TOP GEAR

[AMGeed]

This episode showed without doubt that the chemistry that existed before, with Clarkson and Co' cannot be replaced. The forced humour was cringeworthy.
This was an ideal setting for a great programme, and I just sat there wishing not one of the current presenters was there.

Its now pretty clear that the BBC are not going to change the format, the Grand Tour does it better, with a bigger budget and likeable presenters.

TGT 1 - Top Gear 0

 

[CLSMark]

Rory Reid isn’t a natural on screen, I’m assuming he’s there to appeal to “da kidz” he doesn’t work for me

Chris Harris, sounds like a chartered accountant, his YouTube stuff was good, but he’s too dull for an hour long entertainment show

Matt LeBlanc is the only one with natural charisma, but the chemistry with the above isn’t there.

I’d like Edd China
Alex Kersten from Car Throttle
And Mat Watson (car wow)

Rob Brydon is an unfunny little pompous shit




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Mactech]

I know it will probably not be a popular idea, but given that Top Gear is ostensibly a car program, would there be any point in concentrating on the cars rather than character assassination? Just askin’

 

[flowrider]

The latest Topgear is no different to the previous series, pretty much just an excuse for 3 people to have a good time on us driving flash cars in daft situations doing pointless tests and all in cars that the majority of the population will never drive.. The Grand Tour is just the same.

 

[fabes]

Wanted to like it, but road trip was too long, Rob B was awful and not enough of anything else.

Less is more but more is more with actual car reviews / features etc
Shorter features or some more geek / petrolhead stuff in there

I still think MLBs review of the RR or Bentley convertible from his first series was what can be done well though (go find it on line some where)

 

[stwat]

I do like all three presenters and the show. I just thought this episode was basically, well, boring.
Maybe it was the editing. It just didn't flow. Such a shame for the first show in the new series.

 

[Mactech]

I will admit to nodding off in the Rob Bryden bit, but I still think the other presenters can and will work given a little more time together.
I've met quite a few of the motoring presenters during 40 years in motorsport and whilst we may not all be fans of their on screen (or off screen) personas, it is actually a pretty difficult job.
When I worked with Martin Brundle for the first time back in '83 (F3 against Senna) the thought that either he or Eddie Jordan would become TV presenters was frankly, laughable.
Martin's first efforts on 'Believe it or not' were not great, but now he has become very much the voice of FI and inventor of the 'Grid Walk'

I was also wrong about the only racing driver who ever broke down in tears on me in the car! Upset by his own lack of speed as a young driver, he would go on to become a great F1 team principle...and husband of a Spice girl!

In the world of Instaslag, Twitting and Facecloth it is far too easy to criticise emerging talent before it matures.....

 

[Ted]

I will admit to nodding off in the Rob Bryden bit, but I still think the other presenters can and will work given a little more time together.

In the world of Instaslag, Twitting and Facecloth it is far too easy to criticise emerging talent before it matures.....

Except that they have all proved themselves in the last series.
MLB was awkward when he presented with Chris Evans (unsurprisingly), and really came out as a good lead presenter after the first couple of episodes in the last series.
Rory Reid is a genuinely likeable guy, and his enthusiasm shines through - Personally I think that choosing him was inspired - he is the 'ordinary' guy with the job many of us would have loved.
And Chris Harris knows how to drive a car. He also knows how to explore its limits, so just what you want in a motoring programme. He's very 'look at me', but I can handle that, given what he can do and report on.

They have all proved themselves to be great presenters - it's just that this first programme did feel very contrived - I'm looking forward to the next ones in the series.

 

[st13phil]

I watched the show on iPlayer last night - all the way through - and thought it was a huge lost opportunity in so many ways.

The root of the problem was the moronic idea of setting 3 V8 performance road cars on dirt. Instead of realising that this was going nowhere and should be consigned to the bin, the production team then set about trying to make a stupendously bad idea work and the result was exactly as you would expect: contrived and forced. The TG crew need to appreciate that Denis Healey's first law of politics, "When you’re in a hole, stop digging" is applicable to many other things in life, and that the combination of fantastic scenery and stunning aerial shots can't rescue them when they've set off in the wrong direction.

I hope the rest of the series is significantly better.

 

[BTB 500]

I also watched it on iPlayer last night and thought it was OK. To me the presenters are starting to gel together now, which wasn't the case before. Sure I would prefer Clarkson & co. but this is slowly getting better and I'll keep watching for now. Agree with the comments about Rob Brydon though, and I thought the 'bootleg run' bit was pretty silly. The McLaren came over pretty well I thought.

 

[grober]

Did anybody ?? watch the 5 minute piece on the GT40 on EXTRA GEAR then? An MK 1 GT40--- driven , ,some archival footage of the 24 hour race, the John Wyer V Carl Shelby business, and 1969 Le Mans winner Jackie Oliver ---what's not to like *? Should have been in the main TV show rather than all that demolition derby nonsense.

* interesting that the whole project probably came about because Enzo Ferrari had finally rebuffed Henry Ford II's attempt to buy a controlling interest in Ferrari and this was payback.

 

[kid-jensen]

Four words: Bring back Fifth Gear!

 

[st13phil]

To me the presenters are starting to gel together now, which wasn't the case before. Sure I would prefer Clarkson & co. but this is slowly getting better and I'll keep watching for now.

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that the TG format as continued by the BBC is never going to be a success.

The Clarkson/Wilman-era TG shows created the format: three blokes doing car-themed things that many other blokes would like to do, in visually attractive locations with high production values. Add in Clarkson's provocative comments, plus Clarkson & May's journalistic background and Hammond's presenting past and they created something different. OK, it became a bit of a cartoonish parody of itself at times, but it was their idea. They've now moved to Amazon as the Grand Tour where the budget is bigger and Clarkson can be a bit more provocative without the great and the good of auntie beeb getting their knickers in a twist.

The problem that TG at the BBC has is that they are trying to do what Clarkson and Co. did, but with different people (both presenters and production team). One thing that life has taught me is that you never get to be the best by aping the best, because you will always be at least one step behind them as they move to their next Good Thing, and that is why MLB, Reid and Monkey Harris will never pull it off, however hard they try: they've constrained themselves by trying to copy someone else's format. They even copy the "random person appears and hands them a card with their next challenge on it" for cripes sake.

I can't help but think that they should head in a different direction and make the show a bit more about the cars, and less about the scripted "spontaneous" humour and antics.

 

[AMGeed]

^ Well put Phil. It is what I was trying to convey earlier. The show in its current format is Clarkson/Wilman and the current presenters have neither the personality nor humour to carry it off.
As for character assassination...........I'm sure their salaries will comfort them.

 

[C240Sport97]

Bryden was awful .. I don't understand how he is successful, he is not even mildly funny

 

[st13phil]

Did anybody ?? watch the 5 minute piece on the GT40 on EXTRA GEAR then?

Not yet, but I will - thanks for the tip-off.

 

[Chrishazle]

Thanks to Groser's tip I just watched Extragear on Iplayer - loved being able to FF past the chain "racing" idiocy, other than that the whole thing was loads better than TG!! That whole thing about the GT40 should have been on the main program - maybe from here on I'll just ignore TG and watch EG instead!

 

[Mactech]

I agree that Extragear is simply great for us petrol heads and is much preferable as a watch.
However we are not the program planners for BBC2 and I'd hazard they know more about what the majority want to watch.
But where's the problem? We all have interweb so we can watch a programme more in line with our tastes whenever we want

 

[Yugguy]

I'll have the Mustang. The McLaren is fugly.

I like the new presenters. I'd got fed up of the previous three basically being caricatures of themselves.

And as for forced humour, the last grand tour episode I watched had them trying to get supercars over speed bumps. Again. Oh look, my wide car won't fit in this narrow alley.

Horses for courses I guess.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

I'll have the McLaren. The Mustang is fugly

Did you mean to say that the other way around??? I hope so.