When Chris Evans was given the job of steering Top Gear into its post-Clarkson future, we asked: “Perfect fit or car crash waiting to happen?”
As it turned out, Evans hit the ejector seat button after just one series in charge, following a slump in ratings and a critical reaction that ranged from lukewarm to outright hostile.
The BBC turned to Evans because he is one of the few “marquee name” TV presenters able to open a show by himself.
But not everything he touches turns to TV gold. Here we look at the hits and misses of the Radio 2 breakfast DJ and former presenter of BBC2’s Top Gear.
Hits
Here’s where it all began, on Channel 4’s Big Breakfast, which broke the mould of breakfast TV in the UK. After Evans left, a long list of successors showed just how effortless he made it look.
After turning breakfast TV on its head, Evans next did something similar with the TV gameshow format with Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush.
It was like a cool Noel’s House Party. A really cool Noel’s House Party. But much, much better than that.
Then there’s the daddy of all Evans’ shows, TFI Friday, which was so good he brought it back for a 20th anniversary special, 19 years later, featuring none other than ... Jeremy Clarkson!
Too many clips to choose from here, from interviewing Noel Gallagher in his own home to chatting to Jarvis Cocker. But really, like Highlander, there can be only one.
Misses
Making his big TV comeback after several years away, Evans took a TFI Friday-style format to ITV and put it on Sunday instead. What could go wrong? Alas, hardly anything went right on OFI Sunday.
In case you’re wondering, for family friendly ITV it stood for “Oh flip it’s Sunday”.
Later in his career Evans went behind the scenes and turned producer on shows fronted by other people. But Channel 4’s Boys and Girls with Vernon Kay was a charmless high-profile flop.
His Channel 5 shows, Live with Chris Moyles (later Christian O’Connell) and The Terry and Gaby Show were less high profile than Boys and Girls, but no more successful.
Evans said if the Terry and Gaby Show didn’t work out he would become a market trader which, in all fairness, is what he did.
Still, if anyone could take over Top Gear from Jeremy Clarkson it was Evans, right? Wrong.
