Culture BBC Announces It Will Pause Popular Car Show ‘Top Gear’ - “Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the U.K. show for the foreseeable future,” the broadcaster said in a statement.

Andrew Flintoff, center, Paddy McGuiness, left, and Chris Harris, the presenters of “Top Gear” in London in 2018 .John Rainford/WENN, via Reuters

The British car show “Top Gear,” one of the BBC’s most profitable and popular shows, will stop running after a presenter, Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff, was seriously injured in a crash during filming last year, the BBC said on Tuesday.

“Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the U.K. show for the foreseeable future,” the broadcaster said in a statement, adding that it was excited about new projects that it was developing with the presenters of “Top Gear.” “We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.”

After the car crash, which happened in December at the show’s test track in Surrey, England, the BBC halted production of the series, its 34th season. An independent company then conducted a safety and health review of the show, but the findings were not published, according to the BBC.

“Top Gear” has faced criticism of its safety protocol before. In 2006, Richard Hammond, then a “Top Gear” presenter, was in a coma for two weeks after crashing a vehicle going more than 288 miles per hour on a Yorkshire airfield during a “Top Gear” stunt.

Mr. Flintoff, a former England cricket captain, reportedly reached a settlement with the BBC that was worth 9 million pounds ($11.3 million), according to The Sun and other news outlets. The Sun published photos of Mr. Flintoff taken in September showing facial injuries. The tabloid, citing Mr. Flintoff’s legal team, reported that he was still recovering from “life-altering” injuries. Mr. Flintoff did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The TV show, which debuted in 1977 as a regional show about cars and road safety and relaunched in 2002, is a cultural phenomenon. It is one of the BBC’s most widely watched shows worldwide. The BBC did not say whether the show would be revived at some point in the future.

The show's most recent season attracted 4.5 million viewers, according to the BBC, and the show generated about £20 million ($25 million) in profit each year as of 2015. Mr. Flintoff became the presenter of the show in 2019, co-starring with the actor and comedian Paddy McGuinness and the automotive journalist Chris Harris.

“Top Gear” was also in the headlines in 2015, when the BBC suspended Jeremy Clarkson, the popular host at the time, after he attacked a producer after a night of drinking.

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[Markass the Worst]

There were series after Clarkson was sacked? Next you'll tell me there were sequels to The Matrix.

 

[I'm Retarded?]

all the hosts since Clarkson & co have been excruciatingly unfunny. it's baffling. britbongs are usually great at comedy, you're telling me you can't find one funny british guy who also likes cars?

 

[WTBOnlineFather]

Mr. Flintoff, a former England cricket captain, reportedly reached a settlement with the BBC that was worth 9 million pounds

This here should tell you all you need to know about the absolute state of nu-Top Gear. This nigger actually sued the BBC after he crashed his car. When Hammond nearly killed himself he shrugged it off and went right back to the action because it was his passion.
You can skinwalk as a member of the old trio, hosting a show that doesn't belong to you, but ultimately you can never hide the fact that you are gay.

 

[SirCliveSinclairdabbing]

Now give Chris Harris his own show like it should have been after Leblanc left

 

[a hapless toad]

Obligatory gif since no one else has posted it yet.

 

[Manul Otocolobus]

The Sun published photos of Mr. Flintoff taken in September showing facial injuries. The tabloid, citing Mr. Flintoff’s legal team, reported that he was still recovering from “life-altering” injuries.

Oh, the pretty boy got less pretty, my heart fucking breaks...

 

[malapropism]

I've never given anything past series 23 a try, Chris Evans is a fag and i don't use that word lightly. Some people have said future versions of the revolving cast got better but no one i could trust.

 

[Iron Jaguar]

all the hosts since Clarkson & co have been excruciatingly unfunny. it's baffling. britbongs are usually great at comedy, you're telling me you can't find one funny british guy who also likes cars?

Have you read Clarkson's books? He's wildly conservative and open about it, so the parade of fags and black lesbians who run the BBC hated him and made damn sure no-one like him could fill that role.

 

[Pee Cola]

This here should tell you all you need to know about the absolute state of nu-Top Gear. This nigger actually sued the BBC after he crashed his car. When Hammond nearly killed himself he shrugged it off and went right back to the action because it was his passion.

The virgin Flintoff vs the chad Hammond.

 

[Something Awful]

The "life-altering" injuries:



What a pussy.

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

To give Flintoff a degree of sympathy here we don't know what's happened behind closed doors. My suspicion is the BBC, always eager to cut corners so they have more money for people who aren't fit for their jobs and the other people hired to do the work they can't, after the original Top Gear crew left fucked with the contracts so they didn't have to pay out as much for on set accidents. Hence the legal issues between them and him.

By all accounts the latest trio were finally starting to feel like a step back to how Top Gear was. It would never be the same because you cannot get the chemistry the old lot had artificially but then this happened and the BBC seemingly made it clear that if either of them got hurt it'd take actual legal action for any money towards medical expenses. As such I imagine the other two said they either wanted new contracts or they were out, Flintoff likely was already out the door and at this point anyone new eyeing the job is out.

 

[Absolutego]

It was never about the cars, they struck gold with those 3 yobbos and the BBC's attempts to keep the brand going after they sacked Jezza was always doomed to fail.
Lowkey I think they just seized on an opportunity to cancel the show while there was someone else's injury to blame it on.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

This here should tell you all you need to know about the absolute state of nu-Top Gear. This nigger actually sued the BBC after he crashed his car. When Hammond nearly killed himself he shrugged it off and went right back to the action because it was his passion.
You can skinwalk as a member of the old trio, hosting a show that doesn't belong to you, but ultimately you can never hide the fact that you are gay.

If you watch the original show, you see the trio constantly get hurt by bullshit producer set pieces (James and May falling off animals), yet they didn't sue. Of course Jeremy eventually beat the producer, which is the manly method of expressing dissatisfaction.

 

[FuckedOffToff]

To give Flintoff a degree of sympathy here we don't know what's happened behind closed doors. My suspicion is the BBC, always eager to cut corners so they have more money for people who aren't fit for their jobs and the other people hired to do the work they can't, after the original Top Gear crew left fucked with the contracts so they didn't have to pay out as much for on set accidents. Hence the legal issues between them and him.

By all accounts the latest trio were finally starting to feel like a step back to how Top Gear was. It would never be the same because you cannot get the chemistry the old lot had artificially but then this happened and the BBC seemingly made it clear that if either of them got hurt it'd take actual legal action for any money towards medical expenses. As such I imagine the other two said they either wanted new contracts or they were out, Flintoff likely was already out the door and at this point anyone new eyeing the job is out.

To be fair, Paddy and Freddie were alright together, decent enough chemistry, competitive when it came to challenges and Freddie was always up for stunts. He did that ridiculous bungie jumping car, off the dam.

 

[Beautiful Border]

all the hosts since Clarkson & co have been excruciatingly unfunny. it's baffling. britbongs are usually great at comedy, you're telling me you can't find one funny british guy who also likes cars?

The problem is that they were trying to capture lightning in a bottle twice. The original trio of Clarkson, May, and Hammond had a natural chemistry that they were trying to artificially replicate, everyone could sense how unnatural and forced it was trying to instantly recreate that dynamic with a new group of people.

 

[Nod Flenders]

And nothing of value was lost. The show died when Jeremy, Richard, and James left.

 

[Dog-O-Tron 5000v5.0]

While the new version may have sucked, how were the ratings? If they were decent, it wouldn't get cancelled out of nostalgia for the old team.

An independent company then conducted a safety and health review of the show, but the findings were not published, according to the BBC.

It sounds like the Safety and Health joykills said they can't have a show where people drive fast anymore.

 

[SBG]

all the hosts since Clarkson & co have been excruciatingly unfunny. it's baffling. britbongs are usually great at comedy, you're telling me you can't find one funny british guy who also likes cars?

Honestly I don't think that's too easy since it isn't just about liking the cars and being funny, but also being into stuff like racing them as well as being into the travel bits that need someone that has the vibe of being vaguely worldly (while not coming across as a cunt).

With Hammond and May, you can sit watching them play chess and it's entertaining. How many car people or comedians can you really get to host a show and do that without a script?

With Clarkson it can be entertaining watching him putz around with some wasabi plants next to a stream or fuck around with a farm shop. How many car people or comedians can you get that seem that pleasant to just watch do whatever?

Part of the problem is you need people that feel like that have a bit of genuine humility otherwise they can easily come across as pricks.

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

To be fair, Paddy and Freddie were alright together, decent enough chemistry, competitive when it came to challenges and Freddie was always up for stunts. He did that ridiculous bungie jumping car, off the dam.

Pretty much what I'd heard, it was not the same for obvious reasons but the current batch were the best so far and were starting to win people over. Only for this to basically kill it again.

And nothing of value was lost. The show died when Jeremy, Richard, and James left.

Don't forget Andy Wilman, the executive producer. He went with them to the Grand Tour and also works on Clarkson's Farm. He is in the background but he seems to be a factor of what made things work.

Part of the problem is you need people that feel like that have a bit of genuine humility otherwise they can easily come across as pricks.

I think the genuine part is key. People enjoyed a collection of characters who, while clearly parodies at times, came across as slightly less scripted in some of their opinions and attitudes.