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'Not' Top Gear coming to Netflix

Richardson

Richardson

CAN YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?
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So, after that unfortunate incident, and those bombshells, and that rather awful mess with the BBC, Netflix is launching a show with Clarkson, May, and Hamster.

Yes, you read that headline correctly. If a report from The Daily Mirror is correct, the former hosts and executive producer of the BBC's Top Gear are preparing a new series with streaming giant Netflix that will be called – wait for it – House of Cars. We motion that the first star in the reasonably priced car be Kevin Spacey, although only if he's in character as Frank Underwood.

Now, take this all with a grain of salt, and not only because it comes from a tabloid like The Mirror. The three hosts were most recently seen meeting with the director of television at BBC rival ITV, meaning they're likely cultivating a number of options to get back on the tele. Both ITV and Netflix have long been rumored as eventual destinations for the three hosts.

But a source that The Mirror identified as a "pal" of the former TG team indicated that there could be trouble with a move to ITV. The broadcaster relies on advertising revenue, unlike the Beeb and Netflix, which are funded by the license fees of British citizens and subscriptions, respectively.

"The headache with ITV is going to be the potential conflicts of interest with advertisers. What would they do if Jaguar orVolvo had a sponsorship deal but they wanted to berate its latest new car?" the source told The Mirror. "Jeremy doesn't like being told what to do. It could cause huge arguments."

What do you think? Is House of Cars a brilliant name, or a bit silly? If you don't have Netflix already, would you sign up ifClarkson, Hammond, May, and WIlman make the jump? Have your say in the poll below and in Comments.
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Well, that was a bit of an unfortunate set of events. Anyway, where were we, something about taunting Hammond about his size and disturbingly large white teeth again? Ah, well. Nevermind about that nonsense, bring on the midlife crisis's crisis!
 
Netflix is a US based company right? So the next time Clarkson punches someone he gets sued under US employment law!

He's going to love that.
 
FriedIce said:
Netflix is a US based company right? So the next time Clarkson punches someone he gets sued under US employment law!

He's going to love that.
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Then again, he's less likely to get into the same kind of stress he was in under the BBC. Granted, he's also going to have less budget for buffoonery, but he should be in an environment less likely to create issues.

Rather hilarious, since now the BBC is left holding an empty sack because the trio ran off with their lunch.
 
Clarkson is going to fit right in with Adam Sandler's new movie. I am not sure netflix is putting thought into what kind of branding they are putting out lately.
 
Richardson said:
Then again, he's less likely to get into the same kind of stress he was in under the BBC. Granted, he's also going to have less budget for buffoonery, but he should be in an environment less likely to create issues.

Rather hilarious, since now the BBC is left holding an empty sack because the trio ran off with their lunch.
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Less?
The pressures of working for a commercial broadcaster that actually has to pay attention to advertisers?
I think you underestimate just how much working for the Beeb shields you from actual considerations should you choose to tear strips off the latest Jaguar or it's drivers at the same time the car company is discussing a new multi-million advertising deal with your network.
 
Well, Top Gear occassionally had companies bail on them & mocked them anyway. The publicity of being on 'Not Gear' would probably balance out any negative reviews. :p
 
uju32 said:
Less?
The pressures of working for a commercial broadcaster that actually has to pay attention to advertisers?
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He doesn't have execs out for his blood and job. He's free and clear to do the part of his job that was what actually sold the show--namely, fobbing off with May and the Hamster doing stupid shit while also making crude jokes that everyone wants to say while not wanting to get in trouble--and let's face it, while interesting, the actual car trials were the part that most people didn't pay attention to. So, probably some of that, but more doing the parts that Clarkson and company want to do.

Especially since Netflix doesn't do parceled out seasons. They just blarg it out all at once, so probably less news as well, to an extent.
 
Shanejayell said:
Well, Top Gear occassionally had companies bail on them & mocked them anyway. The publicity of being on 'Not Gear' would probably balance out any negative reviews. :p
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The Beeb could afford to because turning a profit was not part of their remit.
Netflix? ITV? Not so.

And the relationships between major advertisers and networks transcend the limits of a single show.
Richardson said:
He doesn't have execs out for his blood and job.
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Yet.
Do not deceive yourself that if he displays the same abrasiveness at another network, that he won't create new ones.
And Hollywood producers have a much freer hand to fuck you over.

Richardson said:
He's free and clear to do the part of his job that was what actually sold the show--namely, fobbing off with May and the Hamster doing stupid shit while also making crude jokes that everyone wants to say while not wanting to get in trouble--and let's face it, while interesting, the actual car trials were the part that most people didn't pay attention to. So, probably some of that, but more doing the parts that Clarkson and company want to do.
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I can't speak for others, but I actually watched for the car trials, as did the other watchers I know.
I wouldn't have watched a show where the three of them simply did stupid shit.

I wish the three of them the best, and hope that if they choose to go elsewhere, it works out for them.
But I think you are being deceived as to how straightforward it is.
Remember that if he was being persecuted at the BBC as you allege, and still didn't move to another network?
Things are not as simple as they seem.
 
uju32 said:
The Beeb could afford to because turning a profit was not part of their remit.
Netflix? ITV? Not so.
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Uh, Netflix can afford to fund this out of their back pocket. They're not funded by advertisements, so if someone tells them to get fucked, they can giggle to themselves and keep going anyway. I will concede that ITV would be a problem, except that the gang are apparently going to Netflix for certain now.

As for why he didn't move before now, well, as far as I'm aware, nobody made an offer for him before now. You're basically asking why a guy who wasn't sure if there was a parachute waiting wanted to jump out of a plane, even if it was being flown by somebody who hated his guts. Now that he's been thrown out instead, he's improvised and found out that there was. Besides, it was mostly the upper execs at the BBC who hated him, mostly coming on in the past few years. And, don't forget that most of his issues stemmed from his humor clashing with the political nature of the BBC and the clashes of the political views of the execs who didn't quite realize that Clarkson was being kinda-horrible on-air because that was where his show-winning humor came from. (Most of it. He has issues, but tries not to let them show). For all of his 'abrasiveness', a lot of people note that he's pretty restrained off air, save for a very rare few notable incidents. He's certainly not nearly as abrasive as most stars as far as I know.

I'm sure there'll be more car reviewing, don't get me wrong, but now that they're finally free of the necessity of sticking to the BBC car review show roots, they're free to go a little wilder than they did before. They'll also probably need to find a replacement for the Stigs, though. Ah, I'm sure something will turn up. They'll probably keep some form of Celebrity car trial. Need a whole new track, since their offices are going to get used by a bunch of new twits, but I'm sure they'll do fine.

Looking at their history and what they wanted to do more of, I'd say that we'll probably see:

A car review an episode. At least one, usually involving a wildly inappropriate use at least once to see how it handles the absurd. Probably a Not!Stig lap or two. Might be two an episode.
Some discussion of current events. Likely less, unless they settle into a bi-monthly release pattern or something.
Celebrity interviews and Stars in Reasonably Priced Cars, which will be named something obviously not such while poking fun at their past.
Fobbing around like idiots each episode, trying to do something ridiculous with a car. Basically continuing to be the mid-life crisis we all wish we could have.
Also, more car talk. And maybe a road trip every once in a while.

A lot of the specifics will have to be figured out by how jerkish the BBC will be, where they're at, and what they actually liked the most of their time on the BBC. They could probably get a lot of mileage out of moving to the states, for instance. Plenty of hilarity to poke out of us, provided they decide to move someplace like an upstate New York airfield or something.
 
I can't see how this is a triumph for anyone.

All it shows is that you can be a violent, immature oaf that gets giggles off of being the outrageous middle-aged, out-of-touch racist uncle and get paid absurd amounts of money for doing so on television. This and the Adam Sandler movie are seriously making me consider taking my money from Netflix and going elsewhere for my streaming movies. There are other services now, after all that. And they don't seem to be catering to this kind of nonsense.

If I punched a coworker and got sacked for it, I'd have a rough time finding a job but I guess Clarkson gets to toddle off to this new project and continue being a twit.

Also I think you vastly overestimate this supposed hateboner the upper management had for him.
 
Tasrill said:
Clarkson is going to fit right in with Adam Sandler's new movie. I am not sure netflix is putting thought into what kind of branding they are putting out lately.
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Netflix doesn't really care about their branding so much it would stop them from doing this because they offer a good enough service for a reasonable enough price that no one is going to bother getting rid of their netflix sub over this sort of show- thus their bottom line is safe.

Because they are private corporation, they are not accountable to the public unlike the BBC so that removes their ability to be impacted by public opinion so much.

And unless this actually impacts their profitability (it won't), the stockholders will not care.

Meaning Clarkson, May, and Hammond will continue to do their thing, and various people like you will just have to be salty over it.
 
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lol the idea that private companies aren't impacted by public opinion is completely laughable. Almost as laughable as the people jumping out of the woodwork to defend a millionaire asshole's nonexistent honour, but not quite.
 
Shame on you for not starting the OP with "I went on the internet, and I found this:"

(I haven't seen more than a few eps of top gear, at a friend's house, as I'm not really into cars.)
 
Dartan said:
I can't see how this is a triumph for anyone.

All it shows is that you can be a violent, immature oaf that gets giggles off of being the outrageous middle-aged, out-of-touch racist uncle and get paid absurd amounts of money for doing so on television.
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Well, if you wanna go full on 'social justice warrior' mode, why not do a petition asking Netflix NOT to hire them? I could see two good things coming out of this:

a) You get the satisfaction of trying to force your values of what to watch on other people.
b) When Netfix gets the hard copy of your petition, they can use it for bathroom tissue.

Everybody wins!
 
Shanejayell said:
Well, if you wanna go full on 'social justice warrior' mode, why not do a petition asking Netflix NOT to hire them? I could see two good things coming out of this:

a) You get the satisfaction of trying to force your values of what to watch on other people.
b) When Netfix gets the hard copy of your petition, they can use it for bathroom tissue.

Everybody wins!
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Oooh, you called me a Social Justice Warrior. You sure showed me. :V
 
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