BBC Top Gear 2017 Thread
Discussion
HorneyMX5 said:
Reid shines on extra gear with him and Harris seeming to have a good banter relationship.
Extra Gear was good again last night, some nice behind the scenes bits and outtakes. I liked the fact they didn't let Harris see the boat at all until the reveal was done on camera.Best episode of the new style top gear so far, enjoyed every feature this week. The presenters appear to be finding there feet, it's a shame the series is so short!
The SsangYacht feature was the sort of thing I'd normally fast forward but I thoroughly enjoyed it - off to watch extra gear now
The SsangYacht feature was the sort of thing I'd normally fast forward but I thoroughly enjoyed it - off to watch extra gear now
Yipper said:
The latest series was very hit and miss.
Funny at times, but never hit the comic highs or laser wit of the Clarkson era.
And that lack of entertainment / humour is turning off the mass-market. TG has become nerdy, with forced humour, delivered mostly by nerds.
TG UK viewing figures today are down -80% on peak-Clarkson, down -65% on the last Clarkson episode, down -55% on the first Evans episode, and down -30% on the first episode of the latest series just over a month ago.
Tellingly, few international broadcasters are tripping over themselves to rebroadcast the new TG series.
In other words, entertainment, humour and viewers are thin on the ground. Top Gear is limping along in bottom gear.
We don't know the viewing figures for TGT, so hard to compare. I certainly know which I preferred.Funny at times, but never hit the comic highs or laser wit of the Clarkson era.
And that lack of entertainment / humour is turning off the mass-market. TG has become nerdy, with forced humour, delivered mostly by nerds.
TG UK viewing figures today are down -80% on peak-Clarkson, down -65% on the last Clarkson episode, down -55% on the first Evans episode, and down -30% on the first episode of the latest series just over a month ago.
Tellingly, few international broadcasters are tripping over themselves to rebroadcast the new TG series.
In other words, entertainment, humour and viewers are thin on the ground. Top Gear is limping along in bottom gear.
MarshPhantom said:
Yipper said:
The latest series was very hit and miss.
Funny at times, but never hit the comic highs or laser wit of the Clarkson era.
And that lack of entertainment / humour is turning off the mass-market. TG has become nerdy, with forced humour, delivered mostly by nerds.
TG UK viewing figures today are down -80% on peak-Clarkson, down -65% on the last Clarkson episode, down -55% on the first Evans episode, and down -30% on the first episode of the latest series just over a month ago.
Tellingly, few international broadcasters are tripping over themselves to rebroadcast the new TG series.
In other words, entertainment, humour and viewers are thin on the ground. Top Gear is limping along in bottom gear.
We don't know the viewing figures for TGT, so hard to compare. I certainly know which I preferred.Funny at times, but never hit the comic highs or laser wit of the Clarkson era.
And that lack of entertainment / humour is turning off the mass-market. TG has become nerdy, with forced humour, delivered mostly by nerds.
TG UK viewing figures today are down -80% on peak-Clarkson, down -65% on the last Clarkson episode, down -55% on the first Evans episode, and down -30% on the first episode of the latest series just over a month ago.
Tellingly, few international broadcasters are tripping over themselves to rebroadcast the new TG series.
In other words, entertainment, humour and viewers are thin on the ground. Top Gear is limping along in bottom gear.
Roughly a third of TGT viewers chose to sign up specifically to Amazon Prime at £40-80 a year, while TG is effectively near-free (a tiny slice of the non-optional license fee).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4205948/Tw...
Of course, TGT has been a flop, too. Clarkson's global audience has collapsed by roughly -95% since he left the BBC, while global viewership for TGT declined roughly -50% from the first to last episode, as viewers switched off in disappointment.
Yipper said:
TGT got ~2m UK viewers, about the same as TG.
Roughly a third of TGT viewers chose to sign up specifically to Amazon Prime at £40-80 a year, while TG is effectively near-free (a tiny slice of the non-optional license fee).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4205948/Tw...
Of course, TGT has been a flop, too. Clarkson's global audience has collapsed by roughly -95% since he left the BBC, while global viewership for TGT declined roughly -50% from the first to last episode, as viewers switched off in disappointment.
Have you got a better source than the Mail? They don't cite any source for the figures in the article and, let's face it, generally just make sRoughly a third of TGT viewers chose to sign up specifically to Amazon Prime at £40-80 a year, while TG is effectively near-free (a tiny slice of the non-optional license fee).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4205948/Tw...
Of course, TGT has been a flop, too. Clarkson's global audience has collapsed by roughly -95% since he left the BBC, while global viewership for TGT declined roughly -50% from the first to last episode, as viewers switched off in disappointment.
t up half the time.I guess the test for TGT will be renewal time, whether all those who signed up last year will do so again. I don't think I will. I was disappointed with TGT and there isn't much else on Amazon Prime that's compelling me to renew.
RacerMike said:
General rule of thumb.....no decent racing drivers wear 'racing driver shoes' at any other time than the bit where they're driving a car fast on a track....
I always chuckle when I see drivers at the hotel at breakfast in their kit at a race meeting. They will be the guys at the back then. 
Half the time its a struggle to get the quick drivers in the car in time for the pit exit to still be open.
jsf said:
RacerMike said:
General rule of thumb.....no decent racing drivers wear 'racing driver shoes' at any other time than the bit where they're driving a car fast on a track....
I always chuckle when I see drivers at the hotel at breakfast in their kit at a race meeting. They will be the guys at the back then. Half the time its a struggle to get the quick drivers in the car in time for the pit exit to still be open.
LordHaveMurci said:
ecsrobin said:
phatmanace said:
Where did they film the segment with the big Russian SUV? - the scenery was amazing!
Isle of Man wasn't it? I've enjoyed this series overall, and can't really say I've missed Clarkson, Hammond and May. They were good in their heyday, but it was obvious in their last series of TG things were going a bit stale. I also tended not to compare each episode like for like with how Clarkson would have done it and just watched the programme for what it was. An hours car programme on a Sunday night.
The new team have coped fine IMO, especially once Chris Evans had nothing to do with the programme.
For those that moan about it becoming only of interest to car enthusiasts and not having the wider appeal that Clarkson and Co had, I can understand concern regarding viewing figures but also think the programme had to take a slightly different direction. If they just done exactly the same kind of messing about stuff as CHM they would be criticised for that too. So they are a bit damned if they do, damned if they don't.
Only one person is responsible for TG having to change presenting team, and that was Clarkson himself when he punched his producer.
When TG comes back with another series, I'll certainly watch it.
loudlashadjuster said:
... I don't think how many realise how much the old show rested on the shoulders of one Mr R Porter...
Given he's the lead writer TGT and that managed to take 3 ACTUAL mates. And make them sound like they'd never met each other!I think he's at best over rated. At worst downright dangerous to have as a scriptwriter if you want any semblance of quality.
TTmonkey said:
It's odd that for such a massive 'superband' I never hear their music, it's rarly on the radio, I don't know anyone that's a fan of their music, no one says they are going to a Jamourquai gig, you don't here their music on adverts etc.... it's like the biggest band that no one seems to be into. Every now and then there's a chart show kind of program with their odd music video on, but other than that..... yet he seems to have far more obvious wealth than bands that had a big following and still have a massive fan base.
Maybe it's hat sales that he gets all his money.
I certainly couldn't name a single album of theirs.
And yet according to JK his latest album is "basically no1 all over the world".....
Really? Or is that in some specialist music category?
yeah that was the thinking behind my post, as a family we are pretty much into music, and never have I heard anyone even mention his name, looks like we are somehow missing out then...Maybe it's hat sales that he gets all his money.
I certainly couldn't name a single album of theirs.
And yet according to JK his latest album is "basically no1 all over the world".....
Really? Or is that in some specialist music category?
durbster said:
Yipper said:
TGT got ~2m UK viewers, about the same as TG.
Roughly a third of TGT viewers chose to sign up specifically to Amazon Prime at £40-80 a year, while TG is effectively near-free (a tiny slice of the non-optional license fee).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4205948/Tw...
Of course, TGT has been a flop, too. Clarkson's global audience has collapsed by roughly -95% since he left the BBC, while global viewership for TGT declined roughly -50% from the first to last episode, as viewers switched off in disappointment.
Have you got a better source than the Mail? They don't cite any source for the figures in the article and, let's face it, generally just make sRoughly a third of TGT viewers chose to sign up specifically to Amazon Prime at £40-80 a year, while TG is effectively near-free (a tiny slice of the non-optional license fee).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4205948/Tw...
Of course, TGT has been a flop, too. Clarkson's global audience has collapsed by roughly -95% since he left the BBC, while global viewership for TGT declined roughly -50% from the first to last episode, as viewers switched off in disappointment.
t up half the time.I guess the test for TGT will be renewal time, whether all those who signed up last year will do so again. I don't think I will. I was disappointed with TGT and there isn't much else on Amazon Prime that's compelling me to renew.
TG also had an average of over 3.2m.
Not only does Amazon Prime cost £79 or £7.99 per month, much of the content is chargeable. You even have to pay for BBC programmes.
Edited by Driver101 on Tuesday 25th April 01:20
Driver101 said:
Absolutely nonsense figures. Amazon Prime doesn't even have that many subscribers in the UK.
How many does it have? You think not 8 million then?https://www.emarketer.com/m/Article/Amazon-Prime-H...
768 said:
Driver101 said:
Absolutely nonsense figures. Amazon Prime doesn't even have that many subscribers in the UK.
How many does it have? You think not 8 million then?https://www.emarketer.com/m/Article/Amazon-Prime-H...
Rich_W said:
loudlashadjuster said:
... I don't think how many realise how much the old show rested on the shoulders of one Mr R Porter...
Given he's the lead writer TGT and that managed to take 3 ACTUAL mates. And make them sound like they'd never met each other!I think he's at best over rated. At worst downright dangerous to have as a scriptwriter if you want any semblance of quality.
I think that TGT's problem was that it indulged the worst of Clarkson (and who knows who else) to the detriment of everything else. With Amazon giving them a free rein and without the guidance/constraints of a BBC behind them, they believed their own press a bit too much and the whole thing was just overplayed.
Porter's non-TG work is invariably good so while I'm not saying it was all him, I'm inclined to believe that he was largely responsible for the template of TG humour which worked so well.
Rich_W said:
loudlashadjuster said:
... I don't think how many realise how much the old show rested on the shoulders of one Mr R Porter...
Given he's the lead writer TGT and that managed to take 3 ACTUAL mates. And make them sound like they'd never met each other!I think he's at best over rated. At worst downright dangerous to have as a scriptwriter if you want any semblance of quality.
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