Posted on 03/23/2017 6:03:31 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
Published on Mar 21, 2017
I am very sorry to say, that after 13 years on the show, I am leaving Wheeler Dealers.
Wheeler Dealers is a great car show, reportedly the biggest on the planet at the moment. It is broadcast in about 220 territories around the globe and apparently has several hundred million viewers worldwide. This success would not have been possible without the huge collaborative effort put in by the production team over the years but most of all because of the loyalty and appreciation of our fans who have kept watching, in ever increasing numbers around the globe. Because you kept watching it; we kept making it. So thank you all for that.
Making Wheeler Dealers is no easy task and every episode requires a massive effort from a dedicated team of people. We started, all those years ago, on a niche channel in the UK with just a small production: Michael Wood and Dan Allum; the founders of Attaboy TV and originators of the show, one production manager, a camera man, a sound man and Mike and myself. One hundred and thirty five cars later we have grown to a production team of over forty five staff, and we are now entertaining much of the TV watching planet. It’s been quite a ride.
It was exactly the worldwide popularity of Wheeler Dealers and sheer size of the audience, coupled with the lack of product placement and brand endorsements within the show which meant that Discovery US and Velocity Channel saw an opportunity for further exploitation of the brand and so, after season twelve, the show commission was taken over by Velocity Channel in the US, who decided to replace Attaboy TV with Discovery Studios in California.
Unfortunately, on Velocity’s first attempt at producing the show they found Wheeler Dealers ‘too difficult to make’, ‘at least in its current format’. In particular, the detailed and in depth coverage of my fixes in the workshop; what I consider to be the backbone and USP of the programme, are something Velocity feel should be reduced. The workshop jobs are certainly the hardest part of the show to make and reducing their substance and role in the show will save the production considerable time, effort and therefore money. However, this new direction is not something I am comfortable with as I feel the corners I was being asked to cut compromised the quality of my work and would erode my integrity as well as that of the show, so I have come to the conclusion that my only option is to let Velocity get on with it, without me.
Wheeler Dealers has been an enormous part of my life since 2002, a real roller coaster of demanding challenges and triumphant moments. It has been a privilege to meet and work with so many great people and, from the workshop to the joy rides, to be allowed to experience so many fabulous cars and amazing locations. Leaving the show at the height of its success has been a really tough decision to make but I believe the time is right for me to spread my wings. Sometimes you’ve just got to break free from the confines of your rut and head for the far horizon.
I would like to thank Attaboy TV, Mike, our incredible crew, and everyone who has contributed to making such a great programme for all of these years. A special thank you must go to every one of our fans for watching these past thirteen series, it has been great having you along for the ride, your appreciation means so much. Mike and Velocity will continue to make Wheeler Dealers, apparently with Ant Anstead taking my place in the workshop, so new episodes will be on your screens in due course. Being the new boy is never easy, so please give Ant your support, I wish him the very best of luck. It will certainly be nice to see Mike turn up at the workshop with yet another wreck knowing I don’t have to do any of the work!
As for me, I am already working on some great new projects which will expand my world in new directions and, as I will have a bit of time on my hands, I’ll even start to put some things up on my youTube channel, so keep an eye out for that. Right now though, I just feel relieved and exhilarated with freedom and I can’t wait to get cracking on the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
For years Discovery have been encouraging everyone to: ‘make your world bigger’ – and that is exactly what I am now doing. Edd China
They're just going to make the show into another wrecks to riches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IB15T1LYiY
About the only reason to watch the show was Edd China making repairs, welding etc look so easy.
As a car guy, this is one of my favorite shows! Sorry to see Edd leave. He’s a pretty cool dude!
Yep. I like Edd, too. He seems to know pretty much everything about every car imaginable.
What they will do is turn the show from riches to wrecks. Edd China was the main reason for watching the show. Mike was funny but Edd was da man. I will most likely not be tuniing in.
I agree, to me watching Edd China work his magic was the reason I enjoy watching the show, even the reruns. The last season has been a bit of a disappointment for me. Instead of restoring neat old cars, it was more like “Look what we can do—turn a Masserati into an electric car!” Quite impressive, but not the same show I’ve enjoyed.
Wheeler Dealers without Edd China is going to be like Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson.
Edd is such a multi-talented mechanic.
I learned a lot about cars just by watching him and by listening to his explanations.
This is what they always do. American Restoration showed many steps of the restoration process, but they decide that was boring, so it turned into: items are brought in, staged shop antics and hijinks ensue, and then a reveal without seeing any of the work. Then, they tossed Rick’s shop aside. I was amazed that Edd’s work continued to be shown in detail. No offense to Ant, but I think I’m gone with the China.
I felt that the repairs shown on WD were inspirational in that they did not look THAT difficult and that I could even do it. The other shows, the scope of the makeover was too much.
Shocked that Aaron of “Fast and Loud” is gone and that the show itself may become something else.
Too bad about the change.
In depth coverage of the fixes is what made the show very good.
Edd China gave what many viewers wanted - great understanding of the “nuts and bolts” of how automobiles and their parts are engineered; teaching all of us how we could hope to make repairs ourselves. I guess Velocity didn’t like how educated Edd was helping us become.
That really sucks I’d made the show I guess it’s on the graveyard cars for me
When the show moved to CA I could tell it was more entertainment than wrench turning. Velocity pooched it. Edd leaving will be it’s death knell
Agreed. They jumped the shark moving to California although the episode where they converted the automatic Datsun 240Z to a 5-speed was cool.
While a writer/author and prolific reader with a degree in English, and an electrical engineer, my hobby is mechanics - any machinery - motorcycles, cars, trucks, tractors - you name it. I have a full shop and garage that keeps my 8 adult kids and their friends hanging out here almost every weekend. I restore old motorcycles.
This was the best of all the car shows because Edd is the best at what he does, and the show included more details of the work and all involved than any other show.
That’s why all of us gear-heads/wrenches loved it the most.
Edd will do well whatever he does. Mike? We’ll see. He’ll never find another Edd. Mike’s the sales guy. Edd’s the one who filled in the blanks between the purchase and the sale. No way the show can continue to be half what it was without him.
Love the guy. A “wrench’s” wrench.
And the big reason we mechanics like to watch these kind of shows is to maybe pick up a tip or two. Learning something new each day is always good.
And acbig reason we mechanics like to watch these kind of shows is to maybe pick up a tip or two. Learning something new each day is always good.
Edd was why you watched the show ,, logically it made no sense ,, buy a car for 5000 put 2000 in parts and 5000 in labor into it and then proclaim victory when you sell it for 10000 forgetting the loss on labor...
"Fast and Loud" jumped the shark ages ago. Looks like Velocity is trying to take this show down the same path.
Bummer, Edd made the show.
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