[12x01] November 2nd, 2008

[Viper007Bond]

Sorry, forgot to make the thread earlier.

http://www.finalgear.com/shows/topgear/12/1/

[WillDAQ]

Well played the Top Gear team..

Those trucks...

[Zoeff]

Loved the news section with their comments on today's F1 race as if they had seen the spectacular ending.

The part with the trucks somehow seemed too short, as if something was missing. meh..

EDIT: That was quick, Viper! RSS started up my download already.

[Speedtouch]

To start off: the Porsche 911 GT2. I'm not a big fan of Porsches, and think they gave it a decent review. Really hilarious one too. But that Galladro. Wow. What a good looking/sounding car. I don't care what the 911 did on the track, respect for it doing it quicker, but that is kind of expected.

The lorries. The art of lorrying. About being a lorryist. Hmm. How best can I describe this?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
There, that should do.
But seriously, only Topgear could do stuff like this. I remember thinking at the end of the last series that they surely have thought of everything to do, but oh no! They just keep coming back with even more hilarious brilliance and skill.
The mountain course was the best bit IMO. How hard can it be guys? Well it seems pretty, very hard indeed. The start was priceless. GO! *Nothing moves* I also love the number of times they cut corners with their trailers because they didn't judge it...at all.
The 'lets drive through stuff' ending was a great one still. How about Jeremy's cab flying backwards when he went through the wall! Ouch - lots of whiplash to be had there.
But overall it sure was a brilliant way to show that driving a lorry with precious cargo at high speed round an area designed to test cars to their limits is actually rather impossible. At least for 3 idiots it is.

The news was pretty normal, a few interesting jokes aimed towards some certain (ex) chat show hosts... And some decent ones about the Credit Crunch [For all your breakfast needs!]. And a brilliant use of the Dacia Sandaro there - James ignoring it was priceless.

Sir Parkinson was certainly pretty good. My dad is a Yorkshire man aswell as those two (actually comes from Rotherham where Clarkson had his first job - on the Rotherham Advertiser). Some good jokes in there that the foreign markets will probably miss, but you certainly can't say you haven't heard of him - and as Jeremy said, its presumably going to get better later on in the series.

Well certainly an interesting way to kick off a new series. Possibly reverting a bit back to the ways of Series 9 - where there possibly wasn't enough in each episode (one short and one large film). But its only the start of the series, so lets not make judgments just yet. Brilliant content, but not quite enough of it. 6.75/10.

[Ziggy Shadow-Dust]

I give it a solid ten. I've waited so long for them to do trucks, mind you there's more to come later in the series. I love what happened to Clarkson's truck, but what was he thinking with the painting of the windscreen? May had very suggestive paintwork. And the gearstick bottom? LMAO

THE SIARPC segment was boring but thats it.

[jmb]

Not a bad start- news was good (how much do you lose on a pricey car at the mo?!) and the truck segments were funny. Never saw where Richards cargo ended up tho!

[Momo63]

Jeremy's crash "really fucking hurt" according to the big man on Wednesday. He also claimed that "we each have to have a crash each series to keep the ratings up. You turn next James me boy!"

Adn that blue jacket was silk and, I think, from Vietnam

[phenergn]

Am I the only one thinking: "WTF was that"
1 car review, just one car reviewed in a whole hour-long episode. (the GT2 doesn't count, showing a car for a minute and declaring it a dog isn't a review).

Then when that pesky car business was over and done with the head straight into a massive film about TRUCKS!?!? I'm sure it's all good fun playing around with trucks, but did they have to dedicate the whole eposide to it?

Starting to loose interest in these ever more far-fetched used vehicle challanges.

[SickGuy]

"We had to get a green Lamborghini because the stig kept trying to mount the white one"

[Momo63]

Originally Posted by Zoeff

Loved the news section with their comments on today's F1 race as if they had seen the spectacular ending. ..

They did record a little bit more with us in the audience cheering Lewis on if he won and making aww sounds in case he lost.

I also felt the lorry segment felt a bit lacking - very funny but a bit truncated - I expect they filmed too much and had to edit it down. Also they wouldn't have been able to take them on the roads which was a shame - a proper lorry driver's breakfast should have been one of the tests.

[wags]

Originally Posted by phenergn

Am I the only one thinking: "WTF was that"
1 car review, just one car reviewed in a whole hour-long episode. (the GT2 doesn't count, showing a car for a minute and declaring it a dog isn't a review).

Then when that pesky car business was over and done with the head straight into a massive film about TRUCKS!?!? I'm sure it's all good fun playing around with trucks, but did they have to dedicate the whole eposide to it?

Starting to loose interest in these ever more far-fetched used vehicle challanges.

I suggest changing your viewing from BBC2 to channel 5. There's a suitably car filled programme called 'Fifth Gear' showing there which it sounds like you'll like. It's got facts and everything. Surely by now you've realised that Top Gear's an entertainment show with a few cars thrown in?!

In other news: I loved the opening show. The preview for the rest of the series just lookes epic and I've properly missed laughing myself to tears at the three guys making idiots of themselves.

9/10 for me! can't wait till next Sunday evening!

[robybobey]

I found it very funny when they brought Oliver onto the scene and Hammond started swearing

Good start to the series

[upyourego]

Originally Posted by phenergn

Am I the only one thinking: "WTF was that"
1 car review, just one car reviewed in a whole hour-long episode. (the GT2 doesn't count, showing a car for a minute and declaring it a dog isn't a review).

Then when that pesky car business was over and done with the head straight into a massive film about TRUCKS!?!? I'm sure it's all good fun playing around with trucks, but did they have to dedicate the whole eposide to it?

Starting to loose interest in these ever more far-fetched used vehicle challanges.

I love it - in fact I wished I was watching it on my computer so I could skip the car review - my least favourite part of the show to be honest.

It isn't a CAR show it is an entertainment show about cars, driving, automobiles and being a big middle aged kid - or at least watching three of them having a laugh.

Brilliant first episode - didn't stop laughing - and in fact even the review was bearable this time.

5/5 for me

[Aston Martin]

Jezza's lorry looked amazing, and James' overtaking alpine pass was epic.

The size of their balls this week.



p.s. I thought scripted TG was gonna turn up, I expected Jez to hit the Micra... thankfully that didn't happen.

[corradoboy]

I'd give the Lambo/Porsche review a solid 10. Beautifully filmed, brilliantly scripted and classic Clarkson from beginning to end. More of that please !

SIARPC is tired and needs something very radical to improve it (I don't know what) or binning. Nothing against Parky, about as good a guest as you could get, and I too am a Yorkshireman. Just the whole concept has run its coarse, 2-3 seasons ago actually.

The trucks were indeed very funny, and just what we have come to expect from the team. BUT, it went on too long at the expense of at least one more article IMHO. I'd love to have seen another review or group test, but to have just 2 very expensive, exotic and exclusive cars left me disappointed, and for that I have given this show a mediocre 6. If it hadn't been so funny and well filmed I would have dropped to a 4.

I was looking back over the contents of each episode on Wikipedia yesterday and it struck me that they used to fit a Hell of a lot more into the shows a while back. Many more cars which is what I want to see. I do hope they monitor opinions on this site as I feel they need to change as their grip is slipping. On other forums I visit this air of dissent is commonplace now.

Oh, on a final note, the blonde behind and to the right of JC during the Parky interview was beautiful !

[Amanaman]

This looks like a promising series, judging from the series preview they played. For this episode however, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand it was hilarious but on the other it was clearly scripted and too much time was devoted to the challenge, tracing back to series 9 territory. The review also felt like they were treading on very familiar ground - both cars looked identical to the models that have been shown before. The interview with Parkinson was quite good however, I especially liked the jibes at the chat show controversy. Overall then, it was an enjoyable first episode since the truck challenge, although scripted, was strong and an improvement over some of the more far fetched challenges of the past. I must say though that I was surprised that Jeremy was brave enough to pull off that wall crash stunt - 56mph into a brick wall borders on foolish. Even this though has been done before with the £100 car challenge back in series 4, but it wasn't as spectacular as before

[matt2000]

I gave it an 8 and I'm still trying to work out why. Loved every minute of it, but I felt it was missing another car test, or at least a car in the studio.

[Smörgåsbord]

I'm really not convinced that was James' piano (unless they cut all the bits of him being quite angry). Any information anybody?

Fantastic episode, I gave it a 9. The only things I thought was that it really could have done with a bit more about James' braking problem, about them (apparently) being life banned from Milbrook, and the Labrador in the Lambo was a fantastic opportunity to use Top Gear Dog that they missed! Other than that, brilliant.

[Donington]

The whole family was more worried for Oliver's well-being in this episode than anyone who crashed the trucks!

It was hilarious...loved James' reaction to the Sandero.

[Aston Martin]

Originally Posted by Donington

The whole family was more worried for Oliver's well-being in this episode than anyone who crashed the trucks!

I may have shouted "Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo".