Save Top Gear

A Facebook group to save Top Gear has breached 442,000 members (as of 20.15 on 06/01/2010) after fears emerged that the popular Beeb show faces the axe.

The BBC has tried to allay concerns that the 33 year-old show remains in its line of vision with a new series due.

Top Gear, fronted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond is one of the BBCs most influential broadcasts and more successful exports.

The show has been around in its current quirky format since 2002 but long-time producer, Andy Wilman, started the turbulence with a blog post.

He said that recently completed Series 14 was less entertaining than previous runs and that the show was becoming predictable.

“There is a grumble and a rumble in the air from some of our regulars that we have lost the plot, we’ve disappeared up our a***s and we’re predictable,” he wrote on the show’s official blog. He then continued: “It’s fair to say that this incarnation of Top Gear is nearer the end than the beginning and our job is to land this plane with its dignity still intact.”

Despite the BBCs move to calm the air, the number of people joining the new group is still rising.

Some commenters suggest that axing Top Gear could cost the Corporation licence fee revenue and overseas sales.

Top Gear was the iPlayer’s most popular show in 2009 so some commentators believe this is a cynical stunt to draw more support for the show ahead of its new series and create an early buzz.