http://www.autotrader.co.uk/ED ... th_gear_tv_show_axed.html

I do enjoy Top Gear, and don't particularly enjoy 5th Gear (even though Plato gives best car reviews out of both programmes), this goes to show (if the story is correct) when you have a public subsidised power house like the BBC other businesses who want to do something similar can't compete But hey what do I know not like I said shit like this will happen!

Im not sure, but Top Gear is still a definate win. Ive seen few Fifth Gear videos on youtube and ... dont like it at all, no humor. No camera work, just a oldie sitting in a car and giving throttle with no good face expressions.

That's a shame, i would love Tiff to join Top Gear..

Quote from Boris Lozac :

That's a shame, i would live Tiff to join Top Gear..

Perhaps the black Stig will return and suddenly drive a lot more sideways.

Too bad I actually enjoyed it. Maybe they'll still do the odd bits of web tv?

Fifth Gear had it's own charm. Too bad.

Quote from hazaky :

Ive seen few Fifth Gear videos on youtube and ... dont like it at all, no humor. No camera work, just a oldie sitting in a car and giving throttle with no good face expressions.

That's because, unlike the modern butchered Top Gear, Fifth Gear was still a car review programme, rather than a car-based entainment programme.

Shame that, it was different enough from the "old boys club" atmosphere that TG has become, to make it a worthwhile watch.

Were they filming a new season?, or is that it now?, no more FG?

Quote from Bob Smith :

That's because, unlike the modern butchered Top Gear, Fifth Gear was still a car review programme, rather than a car-based entainment programme.

Yea, maybe its just me. Everyone has different tastes tho

I agree with Bob that Top Gear's not the car review programme it used to be.. but it is entertaining, and because it's entertaining it's commercially viable and a product capable of generating massive revenue with international sales - which it has done, healthily, since the format changed. Top Gear (contrary to Alan's belief) is not a COST to the tax payer, it is a huge revenue generator and pays for a lot of other exceptionally good and educational, but less commercially viable, programming.

Fifth Gear could have, and should have, also moved with the times. The problem with Fifth Gear is that they kept EXACTLY the same format that Top Gear was using in the early 80s. You can't do that when your audience changes like it does, and has. Fifth Gear stagnated. It CHOSE to play 2nd fiddle - everything about it said "Top Gear changed, SO we won't".

You can be proactive to succeed, or reactive to recover, but if you remain INactive then you'll fail, and I'm afraid to say Fifth Gear went with the latter and got what it deserved.

Quote from SamH :

I agree with Bob that Top Gear's not the car review programme it used to be.. but it is entertaining, and because it's entertaining it's commercially viable and a product capable of generating massive revenue with international sales - which it has done, healthily, since the format changed. Top Gear (contrary to Alan's belief) is not a COST to the tax payer, it is a huge revenue generator and pays for a lot of other exceptionally good and educational, but less commercially viable, programming.

Fifth Gear could have, and should have, also moved with the times. The problem with Fifth Gear is that they kept EXACTLY the same format that Top Gear was using in the early 80s. You can't do that when your audience changes like it does, and has. Fifth Gear stagnated. It CHOSE to play 2nd fiddle - everything about it said "Top Gear changed, SO we won't".

You can be proactive to succeed, or reactive to recover, but if you remain INactive then you'll fail, and I'm afraid to say Fifth Gear went with the latter and got what it deserved.

Fifth Gear changed hugely over the last 5 years. It was an old-Top-Gear clone for a while, but for a long time now it had been 1 hour long, and they made several attempts to revitalise the show, with new presenters and a studio type format.

I always quite liked its radical car-focused approach to car-tv-show making, but in the last couple of series I was increasingly put off by the far too smug and very dislikable 2 main "hosts" (Tom Ford and that other one).

Quote from MadCat360 :

Fifth Gear had it's own charm. Too bad.

I'm with you on that. Enjoyable show, and I liked the program leaders.

Is it definite? According to Final Gear it doesn't seem certain.

Quote from sinbad :

Fifth Gear changed hugely over the last 5 years. It was an old-Top-Gear clone for a while, but for a long time now it had been 1 hour long, and they made several attempts to revitalise the show, with new presenters and a studio type format.

I found a few of the things 5th gear did were a bit to forced and obviously trying to copy Top-Gear. I do like it though as a kind of happy medium of TG in the late 80s and TG now. To be honest I quite like both, but for entirely different reasons - they've become totally different programmes.

I prefer Top Gear, but I still watched Fifth Gear, it was a nice alternative.
If every car show was the same format and style, it would be a boring world...

I also prefer Top Gear... most of the time ... and if I want to watch some professional car reviews... i watch Best Motoring International ... what a pity that it is so hard to get :|.

Awww does this mean no more VBH ??

Dam Sexy Woman made it worth watching......

Funny, they just started broadcasting dubbed episodes on DMAX here. Its quite similar to the common car TV show you find here, almost every channel has its own

Quote from Bob Smith :

That's because, unlike the modern butchered Top Gear, Fifth Gear was still a car review programme, rather than a car-based entainment programme.

+1
I'll miss it,and i'll miss Vicky

Quote from SamH :

I agree with Bob that Top Gear's not the car review programme it used to be.. but it is entertaining, and because it's entertaining it's commercially viable and a product capable of generating massive revenue with international sales - which it has done, healthily, since the format changed. Top Gear (contrary to Alan's belief) is not a COST to the tax payer, it is a huge revenue generator and pays for a lot of other exceptionally good and educational, but less commercially viable, programming.

Fifth Gear could have, and should have, also moved with the times. The problem with Fifth Gear is that they kept EXACTLY the same format that Top Gear was using in the early 80s. You can't do that when your audience changes like it does, and has. Fifth Gear stagnated. It CHOSE to play 2nd fiddle - everything about it said "Top Gear changed, SO we won't".

You can be proactive to succeed, or reactive to recover, but if you remain INactive then you'll fail, and I'm afraid to say Fifth Gear went with the latter and got what it deserved.

Your talking as if TV is a free market it 100% is NOT a free market. How can 5th Gear react when they are up against public-service broadcaster. How can 5ive possibly attract enough viewers when they are up against the might of the BBC. Your being totally unrealistic.

Whether the BBC users licence fee money to pay for Top Gear doesn't matter (I believe it's very hard to find out how the budget is actually funded. the BBC stay very quiet on these things. So to assume it's not licence fee subsidised may not be correct at all. Do a freedom of information request see how far you get... probably not far). Top Gear enjoys a lovely prime time slot on one of the UK's most popular channels, and can run without adverts thus giving it an unfair advantage in the market place. it also gets a ton of in house advertising. DO you actually know how much that is worth alone.

5th Gear unfortunately can not react because they are in an inherently unfair position.

You say Top Gear pays for more valuable television. How the hell do you know 5ive might want to re-invest some of their profits to create even better programmes. It simply doesn't get he chance. It hasn't failed because it's weak. it's failed because it's in an impossible position.

I am sure though if you had to feed your family and was employed by 5th Gear you might have a slightly different view.

Forget Fifth gear, I want Tiff Gear!

Quote from Niels Heusinkveld :

Forget Fifth gear, I want Tiff Gear!

I tell you what, if Tiff made a "Best Motoring" type show for a UK audience, people would watch it. Or at least I would.

Quote from sinbad :

I tell you what, if Tiff made a "Best Motoring" type show for a UK audience, people would watch it. Or at least I would.

I'd freakin' love a best motoring type of show, but who would even dare to invest in a show like that here when the BBC rules the roost... anyone starting to see my point here ????

Quote from Intrepid :

I am sure though if you had to feed your family and was employed by 5th Gear you might have a slightly different view.

This, after you slam the NHS - the 2nd biggest employer of parents in the world. You're nothing if not inconsistent, Alan.

You imply that the BBC is the only "corporation" capable of turning out a programme as financially profitable as Top Gear, and that nobody else can compete on presentation or content - you're the strongest and most unwitting proponent of a non-free economy.. which is hugely entertaining since you try to be the most ardently opposed to state influence/interference.

Keep it up, Alan! Don't let the intellectual bastards grind you down!

Quote from SamH :

You imply that the BBC is the only "corporation" capable of turning out a programme as financially profitable as Top Gear, and that nobody else can compete on presentation or content - you're the strongest and most unwitting proponent of a non-free economy.. which is hugely entertaining since you try to be the most ardently opposed to state influence/interference.

SamH that is the most complete load of bollocks I have ever read! The BBC is 100% opposed to free market concepts. In fact one of the heads of the BBC said as if it were fact in an ultacation with Murdoch's son that "de-regulation caused the economic crisis" and when the news channel BBCNews24 fails to actually present opposing views to that point you start to wonder how free a broadcaster it is.

you say it's profitable, well where is all the profit for the investors who pay for it all - the public?

There is nothing free about being taxed to pay for a state-run broadcaster.