BBC Top Gear Thread 2021/2022

[Nickbrapp]

I found it boring, they just drove from one city to another, that’s not the brief for a city car. Nothing actually happened either apart from they got stuck and broke down a couple of times.

Really naff.

[Steve vRS]

ninepoint2 said:

I thought it was OK, however CHM would not have abandoned the Renault

No, as the script would have written a different ending.

[timmymagic73]

I've finally caught up with this. Mildly entertaining. I actually enjoyed TGT's river cruise more.

The TG special just felt like something was missing - emotion towards the cars perhaps. I used to have a 106xsi ('93) in red so it was nice to see a 106 again, but at the time the rallye always seemed like it's poorer specced cousin - personally I never saw the appeal of the weight saving on the road. For anyone getting all excited about them trashing it - you could have easily bought it yourself...

I also missed the overnight accomodation we're used to seeing from CHM, cliched local food delicacies and all. At least CHM kept up the facade that it was a real non-stop road trip from A-B with some mates, rather than the "talent" just turning up for filming in the morning and going back to a proper hotel at night...

[Mafffew]

Finally got around to watching it. I thought it was decent, an hour (and a bit) of brainless entertainment.

[Richard-390a0]

warch said:

I really like the current TG team, especially Paddy who is the charismatic main man...

I could think of another more appropriate c word to describe him.

[Driver101]

nickwilcock said:

Woeful. What a waste of licence payers' money.

After every episode of TG for ages you've come on to tell us how abysmal it is. Yet you still watch every single week without fail.

I still can't understand why so many people dedicate so much time to a TV show they hate. It's a weird obsession.

Again the people who don't like it are calling it a waste of money and demand for it to be dropped. How can you keep ignoring the fact that it's still watched and enjoyed by millions?

[Doofus]

I'm interested in whether people think a programme they do watch but don't like is a bigger waste of the license fee than a programme they don't watch because they don't like it.

[Gary29]

This thread is going exactly as expected.

[Watchman]

PositronicRay said:

98elise said:

rjg48 said:

Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:

Watchman said:

I can't help think places like PH could come up with more interesting vehicles and places to visit.

Make that a thread, 'Pistonheads do TG/TGT specials'

1. Where do you go
2. What are the vehicles.
3. What are the events/twists/story add ons.

The presenters are the problem, not the cars or locations.

They get a lot more viewers than the last team.

The last lot came up with the odd gem, 24hr race in a BMW diesel. More stuff like this please instead of rehashed cliches.

These presenters are a problem, I agree. But the locations/challenges feel forced too, and we're not really shown the best of the locations.

Having cars that are insufficient for the task itself is stupid too. I liked the CHM challenge in the South American jungle but even they ruined their cars trying to "prepare" them for greater extremes.

When they choose the right vehicle for the location, the result can be excellent. The Transfagarian one was good, the African desert one was great, and the Polar challenge is still amongst the best TV ever. I even enjoyed the Patagonian one, despite the controversy (deserved or not).

I would submit:

1. Arctic Circle (Norway) in winter - drive there from the UK. There's enough to see - some of the town's en route, the Oresund bridge, Atlantic Ocean road, Trollstigen mountain road (similar to Stelvio, and they did this in a summer challenge once)
2. £15K SUVs (everyone hates them - see if they can cope with snow)
3. This is the tough bit because the challenges can feel a bit forced but how about trying the Trollstigen in deep snow? Can winter/snow tyres hack it or are chains required? I imagine it could be perilous in the snow (it's usually closed in Winter). Or how about ice lake racing? I know that's been done but not in SUVs - maybe one will turn over? Or what about recovering one of them from sliding off the road with one of those elastic snatch ropes? If nothing else, flying a drone above them as they drive over the Atlantic Ocean road will make for lovely pictures.

Talking about TGT for a minute (as they seem to be directly competing now), I thought Seamen was a refreshing change from the usual challenges. Using a different vehicle really worked for me but I would have liked to have watched a companion programme which described the vehicle selection process, and the build of Clarkson's PBR. I imagine the producers could have two programmes almost for the price of one.

[Watchman]

Or... What if they had to tow and live in caravans, in -20C?

Or roof tents.

Or VW camper vans.

[rjg48]

Amphicars over the Niagra Falls?

[Davey S2]

Thought it was ok but as said its a tired old formula now and clearly too scripted / forced.

Not watched TGT yet.

[Blink982]

I enjoyed it but it didn't really offer anything new. Regardless, I'm equally looking forward to the new series of TG and TGT.

[DonkeyApple]

Driver101 said:

nickwilcock said:

Woeful. What a waste of licence payers' money.

After every episode of TG for ages you've come on to tell us how abysmal it is. Yet you still watch every single week without fail.

I still can't understand why so many people dedicate so much time to a TV show they hate. It's a weird obsession.

Again the people who don't like it are calling it a waste of money and demand for it to be dropped. How can you keep ignoring the fact that it's still watched and enjoyed by millions?

I can’t understand why so many people still pay the license fee when they no longer need to.

[Doofus]

DonkeyApple said:

I can’t understand why so many people still pay the license fee when they no longer need to.

Because without a license fee, there'd be no BBC. Until the charter/business model is changed, that's how it works,

I get more than (insert cost of license fee here) value from The Beeb, and I don't see why I should evade the license just because I could.

[warch]

Richard-390a0 said:

warch said:

I really like the current TG team, especially Paddy who is the charismatic main man...

I could think of another more appropriate c word to describe him.

I don't really understand why people don't like him, possibly because of Take Me Out. Mind you that was a deliberately cheesy old school show and Paddy played up to that, like it was being filmed in 1985.

As a matter of interest who would you prefer as the lead presenter?

[Doofus]

warch said:

As a matter of interest who would you prefer as the lead presenter?

Oh, God. Please let's not do this again.

[warch]

Doofus said:

warch said:

As a matter of interest who would you prefer as the lead presenter?

Oh, God. Please let's not do this again.

Why not? I dislike it when people criticise things without suggesting how things could be improved. If you don't like it don't post on a discussion forum.

[Doofus]

warch said:

Why not? I dislike it when people criticise things without suggesting how things could be improved. If you don't like it don't post on a discussion forum.

Because it's been done on this very thread several times and always degenerates into pointless ranting about James Corden.

And, incidentally, I did suggest how the thing I criticised could be improved. I suggested that we don't do it at all.

[DonkeyApple]

Doofus said:

DonkeyApple said:

I can’t understand why so many people still pay the license fee when they no longer need to.

Because without a license fee, there'd be no BBC. Until the charter/business model is changed, that's how it works,

I get more than (insert cost of license fee here) value from The Beeb, and I don't see why I should evade the license just because I could.

So you’re saying that there is enough content that you wish to watch being broadcast on terrestrial TV and via iPlayer to justify paying £10/ month to access it as you would pay a similar monthly amount to access Sky, Netflix, Amazon etc?

If there isn’t enough content for that £10/month why would you continue paying it like a gym membership that you never use?

Incidentally, the money raised from the license fee sales doesn’t go to the Trust, it goes to central Govt. central Govt has a separate agreement with the Trust as to how much money from the whole taxpayer pot is allocated to it. It’s disconnected in the same manner as VED is.

The BBC does not require the license fee in order to exist. The license fee is a tax levied on a particular service which is live transmitted television. All channels. The intent because of the redundancy of this format due to on demand is to transform the license fee into a media fee, hence why the first step towards this has been to wrap the iPlayer in as that was never subject to the license.

So why does the BBC make a point of running taglines that help people to confuse themselves as to how the flow of money works?

Edited by DonkeyApple on Friday 3rd January 10:31