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Post by lew on Aug 27, 2010 14:09:45 GMT
Linden's right about the merchandise thing, poor Andy I do actually feel sorry for him, I hope it's sorted soon.
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Post by violetrose on Aug 27, 2010 17:40:49 GMT
Crud. Now I really feel terrible about it since Andy's said something. This is all getting very ugly.  |
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Post by devil-may-care on Aug 27, 2010 18:22:19 GMT
Here's an article that came across my news feed from the BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11108795Why can't they leave well enough alone. Contracts can be renegotiated. Compromises made. Be grown-ups for once! Blackmail is such an ugly word. Poor Andy and Jeremy, and the rest of the guys and crew.  |
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Post by dit on Aug 27, 2010 18:22:49 GMT
Excellent blog by Andy. You can almost feel him seething. More power to him and the TG team.
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Post by chariset on Aug 27, 2010 18:29:03 GMT
I do notice one thing Andy's doing -- he's not personally attacking B-- whoever might be in that suit. He's putting all the blame on the publishing company wanting to make a buck.
What do you think the odds are that the Stig will be played by someone new next series?
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Post by brilliantrubbish on Aug 27, 2010 18:44:14 GMT
Some fun facts:
HarperCollins is owned by News Corp, whose CEO for Europe is James Murdoch - the same James Murdoch who attacked the BBC last year in a speech at the Edinburgh Int'l TV Festival.
News Corp also owns News International, which owns among its many newspapers The Sunday Times and The Sun. Rebekah Brooks, the CEO of News International, was Jeremy's editor at The Sun. According to Tatler, she met her husband Charlie at a dinner party hosted by the Clarksons.
I know that Jezza and Andy would have been furious at Stiggy no matter which publisher he chose, but I wonder if it's particularly grating that the adversary is Jezza's other boss and a vocal opponent of the BBC.
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Post by Wyvern on Aug 29, 2010 18:15:13 GMT
I don't know if anyone from TG will have a look in here, but I know they do read the various fan sites for feedback, so *waves* Hello Andy and co ;D
Anyway, I think they could solve the problem in the eyes of the majority of the audience, who don't hang out on the internet all day and probably won't read the book, but might have an awareness of the current news story.
Anyone remember the old movie Spartacus?
All it takes is for a number of feasible 'plants' - WRC/BTCC/F1 drivers, test drivers etc., to stand up and declare themselves to be The Stig (with sufficient outrage accompanying each 'admission') and the man in the book becomes just another name on the list. We already know he's definitely not the only person who can legitimately claim the name (AFAIK he can't jump snowmobiles off ski jumps, for starters), so a combination of people who have worn the suit successfully anonymously, some who have been rumoured to have worn it but never have, and some who have never even been in the frame (Terry Wogan is The Stig! Honest!) might divert attention, or at least reduce the impact of the revelations in the book.
And by the way... I'm The Stig. And so's my wife.
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Post by chariset on Aug 29, 2010 18:25:25 GMT
I'm the Stig!
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Post by jacqui on Aug 29, 2010 18:56:42 GMT
Good idea Wy  You mean it's not Terry  Also waves to Andy and Co. ;D |
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Post by flatin5th - Knight of the NC on Aug 31, 2010 6:18:40 GMT
ok - we all like The Stig, and the person in the suit has been widely known since Hammonds little crash at Elvington (at least).
Some say he he lends his suit to others, and that he doesnt drive the really expensive cars - what we do know is 100s of people could be The Stig (if Ben Collins doesnt want the reputed £5,000+ per episode).
They could even keep 'The Stig' and make it publicly known that they use a range of guest drivers in the role - but keep the particular days guest secret!
Keeping White Stig gets my vote!
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Post by dit on Aug 31, 2010 10:45:01 GMT
Sky News Live is reporting the case from the High Court, and has just said that the judge has ruled that it must be held in private; if it was in public it would be self-defeating. All reporters have been thrown out and are kicking their heels outside.
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Post by jacqui on Aug 31, 2010 12:34:15 GMT
A judge with common sense I like it!!!
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Post by devil-may-care on Aug 31, 2010 17:33:11 GMT
*bangs fist on desk*
Yes! Finally someone who gets it!!! ;D
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Post by TheDaisy on Aug 31, 2010 21:30:20 GMT
the person in the suit has been widely known since Hammonds little crash at Elvington (at least). Uh....has he? First I'd heard of it. |
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Post by From Afar on Aug 31, 2010 21:37:14 GMT
the person in the suit has been widely known since Hammonds little crash at Elvington (at least). Uh....has he? First I'd heard of it. That's what I thought Daisy when I read that too!! |
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Post by Wyvern on Aug 31, 2010 23:05:35 GMT
the person in the suit has been widely known since Hammonds little crash at Elvington (at least). Uh....has he? First I'd heard of it. It's not explicit, but it's pretty clear from the official accident report. Not that that's a particularly light piece of reading... |
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Post by chariset on Aug 31, 2010 23:13:50 GMT
Actually, the Ben Collins section is a fun read -- very playful and affectionate but at the same time reflecting genuine technical expertise.
You just know he cringed afterwards when things went wrong, but when you read it now, well after the fact, you can imagine how it came across originally and be glad that things turned out okay.
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Post by violetrose on Sept 1, 2010 4:38:46 GMT
...there's an available accident report..? *slightly morbidly fascinated* Erm. Not to be in poor taste, of course. |
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Post by chariset on Sept 1, 2010 5:58:11 GMT
This is the link I used.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070928001836/http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/releases/richardhammond.pdf
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Post by From Afar on Sept 1, 2010 7:23:00 GMT
This is the link I used. http://web.archive.org/web/20070928001836/http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/releases/richardhammond.pdfHmm.... the internet provider here has blocked the site so I can't follow the link. |
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Post by violetrose on Sept 1, 2010 9:15:18 GMT
Thanks chariset, I got it to work.  Afar, if you go to web.archive.org and plug in http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/releases/richardhammond.pdfinto the search box (and hit search) it'll come up. Edit: Err, that is, if you can get to the site. Sorry - I've been up with MOH (he's had an injury at work) and my reading comprehension at 5:15am is not the best... |
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Post by From Afar on Sept 1, 2010 9:33:24 GMT
Thanks for trying Violet but the internet provider still say NOOOOOO....... (Hope your other half of ok?!) |
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Post by dit on Sept 1, 2010 12:58:36 GMT
It's just come through on BBC news text that the BBC has lost the case and HarperCollins will be able to publish. No further details yet.
Oh dear. I imagine the red-top tabloids will be on to this like a ton of bricks, eager to publish any tittle-tattle they can. I don't imagine the book will only be about "The Stig's" (we all know who he is really) life, it'll doubtless be full of exaggerated "secrets" about what the guys get up to and what they're really like - and you know, I don't want to know if jezza cross-dresses or James is actually permanently foul-mouthed and ill-tempered or Richard thumps kittens in his spare time - I like things the way they are, well, with a little bit of gossip!
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Post by jacqui on Sept 1, 2010 13:15:27 GMT
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Post by devil-may-care on Sept 1, 2010 14:34:25 GMT
I get the feeling that the majority of true Top Gear fans will not buy Collins' book just because he has caused so much fuss and the fact that we like the anonymity of the Stig.
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Post by chariset on Sept 1, 2010 15:01:46 GMT
Well, this'll be the end of Current Stig. Sad. They'll put someone else in the suit and off we go.
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Post by Wyvern on Sept 1, 2010 15:11:47 GMT
They seem to be going with the Spartacus approach. James was at the hearing, and according to him he's beenThe Stig for the last 7 years... ;D
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Post by lindenchase on Sept 1, 2010 15:26:52 GMT
Found this on Twitter. Can anyone get this link to work? Audioboo: James May reacts to The Stig ruling - talking to Robert Elms a little while ago... boo.fm/b174988about 2 hours ago via AudioBoo |
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Post by mansonmaniac on Sept 1, 2010 15:34:43 GMT
Time to set up the Stiggy shrine? |
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Post by SonicSophie on Sept 1, 2010 15:51:00 GMT
"Obviously I'm now going to have to take some legal action of my own, because I have been the Stig for the past seven years, and I don't know who this bloke is, who's mincing around in the High Court pretending it's him." Good 'ol James, making a joke in a bad situation |
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I love a man who can handle a gun 
Afar, if you go to 
