RE: Top Gear comes 'to rest' indefinitely
Discussion
je777 said:
You're right about the management, but it's also underfunded (numerous sources of that - you can just google nhs funding over time).
It's a deliberate Tory policy to make the NHS not function well, then claim it doesn't work, then privatise it. (They've literally written pamphlets about privatising it.)
And New New Labour are following suit.
Last comment I'll make on it as I don't want to derail this topic, but we have to remember why the NHS existed in the first place- to keep people alive and get them back working. It was never set up as a service for mental health, fertility treatment, gender changes, sexual health teaching, treating overweight or pissed up teenagers etc. and so forth. As a result, it means cost of running it is significantly higher than the business case it originally sat on. I won't go into the merits of all the aforementioned treatments, but there has to be an acceptance that if you want to 'offer' all these 'products', it's going to create big issues on affordability- that maybe only privatisation can fix.It's a deliberate Tory policy to make the NHS not function well, then claim it doesn't work, then privatise it. (They've literally written pamphlets about privatising it.)
And New New Labour are following suit.
I like Chris Harris, I even thought that Rory fella was alright. They were fun and had genuine knowledge of cars. The previous trio had the rare combo of friendship, genuine interest and car knowledge that was topped off with an ability to be entertaining. Since their departure, the show has always felt forced and unnatural. That 6 presenter lark with Sabine, Eddie Jordan and all that lot was a joke and as much as I like Matt LeBlanc as a person, this wasn't the show for him. Introducing an ex-cricketer and the front man for Greggs was never going to end well. Harris is personable and, from what little I saw, was really good on camera. There's something left in the brand name for Top Gear but the BBC need to decide what it is. Faffing about with cars isn't going to work any more. YouTube is full of that with better end product. The broad nature of cars from repairs, racing, road trips, modifying, nut and bolt restorations, resto mods and the thousands of other facets all make it difficult for a single brand to cover the whole lot. Top Gear might be better dividing into multiple parts with the biggest sections of car culture and going from there.
RazerSauber said:
I like Chris Harris, I even thought that Rory fella was alright. They were fun and had genuine knowledge of cars. The previous trio had the rare combo of friendship, genuine interest and car knowledge that was topped off with an ability to be entertaining. Since their departure, the show has always felt forced and unnatural. That 6 presenter lark with Sabine, Eddie Jordan and all that lot was a joke and as much as I like Matt LeBlanc as a person, this wasn't the show for him. Introducing an ex-cricketer and the front man for Greggs was never going to end well. Harris is personable and, from what little I saw, was really good on camera. There's something left in the brand name for Top Gear but the BBC need to decide what it is. Faffing about with cars isn't going to work any more. YouTube is full of that with better end product. The broad nature of cars from repairs, racing, road trips, modifying, nut and bolt restorations, resto mods and the thousands of other facets all make it difficult for a single brand to cover the whole lot. Top Gear might be better dividing into multiple parts with the biggest sections of car culture and going from there.
Have to say I agree almost entirely. Irked me occasionally that Harris seemed to have been encouraged to ham it up a bit.fantheman80 said:
I was shocked to see Freddie's face at the cricket recently and that had healed quite a bit, and hopefully a bit more to go and wish him well
Although it never made it to air I was part of some filming for TG a couple of years ago and Freddie was the host. He seems like a lovely bloke, absolutely as he comes across on the TV, and he made the effort to make his way round all of the drivers who took part for a proper chat over the course of the day. I was relieved to seem him out and about in public again as without going into it I had heard some details of the accident through a pretty short grapevine and it sounded grim. I imagine that such a positive recovery was far from guaranteed.
abz24 said:
je777 said:
I could go on (and on).
Please don't. Its tedious. 
t' posts, ad infinitum. I guess the adenoidal-voiced bores will have to find something else to moan about now. Maybe something they can 'pull the trigger on', then come on here and tell us about.Craikeybaby said:
I am intrigued to see what Chris’s Harris and the BBC have in store in the future.
Chris Harris is heavily involved with the Collecting Cars auction platform which also has loads of content on YouTube including a fantastic weekly podcast which is well worth a listen/watch. He’s also just released an autobiography.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Clarkson, may, Hammond era…. Part of my youth and indeed it worked because they were actual friends and actual enthusiasts
The follows ups never worked because they weren’t mates or enthusiasts or both.
BBC has too many environmental/ car hating agendas to fill to want to do such a show again.
The follows ups never worked because they weren’t mates or enthusiasts or both.
BBC has too many environmental/ car hating agendas to fill to want to do such a show again.
whp1983 said:
I thoroughly enjoyed the Clarkson, may, Hammond era…. Part of my youth and indeed it worked because they were actual friends and actual enthusiasts
The follows ups never worked because they weren’t mates or enthusiasts or both.
BBC has too many environmental/ car hating agendas to fill to want to do such a show again.
I agree. Car fanciers are absolutely not the type of people the BBC want to be having anything to do with any more.The follows ups never worked because they weren’t mates or enthusiasts or both.
BBC has too many environmental/ car hating agendas to fill to want to do such a show again.
The Wookie said:
I had heard some details of the accident through a pretty short grapevine and it sounded grim. I imagine that such a positive recovery was far from guaranteed.
Correct. I have heard the details too. Additionally, those who witnessed the aftermath and the subsequent delay in getting him to hospital are also really badly affected by what they experienced. je777 said:
Who pays the licence fee?
And subsidise the Government News? (We mock other countries for having state media news. And if you ask any foreigner who has come to this country, you'll find that they have the same opinion of BBC News.)
Don't pay he licence and they send you a letter every fortnight. You ignore it and then once in a decade someone comes round to your house. You close the door in their face, and they're powerless to do anything else.
(TV detector vans simply don't exist: nobody's ever seen one, nobody's ever been caught by one, nobody's ever worked in one. Plus they've been telling us that they have that technology since the 80s.)
I read a piece by an ex-collector who said that the only way they ever caught people was if those people were so obedient to 'authority' that they said 'yes' to the question, 'Can I come in and see if your TV is on?', and then it was.
Political, yes.And subsidise the Government News? (We mock other countries for having state media news. And if you ask any foreigner who has come to this country, you'll find that they have the same opinion of BBC News.)
Don't pay he licence and they send you a letter every fortnight. You ignore it and then once in a decade someone comes round to your house. You close the door in their face, and they're powerless to do anything else.
(TV detector vans simply don't exist: nobody's ever seen one, nobody's ever been caught by one, nobody's ever worked in one. Plus they've been telling us that they have that technology since the 80s.)
I read a piece by an ex-collector who said that the only way they ever caught people was if those people were so obedient to 'authority' that they said 'yes' to the question, 'Can I come in and see if your TV is on?', and then it was.
Government news, definitely not.
Past it's sell by date. Without question.
CarlosSainz100 said:
Why is there a big mystery still over the actual 'incident'?
When Hammond crashed we got to find out exactly what happened, but with this everyone seems to have taken up the code of omerta.
Probably because Flintoff lived, so there was no public hearing about the case as there would have been if it had a case for a Coroner to deal with. With all the legal wrangling behind the scenes (he has secured a massive payout), it makes sense that neither party would comment on the crash in any detail.When Hammond crashed we got to find out exactly what happened, but with this everyone seems to have taken up the code of omerta.
Reports suggest it was a low-speed flip in a Morgan three wheeler and Flintoff wasn't wearing a helmet. I can imagine he might be quite embarrassed about it and not wanting to comment publicly on the matter. Unlike say, Chris Harris, he wasn't really a 'driver' but always seemed comfortable with taking risks.
I hadn't watched the show in quite a while (I prefer the more analytical content available on YouTube), though I feel sorry for those who enjoyed it that have now had it taken away (again). I hope Chris Harris can go on to find similar work.
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