In a surprising turn of events, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended by the BBC following an argument with an unnamed producer, and Top Gear has been pulled off the air, at least temporarily. This Sunday's show was set to feature Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May pitting three classic convertibles->ke503 against each other, while a British sports broadcaster was to be the "star in a reasonably priced car."

The BBC said: “Following a fracas with a BBC producer Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation. No one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday. The BBC will be making no further comment at this time.” Clarkson was already on probation after he allegedly use the "n" word while shooting the BBC car show in 2012. He had been given his "final warning" in May 2014, when BBC's director of television ordered an internal investigation on Top Gear concerning further racism allegations.

In 2014, after the internal BBC investigation was concluded, the controversial Clarkson said that the BBC had told him he would be sacked if he makes "one more offensive remark, anywhere, at any time." It is not yet clear if the suspension is strictly related to the argument between the BBC producer and Clarkson or to Top Gear in general, but the viewers will likely be the biggest victims in the end.

Continue reading to learn more about Jeremy Clarkson's suspension.

Why it matters

I don't know what the "fracas" between Clarkson and the mysterious BBC producer consisted of, but it would certainly be a shame if a stupid argument results in Top Gear being canceled, or worse, in a drastic change in the show's premise. Love it or hate it, the series is one of the most popular TV shows in history, and a large part of its success is due to the antics and pranks that the three presenters – usually coordinated by Jeremy Clarkson – pull on each other.

Top Gear's massive ratings bring a boatload of advertising money to BBC Worldwide's coffers. While some will probably rejoice at the announcement -- Clarkson is polarizing -- the show has millions of fans, being the world's most-watched factual TV program according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

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