Yes, you read that correctly. The BBC's globally approved automotive entertainment program Top Gear will not be making a return in 2012.

 

Word came from Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson himself, saying on a South African radio show last week that the Top Gear Festival 2012 would "be the only time" when he and other presenters Richard Hammond and James May would be working together this year.

 

Clarkson would later confirm the news on his Twitter account, adding that Top Gear would return in January 2013 and a full Christmas special would debut before then.

 

So, why has the BBC pushed one of its most popular shows out of its scheduling this year? Simon Cowell, actually. This fall Cowell will have a new signing competition that will be taking over UK airwaves.

 

Source: Jeremy Clarkson via Twitter, Jalopnik via Autoblog

Damn you, Simon Cowl.

I kinda hope the Brits get Simon Cowell overload and start burning buildings until they stop playing his crap on TV. I imagine Cowell being the 2012 version of the BBC tv scene in "European Vacation"... where the only program on all the channels is a boring cheese documentary.

That said, I suppose those of us watching on BBC America, still have half a "season" to enjoy... 4 episodes. Am I the only one who thinks six and seven episode seasons are pretty bogus to begin with. Sure, one could argue about episode quality if more where made, but then again, I could watch Clarkson just be followed around on a "normal" day, I find his antics so funny. He needs a secondary show, or at least broadcast here in the US, like Hamster and Mays have.

So guess this will cause a boost to the American version of Top Gear! Course it would be considered good if one did not know about the british version.

A break will do them some good...

I would have thought it was because of the Olympics.

Damn you indeed, Simon Cowell.