And on that bombshell.....it wasn't time to end - My thoughts on TG

"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce) 06/29/2015 at 01:05 • Filed to: None

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Last night, for the first time ever, I was rendered speechless at the outcome of a television show. 22 seasons. Hundreds of cars and guests and laps and mishaps. Always ambitious but rubbish. But the final goodbye was disgraceful on the part of the BBC. That was not the bombshell we needed.

**Edit** I originally wrote this last year after the final episode of top gear came out. Given the fracas the newest one keeps ding itself in, I wanted to repost this to show some of my dislike of what’s going on. I still don’t like how the old one ended and j think the ghosts of the past re haunting this newest iteration .

I was never a theatre or musical member in my high school or college years. But recently I have spent some more time around the arts and I’ve gained a certain appreciation for the production of each show. Specifically, the ending. I recently attended a symphony which, start to finish, was mind blowingly good. It was very well orchestrated, the cast had great chemistry, the audience was enamored with the subject, and the pacing and order of songs was spot on. But I couldn’t figure out why the encore song stuck in my head so hard. It wasn’t on the program. It wasn’t even hinted at. But my mental recording of the night is so bright on that last song. It wasn’t until I talked to a friend about it afterwards that he was able to explain it to me. I don’t recall him word for word and if this is a famous quote by some great performer, forgive me for being ignorant. But he told me that a surprise encore like that, so long as it is well done, sticks with you so ahrd because you were given a brief period of reflection. A moment to breathe and realize that it is over. Your life is going back to where you were before, but you want to be back in that world created for you by the music. So when the conductor comes back out and you see everyone is still at the ready with instruments in hand, to hear an unexpected final performance come out is very powerful.

Now let’s go back to TG. This entire episode was their encore. Their last dancer. The curtain call happened off screen while the drama of the fracas was sorted out. One by one, the production staff and crew took their unceremonious bows to muted applause and apprehension as the show seemed to call for a few more pieces. But it wasn’t to be. The word that we would get an encore afterall and to not leave our seats just yet was a wonderous announcement met with the apropriate response. But.....The final song was not supposed to be a duet. Not when we came for the trio. And it was not the usual concotion of energy, chemistry, and love that usually filled each and every performance by our actors. It was a corporate enforced march onto the stage. No audience. No backup. Just the last two performers trotted out in chains by some of the theater owners to do some token performance to fill out the requirements. Even after the dust settled, there was no proper chance for everyone to bow out with some semblance of grace and dignity. No way for the stage to be honored and the audience properly thanked. It was a heartless fulfillment of procedure like it was done to fill out contractual obligations and a way to cleanly wash everyone’s hands of it.

I’ll be frank with my thoughts on that. Clarkson deserved to be sacked. Regardless of whether or not the producer he smacked forgave him or not. However, I don’t think he should be denied the ability to say goodbye. Rather, I don’t think the show should be denied that right. An empty audience, no star for the reasonably priced kia, no cool wall, no news, no......nothing. That wasn’t 75 minutes of Top Gear . That was 75 minutes of a funeral procession for a man who was scheduled to be killed at the end of it! And to put a god damn cherry on it, he wasn’t allowed the decency to be able to march in it! To not even crack a joke at clarkson’s removal outside of the elephant remark is the least Top Gear thing they could have done.

And what bothers me about this is that they will try and plop new people in those roles and pick up where they left off. But the cool wall isn’t just the wall - it is the bickering of jeremy and richard about what the wall *is* that defines the wall itself. To put it differently - “The cool wall” isn’t a physical wall at all - it is an amalgam of opinions and humor that so perfectly lampoons car enthusiasts arguing about brands and body styles and drivetrains and.....well......It’s basically the comments of any car related article on the internet! Soto have it just hang there, like it is an instrument that can be picked up and played by any musician is very off base in my eyes. I sincerely hope that they will let the new hosts develop their own segments and grow them as they feel natural. And if they are going to do that, then I fail to see why the hosts couldn’t be allowed to wrap up everything. Have the cool wall be invaded by.......nissan murano cross cabriolets in the DB9 fridge! Have the reasonably priced car burst into flames because Piers Morgan wanted a go in it! Have an airplane land on the track as the stig is testing something and he decides to.....become a pilot! And then let jeremy walk out, make some british snide remark like “Well the wheels really fell of this program” and then say an honest, heartfelt goodbye, and give the show as a whole the closure it needs to be able to move on!

Maybe I’m being entitled here. But from a business perspective, the BBC HAS to see they can’t just copy/paste the format and get instant results. American top gear tried it. It was above average, but the weaknesses of trying to adhere to the same format and character typing as the british one strained the show. But by the final season - the show was AMAZING. Still rough around the edges at times but they had it dialed in! They had their format, they had their characters, they had their chemistry......they had their identity. It was no longer “british TG but worse”. It was a show that had strong ties to an idea and concept, but done in its own way. So if the BBC won’t let the show get some proper bookends, then I can only assume it is because they want to continue with as many of these jokes and arcs and storylines as they can. And if they do that, then they deserve whatever fate they are dealt. I hope it does well, I really do. But if you trot out a “jeremy”, a “richard”, and a “may”, then don’t be surprised when the audience “changes the channel”. Because they’ve already done that for australia and america.

So as I sat there and watched the credits roll......I felt so hollow. That wasn’t a “goodbye”. James said the word, but that isn’t what was meant or implied. The word felt like it was weighed down with anger. With sadness. With regret. And I reflected on all the moments that show gave myself and others in my life. Sending my best friend the top gear review of the MkV GTI after his MkIV golf got totalled and he had the chance to pick one up for dirt cheap. The weekly top gear ritual watching at my fraternity. Top gear segments being featured in the weekly meetings for the car club in college. Sending my parents and little brother clips and segments as they are relevant. Even the girl in my life loves the show and I use the show to bridge the gap between us as she isn’t a massive enthusiast, but she loves the show and can “get” the car humor in that format. Hell......I was pushed over the edge on the Fiesta ST because of top gear! My very own fiesta might not be in my little parking spot if it wasn’t for top gear. So to see the show end the way it did? I can’t accept that. I know and understand that they did what they did and I don’t see them re-doing the goodbye. But from a standpoint of what is right and correct? I can’t accept that it was the correct way to go.

On behalf of myself and what I hope is a fair number of enthusiasts, we wish the crew of Top Gear the best as they disband. And for the BBC, we wish your new version of Top Gear will be just as successful as the old one. But all I have to say is - I’m not afraid to change the channel. And on that bombshell......It’s time to end. Good night!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 02:14

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Clarkson is a jerk. Good riddance.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/29/2015 at 02:25

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Don’t care. He worked hard to make that show the way it was. What he did was wrong (on MANY occasions) but if the show was to have a “farewell” episode, he should be owed a chance to say goodbye like the rest of the cast and crew. But pretty much everyone was denied that. This wasn’t an episode of top gear in my mind. It was a procession of editing room footage.

Tareim - V8 powered > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 02:50

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and what I hope is a fair number of enthusiasts, we wish the crew of Top Gear the best as they disband. And for the BBC, we wish your new version of Top Gear will be just as successful as the old one.

From what I have seen since the fracas began, I can’t imagine too many people giving top gear with new presenters a chance and have dismissed it without watching a single second of it

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 09:05

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Clarkson killed Top Gear, BBC’s top earning cash cow. It’s a shame, really, that he couldn’t behave himself. Yes, BBC will trot out new players next season and we’ll all be watching, I imagine. But what I will NOT be watching is Netflix.

I disagree that Clarkson deserves a curtain call.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/29/2015 at 09:26

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And clarkson BUILT top gear. He wasn’t the type to just show up and read lines. Without clarkson, you have no top gear. So I maintain they either should have said “The last episode aired was a complete episode of top gear so let’s leave it like that” or if they were going to do a final episode, then have a final episode instead of james and richard coldly presenting some editing room bits.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 09:35

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it wasn’t an encore though.

To use your stage analogy: It was a main cast member punching the producer behind the scenes during the 2nd Act and being told to go home leading to an exceptionally long an awkward interlude while the cast and crew figure out what to do.

The audience were in their seats, waiting for the curtain to raise again, every single one of them knew the principle actor had left but still they were shouting for the show to finish.

There was no way it was going to work, but there was a finality. The cast and crew put something together with what was left. The curtains lowered again with no applause. no more baying crowd and the cast and crew can pack up and go home.


as far as your speculation on the continuation of the show? time will tell. Chris Evans was always going to be their best bet. He’s immensely talented. So if it’s going to work then he’ll create something watchable.

Richtofen, Baron von Pickup > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 09:39

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I’ve yet to see the episode in question, but you’ve given an impassioned speech here about how it could have been much better; and if your facts are straight about the presentation, then I agree with you. This isn’t so much about the stars of the show; it’s about giving the fans that stuck with it the proper farewell any good audience deserves. If it is art, it should be a gift; if it is a gift, it should have heart.

WhiskeyGolf > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 09:44

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You’re right that it did seem kind of hollow. Though I’m disappointed it’s over in its current form, it was probably time. I just wish they would show the reviews that were probably filmed before the “fracas”.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard 06/29/2015 at 09:51

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To further/counter your analogy, this wasn’t a single show though. This was one of the final performances after over a decade of the same troupe putting on shows on a regular basis. And for the main actor to also be one of the primary script writers and choreographers of it all to be treated as if he doesn’t exist as the final curtain falls is immensely unsatisfying.

I disagree that it had to end with something this disappointing. Maybe my idea of piers morgan exploding in the reasonably priced car is a bit much but they could’ve done something more momentous than a silent studio.

I really hope they don’t just plunk some rushed in understudies in all the roles and hope to pick up like nothing happened. Chris Evans is immensely talented and a natural car guy and if given the chance, I’m sure he will tailor the show to his own style if given the chance......but will the BBC give him a chance after their quabbles with Clarkson? I hope they do. I just don’t know though.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Tareim - V8 powered 06/29/2015 at 09:52

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That is a very true statement. Given the treatment TG:US got form day one, I can definitely see it.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 10:25

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You understand why they can’t fire somebody and then immediately invite them back on the show, right?

ACESandEIGHTS > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 10:51

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Maybe we’ll forgive all this in the future. I watch like 2004-era Top Gear and it’s abysmal . Just wretched. Film crew seems amateur or maybe even student-level. Production values nil. Presenters stilted, trying to be cooler than they are.

Funny thing is, as they grow older and richer and fatter and Clarkson’s teeth become unrecognizable over untold packs of Marlboros and cups of coffee, they’re suddenly brilliant. Comfortable, fun, unabashedly old and politically incorrect and white and blockheaded, laughing loud and long at fart jokes. And they rarely cross the line into bad taste.

Even Richard Hammond, weakest of the crew, is often very very funny. May and Clarkson battle for the title of most charming, wryest and driest.

But then the show starts to approach the ramp where the trio will, in a waterskier pyramid, jump over a shark tank whilst wearing tight shorts and leather jackets. You can see it. It’s too extreme, too stilted, way beyond belief now, and the presenters—once united awkwardly in this venture to look chummy and funny—are showing signs of strain and boredom and like all good rock’n’roll acts, they’re annoyed with one another.

At that point I found May’s offshoot shows as much fun as Top Gear. And oh well, it had to go. The series as a whole was the document, and the send-off was the inevitable denouement that unfolded over several seasons. You can’t cap the series with one show... that’s been a disappointment waiting to happen since Seinfeld, The Sopranos, Lost, Deadwood, etc. etc. RIP TG. Long live Top Gear.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 10:51

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the season was the show. that’s why it’s an analogy.

I agree it was unsatisfying, and agree that everyone was probably there to fill contractual obligations rather than for the love of the fans.. but they did about all they could with the mess that was left to them. Better to finish it up, give a nod to Jeremy in the background and let everyone continue on with their lives.

The silent credits choice is itself a trope, generally used when a major character has died in a TV show. Whether it was Jeremy or Top Gear that died we’ll have to wait and see.

What ruined it for me was the BBC promoting a show during it.

They’ll give Chris Evans enough rope to hang himself with. If it fails they’ll blame him. if it succeeds then he’ll have the run of the show.

I’m approaching it with an open mind, the brits are pretty good at rebooting things with new actors playing the same part - see Doctor Who and James Bond.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 11:34

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Now you are being more specific and I can get closer to sharing your opinion, if that matters at all. A full, normal episode, minus Clarkson would have been appropriate, IMO, with a mash-up of some old bits, et cetera.

I am a school teacher and I deal with adolescents all day long. There are, and need to be, consequences for uncivilized behavior. Sadly, in this case, one of the consequences of Clarkson’s puerile, narcissistic behavior is that loyal fans like yourself are deprived of the show that they love.

boxrocket > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 11:41

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This. It was years of the same show, with differences and minor evolutions as they discovered what worked and what didn’t. The final show was done in a way that would be like going to see a huge popular production - Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Mamma Mia!, Riverdance, etc. - doing their final show, but without the music that made the show iconic, and without a critical lead role - the Phantom, Grizabella, Sophia, Michael Flatley, respectively - that made the show’s chemistry what it is/was and tied it all together. It was the Colbert Report without Colbert, M*A*S*H without Hawkeye, etc., hollow and sad.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/29/2015 at 23:23

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I have zero hatred towards clarkson’s saking because, as I said in an earlier post a while ago, no amount of popularity excuses assault in the workplace. Clarkson’s banning from working for the BBC is pretty much what hadto happen from any legal standpoint. I would hope beyond hope that there would be one bit of legalese, one small clause in something that wouldlet him wrap up the last episode as a part of “fulfilling a contract” or whatever. But if they roped in the other two to finish it, they could’ve let them end it more spectacularly than they did.

I also apologize as I assumed the article on how they made top gear was read by the majority of TG fans on here. There is a lot of insight as to how personal the hosts ended up getting with a lot of the lines and delivery on the show. I guess that’s why it felt so cold......it felt like the two were handed a page or two of lines, they were recorded in an hour or so, biff bang boom, we have an episode to use up some footage.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 06/29/2015 at 23:28

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It’s good! I’m just happy we’re talking.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > boxrocket 06/29/2015 at 23:30

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Hollow and sad, but it’s the knob Clarkson’s fault that it has to be this way.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Tareim - V8 powered 06/29/2015 at 23:32

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I hope you are wrong about this, and I think there’s a chance you could be. In any event, we will learn whether or not Top Gear was Clarkson, or something greater. I hope the latter will prove to be the case. The thing that I will not do is subscribe to Netflix in order to see the new packaging of the old trio. You may be able to avoid watching a single second of the new dispensation of Top Gear on BBC, but it’ll mean you have lots of self control, more than many.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard 06/29/2015 at 23:38

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I don’t think they did all they could, though. Or rather, I wonder if the BBC wouldn’t let them. I started a thought in another comment - we have seen how involved the hosts got in making these episodes through the articles posted by sniffpetrol. I think the last episode was very much a case of James and Richard being called in, told to read off a page or two of lines, and that was it.

And the silent credits was a rather....fitting choice. But if you look at the whole show as a eulogy or funeral, let’s be real. The spirit of Top Gear is not conducive to a normal funeral. In fact, this is the sort of setting where j ohn cleese should walk out and say “fuck” on british TV again ......okay actually, maybe not that extreme. But you’ve seen james and richard doing hilarious “unemployment” videos on youtube. Give them one last glorious chance to burn down the set in honor of their fallen comrade. Roast jeremy at every opportunity. Like say there was a review he did of a car........dub over his voice with vuvuzelas. In the news? Talk about the 911 and how awesome it is and make fun of the black series mercedes cars. Or don’t roast him at all and just do one final, proper, TG episode? Maybe it would be unwise topretend things are normal........but I feel like parading about two segments which would be better done as youtube clips in a 75 minute “episode” with no actual “top gear” to the parts outside of the segments reeks of disservice to all.

And I fear that our shared sentiments are correct - the BBC won’t “understand” why Top Gear worked as well as it did and Chris Evans and his future company will be left to drown. I sincerely hope I am wrong.

boxrocket > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/29/2015 at 23:41

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Playing the blame game is pointless. There have been rumblings of dissent between Clarkson (and the others) and BBC heads since the various bad reactions they’ve had from various groups who claimed to be "offended", like the "slope" thing, the Mexican flag being substituted for the Indian one, the whole Argentinian debacle, the French for various comments, etc. I don't wish any ill will to the BBC or to the trio of presenters, as each has its pros and cons.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/29/2015 at 23:42

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Yes. Very much so. Clarkson should never work for the BBC again. That part is a bit of wishful thinking that maybe there is some loophole and legalese to get him to “fulfill his contract” with a final appearance on the show. But as I said, there is still no reason why richard and james can’t wrap it up on his behalf. I love my idea of Piers Morgan being the final star in a reasonably priced car. ANd then it bursts into flame or something halfway through. Why couldn’t something like that happen? Why couldn’t anything somewhat Top Gear-ish happen? I would feel very......comforted? Secure? Satisfied? I think satisfied is the right word here. I would feel very satisfied that whatever the BBC does in the future, they “get” Top Gear and want it to do well both for their profits and their fans.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > ACESandEIGHTS 06/29/2015 at 23:44

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I think with Top Gear, the fracas opened up a golden opportunity to literally end everything in one glorious blaze. Just have a chaos episode where everything goes wrong. Every. Last. Thing. Or even something less extreme could work. But bring on VW beetles and porsche 911s and have stigs run wild or what have you.

But yes, the exuberance and energy from seasons 4-16? Maybe as far as 20? Were fading a bit. But it was still brilliant, still awesome, and still very enjoyable.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > boxrocket 06/29/2015 at 23:55

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I’m not sure that “blame game” is a fair assessment. This situation is a direct result of Clarkson’s continued inability to behave civilly. Difficult to make any other case.

boxrocket > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/30/2015 at 01:08

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You weren’t there, you weren’t involved, so really it doesn’t seem like it’s much of your business. Clarkson didn’t get any special treatment, Olson apparently wasn’t injured enough to cause a concern, and the whole thing got blown out of proportion.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > boxrocket 06/30/2015 at 01:38

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Not unlike this thread. But the show was on offer to me and I tuned in regularly and now I can’t, and that makes it my business as much as yours. Unless you were there...

ANYWAYS, my best takeaway was Gillian Anderson owning Jeremy Clarkson after she drove the Reasonably Priced Car.

Tareim - V8 powered > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/30/2015 at 03:07

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I will be watching top gear with the new presenters but when you consider that the final episode of the old new top gear was a bit of a ratings flop (5m rather than the expected 8m+) it seems many have already given up on it

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Tareim - V8 powered 06/30/2015 at 09:34

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I’m mostly a cup-half-full kind of guy; I’d be happy if both shows made it.

Tareim - V8 powered > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/30/2015 at 12:57

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me too, I’d take as many car shows on tv as possible

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 07/01/2015 at 11:01

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Excellently written piece. Sums up what I felt and gave me feelings for the show I wasn’t even consciously aware I had.

Chasaboo > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 05/23/2016 at 20:37

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Clearly Clarkson was sick of the whole BBC thing. He wanted out, and he found an attention getting way of doing it.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 05/23/2016 at 20:44

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I loved the elephant in the room on the last episode, though hollow is the best word for the ending.

Steve in Manhattan > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 05/23/2016 at 20:55

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I understand why they didn’t have Clarkson to close out the series. They could not. They had to make a statement.

The new Top Gear with Chris Evans and the fast German lady? Of course I will watch it - I’ll watch pretty much any automotive TV that doesn’t involve overpriced cars being auctioned off. And I watch the American version - it’s not the shit, but it’s not bad. I’d like to see the old format back - the Big Star, Slow Car, or whatever segment that was, should have been retained. The one-big-challenge format is OK, but I like the variety. Watching Michelle Rodriguez push her limits around that crap track was fun.

Chris Evans and crew will have to bring me on board. I drop shows all the time: True Blood, other series ... you have to suck me in (pun intended). Chris, please don’t fuck it up.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Chasaboo 05/23/2016 at 21:16

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Given how much freedom the BBC gave him, I doubt that, actually. It sounds like the BBC stuck by him and gave him everything he asked for. I doubt Amazon will let him skirt the lines of decency like the BBC did.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 05/23/2016 at 21:17

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I hated that gag. I still can’t re-watch the last episode. That wasn’t top gear. That was some found footage presented by some staff members.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Steve in Manhattan 05/23/2016 at 21:19

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I feel like the episode was just too bitter to be called top gear. It wasn’t fun or goofy. It is so obvious there is bad blood, it is painful. It is the one episode I can’t watch again. It’s just......it’s been a year and it still isn’t right in my eyes.

Steve in Manhattan > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 05/23/2016 at 22:34

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I think that, if they were going to exit the stage, there wasn’t really a different way to do it. And it’s awkward for both presenters ... Clarkson did something stupid, and they have to close the series with, if not class, a modicum of dignity.