Hammond to BBC: show the crash and me in the hospital
From his hospital bed, Top Gear's Richard Hammond is asking the BBC to show on television the footage of the crash that put him there. But the BBC has said the show will only continue when Hammond is able to appear on it. With forces at work to have the show canceled (or prohibitively curtailed), the Hamster is also prepared to go on TV from his bedside.
In typical Top Gear fashion, Richard has been speeding down the fast lane towards full recovery, but he's afraid he won't be back fast enough, leaving no show for him to return to. According to a "close friend", "Richard could not stand to feel he was to blame for the demise of the show he loves... He's terrified they're going to axe it while he's stuck in hospital."
Now that's dedication to motor journalism.
Watch this space for more info as the parallel sagas of Richard's recovery and Top Gear's fight for survival unfold.
Related posts:
- Top Gear fights for survival as BBC postpones show indefinitely
- Hammond Update: "Was I driving like a tw*t?"
[Source: The Daly Mail]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Pinkerton 4:10PM (9/26/2006)
Any future entries for the phrases "good sport" or "taking one for the team" should now cross-reference to Richard Hammond.
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menice 4:22PM (9/26/2006)
HAMPSTER!!!
For PrimeMinister!
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Debuk 4:35PM (9/26/2006)
He's unbelievable.
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JS 4:33PM (9/26/2006)
I wouldn't say its "dedication to motor journalism" considering his job is to drive like a nut around race tracks in cars he doesnt own.
I think that its more a "reluctance to give up the awesome job he has and do something much more mundane". I mean honestly, who WOULDNT want his job?
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Debuk 4:45PM (9/26/2006)
#3 You "WOULDNT" done it better than Hammond. He was seriously injured and he's still thinking about his job, which is something he's really good at. He's tough and my respect goes to him.
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JC Whitless 4:56PM (9/26/2006)
Bring the whole lot to the USA...I think I can find an abandon runway and a sponsor or two.
Screw the limeys
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arnie 5:39PM (9/26/2006)
"...With forces at work to have the show canceled (or prohibitively curtailed)..."
This is typical. The automobile is a symbol of individualism. Fast cars even more so. It is not surprising that the communists at the BBC are trying to pull the plug on the show by any means.
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erolb 4:59PM (9/26/2006)
@6 - Well do it then. Prat.
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James 5:06PM (9/26/2006)
Now that's real dedication to the show! BBC should go ahead an air the crash (per his request) and let Top Gear continue while he recovers. The show can make pit stops in to check on Hammond and keep their faithful audience updated on the progress.
James
http://www.CarTV.com
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Ytik 7:51AM (10/05/2006)
It IS dedication to motor journalism and that's why the show is so great and has so many fans (and frustrated enemies). I really hope he's back on track really soon, before they do something stupid like cancelling the show.
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Eric L. 5:37PM (9/26/2006)
You tell em, Hamster! It would be in poor taste and disrespectful to cancel Top Gear because of Hammond's injury. You can be sure though, that if the series does continue, risky stunts will likely be curtailed for some time until the furor has settled down.
Fifth Gear aired this week, but I have zero interest in watching it. =D
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doglet 5:56PM (9/26/2006)
top gear is the best car show in the world.
get well hammond
long live top gear
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That One Person 6:07PM (9/26/2006)
I have a few friends who are PISSED about this whole cancellation idea. And I know there are a lot of people on here that are mad. I am. I honestly dont think the BBC understands what kind of following this show has.
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Jimmy 7:15PM (9/26/2006)
Top Gear is the BEST. Friends and family who are not even into cars really enjoy watching. Top Gear is good TV!
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Tired_Watcher 6:47PM (9/26/2006)
Well I'm sure the BBC won't cancel or tone down the show. It is their highest rated show. The man who made Top Gear what it is today said he won't do the show without Richard. It is still too early to tell anything. The doctors are still concerned about his brain injury even though he has improved a lot. The critics can say what they want and keep using this as an example to cacnel or tone down the show, but this show will not die. Automotive companies need this show for advertisement and the ratings are huge! There is a huge following here in the U.S. and it doesn't even air here! If it does, its more watered down than Costco gas (from my experience).
The critics have the big voice, but they only represent a small portion of the population.
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Thomas 6:52PM (9/26/2006)
BBC won't cancel Top Gear but postpone it until Hammond will be on the show in some form (cause Hamster would do the show in a hospital bed if he could). The worst case scenario is the cancellation of this season, going on to continue next spring.
Clarkson, Hammond and May won't have this show cancelled and I think the BBC can't afford to axe it. Neither will it be watered down as every bloodsucking producer knows that 'no compromises' is what made this show a success.
In reply to #6: Bringing the show to the states would be the worst thing to do. For sure it never be nearly as honest about crap cars as they are now. Just watching some of your channels makes me sick.
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stodge 7:00PM (9/26/2006)
I'd love for Clarkson to do a series of shows on north american cars. I'm sure he would have some incredibly hilarious things to say about them!
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Jeff Banks 7:26PM (9/26/2006)
Once again...Thank your local lawyer!
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TSW 7:31PM (9/26/2006)
@#15 - stodge.
That's precisely why we'll never have a show as cool as TopGear here in the States. Our culture is too litigious. With everyone on the show speaking their minds about how the cars they're driving REALLY are, the show would be fighting an equal amount of libel and slander lawsuits.
Plus - what manufacturer would risk a poor review on what could become the most popular show in the nation?
No, I'm afraid the best we'll get is a extremely edited down episode of TopGear on Discovery once a year, and five or six severely dumbed-down car shows on Spike or Speed that are essentially 1/2 hour commercials.
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Steve Parker 9:32PM (9/26/2006)
...""dedication to motor journalism" ... As entertaining as TOP GEAR sometimes is, it is not 'journalism'. It is "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" for car nuts, which is not a bad thing. It is why, by any comparison, the USA'a PBS show "Motorweek" is absolutely the MOST boring show on TV ... But the Brit sense of humor is allowed to come through on TG. They run no news stories, they break no news, they interview no one. It's often a fun romp through the world of cars, though, but not 'journalism'. Let's not get carried away because of Hammond's wreck. That's like calling Steve Irwin "an environmentalist", when mostly what he did was annoy animals who simply wanted to get the hell away from him. Also, someone mentioned TG is not broadcast in the USA --- It is, regularly, on one of the cable networks, either Discovery or BBC ... can't remember which at the moment.
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