watch any of that junk - i get my top gear fix on youtube, theres a lot of fifth gear stuff on there too.
03/14, 1:42 PM
posted by:
Sharif
NO, WHY???? fukin bastards. screw celebs, if we want to see celebs we’ll watch a movie, sex tape, or VH1. WHY? celebs are only good 4 crashing awesome cars.
03/14, 2:52 PM
posted by:
GT40
good.
03/14, 3:38 PM
posted by:
theshadow
Top Gear is for ppl who like CARS, all that ‘celeb’ **** is for the saddos who watch ‘E!’ or Oprah or whatever.
If Top Gear starts to sell out the sucking will be painful to watch…thank god for Fifth Gear!
03/14, 5:04 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
sad for top gear, but screw clarkson.
i think i will go eat some cheese now, friggin bastard.
03/14, 5:19 PM
posted by:
k_freese
Who in their right mind didn’t fast forward through the celebrity interviews and “reasonably priced car” stuff, anyway? TO TOP GEAR PRODUCERS: WE DON’T WANT TO SEE CELEBRITIES ON TOP GEAR. WE WANT CARS!!
03/14, 8:31 PM
posted by:
BAMF
1c3d0g — I don’t think anybody watches Top Gear because they need Jeremy Clarkson to tell them what car to buy. We’re car enthusiasts, so we like cars. And who presents cars in a more entertaining, artistic way than Top Gear?
03/14, 8:46 PM
posted by:
BAMF
By the way, finalgear.com hasn’t mentioned anything about this. Not only that, but they just posted a video of an interview with the stig, and the rest of the presenters. They are saying Top Gear is back in the fall after a summer special.
Hopefully this rumor is false!!
03/14, 8:51 PM
posted by:
BAMF
or actually, i may be wrong about that clip. i think it may have been from 2003 episode 3×04
03/14, 10:28 PM
posted by:
v8havoc
WTF??!?!?!? WHY CHANGE WHATS WORKING SO WELL, THEY HAVE OVER 100 MILLION VIEWERS WORLDWIDE WTF IS WRONG WITH BBC!??!?!!?!?!?!?!?!??!
03/15, 12:19 AM
posted by:
truong
no dont leave us!
03/15, 4:52 AM
posted by:
55amg
fifth gear sucks
03/15, 9:41 AM
posted by:
A4
ya fifth gear is garbage
03/15, 9:47 AM
posted by:
Namir
Im just curious, do car enthusiasts in the UK like the celebrity segments?
Because I’m in the US and I dont get any of the jokes nor do I know/care about any of the celebrities..so for me forwarding through the interviews is a no brainer, but do UK viewers enjoy that stuff?
03/15, 12:42 PM
posted by:
RLX02
Yeah sadly we dont have any car programs focused on more intelligent people. Just rednecks and teenage boys of the xbox generation.
Top Gear > all other car programs.
03/15, 8:36 PM
posted by:
hfry
WTF is Fifth Gear. Anyways Yeah For sure Top Gears Credibility Blows 90% of all of the Speed channels shows out of the water. I love the Speed channel though..
Top Gear is the Forefather of Automotive Television Testing. Plus, Every cast member on that show Is LEGIT, 100%
Im using a lot of Opinionated %’s today.. W.e. Plain and simple BBC would lose so much if they dropped Top Gear…. Doesn’t weigh out guys… So I Think its just a bunch of Rubbish. Later
03/16, 8:00 AM
posted by:
PrimeGTP
“THEY HAVE OVER 100 MILLION VIEWERS WORLDWIDE WTF IS WRONG WITH BBC!??!?!!?!?!?!?!?!??!”
After having lived in the UK for several years, I can honestly say that it seems BBC tries to stay ****ty so they can justify raising TV license fees and other related taxes to “keep them afloat”, which is really code for “keep our execs’ pockets lined”.
03/16, 9:25 AM
posted by:
Rene Curry
Get Jay Leno to do the US version and call it “Left Lane” If the show has reruns for the Brits it will need to be renamed “Right Lane” :o)
08/31, 10:39 AM
posted by:
Trudon01
THERES ONLY 1 WAY OF TELLING THE IMBICILIC PRODUCERS AT THE BBC WHAT WE REALLY WANT !!! CARS AND CHALLENGES… NOT MORE CELEBS… Keep it the way it is at present…
They log audience viewing, and its not just total per show but over the whole show… (so i’m told) same with radio… its live logging… we all just need to turn over to another network (hopefully over 90% of us who watch it for the cars and challenges… and like myself don’t give a flying bullock bout the celebs… and having more will ruin the show)… while the celebs are interviewed for 6 mins or so… and turn back when the actual show is back… producers will hate us… but were the audience and we want car challenges and destruction… not celeb gossip plus… other shows provide that 4 those who want that…
Should also work wit re-runs…
PLEASE EVERYONE… (can’t go with out my top gear)