Top Gear

Nah. Astronomy on the BBC died with Sir Patrick Moore. I don't get the new wave of experts, and I particularly don't get the appeal of Brian Cox. Now get off my lawn, y' whippersnapper.

Million-signature petition demanding Clarkson's reinstatement delivered to Broadcasting House by The Stig riding on a tank.

Jhimmibob: thanks for that advice, rider of Brohan. Now I can indulge my Top Gear cravings with impunity, and the whole series too. Not like Netflix's meager offerings of 4 seasons, or hoping BBCA airs a rerun instead of punk ass Star Trek.

I like punk ass Star Trek.

And they aired the second Perfect Roadtrip special instead of a new episode on monday.

I like Star Trek: TNG too, but not more than Top Gear. And there REALLY isn't a reason to air Star Trek for like 18 hours straight.

Telegraph is reporting that Clarkson has been sacked. No other sources corroborating.

Their article on the subject is loaded with a large number of "it is expected" and similar phrasing, implying they see it as a forgone conclusion rather than an actual decision.

edited 24th Mar '15 4:34:43 PM by Deadbeatloser22

In the same article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11493270/Jeremy-Clarkson-to-be-sacked-by-the-BBC.html

they are reporting that the BBC are considering giving the job of lead presenter to Chris Evans, that boring ginger haired so-called personality and d.j. who used to be married to Billie Piper, thus giving himself delusions of class. This a-hole:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Evans_%28presenter%29 - not the guy who does Captain America and is quite a nice guy by all accounts.

My reaction to this is a combination of "NO, NO and FUCK NO!!!" and "How much is it for a return bus ticket to London so I can stand outside the BBC's HQ and swear at those bastards?"

Besides May and Hammond don't need the money, even the extortionate amount they would ask to be forced to work with that Evans thing.

edited 25th Mar '15 1:35:51 AM by TamH70

Only the Telegraph is reporting that he will be sacked. Others report that the BBC insists that no decision has been made so far.

Yeah I noticed that. Which is basically the other papers kicking themselves that they don't have the story. Pretty common practice for "newspapers" in this country.

Plus Hammond and May have previously gone on record during this incident as saying they won't work with anyone else.

There's an Op-Ed on the Guardian site that sums this up pretty well; this is very much a no-win situation for the BBC. Either they sack Clarkson and lose their most profitable IP, or they retain him and look like they condone workplace violence.

edited 25th Mar '15 1:40:21 AM by Deadbeatloser22

My reaction to this is a combination of "NO, NO and FUCK NO!!!" and "How much is it for a return bus ticket to London so I can stand outside the BBC's HQ and swear at those bastards?"

Following Clarkson's example, eh?

Seriously, that doesn't even approach being an appropriate reaction to getting served cold food by your catering crew.

Well, if he isn't on there already, add Snoop Dog to the list of big-name fans: He's calling for a boycott of the BBC.

Clarkson claims that the Telegraph article was the first he'd heard about actually being sacked, and Chris Evans has officially stated that he won't take the post if it even does become available.

Confirmation.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/11480416/Jeremy-Clarkson-to-be-sacked-by-BBC-live.html

"14.05 Lord Hall said: "It is with great regret that I have told Jeremy Clarkson today that the BBC will not be renewing his contract. It is not a decision I have taken lightly. I have done so only after a very careful consideration of the facts and after personally meeting both Jeremy and Oisin Tymon. I am grateful to Ken Mac Quarrie for the thorough way he has conducted an investigation of the incident on 4th March. Given the obvious and very genuine public interest in this I am publishing the findings of his report. I take no pleasure in doing so. I am only making them public so people can better understand the background. I know how popular the programme is and I also know that this decision will divide opinion. The main facts are not disputed by those involved." 14.00 Lord Hall said he had "not taken this decision lightly" and recognised it would "divide opinion"."

Yeah. Too right it fucking will. They covered up for a sex offender for decades, including a period of months after the man was buried, and if it was up to them we still would never have known about Jimmy Savile, yet a petty incident like this gets a guy who makes millions for them a year sacked.

Fuck Hall, fuck Cohen and fuck the rest of the BBC.

Meanwhile, more reaction from the Torygraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/top-gear/11494207/The-dogmatic-liberal-elite-have-finally-kicked-out-Jeremy-Clarkson.-I-hope-theyre-happy.html

"Just as you or I would be sacked if we walloped a co-worker, especially someone below us in the pecking order, so Clarkson deserves the boot too, says his army of haters in the media and on Twitter. Please. If this were a simple punishment-for-physicality issue, why has so much of the Clarkson-baiting commentary obsessed over what Clarkson thinks and says?"

edited 25th Mar '15 7:22:03 AM by TamH70

Yeah. Too right it fucking will. They covered up for a sex offender for decades, including a period of months after the man was buried, and if it was up to them we still would never have known about Jimmy Savile, yet a petty incident like this gets a guy who makes millions for them a year sacked.'

Fuck Hall, fuck Cohen and fuck the rest of the BBC.

Jesus Christ, dude. The usual policy after saying something like this is to apologise and dial back, not double down. What the shit.

Right. Both of you, can it.

The thread is now on cooldown. Come back in 48 hours.

OK, that's a little over 48 hours.

Keep it clean, or the locks go back on.

Here's the BBC investigation summary, in case you're wondering.

BBC: Top Gear producer 'won't press charges' against Jeremy Clarkson

Clarkson asks people to leave Oisin Tymon alone.

Wasn't aware the police had to do what the victim wants in an assault case, especially one which involves actual bodily harm (I think that's the legal definition of what getting a split lip and a trip to A and E would be described as in court).

CPS could still bring charges despite what Oisin Tymon said. Given the publicity this case has already attracted, I don't think they would be able not to. It's a nice gesture, to be fair, as is Clarkson telling the more rabid elements of his fanbase to cut out the death threats and other idiocy aimed at Tymon.

edit

I thought this was funny. Obligatory Torygraph website warning notice:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/virals/11499092/Jeremy-Clarksons-last-Top-Gear-performance-revealed.html

edited 27th Mar '15 1:45:53 PM by TamH70

I'm assuming that they're talking about civil charges. There's at least a couple of compensation suits that you could get out of this.

It's a criminal offence though. Assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Worst case scenario for Clarkson would be a sentence of five years in the slammer, according to this wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_occasioning_actual_bodily_harm#United_Kingdom

although it is unlikely things would go that far. Tymon may not be pressing civil charges but that and one pounds fifty pence will buy you a cappuccino and a chocolate covered and sprinkled donut at my local outlet of Subway.

Telegraph: James May: 'I might quit TV and become a teacher'

He'd make a cool engineering science professor. I've always seen James as the most cerebral of the Top Gear presenters and he does know his stuff on how things tick.