So I sat and binge-watched the new series of Wheeler Dealers online. (search for Wheeler Dealers Cosworth Escort – some sites are blocked for UK viewers, most are ok)
I understand that the franchise was sold to a US company - and in the search for higher profits, lots of the brilliant but expensive filming of ‘hands-on’ mechanical work was to be ditched and more cheap ‘banter’ was to be included (as seems to be the fashion of all the US car shows) This caused Edd to wash his hands of it and there’s a load of Youtube interviews with Mike claiming he’s been ‘stabbed in the back’ by his old partner.
The new guy (Ant Anstead) seems to be a very capable engineer and he tackles some complex jobs but I just can’t warm to him. His delivery is too soft and doesn’t have any variation or impact with his voice.
Also, the old Wheeler Dealers was criticised for not always selling the cars and having members of the production team pretend to ‘buy’ the cars on camera – but the new show’s ‘buyers’ and ‘sellers’ seem to be even more totally improbable.
Be interesting to hear other people’s views.
It starts on Discovery over here on January 1st.