Originally Posted by
opel80uk
5th Gear didn't have anywhere near the budget, nor the reach that Top Gear on the BBC had, so it's a slightly unfair comparison, but without anyone knowing the presenters or format of the new Top Gear, it's impossible to say whether the BBC has lost. What we do know is that many fans of the show, including some on here, have said that it was becoming tired, and some have welcomed the change. There are umpteen examples, from the world of entertainment, sport, politics where the so called irreplaceable have been replaced, sometimes while they've been percieved to be at their best which clearly isn't the case here, and the team/show etc have still been successful. The notion that it is automatically going to be detrimental to the BBC in the long run is premature.
If anything, it should give a short term boost to both parties. Former fans of the show will want to see Clarksons new project, and many people, especially those who like cars but don't particularly like Clarkson & Co's brand of 'humour' will want to see the new Top Gear format, and I also think many of the old fans will want to see it too, if only to tell everyone how crap it is and start another 'bring back the Chipping Norton one' campaign.