Jeremy Clarkson suspended over "fracas" with producer

Is there any wonder ? Many think that the BBC's response has been ludicrous.

That's for when someone's mum dies or the lead breaks their leg, not for when your poisoned-chalice love-him-or-loathe-him something-of-a-liability star physically assaults a colleague (allegedly).

Not that I'm saying the BBC haven't over-reacted. Seems to me the classy thing to do would be to keep it quiet (though perhaps that was never going to be possible), and let any recorded episode(s) go out as normal until it was sorted out internally.



I'm not sure likelihood of arrest is a good metric to measure how seriously a broadcaster should take an employee's behaviour.

I think the reason the rest of the series has been cancelled is that Jeremy would still feature in the pre-recorded segments that make up half of each episode.

As he is suspended, he will not be allowed to appear in any form.

The producers can't magic up content in next to no time to replace something that was planned and filmed months ago.

That's a problem of their own making though and if he's only "suspended" there is no reason not to include the pre-recorded scenes. I'm sure when actors have been suspended in the soaps for non-police matters their already recorded scenes have played out as normal - it's only when it's more serious they've cut them out.

I'm sure they can do without an assistant producer

There is everywhere - endless coverage of something for which there's actually no more news or facts emerging.


It's been too much today, a shame everyone won't just wait until a decision is made

Whatever your thoughts about Clarkson or this "fracas" or indeed the BBC's handling of it to date, it highlights the lazy/easy journalism (and I use that word loosely) that all media outlets have defaulted to to fill web pages, air time, column inches etc. very very bland and repetitive.

One of the best examples I've seen being...
Surely Jeremy Clarkson doesn't deserve so much media attention?
...from Mr Greenslade on The Guardian website, with no obvious hint of irony of the main articles on the media guardian home page.

Another example being resorting to inviting Katie Hopkins onto radio to comment on the saga. I've no idea what she said as by 'pure coincidence' I switched off my radio as she was being introduced.

I think until either the BBC or Clarkson formally comment we're unlikely to know precisely what happened between him and the producer.

It's not though really. If a colleague of yours in your team accused you of punching them you too would probably be suspended. You certainly wouldn't be back working in that team the next day, you'd be out until it's sorted.

In this case no Clarkson means no show and as the rest of the series is yet to be finished then production has to cease until then too.

The other difference is that his job is very public facing and you can't have this hanging over him while he's appearing on the programme, it's not really fair on the programme as a whole

Precisely.

What other option did the BBC have? You can't have one rule for 'talent' and another rule for everyone else.

Would Huw Edwards be presenting the Ten O'Clock News tonight if he'd punched a floor manager yesterday? (I'm in no way suggesting that Huw would do that It's a totally hypothetical situation for the purposes of illustration.)

What can the BBC do? You can't rush an investigation. You can't have one rule for Clarkson and another rule for other employees.

I'm not sure previous on-screen 'persona' stuff is that relevant. You can argue that Top Gear is an entertainment show, and that on-screen Jeremy plays a character/caricature for comic effect. However if what he is alleged to have done off-screen is true, that's a different kettle of fish. Punching a colleague just isn't acceptable. It really isn't.

At the very least they could've put out a recent repeat, a hastily compiled "Best Of" episode, or an edited version of a Top Gear DVD. That might keep the international broadcasters that show the UK version of Top Gear happy!

Eh? The BBC couldn't have sold the international broadcasters that... You can't pass off a repeat or a re-edit as part of an acquisition of a new series...