It’s perhaps the least surprising thing in the world to discover that I very much enjoyed the CHM iteration of top gear. Already a fan of the more dry factual car reviews of my youth, the combination of those and things like using a Ford fiesta as an assault carrier or trying to cross Vietnam in horrible motorcycles could’ve only been more attractive to me if one of the presenters had actually been good looking.
The way the show ended, the first post-revival season that causes people to think it could’ve only been that bad on purpose. The original trios move to Amazon and the scrambling to get to the. current BBC iteration are already well documented. As is the horrific crash that caused production to halt and left star Freddie Flintoff with such injuries that it’s until now, nearly 11 months after the crash that we’ve seen pictures of him. As such the Latest news that the BBC has “gutted” the Top Gear team should not be that surprising, But then you look at the broadcast numbers.
Contrary to prevailing wisdom, Top Gear seemed to be pulling some quite decent numbers. With ratings which are (at least within Britain) comparable to its equivalent point in time in the Clarkson era. The BBC certainly seemed to think highly of it, what with the move to BBC1 so why pull the plug?
well, I’m gonna to go out on a limb here and ask: Have you watched the current Top Gear? I haven’t. Nobody outside the UK seems to be tremendously interested in it. Even within the UK, it seems the viewing numbers betray something else that has gone missing. The periphery demographic. Not just in the UK, but in all the overseas markets. In the collective minds of people who would recommend it even if they didn’t like cars an neither did whomever they recommended them to. All of those people that made the phrase ‘pokey motoring show on BBC 2’ a joke rather than dry facts. None of the audience that could not be measured will give them the time of day. And not even the chemistry that Harris, Flintoff, and Paddy McGuinness have developed can save it. Mostly because it forces comparison with their predecessors. That plus the need for revenue at a time when the Beeb will need it most and no wonder that they’ve decided to cut them. off. Even without something that could fill in to replace it.
All things considered, maybe it’s a good thing the show will go into hiatus for a while. motoring programs will always have a space. Take some time, give the people a breather to be more receptive to whatever comes Next.
Ant in the meantime look at a farmer, a shop owner, a traveler, and a small brown man going sideways.
