BBC cutting Top Gear budget, Hammond must pay for his own haircut
We all love the incredibly well produced segments on BBC's Top Gear. The photography is amazing, the settings are spectacular and Jeremy Clarkson is bombastic. The only problem with all of that is that it costs big bucks. Flying to San Francisco and then buying a Challenger SRT-8 when Chrysler won't loan you one for a week costs money. Budgets are getting slashed everywhere and the BBC is no exception. As much we'd like to think that Top Gear would be a top priority and therefore have a blank check, it just ain't so.
Producer Andy Wilman has said that while the show's budget is large, there isn't really any waste and not much they can cut. That means the budget cuts will be noticeable in the show. It's not clear exactly how much the budget is being cut or where the cuts will be made. Less travel and fewer stunts like the recent Fiesta versus Corvette mall chase are likely to be the result. Perhaps they should get the new shows on BBC America quicker so we can see them with the ads instead of having to rely on YouTube. Or even put the show on iTunes as it comes out.
[Source: The Telegraph]
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Nick McGee 3:34PM (12/29/2008)
Foolish people. You get what you pay for. As someone who's in the UK - the beeb aint got much else going on, so this is cutting one's nose in my opinion.
Reply
Serge 3:35PM (12/29/2008)
That's a bummer... I enjoyed it when they smashed, jumped and torched random cars :)
Reply
Travis 3:42PM (12/29/2008)
well, are the "we each spent 1000 quid of our own money on xxxxxxxx" bits any less fun to watch than "we bought this $50,000 car and drove it around for a few months" segments? yes, the fiesta vs the vette in the mall were amazing, and an absolute blast to watch, but it's the show, the humor, the actors and the cinematography that's so much fun.
yh 3:40PM (12/29/2008)
I don't think the cut will have too much effect on the show. Some of their best shows are the ones with "you have X amount of very little money so go buy something cheap and make it run, or you get stuck with Y really really bad car/bike". See the Africa or Vietnam specials if you don't know what I mean, or hell, even the car/boat races, the cheap Porsches, or one of my favorites, the every day stretch limo. The show is about one part creativity to two parts stupidity, and as long as that's still there, it'll still be Top Gear and it'll still be better than 90% of the TV in America.
Reply
ack154 4:00PM (12/29/2008)
I think part of the trouble is that those "cheap" Africa and Vietnam specials cost a crapton of money to do - you know, flying 3 guys and a huge crew to another country for a while.
Paul 3:40PM (12/29/2008)
or make a freakin dvd box set.
Monetize that bitch!
Reply
pmiddle5 9:12PM (12/29/2008)
how have they not?!
Mazda FTW! 3:41PM (12/29/2008)
I can't wait to see the Stig having to test econo-hatches and hybrids on public traffic roads instead of sliding R8s around wet tracks. Change him name to the 'Stuck'.
Reply
P B 3:42PM (12/29/2008)
This might actually be a good thing.
Maybe this'll get us fewer over the top stunts, and more of the 'classic' Top Gear like the Cheap Porsche Challenge and a focus on more...reasonable...cars. They are long overdue for another hot hatch shootout.
Reply
Hike15 3:46PM (12/29/2008)
yes
no more of that goofy stunt man they brought out
i enjoy much of the old top gear more with simple challenges to jeremy james and hamster
ack154 4:01PM (12/29/2008)
Ya, that's a good point. I still don't quite understand the whole "top gear stunt man" idea. I mean, it's amusing, but seems out of place.
Brn 3:44PM (12/29/2008)
"As much we'd like to think that Top Gear would be a top priority and therefore have a blank check, it just ain't so. "
Who's "we"? Some of us think the show is a joke.
Reply
VP 3:59PM (12/29/2008)
The WE is referring to the shows fans. If you ain't one get out of here. What is your business here if you don't like the show. And yes the author does speak for us fans.
ack154 3:59PM (12/29/2008)
You must be lost... you do know this is a car blog, right?
If not, you are in an EXTREMELY small minority there.
Brn 4:10PM (12/29/2008)
VP, I didn't realize that all blog responses to any subject must be positive.
ack154, yes this is a car blog. The problem is that Top Gear is about entertainment more than it is about cars. They're willing to toss objectivity out the window to get ratings.
BigMcLargeHuge 4:38PM (12/29/2008)
"we'd like to think that Top Gear would be a top priority and therefore have a blank check"
You don't have to be a fan for that sentence to still make sense.
Top Gear is one of the most popular BBC programs, one of the most frequently downloaded shows in the world, etc.
In that sense, one would think the BBC would prioritize Top Gear.
Tom 4:04PM (12/29/2008)
What a load of rubbish. The BBC always receives yearly above inflation taxpayers funding. This is the producer opening negotiations for his share of the 2009 budget. You hear the same from the producers of DoctorWho, etc, etc,
Reply
Pavement 4:07PM (12/29/2008)
Someone pays for those haircuts?
Reply
phoenix 4:07PM (12/29/2008)
As long as the budget remains enough to keep the three presenters and Wilman as producer, I expect it'll go on just fine. Let's be honest, while the fly/drive holiday episodes are exciting, so too is the news, the cool wall, just having them generally cocking about...
Heck, Mark Wahlberg proved even the SIARPC segment can still be fun!
Reply
noz 4:22PM (12/29/2008)
Overpaid, overhyped British wankers.
Anyone who is really interested in cars and not a circus would do themselves a great service to watch Autocar instead.
Reply