BBC lawyers fight The Stig's bid to lift lid on his identity

The presenter was really interested, wasn't he
 
Personally, I think that a certain intimacy would be added to the show, knowing who the Stig was; an intimacy that would make up for the new overly scripted nature. Besides, didn't we all know who he was anyway?
 
Finally a response

Last week, instead of working on the next series, I had to go to court. If you go to court you have to look smart, which meant I had to dig my suit out of the back of the wardrobe, and the last time I wore that suit George Michael could still drive in a straight line. So on Monday there I was, dressed like somebody who works behind the till at NatWest, having to listen to people from HarperCollins telling me that they have the right to reveal who the Stig is. Well actually, that?s tosh. The whole point of the Stig is the mystique ? the bizarre characteristics he has, the wonderment created about what he might think, feel, do or look like. Kids adore the conceit, and I believe adults, although they know it?s a man in a suit (or is it?), gladly buy into the whole conceit because they find it entertaining. Even the papers, who love to make mischief, have kept everyone guessing over the years because they acknowledge that viewers like the Stig secrecy thing.
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So on Monday there I was, dressed like somebody who works behind the till at NatWest, having to listen to people from HarperCollins telling me that they have the right to reveal who the Stig is. Well actually, that?s tosh.

:huh:

....somebody who works behind the till at NatWest, having to listen to people from HarperCollins telling me that they have the right to reveal who the Stig is....

:eek:

...ng to listen to people from HarperCollins telling me that they ha...

^_^
 
Black Stig(i.e. Perry McCarthy) resigned, he wasn't fired. The Stig story was in the second edition of his autobiography, which came out just around the time of the "killing-off" of the Black Stig (possibly even a short while afterwards).
 
I've read Andy Wilman's blog post and as much as I respect him, I have to disagree. The BBC are not protecting something that is theirs. The autobiography is about man, not the Stig. It is not a book about the character, it is a book about the driver. Suggesting that the BBC should be allowed to prevent this book because they are protecting their property would be like Paramount Pictures trying to ban Tom Cruise's autobiography by saying that they are protecting their character Ethan Hunt from the Mission: Impossible movies. It is ridiculous. The BBC employ Ben, they don't own his entire life.

What's more, I totally reject the idea that knowing who the Stig is ruins the mystique. Like so many fans, I figured it out years ago using some of the many, many clues that are out there and I still get just as much enjoyment out of the character as I ever did. In fact, it is because I enjoy the Stig's character so much that I think the man in the suit deserves some recognition. By refusing to let him get some credit, Andy and the BBC are showing no respect at all for the contributions that Ben has made to the success of the show.
 
Let's hope that they can sort out this matter as soon as possible or else this Christmas won't be a happy one.
 
If there's a clause in the contract for anonymity, then he should honour it. If it was any other tv company, there wouldn't be half the fuss.
 
I guess that the problem for The Guy In The Stig Suit is also that he hasn't been able to use being on Top Gear to further his career, like James and Richard have both done so succesfully.

Whatever the outcome of the trial, it doesn't seem likely that the present TGITSS will return in the next series. What a shame it had to end this way. :(
 
Blythy said:
If there's a clause in the contract for anonymity, then he should honour it. If it was any other tv company, there wouldn't be half the fuss.
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Amen. Unless for some reason the BBC has broken their side of a contract (and who know what the heck is going on!) then the agreement should stand.

I guess if Top Gear ended for good, then "Stig" would be able to publish his memoirs after that? Why now?


I'm now just waiting for Graham Chapman's Army officer to march into all this.... "Stop it, it's getting silly." ;)
 
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stiggie said:
Suggesting that the BBC should be allowed to prevent this book because they are protecting their property would be like Paramount Pictures trying to ban Tom Cruise's autobiography by saying that they are protecting their character Ethan Hunt from the Mission: Impossible movies.
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Not quite: Tom Cruise most likely wouldn't have signed, and thus been bound by, a contract gagging him from admitting he played the part - rather I imagine his contract would have been quite the opposite.

It's more like one of Sigfried & Roy's white tigers writing a book that reveals how the tricks are done... if said tiger happened to have signed a contract agreeing to be bound to secrecy.

That said, hopefully this Stig fiasco will have a happy ending - after all, the white tiger was treated well even after biting the face that fed it.
 
Surely it is better for whoever it is to stay as the Stig as once this book is published no one is going to give a dam about him! At least this way he has the fun of being the Stig and the cash which comes along with it.
 
I know! We can have a Spartacus-type scene with various racing drivers saying "I'm the Stig"

[video=youtube;-8h_v_our_Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8h_v_our_Q[/video]

Then no one will know who the Stig really is :)
 
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Tompie913 said:
I know! We can have a Spartacus-type scene with various racing drivers saying "I'm the Stig"

[video=youtube;-8h_v_our_Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8h_v_our_Q[/video]

The no one will know who the Stig really is :)
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LOVE IT!!! :)
 
I for one want BBC to win this. TG isn't TG without The Stig. Spoiling it will be no fun. The Stig could ask for a pay rise or a bonuse some sort to avoid the book being publish.

If BBC does loose, and HC get to publish their book, I think its goodbye to White Stig. Maybe Red Stig? Silver Stig? Or whatever colour next. Britain has lots of capable drivers to replace him anyway.
 
mystvearn said:
I for one want BBC to win this. TG isn't TG without The Stig. Spoiling it will be no fun. The Stig could ask for a pay rise or a bonuse some sort to avoid the book being publish.

If BBC does loose, and HC get to publish their book, I think its goodbye to White Stig. Maybe Red Stig? Silver Stig? Or whatever colour next. Britain has lots of capable drivers to replace him anyway.
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They could just continue with white stig.. Just put someone else inside the suit.
 
GreenBullet said:
that would also require restarting the lap board times... have to keep it consistent.
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Nah, they didnt do that between black and white stig, and there is no consistence in the lap times anyway.
Well, if you want the lap times to actually mean something other than pure entertainment, they should wipe it clean and start fresh with a new driver.
Seems quite obvious they arent gonna continue with Ben Collins anyway (my impression from Andy's blogpost).
 
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Many people say that the power lap themselves are not even done by the same Stig all weeks... And after all they're just a reference, not something written in stone. Otherwise they'd have to wait for the exact same temperature, humidity and pressure for all cars to be compared directly, and some of the laps are done in the blistering sun, others in pouring rain... Consistency isn't a problem, nor a concern. Power laps are fun to watch these supercars in "racing" conditions other than just rolling around at legal speeds
 
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