BBC Top Gear 2017 Thread

Author
Discussion

R1 Dave

7,158 posts

264 months

Friday 28th April 2017
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TG is getting better with every episode, MLB is becoming much better as a presenter, CH is getting less arrogant and Rory just seems to be loving life which is good to see. They just don't seem to have the massive egos that the old lot developed. Whilst it's not yet as good as old TG was at its peak, for me it's definitely better than old TG was by the end, it was getting tired and stale and the same old jokes were starting to wear thin for me. Hopefully it'll keep going on the same trajectory

strummerville

1,015 posts

128 months

Friday 28th April 2017
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Interestingly, I revisited a few episodes of TGT with my sons last night. We ended up watching the truly woeful reef building one (the 8 year old was on the remote). 8 year old then wanted 'the tank one' on, where Hammond drove up in a variety of 'armour plated' vans and the other two pretended to shoot it. OK, it is good that Clarkson champions the British armed forces, but it's just juvenile destruction.

I never thought I'd say this, but I now much prefer TG. I think CHM need to have a big rethink for the next series. Perhaps put the egos in a locked box and try not to smash everything up that costs less than £10,000?

DonkeyApple

55,402 posts

170 months

Friday 28th April 2017
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Why does CH have the posture of a prison rape victim sobbing in the corner?

It's quite unusual for a shorter chap to have that perma-stoop and rolling in shoulders. It really shouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things but such terrible posture does seem to stand out.

PhantomPH

4,043 posts

226 months

Friday 28th April 2017
quotequote all
SAB888 said:
Adam B said:
anyone explain JK's assertion that his SE30 was only of only 3?

Wiki says "Only 150 SE30 models were built, and of these, about 15 were converted to "Jota" specification (although 28 Jota kits were produced)."

unless he was referring to some subset of the 150, eg RHD and purple and owned by a singer who is a bit of a knob
I mentioned this at the top of page 120. There were more than 3 RHD purple cars, so can't be that.
I have tried to do a bit of research, but having no luck. Only 15 SE30 Jotas produced (as mentioned above - the additional kits may mean other cars have been converted since the official run in 1995?), but unsure how many RHD purple ones there were in 1996 when Cosmic Girl was made, but can we assume all were made in 1995?

Anyway, I also found this thread from 2014 where there were 5 Jotas for sale at once. Looking down the thread, someone there also says that the pruple one for sale is one of only 3...so that 'fact' must be coming from somewhere...I just cannot find definitive numbers without some contrary info also turning up:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

DJFish

5,923 posts

264 months

Friday 28th April 2017
quotequote all
DonkeyApple said:
Why does CH have the posture of a prison rape victim sobbing in the corner?

It's quite unusual for a shorter chap to have that perma-stoop and rolling in shoulders. It really shouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things but such terrible posture does seem to stand out.
They don't call him Monkey for no reason, he almost did a back flip on the sofa when JK's lap time was read out.

xjay1337

15,966 posts

119 months

Friday 28th April 2017
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Great last episode.
The Ssangyacht was brilliant. Nice to see it done properly, if it was CHM it would have literally been plonked onto the back of a dinghy lol

Next season should be good smile

MarshPhantom

9,658 posts

138 months

Friday 28th April 2017
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Why have they cut down on the amount of Top Gear we are getting?

So far - 2 years, 2 series and 13 episodes.

CHM - 12 years, 22 series and many of those series have 8, 9, 10 or even 11 episodes (from Wiki) 185 episodes in total. An average of 8.5 episodes per series and nearly 2 series a year.

confused

McAndy

12,485 posts

178 months

Friday 28th April 2017
quotequote all
MarshPhantom said:
Why have they cut down on the amount of Top Gear we are getting?

So far - 2 years, 2 series and 13 episodes.

CHM - 12 years, 22 series and many of those series have 8, 9, 10 or even 11 episodes (from Wiki) 185 episodes in total. An average of 8.5 episodes per series and nearly 2 series a year.

confused
Series 23 first aired on 29th May 2016, so two series, 13 episodes, < 1 year. Given the staff upheaval, not a bad effort.

DJFish said:
What on earth was that Bernie bit all about?
Nothing. Nothing at all. Complete vapour from a man who has just had his empire taken away and wants to remain in the public eye. It seemed desperate to me.

Quickmoose

4,495 posts

124 months

Friday 28th April 2017
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I don't think I can recall ever seeing Bernie say anything interesting on telly.
What he did or is doing behind the scenes is one thing, but his public offering was and is pathetic imo.

on topic. I've really enjoyed this series of TG.
80% of a really consistent high quality.
No massive highs that meet the rose tinted good ol' days of CHM and Bolivian road trips
but equally no daft lows of....well the rest of CHMs' stuff.
So for me a consistently good offering.
Game on for CHM to raise their game to match it I say....or produce something fundamentally different....

Edited by Quickmoose on Friday 28th April 13:22

sandman77

2,423 posts

139 months

Friday 28th April 2017
quotequote all
McAndy said:
Series 23 first aired on 29th May 2016, so two series, 13 episodes, < 1 year. Given the staff upheaval, not a bad effort.
But we got one series in 2016 and are only getting one series in 2017.

Emeye

9,773 posts

224 months

Friday 28th April 2017
quotequote all
MarshPhantom said:
Why have they cut down on the amount of Top Gear we are getting?

So far - 2 years, 2 series and 13 episodes.

CHM - 12 years, 22 series and many of those series have 8, 9, 10 or even 11 episodes (from Wiki) 185 episodes in total. An average of 8.5 episodes per series and nearly 2 series a year.

confused
IIRC, a few years back the BBC cut the budget, so they had to reduce the number of shows rather than the quality. Read Porter's book, I think it's in there.

SAB888

3,245 posts

208 months

Friday 28th April 2017
quotequote all
PhantomPH said:
SAB888 said:
Adam B said:
anyone explain JK's assertion that his SE30 was only of only 3?

Wiki says "Only 150 SE30 models were built, and of these, about 15 were converted to "Jota" specification (although 28 Jota kits were produced)."

unless he was referring to some subset of the 150, eg RHD and purple and owned by a singer who is a bit of a knob
I mentioned this at the top of page 120. There were more than 3 RHD purple cars, so can't be that.
I have tried to do a bit of research, but having no luck. Only 15 SE30 Jotas produced (as mentioned above - the additional kits may mean other cars have been converted since the official run in 1995?), but unsure how many RHD purple ones there were in 1996 when Cosmic Girl was made, but can we assume all were made in 1995?

Anyway, I also found this thread from 2014 where there were 5 Jotas for sale at once. Looking down the thread, someone there also says that the pruple one for sale is one of only 3...so that 'fact' must be coming from somewhere...I just cannot find definitive numbers without some contrary info also turning up:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Jay Kay's SE30 wasn't a Jota but the above production figures are fairly accurate (there were a small number of prototypes). I think all SE30s were 1994 or 1995 cars but some may not have been registered for some time. The other thread was referring to a purple SE30 Jota (in the pic).

kurt535

3,559 posts

118 months

Friday 28th April 2017
quotequote all
Finally watched last in Series tonight. Well Done TG. I felt more informed on a whole range of cars than I have for years.

Dare I say it but I tailed off watching GT after 3 episodes....doubt I'll watch the remaining ones.

E65Ross

35,100 posts

213 months

Saturday 29th April 2017
quotequote all
kurt535 said:
Finally watched last in Series tonight. Well Done TG. I felt more informed on a whole range of cars than I have for years.
This is what I fear for TG. Being far too car-biased is what led to the demise of "old old" TG. Oh, and Fifth Gear.

coppice

8,624 posts

145 months

Saturday 29th April 2017
quotequote all
Interesting comments- I found myself enjoying it more and more and think MLB is just the perfect wry , laid back anchor man . I grew so tired of old TG's snarkiness , especially with a mob of an audience who were so star struck they thought Clarkson was the second coming .

Viewing figures? Doesn't keep me awake and is no indicator of quality (the Sun might double The Times ' sales but I know where I want to read my news )

Scripted - but of course . And it always was and it was always obvious - and to nobody's surprise . Nothing you see or hear on 99% in this genre of TV hasn't been scripted and edited .Richard Porter was peerless as a scriptwriter and it's TG loss he's gone -I assume anyway ?

Chris Harris - 'arrogant '? It seems that to some arrogance is the crime of the century but in any case they confuse the need for TV presenters to be larger than life with arrogance . Some fizz is needed to make any show work at all . I find CH just fine - the only one I'd bin is the shrieking German harpie who I find as unwatchable as she is unlistenable .

Smollet

10,609 posts

191 months

Saturday 29th April 2017
quotequote all
E65Ross said:
kurt535 said:
Finally watched last in Series tonight. Well Done TG. I felt more informed on a whole range of cars than I have for years.
This is what I fear for TG. Being far too car-biased is what led to the demise of "old old" TG. Oh, and Fifth Gear.
Same here. It could default into a car magazine tv show rather than light entertainment loosely based around cars. I'm happy with both but in the end viewing figures will determine its fate.

kurt535

3,559 posts

118 months

Saturday 29th April 2017
quotequote all
Smollet said:
E65Ross said:
kurt535 said:
Finally watched last in Series tonight. Well Done TG. I felt more informed on a whole range of cars than I have for years.
This is what I fear for TG. Being far too car-biased is what led to the demise of "old old" TG. Oh, and Fifth Gear.
Same here. It could default into a car magazine tv show rather than light entertainment loosely based around cars. I'm happy with both but in the end viewing figures will determine its fate.
What have the figures been like over this series?

Smollet

10,609 posts

191 months

Saturday 29th April 2017
quotequote all
kurt535 said:
What have the figures been like over this series?
Here you are. Admittedly taken early on.
http://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/top-gea...

E65Ross

35,100 posts

213 months

Saturday 29th April 2017
quotequote all
kurt535 said:
Smollet said:
E65Ross said:
kurt535 said:
Finally watched last in Series tonight. Well Done TG. I felt more informed on a whole range of cars than I have for years.
This is what I fear for TG. Being far too car-biased is what led to the demise of "old old" TG. Oh, and Fifth Gear.
Same here. It could default into a car magazine tv show rather than light entertainment loosely based around cars. I'm happy with both but in the end viewing figures will determine its fate.
What have the figures been like over this series?
Not a patch on what they used to be, that's for sure.

PhantomPH

4,043 posts

226 months

Saturday 29th April 2017
quotequote all
coppice said:
the only one I'd bin is the shrieking German harpie who I find as unwatchable as she is unlistenable .
THIS THIS THIS