A lot of Car TV news this week. Top Gear from the UK got really good, Top Gear America is rebooting with new hosts and filming for The Grand Tour got underway with Richard Hammond having an accident.
Most surprisingly though is the news of Edd China leaving Wheeler Dealers. What isn’t so suprising though is that it’s because Velocity doesn’t want to go to the trouble of shooting his in depth workshop pieces and are planning to dumb it down as a result.
The workshop pieces really are the glue that holds the slightly wonky premise of buying a car, doing it up and selling it on for a profit together. I don’t know what Edds hourly rate is, the cost of the workshop, keeping it’s lights on and all the tools adds up to each season, but I would bet that there has been zero actual profit there.
To the shows credit, it’s never been serious about that, but the real meat of every episode is definitely Edd working through problems and explaining what he’s doing in a calm and communicative manner. He imparts more knowledge and learning about fixing a car in one show than a season of the usual American car show fare of tattooed monosyllabic shop guys being shouted at in some preconceived for camera drama before appearing in a slow motion shot involving lots of sparks from a grinder because they have to build a car in three days or the daughter of the shop owners hair extensions will explode.
Edd explains the problem he has with how Velocity want to change things in the video below:
“Unfortunately, on Velocity’s first attempt at producing the show they found Wheeler Dealers “too difficult to make”, at least in its current format.
In particular, the detailed and in depth coverage of my fixes in the workshop; what I consider to be the backbone and USP of the programme, are something Velocity feel should be reduced. The workshop jobs are certainly the hardest part of the show to make and reducing their substance and role in the show will save the production considerable time, effort and therefore money.
However, this new direction is not something I am comfortable with as I feel the corners I was being asked to cut compromised the quality of my work and would erode my integrity as well as that of the show, so I have come to the conclusion that my only option is to let Velocity get on with it, without me.”
The bottom line seems to be Edd is exercising his integrity and walking away with his head held high for fresh pastures.
Mike Brewer told the Press Association:
“I respect his decision – Edd wants to move on to other things and I completely get that – but obviously he’s been a part of my life and has been forever so it’s a bit of a shock that he’s decided to leave the show.”
In place of Edd will be Ant Anstead, from the Channel 4 programme For the Love of Cars. I’m not familiar with the show and no matter how good he is, Velocities attitude of butchering a 13 year old show popular around the world on the basis it’s “too difficult to make” the important bit does not bode well at all.
The workshop pieces really are the glue that holds the slightly wonky premise of buying a car, doing it up and selling it on for a profit together. I don’t know what Edds hourly rate, the cost of the workshop, keeping it’s lights on and all the tools adds up to each season but I would bet that there has been zero actual profit there.
To the shows credit, it’s never been serious about that and the real meat of every episode is definitely Edd working through problems and explaining what he’s doing in a calm and communicative manner. He imparts more knowledge and learning about fixing a car in one show than a season of the usual American car show fare of tattooed monosyllabic shop guys being shouted at in some preconceived for camera drama before appearing in a slow motion shot involving lots of sparks from a grinder because they have to build a car in three days or the daughter of the shop owners hair extensions will explode and kill everyone.
Or something.
I suspect at some point Wheeler Dealers will just disappear from our screens as quality drops no matter how good the new guy is, and eventually Velocity will conglomerate all it’s garbage reality shows into one huge workshop so they can churn out all their dirge in one hit.
Here’s an idea Velocity: Just do that and fix cameras everywhere so you don’t have to pay actual camera operators. Film it 24/7 Big Brother house style and call it Car Bro’ Garage.
