New Top Gear 2013

[Knock-on]

Here it is again :)

The P45 had my whole family laughing. Not just laughing but in tears, made even better by knowing everywhere they were in Bramley, Shalford, Guildford and onto the A3. Both kids going "look, it's Debenhams" or "Thats the Seahourse"!!

[MrJan]

The P45 had my whole family laughing.

Worst part of the show IMO. I found it vaguely amusing but, as with all things Clarkson, it went on too long and the time would've been better spent going into a bit more depth on the Huayara.

[henners88]

I nearly watched it, but opted to watch 'The Hotel' instead :)

[Mark]

Worst part of the show IMO. I found it vaguely amusing but, as with all things Clarkson, it went on too long

Amusing, but yes, went on too long.



and the time would've been better spent going into a bit more depth on the Huayara.

Nope, supercar tests are by far the most boring part. So it can go fast, I don't care.

[steveaki13]

I have to say I enjoyed it all alot.

I thought it showed just how hard being a co driver is.

I thought the P45 was great. Having seen quite a few of the reruns over Christmas I had forgotten how old they were getting.

[MrJan]

Nope, supercar tests are by far the most boring part. So it can go fast, I don't care.

The speed impresses me but TBH the thing I like about the supercar reviews is more the statistics and the engineering side. Watching them go sideways is crap but seeing the up close details of that gear change is what I like. Likewise seeing it with the clamshell and doors all opened, it certainly interests me a lot more than seeing Clarkson doing a rehash of gags from other episiodes (e.g electric car running out, small car going on pavements/in lifts/indoors, breaking a car wash etc.)

[wedge]

Yep the Pagani was an undwhelming review. It was paint by numbers stuff like the BMW 1M review.

Look how cool the interieor is!

Carbon titanium! Engineering box ticked.

Now lets show how bonkers this car is!

[Gregor-y]

I'm looking forward to and dreading the long distance challenge since there's a Subaru a lot like mine in it. On one hand I want to see it on the trip but on the other there's going to be something in the script that will cause a problem that someone familiar with the car would know isn't possible.

[Anubis]

I hope the "specials" are indeed special, as the rest of the show ran out of ideas long ago, and I say that as a long time fan.

[Mark]

I hope the "specials" are indeed special, as the rest of the show ran out of ideas long ago, and I say that as a long time fan.

It did, they've done most of which can be done. However it's still amusing for it.

[Knock-on]

Amusing, but yes, went on too long.



Nope, supercar tests are by far the most boring part. So it can go fast, I don't care.

Have to agree. I loved the Bently piece and the P45 was pure comedy (although it was a touch long) but the Supercars are the least interesting prt for me. Mind you, it's not a motoring program any more but an entertainment program based around a motoring theme. If you accept that, it's great. :D

[Mark]

The Bentley rallying was fantastic! Just something you don't normally see that kind of car do, and in the hands of a driver who knows what he's doing!

[Anubis]

The Bentley rallying was fantastic! Just something you don't normally see that kind of car do, and in the hands of a driver who knows what he's doing!

Nice reminder that Chris Meeke can drive a bit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8bO7OfUgqg). To be honest, for me, it's only really James May keeping it interesting these days. Hammond has long sinced morphed into a 12 year old parody of himself that giggles whenever someone says "bottom", and Clarkson is just, well, Clarkson. Given Dacia are now selling the Sandero in the UK and it has been a long running gag, I was hoping they'd have swapped to a Sandero for their reasonably priced car. Either that or do something interesting with it, maybe similar to their Britcar 24 race. Needs some new ideas badly.

[J4MIE]

Looking forward to the Africa trip, today's episode wasn't great.

What other road trips could they get up to? Across Russia?

[henners88]

I think sadly Top Gear has well and truly had its day. I used to love tuning in on a Sunday night but its the same old stuff now. Three middle aged men pulling out scripted insults and doing the same styled challenges every series. I think they either need to have completely new presenters, or give it a 5 year break. At the least I think they should have got rid of Hammond years ago. I hope it recovers, but it really is dire of late IMO. I'm sure that opinion won't be shared by you all and apologies if my opinion offends. :)

[Mark]

An interesting throwaway comment by Clarkson tonight; "We've been looking forward to getting you on - since we learned we were coming back" - Now that suggests to me there was a possibility they wouldn't come back!

Personally I think, yes, it's had its day. They should have this series, and then a final series later this year and that should be that :)

[henners88]

I personally think it could be saved if they are willing to be a bit more effort into it. I would like to see Clarkson retained but get rid of Hammond and May. Maybe get a couple of younger presenters to join and split the program up a bit. Do some serious stuff and talk about technology in the car industry rather than trying to make the whole show a comedy sketch. The way it is now, its well and truly had its day IMO. I know Top Gear was dire when Clarkson originally left and it did turn rather boring. The trio we see now saved the show but its all got rather stale a decade on. I find fifth gear boring but that is mainly down to the presenters. If they could combine ideas from both I think you'd have potential for a good motoring show. Then again maybe that would fail and you'd have to ask whether motoring shows are really worthy of prime time slots any more?

[robee1328]

:vader:

[henners88]

?????

[D-Type]

With all comedy and comedy-related programmes in time the jokes get stale and the programme degenerates into a parody of itself. Top Gear is no exception to the rule.

[wedge]

It has its faults (fighter plane/laser tag being an example of running out of ideas) but nobody, not even on the interweb, will you find road trips cum group tests that can rival TG that is not only exquisitely filmed but capture the joy of motoring.

Recommendations? I would make it more consumer orientated but with the TG touch to it. eg. used car challenge that is easily related to the viewer like what cheap 7 seater? £1k hot hatch challenge, what first car for 17 year old under £1k?

[Brown, Jon Brow]

It isn't as good as it once was but it is still entertaining enough to be worth watching.

[Mark]

It has its faults (fighter plane/laser tag being an example of running out of ideas) but nobody, not even on the interweb, will you find road trips cum group tests that can rival TG that is not only exquisitely filmed but capture the joy of motoring.

Recommendations? I would make it more consumer orientated but with the TG touch to it. eg. used car challenge that is easily related to the viewer like what cheap 7 seater? £1k hot hatch challenge, what first car for 17 year old under £1k?

But they do that all the time. Get an old knackered car and drive it 1,000 miles.

[Gregor-y]

The US southwest is very photogenic but also pretty boring after a while. They need a trip with less than ideal conditions, and more issues with the cars they pick.

I'd suggest a Rally America event since it would get more crowds out, and it's not like they can mess up what's already a pretty amateur event heavily dependent on volunteers. Rent a suitable 2wd car with a support crew, get Jeremy and Richard a competition license and have James try to operate a finish control.

[Mark]

We have more rally events in the UK than you can possibly shake a stick at, so they could easily do one of those, but yeah, good idea.

[gloomyDAY]

Quit bad-mouthing Top Gear. It's a great show, and it's getting away from the shambles of 2008-2010 when it was nothing but slipping on bananas. The new series is probably going to have something for everyone.

I loved the first episode of the new series. Second episode needed to be written a little better. My $.02!

[Dave B]

Last night's episode was quite lazy by the standards of last week. The American road trip was all well and good as a single segment, but they didn't need to fill up 80% of the show with it. It was all a bit predictable, right down to sabotaging Hammond's car. I wasn't impressed by the glorified laserquest piece, apart from the undoubted skill of the pilots of course. The best part was the "fancy editing" to show them obeying the 55mph speed limit ;)

[Gregor-y]

That bothered me a bit because most western states are 75 on the divided highways and 65 on most other rural roads.

[BleAivano]

I'd love to se them doing a Scandinavian/Nordic special through Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Route part 1; E45 till Klarälvsvägen/väg 62 - Google Maps (http://goo.gl/maps/hIFCs) 2 810 km, 45 timmar
Route Part 2: Ekshärad till Nya Godbyvägen - Google Maps (http://goo.gl/maps/9agzG) 3 166 km, 46 timmar

total distance: 5976km.

Lets here about your wanted specials and routes.

[wedge]

But they do that all the time. Get an old knackered car and drive it 1,000 miles.

What's wrong with that? Cars these days are soul-less. I was intersted in a Porsche 944 and more of them on the roads and that was probwbly down to TG.

The problem with TG is that it tries too hard with the comedy. I don't mind schoolboy toilet humour but the features that feature A Team style mods are beyond silly to the point of being cringeworthy nor do I like the presenters playing caricatures of themselves and pretending to be idiots - shock horror! Jezza chooses a sensible car and not [I]power/[I] of the Dodge Viper.

Less comedy, more joy of motoring.

[Knock-on]

I think that TG could do a bit more relevant stuff. Shocking state of insurance, condition of roads, uninsured drivers etc. keep it real for the stuff that affects us all. Just a 5 min soapbox bit to relate to the man in the street.

However, I would be upset if it went altogether as I wouldn't be able to pop down and watch the track filming whenever I want :devil:

[steveaki13]

I must be too low brow. I still enjoy it. I see the jokes and ideas repeated a bit and I suspect the BBC will cancell it sooner rather than later.

However I still giggle. There again I can watch sitcoms many times and still laugh. I guess I am just easily pleased.

[Mark]

What's wrong with that?
.

Nothing at all, just that they've already done it, many times.

[donKey jote]

I admit I giggled slightly at the gentleman's sausage tyre marks, but otherwise I found both chapters well under par :dozey: