Top Gear. The new bike TV programme
Comments
-
verylonglegs wrote:CookeeeMonster wrote:Refused to watch it as I knew exactly what bulls*it they would come out with.
Was genuinely hoping to be suprised...apparently not.
This is a taxpayer funded programme, I suggest sending a letter/email or two if it was that bad?
The BBC license fee is not a tax in any way. It's something you choose to pay if you wish to watch live TV.
I get your point but you can't choose to watch a non bbc channel and avoid paying it - in that sense it's a tax.
I've always been a strong believer in the BBC and the idea of the BBC, but they do themselves no favours sometimes. Once they would've put the facts and the greater good ahead of cheap entertainment and ratings...not so much anymore.0 -
CookeeeMonster wrote:verylonglegs wrote:CookeeeMonster wrote:Refused to watch it as I knew exactly what bulls*it they would come out with.
Was genuinely hoping to be suprised...apparently not.
This is a taxpayer funded programme, I suggest sending a letter/email or two if it was that bad?
The BBC license fee is not a tax in any way. It's something you choose to pay if you wish to watch live TV.
I get your point but you can't choose to watch a non bbc channel and avoid paying it - in that sense it's a tax.
I've always been a strong believer in the BBC and the idea of the BBC, but they do themselves no favours sometimes. Once they would've put the facts and the greater good ahead of cheap entertainment and ratings...not so much anymore.
I went on a fact finder after the show to see who really is to blame for cycling accidents. Its a bit mixed but mainly the driver depending on the information.
Wish we could have some real facts.0 -
rickeverett wrote:I agree. It was sick and demeaning but it will fall on deaf ears and also strengthen Clarksons stance.
See, I don't think that's the intent.
Every segment like this needs a setup. If it doesn't have one the denouement has less value.
So, whenever they've done this, they've started badly and come good at the end. The middle section was informative. It IS that bad out there.
Where this failed was judging the need to setup against the outcome. In the context of recent road deaths it comes across as offensive. But without that setup all you have is a documentary on cycling.
For better, or worse, that's how Top Gear is. All setup, so that the payoff has resonance.
They could have chosen to teach motorists something about what it is to be cyclist. But, instead, they taught motorists to think about how cycling affects them, as motorists. The payoff is far far better than crap about road tax. It's a genuinely good message that might just affect those motorists who see us as a nuisance. It's a message that, every day on my commute, I wish more people would get.
The outcome here was good. Millions of motorists will see that and SOME will take it on board. The execution of what led up to it was not handled well.My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
Facebook? No. Just say no.0 -
Lighten up you old fart, it was funny.0
-
I didnt think it was too bad actually, typical Top Gear bit of setup and play acting around, though they seemed to run out of ideas and steam for it after the bike ride round london, like ah we need another 5mins for this piece so lets do some even wackier stuff that might seem abit funny late in the afternoon with a deadline looming.
thought it made a good point about how dangerous buses are though as they are always my biggest bugbears on the road, but you are never going to get them making some kind of old school proper Top Gear style info film that promotes cycling or doesnt try to lampoon certain things, thats not the kind of show its been for a long while.0 -
lawrences wrote:Lighten up you old fart, it was funny.
Must have missed that bit...
Wasn't expecting much and we didn't get it. They did show how bad buses can be and the problems with passing them/bus passing you and cutting in, but then reinforced too many stereotypes even done in jest.
Could have been a good opportunity to use their large audience to spread a humourous message that would have been on benefit, but they missed it.
No great surprises - a car programme claiming that all car drivers were wonderful. I know most are fine and they didn't have any drivers complaining about cyclists, but it still could have been much more.0 -
Christ some of you need to wake up. Clarkson is a cock pure and simple with his two lap dogs at his side. He loves winding sections of the community up and them rising to his bait boosts his desired publicity. He is taking the piss because he knows it will get a reaction in exactly the same way he did it with truck drivers, Motorcyclists, Mexicans, Indians, taxi drivers etc etc. I can't wait for him to do it to the Taliban but he wouldn't be that brave. The man is a spineless shit stirrer so don't give him the reaction he craves.I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.0
-
Whoever didn't find it fun should probably go and get a sense of humour somewhere....
It's official, it WAS fun!left the forum March 20230 -
What a waste!
Taxpayers money!!
Think of the children!!!
What will the Daily Mail say!!!!
Why why why did they let Hammond test the porche?!!!!1! :evil:
All the effort that went into filming it was ruined every time he spoke.0 -
Yes I think some people here may be taking themselves (and everything) way too seriously. I take it these people have seen Top Gear before? Yes? Well what did you actually expect? Honestly. It was funny!!! Clarkson is one of those Marmite personalities, but there is a reason the show has been going for this long. People like it, despite it being very close to the line on occasion, which is probably why people like it. The show & the 3 presenters never take themselves too seriously, which is really refreshing these days!!! I think the fact they even breached the subject of cycling & showcased it at length (inanely), is great. The message was put out there, but they are never gonna do it in an overtly pro cyclist way are they!
Chill people, it's only TV.0 -
iPete wrote:
Why why why did they let Hammond test the porche?!!!!1! :evil:
All the effort that went into filming it was ruined every time he spoke.
They just needed to show that exhaust, that's all
0 -
nunowoolmez wrote:Yes I think some people here may be taking themselves (and everything) way too seriously. I take it these people have seen Top Gear before? Yes? Well what did you actually expect? Honestly. It was funny!!! Clarkson is one of those Marmite personalities, but there is a reason the show has been going for this long. People like it, despite it being very close to the line on occasion, which is probably why people like it. The show & the 3 presenters never take themselves too seriously, which is really refreshing these days!!! I think the fact they even breached the subject of cycling & showcased it at length (inanely), is great. The message was put out there, but they are never gonna do it in an overtly pro cyclist way are they!
Chill people, it's only TV.
I did find it pretty funny; and they didn't pretend to be cyclists, (We cycled to the Top Gear office, cue them getting out of cars).
But they came good with the message in the end that cyclists are helping with traffic congestion.0 -
I havent seen it yet but have read about it.
Come on, this is what top gear does, did anyone really expect anything serious? did you see when they tried to make an electric car? a stretch limo? a snow plough? a boat-car hybrid?
its what they do, I like it, if you don't, you don't have to watch it.
Having said that, given the recent deaths it might have been better to show it a bit later in the series.www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0 -
It basically was the end of the series. The next two episodes will be the 'Christmas Special' and that's it.0
-
littledove44 wrote:I was ignoring the car and thinking how much fun that would be on a bicycle.
I was thinking about when I rode up that climb in '06 and saw what I can only assume is a local stood by the side of the road...
0 -
I thought it was amusing, though they should have been drinking espresso.0
-
they should have been drinking espresso
This ^
however
Top gear follows the same re-hashed formulaic humour every episode, with each of the presenters behaving a certain way (small dick syndromite, arrogant prick, and person who clearly like volvo's)
Top Gear is entertainment though, loosely based on cars to give the three presenters something common to talk about. And it is lighthearted fun, especially when they send cars into a failed orbit, and drive down beautiful roads.
They did a show on cycling because cycling is in the news, and will get ratings as a result. However cycling is in the news because people are getting seriously hurt and killed in droves. Humour and entertainment at the expense of others misfortune is not in good taste. Top gear should not make shows about serious topics which already suffer from a lack of informed debate0 -
Well I thought it was pretty funny0
-
I thought it was really funny. Just enough taking the p1ss with some good points made about how dangerous buses can be.
As for it being 'taxpayers money'.... Top Gear is a HUGE worldwide TV brand that BBC Worldwide (the commercial arm of the BBC) makes stacks of cash on - which then feeds back into the BBC to subsidise the licence fee. I wouldn't be surprised if Top Gear makes your licence fee smaller overall.0 -
ugo.santalucia wrote:Whoever didn't find it fun should probably go and get a sense of humour somewhere....
It's official, it WAS fun!
Couldn't agree more.
It was fun and as pointless as most things on Top Gear are, but it was far better than watching some inane soap!0 -
markhewitt1978 wrote:nunowoolmez wrote:Yes I think some people here may be taking themselves (and everything) way too seriously. I take it these people have seen Top Gear before? Yes? Well what did you actually expect? Honestly. It was funny!!! Clarkson is one of those Marmite personalities, but there is a reason the show has been going for this long. People like it, despite it being very close to the line on occasion, which is probably why people like it. The show & the 3 presenters never take themselves too seriously, which is really refreshing these days!!! I think the fact they even breached the subject of cycling & showcased it at length (inanely), is great. The message was put out there, but they are never gonna do it in an overtly pro cyclist way are they!
Chill people, it's only TV.
I did find it pretty funny; and they didn't pretend to be cyclists, (We cycled to the Top Gear office, cue them getting out of cars).
But they came good with the message in the end that cyclists are helping with traffic congestion.
Ha, yeah right.
The reality of that bit was to enforce what was said in the rest of the item. Cyclists are morons, smell, shouldn't be on the road, untrustworthy and are dangerous etc etc.... but hey, if they they are stupid enough to do that - we can have more room to drive!. that was the message. - There was no safety whatsoever in "give them an inch because of that"
It was a very good smoke and mirrors way of enforcing a lot of drivers, (esp Clarksons fan club) point of view.0 -
I'm in the "it was funny" camp. I do enjoy TG generally, the undoubtedly puerile and schoolboy humour is right up my street.
I think they did their best to get across a vaguely not negative cycling stance, while still taking the piss out of cyclists (they take the piss out of everyone, so no surprise there). Red lights and righteousness are good things to pick on - because they annoy me as well.
They carefully didn't harp on about road tax, or riding in the middle of a lane. Almost by ignoring those two that people might have expected them to home in on demonstrated that those are non issues.0 -
rickeverett wrote:Cyclists are morons, smell, shouldn't be on the road, untrustworthy and are dangerous etc etc.... but hey, if they they are stupid enough to do that - we can have more room to drive!.
That's what top gear do, you can replace cyclists with almost anyone (even drivers) and I bet they have said something similar.
I wouldn't take it personally! Especially seeing as Clarkson has said several times he now has a bike and is trying to get fitter.www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0 -
"Oh Noooo, there's a cyclist wearing normal clothes. They'll never make it alive"
I really expected worse but it was genuinely funny. Drinking herbal tea and reading left wing papers, Ha ha, I do actually drink herbal tea and read left wing papers.0 -
Ok so I may have to check it out later on iplayer...pretty mixed opinions on here!0
-
Toothpaste on the bo11ocks was quite amusing, considering the reactions we get trying to explain chamois creme. Enough tongue in cheek humour to counteract the bits that wound me up, would have been entertaining to see them attempting to cycle without a film crew and police escort. The archetypal idiot driver cutting up Clarkson on a bike should, I imagine, be rather watchable.Edinburgh Revolution Curve
http://app.strava.com/athletes/19200480 -
0
-
I thought the use of fruit and veg to represent bits of an injured cyclist was quite powerful...0
-
Anyone seen Bender Rodriguez's posts on the main site? That is who Top Gear rails against and frankly when you read bullsugar like that you can see why they re so popular! :roll:
Think my communt today was really rather nice, no link between them though I'm sure...We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
littledove44 wrote:I am indeed a sad person.
Just watched last Sundays episode. Lovely Alfa roaring up some mountainous bends somewhere.
I was ignoring the car and thinking how much fun that would be on a bicycle.
Is there any hope for me?
Hahaha well I am going cycling on that very road on Sept 7th this year!! Its the Pordoi Pass in the Italian Dolomites. Whats really sad is i have the Tacx DVD of that road on my Tacx Fortius!!0
