We all love the incredibly well produced segments on BBC's Top Gear. The photography is amazing, the settings are spectacular and Jeremy Clarkson is bombastic. The only problem with all of that is that it costs big bucks. Flying to San Francisco and then buying a Challenger SRT-8 when Chrysler won't loan you one for a week costs money. Budgets are getting slashed everywhere and the BBC is no exception. As much we'd like to think that Top Gear would be a top priority and therefore have a blank check, it just ain't so.
Producer Andy Wilman has said that while the show's budget is large, there isn't really any waste and not much they can cut. That means the budget cuts will be noticeable in the show. It's not clear exactly how much the budget is being cut or where the cuts will be made. Less travel and fewer stunts like the recent Fiesta versus Corvette mall chase are likely to be the result. Perhaps they should get the new shows on BBC America quicker so we can see them with the ads instead of having to rely on YouTube. Or even put the show on iTunes as it comes out.