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Top Gear bosses considered ditching Richard Hammond, says Andy Wilman Top Gear bosses considered ditching Richard Hammond, says Andy Wilman
(about 3 hours later)
Former Top Gear producer Andy Wilman has taken aim at the BBC’s “meddling department”, and said the corporation once considered ditching Richard Hammond.Former Top Gear producer Andy Wilman has taken aim at the BBC’s “meddling department”, and said the corporation once considered ditching Richard Hammond.
Wilman, who quit the BBC last month and is working on a new rival motoring show with presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Hammond, said they had “set out to make a nice little show for car dweebs and ended up somewhere else, somewhere we never dreamed we’d be.Wilman, who quit the BBC last month and is working on a new rival motoring show with presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Hammond, said they had “set out to make a nice little show for car dweebs and ended up somewhere else, somewhere we never dreamed we’d be.
“And because we never planned it, I don’t think we’ll see the like of it ever again.”“And because we never planned it, I don’t think we’ll see the like of it ever again.”
Writing in the latest issue of Top Gear magazine, Wilman said the BBC had considered ditching Hammond as a presenter after the first series of its new incarnation in 2002.Writing in the latest issue of Top Gear magazine, Wilman said the BBC had considered ditching Hammond as a presenter after the first series of its new incarnation in 2002.
“For a while, for some reason I cannot fathom, the BBC management had a wobble about Richard staying and, in their usual classic HR style, said to him in December: ‘We may not want you back for the second series, but, anyway, have a good Christmas.’”“For a while, for some reason I cannot fathom, the BBC management had a wobble about Richard staying and, in their usual classic HR style, said to him in December: ‘We may not want you back for the second series, but, anyway, have a good Christmas.’”
Jason Dawe, another of the first series presenters alongside Clarkson, left the show because “sadly it wasn’t working out”, said Wilman.Jason Dawe, another of the first series presenters alongside Clarkson, left the show because “sadly it wasn’t working out”, said Wilman.
“There was no doubt that Richard would stay,” said Wilman. “It was about this time we had another visit from the BBC Meddling Department, who told us that market research showed our show was attracting young, lifestyle, trendy viewers to BBC2, so perhaps we should think about getting a young, lifestyle, trendy presenter. “There was no doubt that Richard would stay,” said Wilman. “It was about this time we had another visit from the BBC meddling department, who told us that market research showed our show was attracting young, lifestyle, trendy viewers to BBC2, so perhaps we should think about getting a young, lifestyle, trendy presenter.
“Ever keen to assist, we searched high and low and eventually came up with just the man: James May.”“Ever keen to assist, we searched high and low and eventually came up with just the man: James May.”
Later, Wilman said the “meddling department” also pointed out that nearly half the show’s audience was female.Later, Wilman said the “meddling department” also pointed out that nearly half the show’s audience was female.
“Before they had a chance to follow that up with the inevitable suggestion to get a woman presenter, we shooed them out and carried on,” he said.“Before they had a chance to follow that up with the inevitable suggestion to get a woman presenter, we shooed them out and carried on,” he said.
Seeking to explain the show’s enduring appeal to women – when it ended on BBC2 with around 6 million viewers, around a third of its audience was female – Wilman said: “Girls love men who are funny, who are a bit nerdy passionate about their thing, and who don’t actually try and be attractive.
“I think they also probably looked at their partner on the sofa, Stella can resting on his beer baby, looked back at the telly and thought, ‘I haven’t done so badly after all.’”
Related: Top Gear stars Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond in ITV talksRelated: Top Gear stars Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond in ITV talks
Seeking to explain the show’s enduring appeal to women – when it ended on BBC2 with about 6 million viewers, around a third of its audience was female – Wilman said: “Girls love men who are funny, who are a bit nerdy passionate about their thing, and who don’t actually try and be attractive.
“I think they also probably looked at their partner on the sofa, Stella can resting on his beer baby, looked back at the telly and thought, ‘I haven’t done so badly after all.’”
Wilman and the show’s former co-presenters had a meeting with ITV’s director of television Peter Fincham earlier this month, fuelling speculation they will take the show – but not the Top Gear name, which belongs to the BBC – to ITV. US video on-demand service Netflix is also in the running.Wilman and the show’s former co-presenters had a meeting with ITV’s director of television Peter Fincham earlier this month, fuelling speculation they will take the show – but not the Top Gear name, which belongs to the BBC – to ITV. US video on-demand service Netflix is also in the running.
In the second part of his reflections on the BBC2 show for Top Gear magazine, Wilman said the show started “cock-arsed” and “ham-fisted”, but grew into itself with a combination of stunts, “sexy films and a slowly improving studio audience” who initially had to be persuaded not to leave before the episode was in the can.In the second part of his reflections on the BBC2 show for Top Gear magazine, Wilman said the show started “cock-arsed” and “ham-fisted”, but grew into itself with a combination of stunts, “sexy films and a slowly improving studio audience” who initially had to be persuaded not to leave before the episode was in the can.
“As the audience grew in number and type, so did the size of the complaints bag, with more and more angry letters landing on my desk demanding that we stop arsing about and get back to doing proper tests of sensible cars for real people,” said Wilman.“As the audience grew in number and type, so did the size of the complaints bag, with more and more angry letters landing on my desk demanding that we stop arsing about and get back to doing proper tests of sensible cars for real people,” said Wilman.
“We made a Wall of Complaints as a home for the best and most vitriolic ones, and Jeremy’s response was to invent the fictional character, Mr Needham, who would write in every week demanding the said sensible test of a sensible car, and we’d give him the Fiesta attempting a beach assault with a company of marines.”
Wilman also reflected on Hammond’s high-speed crash in 2006 which left him in a coma for a fortnight. He said he would appreciate “for ever” the messages of support received from Formula 1 drivers Eddie Irvine, Jacques Villeneuve and James Toseland.
Related: BBC report into Hammond crash criticises Top Gear teamRelated: BBC report into Hammond crash criticises Top Gear team
“We made a wall of complaints as a home for the best and most vitriolic ones, and Jeremy’s response was to invent the fictional character, Mr Needham, who would write in every week demanding the said sensible test of a sensible car, and we’d give him the Fiesta attempting a beach assault with a company of marines.”
Wilman also reflected on Hammond’s high-speed crash in 2006 which left him in a coma for a fortnight. He said he would appreciate “for ever” the messages of support received from Formula 1 drivers Eddie Irvine, Jacques Villeneuve and James Toseland.
“None of us will forget that day when the tyre on his jet car blew at 288mph and he pitched over into the world’s fastest-ever car crash,” said Wilman.“None of us will forget that day when the tyre on his jet car blew at 288mph and he pitched over into the world’s fastest-ever car crash,” said Wilman.
“Part of me thinks that boy survived only because he is just so tough. He really is a human Honey badger; who else would be riding a dog sleigh to the magnetic North pole just six months after he woke up in a brain injuries unit thinking he was Admiral Nelson?” “Part of me thinks that boy survived only because he is just so tough. He really is a human honey badger; who else would be riding a dog sleigh to the magnetic north pole just six months after he woke up in a brain injuries unit thinking he was Admiral Nelson?”