Edd China has left Wheeler Dealers

[Cupramax]

Laurel Green said:

SpeedBash said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTgLnUgzZYk

Don't take this as gospel, but I heard on the grapevine that Edd might have a new book out soon.

His book has been out since May, he’s been doing loads of book signings, tv, radio and YouTube for the past month.

[Evercross]

Zad said:

He has been on all the big YouTube channels recently.

He's doing a great job raising his profile on all the 'new' media using his book as a platform. Hope he can capitalise on it now.

Interesting that Billy Bunter Brewer has all-of-a-sudden popped up on some (not particularly high-profile) youtube channels in a 'me-too' style, with nothing to sell but the same tired-old cliches about Wheeler Dealers (which going by its own thread is getting stale and repetitive to the point of ridiculousness).

[SpeedBash]

Evercross said:

He's doing a great job raising his profile on all the 'new' media using his book as a platform. Hope he can capitalise on it now.

Agreed but he really needs to put some leg work in to maintain the momentum.

Evercross said:

Interesting that Billy Bunter Brewer has all-of-a-sudden popped up on some (not particularly high-profile) youtube channels in a 'me-too' style, with nothing to sell but the same tired-old cliches about Wheeler Dealers (which going by its own thread is getting stale and repetitive to the point of ridiculousness).

Any links?

[Evercross]

SpeedBash said:

Any links?

There's one on the WD thread to an interview Brewer did with 'PorscheLife' a month ago.

1289 views so far.



PS. There's also a bit of revisionist history going on with Mike in that interview (something he's not averse to doing ***cough***First Ever Capri****cough****).

Edited by Evercross on Monday 10th June 15:05

[EarlofDrift]

Just reading Edd's book and it doesn't paint Velocity or Mike Brewer in a good light at all.

According to Edd in the book Discovery cancelled the vintage Cadillac run in China at the end of Series 13. Edd then heard nothing from the production company, Discovery or the new owners Velocity. He then found out through a friend in the previous production team that Velocity were screen-testing with a new guy call Ant.

Edd having then heard nothing for months after the series ended contacted Velocity and they arranged a meeting with the head of the channel, the production company and their lawyer. They basically told Edd that producing the show in it's current format was too difficult and so they were cutting the number of episodes in half and also cutting his pay in half.

They then breached the original Discovery contract they had with Edd going back 13 years and as Edd refused to sign a new one he was free to leave to pursue pastures new.

Velocity then put everything into the partnership with Ant and Mike before putting out a statement to say that Edd had decided to leave of his own accord.

The whole chapter just paints Mike Brewer as a back stabber who connived behind Edd's back to chase money and the bright lights of America.

Of course it's Edd's book so who knows how much embellishment there is to the saga. However it's more believable than what Mike was saying around the car shows that Edd got too big for his boots and wouldn't do the manual labour anymore.

Edited by EarlofDrift on Wednesday 26th June 03:09

[Ken Figenus]

I have no industry inside info on this but Mike was 'just' the on-screen talent (as Yanks like to put it). He might have some influence but he has no power over the production company's decisions as he isn't a senior producer or company director. The production company owner or series executive producer (often the same person...) would be calling all the shots and he/she would be doing that based on the funding they could get from various quarters to get the series made. If the Commissioning editor at one of the main funders wasn't keen on Edd or wanted to refresh the series then the die is cast...

I had to pull a presenter who was by now in make up and stood directly in front of the camera and having learnt all his script since I got a call from the main series sponsor saying they actually had re-thought and weren't that keen on him after all. Awful business, and went legal of course.

Lots of politics and opinions in this game!

[Welshbeef]

He’s not been on it for years now & he keeps banging on about it.

MOVE ON.

Life is short sometimes stty but why keep barking back to it move on be happy

[Evercross]

Welshbeef said:

He’s not been on it for years now & he keeps banging on about it.

MOVE ON.

Life is short sometimes stty but why keep barking back to it move on be happy

C'mon! The whole point of a book is that it gives someone with inside knowledge the opportunity to put their side in public.

I'm guessing that Edd's publishers will have checked his story wasn't actionable before putting it to print, so considering the book has been on the shelves for a few months now and Mike Brewer/Discover/Velocity haven't gone legal we can assume his version of events is accurate?! The frankly bizarre vintage Cadillac restoration episode that ended up going nowhere now makes sense in that context.

Interesting take on it that things were going on behind his back. I remember watching ITV highlights of the Goodwood Festival of Speed where Mike Brewer was being interviewed as a passing celeb and Ant 'photobombed' the screen. This was months before Ant took over on WD but with hindsight it was pretty obvious that he and Mike were more than acquaintances already.

Edited by Evercross on Wednesday 26th June 12:19

[Welshbeef]

Evercross said:

C'mon! The whole point of a book is that it gives someone with inside knowledge the opportunity to put their side in public.

I'm guessing that Edd's publishers will have checked his story wasn't actionable before putting it to print, so considering the book has been on the shelves for a few months now and Mike Brewer/Discover/Velocity haven't gone legal we can assume his version of events is accurate?! The frankly bizarre vintage Cadillac restoration episode that ended up going nowhere now makes sense in that context.

Interesting take on it that things were going on behind his back. I remember watching ITV highlights of the Goodwood Festival of Speed where Mike Brewer was being interviewed as a passing celeb and Ant 'photobombed' the screen. This was months before Ant took over on WD but with hindsight it was pretty obvious that he and Mike were more than acquaintances already.

Edited by Evercross on Wednesday 26th June 12:19

I know but still move on

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Welshbeef said:

I know but still move on

Edd's probably a little hard up at the moment. Do you begrudge him the book sales?

[Jonny TVR]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Edd's probably a little hard up at the moment. Do you begrudge him the book sales?

I've just ordered a copy myself

[Welshbeef]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Welshbeef said:

I know but still move on

Edd's probably a little hard up at the moment. Do you begrudge him the book sales?

I have no ill will to anyone - However he needs to move on quickly.

[aeropilot]

Ken Figenus said:

I have no industry inside info on this but Mike was 'just' the on-screen talent (as Yanks like to put it). He might have some influence but he has no power over the production company's decisions as he isn't a senior producer or company director. The production company owner or series executive producer (often the same person...) would be calling all the shots and he/she would be doing that based on the funding they could get from various quarters to get the series made. If the Commissioning editor at one of the main funders wasn't keen on Edd or wanted to refresh the series then the die is cast...

Most likely, as is the bit about Brewer just being the 'face' of the program, as if you watch any of the repeats of the older UK workshop based series, at the end of the credits you see that Edd was listed as Associate Producer or something like that, so more involved in the program production than MB.

[Derek Smith]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Welshbeef said:

I know but still move on

Edd's probably a little hard up at the moment. Do you begrudge him the book sales?

He's worth $3M according to reports.

If there's an interest in Edd's WD days then he'd be a fool not to include it in a book, and whatever you think of him, he's no fool.

I think the basic premise of personal history books is the history aspect. I'm interested in what really happened, although I expect to hear radically different views from the two sources. If the publishers have misjudged the degree of interest the public has in Edd's interpretation then they, not he, will pay the bill.

He can still write the book having moved on.

The new WD production team are making some rather basic errors in continuity and editing. You could say the same about the early 'one camera' days of WD, but values have have moved on since then. Perhaps Edd knew what he was doing. I'm not sure the current production team do.

It's hard to begrudge him his book sales.

Edited by Derek Smith on Wednesday 26th June 15:38

[Pericoloso]

Do you mean $3 or $3M ?

[Derek Smith]

Pericoloso said:

Do you mean $3 or $3M ?

Ta.

[Pericoloso]

Derek Smith said:

Pericoloso said:

Do you mean $3 or $3M ?

Ta.

I didn't know whether he's broke or relatively well off.....

[Evercross]

Derek Smith said:

The new WD production team are making some rather basic errors in continuity and editing.

You've noticed too?

I now take it for granted that Mike will be shown directing his test-drive monologue to the wrong camera at some point during every show. The stupid thing is both cameras (front and side facing) will be running constantly so whoever is in the editing suite could cut in the correct shot. It is basic schoolboy stuff and piss-poor that it isn't being done properly as there is no excuse on the grounds of cost.

Edited by Evercross on Thursday 27th June 07:26

[Derek Smith]

Evercross said:

Derek Smith said:

The new WD production team are making some rather basic errors in continuity and editing.

You've noticed too?

I now take it for granted that Mike will be shown directing his test-drive monologue to the wrong camera at some point during every show. The stupid thing is both cameras (front and side facing) will be running constantly so whoever is in the editing suite could cut in the correct shot. It is basic schoolboy stuff and piss-poor that it isn't being done properly as there is no excuse on the grounds of cost.

Edited by Evercross on Thursday 27th June 07:26

It's beginning to irritate me. There was the bit at the end of the 123 episode where the dash was mentioned and then ignored. There was one scene at the beginning that was simply inexcusable - I've forgotten what it was but it was so obvious. And as you say, there's the occasional wrong camera moment, also poor lighting. This is basic stuff. If it was on YouTube you'd certainly not subscribe.

EDITED TO ADD:

I've remembered what the obvious editing error was. Mike opens the rear door of the 123 and we see the rear passenger seats folded down. He marvels at the space available. The next shot we see him opening the rear passenger door to reveal the rears seats in the up position. He then drops them down.

I said there were basic errors and this was about as basic as you could get. They'd stuck the takes together in the wrong order.

I'm not sure there were similar faults the first Ant episodes, but there has been a deterioration in this series, and the previous one as well. Lack of investment? Or don't Americans care?

Edited by Derek Smith on Thursday 27th June 12:19

[Laurel Green]

Edd has just started a new series on YouTube-->