Back on a hopefully less contentious footing, I enjoyed the entertainment (read lighthearted/ humourous, not to be taken seriously...) and scenery/ photography that part 1 of the Argentina Christmas Special offered last night. Part 2 is tonight (BBC2 8pm UK time).

In between here's a video by one of Clarkson's sidekicks Richard Hammond testing the (old) Africa Twin

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TOP GEAR special, excellent mix of Lovely scenery, silly jolly japes and clowning around. Stayed pretty neutral and let the thugs show themselves for what they were - not representative of the ordinary Argentinian nation.

Jake.

And the man, Clarkson, and the other two, show yet again that you don't need a 4x4 to travel. (Yes, I do fully understand that they had a 31 man team of cameramen and more than enough 4x4 tagging along, but that 's not the point).
For anyone who has not seen this programme, they travelled in 3 old cars, all with V8 engines in a homage to V8 technology before it disappears, for ever.

Wonderful stuff and a great satire on the whole travel business.
The British have always been good at satire.

It's been said before, maybe here I can't remember, that Argentina had a great opportunity for some excellent, free tourism publicity but I doubt that will work on this occasion - I watched the Top Gear Vietnam "jolly jape" of a few years ago on an aircraft somewhere over the middle east - the franchise is pretty much world wide nowadays.

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Dave

So Clarkson`s cocked up yet again, how many chances do you give an employee before you sack him?

Should nickname him "Teflon"

Mezo.

Any bets that all the "no player is bigger than the team" stuff gets hushed up this time? So far the rule is that if you make the BBC millions in export payments you can punch who you like.


Andy

I went of Clarkson when he stated he was the tallest person in the BBC & that "he lorded over everyone else" what an arrogant statement to say to his colleagues.

He is so far up his own arse that he needs knocking down a couple of pegs.

Mezo.

Hmm, well, we'll see. Many years ago I remember sitting in a cafe in the middle of nowhere in Turkey watching Benny Hill on the tv. Whatever happened to him and the "millions" his programmes made abroad? Someone (can't remember who) said at the time (80's) it was the programme on which the sun never set as it was always on tv somewhere.

Maybe if they boot Clarkson out they could get John Prescott in to replace him He seems to have a similar punch first and ask questions later mindset. Or I could do it - on the basis of Clarkson's tweet a couple of weeks ago I'm perfectly qualified: "Wanted: new presenter for Top Gear. Applicant should be old, badly dressed and pedantic but capable of getting to work on time." In the spirit of Clarkson's ghost I'll shortly be denouncing bikes as anti democratic and bikers as homicidal maniacs fit only for breaking rocks in a chain gang. That should definitely get me the job.

I suspect though it'll be put down to stress in the workplace, "something that the BBC, as a responsible employer, takes very seriously". "Mr Clarkson will be taking a break from the day to day responsibilities of a busy filming schedule and undergoing medical assessment" (while we work out wtf to do with him).

Of course that'll only work if Clarkson keeps his mouth shut and doesn't use his newspaper columns to put his side of the story across - something I'm sure the editor of the Sun would dearly wish to see.

"The mans a knob, but i quite like him"



Mezo. (and oil that door hinge)

I would think that JC has seen through the BBC and had enough of them.
Was Blackmail the Reason the BBC Capitulated?

Somewhere else it has been said that his contract with the BBC is up in about a month.
He can move on, but the BBC is not capable of doing the same.

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Dave

Even better, Guy Martin is up for his job



https://www.facebook.com/tycobmw/pho...087073/?type=1

Mezo.

And on that bombshell, goodnight Hubbers.

Mezo.

there's a couple of guys on another forum I am on who have actually met him on the shows and say he is a really nice guy in real life, always took time out to chat with the audience, very laid back and approachable.

He did punch piers Morgan once, which makes him alright in my book!!

The reality is we will probably never know what happened, it takes 2 to tango and it may well be the other bloke deserved a slap.

I would think the other channels are rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of maybe being able to sign him up.

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If I get into a fight at work they’ll sack me. End of. If you both throw punches you both get the sack regardless of who started it, who was stressed, who thought that breaking the traffic laws in North Yorkshire again then going and getting ratted in the local pub was getting boring etc.

I’ve worked for huge corporations with the moral standards of a stoat in a cat foot factory. If you steal or get in fights they sack you even if you are the star salesman or are ****ing the boss because they know everyone else will be less effective (and less afraid of getting sacked) if they don’t.

The way Clarkson sets up production companies and gets the BBC to buy shares and so forth is bad enough. As a license payer I want Clarkson gone if he did throw a punch or a series of resignations from managers above him who have obviously lost control. The BBC will get along without Clarkson, if will cease to function if everyone starts to act like him. If he stays they should make him Director General as he will be the one in charge anyway.

Andy

Less than 2 days into this world-shattering event (breaking news anyone?!!) and the petition to reinstate him has around 3/4 million votes and the one to sack him has 5. That's five, not 5 million.

We could all speculate about this - I've little doubt that the media will continue to do so, as it deems appropriate - but I think the range of views is just about covered in this web blog, including the comments section:-
The Problem Child

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Dave

With you sharing all the hot news from ABR, I won't have to go there anymore to read of what's top and what's not.

Has Utaka been unbanned yet?

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CURRENT RR WITH REGULAR UPDATES: The Wife Takes on Chlamydia: A South American Retrospective