Top Gear 2016 Official TV show thread *contains spoilers*

[768]

Hitch said:

So a chap called Paul Hollywood turned down a role on Top Gear...

They haven't learned then.

[GCH]

Rich_W said:

Only it wont be current as it's being filmed weeks in advance. From what I can determine from the internets, the first episode fro South Africa is already finished. And we're still weeks away from it being shown.

The second episode from SA is finished, including the tent bit.
The first one is from California

[carl_w]

Looks like Richard Porter is on board for TGT: https://twitter.com/sniffpetrol/status/77888231311...

[simonrockman]

I'd suspected that from the lack of Sniff postings

[durbster]

simonrockman said:

I'd suspected that from the lack of Sniff postings

He said on Twitter that the lack of posts was because his father died recently.

[simonrockman]

Oh! I got that wrong. I don't use twitter much.

[aeropilot]

johnxjsc1985 said:

FiF said:

Watched the race between steam train Tornado, XK120, and Vincent Black Shadow. Siarpc Michael Schumacher.

Do episodes get much better than that one?

It was great fun and a I wonder if Hammond ever really recovered from it. How great would it be to drive an X120 all that way.

Hammond would have been fine had he worn proper clothing instead of all that modern armoured stuff, which is designed to be comfortable in the riding of a modern bike not a vintage one.
Probably stupid BBC H&S stipulation though

[Rich_W]

carl_w said:

Looks like Richard Porter is on board for TGT: https://twitter.com/sniffpetrol/status/77888231311...

Oh Joy

Used to be a fan of SP. But it just started getting lazy / running out of ideas.

[r11co]

Caught the back-end of a repeat of the latest series on Dave. Joined it where Rorry Reid was driving the Jaguar to the Geneva Motor show, which gave a nice perespective because for the duration of the film I could forget Chris Evans was involved because I hadn't seen him on screen for months.

The piece seemed a little over-scripted and too quickly edited (one of the strengths of CHM TG was that almost every piece had a moment when the background music stops and the presenter of the piece gets up to half a minute of a single shot to address the viewer), as if Rory was being kept a on a tight rein, which is a shame because I genuinely think the boy has a future in the show.

Whole piece was spoiled by the stuidio link at the end where 'look at me' Evans took over duties interviewing the Jag test driver who was the subject of the film, Rory clearly having been put back in his box so as not to upstage 'the boss'.

[ukaskew]

LeBlanc, Reid and Harris confirmed for the new series, with Eddie and Sabine dropping in from time to time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37470...

Worth a shot, I reckon. Give them time to gel and it could be a great trio as they're all super-passionate about cars in their own way.

[suffolk009]

From Twitter:

chris harris ‏@harrismonkey · 26m26 minutes ago
Some news. I have a job. As does @MrRoryReid and @Matt_LeBlanc .


Mmmn, but will they have any viewers?

[VictoriaYorks]

I'll definitely give it another go based on this, I liked all of these three

[beko1987]

FiF said:

Watched the race between steam train Tornado, XK120, and Vincent Black Shadow. Siarpc Michael Schumacher.

Do episodes get much better than that one?

That's in my top 3 favorite old/middle top gear episodes, they really got into it!

[Civpilot]

suffolk009 said:

From Twitter:

chris harris ?@harrismonkey · 26m26 minutes ago
Some news. I have a job. As does @MrRoryReid and @Matt_LeBlanc .


Mmmn, but will they have any viewers?

I switched off the new series for Evan's alone, with added Sabine (I mentally block out Eddie Jordan anyway) . I just could not watch those three without cringing.

Harris, Reid and LeBlanc however are pretty watchable (always watch Harris's videos on youtube) so when I comes back this is one extra viewer they will have

[Johnnytheboy]

VictoriaYorks said:

I'll definitely give it another go based on this, I liked all of these three

Yep, happy with this.

[Vocal Minority]

I think after a few glimpses on the last show and the final Extra Gear of the series, that was their best option by some distance. I can see those three making a half decent fist of it

[Gary C]

Civpilot said:

suffolk009 said:

From Twitter:

chris harris ?@harrismonkey · 26m26 minutes ago
Some news. I have a job. As does @MrRoryReid and @Matt_LeBlanc .


Mmmn, but will they have any viewers?

I switched off the new series for Evan's alone, with added Sabine (I mentally block out Eddie Jordan anyway) . I just could not watch those three without cringing.

Harris, Reid and LeBlanc however are pretty watchable (always watch Harris's videos on youtube) so when I comes back this is one extra viewer they will have

Christ, cant think of a lineup I'm more likely Not to watch.

Harris cant stand. Le Blank is as wooden as a wooden thing.

Kill it BBC, kill it now, please.

[Bluedot]

Gary C said:

Christ, cant think of a lineup I'm more likely Not to watch.

Harris cant stand. Le Blank is as wooden as a wooden thing.

Have to agree, totally uninspiring group of presenters that failed last time out.
LeBlanc was OK out of the studio, hopefully they won't be looking at him being the anchor man for the new series....
Harris & Reid I'm sure are great blokes but I warmed to neither of them.

Having said that, I'll still watch it

[johnxjsc1985]

I can only assume Le BLanc is for the American viewers. I take it they are going to watch the Grand Tour first before "creating" another show.
It cant be worse than the last effort but they need to take it as far sway from the three amigos format as possible. More than happy to see another a good motoring show.

[Europa1]

Civpilot said:

I switched off the new series for Evan's alone, with added Sabine (I mentally block out Eddie Jordan anyway) . I just could not watch those three without cringing.

Harris, Reid and LeBlanc however are pretty watchable (always watch Harris's videos on youtube) so when I comes back this is one extra viewer they will have

They were the best 3 from the last series, but that's still faint praise. I think they do have potential, though, and let's not forget that it took a while for the chemistry between Clarkson, Hammond and May to develop (Hammond not even being in the first series). I thought Rory Reid was quite engaging and his enthusiasm came across; Chris Harris was a bit wooden and dry, but clearly knowledgeable. That said, a couple of his pieces were fantastic demonstrations of the cinematography Top Gear is capable of: the Aston Martin Vulcan and the Ferrari F12tdf. However, his piece in the BMW M2 where he was trying to be "whacky" was excruciating. Matt LeBlanc's location pieces were generally pretty good and his studio style got less wooden as the series went on. I shall be interested to see if they keep the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment. I didn't mind it too much in "old new Top Gear", but in the Chris Evans manifestation it went on far too long and far too many of the guests were of the "I'm a fantastically rich mate of Chris'" variety - it really came across as filler because there wasn't enough decent car content.