FIFTH GEAR HAS BEEN AXED


Heh, that was me! :D

I think joining TG won't happen, they wouldn't risk changing the dynamics. As I said to him on Twitter though, it's a shame they axed Drivers Republic, cause he'd have been brilliant there and he'd have made it big...
 
To be honest, I never really watched Fifth Gear; but I'm kind of sad to see it go. It did seem like a more sensible version of Top Gear. It was a sort of cup-of-tea whereas TG is a double-caffeinated-latte.

i would have thought where Fifth Gear is cup of tea, Top Gear is a pint glass of pure caffeine.
 
I guess all those hated who Fifth Gear will be happy. Personally I enjoyed the show a lot.

For the past few years Top Gear has moved from being a show about cars to being a scripted sit com that happens to have exotic cars as a backdrop. Fifth Gear delivers the latest reviews of all types of cars from a Mercedes G to a Murcielago SV. Real opinions and real advice. As I've said before I don't watch Top Gear because of the people. I watch for the cars and reviews, both of which Fifth Gear were better at in the past few seasons.
 
Ha I love Tiff's twitter picture.
IMG_0001_smaller_bigger.jpg


He needs to grow his hair out again / buy a wig.
 
This is quite sad news, should it turn out to be true.

Yes, Fifth Gear was always Top Gear's dumb, slightly retarded cousin, but let's face it - it was still better than 99% of the shows on TV. It was still entertaining, still a good way to burn ~40 mins.

Yes, it had some annoying points. The guest bits were rarely non-tedious and the website promo/competition stuff wasted time which could have been filled with a car going sideways. And then of course there was the whole Tim Lovejoy/Cafe set debacle. But I still watched it (then went onto the forums to bitch about how bad he was... oh, the irony).

While the past few series' of FG have been quite good, all things considered, it has suffered somewhat from trying to play the Top Gear game - pizzazz, highlarious stupidity and so forth. Everyone knows that outfoxing a fox is pretty darn hard to do, so why bother? There was nothing wrong with FG when I first started watching it around series 6-7; it was basic and simple, and both entertaining and informative.

Personally I think they've suffered a bit from having too many presenters... I've not missed VBH in the last series, and while I have nothing against Tim Shaw, I think Johnny, Tom, Tiff and (possibly) Jason are really the core that is necessary to make the show work.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see if the bullet really has been fired through FG's head. Anything beyond a SIARPC appearance by Tiff on TG is highly unlikely, but if the TGA producers aren't convinced they've got the hosts required to make the series float, they could do a LOT worse than pick up Tom or Johnny... Australian audiences don't mind the accent either... anyone talking about cars in an accent other than british can't be trusted anyway ;-)
 
If the Daily Fail turns out to be right this time, it will be quite a loss for all people who enjoy cars.
I mean lets face it, TG was more fun to watch, but FG was worth it just to watch Tiff and Jason battle it out on the track every other week.

Shame...
 
Wow this is kinda sad... but can't say I didn't see it coming. I liked FG for the most part but it just didn't have that entertainment value TG has. Yet in the last year or so they have been trying to emulate a little of the TG cocking-about as it were, but it just didn't work. Not only that the switching of presenters was annoying, Lovejoy wasn't really a true car guy if you ask me and it showed... Tim is funny on comedy shows, but just exudes a sort of cocksucker presence when on FG which makes me want to punch him. I miss Vicky too on recent episodes, although she was kind of squeaky and annoying at times, but she still knows her stuff, loves to powerslide, and... well, is nice to look at. Tom is cool and seemed to fit in nicely even though he isn't a hardcore racer... and Tiff and Jason have always been fun to watch battle it out on the track.

All in all this is a shame... but I am sort of in agreement that it is time to move on. I hope they all can find their ways into a well-fitting role in the automotive world.
 
Tiff, Jason, Vicki, Tom and maybe Johnny, that's all the show needs. Tiff and Jason can review high-end sports cars, Vicki and Tom can review sporty to practical cars. Johnny can do the weird segments about buying advice and car shows and whatever. That's it. I don't know why the producers can fuck up a show this bad. Back before Lovejoy joined, the show was fine. Now they added all these presenters that have no chemistry with the old team, and doesn't add any value to the show. It's sad to see this show cancelled, but at least we got TG Aus to watch now, so it's ok.
 
Eh, saying Fifth Gear was garbage because it wasn't like Top Gear is a rather silly argument. Of course it's not like Top Gear and that's one of it's strengths. I've only just started watching FG, but I rather like it. Yes it doesn't have the "Epic" feel of Top Gear, and yes the style is different, but watch an episode of Motor Trend and you'll realize FG is miles above most everything else (of course, Top Gear is still the undisputed champ.) If it is indeed canceled, that is quite a shame as the more motoring shows out there, the better in my opinion.
 
If this is true; its a great loss IMO. I sincerely hope Tiff and Jason get their own show or something. No Tiff driving around like a crazy madman? Thats a sad world...

Call me crazy but I've preferred Fifth Gear over Top Gear for a while now so its a big loss for me! :(
 
What the hell are you guys who are cheering on about? Is it great that we get less cars on the telly? Is it great that the knitted-cardigans-eco-friendly-vegetarian-bunch sort of "wins"? (I know that it is not the reason, but it is an effect of it.)

I like cars. I want to live in a world where there are some Needell powerslides to watch and some effin' good driving to watch on TV. Sure Top Gear is great and entertaining, it sure is. But the car geek in me really likes Fifth Gear, where the actual car and driving the car is in focus, in the same way that I buy and read Evo and the Swedish equivalent Automobil. I just can't see what there is to cheer about? And also, if you don't like cars and Fifth Gear, you don't have to watch it. You don't have to visit this part of the forum. Just bugger off. Thanks. Take the sodding finally from the topic with you when you leave.

Jason and Tiff do make great television. They do know how to drive at the highest level, and therefore can give me, as someone who is interested in track driving and racing, a well-based opinion on how the car behaves on the limit. No one else does that, anywhere. Sure, Jeremy is not a bad driver, but he ain't no BTCC champion or Le Mans driver.
 
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First of all, it's the Daily Mail that's said all this, so we should take it with a pinch of salt. Yes, they must've got the story from somewhere, so it may be quite likely that Fifth Gear has gone. Still, I think it's a shame, because that drags the number of car (ish) programmes in the UK down to one - Top Gear. Now, I love Top Gear for obvious reasons, but it's an entertainment programme these days. There isn't a proper old-school car programme any more if Fifth Gear goes. Then again, Fifth Gear was getting a tad silly towards the end. I'd be glad to see Channel 4 resurrect Driven, or for something completely new and fresh to appear. Interesting times, but I hope we're not stuck with one programme for too long, however good Top Gear is!
 
I think the current Fifth Gear line-up (except Tim Shaw, did not work) could move to the TV Channel Dave? How about "Dave's Motors?", "Dave Gear" or something along those lines.

They will have a much smaller budget but that should be enough to make a quality FACTUAL motoring TV show.

What you think?
 
Sad news. I like FG ... not as much as TG, but I'm going to miss FG a bit when it's gone.

The only plus side I can see to FG being axed (if this is true), is that we might end up seeing Tiff or VBH on TG as a SIARPC ... so it's not all bad news.
 
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Heck, just bring in three of the FG team(Tiff, Tom, and Vicki are the ones I'd pick) in for a one-off special like they did with the D-motor crew.
 
If it is true it is sad. The BBC is cutting shows to save money. TG is way more popular and there for the 800 pound gorilla in the center of the room. Everything is put towards feeding that show. I feel bad for Tiff, Jason, and Johnny. Vicki to me has lost the drive in that show. I am sorry to say that but, i am not a fan anymore. Jason and Tiff are now the two i would move to TG and Johnny would be a good addition to argue points with Mr. May. lol
 
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