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EC83
Surely it can't be that hard to find another driver who's completely unknown but bloody good, then make them the next Stig but with a tighter contract. Problem solved.
The good thing about Ben Collins wasn't only the driver himself, but his company could provide other drivers, either for when more than 1 driver was needed or when he himself was unavailable. Not many could boast such a flexible service and remain cost effective. I have read plenty of calls for Sabine Schmitz to become a base for 'pink stig', and while that would be an excellent choice in my opinion, she's not exactly got a load of time on her hands, and it would be rather a waste to have such an infectious smile hidden behind a costume.
Still, I'll believe the sacking it's confirmed. Top Gear is big enough to need to make an official statement on the matter, so while I'm not necessarily doubting them, I'm not going to take as gospel what an apparently small Australian media source has quoted until I see something more concrete from TG themselves - it's not like they don't have a very active website or popular magazine through which to announce it, so Clarkson letting slip to a tabloid makes little sense. Not that it would be unexpected, but still.
Still, I'm also of the opinion that TG will implode soon. Increasing audiences are their very weakness, feeling the need to pander to the wider viewer, and I feel the show is becoming much weaker as a result, to the point where it can be excruciating viewing now. TG has always been scripted, but always in a less obvious manner. It's now become centred around that staging and it's so blatantly scripted it's actually insulting.
Hammond has lost all sense of appeal - I don't know if it's to his accident or whether he's doing too much or if it's plain ageing, but he's not annoying or interesting or funny any longer... he's boring - The Vietnam and Polar specials aside - in the Polar special he was
epic.
Clarkson, while hardly a creature of vast intelligence, is actually playing up to this created character of a fat buffoon who can only ever be ham-fisted or shout "power" at everything. He's funnier than that. He's brighter than that. He's more interesting than that.
May is the only one holding the show together at the moment.