Top Gear

Indeed. That's the chap.

Her.

She lives with Hammond and, aside from being mentioned briefly twice, hasn't appeared for ages!

I think the whole reason they brought in Top Gear Dog was that there was quite a long hiatus between the series before Top Gear Dog came in and after. They probably wanted publicity to bring more attention to the show, and i seem to remember at the time there were a few press comments about the show needing a female presenter like Sabine Shmidt who did all the Nurburgring stuff. They probably created TGD to get the press off the scent so to speak, and it kind of worked because i remember a lot of press coverage about them getting a new 'female presenter', which turned out to be the dog

I have just heard that Richard Hammond will be doing his own talk show apparently for ITV1 in February.

How will this affect him presenting the new series of Top Gear?

I thought he signed an exclusive deal with the BBC?

Is this a return to the short-lived 5 O'Clock Show?

According to Standing Room Only ticket website the show is being recorded on Wednesday 20 February at 7pm so this may not be a five night a week slot up against Richard and Judy on Channel Four.

It looks like a proper mid-week or primetime chat show.

I am surprised as I thought he has an exclusive deal with the BBC?
Has it finished or will be continue with Top Gear and the ITV1 show?

AFAIK Hammond still has a golden handcuffs deal with the BBC, so he can't do anything for any other channel unless they say he can. I don't know if it has expired or not, but if it hasn't and this is going through Clarkson will make such fun of him for being on daytime TV.

What is there to suggest its and itv show, just because its being made at the ITV London Studios doesn't mean its and itv production. It's not unusual for programs to be made at rival TV stations studios.
e.g. The Graham Norton Show BBC - ITV London Studios
Golden Balls ITV - BBC TV Centre
The Alan Titchmarsh Show, ITV - BBC TV Centre
Paul O'Grady, C4 - ITV London Studios/ BBC TV Centre

Room 101, BBC2/1 - LWT Studios
HIGNFY, BBC2/1 - LWT Studios

I think most of Hat Trick's panel shows are made there, or am I just guessing?

I have checked with BBC Information and they have said the show is for ITV.

I have just heard that Top Gear is being shown in Ireland on RTE2 on Thursdays at 8:00-9:00pm.

I have heard they show a nearly uncut version in proper widescreen. They are currently showing the 2006 series.

I wonder why they got it as most of Ireland receives BBC1 and BBC2 on Sky or Cable?

When I was home over christmas I watched Top Gear on RTE even though I'd seen the episodes before. Thats like saying why would anyone in the UK watch it on Dave when its on BBC Two? Also quite a lot of people wouldn't watch the BBC or don't get it (not everyone has Sky) so this would be the first time they've seen it. The same applies to many shows, including the daily soaps.

You're right though RTE's breaks were far more considered than UKTV's butchering.