Top Gear

[GordonMasson]

Let me start by saying that I would classify Top Gear as the best motoring program on the TV BUT

[mayevora]

Thought last Sundays one of the best I had seen, but last nights not so. Reversing tractors and ploughing, yes OK to a point, but a little dragged out.

If its a toss up between the Lambo, or the tractor, doing a lap of the Top Gear test track, then I'm affraid Its going to be very one sided vote.

[mwmackenzie]

I completely agree... my fave prog and they're killing it with crap freatures that waste half the show... only 1 car test which i might add was awesome.... More tests and less naff features is what's needed.. naw masarati looks awesome too!!!

[gghc87]

I wonder if the ideas are running out. Must be very difficult to maintain the standard.

Just loved the new massa and as for the Lambo

One thing which relates to another tread on the forum at present they called it a 'hypercar' use to be a 'supercar'

Edited February 26, 2007 by gghc87

[M Blur]

It's entertainment.. it cheers up my Sundays no end if I shake my head at half the things they do - still funny. and was that a ref that James bats for the other side? - my wife was very upset to hear this eluded to.

new Massa should be a belter - it only needs to be about 20% better than outgoing Grand Sport to give the 911 serious problems. It should have more than the Qauttroporte bhp tho. At least next GS should get the Alfa 440bhp.

[GordonMasson]

It's entertainment.. it cheers up my Sundays no end if I shake my head at half the things they do - still funny. and was that a ref that James bats for the other side? - my wife was very upset to hear this eluded to.

new Massa should be a belter - it only needs to be about 20% better than outgoing Grand Sport to give the 911 serious problems. It should have more than the Qauttroporte bhp tho. At least next GS should get the Alfa 440bhp.

Yes i agree ... its entertainment BUT it used to be an excellent motoring program with a light hearted tone and serious car stuff....

Seems to be turning into an attempt at a comedy show which even Fraser (age 13) thinks is spoiling the program.

I know they don

[Jonathan]

I agree with Gordon, it was funny as hell but I was kinda thinking....where did the reviews and stuff go, it's heavy bias to the stupid stuff atm. Wasn't overly impressed with the train article as well, it was kinda ammusing but they could have made some effort for a sensible side instead of just beeing silly all the way through it.

Just guessing the loss of Hammond over the past few months has knocked TG back a few steps and they're having to drag these pre-filmed articles out to fill the show ?

If you want sensible car reviews and stuff then it isn't the show - its 3 blokes arsing around with motor transport thrown in...its either this or 'Vroom Vroom' or 5th (we can't think of an original name for the show) Gear.

[Dan]

Yes i agree ... its entertainment BUT it used to be an excellent motoring program with a light hearted tone and serious car stuff....

Seems to be turning into an attempt at a comedy show which even Fraser (age 13) thinks is spoiling the program.

I know they don

[Kimbers]

I wonder if the ideas are running out. Must be very difficult to maintain the standard.

Just loved the new massa and as for the Lambo

One thing which relates to another tread on the forum at present they called it a 'hypercar' use to be a 'supercar'

Come on guys, put 2 and 2 together!

The reason there aren't so many features or proper 3 person "tests" such as buy a car for

[cbclotus]

Good point Gordon ,i watch it in the hope that some thing decent will appear ,but it doesent it is the Clarkson show ,dont like the bloke ,never got a good thing to say about lotus at all he is a jerk .as above it is meant to be a motoring show ,but you have to watch it only hope it gets better ,my rant over .mike s 3

[Paul C]

Betcha if JC's chat show had been popular to the point he had a regular

slot, then top gear would be a better program for it. With the chat show

going down like a fart in a lift, i figure the result is all the comedy stuff

that despite being proven to be a ratings loser, being propped up by the

Top Gear show.

It's moving away from something that the guy has proven many times

over that he can do well (very well), to something he's proven he cannot do.

In short, without the cars, he's nothing, absolutely nothing, but a gobby would

be comedian act, that nobody watched when he dared to try it out.

[Norfolk Hustler]

I am along term Top Gear fan - going back as far as the William Wollard days.

Although entertaining Top Gear is not really a serious motoring show anymore. The messing around is taking over, and even on important motoring issues, such as the over emphasis by Police on speeding they are being dismissed as idiots and car extremists. The level cross item last night proved this. As you point out a lot of the mishaps are staged stunts. For example the flying of the remote control plane into the window on last week's rocket item. Also as one who tried to obtain tickets the audience is vetted to ensure a female presence and the lack of motoring knowledge is unbelievable.

The other problem is the other moroting shows such a '5th gear' are copying and not even pulling this off. What we need is a motoring show that is entertaining not an entertainment show that features motoring. This program should not be made to pull ratings.

[nello]

Yes whatever happened to a car Review program actually............reviewing cars?!?!

Bring back William Woollard!!! Clarkson and posse are just spoilt kids playing IMO..........

Oh ....loved that Murcielago LP640 in THAT colour!

[islandbloke]

I think you have to take the occasional dull idea and look at the series in context. I'm not keen on the comedy stuff, but when it works it's great. The USA show had me literally crying with laughter when JC came back with the cow, and the show made more of a political point about the American psyche than any amount of worthy interviews on Newsnight.

I've done a few series of 'radio' car shows here - and to be honest you really do run out of things to say - most cars (certainly the ones I could borrow to test) are bland but capable boxes, where you find yourself mouthing the same cliches. So I started doing more laddish stuff with my co-presenter (a gorgeous American girl) to keep US amused.

I've met the whole team once (I interviewed them when they first did a show from here - 911 vs. DB9 vs. M6 IIRC), and they were all really nice blokes. I've met JC since, and he's a top bloke. But I've been a fan since he wrote the back page of Performance Car (I think) and would do 2 paras on a car he had to test, and the rest of the page talk about how great smoking is...

ANYBODY can do a motoring show - witness the crap on Ch 5 and Sky - but the chemistry, photography (didn't you love the falcon on TG this week?) makes it stand head and shoulders above the rest. I'm sure once Hammond is fully fit they'll rely less on the extended 'feature' piece - although having said that, the Reliant Rocket was stunning!

[Mad Zero]

Well I'm genuinely shocked that so many of you even consider watching Top Gear. Presumably most if not all LEF members are serious car enthusiasts and, with TG now apparently being directed by a team of 12yr olds, I fail to see the draw?

There are plenty of "what shall we buy Dad?" type DVD's featuring Clarkson's clowning around for a bit of apres Xmas lunch 'entertainment' - but to watch it on a weekly basis is just, well.. Aaargh! Thank for reference books! ..bah humbug...

...next I'll be reading how you all liked 'The Fast & The Furious' too eh?

[Kimbers]

I watch it because it's great TV (That US show was just brilliant!) and believe it or not that program holds huge sway in the Automotive Industry. If Jezza doesn't like a Lotus then Lotus know sales will be substantially down than if he did like it!

I wouldn't criticise anyone for watching Moronic, Brain dead programs like East Enders, Corry or Brookside or I don't criticise my mom because she watches Songs of Praise, which is based on a totally false premise (IMHO).

My little Gems are Top Gear, Big Brother and old War/cowboy films, I know Big Brother is rubbish, I accept it for what it is and enjoy it because of it, not because it's intelligent or informative!

My rant over!

n.b. I watched Fast and Furious and it was brilliant in the cinema, real edge of the seat stuff. It didn't look as good on DVD though. But again you had to accept it for what it was! Would you criticise A horror movie or Sci Fi because they aren't realistic? Of course not because they are entertainment.

[Jonathan]

Well I'm genuinely shocked that so many of you even consider watching Top Gear. Presumably most if not all LEF members are serious car enthusiasts and, with TG now apparently being directed by a team of 12yr olds, I fail to see the draw?

You fail to get drawn to it but it doesn't mean others enjoy it - conversly but my idea of entertainment isn't watching Schindler's List. Sunday is usually work day so I like to unwind - TG fills the space really well. It's great to get away from the annoyance of the week and watch 3 grown men mess about with cars for no other reason.

The space rocket thing was absoulty 100% pointless but totally hilarious as was the USA episode - everything in this life have to be serious ?

[Mad Zero]

Guys! Guys! ..don't take this stuff so personally - it's just general motoring chat yes? Chill!

[esprit350]

loved the fast and the furious, both 1st one and 2nd not seen the 3rd yet, cracking entertainment,

about as serious as a bond film before anyone starts...

[GordonMasson]

I accept the point that they may be a bit short of material at the moment because Richard Hammond was out of the picture for a while BUT, and this was my original point, the show always had a jokey

[bingoking]

In a word YEP! they have lost the plot, but it's all part of the general dumming down of TV.

I agree with the sentiment that a little bit of light hearted relief in between the serious motoring issues is fine.

The video photography is brilliant though. Look at the test with the new Porsche Turbo recently, the article with the helicopter chasing an Exige round the track, the races across Europe...brilliant and at times humerous. I even like the "Star in a reasonably priced car" piece.

The caravan "sitcom" was ludicrousthogh, what they should have been focusing on is the safety aspect of towing a caravan sensibly on the public highway, making sure they kerb weight ratio of caravan to towcar is within safe limits, the caravan is loaded correctly so that it is stable when being towed and they could then have had a rant about the stupid speed limits that caravans are limited to i.e. 50mph on single carraigeway and 60mph on dual carriage way and motorway. These limits were imposed when Ford Anglias were the order of the day. I make no apologies for being a caravanner as well as a petrol head, and I know the frustration that some of you have with the irresponsible Reginald Molehusband type caravanners out there who do not have the courtesy to pull over in a layby to let the long line of faster vehicles past.

And as for that Tractor comedy, what on earth has that got to do with serious motoring!

Anyone given a thought to who actually pays for the damage these lunatics create.... YES us the TV licence payer.

Having said all this I still watch it though.

[mr50bmg]

...That US show was just brilliant!...

What did TG do in that show? Sadly, we (this metropolitan area) no longer get TG.

-Dave

[islandbloke]

They had to drive from Miami to New Orleans after buying a car for less than the equivalent hire cost - i.e. less than a thousand bucks per car. One of the challenges was to survive a night under canvas eating only roadkill. Another was to try to get each other killed by painting slogans on the side of the cars and driving through the deep south ('Nascar SUCKS' was a tame one).

But the telling thing for me was them arriving in New Orleans and realising that the greatest and richest country on earth was too busy fighting imperialist wars abroad to do a damn thing about rebuilding the Katrina-ravaged city. A full year later much of the place hadn't been touched at all and was still derelict.

The other was that, at the end they gave away their cheap cars (the original plan had been to sell them) to the poor people who had lost everything in the hurricane. One recipient then threatened to sue for massive damages because the car had been described as a 1991 and was in fact a 1989 model...go figure.

[Kimbers]

The caravan "sitcom" was ludicrousthogh, what they should have been focusing on is the safety aspect of towing a caravan sensibly on the public highway, making sure they kerb weight ratio of caravan to towcar is within safe limits, the caravan is loaded correctly so that it is stable when being towed and they could then have had a rant about the stupid speed limits that caravans are limited to i.e. 50mph on single carraigeway and 60mph on dual carriage way and motorway.

And as for that Tractor comedy, what on earth has that got to do with serious motoring!

Brian,

We do Love ya, but I don't think that will EVER EVER happen!

Islandbloke is correct in that the US episode actually really shocked me! I've been to the US 3 times now and you always get a hint of "Whats around that corner" but it's certainly spoilt my view of "Some" Americans. Please, I know most are great people but it showed that the difference between our 2 countries is that if you go round "That" corner here you see more of the same people, but wearing hoodies but still nodding cooly when you stop at a pedestrian crossing for them!

In Florida they had to go near "That Corner" and were warned not to go any further cause they would be killed. They didn't get near the the corner in the deep south yet were stoned and threatened with being killed becuse one of the cars said Man Love is Cool! or Hilary CLinton For President! Here people would just point and laugh!

Then when they were threatened by a lawyer for a Charity centre for misrepresenting the year of one of the cars! I'd say F**K you I'll have it back you Ingrate!

Not a good inditement of some parts of the States

[bigsi]

i dont think they have lost it at all, the problem is so many people are so quick to knock the everyday driver and car etc that i think they are trying to take the constant rubbish away for an hour.

i love the stupid stunts and daft races etc, it adds to the show. im up for anything that doesnt have some idiot spouting off at me about the bad side of motoring. and poluution, petyrol useage etc..

i just want POWER!!!!!!!!