Reply With QuotePretty rubbish imo
felt sorry about that 944 turbo they wrecked, could have been a nice car ,bought by someone who'd love it and keep it together
Originally Posted by dougair
Hang on now, there's a bedtime story and the goodnight song before the green-screen!
As far as Top-Gear, it's still good fun and it's still very much car based, albeit with as much silliness these days as motoring journalism.
What would we prefer? I for one can't afford Lambo's and Ferraris - nice car porn but doing a 20 minute review on the latest hypercar is going to be of practical use to maybe .5% of the viewers (and that's a generous estimate). If they are going to feature those sort of cars I'm as happy to see them batting across Europe racing a train or whatever lark they're up to this week.
As far as the sketches and 'stunts', has anyone ever seen any of Clarksons DVD's? It's all the same stuff, destroying caravans and blowing crap cars up with tanks, and they sell by the bucketload so someone must be enjoying it.
I quite enjoy Fifth Gear, but put that against Top Gear in the same time slot and fun-lovers and car-lovers alike would still be flocking to BBC2.
Pretty rubbish imo
felt sorry about that 944 turbo they wrecked, could have been a nice car ,bought by someone who'd love it and keep it together
I shouldn't have liked it but I thought last nights episode was genuinely funny too and it had me laughing out loud. On twitter Clarkson thanked people for all the positive comments about the episode so I think it went down quite well with a lot of people.
Top Gear in it's current format has been around for many years now and it's done well to go on this long and gain such global success. It's a light entertainment show that features cars and it's ability to attract both car and non car enthusiasts is the reason for it's success.
It is getting a bit stale now especially the road trip style episodes where the comedy is depandant on the viewer pretending to believe the endless pranks and mishaps are semi-real. Last nights episode worked because it was so over the top and the cars themselves, not the presenters were the props in the humour.
Perosnally I think Top Gear is still watchable but it's very hit and miss.
It's a sign of today's TV. Everything just goes on for far too long. Once a winning formula has been established it just grinds interminably on and on. American TV series lead the way of course and Top Gear is just another example. Still, some people seem to like it and the rest of us don't have to bother.
I am into cars so do prefer the episodes where they actually spend more time on car reviews and car related news. However some bits from last night had me properly laughing. Funniest episode for a long time.
I actually fell asleep
Pah its been a comedy show with the odd car thrown in for ages now. But its TG or call the midwife or some other such sh@t the mrs has recorded.
Not a lot to do with cars but i still laughed last night. I remember the old OLD TG. A few crusty old men pointing at bits of car engines i wasnt interested in. That was cancelled for a reason.
New TG.... car crash tv literally, but hey i like it.
They have to produce a little future proofing for the new audience's around the world, get the kids on board, most boy's already like cars it's a good start but not enough, some old guy drivelling on about a car they never heard of isn't going to inspire them .... they are up against the internet Xbox & Sony they need to get the new viewer's in line, not on line.
If you watch last nights episode and FF through the crap at least you wont waste an hour of your life like I did.
I think that was the last episode for me.
So that's 349,997,000 left watching TG.
Hate to say it but last night did have some hilarious scenes, seeing JC almost getting wanged in the face childish yes, much, but 99% of what blokes laugh about in the pub is just as bad. Shame to see that 944 turbo getting wrecked though, could have been a nice car and a good project for someone.
Parts of the show were like a Tom and Jerry cartoon.
It's in the Guinness Book of Records as the most watched factual program in the world, so they must be doing something right (although the 'factual' moniker is stretching it a bit...)
The wife and I were in stitches last night.
It used to be a fairly serious and factual programme......then it became more light-hearted..........and now, given the bits of last night's episode I could muster any interest to watch, it has descended into the abyss. It's had its day and beyond. Enough.
It's an entertainment show, most likely costs a lot of money to make but they can sell it around the world. What watches were they wearing last night? Looked like Omega PO for Clarkson.
I thought the ambulance stuff was very funny, I was watching it with my 11 yo daughter who also thought it was funny, she turned to me when it finished and said Top Gear was very good, she always thought it was a car show. Kind of said it all to me.
TG hasn't really been a 'car' show for many years now.
Why people who don't like the format yet still watch it and complain is beyond me?
Its a silly entertainment show about three middle aged men messing about. But it makes the BBC loads of money and millions watch it. If you don't like it, watch something else!
Personally I accept that its not as good as it used to be, how could it? They've already done pretty much everything possible. The alternative is that TG listen to the moaners and simply cancel the show. It wont be replaced by an improvement though will it? No. Just some other crap reality drivel.
For better or worse its something I actually enjoy watching, long live TG!
I've stopped watching this drivel now... too predictable.
Utter shite.
Spot on mate. Genuine laugh out loud nonsense.WTF indeed.
Last night's show was hilarious! Like others, I had several guffaws at the antics, great entertainment. And save the £££ arguments, the show MAKES millions for the BBC.
And Daniel Ricciardo, wow
My 12 year old daughter is an absolute fan (through me), indeed as I type this I am enduring the Monday re-run on BBC 2 after watching it with her last night.
Unfortunately IMHO they have the mix of entertainment vs. infotainment a tad wrong at this time. It's still better than some of the rubbish on a Sunday evening but is becoming somewhat repetitive and childish.
If you have to rely on blurred out mannequin man bits in Clarkson's face to make a front line BBC program entertaining then perhaps the BBC could, and should, do better than that....
Andrew
Thought the ambulance thing went on too long, but still fairly amusing.
It sells all round the world in a big way, don't expect to see it's demise anytime soon.
It is a shame that it's no longer the motoring show that it used to be, and if it is aiming to be a comedy show then it's missing that aim by a mile in my opinion; that flavour of 'comedy' became obsolete in the 80's.
Seems to exist purely as an indulgence for Clarkson and his sycophant sidekicks now, which is a shame when it's at our expense.
Me too, watched the 10 minutes tonight and it was crap
Sorry? TG earns the Beeb close to £150m a year (2012 figures) with a total viewing figures worldwide of 350m per episode. The most of any TV series anywhere, ever. It's a cash cow for the Beeb. Your complaints will be noted and duly dismissed.
I was about to write something exactely the same, I'll keep watching it though just because the kids love it.
I stopped watching it a couple of years ago when it was still mildly meh rather than the complete pants it seems to have become.
Give Guy Martin the Goa to Grimsby program he talked about on yesterday's program and kill off TG while it's still the humane thing to do.
Usually a great show but I fear it's fast becoming a show about egotistical old blokes who have become some what self important. Has JC just got too big for his boots?
It's been a comedy show for years now. Funny usually too, even if there is really only one joke. Last night maybe showed how thin the joke is getting.
I think this is correct, the money really talks regarding top gear, difficult to see the BBC stopping it voluntarily. Will finish when the presenters have had enough.
Yep. What he's said.
+1
I enjoyed it for what it is - entertainment! It doesn't take itself seriously and neither should its viewers.
More like "Last of the Summer Wine" with every episode.
So far this series has been pretty rubbish & I love Top Gear normally. I happily watch the repeats on Dave I.e.. the R32 v the 130i. I hope it gets better but I'm not going to be fussed on missing them. As someone has already pointed out Guy Martin looks to be the future now & he is ace!!
I like cars but I don't watch this for the cars. I think it is genuinely entertaining.
God forbid that we ever have to go back to car shows which consist if some tedious old beard driving a Micra around in the rain alongside a bit of 'crumpet'
The world has moved on and online. A car show that actually review cars for people to buy would be about as relevant as ITV devoting its primetime slot to some reviews of washing machines.
Agree with this, I watch top gear for the entertainment value, if I want something informative on just cars I'd read autocar online or the like (not that I ever make informed decisions when it comes to cars)
Ive never forgiven them for ruining a perfectly good Morris Marina
So have they driven a car over a shark yet?
It was posted on the other TG thread we had a few weeks ago, but it's quite uncanny how accurate this sniff petrol 'news' story was!
http://sniffpetrol.com/2015/01/23/fo.../#.VNmwyWD46rU
ROFL, that's very good.
They missed out Formula 1...
You beat me too it, it's almost like Richard Porter is on here.
You can do that with most common topics on this forum too. For even more fun, ever tried discussing guns on an American forum?
Chaps
To be honest Top Gear is a success story of the highest magnitude. It draws in audiences from all over the world and earn the BBC an absolute fortune in royalties.
Yes it is a bit OTT on the humour side bit in its defence it is clean and not smutty, so you can confidently watch it with your Grandmother and young daughter sitting beside you.
Regards
Mick
Not so sure about that... perhaps I am just hyper-aware of smut ;)
Blimey Plato seems to have piled on a few pounds. Might be the expensive quilted jacket or the smug look but either way he's getting bigger.
That was the first TG for a long time that made me laugh, reading this thread I must have an odd sense of humor.
Patient through the window :-)
Clarkson doesn't always talk tripe (and if you've never owned an Alfa don't bother replying).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWnczoFJ7D4
So true, recently parted from a 16v 33, it no longer gave what I need of my car at the moment but I can picture how it used to feel on very specific bits of road and I miss it.
I thought it was funny.
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