If you watched new Top Gear was it any good, yes or no?

[marcosgt]

silent ninja said:

What bought them massively closer and bought them a tonne of goodwill credit, was the near death crash. This bonded the trio. This is when the the trio really gelled IMO.

Maybe it was, but they'd firmly established themselves as 'must watch TV' by that point (In our house at least).

It says a LOT about the proposed line-up that I neither watched it out of curiosity on Sunday or subsequently after all the 'hoo-hah'.

I saw "Chris Evans" and that was enough for me - Everything I've read says my judgement in this case was 100% spot on! FACT!!!!!

Joey is funny in Episodes because he's a jerk, but I don't want a jerk who knows nothing about cars on Top Gear - Sadly, he's the brains and charisma of the operation!

silent ninja said:

Anyway, I'd certainly give this series a full run before giving up

Well, you can, I'm not coming back

M

Edited by marcosgt on Tuesday 31st May 17:10

[Stickyfinger]

marcosgt said:

Joey is funny in Episodes because he's a jerk, but I don't want a jerk who knows nothing about cars on Top Gear - Sadly, he's the brains and charisma of the operation!

I would think you are very very wrong on him not knowing anything about cars......also he CAN drive very well

[normal bloke]

Smollet said:

Not sure but I suspect if it was it would've ticked one of the many PC boxes required.

Now I have had two nights to think about it and watch Extra G.

Still think the new TG is crap but, watching it again, I liked MLB (despite still being annoying good-looking).
Extra Gear was surprisingly good and I am looking forward to the next one.

In my opinion (for what it's worth), if there is an excuse for CE, he is trying to do 2 or 3 different jobs, one of them quite badly as it turns out. I did it once, trying to run my dad's business after he died and at the same time still doing the day job at the NHS. All my friends marvelled at my courage, persistence, get-up-and-go, etc....but honestly.....I only ended up doing two jobs really badly, so one had to go.

Edited by normal bloke on Tuesday 31st May 17:53

[V8RX7]

Late to the party (I missed it and watched it on the Iplayer)

It was better than I expected.

Chris I have always found annoying and awkward to watch, Matt was far better than I thought he'd be, Sabine - if she has a personality it's lost in translation.

I did think it was a shame they haven't changed the format as I think it's due one, albeit I guess they want to play it safe for a while.

I'll be watching the next one - and fast forward through Star in a Car - as always.

[hairyben]

silent ninja said:

I think some are guilty of viewing the old Top Gear with rose tinted glasses.

The trio were sorta awkward to begin with and lacked chemistry. I remember when Hammond joined with his bubbly presenting style which he borrowed from other shows he did at the time. He very much came across as a 'try too hard' and didn't fit. Captain slow was a tad on the boring side. They couldn't get their personalities across.

What bought them massively closer and bought them a tonne of goodwill credit, was the near death crash. This bonded the trio. This is when the the trio really gelled IMO.

Evans and Le Blanc are clearly not going to get such slack.

Top Gear has also been quite tired for a few years. From one of those shows you'd record and watch, to something you'll casually watch if nothing else is on. I know plenty of friends simply didn't watch it. In my opinion, nostalgia aside, it was due a death and Clarkson's antics came at the right time. A refreshed show is what the trio needed.

Anyway, I'd certainly give this series a full run before giving up

theres no reason not to try though, lets have a whip-round - whats the going rate for a rocket car?

[edwheels]

I was really looking forward to the new Top Gear - I knew the comforting "Last of the Summer Wine" vibe with the old trio was gone but a replacement car show - that's got to be good.

I hoped Chris Evans would be more watchable than he has been in the past and I thought Matt was a good choice by the Beeb.

Sadly, Chris Evans was so shouty I don't think I can give the show another chance as I don't think he will change. Matt might work better with someone else... I think he would have worked well with Jeremy and James .... (but not as well as Hammond)

There were other problems - the Reliant challenge was rubbish compared to, even, the early challenges with the old trio - remember their first cheap supercar challenge for example. However, this time it was "Here's your ridiculous & identical cars, already chosen for you, now drive to Blackpool" and the Jeep vs. Landrover - so similar to look at even and fairly pointless. I sort of liked to the top speed test in the rain on Blackpool front - well not really - but it was better than the rest.

The first article started off almost OK in a 5th Gear way, until I saw the Guns etc. on the Corvette and the Dodge - this used to be the sort of feature I used to fast forward even on the old Top Gear....

The stars in the Mini bit - the track was interesting - I think this would have been a good refresh if the old trio were still in charge. However the conversation beforehand was excruciating - the actor guy didn't have a "best car ever driven" so one was made up for him just to get this idea a cheer from the audience.

I am sure there are people who will enjoy the new TG - and yes it can only get better... but, I'm out. I remember the late Spike Milligan on one of the first Room 101s - he ask for Chris Evans to be put in... I thought that was a bit harsh at the time - although now I'm not so sure... if only he could stop shouting ALL THE TIME ....

[Bring on the clowns]

V8RX7 said:

Late to the party (I missed it and watched it on the Iplayer)

It was better than I expected.

Chris I have always found annoying and awkward to watch, Matt was far better than I thought he'd be, Sabine - if she has a personality it's lost in translation.

I did think it was a shame they haven't changed the format as I think it's due one, albeit I guess they want to play it safe for a while.

I'll be watching the next one - and fast forward through Star in a Car - as always.

But she has. Think, 'if the Nazis had been a century earlier and taken over the wild west'. With Italy as the Indians. Ferrari restricted to a reservation. So, a bit like her current leaders who want to put southern Europe in its box.





Disclaimer for the professionally offended: this joke is not intended as a racist dig at all Germans! Just her and Reichsführer Frau Merkell

[Corpulent Tosser]

Was it any good ? IMO yes.
In as much as the old show was any good.
Unfortunately they have retained the old tired format, just replacing three tts talking ste with a shouty man, it could have been the opportunity to update the format, of course that would have fans of the three tts version up in arms.
I will continue to watch it when possible but no more or less than previously.

[Kev_Mk3]

Liked =

The filmography
shockingly - Matt LB

Dis liked =

that ginger tit Chris Evans
The digs at the old TG team
The shouting by Evans
The same set up as before
The dirt track going onto the track.

[FlossyThePig]

No point in voting as I wasn't disappointed and don't want the three unwise monkeys back (I do like JM on his own though). When asked by SWMBO if i'll watch future episodes I said no.

Instead of three middle aged men dicking about we have two, one not bad and another who would make you throw the TV out of the window.

Oh dear the engine broke, how unpredictable.

[Evangelion]

I watched it with an open mind and found it to be the biggest load of st I'd ever seen in my entire life. The only bit I enjoyed was when someone said "we don't mention catering on this show" which struck me as quite witty, well witty on the part of the scriptwriter naturally.

Otherwise it was all unspeakably dire. Like going to see a string quartet and turning up to discover it's AC/DC instead.

As the great man himself would say, I'd rather eat my own gentleman vegetables than watch this pile of drivel aver again.

[caduceus]

I watched 15 minutes of it before feeling I wanted to put my foot through the telly. The same old tired format delivered by unoriginal irritants. It's what I was expecting after the press previews. It's like stepping in the same puddle twice.

[MarshPhantom]

Kev_Mk3 said:

Liked =


Dis liked =

that ginger tit Chris Evans

[Johnspex]

Ken Figenus said:

They just tried to carry on where they left off 12 months ago, rather than refresh and reboot, but with Evans adding 'EVERYBODY' excitedly to the end of each sentence. I feared the worst when the opening tease voice over was done in ye olde Clarkson style.

Liked Matt Le Blanc's laconic style, but the rest was just TFI Friday plus done to death Robin Reliants.

U N I M A G I N A T I V E!

Also, was it filmed in a refugee camp?

Done to death so much that you don't know they are Reliant Robins and anyway, weren't they Reliant Rialtos?

[dipwing]

Just watched on iplayer and was surprised that after all the negative comments I actually liked it. Sort of.
Chris Evans was behaving like he does on any of his shows, loud and annoying at times. Nothing new there. He a bit of a Marmite presenter really. I like him.
MLB is new and entertaining in his scripted USA tongue.
As for Sabine, did she ever have a personality that could present? I believe not.

I find SIARPC too slow and boring and should have been dropped years ago.
The Blackpool sketch is nothing new and a waste of time.

TBH that is first TG I've watched in a couple of years as I got bored of JC and the gang's road trips, comedy set pieces and general God-like opinions of themselves.

TG in its current format is out dated and they needed something new, fresh and exciting to avoid all the negative comments and comparisons being made. I can only assume the BBC didn't want that much of a change as I thought CE was a presenter who doesn't take any st and always gets what he wants. Maybe he's going to change it gradually.

I'm sure over time and after the negative reviews have been digested by the producers and presenters the new TG will settle into the old routine.

I'll keep watching for now,

[PanzerCommander]

I've removed it from the planner after just one episode.

I was hoping with the new presenters that they would totally re-invent the show and come up with something new and fresh. I was sadly disappointed. It was the same tired (imho) CH&M format that I stopped watching several seasons ago because it was the same jokes and road trips with different cars, though at least the presenters had some chemistry.

Surprise surprise, the same jokes (running into each other for example) are still lingering like a bad fart under heavy bed sheets. I so wanted to give it a chance, unfortunately its an hour of my life I will never get back.

Sorry BBC, but imho, if you aren't willing to re-invent, then let it die a dignified death.

[e21Mark]

I must admit, I thought they were going to be doing something 'new and exciting' and not simply roll out the same tired old format?!

The biggest cringes were at the forced friendships and banter. Maybe that'll come with time but I wonder how many of this line-up will stick around long enough?

Has CE mentioned the viewing figures on that radio show of his?

[RegMolehusband]

I like the format, especially now that the SIARPC has become more interesting with a demanding track that will really sort out the men from the boys. They just need some interesting guests now, unlike the little bloke on the right, and unlike Ramsey too come to that.

However, as a presenter of car material, Chris Evans doesn't have it. There was little technical content on the Viper and Corvette for example, and his use of terms like "counter-steer" and "skid" just grated with me. And yes, the shouting, you could hear him echoing all around the hall which was most distracting. Jeremy would just talk normally, calmly and even soothingly in comparison, with a nice deep voice - and intelligent humour.

So I have decided that I will be one of the people that will bring help bring the viewing figures beneath the 4 million mark and watch the relaxing Antiques Roadshow instead. I will however be watching these threads just in case there's a feature worth fast-forwarding to on catch-up.

So, I am looking forward to The Grand Tour very much with three blokes having good chemistry and humour cocking about in a car-related way

[cramorra]

The poor attempt to do the same with different people
Chris Evans disappointing
Matt ok ish
Sabine did not do a lot apart from driving so not fully utilised
They should have done their thing rather than the same
Clear sign that the producer has left and nobody dares a vision
Missed opportunity

[Smollet]

RegMolehusband said:

I like the format, especially now that the SIARPC has become more interesting with a demanding track that will really sort out the men from the boys.

Yes we can ooh and aah as they plunge into the water splash at 40 mph and take the leap of death at 50. The new track will keep on changing as it's a mixed surface and therefore every run will be different to the previous one so any direct comparison will be meaningless. At least with the old track it was a constant surface that was only affected on the day by rain or the lack of it.