BBC Top Gear Thread 2021/2022

[biggbn]

Randy Winkman said:

I think it's the best it's been for ages.

Agreed, really like the new team

[Gary C]

Spleen said:

Randy Winkman said:

JT111 said:

Harris knows what he is talking about; Flintoff was a good cricketer; McGuiness is erm, from Greater Manchester; neither of the latter are good presenters especially Flintoff.
The Christmas special was grim watching. TG needs a complete reboot if it is to survive.

I think it's the best it's been for ages.

I think it's the worst it's been for ages. McGuinness is the new Evans.

Agreed

McGuinness brings nothing, just faux northern tttishness.

At least the other two can develop, Paddy just sits like a turd on a Hawaiian Pizza.

[Bonefish Blues]

biggbn said:

Randy Winkman said:

I think it's the best it's been for ages.

Agreed, really like the new team

Yes, gelling nicely.

What it's sometimes short of are ideas - things feel stretched to fit the space available on occasion, but that's not the Presenters' problem. Wilman was a brilliant guy and has been a hard act to follow.

[HARTLEYHARE1]

hairykrishna said:

The old one with Rutledge/Tanner/Adam? I actually quite liked it, particularly once they ditched the studio bits. The three of them seem to genuinely get on and it has some funny moments.

No, unfortunately it’s a new trio of two yanks and one Brit. It’s a bit rubbish but cars are more interesting to me than most things on tv

[JONSCZ]

My Dad had 2 BX's - a 16TRS then a 19GTi - still can't believe he let me drive the GTi on the 1st day he took delivery of it brand new. I was 18 and was taking my mates to the pub....! I drove it really carefully, though.

This is the BX I would have loved - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11...

But better in white -

[614-HSO]

I have not watched TG in a few years now, I liked CH but I just felt he became jaded, he is the only petrol head on the show, but some of his comments irked me, I also didn't like the bullying he was subjected to by Flintoff and McGuinness.

Everyone knows that when it was Jezza, Hammond, May and Wilman producing it was Jezza's show, he would stand up to the bosses, the show was run tight as well, there was little in the way of re-shoots Hammond and May and the rest of the crew had to do it right first time and he knew where the money had to be spent, on the screen, and yes it won awards for being un-scripted, but it was scripted and mostly by Jezza with space for ad-lib's and un-scripted spur of the moment comments.

Jezza created a entertainment show, he knew that people wanted to watch bright orange supercars going sideways, their drivers with their hair on fire whilst yelping and shouting "more POWER" and this is where the Beeb messed up, they thought once Jezza, Hammond, May and Wilman had been banished, as TG was a "entertainment" show we shall get some entertainers in to present it (Harris the exception).

This clip says it all.

it should auto play at about 2:26 the part is a few seconds later, "if you're ten and watching this, it's as good as you think it is".

Jezza has said that nobody should buy a car because he said it's good and people should buy it, if they do they are an idiot, also nobody wants to watch a show like that.

I like Jezza and I know a lot of people do not like him, however, the guy is not a idiot, he wouldn't be where he is if he was.

[PH User]

614-HSO said:

I have not watched TG in a few years now, I liked CH but I just felt he became jaded, he is the only petrol head on the show, but some of his comments irked me, I also didn't like the bullying he was subjected to by Flintoff and McGuinness.

Bullying?!

[thegreenhell]

614-HSO said:

Everyone knows that when it was Jezza, Hammond, May and Wilman producing it was Jezza's show, he would stand up to the bosses, the show was run tight as well, there was little in the way of re-shoots Hammond and May and the rest of the crew had to do it right first time and he knew where the money had to be spent, on the screen, and yes it won awards for being un-scripted, but it was scripted and mostly by Jezza with space for ad-lib's and un-scripted spur of the moment comments.

Jezza created a entertainment show, he knew that people wanted to watch bright orange supercars going sideways, their drivers with their hair on fire whilst yelping and shouting "more POWER" and this is where the Beeb messed up, they thought once Jezza, Hammond, May and Wilman had been banished, as TG was a "entertainment" show we shall get some entertainers in to present it (Harris the exception).

Jezza has said that nobody should buy a car because he said it's good and people should buy it, if they do they are an idiot, also nobody wants to watch a show like that.

I like Jezza and I know a lot of people do not like him, however, the guy is not a idiot, he wouldn't be where he is if he was.

When they relaunched the show in 2002, it was literally Clarkson and Willman's show, as they had formulated and pitched the show to the BBC to get it made in the first place. However, the cleverest thing they did was to hold onto the international syndication and merchandising rights for themselves, making many millions of profit before the BBC bought them out a few years later. That is how Clarkson was able to buy his 1000 acre Cotswolds farm.

[LittleBigPlanet]

Bonefish Blues said:

biggbn said:

Randy Winkman said:

I think it's the best it's been for ages.

Agreed, really like the new team

Yes, gelling nicely.

What it's sometimes short of are ideas - things feel stretched to fit the space available on occasion, but that's not the Presenters' problem. Wilman was a brilliant guy and has been a hard act to follow.

Agreed on all counts.

I much prefer the presenters now and the first couple of episodes, for me, were fantastic and made me fall back in love with the show. There does appear to be a lack of ideas though - perhaps a few late night drinking sessions are needed with the writers. That being said, I really enjoyed the feature on Freddy getting his race license and others. More Harris and more nerdy detail I say.

[Antony Moxey]

WarrenB said:

Do you think Chris Harris said he wanted to work with Paddy and Fred on Top Gear?.

No idea, but if he was really against it he didn’t have to stay with it. I still stand by my point about CMH being mates right from the off.

[popeyewhite]

PH User said:

614-HSO said:

I have not watched TG in a few years now, I liked CH but I just felt he became jaded, he is the only petrol head on the show, but some of his comments irked me, I also didn't like the bullying he was subjected to by Flintoff and McGuinness.

Bullying?!

It's a fine line, you find it amusing...others may not. It's certainly not done with the same gentle humour the previous trio utilised.

[Bonefish Blues]

It's OK to bully if you do it gently?

[PH User]

popeyewhite said:

PH User said:

614-HSO said:

I have not watched TG in a few years now, I liked CH but I just felt he became jaded, he is the only petrol head on the show, but some of his comments irked me, I also didn't like the bullying he was subjected to by Flintoff and McGuinness.

Bullying?!

It's a fine line, you find it amusing...others may not. It's certainly not done with the same gentle humour the previous trio utilised.

I find it amusing that people think someone is being bullied on a scripted TV program.

[thegreenhell]

Antony Moxey said:

No idea, but if he was really against it he didn’t have to stay with it. I still stand by my point about CMH being mates right from the off.

Clarkson and May already knew each other for a few years before this, both having worked on old old TG.

[popeyewhite]

Bonefish Blues said:

It's OK to bully if you do it gently?

I think the Clarkson format was better received.

[thegreenhell]

PH User said:

popeyewhite said:

PH User said:

614-HSO said:

I have not watched TG in a few years now, I liked CH but I just felt he became jaded, he is the only petrol head on the show, but some of his comments irked me, I also didn't like the bullying he was subjected to by Flintoff and McGuinness.

Bullying?!

It's a fine line, you find it amusing...others may not. It's certainly not done with the same gentle humour the previous trio utilised.

I find it amusing that people think someone is being bullied on a scripted TV program.

Scripted or not, it sometimes portrays bullying-type behaviour, as many people who have been bullied themselves will recognise. It is understandably not amusing to those people.

[defblade]

thegreenhell said:

Scripted or not, it sometimes portrays bullying-type behaviour, as many people who have been bullied themselves will recognise. It is understandably not amusing to those people.

This. It got quite uncomfortable at times. Has been toned right back in the latest series (or two) thankfully.

[popeyewhite]

defblade said:

thegreenhell said:

Scripted or not, it sometimes portrays bullying-type behaviour, as many people who have been bullied themselves will recognise. It is understandably not amusing to those people.

This. It got quite uncomfortable at times. Has been toned right back in the latest series (or two) thankfully.

The scriptwriters need to think a bit and adapt the writing for the new presenters. Just rehashing the same jokes and horseplay with Harris and the two clowns isn't entertainment.

[WarrenB]

Antony Moxey said:

WarrenB said:

Do you think Chris Harris said he wanted to work with Paddy and Fred on Top Gear?.

No idea, but if he was really against it he didn’t have to stay with it. I still stand by my point about CMH being mates right from the off.

Fair point. I don't disagree about CHM at all, the natural chemistry shines through.

Bonefish Blues said:

biggbn said:

Randy Winkman said:

I think it's the best it's been for ages.

Agreed, really like the new team

Yes, gelling nicely.

What it's sometimes short of are ideas - things feel stretched to fit the space available on occasion, but that's not the Presenters' problem. Wilman was a brilliant guy and has been a hard act to follow.

After listening to the Smith and Sniff podcasts it's also increasingly obvious how much of a role Richard Porter (aka Sniff Petrol) played in everything too. Between the three of them (Clarkson, Willman and Porter) they came up with some absolutely fantastic ideas and got the mix between entertainment and cars spot on. TG now seems to be focusing on entertainment, with the automotive side a bit of an afterthought.

I still think it's the best lineup since CHM, and it's still a good way to veg out in front of the TV for an hour, but it is just a shadow of what it once was.

[Jules Sunley]

JONSCZ said:

My Dad had 2 BX's - a 16TRS then a 19GTi - still can't believe he let me drive the GTi on the 1st day he took delivery of it brand new. I was 18 and was taking my mates to the pub....! I drove it really carefully, though.

This is the BX I would have loved - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11...

But better in white -

+1 love that. I had a brief drive in a 19gti back in the day which was owned by a couple I did some of jobs when I was 18 and was allowed to drive it to my parents to wash it. Loved the BX and its lifting suspension ever since.