How Hard Can It Be...

lukenwolf

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... to show a little more class BBC?

I think the first show was a huge missed opportunity. They should have shown some class and started this one with a clean sheet. This bunch keeping the Stig is like showing up at crufts with someone else's dog. And it is totally wrong, because:

a) The Stig is Jeremy and Andiy's creation
b) Keeping him marginalizes Sabine. They have a 24h of N?rburgring winner on staff. What do they need the Stig for?

They should have given a last nod to the old crew with a short cameo of Richard Hammond. It could have been something like a scene of the new presenters trying to get the Stig into a car for a powerlap, but he just stands around motionless. At some point Richard shows up and swipes across Stig's visor, telling them: "You unlock it like that". The Stig comes alive, but instead of getting in the car, he follows Richard as he tries to walk off.

"No, no, you're supposed to get in the car," Richard says, but instead of reacting Stig puts Richard over his shoulder and continues to walk off.

Matt: "I told you it wouldn't work"

Eddie Jordan: "What do we do now?"

Matt: "I've heard there is that girl who's really good at goin' round the N?rburgring? You have to go to Germany and get her here. I even got you a German sports car."

camera pans to show a bright red Melkus RS1000.

Eddie: "You are not really good at this car malarkey, are you?"

Matt: "No, I was hired for my looks. Now get going, we're running late."

Jessica starts playing as Eddie leaves in a cloud of two-stroke exhaust fumes.

Now that would have had me watching it with some more goodwill. Also it would have been a better way to introduce Sabine. How can you introduce her any other way than with something that takes place at the Nordschleife? :blink:
 
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a. Who cares, if they didn't want The Stig used they shouldn't have signed him over to the BBC.
b. He's a character, a recognisable character that sells merchandise and he can do the power laps.
As for your idea they'd have to ask them to do that which they either wouldn't or wouldn't want to because they already handed over the batton with their last episode and they had plenty of nods to the old guys in the episode. The sort they'd be expected to make.

There is no reason to ditch the Stig, none. Who cares about punchy mcsteak he's got a new show.
 
The Stig may have been created by Clarkson and Wilmon, but because of the way trademark law works, he's *owned* by the BBC for use in Top Gear productions, since the BBC owns Top Gear.

It's possible that the two of them may collect royalties (probably a token amount) whenever the Stig appears in an episode. This is why, whenever Doctor Who brings back a Classic Series character, the creator (or the creator's estate) gets some money. This is probably what Clarkson was referring to when he said he still makes money from Top Gear and is therefore not rubbishing the Evans version.
 
I've only just now torrented the new series and up to now couldn't stand to watch the complete first episode. Tried twice but couldn't stop cringing long enough. Before, when first news about the new line-up leaked, I wrote 'I'd watch that' but somehow it turned out to be a huge letdown. Pointless antics in the studio. Presenters don't gel with each other. Pointless childish Top Gun segment... it all but made me LONG for some toilet humour!

Does it go on this way? Should I just delete it and forget it?
 
b) Keeping him marginalizes Sabine. They have a 24h of N?rburgring winner on staff. What do they need the Stig for?

I can agree with that. The timed laps done by Sabine would have been good change, it would get her more involved, not needing to plan out films just to get her involved, would become one of the faces of TG.
 
I've only just now torrented the new series and up to now couldn't stand to watch the complete first episode. Tried twice but couldn't stop cringing long enough. Before, when first news about the new line-up leaked, I wrote 'I'd watch that' but somehow it turned out to be a huge letdown. Pointless antics in the studio. Presenters don't gel with each other. Pointless childish Top Gun segment... it all but made me LONG for some toilet humour!

Does it go on this way? Should I just delete it and forget it?

Yes, you should delete it. It's absolute garbage the whole series.
 
You know, I never loved the whole Stig thing all that much. I don't dislike it. I even have an I am the Stig t-shirt for when I'm doing motorsports. But at the end of the day I would actually be perfectly happy to see the Stig make an exit and Sabine take over. I think that would actually be great.

Or if they want to keep pretending, make Stig a "she" and have Sabine be mysteriously "missing" whenever the Stig is around. It could be a running gag. Could actually be pretty funny if handled properly.
 
The Stig is actually a stroke of genius, and I doubt they'll change it.

Good racing drivers often have busy schedules doing races. What do you do when Sabine is occupied? When regular Stig is busy just put someone else in the suit. Then there are times when super rare cars are on the track. Some manufacturers (Ferrari and others) deny any random driver to drive at 9.9/10 of their skillevel potentially wrecking an exotic. No problem, put a driver from the manufacturer in a white helmet and nomex, call him The Stig.

See, pretty clever ;)
 
Apart from the obvious irk being CE, what really irked me in the first few seconds of the first new episode is a complete and utter lack of acknowledging the change and what had happened. they just went on with the programming as if nothing had happened. That shows insecurity about the whole issue and a massive disrespect towards the accomplishments of the boys in all those years. That right there was a clear indication that it, and CE in particular, would never work.
 
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It speaks tons how a bunch of people without any writing experience come up with funnier concepts than the writers of new top gear...
 
It speaks tons how a bunch of people without any writing experience come up with funnier concepts than the writers of new top gear...

Yeah I agree, but put a bunch of lawyers in their back and there is nothing left. I don't think this is the case for that show, they are just bad.
 
I don't think there's anything wrong with them keeping the Stig. Your dog analogy is a little off for me. It's like saying that only William Hartnell's Doctor should have had the TARDIS and every variation thereafter is disrespectful. That's what the Stig is. It's a marketing symbol for Top Gear. They'd be absolutely crazy to off-load it.

I honestly think the smart play would have been to keep the show on hiatus for a couple years and really work on some original ideas. Instead they just rushed ahead with it in the silliest way imaginable. I'm not sure if they were just trying to keep the money rolling in or if they were honestly arrogant enough to think the format was what carried it and not the trio. Either way I think it was a mistake. The thing that burns me about it is that a lot of people were saying it was a mistake. The BBC just, for whatever reason, didn't listen. They assumed it was a minority of people and everybody would just watch it anyway. If they'd left it for a couple years the audience might have been a little more lenient and just happy that it was back. Also, by then, the trio would be set and comfortable in their new show so that part of the audience might be less negative towards new Top Gear. I mean I know people who think new Top Gear is some sort of BBC theft. That's absurd and I think if the trio was already tucked nice and safely in to their amazon show those people wouldn't be so hostile.

The way they did it, though, did feel a little like they were just flipping off the "naysayers". They seemed to completely misjudge that( same thing seems to be happening with Sony Pictures and their Ghostbusters remake ).
 
This would never work for a simple reason - The Stig is now a brand name worth many millions. If they retire Stig they lose all that revenue, even if they don't get much of it now since the show isn't popular.
 
Maybe they could hire this guy to front the show. He looks like the best of both worlds.

m0MFcVr.jpg
 
It's like saying that only William Hartnell's Doctor should have had the TARDIS and every variation thereafter is disrespectful.
Oh my god!

Chris Evans is a Dalek.

That explains everything.

I should have known by the shouting.

EXTERMINATE!!!!!!:lol:
 
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Apart from the obvious irk being CE, what really irked me in the first few seconds of the first new episode is a complete and utter lack of acknowledging the change and what had happened. they just went on with the programming as if nothing had happened. That shows insecurity about the whole issue and a massive disrespect towards the accomplishments of the boys in all those years. That right there was a clear indication that it, and CE in particular, would never work.

Ain't that the fucking truth, always with the: 'we on TopGear' , 'previously, we....' , they seem to think they are making a childrens show where they just have to shove someone else in a costume....

As soon as it became clear they were using the steak incident to get rid of Jeremy, I bet Evans was calling up the beeb begging for the job, and his slimy little ego probably had him thinking he was 'mister TopGear' on the spot judging by how he was acting on camera....
 
Ain't that the fucking truth, always with the: 'we on TopGear' , 'previously, we....' , they seem to think they are making a childrens show where they just have to shove someone else in a costume....

As soon as it became clear they were using the steak incident to get rid of Jeremy, I bet Evans was calling up the beeb begging for the job, and his slimy little ego probably had him thinking he was 'mister TopGear' on the spot judging by how he was acting on camera....

You seem so obsessive with your hatred of Chris Evans I'd almost think you were in love with the man or some scorned lover. When it started to look like Clarkson lost Top Gear it was the media that was saying it would have to be Evans to host. "Oh he likes cars" they'd say but Chris himself for a while would say he didn't want the job. I remember at one stage he went off to do a test film because he wasn't sure if he could do it. The man was offered a lot of money to host a show that he says he loved, probably longer then you have and he failed. He's been sacked so why don't you just get over it?
 
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