maximum speedonce among the most profitable crown jewels in the BBC’s programming portfolio and a show that ran for almost 46 years, has been shelved for an extended period.
The BBC revealed on Tuesday that the pioneering motor show will not return for the “foreseeable future” and that it has “decided to pause” the series.
This news comes on the heels of a high-speed car accident involving host Freddie Flintoff while filming the show which halted production on the final season.
The incident – Flintoff’s third on the show – occurred in late 2022 and saw the former cricketer airlifted to hospital. In October, press reports confirmed that BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation, produces… maximum speedIt reached a compensation settlement of 9 million pounds ($11.3 million) for the injuries sustained by Flintoff.
The decision to take the series off screens was taken following an external BBC health and safety investigation, which they said would not be published. A separate health and safety report examines previous seasons of maximum speed She found that “there are important lessons” in the way the show was produced.
The BBC said in its statement on Tuesday that it remains “committed” to the hosting trio of Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness, and is “excited about the new projects being developed with each of them”. No further details were immediately shared.
The BBC added: “We know that the show being broken will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.”
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