Can someone summarize the current TG situation for me?

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Viper007Bond

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Being the busy (read: lazy) person that I am, would someone care to summarize / post the latest news on Top Gear? I'd rather not read the countless pages of the TG-won't-be-back thread.

What I heard, please confirm / deny / add to the list:

  • TG's lease is up on the building / runway
  • Clarkson is in contract meetings and may be saying this to get more money
  • Producers want less cars and more celebrities

I ask as I need to get a news post up on the main site.
 
Nobody knows anything for sure? :p
 
That's what I figured and mostly why I have avoided posting anything yet. :lol:

Too many rumors / guesses.
 
all I know is that the current format is very entertaining and I'd hate to see anything change much :(
 
clarkson said in his sun column yesterday that TG will return in the autumn unless one of them goes upside down again.
 
They have now left Dunsfold (it's being turned into housing) and are preparing to move into the new site. There is a summer special and a new series in the Autumn. That's all i know...
 
ttyrants911 said:
They have now left Dunsfold (it's being turned into housing) and are preparing to move into the new site. There is a summer special and a new series in the Autumn. That's all i know...
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So they have officially left Dunsfold now??
 
ttyrants911 said:
They have now left Dunsfold (it's being turned into housing) and are preparing to move into the new site. There is a summer special and a new series in the Autumn. That's all i know...
Click to expand...

if they have actually left and there is documentation that top gear has moved off the dunsfold premises, that is big news and definitely add to the complication of renegotiating contracts for the presenters. Think about it, what if the BBC picks a new studio location that is twice as far away from the presenters homes, AND is also far from London, making their commutes even more of a pain than it was before, as well as other real life factors we do not know anything about, of course that will affect contract renewal terms.

Also who knows, there could be politics involving other BBC produced shows, maybe certain actors on certain series are being paid a hell of a lot more than the presenters, but Top Gear may actually draw in a bigger viewership than those other hypothetical shows, also affect terms of salaray negotiations.

Its just typical job contract BS and everyone plays that game, including tv entertainers, and obviously we'll never know the complete truth behind the situation, the lawyers will make sure of that.

So i guess we should just sit back and wait to see what transpires, unless someone has a real inside/leak info and is willing to risk getting fired/sued for providing us solid inside info and not just 'suppositions/rumors'.

Ed
 
Well, they could build a studio pretty much anywhere (near their homes, London, etc) and present the show from there. Then they could find a track somewhere else and just shoot any clips and pre-recorded segments from that location before the start of the series. They don't have to present the show on location from a track, although that was a cool thing about the Dunsfold location.
 
TomCat said:
Well, they could build a studio pretty much anywhere (near their homes, London, etc) and present the show from there. Then they could find a track somewhere else and just shoot any clips and pre-recorded segments from that location before the start of the series. They don't have to present the show on location from a track, although that was a cool thing about the Dunsfold location.
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yeah who are 'they' that you're referring to, the BBC, the top gear producers, or the presenters?

you sound like you have the inside track on the production of the show since you know more about the logstics of the production of the top gear series than i do.

whats the feasibility and cost of the producers building a new studio from scratch to accomodate the needs of the show and the three presenters?

also whats the views from the presenters about the choices of change of venue?

Ed
 
I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but if they lost the Dunsfold location, then they really have no choice but to build a new studio somewhere else. Unless they kill off the show completely, which isn't likely.
 
TomCat said:
I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but if they lost the Dunsfold location, then they really have no choice but to build a new studio somewhere else. Unless they kill off the show completely, which isn't likely.
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what about leasing the studio space like the did with the dunsfold hanger, that was probably cheaper than purchasing the land and building a brand new studio from the ground up. i dont really know much about the ins and outs of this process so thats why im asking.

just because its the internet, doesnt mean everything everyone says is sarcastic, but you have a lot of confidence in your statement so i figured you have the answers.
 
Oh, when I said "build a studio", I didn't mean buy land and build from the ground up. I just meant to find a place and build the set/studio where they host the show. Build the stages, displays, etc. They could probably do it from an existing BBC building.

I think it would be hard to find another place like dunsford. Abandoned airports and racetracks are probably a rare thing in the UK. Chances are they would have to find a suitable track and reserve it for their days of shooting. Then take the footage back to their studio to be produced and shoot the episodes.
 
Even if they do find another Dunsfold, it will take a while for another track to be set up, and all the celebrity laptimes and the Stig's laptimes from the past few years will be utterly useless.
 
"The show's management purportedly wants more celebrity appearances and less focus on cars."

That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Less focus on cars? Who the hell do they think they're kidding? The show is called Top Gear not Top Celebrity (sorry, couldn't think of a better alternative.) I hope the next series and beyond would focus more on cars (reviews,comparisons/races) and less on "cocking about" and celebrities (one per show is enough). I know some people said that if you want to see car reviews watch Fifth Gear. I watch Top Gear mostly for the car reviews and races because they are beautifully produced and the humorous things all three presenters say in their reviews. Fifth Gear is so freakin' boring; there is no sense of passion in their productions. BBC, stop caring about making money and focus more on spending it for the viewer's pleasure.
 
ttyrants911 said:
They have now left Dunsfold (it's being turned into housing) and are preparing to move into the new site. There is a summer special and a new series in the Autumn. That's all i know...
Click to expand...
Here's a link we can use as ammunition the next time this comes up.

When they finally transform the place, someone needs to plant a sign at "Gambon Corner".
 
Top Gear just wont be the same brilliant show if it has to move from Dunsfold.:( Oh and by the way, here in NZ prime tv is just showing re-runs of previous series. What are they doing?
 
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powerof1000 said:
Top Gear just wont be the same brilliant show if it has to move from Dunsfold.:( Oh and by the way, here in NZ prime tv is just showing re-runs of previous series. What are they doing?
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we'll it does have to move, and alot worse things could be happening, i liked dunsfield, but change is good, imagine if JC always reviewed the same brand of cars :?
 
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