BBC Top Gear 2017 Thread

[Mungo Terry]

suffolk009 said:

Sadly the BBC are trying - desperately - to mimic a show that was unique.

It's pretty clear that BBC worldwide have no idea what made CHM top gear work.

All the variants are exactly the same, be it new new top gear, new new new top gear or top gear America; same camerawork, same grading, same slow motion wheelspin flicking up gravel, same three way forced presenter dynamics. Madness is doing the same thing over and expecting different results.

CHM worked because the presenter (clarkson) was in charge of the format, same as Roadkill & motortrend generally which is pretty much entirely David Fryburgers baby.

[simonrockman]

Cupramax said:

simonrockman said:

If they want to see how not to do comedy they have the last series of The Grand Tour!!!!! as a guide.



Simon

EFA

No I like The Grand Tour. Think it needs to find it's feet a bit but it's only one season in.

[LuS1fer]

Mungo Terry said:

CHM worked because the presenter (Clarkson) was in charge of the format, same as Roadkill & Motortrend generally which is pretty much entirely David Fryburgers baby.

The "magic" is really in one person being a larger than life character and the others bouncing off them, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo vs the Ranger, Tom and Jerry, always an "adversary".
In real life examples, Bruce Forsyth and Larry Grayson had their female cohorts on the Generation Game, to create that chemistry with. Eric and Ernie, Little and Large, Cannon and Ball, always one who was the funny one (OK, neither in Little and Large but they did try, bless them).

Top Gear with May and Hammond alone? I don't think so. You need the "funny guy", the one people expect to be funny.

New TG has no funny guy, it's a car programme. MLB may deliver lines like the host of Have I Got News For You but it's not spontaneous, like Clarkson made it look. It was Clarkson's views you waited for, even if they were wildly wrong.
Harris is far too earnest for his own good and cannot do comedy...at all.

[Driver101]

The last series was good. More of the same and I'll be happy. I'm sure they'll get even better with more time to develop the show.

I'm not going to panic 6 months+ before it comes back on due to what some assume might happen.

[Nik da Greek]

Slightly awkward though the current trio still are (and oddly, despite initially finding Harris creepy and embarrassing, I find him the best of them now) there is never a time when I find myself thinking "I wish Clarkson was still doing this". In almost exactly the same way I never find myself thinking "wow, I wish my grandad was still around... no-one could make three generation-out-of-date casual racism, homophobia and general bigotry sound so hilarious as him"

[jbudgie]

Is Clarkson still in hospital, haven't seen it mentioned for about a week ?

[98elise]

simonrockman said:

Cupramax said:

simonrockman said:

If they want to see how not to do comedy they have the last series of The Grand Tour!!!!! as a guide.



Simon

EFA

No I like The Grand Tour. Think it needs to find it's feet a bit but it's only one season in.

I didn't think either show was any good.

Top gear is like a tribute act, but with the rights to the brand (exactly what it is), and the grand tour seems amateurish even though they have a big budget and all the old team.

Neither are making great TV IMO.