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
Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized Clarksons or 1 Clarkson-sized duck?
Clarkson sized duck
I can’t believe I missed this question last night. It’s a very tricky one. On the one hand, Jeremy is quite tall so you’re talking about a very big duck here and you can’t under-estimate how dangerous that might be. Who’s to say a massive duck wouldn’t have kept a beady eye on how swans operate and learnt how to break your arm with its wing? On the other hand, what if all the duck-sized Clarksons had hammers and came at you relentlessly, quacking ‘I’m literally going to kill you’? On reflection, I think I’d take my chances with the one, 6’4” duck and hope that it was still quite duckesque and was easily distracted by a huge piece of bread.
Clarkson size duck, ducks can’t wield hammers
Was working with the trio just as fun as it looks on TV? & What was it like to work with the crew as well?
When during a Challenge they have to “tune” their car, did they do it by themselves ?
Did you ever drive the TG track ? If so in what car and what was your best time ?
Were car reviews scripted? Obviously they spent longer in the cars than what we saw but was there a sit down required to hash out what could and couldn’t be said? I would think you have to keep the manufacturers happy.
Do you think that Jeremy Clarkson getting fired saga was the best thing that ever happened to the Trio? Because it sounds like the beginning rather than an end. ( ° ʖ °)
How much money did you ‘blow’ on blowing up/wrecking cars?
So tell us about the Porsche numberplate. Was it just a joke? Or did TG really buy it with that plate?
As it’s, somehow, not been asked yet; the Porsche…whats the real story with the number plate??
It’s in here somewhere chap. But just to be clear, a total coincidence.
Was it Clarkson that coined the now-famous “And on that bombshell” outro?
I really can’t remember where that came from. Well, it was nicked from Alan Partridge I think, and originally used with irony. Probably one of those things we did, then didn’t do, then belated realised it had become a signature of the show. Sometimes we used to have a tortured time trying to think of a ‘bombshell’ on which to end the last studio link.