TOP GEAR - Gone?

[Pete]

When I was a kid, I'd go to a concert & see the band dripping in Phlegm by the end of the night, I don't see that as any better than accepting people with willies wanting to wear a frock, as far as I am concerned it's their choice

When I was a kid people with willies did wear frocks, and nobody batted an eyelid in some of the clubs I used to frequent, that’s always gone on, nothing new at all but at no point did anyone try and force society to call them women or “she”. That’s the difference. Liberal facsists now demanding that actual women accept men in frocks as other women for fear of the transphobic accusations . Utter lunacy, but the news channels do exactly that. In fact that bloke who put a wig and lipstick on to evade a male prison was referred to as “her” on pretty much all the news channels when that story broke. But recently they’re calling him “him” again. Stop watching the news would be my advice and don’t be bullied by the entitled inclusion loonies.

[mk1]

As I have already eluded, I don't let this stuff bother me, so it doesn't bother me.

I have far more important things to worry about than what someone I don't know & aren't ever likely to meet wants to call themselves. They can all self identify as sideboards as far as I am concerned.

Personally speaking, I'd rather be under the jackboot of a so called "Liberal Fascist" than a real one!

Remember them? Gas chambers, Concentration camps, Mass deportation, eugenics, mass extermination of political adversaries, homosexuals, Liberals, disable people, anyone that looked at them in a funny way etc. I can't help feeling that some folks have lost some much needed perspective.

Sadly this started off as a question about the Car related TV program Top Gear, it wasn't supposed to turn into this.

[Pete]

Thanks for the history lesson Mark, , best we stay off politics I think.

Diversity of opinion should always be allowed though otherwise we’ll all just live an echo chamber.

[Costafortune]

Remember them? Gas chambers, Concentration camps, Mass deportation, eugenics, mass extermination of political adversaries, homosexuals, Liberals, disable people, anyone that looked at them in a funny way etc. I can't help feeling that some folks have lost some much needed perspective.

The duo of intellectual colossus that is Lineker and Lammy are of course allowed free speech, and by comparing our government with the actual Nazis we can at least identify such morons more easily. Lineker has form for pissing off the Israelis anyway.

[mab01uk]

I say bring back Old Top Gear with William Woollard, Chris Goffey, Tom Boswell, Sue Baker, and Tony Mason...

"The new Rover 200 with a brand new engine, the k series 16 Valve.
A new front wheel drive sportscar from Lotus is reviewed, the Elan.
A look into Police car chases and how they are trained in the latest procedure's.
Footage at a vintage Bus and Truck rally.
The new Jaguar XJR.
Plus Tiff Needell driving a Porsche Le Mans car."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgtJf9ZJrog

[WMU 211G]

I haven't watched TG for ages but it's a shame it's being wound up, or at least temporarily anyway.

As for the Beeb, it is duty bound to be impartial but on an editorial level and in other subtle ways it often doesn't always seem to be that way, anyone recall Hugh Edward's expression when Boris and Co won their eighty seat majority back in December 2019, he was crestfallen, the poor chap! When Blair's mob won way back in 1997 TV Centre in Shepards Bush was littered with champagne bottles the following morning, but here we are in 2023 with the new DG of the Beeb being an ex-Tory councillor and campaigner, so I suppose bias or the perception of it can swing both ways. When news reader Peter Sissons asked what direction to take with certain stories, he has mentioned several times that during editorial meetings he was given a copy of The Guardian and told to 'go along with that'. On BBC Breakfast, it's sometimes the case that left leaning politicians get or have had an easier ride than centre or right leaning ones.

Something which I have noticed though is the complete lack of any apparent bias in local BBC news programmes, which is quite telling.

The Beeb is capable of making extremely good content in all areas of its programming, there's no question about that, but the ingrained bias of those at the top sometimes seems to permeate downhill, of that I have no doubt. Above all, I think they should be totally impartial.

[Mini-geek]

I say bring back Old Top Gear with William Woollard,

Basically in Nottingham...

[mab01uk]

I haven't watched TG for ages but it's a shame it's being wound up, or at least temporarily anyway.

As for the Beeb, it is duty bound to be impartial but on an editorial level and in other subtle ways it often doesn't always seem to be that way, anyone recall Hugh Edward's expression when Boris and Co won their eighty seat majority back in December 2019, he was crestfallen, the poor chap! When Blair's mob won way back in 1997 TV Centre in Shepards Bush was littered with champagne bottles the following morning,

Also not forgetting that historic moment below...after all those months of us being lectured by the BBC's metropolitan elite (aka Brussels Broadcasting Corporation).

BBC News Referendum the moment they knew 24/6/16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVDH0nsJ0jA

[Spider]

The family enjoyed the show for many years, we only watched it with the famous trio, though I did see a few later shows and also some of the other countries attempted spin offs, very second rate.

While we did enjoy it, we all knew as good as it was, it would one day end. I think though, the end came well before they pulled the plug.

Enjoyed it while it lasted, sad that's it's gone, but nothing's forever - except me of course !

[Pete]

I hope it hasn’t gone, but if it has they've basically killed it by just going too far with the stupid stuff. To be fair James May did the same last year in the tunnel, with no skid lid on!!

[InnoCooperExport]

I've not watched the newer series of top gear like I have the old ones, but I have caught the odd one. I find Chris Harris' segments great but cannot stand the pair of professional "lads" who only go around shouting and being idiots. Too much forced joviality, "if we scream a lot we must be having fun right? Right? LOOK AT US HAVING FUN"

[IslandBlue]

I suppose, the thing is I REALLY don't see the "Woke" BBC that so many people witter on about so much. I reckon, opinions & norms change & this should be reflected by "Our National Broadcaster". There are lots of things I find hard to stomach about the world today, but a lot of people much younger than me seem to think that these things are perfectly acceptable, who am I to argue. When I was a kid, I'd go to a concert & see the band dripping in Phlegm by the end of the night, I don't see that as any better than accepting people with willies wanting to wear a frock, as far as I am concerned it's their choice.

I have always thought that if the BBC are getting accused of being too Left wing by the right & too right wing by the left, they are probably steering a fairly OK course. I'd certainly rather watch a channel like the BBC than totally partisan crap like GB or Fox News anytime.

If any broadcaster is showing something I don't fancy, I either go & do something more interesting or hit the change the channel button.

Not too difficult

Couldn't have put it better myself, seems like the Beeb can't do right for doing wrong most of the time these days. They've been defunded and suffer too much political interference, but the latter especially has been a slippery slope for years. It's ironic to see Alastair Campbell standing up for them now...

As for wokery, sometimes I think we have to accept that we're getting older and remember how we felt when we were young, things change. Speaking to my sons and nephews they just shrug their shoulders about some things as if to say "what's the problem?" Maybe they're right, either way they'll have to live with it for longer than me.

Returning to the original subject I also suspect that the problem was in the car, especially if the HSE are not pursuing it any further. I hope Flintoff is okay but he sometimes seemed to be pushing things a little too far even allowing for TV exaggerated peril etc.

[mab01uk]

Couldn't have put it better myself, seems like the Beeb can't do right for doing wrong most of the time these days. They've been defunded and suffer too much political interference, but the latter especially has been a slippery slope for years. It's ironic to see Alastair Campbell standing up for them now...

I'm not sure many TV licence tax payers would agree the BBC have been defunded yet....considering the huge salaries they can afford to pay Gary Lineker and even newsreaders to read an Autocue these days....while also recently cancelling free TV licences for those aged over 75.

The BBC’s top on-air earners (2022) :-
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/ ... -presenter

1. Gary Lineker: £1.35m
2. Zoe Ball: £980,000
=3. Alan Shearer: £450,000
=3. Steve Wright: £450,000
5. Stephen Nolan: £415,000
=6. Huw Edwards: £410,000
=6. Fiona Bruce: £410,000
=8. Scott Mills: £400,000
=8. Vanessa Feltz: £400,000
10. Greg James: £390,000
11. Ken Bruce: £385,000
12. Lauren Laverne: £380,000
13. Naga Munchetty: £365,000
=14. Amol Rajan: £325,000
=14. George Alagiah: £325,000
=14. Emily Maitlis: £325,000

[johnv]

3 of those gone now, so over a million saved ..

[IslandBlue]

I'm not sure many TV licence tax payers would agree the BBC have been defunded yet....considering the huge salaries they can afford to pay Gary Lineker and even newsreaders to read an Autocue these days....while also recently cancelling free TV licences for those aged over 75.

These salaries might sound a lot to joe public but they are a drop in the ocean compared to the budget for running the corporation - about 0.2% of the licence income ( https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/futu ... #heading-3 ) Whatever people's personal opinion of any of the individuals on the list (some of them aren't my cup of tea either) I doubt they are above the level paid by equivalent broadcasters and someone has to present the shows (one or two recent episodes of MOTD excepted ). The cuts are beginning to show in the quality of the output and cuts in local broadcasting, it all looks like another race to the bottom.

The BBC were painted into a corner on TV licences for the over 75s; it was the government that decided to stop paying for the benefit, and then shifted the blame on to the broadcaster. Also don't forget that those over 75s in receipt of pension credit are still entitled to the free licence so it has not been completely cancelled.

[Old English White]

Zoe Ball £980,000
Am I the only one who thinks that is absolute madness??!! I have nothing against the girl but when she's away from the Radio 2 Breakfast Show - which is quite frequently - I generally enjoy it a lot more, regardless of whoever is standing in. She seldom has anything interesting, witty, or thought provoking to say.

[Exminiman]

EDIT OEW, you beat me to the draw, agree, she must have a bloody good agent….

Number 2, Zoe Ball is a bit of a surprise

Hardly a Terry Wogan, a Ken Bruce or a Lisa Tarbuck…..and apparently she has lost 350K viewers.

Surely (Shirley) they can find someone to do her slot ( excuse the phrase) for under £300k ?


Also Jeremy Vine seems to of dropped of the list, wasn’t he paid about £750,000? , maybe hes now paid as a contractor ?

[Pete]

Before any more boots go flying into the BBC Mark’s absolutely correct in that everybody thinks the Beeb is too left or too right leaning essentially based on your own viewpoint. They can’t win. (Albeit 6 Music couldn’t get anymore left if it tried!).
I’m just watching ‘The Gold’ on IPlayer, and it’s brilliant. Can’t see stuff like this being made by anybody else but the Beeb. The 80s ‘soundtrack’ is also impressive, but I would say that wouldn’t I!?
I’d also recommend ‘Better’ which I also thoroughly enjoyed, again on the BBC!

[Polarsilver]

Lineker & co need to be paid ..supported by the over 75,s .. This is all just small change more important is to remember the Clocks Go Forward "one" Hour.. Yes just one more sleep & it is British Summer Time & then we can all go out to Play .. i may even sit on the Grass at Bulee & Gaydon yes what fun we will have in 2023 so much distraction that all my worries about Top Gear & the B word will fade into insignificance
Sorry to all out Friends outside GB who have no idea what we are on about.. it is just us Brits Winging ( again)

[Allen Brzeczek]

I'm pushing 75 and have no time what so ever for Lineker and many of his contemporaries on BBC or any other channel not even if i qualified for a free licence.

As for top gear, the presenters were chosen for their popularity and perceived public appeal. Never found anything funny - no chemistry, no spontaneity
dialogue cam across as if to be read from autocue.

It is unfortunate that anybody should have been hurt but I feel that it was inevitable as the presenters, correct me if i am wrong, appeared to lack the necessary driving skills, experience , enthusiasm and outright enjoyment seen with Clarkson an co.