Season 14 slid off track

.....potential problem with that, the main car review in episode 7 is described in the preview as "one of the most expensive road tests in Top Gear history".

Of course, they might be lying. :lol:

Sounds like Top Gear sarcasm to me!
 
Hey, I'm a fan of "Ow, My Balls!" :lol:


...not gonna lie, it seemed really staged and overdone to me, too. We didn't need to see Jeremy writhing on the ground for that long, really. Got the point, 'kthx. I love a good whack in the balls, but it's got to be spontaneous, quick, and creatively done.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_4jrMwvZ2A[/YOUTUBE]
 
idk, the Series 14 viewing statistics you're quoting only include BBC2, not other avenues like iPlayer and BBC HD. There are several hundred thousand more people watching the episode on those channels.
 
I really think some people can?t understand what?s going on with TOPGEAR.

I think some of us do understand.

What we have is a TV Show that has been growing up for these years. TG is now more mature. And the most important fact: Andy knows that if they keep doing the same format/shape in the program overall structure of the movies and reviews, people would get bored as well.

Or not, if it's done well.

I think that what happens is that some purists can?t accept the fact the program has to evolve.

I think you're wrong. Some of us so-called "purists" don't accept how it is evolving.

That?s why Andy is the director executive producer of the program and not those that keep moaning about.

FTFY. And we're well aware of this.

Andy knows that if he kept the same structure all these years the show would get boring and no one would care about the car reviewings anymore. People would have started to compare Topgear to FifhGear. And, my God, in first place, why couldn?t people see that FifhGear had an all different approaching to car reviewing than TG? So, there has never been any reason for comparison on both shows.

(Fixed again.)

Fifth Gear was, essentially, the replacement for Old TG (1977-2001), after it got canceled. All the presenters and some others on 5G at inception were alums of old TG (namely Tiff and Vicki). Now, admittedly, I've not watched 5G (haven't really been bothered to check it out); but if what others who have done is anything to go on, it was aimed more toward an audience interested in reviews of more sensible cars (along with other stuff, perhaps?). It's only been in recent years that they've attempted to copy Current TG (2002-present).

Those who consider the new features, the new clips, all of this going wrong, they have to understand that it was really necessary and that?s why Andy keeps on modifying the show and those people just need to absorb new things. Not that was something wrong with old TG. Away from that. But the show had to keep walking and growing.

I do understand the rationale for trying something new (if you don't at least try something, how do you know whether or not it works?). It's when they attempt something that doesn't work well and they keep at it without any attempts at tweaking that it all goes wrong, or when they try to force the humour to happen because it's all a lost cause (see electric car film, 14x02).

And, please, don?t say the three blokes aren?t being themselves. They?re just car program presenters. They?re not actors. What they do is what they are. If you think all has been scripted it?s time to understand that they are so in tune one to another that the show works so well that you believe that everything is false. Give me a break.

I disagree with this completely.

There is a need for a script for a full episode or even a basic idea in regards to the individual films or car reviews. What a lot of us take issue with, mainly in regards to the films (and even, to some degree, the news segments) is that all the gags they try to pull off are too predictable (repeatedly bumping into/vandalizing James's car, for one) and too contrived.

So, please, stop being so rude about the new episodes.

If by "being so rude" you mean "criticizing", then no, I will not stop.

If you don?t like, leave it alone.

No, I will not leave it alone.

You?re not ready to understand the evolution of the best car program in the World.

Now that's just being condescending, not to mention insulting our intelligence -- something I don't take very kindly to.

That?s like Clarkson once interviewing a car designer about doing clinics on his new projects. The man just sad something like that: "I don?t take consideration on people?s oppinion because everything they can see is relative to what is on the market, to what is familiar, usual. To what is already PAST. People can?t see what?s is to come, what will be future." That?s the same to TopGear. Some people want it to be always the same.

I don't think that's entirely true.

MWF summed it up better...

If you'd read this thread properly and absorbed the fact that most of the serious posts are from long-term TG fans who are distressed at the dumbing down of the format and the fact that it feels rushed while those involved look tired and like they aren't enjoying it as much as usual.

Nor are any of suggesting for a moment that it isn't a phenomenal success. What some of us are feeling is that because of this success the very elements that made it such a great show are being stretched and diluted.

None of us hate TG. None of us want to see it canceled. Some of us just don't like the direction it's gone in, and that the crew and presenters are being stretched too thin with other projects and whathaveyou and need a breather.

Also, we have every right to express these concerns as others have the right to say they like what they're seeing. Please don't tell us to "leave it alone", "stop being so rude about it", that we don't understand its evolution (again, it's insulting to our intelligence), or even -- as I've seen written on Facebook -- to "shut up and enjoy it".
 
idk, the Series 14 viewing statistics you're quoting only include BBC2, not other avenues like iPlayer and BBC HD.

The stats quoted by idk are based on stats gathered up from the post-episode polls here on FG, they have nothing to do with official viewing ratings.

What I find interesting is that Series 10 appears to have a lower average rating per episode than Series 11, 12 or 13 despite the fact that there appears to be much love for Series 10 among long term TG viewers. There have been quite a few references in this very thread about how Series 10 was a TG high point.

Could this be from more TG newbies discovering FG during Series 11-13?


Scratch that. As shellygrrl pointed out, there isn't a complete set of figures for Series 10 upon which to draw an accurate conclusion. Be that as it may, it's quite damning that even less than half of Series 10 managed a better average score than Series 14 thus far - even including the Bolivian special.
 
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^ There aren't polls for every episode of S10, as I recall. Just the last four episodes.
 
Several hundred paragraphs of poorly written patronising horseshit deleted

So now long term TG watchers aren't allowed to have an opinion that diverges from what you or the BBC want us to believe? :rolleyes:

Greetings from Brazil!

Admit it. You're really from Birmingham, but you've crawled so far up the arses of Wilman, Clarkson et al that you've ended up in Brazil by mistake.
 
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Admit it. You're really from Birmingham, but you've crawled so far up the arses of Wilman, Clarkson et al that you've ended up in Brazil by mistake.

You're criticising someone for being an adulating fan of Top Gear on one of its biggest fan sites? :thumbsdown:
 
I haven't read the whole thread, and I'm new, so here goes my opinion.

Top Gear isn't just about the cars any more. The way I see it, there are three parts to Top Gear- cars, humour and the beautiful cinematic techniques employed for the show. Fifth Gear is an informative car show based for people who are serious about getting hard facts about a car. It can be said the purpose of the show is to inform. Top Gear, however, has the humour factor added in. Top Gear is now an entertainment show based on cars, not an informative show. More people watch the show because of the humour, so the creators/writers/producers/whatever would be stupid to lessen the humour and focus more on the cars. There are 15 year old girls who go out and buy every box set available for hundreds of dollars, even though they don't care about cars.

Another factor is that the scenes in Top Gear are simply amazing. In no other car shows do they show the cars in such beauty, and I tell you what, the producers/cameramen/whatever are doing the best job I have seen in a long long time.

Before you flame away at Top Gear, look at their intentions. They are there to make money, which is done by pleasing as many people as possible. By focussing more on humour than cars, they are pleasing more people, getting more views, making more money.
 
Before you flame away at Top Gear, look at their intentions. They are there to make money, which is done by pleasing as many people as possible. By focussing more on humour than cars, they are pleasing more people, getting more views, making more money.

What if that's part of the problem?
 
What if that's part of the problem?

Exactly. AND - Top Gear was never a "dull, straight-faced, fact-laden car show" to begin with. I was just re-watching some of my older episodes, from Season 5 and 6 - they were filled to the brim with not only interesting car review after car review (in the SAME EPISODE, mind you), but ALSO fantastic and interesting challenges.
 
Exactly. AND - Top Gear was never a "dull, straight-faced, fact-laden car show" to begin with. I was just re-watching some of my older episodes, from Season 5 and 6 - they were filled to the brim with not only interesting car review after car review (in the SAME EPISODE, mind you), but ALSO fantastic and interesting challenges.

Finally, more people with reason, who get it.

I want to add, that those shows were FUNNY TOO!
Funny with a dry, British sense of humor.

Without silly and staged acts,
that appear painful and desperate.

---

Fifth Gear was unwatchable, i tried it.
That annoying woman with her terrible accent, talking about "coooaaaars". :barf:

Tiff Needell test-driving an interesting car; that was the only thing this show had.
Those were the highlights. Everything else was a waste.
 
I'm with shellygrrl and Tone76 on this, I don't appreciate some patronising n00b telling me what I do and don't understand about TG. You are entitled to your opinion, you are not entitled to give us ours.
 
I'm sorry to say this but I thought this Bolivia special probably was the worst special ever. They didn't even outdo themselves with cinematogrophy and music like they usually do with specials.

Series 4/5/6/7 > everything made today, by a long one. And to make it plain, I love TG3. That's why I'm so critical.
 
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idk, the Series 14 viewing statistics you're quoting only include BBC2, not other avenues like iPlayer and BBC HD. There are several hundred thousand more people watching the episode on those channels.

It's just the result from this forum. I'm not sure how representative overall this is.. but since we are currently writing in this forum, for this forum it is :|
 
I think that what happens is that some purists can?t accept the fact the program has to evolve.

My issue is that as of late is that it seems the show is no longer evolving, but instead is recycling what the production team feels worked in the past to "feed the fix" rather than continue to push boundaries.
 
My issue is that as of late is that it seems the show is no longer evolving, but instead is recycling what the production team feels worked in the past to "feed the fix" rather than continue to push boundaries.

I think that makes a lot of sense. I was reading a thread earlier in which people said TG had jumped the shark (and I did see that exact phrase used), that it was now about entertainment and not cars, it wasn't the show it was, that it was appealing to the LCD, there weren't enough reviews and there was too much cocking about.

Admittedly the proportion of the complaints to the positives was lower, but the nature of the complaints was exactly the same. This suggests that the same issues have been there for a while, but people have been picking up on them more recently - and perhaps the recycling of ideas is part of the problem... because the thing is, these same complaints have been going on for almost FIVE series now. All the comments above were found in the episode thread for 09x01.

I personally have enjoyed most of the last five series, I do understand why the direction of the show shifted and I've never had a problem with that, but I do feel there has been a fair bit of repetition recently so I can see why people who didn't like something the first time would certainly not like it any better the second or third time. I'm sure this is at least in part down to the fact that the team has been knackered and rushed, and I really think that a lot of the problems can be resolved by them having a rest and taking a bit more time over the next series.
 
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