Top Gear’s top cuts?
Did Nine trim Tuesday night's Top Gear? Time to get to the bottom of things...
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Following on from questions about edits to Top Gear‘s Tuesday night episode, Nine has denied it trimmed the show.
Some readers have noted not only a longer version as having aired in the UK, but changes between the Eric Bana interview between a promo and the final episode that aired. So what’s going on?
In the UK Top Gear airs as a 60 minute version on BBC TWO as it doesn’t have commercial breaks.
BBC Worldwide sells a 50 minute version to all territories around the world because most broadcasters are commercial.
The international version sold to SBS is now sold to Nine.
Most of the excised material is content that can’t be cleared outside the UK, with music being a big factor due to its expense.
When Nine won the rights to the show last year and began assembling promos there was no international version available for distribution.
BBC Worldwide has advised TV Tonight it supplied a BBC off-air edit, which included a slightly longer Bana interview. It resulted in a difference between the promo and the final episode as aired.
Nine did drop the closing credits in the transition to the Winter Olympics special.
BBC Worldwide is aware of audience confusion over edits and intends to be monitoring it closely in the future.
The show returns in 2 weeks time with Cricket scheduled to air next week.
30 Responses
They definitely cut things. They cut out the entire news segment and the Stig’s laps, which were never cut out by SBS (in anythat I can remember seeing). I can’t believe they’re denying it. They cut out the little jokes and bits that makes Top Gear the best show on earth. It’s still an entertaining, of course, but it just isn’t as good as it should be.
I got 42 minutes and some seconds on my PVR after I blocked out the adds. The credits don’t take 7-8 minutes, so they’ve obviously cut something else out somewhere.
The copy on my HTPC is 42 minutes. They did cut off the ‘conclusion’ and end credits, but that isn’t going to account for the 8 missing minutes.
SBS is just as much a “commercial” broadcaster as anyone else … except they are propped up by tax dollars too.
Hopefully Nine will get the HD version soon. They are the most likely to, in the TV landscape (except for UKTV HD but Top Gear is given over to BBC Knowledge instead). SBS on the other hand were the least likely to get the HD version.
Don’t see Nine losing the rights during the two years they’ have the rights.
If Nine’s version of Top Gear is a continued ratings winner the next bidding for the rights could be interesting perhaps with increased bids and probably out of the reach for SBS.
Seven shows Fifth Gear at the moment so they could be another potential bidder. Although would love to see it back on SBS.