I think the vast majority of anti-Top Gear people are missing the point.
Top Gear is an absolute runaway success. It's more popular these days than it's ever been.
It's not designed to be a geeky motoring program analysing hatchbacks and load capacities of mundane cars. That's what it used to be like in the 90s before it was axed by the BBC and is what channel 5 tried to do with 'Fifth Gear' - which was rubbish, had hardly any viewers and has now been axed from C5 IIRC?
From what I remember reading, it draws in over 300 million viewers in over 100 countries, and it's also the #1 most illegally downloaded program on the internet. I'd think very carefully before changing anything with that formula - it's obviously extremely popular and working fine.
Those of you who don't like it - it's tough unfortunately. I'm not saying that to be annoying, but it's you who are in very small minority - the licence fee isn't paid primarily by 'real motoring enthusiasts' who want a serious car program. It's paid by everyone who has a TV set and therefore the BBC are doing the right thing by making a popular program that appeals to significantly more people than and old-school motoring review show.
Perhaps it'd be nice to have such a serious automotive type program, but they really aren't all that popular so the BBC would be criticised if they wasted resources on such a project when budgets are being cut left right and centre. These sorts of shows are normally limited to low-budget off-peak broadcasting - channel 5, men & motors at the back of sky etc. Not really prime-time telly.
Will
Top Gear is an absolute runaway success. It's more popular these days than it's ever been.
It's not designed to be a geeky motoring program analysing hatchbacks and load capacities of mundane cars. That's what it used to be like in the 90s before it was axed by the BBC and is what channel 5 tried to do with 'Fifth Gear' - which was rubbish, had hardly any viewers and has now been axed from C5 IIRC?
From what I remember reading, it draws in over 300 million viewers in over 100 countries, and it's also the #1 most illegally downloaded program on the internet. I'd think very carefully before changing anything with that formula - it's obviously extremely popular and working fine.
Those of you who don't like it - it's tough unfortunately. I'm not saying that to be annoying, but it's you who are in very small minority - the licence fee isn't paid primarily by 'real motoring enthusiasts' who want a serious car program. It's paid by everyone who has a TV set and therefore the BBC are doing the right thing by making a popular program that appeals to significantly more people than and old-school motoring review show.
Perhaps it'd be nice to have such a serious automotive type program, but they really aren't all that popular so the BBC would be criticised if they wasted resources on such a project when budgets are being cut left right and centre. These sorts of shows are normally limited to low-budget off-peak broadcasting - channel 5, men & motors at the back of sky etc. Not really prime-time telly.
Will