***UPDATE*** The BBC has released a statement that they will no be renewing Clarkson’s contract. Bummer. Read the statement here.
There can only be one. Let’s face it, the U.S. version sucks. They certainly don’t have the charisma that James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson have. They are the reason even gear heads, and I am no gear head, enjoy this show. The episode that hooked me was the trek to the North Pole: man on dogsled vs. morons in a Toyota Helix. It was a great blend of humor, science, engineering and behaving badly. It’s the behaving badly that really gave the show an edge. Now, it looks as though the BBC is about to fire, or sack, Jeremy Clarkson over a fight he got into with a producer. While fighting with your co-workers, especially physically, is a quick pink slip for regular folk, it would seem Jeremy was just being Jeremy – behaving badly. Certainly if Chris Brown is still walking around, performing and making money after what he did to Rihanna, Clarkson should get socked in the eye by a reasonably-priced MMA fighter and then get back to work “Top Gear.”
If this is the end of “Top Gear” as we know it, let’s look back on some of the best moments in no particular order
Ariel Atom – ever seen a middle-aged man’s face peeled off by sheer wind force?
A car built for library browsing.
The hovercraft revolution.
The Polar Special – bumper dumpers, gin and I spy. This one’s got it all.
Jaguar E-Type tribute – arguably the best looking car ever made. Jeremy give it a proper tribute
Middle Eastern Road Trip – dumped in the middle of Iraq and told to make it to Jerusalem with gifts for the Baby Geeee-sussssss, the guys spend time sabotaging each other’s cars while trying not to get killed in one of the most dangerous places in the world.
Southern US Road Trip – three Brits in cheap, horrible, uncooled cars take off across the Southern United States and decorate each other’s cars to get each other killed, which nearly happens.
McLaren P1 – this changes everything. Clarkson takes out the new hybrid from McLaren, and it’s a game changer in supercar technology. The look on his face alone makes you want one, but you can’t have one. You are poor.
Stig introductions – “He’sss called THE STIG!”
Car guys unite! Jay Leno makes it on to drive the “reasonably priced car” “Top Gear”
Bugatti Veyron takes on a Fighter Jet – try this at home.
I could do this all night. There are so many innovative and great moments. Sure, a lot of the segments are probably staged to an extent, but what a great show. If I had seen this show when I was 12 or 13 my life could have been very different. Instead, I was introduced to NoFX and NIN and therefore I work in music and broadcasting. “Top Gear” lets me live that other life through three middle-aged Brits. Go figure.
