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Saxondale is a British television situation comedy programme, starring Steve Coogan and co-written by Steve Coogan and Neil Maclennan. The series is directed by Matt Lipsey and produced by Ted Dowd. Coogan and Henry Normal served as executive producers. The show is set in Stevenage, showing middle-class suburbia.

Produced by Baby Cow Productions, the programme commenced broadcast on BBC Two from 19 June 2006. It features Coogan as Tommy Saxondale, a former roadie with anger issues who now owns a pest control business. Other principal characters include Saxondale's Welsh anarchist girlfriend, Magz (Ruth Jones) and his naïve assistant, Raymond (Rasmus Hardiker). British actors Morwenna Banks, Mark Williams, Greg Davies, Ben Miller (who script-edited the series and also directed the first episode) and Liza Tarbuck also feature. Comedian Matt Berry composed the incidental music for the series and appeared in Tommy's therapy class in two episodes of the second series.

According to a BBC press release, over the course of the series Saxondale "gets his eyesight improved by a prostitute, almost befriends a celebrity, kneecaps an annoying hippie... and experiments with women's makeup." ^[1] Coogan describes his character as "genuinely witty, while still being a bit of a dick.".^[1]

BBC America began airing Saxondale in November 2006.

During an interview with Jonathan Ross on 12 September 2008, Steve Coogan announced that Saxondale would feature on his 2008 live tour of the UK.

Characters[link]

Tommy Saxondale[link]

Middle-aged pest-controller Thomas "Tommy" Gregory Saxondale (Steve Coogan) is the survivor of a hostile divorce who now lives with his girlfriend, Magz. Tommy speaks with an East Midlands accent and occasionally refers to his Nottingham heritage, though he and Magz live in Hertfordshire. An ex-roadie, Tommy regards himself as a maverick and a free thinker and takes every opportunity to impart his wisdom to his young assistant, Raymond; most of the time the wisdom he imparts is not quite as sound as he likes to think. In his line of work, as well as pharaoh ants, mice, and occasionally moths, Tommy has to battle with snowboarders, pigeon-loving activists, and people who talk about property prices. Tommy knows his own mind and isn't afraid to speak it; unfortunately, Tommy also has anger management problems, and when those around him don't give him quite the level of respect he feels he deserves, it tends to lead to explosions of temper that result in a few more visits to the anger management course. Tommy is devoted to his Ford Mustang Mach 1, although he drives the much less macho Renault Kangoo for work, a fact that he refuses to let affect his fierce sense of dignity. As he insists, it's not 'Kangaroo', it's 'Kangoo'. Tommy also resents the fact that people often remind him throughout the series that he never toured with Led Zeppelin.

Magz[link]

Margaret "Magz" Nith (Ruth Jones) is Tommy Saxondale's girlfriend. She is Welsh and is the proprietor of a shop where she sells "shocking" t-shirts and posters, which she designs herself, often depicting cultural icons smoking drugs. Magz is level-headed and kind, acting as a stabilising influence when Tommy seems on the verge of becoming enraged. She is often seen painting iconic feminine figures such as the Brontë sisters or Joan of Arc topless or in overtly sexual positions. She and Tommy engage in an active and rather kinky sex life.

Raymond[link]

Raymond (Rasmus Hardiker) is Tommy Saxondale's assistant and lodger. Thus, while Tommy enjoys talking about himself, training him in the mysterious and deadly art of pest control, and sharing a few life lessons, Raymond has little choice but to listen. The generation gap between Raymond and Tommy is reflected during their discussions about music, cars and life in general. He is very passive and rarely takes life as seriously as Tommy, often nodding or smiling instead of engaging with Tommy and his acolytes. He lives in Tommy's spare room and gets an uncomfortably close view of Tommy and Magz's sparky relationship.

Vicky[link]

Vicky (Morwenna Banks) is a receptionist for the agency that issues jobs to Tommy's "Stealth Pest Control" operation. Vicky is aware of her own ditzy persona and her ability to frustrate Tommy with her bawdy, passive-aggressive sense of humor. In contrast with most of the show, where Tommy drives the action, Vicky dominates every scene she's in and often manages to put Tommy at a loss for words.

Jonathan[link]

Introduced in series two, Jonathan (Darren Boyd) lives in the house opposite Tommy Saxondale. He obviously disapproves of Tommy's lifestyle but tries to hide it by chatting up Tommy about cars and music, about which he knows very little, before trying to make his point by passing his opinions off as those of the other residents in the road. He often tries to appeal to Tommy's musical tastes by making clichéd and ignorant references to bands and musicians, which Tommy sees through.

Keanu[link]

Keanu (Steve Coogan) is a recurring character seen in a number of episodes throughout the series. An unemployed, homosexual drug addict and a squatter, Keanu officially changed his name by deed poll to Keanu Reeves. Overtly flamboyant with a Mancunian accent, Keanu is a stereotype of youth culture, personified by his preference for loud music, an unwillingness to work and a promiscuous and carefree lifestyle. On a number of occasions, Keanu has displayed a liking for Raymond, Tommy's assistant, of which both Tommy and Raymond are uncomfortably aware.

Alistair[link]

Alistair (James Bachman) is the therapist who runs the anger management sessions that Tommy attends. A calm and good-natured man, he frequently finds his patience tested by Tommy's unenthusiastic attitude toward therapy and his disruptive and aggressive behaviour within the sessions. The therapy scenes provide the cold open to each episode; Alistair is rarely seen at any other times in the show.

Episode guide[link]

Series 1[link]

Series 2[link]

Critical reception[link]

Advance critical opinion of the show was favourable. The Daily Telegraph reported that it "brims with promise"^[2] and The Guardian described it as "very, very funny".^[3]

Remake[link]

In 2009, American television network NBC announced, as part of a two-year deal with Baby Cow Productions, they will remake Saxondale for an American audience. NBC's senior vice-president of comedy and bean-counting described their aim to access the "creative sensibility" of Coogan and his colleagues.^[4] However, no further news on the project has been released as of November 2011.

Theme music[link]

The theme music is "House of the King" by Focus. House of the King was also used as the theme tune to the 1970s science series Don't Ask Me, presented by Magnus Pike. Additionally, all episodes have ended with an excerpt from "Hocus Pocus" by Focus.

Actor Matt Berry composed the incidental music used throughout the series.^[5] Excerpts of Jethro Tull songs have popped up over series 2 including "Velvet Green", "Acres Wild" and "Bourée", also excerpts from the album "Argus" by Wishbone Ash have been heard, featuring songs such as "Warrior" and "Blowing free".

The 1975 Rush album Caress of Steel and in particular the song "The Necromancer Part III - Return of the Prince" is referenced both musically and as a theme in Episode 6, Series 2, with Tommy and Magz discussing it at the end of the show.

In the 2nd episode of series 2 (30/8/07) there are 2 clips of a track ('Wages of Peace') by Tony McPhee & The Groundhogs from the 1972 album Who Will Save The World? The Mighty Groundhogs! The first clip is the opening 20 seconds of the track followed by another 10 seconds. The Mighty Groundhogs LP was a top ten hit in the UK, but the choice of this specific track indicates an extensive knowledge of Tony McPhee's discography.

References[link]

External links[link]

• BBC's Saxondale web page
• Saxondale at the British Comedy Guide
• Saxondale at the Internet Movie Database

Jeremy Clarkson
Clarkson, 2006
Born	Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (1960-04-11) 11 April 1960 (age 52)[1] Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Residence	Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England Langness, Isle of Man
Nationality	British
Other names	Jezza
Education	Repton School Hill House School, Doncaster
Occupation	Broadcaster, author, journalist, talk show host
Years active	1988–present
Employer	BBC, The Sun, The Sunday Times
Known for	Presenting: Top Gear (2002) Top Gear (1977) Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld Robot Wars Jeremy Clarkson's Extreme Machines Clarkson Clarkson's Car Years Speed You Don't Want To Do That Jeremy Clarkson: Meets the Neighbours The Victoria Cross: For Valour Inventions That Changed the World Jeremy Clarkson: The Greatest Raid of All Time
Notable work(s)	See below
Home town	Doncaster, England
Salary	£2 million (est.)[2]
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[3]
Spouse	Alexandra James (m. 1989–1990) «start: (1989-09)–end+1: (1991)»"Marriage: Alexandra James to Jeremy Clarkson" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Jeremy_Clarkson) (divorced) Frances Cain (m. 1993) «start: (1993-05)»"Marriage: Frances Cain to Jeremy Clarkson" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Jeremy_Clarkson)
Children	3
Parents	Shirley and Eddie Clarkson

Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May. He also writes weekly columns for The Sunday Times and The Sun.

From a career as a local journalist in Northern England, Clarkson rose to public prominence as a presenter of the original format of Top Gear in 1988. Since the mid-1990s, Clarkson has become a recognised public personality, regularly appearing on British television presenting his own shows and appearing as a guest on other shows. As well as motoring, Clarkson has produced programmes and books on subjects such as history and engineering. From 1998 to 2000 he also hosted his own chat show, Clarkson.

His opinionated but humorous tongue-in-cheek writing and presenting style has often generated much public reaction to his viewpoints. His actions both privately and as a Top Gear presenter have also sometimes resulted in criticism from the media, politicians, pressure groups and the public.

Despite the criticism levelled against him, he has also generated a significant following from the public at large, being credited as a major factor in the resurgence of Top Gear as one of the most popular shows on the BBC.

Personal life[link]

Clarkson was born in Doncaster to travelling salesman Edward Grenville Clarkson and teacher Shirley Gabrielle Ward.^[4] His parents, who ran a business selling tea cosies, put their son's name down in advance for a number of private schools with no idea how they were going to pay the fees, until at the last moment, when he was 13, they made two Paddington Bear stuffed toys for each of their children. These proved so popular that they started selling them through the business with sufficient success to be able to pay the fees for Clarkson to attend Hill House School, Doncaster and later Repton School.^[5] By his own account, he was expelled from Repton School for "drinking, smoking and generally making a nuisance of himself."^[6]

Clarkson played the role of a public schoolboy, Taplin, in a BBC radio Children's Hour serial adaptation of Anthony Buckeridge's Jennings novels until his voice broke.^[7]

Clarkson is twice-married. His first wife was Alexandra James (now Hall). In May 1993 he married his manager,^[4] Frances Cain (daughter of VC recipient Robert Henry Cain) in Fulham. The couple currently live in the town of Chipping Norton, situated in the Cotswolds, with their three children.^[8] Clarkson is a member of the Chipping Norton set. ^[9] Known for buying him car-related gifts, for Christmas 2007 Clarkson's second wife bought him a Mercedes-Benz 600.^[10] In September 2010 Clarkson was granted a privacy injunction against his first wife to prevent her from publishing claims that their sexual relationship continued after his second marriage. (See AMM v HXW)^[11] He voluntarily lifted the injunction in October 2011,^[12] commenting that: "Injunctions don’t work. You take out an injunction against somebody or some organisation and immediately news of that injunction and the people involved and the story behind the injunction is in a legal-free world on Twitter and the Internet. It’s pointless."^[11][13]

Clarkson's fondness for wearing jeans has been blamed by some for the decline in sales of denim in the mid 1990s, particularly Levi's, because of their being associated with middle aged men, the so-called 'Jeremy Clarkson effect'.^[14] After fashion gurus Trinny and Susannah labelled Clarkson's dress sense as that of a market trader, he was persuaded to appear on their fashion makeover show What Not to Wear in order to avoid being considered for their all-time worst dressed winner award.^[15] Their attempts at restyling Clarkson were however all rebuffed, and Clarkson stated he would rather eat his own hair than appear on the show again.^[16][17]

For an episode of the first series of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? broadcast in November 2004, Clarkson was invited to investigate his family history. It included the story of his great-great-great grandfather John Kilner (1792–1857), who invented the Kilner jar: a container for preserved fruit.^[8][18]

Clarkson is reportedly a big fan of the rock band Genesis and attended the band‘s reunion concert at Twickenham Stadium in 2007. He also provided sleeve notes for the reissue of the album Selling England by the Pound as part of the Genesis 1970–1975 box set. He uses his love for Genesis to mock his fellow presenter of BBC Top Gear, Richard Hammond.^[19]

Clarkson has been involved in a protracted legal dispute about access to a "permissive path" across the grounds of his second home on the Isle of Man since 2005, after reports that dogs had attacked and killed sheep on the property.^[20] Clarkson and his wife had claimed that four sheep were deliberately killed after being chased into the sea by a dog let off its lead.^[21] He eventually lost the dispute after the Isle of Man government started a public inquiry and was told to re-open the footpath in May 2010.^[22] The decision was affirmed by the Isle of Man High Court.^[23]

Clarkson is also an avid birdwatcher, his favourite bird apparently being the Peregrine Falcon.^[24]

Clarkson also has 3 donkeys, mentioned in his book The World According To Clarkson, called Geoff, Eddie and Kristen Scott-Donkey

Career[link]

Writing career[link]

Clarkson's first job was as a travelling salesman for his parents' business selling Paddington Bear toys.^[25] He later trained as a journalist with the Rotherham Advertiser, before also writing for the Rochdale Observer, Wolverhampton Express and Star, Lincolnshire Life and the Associated Kent Newspapers.

In 1984, Clarkson formed the Motoring Press Agency (MPA), in which, with fellow motoring journalist Jonathan Gill, he would conduct road tests for local newspapers and automotive magazines. This developed into pieces for publications such as Performance Car.^[26] He has regularly written for Top Gear magazine since its launch in 1993.

Clarkson went on to writing articles for a diverse spectrum of readers through regular columns in both the mass-market tabloid newspaper The Sun, and for the more 'up market' broadsheet newspaper The Sunday Times. The Times columns are republished in The Weekend Australian newspaper. He also writes for the "Wheels" section of the Toronto Star.

In addition to newsprint, Clarkson has written humorous books about cars and several other subjects. Many of his books are collections of articles that he has written for The Sunday Times.

Television[link]

Clarkson's first major television role came as one of the presenters on the British motoring programme Top Gear, from 27 October 1988 to 3 February 2000,^[27] in the programme's original format, and then again from 20 October 2002, when it was relaunched in a new format after a brief period off the air. He is credited with co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond as turning Top Gear into the most-watched TV show on BBC Two,^[28] rebroadcast to over 100 countries around the world.^[29] While closely associated with presenting motoring shows through the original Top Gear and Motorworld, by the late 1990s Clarkson had diversified into presenting programmes on other topics, beginning as presenter of the UK version of Robot Wars. At the same time his television presence also branched out into appearances on a number of other shows, both as guest and guest host. From 1998 for three years he had his own talk show, Clarkson, hosting 27 half-hour episodes aired in the United Kingdom between November 1998 and December 2000, and featured guest interviews with musicians, politicians and television personalities. In his television career, Clarkson went on to present a number of documentaries focused on non-motoring themes such as history and engineering, although the motoring shows and videos continued. Alongside his stand-alone shows, many often mirror the format of his newspaper columns and books, combining his love of driving and motoring journalism, with the examination and expression of his other views on the world, such as in Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld, Jeremy Clarkson's Car Years and Jeremy Clarkson Meets the Neighbours.

Clarkson's views are often showcased on television shows. In 1997, Clarkson appeared on the light hearted comedy show Room 101, in which a guest nominates things they hate in life to be consigned to nothingness. Clarkson despatched caravans, houseflies, the sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, the mentality within golf clubs, and vegetarians. His public persona has seen him make several appearances on the prime time talk shows Parkinson and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross since 2002. By 2003, his persona was deemed to fit the mould for the series Grumpy Old Men, in which middle-aged men talk about any aspects of modern life which irritate them. Since the topical news panel show Have I Got News for You dismissed regular host Angus Deayton in October 2002, Clarkson has become one of the most regularly used guest hosts on the show in a role which attracts a sideways look at current affairs. On a more serious platform, Clarkson has appeared as a panellist on the political current affairs television show Question Time twice since 2003.

In 2007 Clarkson won the National Television Awards' Special Recognition Award. Also in 2007, it was reported that Clarkson earned £1 million a year for his role as a Top Gear presenter, and a further £1.7 million from books, DVDs and newspaper columns.^[30]

In 2007, Clarkson and co-presenter James May were the first people to reach the magnetic North Pole in a car,^[31] chronicled in a Top Gear polar special.^[32] Clarkson more recently sustained minor injuries to his legs, back and hand in an intentional high-speed head-on collision with a brick wall while making the 12th series of Top Gear.^[33]

Opinions and influence[link]

This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Please consider splitting content into sub-articles and summarizing the key points of the subject. (March 2012)

Politics[link]

Clarkson is in favour of personal freedom and very much against government regulation, stating that government should "build park benches and that is it. They should leave us alone."^[34] He has a particular contempt for the Health and Safety Executive. He has often criticised the Labour Governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, especially the 'ban' culture, frequently fixating on the bans on smoking and 2004 ban on fox hunting.

Jeremy Clarkson's comments have both a large amount of supporters and opposers. He often comments on the media-perceived social issues of the day such as the fear of challenging adolescent youths, known as 'hoodies'. In 2007 Clarkson was cleared of allegations of assaulting a hoodie while visiting central Milton Keynes, after Thames Valley Police said that if anything, he had been the victim.^[35] In the five-part series Jeremy Clarkson: Meets the Neighbours he travelled around Europe in a Jaguar E-Type, examining (and in some cases reinforcing) his stereotypes of other countries.

As a motoring journalist, he is frequently critical of government initiatives such as the London congestion charge or proposals on road charging. He is also frequently scornful of caravanners and cyclists. He has often singled out John Prescott the former Transport Minister, and Stephen Joseph^[36] the head of the public transport pressure group Transport 2000 for ridicule.

Environment[link]

Clarkson is unsympathetic to the green movement and has little respect for groups such as Greenpeace—he believes that the "eco-mentalists" are a by-product of the "old trade unionists and CND lesbians" who had found a more relevant cause—^[37] but "loves the destination" of environmentalism and believes that people should quietly strive to be more eco-friendly.^[38] Regarding windfarms, he says that in the future, they will be described as "a reminder of the time when mankind temporarily took leave of its senses and decided wind, waves and lashings of tofu could somehow generate enough electricity for the whole planet"^[39] Clarkson has unorthodox views regarding global warming: although he believes that higher temperatures are not necessarily negative and that anthropogenic carbon dioxide production has a negligible effect on the global climate,^[38] but is aware of the negative potential consequences of global warming, saying "let's just stop and think for a moment what the consequences might be. Switzerland loses its skiing resorts? The beach in Miami is washed away? North Carolina gets knocked over by a hurricane? Anything bothering you yet?"^[40]

In an attempt to prove the press and public furore over the 2007 UK child benefit data scandal was a fuss about nothing, he published his own bank account number and sort code, together with instructions on how to find out his address, in The Sun newspaper, expecting nobody to be able to remove money from his account. He later discovered that someone had been able to set up a monthly direct debit for £500 to Diabetes UK.^[41][42]

Clarkson has been highly critical of the United States and more recently President Barack Obama. In an article after Obama was sworn into office, Clarkson wrote (in reference to Americans) "they have got it into their heads that Barack Obama is actually a blend of Jesus, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King."^[43] Clarkson has also been very critical of the Special Relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.^[44] He referred to America as the United States of Total Paranoia, commenting that one needs a permit to do everything except for purchasing weapons.^[45]

Himself[link]

Whilst Clarkson states such views in his columns and in public appearances, his public persona does not necessarily represent his personal views, as he acknowledged whilst interviewing Alastair Campbell saying "I don't believe what I write, any more than you (Alastair Campbell) believe what you say"^[46]

Clarkson has been described as a "skilful propagandist for the motoring lobby" by The Economist^[47] and a "dazzling hero of political incorrectness" by the Daily Mirror.^[48] With a forthright and sometimes deadpan delivery, Clarkson is said to thrive on the notoriety his public comments bring, and has risen to the level of the bête noire of the various groups who disagree with his views. On the Channel 4 organised viewer poll, for the 100 Worst Britons We Love to Hate programme, Clarkson polled in 66th place. By 2005, Clarkson was perceived by the press to have upset so many people and groups, The Independent put him on trial for various 'crimes', declaring him guilty on most counts.^[40]

Media[link]

Responses to Clarkson's comments are often directed personally, with derogatory comments about residents of Norfolk leading to some residents organising a "We hate Jeremy Clarkson" club. In The Guardian's 2007 'Media 100' list, which lists the top 100 most "powerful people in the [media] industry", based on cultural, economic and political influence in the UK, Clarkson was listed as a new entrant at 74th. Some critics even attribute Clarkson's actions and views as being influential enough to be responsible for the closure of Rover and the Luton manufacturing plant of Vauxhall.^[49] Clarkson's comments about Rover prompted workers to hang an "Anti-Clarkson Campaign" banner outside the defunct Longbridge plant in its last days.

The BBC often plays down his comments as ultimately not having the weight they are ascribed. In 2007 they described Clarkson as "Not a man given to considered opinion",^[18] and in response to an official complaint another BBC spokeswoman once said: "Jeremy's colourful comments are always entertaining, but they are his own comments and not those of the BBC. More often than not they are said with a twinkle in his eye."^[50] Some of his opponents state they take the view he is a man that should be ignored. Kevin Clinton, head of Road Safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has stated "We don't take what he says too seriously and hopefully other people don't either."^[51]

On his chat show, Clarkson, he caused upset to the Welsh by placing a 3D plastic map of Wales into a microwave oven and switching it on. He later defended this by saying, "I put Wales in there because Scotland wouldn't fit."^[52][53][54]

Recognition[link]

In 2005, Clarkson received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the Oxford Brookes University.^[55] His views on the environment precipitated a small demonstration at the award ceremony for his honorary degree, when Clarkson was pied by road protester Rebecca Lush.^[56] Clarkson took this incident in good humour, responding 'good shot' and subsequently referring to Lush as "Banana girl".^[57][58][59] Clarkson has spoken in support of hydrogen cars.^[34]

In 2008, an internet petition was posted on the Prime Minister's Number 10 website to "Make Jeremy Clarkson Prime Minister". By the time it closed, it had attracted 49,446 signatures. An opposing petition posted on the same site set to "Never, Ever Make Jeremy Clarkson Prime Minister" attracted 87 signatures. Clarkson later commented he would be a rubbish Prime Minister as he is always contradicting himself in his columns.^[34] In their official response to the petition, Number 10 agreed with Clarkson's comments.^[60]

In a 2008 poll of 5,000 female members of an online dating website, Clarkson came third in a poll of MISAs—Men I Secretly Adore—behind Jonathan Ross and Phillip Schofield. Characteristically, Clarkson was upset not to have come top.^[61]

In response to the reactions he gets, Clarkson has stated "I enjoy this back and forth, it makes the world go round but it is just opinion"^[34] and "I don't have any influence over what people do, I really don't. It makes no difference what I say. Top Gear is just fluff. It's just entertainment – people don't listen to me."^[62] On the opinion that his views are influential enough to topple car companies, he has argued that he has proof that he has had no influence. "When I said that the Ford Orion was the worst car ever it went on to become a best-selling car."^[34]

Clarkson was ranked 49th on Motor Trend Magazine's Power List for 2011, its list of the fifty most influential figures in the automotive industry.^[63]

Military interests[link]

Clarkson has a keen interest in the British Armed Forces and several of his DVDs and television shows have featured a military theme, whether it be flying in military jets or several Clarkson focused Top Gear spots having a military theme such as Clarkson escaping a Challenger 2 tank in a Range Rover, a Lotus Exige evading missile lock from an AH-64D Apache helicopter, a platoon of Irish Guardsmen shooting at a Porsche Boxster and Mercedes-Benz SLK, or using a Ford Fiesta as a Royal Marine landing craft. Clarkson visited British troops in Baghdad in October 2005.^[64]

Clarkson presented a programme looking at recipients of the Victoria Cross, in particular focusing on his father-in-law, Robert Henry Cain, who received a VC for actions during the Battle of Arnhem in World War II.^[65]

In 2007, Clarkson wrote and presented Jeremy Clarkson: Greatest Raid of All Time, a documentary about the World War II Operation Chariot, a 1942 Commando raid on the docks of Saint-Nazaire in occupied France. At the end of 2007 Clarkson became a patron of Help for Heroes,^[66] a charity aiming to raise money to provide better facilities to wounded British servicemen. His effort led to the 2007 Christmas appeal in The Sunday Times supporting Help for Heroes.^[67]

Clarkson borrowed a Lightning (serial XM172), an RAF supersonic jet fighter of the Cold War era, which was temporarily placed in his garden and documented on his TV show Speed.

Engineering interests[link]

Clarkson is passionate about engineering, especially pioneering work. In Inventions That Changed the World Clarkson showcased the invention of the gun, computer, jet engine, telephone and television. He has previously criticised the engineering feats of the 20th century as merely improvements on the truly innovative inventions of the Industrial Revolution. He cites the lack of any source of alternative power for cars, other than by "small explosions". In Great Britons, as part of a public poll to find the greatest historical Briton, Clarkson was the chief supporter for Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a prominent engineer during the Industrial Revolution credited with numerous innovations. Despite this, he also has a passion for many modern examples of engineering. In Speed and Extreme Machines Clarkson rides and showcases numerous vehicles and machinery. Clarkson was awarded an honorary degree from Brunel University on 12 September 2003, partly because of his work in popularising engineering, and partly because of his advocacy of Brunel.^[68]

In his book, I Know You Got Soul he describes many machines that he believes possess a soul. He cited the Concorde crash as his inspiration, feeling a sadness for the demise of the machine as well as the passengers. Clarkson was a passenger on the last BA Concorde flight on 24 October 2003. Paraphrasing Neil Armstrong he described the retirement of the fleet as "This is one small step for a man, but one huge leap backwards for mankind", and that the challenge of building Concorde had been a greater human feat than landing a man on the Moon.^[69]

His known passion for single- or two-passenger high-velocity transport led to his brief acquisition of an English Electric Lightning F1A jet fighter XM172, which was installed in the front garden of his country home. The Lightning was subsequently removed on the orders of the local council, which "wouldn't believe my claim that it was a leaf blower", according to Clarkson on a Tiscali Motoring webchat. In fact, the whole affair was set up for his programme Speed, and the Lightning is now back serving as gate guardian at Wycombe Air Park (formerly RAF Booker).^[70]

In a Top Gear episode, Clarkson drove the Bugatti Veyron in a race across Europe against a Cessna private aeroplane. The Veyron was an £850,000 technology demonstrator project built by Volkswagen to become the fastest production car, but a practical road car at the same time. In building such an ambitious machine, Clarkson described the project as "a triumph for lunacy over common sense, a triumph for man over nature and a triumph for Volkswagen over absolutely every other car maker in the world."^[71] After winning the race, Clarkson announced that "It's quite a hollow victory really, because I've got to go for the rest of my life knowing that I'll never own that car. I'll never experience that power again."^[72]

Cars[link]

Ownership[link]

Clarkson owns or has owned:

• Volvo XC90^[73]
• Range Rover TDV8 Vogue SE^[74]
• Lotus Elise 111S^[75]
• Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser^[76]
• Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black^[77]
• Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster^[77]
• BMW M3 CSL^[77]
• Honda CR-X^[77]
• Ferrari F355^[77]
• Ford GT^[78]
• Lamborghini Gallardo^[77]
• Volkswagen Scirocco 1^[79]
• Volkswagen Scirocco 2^[79]

In addition to the many cars he has owned, as a motoring journalist, Clarkson regularly has car companies deliver a choice of cars to his driveway for testing.

Clarkson wanted to purchase the Ford GT after admiring its inspiration, the Ford GT40 race cars of the 1960s. Clarkson was able to secure a place on the shortlist for the few cars that would be imported to Britain to official customers, only through knowing Ford's head of PR through a previous job. After waiting years and facing an increased price, he found many technical problems with the car. After "the most miserable month's motoring possible," he returned it to Ford for a full refund. After a short period, including asking Top Gear fans for advice over the Internet, he bought back his GT. He called it "the most unreliable car ever made", owing to never being able to complete a return journey with it.^[78] In 2006 Clarkson ordered a Gallardo Spyder and sold the Ford GT to make way for it. In August 2008 he sold the Gallardo because "idiots in Peugeots kept trying to race [him] in it" [Jeremy Clarkson – "The Italian Job" DVD]. In October, he also announced that he had sold his Volvo XC90. However, in January 2009, in a review of the car printed in The Times, he wrote: "I’ve just bought my third Volvo XC90 in a row and the simple fact is this: it takes six children to school in the morning."^[73]

Likes[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2012)

Clarkson often enthuses about whether a car gives you the proper "driving experience". He talks about needing to feel the front wheels connected to your fingers through the steering wheel. His preferred cars need to stir a passion and exhibit a 'soul', and look good, such as his preferred sportscar marque, Ferrari. Clarkson is often seen to be more than willing to accept several other flaws in a car such as practicality, build quality, reliability, if the basic criteria of performance and styling are deemed to have been met. Clarkson seems to be an admirer of any car that delivers performance and features for less money than traditionally known 'superior' marques, such as the Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and Holden Monaro (marketed in the UK under the Vauxhall brand). He is also known for liking the Noble M12. However, sometimes his liking of cars is more in respect because they do not possess this 'soul' although it is portrayed in the TV show as a legitimate love. It was like that with the Nissan GT-R. He said that it's great but 'sometimes I'd like it to go down the front of my trousers and have a little rummage' implying the GT-R's lack of 'soul'.

Despite not liking Rover or Vauxhall, Clarkson does have an affection for the British makes Jaguar and Aston Martin, but has previously described this success as being down to the combination of British ingenuity with foreign funding, management, and marketing. In terms of SUVs, Clarkson has spoken very highly of the Czech-made Škoda Yeti, calling it possibly the best car in the world; and used 20 minutes of a Top Gear episode putting the Yeti through a number of challenges to support his point.^[80] Clarkson often applies national stereotypes to cars, i.e. German cars are well built but too serious, Italian cars are stylish but temperamental, American cars are powerful but cheaply made, Japanese cars are hi-tech but soulless, and the present intermixing of nationalities in the global car industry becomes a source of comment.

Clarkson has a particular fondness for Alfa Romeos, and has owned several. He contends that "you cannot be a true petrolhead until you've owned one... it's like having really great sex that leaves you with an embarrassing itch." In his book I Know You Got Soul the Alfa Romeo 166 was one of only three cars classified as having that "special something". Clarkson quotably called the Brera, Alfa's latest sports car, "Cameron Diaz on wheels".^[81] Despite his love for Alfa Romeos, he was very critical of the company's supercar, the 8C Competizione. In both Top Gear and his 2009 video special Thriller, Clarkson had no doubts about the car's beauty, but panned the poorly-designed suspension, comparing it to a Ford Mustang.

Clarkson has had mixed views on the Porsche 911 sports cars, feeling them to have uninspiring styling. He is also not a fan of the rear-engined flat six layout, feeling it a fundamentally flawed design. He has, however, often complimented the technical aspects and practicalities of many Porsches, over say the equivalent Ferrari of the time. In reviewing a 2003 Porsche 911 GT3 though, Clarkson conceded that Porsche had finally overcome the natural tendency of a Porsche mechanical layout to lose the grip in the rear tyres in a bend, and stated it was the first Porsche he had ever seriously considered buying. Clarkson also praised Porsche's supercar, the Carrera GT, in an October 2004 episode of Top Gear, and even commented that it's one of the most beautiful cars he has ever driven. Clarkson has also expressed fondness for late-model V8 Holdens, available in the UK rebadged as Vauxhalls. Of the Monaro he said, "It's like they had a picture of me on their desk and said [Australian accent] 'Let's build that bloke a car!'" and "I can't believe it... I've fallen in love... with a Vauxhall!"^[82] Clarkson suffered two slipped discs that he attributed to driving the Monaro, which he described as being "back-breakingly marvellous".^[83]

Dislikes[link]

Clarkson often derides any car that in his view might be bought by a Premier League footballer such as Wayne Rooney. Clarkson will often pick faults in the trim or build quality in any car he dislikes. He will also use his substantial frame to criticise any model with inadequate front or rear leg room or head room, and to criticise the throttle or brake pedal positions. Clarkson also dislikes gadgetry if it detracts from or seeks to control the experience of driving, commenting that the only saving grace of the increasingly hi-tech BMW M5 was that in M mode all gadgetry was switched off, and it subsequently retained the performance characteristics of historical M5s. He has frequently criticised the Mercedes-Benz practice of releasing a model and option list to suit every conceivable customer demand.

One of Clarkson's most infamous dislikes was of the British car brand Rover, the last major British owned and built car manufacturer. This view stretched back to the company's time as part of British Leyland. Describing the history of the company up to its last flagship model, the Rover 75, he stated "Never in the field of human endeavour has so much been done, so badly, by so many." In the latter years of the company Clarkson blamed the "uncool" brand image as being more of a hindrance to sales than any faults with the cars. On its demise, Clarkson stated "I cannot even get teary and emotional about the demise of the company itself – though I do feel sorry for the workforce."^[84]

Clarkson is also well known for his criticism of Vauxhalls^[85][86] and has described Vauxhall's parent company, General Motors, as a "pensions and healthcare" company which sees the "car making side of the business as an expensive loss-making nuisance".^[86] In spite of this, he has expressed approval of several recent Vauxhall models including the VXR models, the Monaro, VXR8 and Maloo, (both originally Australian Holdens) and the Zafira people carrier. Clarkson has expressed particular disdain for the Vauxhall Vectra, describing it as "One of my least favourite cars in the world. I've always hated it because I've always felt it was designed in a coffee break by people who couldn't care less about cars" and "one of the worst chassis I've ever come across".^[87] After a Top Gear piece by Clarkson for its launch in 1995, described by The Independent as "not doing [GM] any favours",^[88] Vauxhall complained to the BBC and announced, "We can take criticism but this piece was totally unbalanced."^[89]

Clarkson is known for destroying his most hated cars in various ways, including crushing a Yugo with a tank, catapulting a Nissan Sunny with a trebuchet, dropping a Porsche 911 onto a caravan (after plunging a piano onto the bonnet and dousing it in hydrochloric acid, amongst other things), getting a Land Rover and a box labelled "CND" to destroy a Citroën 2CV, allowing his American friend "Billy Bob" to destroy a Toyota Prius by shooting it with an arsenal of weaponry, shooting a Chevrolet Corvette with a helicopter gunship, dismantling a Buick Park Avenue with a bulldozer, or tearing a Lada Riva in half. In an episode of Top Gear, Clarkson bought a Maserati Biturbo just to drop a skip on it to show how much the model had ruined Maserati's reputation. In Jeremy Clarkson: Heaven and Hell (2005), he bought a brand-new Perodua Kelisa, proceeded to attack it with a sledgehammer, tore it apart with a heavy weight while being suspended in mid-air and finally blew it up.^{[citation needed]}

Most notably, the car which sees the most hatred from Clarkson is the G-Wiz or REVAi as it is known outside the UK. In a segment of Top Gear's news, a clip was shown of David Cameron driving a G-Wiz on the Top Gear test track. When Kristin Scott Thomas appeared on the show it was revealed that she drove a G-Wiz around London while performing in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. On Jeremy Clarkson's solo DVD Supercar Showdown the G-Wiz was bashed continuously by Clarkson in a number of staged segments, being raced first by a Renault Alpine A610 and losing, and then losing to a heavy wooden table carried by four men. The table was then placed on its side and the G-Wiz rammed it at 40 mph, bouncing off and destroying the front of the vehicle. In the final episode of series 10 of Top Gear the G-Wiz was turned into a radio-controlled car and its electrical systems modified so that it could beat a Ford Mustang Shelby GT (incorrectly identified as a 500 hp Shelby Mustang GT500) in a race, it was then raced against a scale model R/C car, which carried a bomb to destroy both vehicles before they could finish the race. Nevertheless, the G-Wiz was named as Top Gear's "Worst Car of the Year". Presenter James May called it the "most stupid, useless, and dangerous car to stalk the earth".^{[citation needed]}

Controversy[link]

Clarkson's comments and actions have sometimes resulted in complaints from viewers, car companies, and national governments.

Offensive remarks[link]

In October 1998, Hyundai complained to the BBC about what they described as "bigoted and racist" comments he made at the Birmingham Motor Show, where he was reported as saying that the people working on the Hyundai stand had "eaten a dog" and that the designer of the Hyundai XG had probably eaten a spaniel for his lunch. Clarkson also allegedly referred to those working on the BMW stand as "Nazis", although BMW said they would not be complaining.^[50] In a later incident during a Top Gear episode broadcast on 13 November 2005, Clarkson, while talking about a Mini design that might be "quintessentially German", made a mock Nazi salute, and made references to the Hitler regime and the German invasion of Poland by setting the GPS system to Poland.^[90]

In April 2007, he was criticised in the Malaysian parliament for having described one of their cars, the Perodua Kelisa, as the worst in the world, "its name was like a disease and suggested it was built in jungles by people who wear leaves for shoes". A Malaysian government minister countered, pointing out that no complaints had been received from UK customers who had bought the car.^[91][92]

While in Australia, Clarkson made disparaging remarks aimed at the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in February 2009, calling him a "one-eyed Scottish idiot" and accused him of lying. These comments were widely condemned by the Royal National Institute of Blind People and also Scottish politicians who requested that he should be taken off air.^[93][94] Furthermore, the comments were condemned as racist.^[95][96][97] He subsequently provided a qualified apology for remarks regarding Brown's "personal appearance".^[98]

In July 2009 though, Clarkson was reported to have called the Prime Minister Brown "a silly cunt" during a warm-up while recording a Top Gear show.^[99] Although several newspapers reported that he had subsequently argued with BBC Two controller Janice Hadlow,^[100] who was present at the recording, the BBC denied that he had been given a "dressing down".^[101] John Whittingdale, Conservative chair of the Culture Select Committee remarked: "Many people will find that offensive, many people will find that word in particular very offensive [...] I am surprised he felt it appropriate to use it."^[100]

On 6 July 2010, Clarkson reportedly angered gay rights campaigners after he made a remark on Top Gear that did not get aired on the 4 July's episode. But guest Alastair Campbell wrote about it on Twitter. Clarkson apparently said he "Demanded the right not to get bummed". The BBC later said that they cut this remark out as they "edited down" the interview as it was too long to fit into the show.^[102]

His 4 September 2011 column for The Sun newspaper drew angry remarks^[103] in response to Clarkson's call to abolish the Welsh language: "I think we are fast approaching the time when the United Nations should start to think seriously about abolishing other languages. What’s the point of Welsh for example? All it does is provide a silly maypole around which a bunch of hotheads can get all nationalistic."

Wikinews has related news: 'Have them all shot': BBC gets 21,000+ complaints over Jeremy Clarkson's public sector striker comments

On 30 November 2011 while being interviewed on the BBC's The One Show, Clarkson commented on the UK's public sector strike that day, lauding the capital's empty roads. After mentioning the BBC's need for balance, he said, "I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families." The programme later apologised for his remarks, with further apologies issued by Clarkson and the BBC.^[104] These remarks had attracted 21,335 complaints to the BBC within 36 hours; the BBC also received 314 messages of support for Clarkson.^[105]

In his 3 December 2011 column for The Sun Clarkson epitomised those who choose to jump in front of trains as "Johnny Suicide" and argues that following a death, trains should carry on their journeys as soon as possible. He adds: "The train cannot be removed nor the line re-opened until all of the victim's body has been recovered. And sometimes the head can be half a mile away from the feet." ... "Change the driver, pick up the big bits of what's left of the victim, get the train moving as quickly as possible and let foxy woxy and the birds nibble away at the smaller, gooey parts that are far away or hard to find."^[106]

In another column for The Sun in January 2012, Clarkson was criticised for making a joke about the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in 2004.^[107]

On 12 January, the Indian High commission lodged a formal complaint with the BBC over the "tasteless" antics of Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear Christmas special where he mocked India's culture and people. During the 90-minute special, which was aired twice over the Christmas break, Clarkson made a string of jokes about Indian food, clothes, toilets, trains and history.^[108]

On an episode of Top Gear broadcast on 5 February 2012, Clarkson compared a Japanese Car/Camper van to a person with a growth on their face. A major UK charity that supports people with facial disfigurements, Changing Faces, complained to the BBC and Ofcom after Clarkson's remarks.^[109]

Road safety[link]

Clarkson readily discusses high speed driving on public roads, and criticises road safety campaigns involving cameras and speed bumps. In 2002 a Welsh Assembly Member Alun Pugh wrote to BBC director general Greg Dyke to complain about Clarkson's comments that he believed encouraged people to use Welsh roads as a high speed test track. A BBC spokesman said that suggestions Clarkson had encouraged speeding were "nonsense".^[110] Clarkson has also made similar comments about driving in Lincolnshire.^[111] As of 2004 Clarkson was reported as having a clean licence.^[112] In a November 2005 Times article, Clarkson wrote on the Bugatti Veyron, "On a recent drive across Europe I desperately wanted to reach the top speed but I ran out of road when the needle hit 240mph", and "From the wheel of a Veyron, France is the size of a small coconut. I cannot tell you how fast I crossed it the other day. Because you simply wouldn’t believe me."^[113] In 2007 the celebrity lawyer Nick 'Mr. Loophole' Freeman got a charge against Clarkson of driving at 86 mph in a 50 mph zone on the A40 road in London dropped, on the basis that the driver of the car loaned to Clarkson from Alfa Romeo could not be ascertained.^[114] In 2008 the BBC faced calls to sack Clarkson after he claimed in a talk at the Hay Festival to have been given a speeding ticket for driving at 186 mph on the A1203 Limehouse Link road in London.^[115] At the same talk he stated he had "never been pulled over for speed while working on Top Gear. I don't drive very fast."^[62] The reported version of events by the Daily Mail were disputed by a BBC spokesman.

Piers Morgan feud[link]

From 2000 to 2006, Clarkson had a public feud with Piers Morgan, which began when Morgan published pictures of Clarkson kissing his BBC producer, Elaine Bedell.^[116]

On the final Concorde flight, Clarkson threw a glass of water over Morgan during an argument.^[116] In March 2004 at the British Press Awards, he swore at Morgan and punched him before being restrained by security; Morgan says it has left him with a scar above his left eyebrow.^[117] In 2006 Morgan revealed that the feud was over, saying "There should always be a moment when you finally down cudgels, kiss and make up."^[116] Clarkson also mentioned that despite not getting on with Morgan, he can at least be in the same room as him.

[edit] Activities on Top Gear

In 2004, the BBC apologised unreservedly and paid £250 in compensation to a Somerset parish council, after Clarkson damaged a 30-year-old horse-chestnut tree by driving into it to test the strength of a Toyota Hilux.^[118] In December 2006 the BBC complaints department upheld the complaint of four Top Gear viewers that Clarkson had used the phrase "ginger beer" (rhyming slang for "queer") in a derogatory manner, when Clarkson picked up on and agreed with an audience member's description of the Daihatsu Copen as being a bit "gay".^[119] The Top Gear: Polar Special was criticised by the BBC Trust for glamorising drink driving in a scene showing Clarkson and James May in a vehicle, despite Clarkson saying to the camera "Don't write in to complain about us drinking and driving, because we're sailing!" (As they were on top of frozen water.)^[120] They stated the scene "was not editorially justified" despite occurring outside the jurisdiction of any drink driving laws.

In November 2008, Clarkson attracted over 500 complaints to the BBC when he joked about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes.^[121][122] The BBC stated the comment was a comic rebuttal of a common misconception about lorry drivers and was within the viewer's expectation of Clarkson's Top Gear persona.^[121] Chris Mole, the Member of Parliament for Ipswich, where five prostitutes were murdered in 2006, wrote a "strongly worded" letter to BBC Director-General Mark Thompson, demanding that Clarkson be sacked.^[122] Clarkson dismissed Mole's comments in his Sunday Times column the following weekend, writing, "There are more important things to worry about than what some balding and irrelevant middle-aged man might have said on a crappy BBC2 motoring show."^[123] On the next Top Gear programme, Clarkson appeared sincerely apologetic and stated "It has been all over the news and the internet and after many complaints I feel I must apologise." However, instead of apologising for his comments, he went on to say "I'm sorry I didn't put the [Porsche] 911's time on the board last week" (after he set it on fire in the previous week's show), much to the studio audience's amusement. Andrew Tinkler, chief executive of the Eddie Stobart Group, a major trucking company, stated that "They were just having a laugh. It’s the 21st century, let’s get our sense of humour in line."^[121]

In 2009, in an episode filmed in Romania, when reaching the countryside areas, Clarkson said the crew was in Borat's country. This remark caused an official reaction from Romanian embassy in London.

In an episode aired after the watershed on 1 August 2010, Clarkson described a Ferrari F430 Speciale as "speciale needs". He said the car owned by co-presenter James May looked "like a simpleton". Media regulator Ofcom investigated after receiving two complaints, and found that the comments "were capable of causing offence" but did not censure the BBC.^[124]

The 2011 Top Gear Christmas Special featured Clarkson visiting India and driving around in a Jaguar with an external toilet added to the back of the car. He commented, "This is perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots." A day after the broadcast, the BBC had received 23 complaints;^[125] the special was watched at the time of broadcast by approximately five million people.^[126]

Filmography[link]

Presenter[link]

Other roles[link]

DVDs[link]

1. "Top Gear: Supercars" (With Tiff Needell) (1994, BBC Video, VHS).
2. "Top Gear: Classic Cars" (With Quentin Willson) (1995, BBC Video, VHS).
3. "Motorsport Mayhem" (1995, Arison International, VHS/DVD).
4. "More Motorsport Mayhem" (With Steve Rider) (1996, Arison International, VHS).
5. "Motorworld" (1996, BBC Video, VHS).
6. "Unleashed On Cars" (1996, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
7. "Extreme Machines" (1997, BBC Video, VHS).
8. "Apocalypse Clarkson" (1997, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
9. "Top Gear: The Fast & Furious" (With Tiff Needell) (1997, BBC Video, VHS).
10. "The Most Outrageous Jeremy Clarkson Film In The World...Ever!" (1998, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
11. "Top Gear: The Fast & Furious II" (With Tiff Needell) (1998, BBC Video, VHS).
12. "Head To Head" (1999, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
13. "At Full Throttle" (2000, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
14. "Speed" (2001, BBC Video, VHS).
15. "Top 100 Cars" (2001, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
16. "No Limits" (2002, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
17. "Shoot Out" (2003, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
18. "Hot Metal" (2004, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
19. "Heaven & Hell" (2005, 2|Entertain, DVD).
20. "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" (2006, 2|Entertain, DVD).
21. "Supercar Showdown" (2007, 2|Entertain, DVD). (Amazon.co.uk. copies come with 'Behind The Scenes' DVD)
22. "The Collection" (2008, 2|Entertain, DVD).
23. "Thriller" (2008, 2|Entertain, DVD). (Play.com. copies come with 'Behind The Scenes' DVD)
24. "Duel" (2009, 2|Entertain, DVD). (Top Gear Magazine offer includes 'Behind The Scenes' DVD)
25. "The Italian Job" (2010, 2|Entertain, DVD). (2-Disc edition copies come with 'Behind The Scenes' DVD)
26. "War Stories" (2011, 2|Entertain, DVD).
27. "Powered Up" (2011, 2|Entertain, DVD).

Bibliography[link]

• Two books containing the best columns from previous publications, entitled "The Collected Thoughts Of Clarkson" and "Never Played Golf" were issued by Top Gear Magazine, in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld (1996), ISBN 0-563-38730-0
• Clarkson on Cars: Writings and Rantings of the BBC's Top Motoring Correspondent (1996), ISBN 0-86369-964-2
• Clarkson's Hot 100 (1997), ISBN 1-85227-730-0
• Jeremy Clarkson's Planet Dagenham: Drivestyles of the Rich and Famous (1998), ISBN 0-233-99335-5
• Born to Be Riled: The Collected Writings of Jeremy Clarkson (1999) (re-published 2007), ISBN 0-563-55146-1
• Jeremy Clarkson's Ultimate Ferrari (2001), ISBN 1-84065-358-2
• The World According To Clarkson (2004), ISBN 0-7181-4730-8
• Clarkson on Cars (2004), ISBN 0-14-101788-0
• I Know You Got Soul (2004), ISBN 0-7181-4729-4
• Motorworld (2004), ISBN 0-14-101787-2
• The World According to Clarkson 2: And Another Thing... (2006), ISBN 0-7181-4985-8

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jeremy Clarkson

• Jeremy Clarkson at the Internet Movie Database
• Archive of Clarkson's Sunday Times columns
• Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear

Keanu Reeves
Reeves at The Lake House London premiere, September 2006
Born	Keanu Charles Reeves (1964-09-02) September 2, 1964 (age 47) Beirut, Lebanon
Nationality	Canadian
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1985–present
Parents	Patricia Bond Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr.

Keanu Charles Reeves ( /keɪˈɑːnuː/ kay-AH-noo; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian film actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his role in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure as well as Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix. He has worked under major directors, such as Stephen Frears (in the 1988 period drama Dangerous Liaisons); Gus Van Sant (in the 1991 independent film My Own Private Idaho); and Bernardo Bertolucci (in the 1993 film Little Buddha). Referring to his 1991 film releases, The New York Times’ critic, Janet Maslin, praised Reeves’ versatility, saying that he “displays considerable discipline and range. He moves easily between the buttoned-down demeanor that suits a police procedural story and the loose-jointed manner of his comic roles.”^[1] A repeated theme in roles he has portrayed is that of saving the world, including the characters of Ted Logan, Buddha, Neo, Johnny Mnemonic, John Constantine and Klaatu.

In addition to his film roles, Reeves has also performed in theatre. His performance in the title role in a Manitoba Theatre Centre production of Hamlet was praised by Roger Lewis, the Sunday Times, who declared Reeves " … one of the top three Hamlets I have seen, for a simple reason: he is Hamlet."^{[citation needed]} On January 31, 2005, Reeves received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life[link]

Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon, the son of Patricia Bond (née Taylor), a costume designer/performer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves, Jr., a geologist. His mother was English and his father was a Hawaiian-born American of English, Irish, Portuguese, Hawaiian, and Chinese descent.^[2][3][4] Reeves's mother was working in Beirut when she met his father. Reeves' father worked as an unskilled laborer and earned his GED while imprisoned in Hawaii for selling heroin at Hilo International Airport.^[5] He abandoned his wife and family when Reeves was three years old, and Reeves does not currently have any relationship with him.^[5]

Reeves moved around the world frequently as a child and he lived with various stepfathers. After his parents divorced in 1966, his mother became a costume designer and moved the family to Sydney, Australia^[6] and then to New York City. There she met and married Paul Aaron, a Broadway and Hollywood director. The couple moved to Toronto; they divorced in 1971. Reeves' mother married Robert Miller, a rock promoter, in 1976; the couple divorced in 1980. She subsequently married her fourth husband, Jack Bond, a hairdresser, a marriage that broke up in 1994. Grandparents and nannies babysat Reeves and his sisters, and Reeves grew up primarily in Toronto. Within a span of five years, he attended four different high schools, including the Etobicoke School of the Arts, from which he was later expelled. Reeves stated he was expelled "I was just a little too rambunctious and shot my mouth off once too often. I was not generally the most well-oiled machine in the school." ^[7]

Reeves excelled more in hockey than in academics, as his educational development was challenged by dyslexia. He was a successful goalie at one of his high schools (De La Salle College "Oaklands"). While Reeves dreamed of becoming an Olympic hockey player for Canada, an injury ended his hopes for a hockey career. After leaving De La Salle College, he attended an anarchistic free school (Avondale Alternative), which allowed him to obtain an education while working as an actor; he later dropped out, never obtaining his high school diploma.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2011, on the BBC program The One Show, he spoke of his English ancestry, via his mother, mentioning his happy watching of The Two Ronnies comedy show amongst others when younger, and how his mother imparted English manners that he still has today.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

1980s[link]

Reeves began his acting career at the age of nine, appearing in a theatre production of Damn Yankees. At 15, he played Mercutio in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet at the Leah Posluns Theatre. Reeves made his screen acting debut in a CBC Television comedy series entitled Hangin' In. Throughout the early 1980s, he appeared in commercials (including one for Coca-Cola), short films including the NFB drama One Step Away^[8] and stage work such as Brad Fraser's cult hit Wolfboy in Toronto. In 1984, he was a correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation TV youth program Going Great.^[9]

Reeves' first studio movie appearance was in the Rob Lowe ice hockey film Youngblood, in which he played a Québécois goalie. Shortly after the movie's release, Reeves drove to Los Angeles in his 1969 Volvo. His ex-stepfather Paul Aaron, a stage and television director, had convinced Erwin Stoff to be Reeves' manager and agent before he even arrived in Los Angeles. Stoff has remained Reeves' manager, and has co-produced many of his films. After a few minor roles, Reeves received a more sizable role in the 1986 drama film River's Edge, which depicted how a murder affected a group of teens. Following this film's critical success, he spent the late 1980s appearing in a number of movies aimed at teenage audiences, including Permanent Record, and the unexpectedly successful 1989 comedy, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which, along with its 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, typecast Reeves as a spaced-out teen. Much of his portrayal in the press and much of the response to his acting in the early 1990s still mentioned his portrayal of the airheaded Ted.

1990s[link]

Reeves' interacting with the press at the Berlin Film Festival

During the early 1990s, Reeves started to break out of his teen-film period. He appeared in high-budget action films like Point Break, for which he won MTV's "Most Desirable Male" award in 1992. He was also involved in various lower-budget independent films, including the well-received 1991 film, My Own Private Idaho with his close friend, the late River Phoenix. In 1994, Reeves' career reached a new high as a result of his starring role in the action film Speed. His casting in the film was controversial since, except for Point Break, he was primarily known for comedies and indie dramas. He had never been the sole headliner on a film. The summer action film had a fairly large budget and was helmed by novice cinematographer-turned-director Jan de Bont. The unexpected international success of the film made Reeves and co-star Sandra Bullock into A-List stars.

Reeves' career choices after Speed were eclectic: despite his successes, Reeves continued to accept supporting roles and appear in experimental films. He scored a hit with a romantic lead role in A Walk in the Clouds. He made news by refusing to take part in Speed 2: Cruise Control and choosing to play the title role in a 1995 Manitoba Theatre Centre production of Hamlet in Winnipeg, Manitoba.^[10] Roger Lewis, the Sunday Times critic, wrote, "He quite embodied the innocence, the splendid fury, the animal grace of the leaps and bounds, the emotional violence, that form the Prince of Denmark... He is one of the top three Hamlets I have seen, for a simple reason: he is Hamlet."^[11]

Reeves promoting The Day the Earth Stood Still in Mexico in 2008.

Reeves' other choices after A Walk in the Clouds, however, failed with critics and audiences. Big-budget films such as the sci-fi action film Johnny Mnemonic and the action-thriller Chain Reaction were critically panned and failed at the box office, while indie films like Feeling Minnesota were also critical failures. Reeves started to climb out of his career low after starring in the horror/drama The Devil's Advocate alongside Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. Reeves deferred his salary for The Devil's Advocate so that Pacino would be cast, as he would do later for the less successful The Replacements, guaranteeing the casting of Gene Hackman. The Devil's Advocate did well at the box office, received good reviews, and proved that Reeves could play a grown-up with a career, although many critics felt that his poor performance detracted from an otherwise enjoyable movie. The 1999 science fiction-action hit The Matrix, a film in which Reeves had a starring role, was a box office success and attracted positive reviews.^{[citation needed]}

2000s[link]

In between the first Matrix film and its sequels, Reeves received positive reviews for his portrayal of an abusive husband in The Gift. Aside from The Gift, Reeves appeared in several films that received mostly negative reviews and unimpressive box office grosses, including The Watcher, Sweet November and The Replacements. However, the two Matrix sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Something's Gotta Give, and the 2005 horror-action film, Constantine, proved to be box office successes and brought Reeves back into the public spotlight.

His appearance in the 2006 film, A Scanner Darkly, based on the dystopian science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick, received favorable reviews, but The Lake House, his romantic outing with Sandra Bullock, did not do well at the box office. He went on to play the lead character in two 2008 films, Street Kings and The Day the Earth Stood Still. In February 2009 The Private Life of Pippa Lee was presented at Berlinale.^{[citation needed]}

2010s[link]

Reeves started filming the surrealist romantic comedy Henry's Crime in December 2009, with filming wrapped up in early 2010. After this he started working as producer and star on the science-fiction space drama Passengers, written by Jon Spaihts.^[12]

In January 2009, it was revealed that Reeves will star in the live-action film adaptation of the anime series Cowboy Bebop,^[13][14] slated for release in 2011. Other upcoming projects include the samurai film 47 Ronin, Chef – story by Reeves and written by Steven Knight, and a modern retelling of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, scripted by Justin Haythe and titled Jekyll. Nicolas Winding Refn was in negotiations to direct but was eventually replaced by Dennis Iliadis and produced by Universal Pictures.^[15]

In April 2011, Reeves confirmed that a third installment of the Bill & Ted movie series was underway.^[16]

Personal life and other interests[link]

Reeves' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

For nearly a decade following his initial rise to stardom, Reeves preferred to live in rental houses and hotels. He was a long-term resident of the Chateau Marmont. Reeves bought his first house in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles around 2003. He also has an apartment on Central Park West in New York City.^{[citation needed]}

He is a U.S. citizen through his American father, and also holds Canadian citizenship by naturalization; he grew up as a Canadian and identifies as such.^{[citation needed]} Due to April 2003 changes in the law, he is entitled to British citizenship through his English mother.

Reeves has never married.^[17] In December 1999, his girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, gave birth to a stillborn daughter, Ava Archer Syme-Reeves. Syme died in 2001, a sole driver involved in an automobile wreck, while partying in Los Angeles.^[18]

Reeves was sued unsuccessfully in 2008 in Los Angeles Superior Court for $711,974^[19] by paparazzo Alison Silva for allegedly hitting and injuring him with his Porsche after visiting a relative at a Los Angeles medical facility.^[20][21] The paparazzo's lawsuit took a year and a half to make it to trial, during which time Silva continued to attack Reeves and demand payment. At the trial, all 12 jurors rejected the suit needing only an hour of deliberation to reach their verdict. With the lawsuit rejected, Reeves was cleared of all the charges.^[22]

Reeves is an atheist. ^[23][24]

In 2010, photos of a sad-looking Keanu Reeves eating a sandwich while alone led to the spread of the "Keanu is Sad/Sad Keanu" Internet meme and the declaration of June 15 as "Unofficial Cheer-up Keanu Day" by a Facebook fanpage.^[25]

Music[link]

Reeves played bass guitar in the grunge band Dogstar during the 1990s. In the 2000s, he performed with the band Becky.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• "Keanu Reeves Articles & Interviews Archive, 1987 – 2010". http://www.whoaisnotme.net/articles/articles.htm. Retrieved January 9, 2010. 
• Papp, Adrienne (April 18, 2008). "Tempest in Tibet". LA2DAY. http://la2day.com/talk/tempest_in_tibet. Retrieved May 13, 2008. 
• "Pondering the mysterious Keanu Reeves". CNN. November 5, 2003. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080430121543/http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/05/sprj.caf03.film.keanureeves.ap/. Retrieved May 10, 2008. 
• "Seven magazine interview with Keanu Reeves". Seven magazine. http://www.se7enmagazine.org/film/film_27.htm. Retrieved May 10, 2008. 
• Bystedt, Karen Hardy (September 1988). The New Breed: Actors Coming of Age. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 978-0-8050-0774-9. 
• Chin, Ong Song (May 15, 2003). "A Man of Many Faces". Straits Times (Singapore). 
• Fleming, Michael (April 2006). "Playboy Interview: Keanu Reeves". Playboy: 49–52, 140–141. 
• Howell, Peter (May 4, 2003). "Reeves Reloaded". Toronto Star. 
• Makela, Bob (August 5, 2000). "Keanu Reeves: All the right moves". USA Weekend. http://www.usaweekend.com/00_issues/000806/000806keanu.html. Retrieved May 10, 2008. ^{[dead link]}
• Roman, Shari (February 1, 1988). "Keanu Reeves – Hawaiian Punk". Details. 
• Shnayerson, Michael (August 1995). "The Wild One". Vanity Fair. 

External links[link]

• Keanu Reeves at the Internet Movie Database
• Keanu Reeves at People.com

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Keanu Reeves

Steve Coogan
Holding a producer credit for The 1 Second Film in January 2005
Born	Stephen John Coogan (1965-10-14) 14 October 1965 (age 46) Middleton, Lancashire, England
Occupation	Actor, stand-up comedian, writer, producer
Spouse	Caroline Hickman (m. 2002–2005; divorced)
Relatives	Brendan Coogan, Martin Coogan (brothers)

Stephen John "Steve" Coogan (born 14 October 1965) is a BAFTA-winning English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and producer. Born in Middleton, Lancashire, he began his career as a stand-up comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early 1990s, Coogan began creating original comic characters which he presented in stage shows, this led to him winning the 1992 Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, for his show with long-time collaborator John Thomson. The most prominent characters he developed at this time were Paul Calf, a stereotypical lower class Mancunian and his sister the promiscuous Pauline (played by Coogan in drag).

Working with Chris Morris, Patrick Marber and Armando Iannucci for On the Hour and The Day Today, Coogan developed his most popular and most developed character; Alan Partridge, a socially awkward and politically incorrect regional media personality, who developed to feature in his own eponymous television series, Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge and I'm Alan Partridge, which were well received and were nominated for five BAFTAs in total. Outside the UK, Coogan is better known for his roles in films including 24 Hour Party People, The Wind in the Willows, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Night at the Museum, Tropic Thunder, Hamlet 2, A Cock and Bull Story, The Trip and The Other Guys.

On 22 November 2011, Coogan, along with Hugh Grant, gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry on phone hacking, favouring regulation of the press.