Reply With QuoteIt seemed a very pale imitation of the original; totally lacking in originality and humour and I find Evans to be an annoying toady particularly to the actor from Homeland/ Billions.Originally Posted by jaytip
Le Blanc was OK though.
Thought it was much better than the first one. Evans still needs to calm down, and Eddie Jordan seemed like little more than a placeholder.
It seemed a very pale imitation of the original; totally lacking in originality and humour and I find Evans to be an annoying toady particularly to the actor from Homeland/ Billions.
Le Blanc was OK though.
Didn't enjoy it, but Matt does seem to be a good foil to CE with his "wtf is he doing now..." attitude.
A massive improvement over last week, although I still think CE is the weakest link. Swop him out and it really could be brilliant TV again.
Much improved from last week but I find the celeb in mini section all a bit wooden and forced.
ExtraGear for me tonight once I get home.
I've subscribed to Tim's channel for maybe a year now, looking forward to him taking collection of his Spyder and have been trying to work out what the other 2 cars he has on order will be.
As for TG - much better than last week. The African adventure was better for not having puerile scripted pranks that would have afflicted old TG and the McLaren piece was cool, would have been good to have seen more of the F1 though.
agreed much better this week. but why does evans have to scream every word he says . still dont like him in it . it would be better without him
I kind of guessed when he took his first drive in Tenerefe of the Spyder that he wouldn't be running them together. I like Tim - he seems a bit more professional about his work than other YTers
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Agreed
Much better than last week, which begs a question...why the hell did they choose to put that turd of an episode out first last week? They must have known it was crap, so why put that out first when you're trying to get established?
It was better last night, but that's not saying much.
MLB was much better this time, but CE remains utterly unwatchable. Neither funny nor imaginative.
Filling the show with celebs doesn't disguise the weakness of the show. And the SIARPRC is really not much of a TV spectacle.
And I found the South Africa trip incredibly tedious - it lacked originality, failed to make a tried and trusted formula funny or particularly interesting, and was a massive missed opportunity.
Yes, it is a hard act to follow - so either don't, or get in a team that add as much spice as the previous one.
Didn't see the first one but if that's better than last week then god help us.
It was without doubt the worst of any Top Gear show i have ever seen.
Antiques Roadshow for me next week.
+1
"BBC One's Antiques Roadshow attracted more viewers than the motoring show - with 4.2 million people tuning in." LOL!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36458510
Just watched the start of the first episode.
Opener coupled with the standard top gear theme and the expected Clarkson 'TONIGHT. ..' but instead the voice of Alvin Seville was in replacement. "I CHASE MATT....HE CHASES ME ...WE BOTH CHASE EACH OTHER. "
Really? In the same vein as Clarkson? What is the spoofing in aid of or the transferred themes?
Evans drives some nice cars in a straight line. Everything else was cr@p.
What a recipe for success.
Haven't seen the first episode. Watched the second last night. They all seemed to be having a lot more fun than I was.
Top Gear is just not going to be able to win, is it? People moaned about Clarkson and co, and now they are moaning about the new diluted effort. Evans is annoying I grant you, but I really did think the rest of Sunday's show was ok.
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I just wish Evans would STF up. He's unwatchable for me.
I'm trying as I want it to be a success. But...
I can't bear Evans and his shouting he is awful and so is the programme.
No, it won't win. It went from being inspirational entertainment to being formulaic and repetitive under the old crew. Extraordinarily the new crew have tried to pick up where JC+2 left off. A poisoned chalice I think.
I think it needs Matt to be less deferential to CE, and play more of the "what are you doing now you idiot" role.
Also, someone needs to have some good ideas. We're seeing same old same old. Tonight, we race modified wheelbarrows across the Yorkshire Dales in our wellies. Boring.
I thought it was much improved last night. However, I think it's sad that so much is "laid on". Part of the fun of the road trips on 'old' TG was watching them improvise. Last night we had them crossing a rickety bridge (but they didn't have to build it) and staying in tents that someone had thoughtfully put up for them. I'm not actually sure they decided which of the cars was best either at the end - did I miss that bit? It's all rather.... "safe" for the presenters compared to the old one.
MLB was much improved - I found myself liking him. Eddie Jordan did look a bit lost. I think we need more Sabine Schmitz - she was genuinely funny last week and they could replace the rather dull Star in a rallycross car segment with a new one where they put the stars in a car with her and time how long before she manages to make them throw up.......
But, as is very well known, the 'improvisations' were planned and scripted. In many ways new TG suffers from what we now know about the old TG.
Surely the show has always been the spiritual successor to Last of the Summer Wine?
+1
I found last night's show rather lacklustre & won't be watching any more of the series.
The highlight was Jenson Button, who was on screen for a couple of minutes.
As for Eddie Jordan - words fail me...
______
Jim.
Thought it was a better episode - but still room to get better - they should have sent Sabine to South Africa rather than Eddie Jordan - although he's good at wrecking cars
Also I think they could have made more of the bridge crossing.
Next time can we get them to go to SA in superminis?
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Was much better than the first episode but still got some serious issues to sort out. However all the big events/overseas adventures are all filmed so not sure how much they could be re-edited to solve some of the problems.
Few thoughts on the episode.
McClaren bit started well with the lookback and drive of the F1 and brief history of the LT. CE obviously struggles to talk and drive a v fast car but that can be covered. Jenson was great, obviously in his element. Now what I think would have made this a far more interesting section is if CE, a massive Ferrari fan, compared the commonly held view that the Ferrari has more 'soul' than the 'clinical' McClaren. A little bit of analysis would have shown CE is a better way than the shouty presentation he's currently doing.
SUVs in SA
Not a bad adventure, but again just a bit of analysis, not dull stats but each driver and guest saying what they think of the car. Old TG always used to have some opinion on the cars they were driving.
Star in a rally cross car
Even with a good guest this was poor. The whole comparison/top trumps thing with car and the loudest cheer is rubbish. No chance for some interesting chat with the guests. This really needs to go.
Overall, CE needs someone to take him aside and calm him down. The rest are all developing and there is some potential. I'll keep watching to see how it goes.
Chris Evans isn't really a "car person". He's somebody who made a lot of money and bought some nice cars.
Matt Leblanc has the potential to be a good presenter. I like his laconic style, and given more time he could be very watchable.
Part of the problem is that the BBC have two of the most irritating men on tv in the same show. Evans is like a dose of thrush, and Eddie Jordan is worse.
Jeremy Clarkson is genuinely funny, and a very good journalist, as is James May. Richard Hammond was/is an excellent foil for them both, and the "chemistry" between the three of them had time to develop. The BBC need to keep the money coming in from the Top Gear "brand" so they appear to have opted for a lowest common denominator solution and plug some new presenters in to the old format, giving it a tweak here and there, and not surprisingly the legions of Top Gear devotees, and there are millions of them, don't like it.
It's a poor cover single by a band who've never played together and haven't rehearsed much. And a lead singer who's out of tune.
Watched this weeks one earlier, not any better IMO.
When Button came on in the McLaren, by far the most believable presenter for his 2-minute bit to camera while spanking the car round the track.
The 3-car test was terrible, straight from one challenge to the next, no development or story that kept the old top gear road trips together, its about the journey, not the destination.
Just watched both on iplayer.
1st episode, not so good
2nd episode, much improved.
They were always going to have a massive hill to climb. I like LeBlanc so still interested to see how this develops and will revisit after a few more episodes...
I cannot disagree with any of the above, nor I could've put it better myself. And, yes, the second episode was actually much better, BUT it remains to be seen whether they can capitalise on this, with possibly less exciting cars and calmed down/sedated CE...
Oh yes, and this..
Even with a good guest this was poor. The whole comparison/top trumps thing with car and the loudest cheer is rubbish. No chance for some interesting chat with the guests. This really needs to go.
Last edited by VDG; 7th June 2016 at 00:28.
Fas est ab hoste doceri
The BBC has access to some excellent writers, if TG really is the corporation's biggest earner they need to start putting their mouth where their money is before the lot disappears.
The answer doesn't seem to have been clinging onto a successful format running out of ideas, reliant on the chemistry between the three hosts. And Wilman's and Porter's ideas. With most of its viewers tuning in just to see how it's going to fail.
Eddie Jordan was dire as an F1 pundit and is even more dire on TG.
LeBlanc has been a pleasant surprise and deserves to stay. Evans and Jordan aren't working. I'd rather see Jimmy Carr presenting and Brian Blessed doing the voiceovers. I went to see TG six or so years ago and Clarkson had everyone in stitches for something like three hours, around 90% of it unuseable even after the watershed. For some reason I can't imagine Evans doing that. Give Carr and LeBlanc a celebrity co-host every week but not someone as indifferent to the general populace as Gordon Ramsay.
Actually, just bring in the regulars from 9 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and have Rachel Riley gainfully employed throughout.
So, to summarise: Rachel Riley.
"A man of little significance"
Yes please!
Fas est ab hoste doceri
Middle aged men really don't like change
It's a TV show that's been terrible for years
I'm actually ashamed and disappointed with myself that I didn't suggest the lovely Rachel as the potential saviour of Top Gear.
The latter series of the old top gear were pretty bad with the presenter becoming a parody of themselves
The current series is awful, just cringingly bad. It needs to be put out of its misery
Yes, it seems 'MX-5' is no longer the answer to everything.
"A man of little significance"
Episode two was better than the first. There was a yellow gold AP and a Sub of some description to keep me entertained.
I agree with your first point (and I was a huge fan of TG in it's heyday some years back). North Pole Trip, America Road Trip, Toyboata etc were simply brilliant.
But it really had become a self-parody with ever increasing "nastiness" thrown in as they ran out of idea. Even Clarkson admitted they were running low on inspiration - and the last three series were hardly worth bothering with. Remember the Bethlehem and India trips? The peugeots? The ambulances?
The new incarnation needs some time, but the S. Africa trip was better than many of the films from the last three series of Clarkson and co, and the MacLaren test was great in my opinion.
Give it time.
So clever my foot fell off.
Like TFI Friday with cars!
I quite liked it, but judging by this thread i'm in the minority!
I noticed the dull Scots 'Texas' singer (clearly good mates with Chris Evans as everyone else has forgotten that band ever existed) still wears the Sub LV she's been wearing for years. And there were some cars too I think? May I also endorse Rachel Riley to present everything on the telly please 😎
Leblanc is turning out to the be the best thing in it . Initially I was assuming he would be the worst which is now somewat ironic.
I like his couldn't give a frup attitude and the fact that he seems to know what he's doing behind the wheel. (unless he's got a stunt driver for the wides)
Button's got a career after F1.
I suspect that those who thought the 2nd episode was better than the first are just getting more familiar with the mediocrity, rather than the programme improving. It was dire.
Even the original TG was getting predictable and it was only the non-PC attitude and "chap's banter" that kept it alive. The new TG is just another car programme but run by childish minds - and it isn't working.
Evans delivers his frantic lines with absolutely zero credibility and a script that sounds like it was written by a CBBC scriptwriter. Delivery and content is appalling.
I can't take to Matt in this role either. I can only imagine he has a degree of "American Cool" that some people find appealing, but there is a whoosh as it goes straight over my head.
I appreciate that many of the optimists believe it will get better, citing other series that had shaky starts - but to be honest they won't get a 3rd chance from me. It's over.
Yep you're right there! The haircut hasn't changed either.
1997–98: White on Blonde
Main article: White on Blonde
Following an endorsement by then Radio 1 presenter Chris Evans on his Channel 4 show TFI Friday in 1997, Texas came back to the music scene with the international hit "Say What You Want".
I can't help feeling they bottled it - it really is a very similar show, with different presenters. Not necessarily a bad thing, but hardly cutting edge, (Obviously looking after "the brand") but also why it's going to divide opinion.
I actually want them to succeed - I think Clarkson et al had got very stale (in fact stale about 5 years ago), but I can't help thinking they've erred massively on the side of caution here.
As others have said, Evans can be brilliant, but needs the show to work around his persona - Big Breakfast, Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, and (early) TFIF / R1 Breakfast were IMO brilliant - admittedly they were very 90's - and very of their time, but on the other hand, late R1 and TFI were painful, and the recent revival of TFI was diabolical. I also think his current R2 show is incredibly "vanilla" - not bad, but just very bland (as he is on The One Show) - maybe that's what is required for such gigs, but it's all very forgettable. (Compare with eg Jonny Vaughan, or even Chris Moyles (obviously a bit marmite) and Steve Wright).
Point is though, transplanting Evans directly into old TG, an established format with a few (minor) tweaks, isn't playing to his strengths. They needed to either completely revamp the programme around Evans, or install a less divisive character into the old format.
I'm actually quite surprised he even took it on in this format TBH - it's a poisoned chalice - a lot of people are rooting for them to screw it up. If it's popular, it's been built on the success of the old team, if it fails, they've ruined a successful show. (He doesn't exactly need the money). Perhaps he originally went in expecting to make it his own, but the powers that be didn't want to rock the boat.
We'll get used to it, I'm sure, but I also agree that the chemistry between CE and MLB doesn't really work.
Did anyone watch Extra Gear episode 2?
I thought the Evan's F1 extended film came across loads better than the one in the main show.
Have they screwed it up in the edit?
I can cope with 'bland'/'vanilla', which is what the One Show is, with the odd piece of interest (I don't watch it as often as I did, to be fair).
However, Evans was BAD - irritating and egocentric - Sometimes his co-presenter would be asking a question of a guest and he'd chip in with some childish remark or 'joke'.
He reminds me of David Brent at his most cringe inducing quite often. In his mind, he's clearly hysterically funny, but what comes out of his mouth is more often than not just a bit embarrassing.
I doubt there's an archive, but if you could find one from the One Show, you'd quite often see him interrupt his co-host or guest and then there would be a pregnant pause whilst everyone shifted awkwardly from one foot to another, with Evans staring expectantly into the camera as if expecting a round of applause or guffaws of laughter from the sycophants he surrounds himself with on the radio, and then the co-host would pick up again.
I've never been a fan and generally avoid anything with him in, but seeing him in 'action' on the One Show reinforced my belief that he's bloody awful on TV.
I've not watched TG - I won't be while he's on it and, to be honest, I've not missed it one bit...
M.
Last edited by snowman; 7th June 2016 at 17:12.
This is another thing that irks. I understood that apart from Clarkson et al, the only other departure was Andy Wilman. The new show seems amateurish in its production values too - something the old show never was. The team responsible for moody slo-mos are still doing their thang, but the rest of it is all a bit...work experience.
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