Why are the seasons so short now?

[AltimaXX]

The early seasons of the new Top Gear were all 10-11 episodes long, but they have been dwindling slowly down to only 6 in this series. Why is this?

[Viper007Bond]

Uh, Richard crashing?

[Paul]

Isn't this question had been asked before and answered already? How lazy can AltimaXX to use the search button?

[upyourego]

Also MOST British TV shows have a six episode legnth series so this really brings it into line with pretty much everything else.

[Roberto]

Upyourego, do you ever get fed up saying the same thing over and over again?

[upyourego]

To be honest? Yeah - maybe I should just shut up and leave everyone to get on with it.

[Roberto]

Nah, it's good that your here to tell how it is, it's just dissapointing that people ask the same question over and over again!

Btw.. Why don't they do more car reviews?
How long until the next series?
Why do British shows only last 6 months?
Why does Jeremy Clarkson have an opinion?
Is James May gay?
What's the point of Top Gear Dog?
Who is the Stig?
Are the audience laughing too much?
Are the audience aliens?
How long until a supposedly famous American chat show host comes on?
Where is England?

[TomCat]

Also MOST British TV shows have a six episode legnth series so this really brings it into line with pretty much everything else.

Most British TV Shows have fewer and fewer episodes with each passing year?

Is that so the BBC can spend less money and make more profit?

[upyourego]

No most British shows have a six episode series legnth - that's what Top Gear has been for the last two series so it's coming into line with other British shows.

The BBC doesn't make a profit - every penny the get from the licence fee has to be spent on the BBC, there are no shareholders, nobody owns the BBC as such, it's a public body funded by a compulsary licence fee.

[TomCat]

But why less shows? That was the question. Nobody has ever really answered that.

[ttyrants911]

Er, yes. Upyourego answered that. "To bring it in line with other shows". This will also be to do with schedules and filming. The BBC like everything organised and tidy, so reducing TG to 6 episodes makes it tidier, bringing in line with most other BBC shows. This will help them to organise the quarterly schedules, help in organising TV guides, etc etc. It goes on.

[Jacobfox]

Anybody interested in locking this one up, cuz it seems pretty much pointless?

[ttyrants911]

Anybody interested in locking this one up, cuz it seems pretty much pointless?

That's what I thought.

[TomCat]

Er, yes. Upyourego answered that. "To bring it in line with other shows". This will also be to do with schedules and filming. The BBC like everything organised and tidy, so reducing TG to 6 episodes makes it tidier, bringing in line with most other BBC shows. This will help them to organise the quarterly schedules, help in organising TV guides, etc etc. It goes on.

So they cut production... to bring it down to the level of their other shows?

That makes no sense. They cut production because they're confused when it comes to shows with more episodes then others? Is the BBC operated by complete retards?

[upyourego]

So they cut production... to bring it down to the level of their other shows?

That makes no sense. They cut production because they're confused when it comes to shows with more episodes then others? Is the BBC operated by complete retards?

It's a combination of things, yes having consistent episode numbers helps - Drama seems to get 13, comedy and studio shows seem to get 6.

But the other thing is - if you have fewer episodes you can spend more money on each of those episodes. The Top Gear team have obviously decided to go for six high impact, high cost episodes over say eight lower cost episodes.

[TomCat]

Well, that's disappointing. In the US, good shows get more episodes and much larger budgets.

[upyourego]

Top Gear already has one of the largest budgets of any BBC show. A similar thing applies in the UK (good shows, larger budgets, longer series) but on ITV, Channel 4 etc...

On the BBC, because the corporation has a FIXED budget every year the budget is spread fairly evenly because the corporation has to create a range of shows across their radio, tv and new media networks for everyone and every taste regardless of whether it's massively popular or not.

For instance - BBC Radio 3 (classical music network) hardly has any listeners but as it's regarded as 'public service' it justifies it's fiarly large budget.

[Koenig]

Well, that's disappointing. In the US, good shows get more episodes and much larger budgets.

Can you imagine Top Gear being made by Americans?

[TomCat]

Top Gear already has one of the largest budgets of any BBC show. A similar thing applies in the UK (good shows, larger budgets, longer series) but on ITV, Channel 4 etc...

On the BBC, because the corporation has a FIXED budget every year the budget is spread fairly evenly because the corporation has to create a range of shows across their radio, tv and new media networks for everyone and every taste regardless of whether it's massively popular or not.

For instance - BBC Radio 3 (classical music network) hardly has any listeners but as it's regarded as 'public service' it justifies it's fiarly large budget.

Every network does that, to attract the largest possible audience.

Unfortunately for TopGear, a bigger budget and fewer episodes hasn't made the show any better.

[TomCat]

Can you imagine Top Gear being made by Americans?

Give TopGear a few more years and you'll have a good idea.