The New Top Gear

odd jim said:
But the difference was JC could present the show, knew his subject and audience, had charisma and could be bloody funny, no matter what you thought of him. All these things, CE lacks.
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Could present the show - I think so indeed, but I know plenty who would think otherwise
Knew his subject and audience - Fully agree, but so does Chris Evans. Don't underestimate him, he really does like cars and he does know a thing or two about audiences.
Had charisma - Whilst I agree, I know so many people who would disagree and found his charisma arrogance and annoying t***, just like CE really :)
Bloody funny - Yet again I fully agree, but he as well is a marmite figure 'his' jokes were controversial and got him into hot water often. Now his sense of humour is on my wavelength so I liked it, but take my father in law he'd be tutting all the time and refuses to watch that idiotic man.

odd jim said:
Those who disliked JC were, generally speaking, not TG fans.
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And that is the problem of the show, the lead presenter is the show. But I think BBC Top Gear can survive, it will become good. I think Chris's love for cars will help him settle in, like with many of these things it will get worse before it becomes great and a staple on TV again.

Anyway that is just my 2p :)
 
For me the presenters have never been the first thing about the show. It has always been the entertainment of the cars and sometimes the guests they have on the show. I'm not an Evans fan but he is passionate about cars and hopefully more of that will come out in the show.
I remember reading about him being spotted at a petrol station in one of his classic cars a group of lads spotted him and headed his way. He was dreading autograph hunters but was happily surprised to find they wanted to talk about the car.
 
I think top gear was always about the hosts to be honest, otherwise you could just watch any dime-a-dozen car show. Hammond, Clarkson, and May work as a great team together, and i might check out their show on amazon. I dont really care about cars that much, but found their banter and sketches to be funny. I havent even seen the new top gear, but dont think I'll bother somehow!
 
andythilo said:
I don't understand why Chris Harris is relegated to the after show. That guy is an amazing car journalist, very funny and he can drive!
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Never heard of him before but he was certainly the dullest driver on this weeks show!
 
Mikesphotaes said:
Never heard of him before but he was certainly the dullest driver on this weeks show!
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Indeed, really just can't warm to the guy. I just don't get him.

I like the last feature with the hoonigan ford. The rest I just couldn't get into.
 
I like the show but fail to understand why they cant give a 10 minute slot to "real cars" they should road test the new Ford Ka + or the new Astra, you know the sort of car, the sort of car 30 million of us drive every single day of the week
 
Gary Coyle said:
I like the show but fail to understand why they cant give a 10 minute slot to "real cars" they should road test the new Ford Ka + or the new Astra, you know the sort of car, the sort of car 30 million of us drive every single day of the week
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Nah, that is for fifth gear and the dealers or what car tv online. I mean what is there to review; yup it's got four doors and a nice badge that it now has ABS. We all know the answer; mediocre to drive, you know what you are going to get, and yes it's getting more and more expensive. I'd rather watch Chris Evans watching paint dry.
 
Gary Coyle said:
I like the show but fail to understand why they cant give a 10 minute slot to "real cars" they should road test the new Ford Ka + or the new Astra, you know the sort of car, the sort of car 30 million of us drive every single day of the week
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That's not entertainment (it hasn't been a consumer show for about 15 years), unless they do it they way the old TG team used to do. Remember the Fiesta road test where it was chased through the shopping centre by a Corvette?

View: https://youtu.be/7e7R3y-qwZ0


Otherwise, leave that to the likes of 1st gen TG (Chris Goffey et al), it's moved on from that, quite a while ago.

TG is about entertainment and escapism with a motoring theme, we could all drive a Ford Ka to the shops.
 
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No one wants to see boring shopping cars on top gear unless they're on fire or being dropped from a great height. It's entertainment. Dull every day cars being reviewed are not entertaining.

Better again this week as they had more different segments. Let down by Evans and the very dull chat show with the two nobodies.

I'm not a great fan of Harris either but he's the better Chris by a mile.
 
Definitely the best one of the new series and the drive round London up was very entertaining!
 
I forgot that was on last night as Emmerdale and Corrie were on and I watched those. Seems I have spared myself from Chris Evan's shouting, his voice does go right through me.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Well I have to say I think it was an excellent episode, easily as good as anything from the Clarkson era.
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Seriously? I can't even remember it except for the hoonigan ford film being cut and not showing the part that I can remember. I thought it was seriously s***.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Well I have to say I think it was an excellent episode, easily as good as anything from the Clarkson era.
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No chance. Not even a patch on the best 'old TG' episodes.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Still watching it then?
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I just watched it on iplayer, though I don't bother watching it live as I used to (I looked forward to it and made sure I watched it live commitments allowing every week, now I just watch it if I get time on iplayer in the hope it will get better).

Interestingly this episode was the lowest ever TG in the ratings, only 2.4 million.
 
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Cg_Girl said:
Why not?.... No different to a film or TV series, I find it amazing the way people ridicule others just because they don't or do like something.
Such a shame!
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Because it wasn't. Seriously, bias and differences aside, this was no where near as good as the best 'old TG' episodes.
 
Well, I know it's not scientific, not having a statistically significant sample size; a sample of one, and I'm not conducting an analysis for a Phd.

For the first time since I started watching T.G. I turned over.

Utter s***e. I don't think the same format can work with different presenters.
 
My dads been watching it and hating it. He didn't like some of the old top gear but this new series has hit a new low for him.
 
Cg_Girl said:
Why not?.... No different to a film or TV series, I find it amazing the way people ridicule others just because they don't or do like something.
Such a shame!
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Ridicule? Seriously? I was merely asking a question as I thought it was utter s*** and there is no non-verbal communication and I didn't know whether he was taking the mick or not....What an overreaction...
 
Just reeled off the first two episodes on iPlayer, I quite enjoyed it actually. I would have preferred it if it hadn't been a direct copy / evolution but the films were quite enjoyable. 2nd episode better than 1st, Matt LeBlanc the best bit about it.
 
dejongj said:
Ridicule? Seriously? I was merely asking a question as I thought it was utter s*** and there is no non-verbal communication and I didn't know whether he was taking the mick or not....What an overreaction...
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As it happened, yes I did think it was excellent. But it's subjective isn't it. Because you or others say it's crap doesn't make it so. It means in YOUR opinion it was crap. However in my opinion it was excellent.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
As it happened, yes I did think it was excellent. But it's subjective isn't it. Because you or others say it's crap doesn't make it so. It means in YOUR opinion it was crap. However in my opinion it was excellent.
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Which is fair enough, I was only asking. Don't get all this hostility. As you know I was rather pro.
 
Less of Chris and more of Chris. Hmm not gaining a lot. Although I'm happy with more of Rory.

I feel for the whole production team, this is going to be the worst series ever for them. Shame.
 
I really don't mind the show in general.
I don't mind that it's so derivative of the old show as I'm sure that will evolve with time (if it gets time!).
And surprisingly, I think MLB is doing a good job.
It's just Chris Evans who is so unbearable as to make me not want to watch it at all.

I'm interested to see how The Grand Tour works out.
 
Gary Coyle said:
I like the show but fail to understand why they cant give a 10 minute slot to "real cars" they should road test the new Ford Ka + or the new Astra, you know the sort of car, the sort of car 30 million of us drive every single day of the week
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They have a regular slot with two drivers in a mini. How much more boring do you want?
 
Viewing figures showing further decline. Criticism is consistent. Evans supposedly going to be taking a back seat so I reckon he won't be carried over to series 2. Hopefully he'll be relegated to Extra Gear on iplayer and leave the rest of them to do the main bbc2 show.
 
viv1969 said:
I really don't mind the show in general.
I don't mind that it's so derivative of the old show as I'm sure that will evolve with time (if it gets time!).
And surprisingly, I think MLB is doing a good job.
It's just Chris Evans who is so unbearable as to make me not want to watch it at all.

I'm interested to see how The Grand Tour works out.
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Whatever happens, Amazon are not obliged to reveal their viewing figures as its not a public concern unlike the BBC.

Whichever way it goes Clarkson et al are quids in !
 
Blank_Canvas said:
Whatever happens, Amazon are not obliged to reveal their viewing figures as its not a public concern unlike the BBC.

Whichever way it goes Clarkson et al are quids in !
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I'm sure Chris Evans is quids in as well.
 
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