The Daily Mail is a paper that’s keen to bash anything that combines cars with fun (I think they just hate the idea of anyone having fun at all), it is gleefully reporting that Channel 5 has killed off Fifth Gear.
There isn’t much in the way of detail but the newspaper is claiming that the decision is not related to recent budget cuts. At a guess this means that the show’s poor viewing figures are the problem, as the last series of Fifth Gear failed to reach more than one million viewers. Low audience numbers means low advertising revenue, and that’s going to be a problem for a cash-strapped broadcaster.
It’s not all doom and gloom, as Fifth Gear presenter and prolific Tweeter Jonny Smith has been twittering about the story. “To answer all the tweets about Fifth Gear ending – I don’t know who the Daily Mail talked to, but nothing is official. TV is a fickle world.” He added “Thanks to everyone for your compliments and words of encouragement. Remember, FG isn’t OFFICIALLY finished. Don’t (ever?) believe The Mail.”
If the rumours are true then it’s a shame to see a decent motoring program disappear. Fifth Gear has been with us since 2002, and while it might not have had the huge following of rival show Top Gear it was arguably the better show at dealing with motoring in the real world.