BBC says to postpone "Top Gear"
Reuters Sunday September 24

BBC says to postpone

LONDON (Reuters) - The BBC is to postpone the new series of "Top Gear" until presenter Richard Hammond has recovered from the brain injuries he suffered in a high-speed crash.

The next series had been due to begin on October 8.

"We would not think of finalising plans for the next series without discussing it with everyone involved," the BBC said in a statement. "When it is suitable, the team will do this and we will announce a new transmission date."

Hammond, 36, was moved from a high dependency ward to a side-room on a general ward at Leeds General Infirmary on Saturday.

"He is continuing to do well," a hospital spokesman told Reuters on Sunday.

Hammond was seriously injured on Wednesday when he crashed a jet-powered dragster as he accelerated towards 300 mph in a feature being filmed for the BBC show.

With the accident being jointly investigated by police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Top Gear Producer Andy Wilman threatened to quit if the BBC made any attempt to tone down the programme's emphasis on speed and extreme stunts.

"You either do the show you or you walk away," Wilman told The Observer newspaper on Sunday.

Hammond's co-host Jeremy Clarkson also rejected criticism of Top Gear's format.

"Next week I intend to be down on the track driving faster than ever," Clarkson told The Observer. "It's what we do."

Meanwhile Hammond well-wishers have donated over 134,000 pounds to a charity for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which air-lifted the Top Gear presenter to hospital after Wednesday's crash.

Looks like there gonna postpone it i just hope they dont cancel it.

completely agree, please please please dont cancel it!!!!

:( :(

Just get on with the show without him I say.

Someone has started a petition for it not to be cancelled even though they haven't said it will be!

http://www.petitiononline.com/tg100/

I just hope that hammond recovers well, he is so funny and im sorry but if he is seriously injured or cannot recover then the show musnt go on. In the end its more about the welfare of the people participating in the show.
Anyway i doubt he will not recover Hammonds a strong bloke and i bet he cant wait to get back on the tracks. If they cancel the show they will have hammond to deal with lol.

From fallen

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006440317,,00.html

Luckily there wont be "Anway, the new Jag" :banana:

I can hear the first line of the new series in my head as we speak

"Hello. Good evening and welcome to Top Gear. On tonights show Hammond gets bitten by a Vampire and Norwich Union cancel our no claims bonus".

The BBC get a lot of criticism for one thing and other but with Top Gear they have a very successful programme. Bearing in mind the number of people who support it and their comments after this incident they would be very foolish to cancel it, the programme is public property after all. Mind you the BBC are very foolish.

I just hope that hammond recovers well, he is so funny and im sorry but if he is seriously injured or cannot recover then the show musnt go on. In the end its more about the welfare of the people participating in the show.

Jeremy Clarkson's newspaper columns have made it very clear that the whole thing was Hammond's idea and no pressure was put on him by the show's producers so I'm not sure how anybody could justify cancelling the show.

Accidents happen, but lots of people just aren't happy until there's someone to blame.

I can hear the first line of the new series in my head as we speak

"Hello. Good evening and welcome to Top Gear. On tonights show Hammond gets bitten by a Vampire and Norwich Union cancel our no claims bonus".
:D Class.

The producer has threatened to quit if they are forced to tone down the stunts.

At last, an article in The Sun I actually found entertaining AND informative.

There's some "Keep Top Gear On" petition in here if anyone subscribes to this sort of thing.

http://www.petitiononline.com/tg100/petition.html

I hope they cancel it, I cant stand bloody Jeremy Clarkson, opinionated ar*ehole :rant:

I hope they cancel it, I cant stand bloody Jeremy Clarkson, opinionated ar*ehole :rant:

We could say the same about you though couldn't we. Could it be that's why you don't like him, cos he reminds you of yourself? hehe.

Hammond's recovery 'remarkable'

Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond is making good progress in his recovery

Hammond transferred
The recovery of Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has been "absolutely remarkable", says the ambulance team which moved him to a Bristol hospital.

Mike Lindley of Yorkshire Air Ambulance estimated Mr Hammond could be nearly back to normal in two or three weeks.

His team had taken the presenter to hospital in Leeds after he crashed his jet-powered car on an airfield.

And he appeared to be in good spirits, smiling and laughing, as the same air ambulance transferred him on Thursday.

The TV star was later seen walking into an ambulance on arrival in Bristol, which is near his home.

'Normal self'

Mr Lindley told the BBC: "His recovery is absolutely remarkable.

"He was sort of talking to the crew, sort of laughing and joking, although he was a bit unstable on his feet."

He added: "Given his sort of progress so far then I would suspect in two or three weeks he'll certainly be, if not all the way back to his normal self then certainly well on his way."

Mr Hammond had been receiving treatment for a brain injury at Leeds General Infirmary but will continue his recovery at the Bupa hospital in Clifton, Bristol.

Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond has moved nearer his home

Neurosurgeon Stuart Ross said rest could help Mr Hammond recover from his "brain injury" within months.

"There comes a period now which is unfortunately slow and is difficult to get through. But there comes a period when he has to get over the injury.

"He has to rest and allow his brain to recover and that takes time. I'm sure that once that period is over he will be back to his old self."

The accident happened while he was filming the BBC show last Wednesday.

Mr Hammond had been driving a jet-powered dragster similar to the Vampire used by Colin Fallows to set the British land speed record of 300.3 mph.

'Ribbing'

The 36-year-old has since received hundreds of cards and flowers from well-wishers.

Mr Hammond said he was so overwhelmed with flowers he was worried he could be "in for some ribbing from fellow Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May".

Donations to the air ambulance which flew him to hospital stand at £148,000.

A BBC spokeswoman confirmed that the final part of the Best Of Top Gear, which was due to be screened on 1 October, had been postponed indefinitely.

Police and the Health and Safety Executive are continuing to investigate the crash.

Amazing recovery looks like it good luck to hammond hope to see him back on tv soon.

*edit* just seen other thread in general chat. lol

We could say the same about you though couldn't we. Could it be that's why you don't like him, cos he reminds you of yourself? hehe.


Probably!!

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-13545725,00.html

They won't cancel it, it has got too much of a following and from what I hear, Richard Hammond should be back to his normal cheeky self within the next 6 months!!! :thumbsup:

BBC say they are going to make programme about the crash and show us what happened when Hammond is better. If I were a cynic I would say that was why the other 2 rushed to his bedside so quickly.

BBC say they are going to make programme about the crash and show us what happened when Hammond is better. If I were a cynic I would say that was why the other 2 rushed to his bedside so quickly.

That's a bit harsh!