BBC Top Gear Thread 2021/2022

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Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Wednesday 17th July 2019
quotequote all
robemcdonald said:
simonrockman said:
Yup, enjoyed that series. The Lotus 79 piece was excellent.

I always assumed that the SIARPC was a Clarkson affectation: he wanted to meet the celebs. It now seems that someone, somewhere actually thinks it's a good idea.
Star in a car is cheap content. Take that away and they have another 10 minutes to think of something for.
As others have said, it ideal for tea and toilet time. I also assume it's a bit of filler that can be chopped when the repeats are shown on Dave with adverts. I guess whatever the celeb is plugging will be long gone by the 127th repeat on Dave.

coldel

7,638 posts

145 months

Wednesday 17th July 2019
quotequote all
I guess you have to consider without the celeb bit whats the point in being in the audience? Without it, they would literally be there to see the guys say 'so we went off to Madagascar to find out' and 'hey that was good eh eh eh'

thegreenhell

15,021 posts

218 months

Wednesday 17th July 2019
quotequote all
coldel said:
I guess you have to consider without the celeb bit whats the point in being in the audience? Without it, they would literally be there to see the guys say 'so we went off to Madagascar to find out' and 'hey that was good eh eh eh'
Even in the CHM era, and in TGT as well, there have been several episodes where that has happened. It's entirely possible though that they do that on the back of shooting another episode so the audience do get to see more than just an intro and a goodbye.

Shakermaker

11,317 posts

99 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
thegreenhell said:
Even in the CHM era, and in TGT as well, there have been several episodes where that has happened. It's entirely possible though that they do that on the back of shooting another episode so the audience do get to see more than just an intro and a goodbye.
Yes, that's what has happened indeed, a change of outfit and a couple of extra intros/outros filmed

skinny

5,269 posts

234 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
Not a fan of PMG but actually didn't find him completely objectionable in this. He brings a bit of the everyday man to the show (whereas CH doesn't really seem to bat an eyelid at 200+k cars)
FF weakest link, a little wooden and awkward but might improve for the next series.
On cars, what's going on with the latest BMW's? They look horrendous with that whacking great snout stuck on the front. It's a shame as the last gen were looking really nice

Truckosaurus

11,160 posts

283 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
skinny said:
....On cars, what's going on with the latest BMW's? ...
Aren't the massive grilles only on the 7-series and X7 which are aimed at the American and Chinese markets who both love lots of chrome and 'bigger is better'?

Nik da Greek

2,503 posts

149 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
Truckosaurus said:
skinny said:
....On cars, what's going on with the latest BMW's? ...
Aren't the massive grilles only on the 7-series and X7 which are aimed at the American and Chinese markets who both love lots of chrome and 'bigger is better'?
errr. no



vomit

Looks like an MX-5-based Fiat 124 that's having an allergic reaction rolleyes I've never especially "got" BMWs but at least they had their own look. Now they look like every other plastic monstrosity* on the road.... only uglier

*When I first saw one I thought "Hyundai have done a sportster?"

DonkeyApple

54,781 posts

168 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
Grahamdub said:
robemcdonald said:
simonrockman said:
Yup, enjoyed that series. The Lotus 79 piece was excellent.

I always assumed that the SIARPC was a Clarkson affectation: he wanted to meet the celebs. It now seems that someone, somewhere actually thinks it's a good idea.
Star in a car is cheap content. Take that away and they have another 10 minutes to think of something for.
As others have said, it ideal for tea and toilet time. I also assume it's a bit of filler that can be chopped when the repeats are shown on Dave with adverts. I guess whatever the celeb is plugging will be long gone by the 127th repeat on Dave.
It’s also the bit that has to be chopped out when selling abroad. It’s basically a bit of filler purely for the domestic market.

Dr Interceptor

7,722 posts

195 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
DonkeyApple said:
Grahamdub said:
robemcdonald said:
simonrockman said:
Yup, enjoyed that series. The Lotus 79 piece was excellent.

I always assumed that the SIARPC was a Clarkson affectation: he wanted to meet the celebs. It now seems that someone, somewhere actually thinks it's a good idea.
Star in a car is cheap content. Take that away and they have another 10 minutes to think of something for.
As others have said, it ideal for tea and toilet time. I also assume it's a bit of filler that can be chopped when the repeats are shown on Dave with adverts. I guess whatever the celeb is plugging will be long gone by the 127th repeat on Dave.
It’s also the bit that has to be chopped out when selling abroad. It’s basically a bit of filler purely for the domestic market.
Exactly... Chop that bit out and chuck in a couple of ad breaks to make up the length..

Dog Star

16,040 posts

167 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
Strangely I think the BBC might have got it right with this oddball lineup, something I’d not have believed when they announced it.

I’d agree that FF started off with a bit of a wooden delivery, but he seems to be loosening up - take a look at some old Top Gears and Clarkson for some equally wooden performances.

Harris I really do like now, he’s a really good presenter and knows his stuff.

I think they’ll get better and better as this series goes on. Good luck to them.

98elise

26,324 posts

160 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
Audience figures are stronger, and have been pretty stable for the series.

The last line up was getting ever lower figures each season.

Europa1

10,923 posts

187 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
Dog Star said:
.

I think they’ll get better and better as this series goes on.
This series has ended. wink

Dog Star

16,040 posts

167 months

Thursday 18th July 2019
quotequote all
Europa1 said:
This series has ended. wink
Ah, has it! I’ve not seen past Will Young on Sunday - the tennis overran and the TiVo consequently missed it passed that point, and I’ve not got round to iPlayer yet.

Johnspex

4,325 posts

183 months

Friday 19th July 2019
quotequote all
bony_13 said:
Keeping in mind that it is of course fully staged and scripted, I thought the Supra piece and studio discussion was actually very in touch with PH and other forums - it captured this arguments nicely.

Positives (Paddy): 'Be grateful for the BMW/Toyota collaboration, otherwise this new sports car would not exist. It's a good car'.
Naysayers (Harris): 'Yes but it's just not a Toyota Supra. Its a bit bland boring and looks like any other BMW inside'.
Neutral (Fred): 'If you like it then buy it, if don't then leave it'.
What evidence do you have of that?
Fully scripted? The opinions expressed in the car reviews are not the presenters' but somebody else? Who is that? I assume you're suggesting this has always been the case and that any opinion expressed in all the TG series were not those of the stars. Someone told Clarkson what to say about a particular car? Even the famous Aston Martin piece?

Go on, tell us exactly how you know all this.

philcray

845 posts

202 months

Friday 19th July 2019
quotequote all
Like most on here, i really thought that the BBC and TG were scraping the barrel with PMG & FF.

However I am happy to say I was completely wrong and they have brought the show back to life, FF is a bit wooden but all the presenters seem to get on and actually be fans of the programme. Also there has also been less thrashing of supercars around the track, when Clarkson first did this it was a novelty but now seems a bit old hat having seen it a thousand times.

The budget seems to have gone on the various foreign trips and that looks like money well spent IMHO.

Let's also remember that, even back in the halcyon days of CMH, they took a few years to gel and even then a lot of the output could best be described as "filler", with occasional moments of genius.


Steamer

13,834 posts

212 months

Friday 19th July 2019
quotequote all
philcray said:
Like most on here, i really thought that the BBC and TG were scraping the barrel with PMG & FF.

However I am happy to say I was completely wrong and they have brought the show back to life, FF is a bit wooden but all the presenters seem to get on and actually be fans of the programme. Also there has also been less thrashing of supercars around the track, when Clarkson first did this it was a novelty but now seems a bit old hat having seen it a thousand times.

The budget seems to have gone on the various foreign trips and that looks like money well spent IMHO.

Let's also remember that, even back in the halcyon days of CMH, they took a few years to gel and even then a lot of the output could best be described as "filler", with occasional moments of genius.
Totally agree

I caught an old Topgear on Dave last night and thought 'wow... this is 14 years old now!'

Really liked the 'memory lane' bits with retro cars.

I'm assuming it will be back with another series soon - more than 5 episodes hopefully.

Johnspex

4,325 posts

183 months

Friday 19th July 2019
quotequote all
It's amazing, all the 'it's all scripted types on here have absolutely nothing to back it up.
They're all just pretending that they're in the know when actually they have no idea.

If they said CHM were just mates and having fun it would be much closer to the truth.

So sad that people on here have to pretend that they know something nobody does.


98elise

26,324 posts

160 months

Friday 19th July 2019
quotequote all
Johnspex said:
It's amazing, all the 'it's all scripted types on here have absolutely nothing to back it up.
They're all just pretending that they're in the know when actually they have no idea.

If they said CHM were just mates and having fun it would be much closer to the truth.

So sad that people on here have to pretend that they know something nobody does.
You mean apart from the current script editors names in the credits, and Richard Porter being credited as the script editor on a couple of hundred episodes. Then there are the multitude of people with writing credits on IMDB. Even Clarkson has said he and James (but not so much Richard Hamond) would constantly rework the script. I believe Tom Ford was credited script editor during the Chris Evans days.

So as you say....nothing to back up it being scripted smile

Next you will be telling us all the shots in the races are real time and not filmed individually over a number of days.





Johnspex

4,325 posts

183 months

Friday 19th July 2019
quotequote all
98elise said:
Johnspex said:
It's amazing, all the 'it's all scripted types on here have absolutely nothing to back it up.
They're all just pretending that they're in the know when actually they have no idea.

If they said CHM were just mates and having fun it would be much closer to the truth.

So sad that people on here have to pretend that they know something nobody does.
You mean apart from the current script editors names in the credits, and Richard Porter being credited as the script editor on a couple of hundred episodes. Then there are the multitude of people with writing credits on IMDB. Even Clarkson has said he and James (but not so much Richard Hamond) would constantly rework the script. I believe Tom Ford was credited script editor during the Chris Evans days.

So as you say....nothing to back up it being scripted smile

Do you watch Top Gear or TGT? Why?

Next you will be telling us all the shots in the races are real time and not filmed individually over a number of days.

98elise

26,324 posts

160 months

Friday 19th July 2019
quotequote all
Johnspex said:
98elise said:
Johnspex said:
It's amazing, all the 'it's all scripted types on here have absolutely nothing to back it up.
They're all just pretending that they're in the know when actually they have no idea.

If they said CHM were just mates and having fun it would be much closer to the truth.

So sad that people on here have to pretend that they know something nobody does.
You mean apart from the current script editors names in the credits, and Richard Porter being credited as the script editor on a couple of hundred episodes. Then there are the multitude of people with writing credits on IMDB. Even Clarkson has said he and James (but not so much Richard Hamond) would constantly rework the script. I believe Tom Ford was credited script editor during the Chris Evans days.

So as you say....nothing to back up it being scripted smile


Next you will be telling us all the shots in the races are real time and not filmed individually over a number of days.
Do you watch Top Gear or TGT? Why?
I think you buggered up the quoting so I've sorted it for you.

As to the question, no I don't watch TG. I used to watch it back in the CMH days and thought it was a great way to round off a weekend. Haven't really watched it since the reboot though. TGT I dip in and out of. I don't think I actually finished the last series.