So , the New Top Gear

Not so new after all.
I like four plus million other petrol heads watched the new Top Gear last night , no doubt many of us were hoping for a new revamped program to go with the new revamped team .... we were disappointed , last nights Top Gear was a prime example of if it aint broke don't fix it ... except it was broke and it needed fixing.

Chris Clarkson along with Mat Le Hammond competed in the same old wacky challenge routine interspersed with the same old format of Star in a ... , introducing the Stig with the same old "some say" monologue and film of the star of the show driving fast and expensive fantasy cars ...same old same old.

Last night was the first since the dream team departure and bound to be a bit edgy , maybe it will get better , I hope it gets better but I can't help feel the BBC has shot itself in the foot here and missed an opportunity to move on and reinvent a show that will be done better by Amazon Prime.

a reply to: gortex

Is it the same three guys?

That's all I'm interested in.

I don't need it to be any better than it was before Jeremy brought the whole thing crashing down.

Have no BBC at the moment, please pardon my ignorance.

a reply to: Urantia1111

No they fell out with the BBC and are now working on a new show for Amazon Prime , the new Top Gear team is fronted by Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc with contributions from other presenters.
The new team

They got custody of the Stig though.

a reply to: gortex

Top Gear has never been the same since Angela Rippon left the show.

Looks like the BBC used their quota system for casting, no wonder why it wasn't a good show. Casting and chemistry is soo important. one of my favorite shows if the BBC version of Coupling. They tried to make an American version, with basically the same script, it sucked...why casting. I liked the cast of the American Coupling in other things, but together, boooo

American here. I was a big fan of the last cast, with May, Hammond, and Clarkson... although by the end, I had had enough of Clarkson's pompous attitude- he had nothing but contempt and derision for- well, for everything! It's no surprise that the BBC chose to sever ties with him, all contractual and legal business aside. Definitely did not seem like a guy I'd want to sit down and have a pint with, and that's not just the American in me talking. But exactly the opposite for Richard Hammond and James May, whose personalities and rapport I found very pleasant. They'll be missed.

I'm excited to see the new run of shows, and I must say I feel differently than yourself as to the show's format. I'm glad they're keeping the same formula going- same production quality, the challenge envelopes, etc. Half of the show's allure is in the incredible cinematography- the surreal angles and lighting, and the amazing shots and footage of the newest and most exotic supercars on the planet. And the head-to-head challenges- whether between car and a another car, or a motorcycle, a train, a sailing ship, or a blimp- always came down to an exciting photo finish! I was happy with that content, no drastic change required. On American TV, it seems like they're constantly trying to reinvent EVERYTHING, and more often than not, the new format fails, and what once was a good show ends up in the trash. But I agree they could've changed a couple small things- if they're using the exact same wording for things (some say, etc...), it may feel like a parody.

I'm also excited that they're bringing in Sabine Schmidtz, the cool and badass female German race driver and master of the Nurburgring. I enjoyed the duality of her light and jokey personality versus her fiery intensity on the track, and watching her destroy the competition!

Hopefully the new hosts et al are interesting and fresh enough to keep it going once the audience adjusts, it would be a shame for the show to go away entirely after such a long run.

As I say, haven't seen it yet, BBC America always gets the premieres a day or two after they air for the home audience across the pond, so the premiere is this evening. But I am looking forward to it. Good topic/post!

Sometimes things run their course and should come to a natural end.. Otherwise it loses its cult status which I imagine is what will happen here..

a reply to: gortex

Ugh. It was boring, forced, uncomfortable and utterly a waste of an hour of my life. I can't stand Chris Evans but I went in with an open mind and this show didn't change my opinion. Some thoughts:


• HEY CHRIS STOP SHOUTING you goon. Annoying little man.
• Matt LeBlanc actually outshone Evans, and this is saying something because Matt LeBlanc was wooden, unenthusiastic and looked like he didn't want to be there. Although he was better on his own.
• How the heck did they manage to make fighter plane style combat with two muscle cars bedecked in faux missiles and a .50 cal boring? I have no idea, but they managed it.
• Man, I hate Evans.
• I didn't laugh or even crack a smile once. Old TG was the rare program that would have me laughing out loud even if I watched it alone.
• NO CHEMISTRY. There was no buzz between Evans and LeBlanc at all.
• Everyone read off autocues. It was not conversational at all.
• Oh Jeez Gordron Ramsay really? UGH.
• I usually fast-forward through the "star in the car" section. This time I found myself fast-forwarding through EVERY segment.
• Oh look a Series 1 Landy vs. a WWII Jeep, this should be int - oh, no, wait, they made it boring
• STOP SHOUTING EVANS that's what microphones are for
• No news segment? Fail.

In short. I still loathe Evans, and this will be the last time I watch Top Gear. No-one watched it for the cars, they watched it to see three mates do dumb stuff and act like children, I mean, c'mon, they had a dogfight skit with a Brit and a German at not once did anyone refer to the war. I mean, REALLY? Jeez.

I can only be grateful for having an Amazon Prime subscription - that's where I'll get my idiot fix from now on. I'm out, BBC.

originally posted by: M4nWithNoN4me
American here. I was a big fan of the last cast, with May, Hammond, and Clarkson... although by the end, I had had enough of Clarkson's pompous attitude- he had nothing but contempt and derision for- well, for everything! It's no surprise that the BBC chose to sever ties with him, all contractual and legal business aside. Definitely did not seem like a guy I'd want to sit down and have a pint with, and that's not just the American in me talking. But exactly the opposite for Richard Hammond and James May, whose personalities and rapport I found very pleasant. They'll be missed.

I see where you are coming from, but the thing is Hammond and May still had their jobs...they just didn't want to do it without Clarkson, and I kind of see why, they were all mates.
Clarkson's persona is...well, crazy and mixed up, but also very observant, with a splash of no nonsense when it suited.

I didn't see the new show last night, but there will likely be a repeat through the week.

a reply to: dogsounds

I mean, c'mon, they had a dogfight skit with a Brit and a German at not once did anyone refer to the war. I mean, REALLY? Jeez.

True enough mate.

Agree with all your other points too , it was poor.

a reply to: gortex

Can a person be both disappointed and at the same time not surprised? Well I was.

Nothing new under the Sun they say, and that about sums up this sad, spectre of a show. I love Top Gear, I love it for all the wrong, politically incorrect reasons and I will be tuning to Amazon to see what the "other" show can offer.

Chris Evans isn't funny, Matt LeBlanc is an actor, not a presenter and I turned it off after they arrived in Blackpool.

Just out of interest, were there any wonderfully shot, beautifully soundtracked pieces to the show? If so I shall look for them on YouTube.

a reply to: dogsounds

I think you pretty much encapsulate what is wrong with the show in its present guise. With that I shall leave you with this.

Boys being idiots.



Reliant owners being themselves.



Photography being what it should be.

Wow, the challenges sucks. They are missing a third person for any challenge. It isn't funny. No news talk ether.

I don't even want to watch the new show...

The US version sucks... so does the Australian one...

I think theres a couple more too... but why bother

Without the original cast, there's no show...

Though i do want to see their show on Amazon...

Chris Evens was anoying. His voice was annoying and he was trying to hard to be Clarkson 2.0.

Waiting for the REAL Top gear to come out on Amazon.

originally posted by: dogsounds
a


• HEY CHRIS STOP SHOUTING you goon. Annoying little man.
• Matt LeBlanc actually outshone Evans, and this is saying something because Matt LeBlanc was wooden, unenthusiastic and looked like he didn't want to be there. Although he was better on his own.
• How the heck did they manage to make fighter plane style combat with two muscle cars bedecked in faux missiles and a .50 cal boring? I have no idea, but they managed it.
• Man, I hate Evans.
• I didn't laugh or even crack a smile once. Old TG was the rare program that would have me laughing out loud even if I watched it alone.
• NO CHEMISTRY. There was no buzz between Evans and LeBlanc at all.
• Everyone read off autocues. It was not conversational at all.
• Oh Jeez Gordron Ramsay really? UGH.
• I usually fast-forward through the "star in the car" section. This time I found myself fast-forwarding through EVERY segment.
• Oh look a Series 1 Landy vs. a WWII Jeep, this should be int - oh, no, wait, they made it boring
• STOP SHOUTING EVANS that's what microphones are for
• No news segment? Fail.

In short. I still loathe Evans, and this will be the last time I watch Top Gear. No-one watched it for the cars, they watched it to see three mates do dumb stuff and act like children, I mean, c'mon, they had a dogfight skit with a Brit and a German at not once did anyone refer to the war. I mean, REALLY? Jeez.

I can only be grateful for having an Amazon Prime subscription - that's where I'll get my idiot fix from now on. I'm out, BBC.

Pretty much sums up why I found it #.

True it just wasn't very good as a first episode goes, hopefully fingers crossed it gets better WAY better.

So, the best Top Gear is no Top Gear?

The second episode was on last night and was better than the first episode.

a reply to: gortex

I watched about the first fifteen minutes and then stopped, it was odd to see the same show with different people badly impersonating the old crew with none of the chemistry.

A mate summed it up when he said that you could maybe have gotten away with replacing one of the Beatles and carrying on but not replacing all of them at the same time and expecting to have the same band.