RE: And On That Bombshell: Review
Friday 18th December 2015
It may have come to your attention but one or two people previously involved with the car TV programme formerly known as Top Gear have capitalised on their participation with the show to create the odd book, sponsored article or DVD. The circumstances of their departure from the show may or may not have informed their decision to cash in but, in the case of Richard Porter's And On That Bombshell, you get the impression it's a cathartic exercise drawing a line under his 13-year stint as script editor. He was certainly in the thick of it, working alongside producer Andy Wilman and the rest of the off-screen team from the very beginning all the way through to the rather sudden and unexpected end.
I'm a celebrity, get me out of here?The advantage of getting someone who writes for a living to do a book like this is that they know a bit about how to spin a yarn. Porter's humour will be familiar to anyone who reads Sniff Petrol and the book is underpinned by amusing observation and a self-deprecating sense of wonder at finding himself living the dream and working with his heroes. Which isn't to say he ducks some of the more controversial moments, from how to deal with The Stig getting too big for his helmet to some of the stickier moments both in the studio and on the road. Looming over it all is the inevitability he'll have to address the circumstances of the show's demise, which he does, frankly and in heartfelt fashion.
And On That Bombshell: Review
Richard Porter's inside story on life scripting Top Gear and why you shouldn't buy it
I'm a celebrity, get me out of here?
The book clips along at a fair pace, chapters seemingly of a length to perfectly match one's, ah, typical daily reading schedule. This, says Porter, is no accident. And whether you're a fanboy, a cynic or merely a casual observer there's much to enjoy and a huge amount of insight into the surprisingly disciplined and complicated business of making something seemingly chaotic and dysfunctional.
But why shouldn't you buy it? Well, that's simple. Your loved ones know you're into cars. And it's a matter of inevitability someone will buy it for you for Christmas. Indeed, if you only get a single copy it'll be a surprise. Porter gets his royalty cheques, you get the perfect accompaniment to your morning ablutions for the next couple of weeks and everyone's a winner.
And On That Bombshell - Inside the madness and genius of Top Gear by Richard Porter For more information click here.
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Discussion
This may or may not be worth the paper it's printed on; however I'm not the only one who would not have signed the 'bring back Jeremy' online petition,if I had been in possession of more of the facts regarding his 'misdemeanours,' shall we say.
There were obviously independent witnesses to the fracas in the hotel as legal action is now pending.
There were obviously independent witnesses to the fracas in the hotel as legal action is now pending.
I bought the book when it came out and found it most interesting.
I signed the petition without the slightest intention to condone Clarkson's actions, but because I thought that Clarkson losing his job and Top Gear dying was not an appropriate conclusion to a relatively minor misdemeanour on his part. It would have been more to the point to renew his contract on a vastly reduced salary and compensate Oisin Tymon.
I signed the petition without the slightest intention to condone Clarkson's actions, but because I thought that Clarkson losing his job and Top Gear dying was not an appropriate conclusion to a relatively minor misdemeanour on his part. It would have been more to the point to renew his contract on a vastly reduced salary and compensate Oisin Tymon.
SniffPetrol is brilliant but Top Gear went on for too long and got stale. Sniff petrol is still about cars but Top Gear drifted over to be more about the presenters and their larks. Of course the presenter finally killed it. Which is probably fitting.
I'm thinking of doing my own funny website for more upmarket drivers called Snort Petroleum.
And on that clamshell.....
I'm thinking of doing my own funny website for more upmarket drivers called Snort Petroleum.
And on that clamshell.....
Porter was arguably the fifth most important guy on the show, behind the presenters and Wilman. More important than the Stig, who was/is more easily substituted/replaced than Porter. He'd been there since the pilots, and had worked on "Old" Top Gear in the 90s with Clarkson and May. He knows them and the programme as well as anyone.
RoverP6B said:
I bought the book when it came out and found it most interesting.
I signed the petition without the slightest intention to condone Clarkson's actions, but because I thought that Clarkson losing his job and Top Gear dying was not an appropriate conclusion to a relatively minor misdemeanour on his part. It would have been more to the point to renew his contract on a vastly reduced salary and compensate Oisin Tymon.
Na. He wouldn’t have felt it. He probably makes more from appearances outide of the show due to his appearances on the show. Clarkson is crass and deliberately obtuse and whilst that’s funny at first he just comes off as an oaf after a while. I signed the petition without the slightest intention to condone Clarkson's actions, but because I thought that Clarkson losing his job and Top Gear dying was not an appropriate conclusion to a relatively minor misdemeanour on his part. It would have been more to the point to renew his contract on a vastly reduced salary and compensate Oisin Tymon.
They should have sacked him and compensated Tymon.
I think the public humiliation for Clarkson, putting him on minimum wage and perhaps writing a clause into the renewed contract that he had to hand the BBC half of everything TG-related he earned would have been a more effective punishment than leaving him free for someone else to sign for a vastly increased salary - and the BBC would have avoided the negative PR fallout and loss of earnings. Tymon was offered another job on Top Gear Mk3, which he turned down. He also then rejected any further employment elsewhere in the BBC. Now he's suing them. Between all that and going to hospital for a mildly split lip courtesy of a very unfit drunk middle-aged bloke, he does come across almost as badly as Clarkson himself.
RoverP6B said:
I think the public humiliation for Clarkson, putting him on minimum wage and perhaps writing a clause into the renewed contract that he had to hand the BBC half of everything TG-related he earned would have been a more effective punishment than leaving him free for someone else to sign for a vastly increased salary - and the BBC would have avoided the negative PR fallout and loss of earnings. Tymon was offered another job on Top Gear Mk3, which he turned down. He also then rejected any further employment elsewhere in the BBC. Now he's suing them. Between all that and going to hospital for a mildly split lip courtesy of a very unfit drunk middle-aged bloke, he does come across almost as badly as Clarkson himself.
Or they could terminate his employment for gross misconduct like any other organisation would have to do as he assaulted another employee, or do you think that companies get to bend the rules if the person concerned is either a) "funny" or b) a nice little earner??Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff