Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel
Encyclopedia
Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel is a one-off television documentary presented by Richard Hammond
and first broadcast on 23 December 2007 on BBC Two
. The show was produced by Visual Voodoo and the executive producer was Ben Devlin
.
This was filmed 4 months before Evel's death.
. The presenter, Richard Hammond
, spends four days with former motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel
. Knievel, by now 69 years old, had become very ill, requiring an oxygen tank strapped up to him constantly to aid with breathing. 48 hours before the film crew arrived, Knievel had a stroke. At several points during filming, Knievel cuts the interview short and leaves before Hammond has finished asking questions.
During the festival Knievel was meant to lead a bike parade, and invited Hammond to ride alongside him, but he was taken to hospital and was unable to lead the parade. He later showed up at the end of the day. On the last day of the festival fellow daredevil Trigger Gumms completed a jump over double what Evel jumped. The day after in the local newspaper Knievel stated he was not impressed with the jump.
Hammond also conducts interviews with Knievel's former bodyguard Gene Sullivan, former daredevil Debbie Lawler and his former publicist Shelly Saltman
, who was assaulted by Knievel in 1977, an attack which destroyed Evel's reputation and eventually caused him to declare himself bankrupt. On the final day of filming, Evel asked Hammond to go and view his tombstone which he had paid for himself.
Archive clips shown during the programme and discussed with Knievel include his jumps at Caesars Palace
, Las Vegas
, Snake River Canyon
, Idaho
and Wembley Stadium
, London
as well as his conversion in the Crystal Cathedral
in California
. Evel died four months after the show was filmed but before the programme was first broadcast.
Knievel is sympathetically but, at the same time, revealingly portrayed as a bitter old man that surely lives up to his legend (showing up for disturbing screenings and even more challenging interviews about his former traumatic failures, despite being ill and in excruciating pain, but displaying nothing more than a grudgy attitude), but is reluctant to face the moral challenges that come with re-living his relationships with his family, his "rock'n'roll star" behaviour patterns and, ultimately, the issue of surviving his career by a long stretch. Knievel's inner controversies are captured in his reluctance to be interviewed by Hammond in the first place, and punctuated by editing and writing of the documentary. Hammond feels somewhat embarrassed to pursue his goal of clarifying the feelings of Evel about his career during the interviews (given the struggle between admiration and ire of being constantly put off by Knievel), and thus gives the viewer even more insight into the Evel's personality and the phenomenon behind his popularity. Finally, the film clearly shows Knievel shutting himself off the BBC filming team, as he finally thanks Hammond in a polite way, but firmly advises him to "get on his airplane and get outta here".
standard definition picture.
The documentary progresses through the five filming days in sequence. Pre-arranged interviews with Knievel and other related persons are combined with archive footage, some of which is also shown to the interviewee. Around this, some coverage of the Evel Knievel Days festival is provided, and the sections are linked together by piece to camera
segments by Hammond or shots of Hammond riding around Butte on a rented Harley-Davidson motorcycle with voice-over
. Hammond conveyed his thoughts before and after a days filming in a video-diary style filmed in his hotel room at the Lincoln Hotel.
In an interview with Radio Times
, Hammond described himself as being "fascinated, terrified and elated" to be in the company of Evel Knievel. Hammond said that during the filming, Knievel "shouted at me, the crew and the people with him constantly"
—said he was surprised to find Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel "a pretty rich documentary" describing its real strength as "[serving] up lashings of the kind of pure Americana that many other British documentaries have striven much harder for, without matching." The Scotsman
presented a more mixed view saying it was a "much more reflective Top Gear-related product than usual" but commented that "Knievel was clearly getting fed up of Hammond and, frankly, I was getting tired of him". In contrast to Hammond's conclusion that Knievel was still his hero, the journalist wrote "For those of us who didn't play with the wind-up motorbike doll when we were six, (Knievel) didn't seem all that heroic".
The Observer
' s Roger Alton describes the show as one of the highlights of the Christmas period when it was first shown, calling it a "fantastic achievement" and descrbing it as a "stunning, poignant, visually saturated interview". Paul Hirons on the TV Scoop website described it as a "entertaining and poignant documentary" and admired Hammond's "refreshingly non-arse-kissy approach to interviewing his hero" but described it as "a shame" that Knievel had not warmed to Hammond.
David Belcher's article in The Herald
was far more critical describing it as "hellish to witness grievous damage being done to the Hamster's cuddly reputation by the ill-advised documentary farrago that was Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel." He described Hammond's "worship" of Knievel as "oddly punitive" as he "pursued the dying man through the streets of his shabby home town, Butte, Montana."
's terrestrial premiere of the film Vanity Fair
which obtained an audience 2.6 million but was beaten by Monarchy: the Royal Family At Work on sister channel BBC One
which drew 5.3 million viewers. The programme was preceded on BBC Two
by the last episode of Top Gear
' s 2007 series (and the evening was promoted as "Top Gear Night") which had obtained 6.8 million viewers, 2.4 million more than the number that watched Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
and first broadcast on 23 December 2007 on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. The show was produced by Visual Voodoo and the executive producer was Ben Devlin
Ben Devlin
Ben Devlin is a British television Executive Producer. After periods working in journalism including a stint at the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph he entered tv broadcasting and worked for the BBC, Rapido TV, Clive James's Watchmaker Films, Graham Norton's So TV and Visual Voodoo, the...
.
This was filmed 4 months before Evel's death.
Subject
The documentary is based around the Evel Knievel Days event in Butte, MontanaButte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
. The presenter, Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
, spends four days with former motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
. Knievel, by now 69 years old, had become very ill, requiring an oxygen tank strapped up to him constantly to aid with breathing. 48 hours before the film crew arrived, Knievel had a stroke. At several points during filming, Knievel cuts the interview short and leaves before Hammond has finished asking questions.
During the festival Knievel was meant to lead a bike parade, and invited Hammond to ride alongside him, but he was taken to hospital and was unable to lead the parade. He later showed up at the end of the day. On the last day of the festival fellow daredevil Trigger Gumms completed a jump over double what Evel jumped. The day after in the local newspaper Knievel stated he was not impressed with the jump.
Hammond also conducts interviews with Knievel's former bodyguard Gene Sullivan, former daredevil Debbie Lawler and his former publicist Shelly Saltman
Shelly Saltman
Sheldon “Shelly” Arthur Saltman is a promoter of major sports and entertainment events including the worldwide promotion of the Muhammad Ali / Joe Frazier heavyweight championship boxing matches, creating the Andy Williams San Diego Golf Classic, helping to arrange the independent NFL Players...
, who was assaulted by Knievel in 1977, an attack which destroyed Evel's reputation and eventually caused him to declare himself bankrupt. On the final day of filming, Evel asked Hammond to go and view his tombstone which he had paid for himself.
Archive clips shown during the programme and discussed with Knievel include his jumps at Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, Snake River Canyon
Snake River Canyon (Idaho)
Snake River Canyon is a large canyon formed by the Snake River in the Magic Valley region of southern Idaho. It is well known as the site of an unsuccessful 1974 attempt by Evel Knievel to jump it in the Skycycle X-2....
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
and Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as well as his conversion in the Crystal Cathedral
Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, United States. It is the headquarters and principal place of worship for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and affiliated with the...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Evel died four months after the show was filmed but before the programme was first broadcast.
Knievel is sympathetically but, at the same time, revealingly portrayed as a bitter old man that surely lives up to his legend (showing up for disturbing screenings and even more challenging interviews about his former traumatic failures, despite being ill and in excruciating pain, but displaying nothing more than a grudgy attitude), but is reluctant to face the moral challenges that come with re-living his relationships with his family, his "rock'n'roll star" behaviour patterns and, ultimately, the issue of surviving his career by a long stretch. Knievel's inner controversies are captured in his reluctance to be interviewed by Hammond in the first place, and punctuated by editing and writing of the documentary. Hammond feels somewhat embarrassed to pursue his goal of clarifying the feelings of Evel about his career during the interviews (given the struggle between admiration and ire of being constantly put off by Knievel), and thus gives the viewer even more insight into the Evel's personality and the phenomenon behind his popularity. Finally, the film clearly shows Knievel shutting himself off the BBC filming team, as he finally thanks Hammond in a polite way, but firmly advises him to "get on his airplane and get outta here".
Production
Filming took place on location in Butte, Montana from 25–29 July 2007. It can be seen during the programme that Sony DVW-790WSP Digital Betacam cameras were used to provide a widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) 576i576i
576i is a standard-definition video mode used in PAL and SECAM countries. In digital applications it is usually referred to as "576i", in analogue contexts it is often quoted as "625 lines"...
standard definition picture.
The documentary progresses through the five filming days in sequence. Pre-arranged interviews with Knievel and other related persons are combined with archive footage, some of which is also shown to the interviewee. Around this, some coverage of the Evel Knievel Days festival is provided, and the sections are linked together by piece to camera
Piece to camera
A piece to camera is the television and film term used for when a presenter or a character speaks directly to the viewing audience through the camera....
segments by Hammond or shots of Hammond riding around Butte on a rented Harley-Davidson motorcycle with voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
. Hammond conveyed his thoughts before and after a days filming in a video-diary style filmed in his hotel room at the Lincoln Hotel.
In an interview with Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
, Hammond described himself as being "fascinated, terrified and elated" to be in the company of Evel Knievel. Hammond said that during the filming, Knievel "shouted at me, the crew and the people with him constantly"
Reception
James Walton—writing for The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
—said he was surprised to find Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel "a pretty rich documentary" describing its real strength as "[serving] up lashings of the kind of pure Americana that many other British documentaries have striven much harder for, without matching." The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
presented a more mixed view saying it was a "much more reflective Top Gear-related product than usual" but commented that "Knievel was clearly getting fed up of Hammond and, frankly, I was getting tired of him". In contrast to Hammond's conclusion that Knievel was still his hero, the journalist wrote "For those of us who didn't play with the wind-up motorbike doll when we were six, (Knievel) didn't seem all that heroic".
The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
David Belcher's article in The Herald
The Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
was far more critical describing it as "hellish to witness grievous damage being done to the Hamster's cuddly reputation by the ill-advised documentary farrago that was Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel." He described Hammond's "worship" of Knievel as "oddly punitive" as he "pursued the dying man through the streets of his shabby home town, Butte, Montana."
Ratings
The programme finished second in its 9 p.m. timeslot on its first showing in the UK, obtaining 4.4 million viewers which corresponded to an 18% audience share. It beat ITV1ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
's terrestrial premiere of the film Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (2004 film)
Vanity Fair is a 2004 British-American costume drama film directed by Mira Nair and adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray's novel of the same name...
which obtained an audience 2.6 million but was beaten by Monarchy: the Royal Family At Work on sister channel BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
which drew 5.3 million viewers. The programme was preceded on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
by the last episode of Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...