Top Gear bosses considered scrapping the show after Richard Hammond was seriously injured filming an episode in 2006, a former series producer said.
Andy Wilman said he and host Jeremy Clarkson were said to have asked each other what are we doing? after the long-running motoring series was plunged into turmoil.
They said the impact of Hammonds crash on his young family prompted the temporary existential crisis.
Speaking to the Royal Television Society London conference, Mr Wilman - an old school friend of Clarksons - said: Richards first big crash was a real wake up. Because I remember driving up the M1 and thinking: F—, its a TV show, and I had just rung the hospital and they went: Hes in intensive care and we dont know if hes going to make it.
Youre like: Weve done everything … youre not thinking about whos to blame or anything like that, because everything was in place.
Richard Hammond (pictured) nearly died when filming a stunt in a Vampire jet car at Yorks Elvington airfield
Pictured, the moment Richard Hammond crashed while filming a stunt for Top Gear in 2006
Andy Wilman (pictured) said he and host Jeremy Clarkson were said to have asked each other what are we doing?
But you think: Hes got a wife and two children. What are we doing?
It was the fear and the helplessness, obviously, because they (the hospital staff) wont tell you any more on the phone, give you any details, and youre stuck in traffic, and youre panicking, and youre thinking: Whats the point of what we do? What is the point?
We did have a good chat about this, me, Jeremy and the others.
Our dysfunctional family sorted itself out.
Wilman also said the pair and streaming giant Amazon were initially concerned about the potential success of the recent Clarksons Farm series, saying: We were just scared it would be boring.
Hammond nearly died when filming a stunt in a Vampire jet car at Yorks Elvington airfield.
One of the tyres blew while travelling at 320mph, causing it to spin out of control and crash, flipping it upside down and leaving Hammond with serious head injuries that put him in a coma for two weeks.
Hammond later said he had survivors guilt and that he begged senior producers to carry out the stunt.
Earlier this year he said: I mean it was me that ran into the office, Wilmans office at the BBC.
I dont know why the idea came to me, I just ran in and said Wilman, Wilman, I want to go real f***ng fast, really fast like proper fast.
Andy Wilman is an old school friend of former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson (pictured)
Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond attend "An Evening With The Grand Tour" celebrating the final special at Television Centre on September 10
Thats where the idea came from. Next thing you know I got a phone call from him saying Right Rich, weve sorted this jet-powered dragster for you to have a go.
He added: Was it my fault, I have responsibilities, two beautiful daughters, Izzy and Willow, theyre everything, and had I risked them being without a father by my rash actions?
So I had terrible guilt until they could look at what telemetry there was on the machine and they could assure me No Richie, your reactions were good, you did everything, there was nothing you could do beyond that point, the tyre had gone, it was an accident.
Clarkson, Hammond and fellow presenter James May continue to front Top Gear on the BBC until 2015.
One of his successors, former England cricket Andrew Flintoff, suffered a near-fatal crash on Top Gear after his three-wheeled open-top Morgan Super 3, which did not have air bags, flipped over in freezing conditions in December 2022.
He has returned to presenting but continues to bear the scars of the crash.