Hello CT. My name is Richard Porter and I was the script editor on Top Gear. Ask me anything.
After working on the show for 13 years, 22 series and 175 programmes, there’s quite a lot I can tell you about Top Gear. I know whose idea it was to get a dog, I was there when we got threatened by drug barons in Bolivia, I can give you the real story of that Porsche number plate.
After working on the show for 13 years, 22 series and 175 programmes, there’s quite a lot I can tell you about Top Gear. I know whose idea it was to get a dog, I was there when we got threatened by drug barons in Bolivia, I can give you the real story of that Porsche number plate. I’ve put all these things in my new book, but you can ask me about them anyway. Or something else. Up to you. I’m here all night. Try the soup in a basket.
Comments
How close did the show come to ending after Richards dragster crash and was there ever a replacement considered if he couldn’t do the show any more?
I really can’t remember ever talking about the show ending but I definitely don’t remember any conversations about replacing him. At the time, we were just worried about Richard rather than about the show itself.
I was stood near to you in the studio once. Jeremy stopped talking mid link and yelled ‘I need Porter!’ I suspect that he (they) still do. Go on - you know you want to!
Yes, he did that a lot.
Taki Inoue or Yuji Ide, which ex-F1 driver is worse?
I won’t have a word said against Inoue.
What’s Troy Queef’s favourite car of 2015?
hijack And which UK car publication would he work for?
Too soon to say. I heard about a 1-litre Civic this week so that’s got to be a candidate.
Did Jeremy really just hit his BMW Estate engine with a hammer to get it working in the Africa Special?
He hits everything with a hammer. Just look at the delight on his ape face.
What’s the story behind the idea of using Schumacher as The Stig? How did you guys pull it off?
Ah, well, I’m afraid it’s a long story and you’ll have to buy my book to find out.
I know! Another shameless plug for my book! I’m getting good at this.
I have a question. Have you done alsom script for TG show in countryes? I am talking about the Czech Republic one. Because I’ve seen just a few vids from there and it was hillarious. And also, don’t you kniw, if they are going to do the same thing now?
I’ve worked on TG USA and, more recently, some things for TG China but not the Czech show. Actually, I didn’t know there was a Czech one.
In Argentina was the situation intentional? or really bad coincidence? Also did it really get as dangerous as it seemed?
No, it really wasn’t intentional because it really was that dangerous and we wouldn’t put our loyal and long serving film crews in that position. It was pretty bad.
Was the sound editor eventually fired? (all the Youtube videos of older episodes, you couldn’t hear a world James, Richard or Jeremy was saying due to the music being way too loud)
Might be a YouTube issue rather than the original footage. I remember them sounding okay at the time on my TV.
When Richard reviewed the 959 and the F40, was it staged that both cars broke down when Stig was going to take them round the track?
God, I don’t remember that at all. But possibly not. I don’t know why we’d say they had if they hadn’t.