Top Gear back but without the Top Gear (ddraver)
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Yup, as much as C&H&M were fantastic, they had run their course, that much was obvious for some time. So I'm looking forward to the refresh, a lot depends on who else is presenting of course.
Will they be shot now...0 -
Yup, as much as C&H&M were fantastic, they had run their course, that much was obvious for some time. So I'm looking forward to the refresh, a lot depends on who else is presenting of course.
Will they be shot now...
it ll depend on the format, even Evans says he s a bit of a Marmitte character, so much like clarkson
Personally, found the old TG team just about perfect and worldwide, no other country has bettered their presentation.
just a motoring show, talking about cars etc is boring and attracts just petrol heads, TG managed to combine cars, knowledge and comedy all in one.
Maybe the BBC would have been better just ditching the whole concept0 -
This seems to have become the accepted narrative, but go back to this last series' pre-launch publicity on radio & The Sunday Times regular look ahead to the new series, and all 4 of them - incl Wilman in the core team - were confident that this was their best series for a while and a return to form. I'd agree. Every episode up to & including the final one that was shown was top drawer laugh-out-loud quality tv. The last series was TG as good as it had been since the relaunch. Previous series may have been a bit routine & going through the motions sometimes, but they'd nailed it this time round.Yup, as much as C&H&M were fantastic, they had run their course, that much was obvious for some time. So I'm looking forward to the refresh, a lot depends on who else is presenting of course.0 -
I don't like marmite. A safe and predictable choice by the BBC, though will probably attract a new viewing audience. Remains to be seen whether it can be rebooted into something better, although I agree the present format was getting a bit tired.
I think they would have been better taking it of air for a while working out what the new format was going to be and then relaunching it, similar to what happened with the original TG and the Wilman/Clarkson TG. Though the bean counters at The BBC wouldn't countenance that, to much money at stake. If it still has decent viewing figures in 3yrs time and Evans still wants to do it and the BBC are making as much or more from overseas sales, then it will probably continue.0 -
I think they would have been better taking it of air for a while working out what the new format was going to be and then relaunching it, similar to what happened with the original TG and the Wilman/Clarkson TG. .
Well it's currently June, and the new show will air in March, 9 months is a good while to come up with something.0 -
I think they would have been better taking it of air for a while working out what the new format was going to be and then relaunching it, similar to what happened with the original TG and the Wilman/Clarkson TG. .
Well it's currently June, and the new show will air in March, 9 months is a good while to come up with something.
Did not realise that the next series was due in March 2016, thought it was going to be the usual back on air in the Autumn. Checking the history of the show, the original TG ran from 1977-2001, with the relaunch in 2002, so yes 9 months is probably enough time off air.0 -
Seems a good fit, it will be interesting to see who co-presents (I'd actually like to see Lynne Bowles join him, they have a good rapport and she is quite into the mechanical side of things) but Evans is pretty good with ideas and does like to refresh his stuff occasionally. I suspect it will become more about the cars again but still with a high degree of entertainment to appeal to a wide audience. I'd agree the last series was the best for a while but it still felt like I was watching repeats on Dave just with new cars and it needed something new to continue.
One thing with Evans is that, whilst he likes his Ferraris he's also a fan of less flashy cars like camper vans etc. so it hopefully won't all be about power and speed but will also have fun elements.0 -
What, like driving old cars across Africa, or buying three 80s hatchbacks, or converting unsuitable cars into ambulances...? Proper TG did all that - it wasn't all about power & out-of-reach cars. It was fun, varied, interesting.One thing with Evans is that, whilst he likes his Ferraris he's also a fan of less flashy cars like camper vans etc. so it hopefully won't all be about power and speed but will also have fun elements.
From what Evans was saying this morning it's going to change a bit anyway. Shame - the BBC had a massive success on their hands, couldn't deal with a bit of fall-out and as a result the people who matter - us, the viewing public - cant have TG but will have to make do with a different version instead. I really hope C H & M end up on somewhere like Netflix doing a new full-on TG.0 -
From what Evans was saying this morning it's going to change a bit anyway. Shame - the BBC had a massive success on their hands, couldn't deal with a bit of fall-out and as a result the people who matter - us, the viewing public - cant have TG but will have to make do with a different version instead. I really hope C H & M end up on somewhere like Netflix doing a new full-on TG.
It has to change, Evans can't come in and do exactly the same stuff as they were always doing otherwise it'll just be a pale imitation of what's gone before.0 -
I can't see how anyone loses really. Evans gets £££ and massive publicity esp. if he succeeds. If he fails well it was such a strong brand etc. Clarkson et al move their programme and succeed and get £££. They fail then the BBC might 'tempt' them back with £££ or sell TG brand to Clarkson. Notice the common denominator here is £££ for everyone. Motor industry still gets the publicity and our presenters get free stuffM.Rushton0
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The new format will be good, different but good.
Chris is far more honourable than Jeremy and actually knows about cars technically so I hope it is enjoyable to most.
The problem is, I honestly don't think that people loved JC so much as they loved an idiot who knew little about how a vehicle works who was happy to smash them up. It was more of a young boys programme than a true motoring show. I hope it turns into a full motoring show where the info you get as a viewer reflects the true results of the testing.Living MY dream.0 -
I hope it turns into a full motoring show where the info you get as a viewer reflects the true results of the testing.
I could scarcely think of anything worse. I do wonder why people keep asking for Top Gear to be a broadcast version of "What Car?". Fine if you're considering purchasing a car but otherwise deadly boring.0 -
that will kill it as a sunday night entertainment show though...
You may well be right, I know quite a few people who watch it with their kids on a sunday evening and then put them to bed ready for the start of the school week on monday.
Its a shame as it used to be factual to a point and you found quality info on the show, the last 2 years was almost all made up with the results on the track and from those who actually drove the vehicles not given to the watching public. I can only imagine how you would feel as a manufacturer and having your products rubbished when they were actually quite good.
Im in NYC right now and the team are making a new pilot based around driving different cars in different cities, I think it is a decent enough subject which will interest many but I also wonder how much damage the TG issues of the past year will have an effect on the viewing public.
Most people I've spoken to here had fallen out with the TG show towards the end as it was just a smash and go format with less content than any other previous series of the show.I hope it turns into a full motoring show where the info you get as a viewer reflects the true results of the testing.
I could scarcely think of anything worse. I do wonder why people keep asking for Top Gear to be a broadcast version of "What Car?". Fine if you're considering purchasing a car but otherwise deadly boring.
But the results of the features were almost always made up, if you watch a show you at least want the real figures and not something made up surely ?
Why would you want the host telling you a car was rubbish when the stage had told them that it was awesome ?
You don't need to change the way it works or looks in order to tell the truth. You just say the stage said that was good or bad accordingly.Living MY dream.0 -
The point VTech is that the majority (I guess) do not watch it for factual content. Make it a factual show but put it on BBC2 on the Tuesday night and it ll do ok. But I, a hitherto big TG fan, won't be watching it.
The real figures mean nothing to me, I want something fun to wach with my tea son sunday night. The dullest bits are when they put the Lambogotti fasterosa around the track. I couldnt care less what the time is...We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
The point VTech is that the majority (I guess) do not watch it for factual content. Make it a factual show but put it on BBC2 on the Tuesday night and it ll do ok. But I, a hitherto big TG fan, won't be watching it.
The real figures mean nothing to me, I want something fun to wach with my tea son sunday night. The dullest bits are when they put the Lambogotti fasterosa around the track. I couldnt care less what the time is...
Why can't you have both ?
Show what people want to see but tell them the truth, tell them if a car is good or bad but don't lie, there isn't any point surely ?
You don't need to lie to make it funny, in fact it can be identical in content but instead of saying what they want to be the truth, they simply say it was good if the test driver said it was good and bad if he/she said it was bad.Living MY dream.0 -
you see lies everywhere eh?
When the stig or the test drivers say the car is good and then the panel tell the viewers the stig or themselves (who may not have actually driven the cars) that they were bad, it is wrong.
When they tell viewers they have driven across a country or continent I honestly think that they should have actually driven. If they used stage drivers they should say the "driver felt" etc.
As a car enthusiast I want to believe the top speed laps as being genuine, don't you ?Living MY dream.0 -
I don't care, no
What you re talking about above is opinions, not facts. What concerns me about neo-TG is that Clarkson (and to some extent the others) realised that they were not making a car show for Car nerds, they were making an entertainment show featuring cars for people who actually couldnt care less about carsWe're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
What makes you think the power lap times were not genuine? Or that any road tests by Clarkson et al didn't reflect their own opinions?0
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paranoia and narcissism?What makes you think the power lap times were not genuine? Or that any road tests by Clarkson et al didn't reflect their own opinions?0 -
I suspect the criteria was 'does it make good tv?' If so, then opinions/times didn't really matter. It was 3 blokes having a great time with expensive cars and getting paid great money.M.Rushton0
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It had become a bit of a parody of itself, maybe the final series was a slight uptick. But there's only so many times one can watch men behaving like boys smashing up caravans without going meh.
Got a good feeling about the Evans era TG. He is an entertainer.0 -
Scrapheap Challenge was better.0
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So the big question is will VTech be auditioning for a co-host / presenter role? Could do a weekly section on cars he's chipped and comparing them to the showroom model on the track (I want a percentage if this actually happens
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Very interesting! That their 'solution' was that Clarkson date a year out while the dust settles and then come back. Sounds like something they would do!
But it also sounds like he's got something planned, I just hope it isn't netflix!0
