This sums up a lot of 'new generation' Top Gear fans

[edkwon]

I was listening to the full recording of the TG boys on BBC Southern Counties radio and remembered one of the callers into the show being some middle aged lady who said she loved Top Gear and it was one of her favorite shows.... and then she asks Clarkson et al. why they like cars so much and says she doesn't get it.

I know theres a lot of new viewers of the show who are like that, but still, its a motoring show. To me that's like someone watching a cooking show on Food Network who has no interest in food, cooking or eating. You figure the viewer has an interest in some element of the show's subject matter.

[Elvis313]

HOLY CRAP!!!!
Top Gear is about cars?!

[PaperBiro]

I'd be surprised if she had no idea Top Gear is a car show, given that even the name is a clue. I think what she means is what introduced them into the automotive industry and the appeal of it.

[AarheadC]

Originally Posted by Elvis313

HOLY CRAP!!!!
Top Gear is about cars?!

maybe he's referring to that car the stars drive in Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. It all makes sense now

[upyourego]

I see Top Gear as more of an entertainment show that features cars over a 'motoring show' in the traditional sense. It certainly has a much bigger budget than most motoring shows and gets a MUCH bigger audience.

It has a universal appeal as a great piece of Sunday evening entertainment in a slot that is normally reserved for 'slightly older' family entertainment shows.

[trist0608]

Originally Posted by edkwon

I know theres a lot of new viewers of the show who are like that, but still, its a motoring show. To me that's like someone watching a cooking show on Food Network who has no interest in food, cooking or eating. You figure the viewer has an interest in some element of the show's subject matter.

Originally Posted by upyourego

I see Top Gear as more of an entertainment show that features cars over a 'motoring show' in the traditional sense. It certainly has a much bigger budget than most motoring shows and gets a MUCH bigger audience.

It has a universal appeal as a great piece of Sunday evening entertainment in a slot that is normally reserved for 'slightly older' family entertainment shows.

I agree with upyourego, my girlfriend can watch Top Gear and enjoy the cocking about for the sake of humor rather than caring about a bunch of cars she has never heard of, or will ever drive (she even enjoys Clarkson's "boyish enthusiasm" when he is screaming power and flogging around the test track). I, on the other hand, can sit through several episodes of Giada DeLaurentis on Food Network and not give a toss about the food because I am more enamored with Giada's other assets. The way I see it, good tv can appeal to a wide audience for a variety of reasons.

[La Chaton]

I myself never cared a bit about cars when I started watching, and I would often skip over the car reviews, but after a while it just started to seep through until now I enjoy learning about all the new supercars and the like. But it also helps that my dad is a huge car nut already and is generally patient enough to pause like every five seconds to explain what they mean.

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by upyourego

I see Top Gear as more of an entertainment show that features cars over a 'motoring show' in the traditional sense.

It's a shame the show has changed so much. Jeremy Clarkson made it very clear what the show was all about in the first episode of the new format.

[nist7]

Originally Posted by TomCat

It's a shame the show has changed so much. Jeremy Clarkson made it very clear what the show was all about in the first episode of the new format.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, that's how it has to be in order for Top Gear to be as successful as it is today. It MUST be entertainment first and cars second. Otherwise, it'll turn out to be 5th Gear which is a pure car show and look at how popular it is. The majority of the public are not into cars and the show would fail if they devoted the whole hour to all-things automotive.

With that said, I think this season they've done a good job of balancing the goofy stuff with the car stuff so as to please the public as well as the car enthusiasts.

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by nist7

Fortunately, or unfortunately, that's how it has to be in order for Top Gear to be as successful as it is today. It MUST be entertainment first and cars second.

"Success" isn't everything. If success means selling out and dumbing down the content just to make massive amounts of money, then no thanks. You wonder why so many people file complaints against the BBC for things said on TopGear. It's because everyone watches the show now, so the boys have to cater to everyone. The moment they start acting human, they alienate part of their audience. This isn't real success, it's just for money and ratings. In the end, the show suffers.

Luckily Clarkson and company haven't completely given in. They pretty much spit on anyone who complains, so that's a plus, I guess.

[fbc]

Frankly, I'm all for non-car people watching the show. If they watch it then there's every chance they might start to see cars as more than merely transportation - which is great. Provided the TG team don't start pandering to these viewers too much (and I don't believe they have, or will do in the future), then it's a win-win.

[BlaRo]

It's the same crowd that liked Coldplay before they were big (). Any show that gets popular runs the risk of being "all things to all people" and therefore jumping the shark.

That middle-aged lady who called in is ridiculous. To watch the show and not like cars to the extent as, say, us, is perfectly acceptable; but wondering why Clarkson and co. are so passionate about cars is like calling Rachael Ray and asking her why she's so obsessed with whining about Thai salad with peanut dressing instead of doing softcore pornography. (Actually, I would pay an indiscriminately large amount of money for somebody to do this.)

[Mineworksfine]

Originally Posted by fbc

Frankly, I'm all for non-car people watching the show. If they watch it then there's every chance they might start to see cars as more than merely transportation - which is great. Provided the TG team don't start pandering to these viewers too much (and I don't believe they have, or will do in the future), then it's a win-win.

Excellent point well made. It may even have a knock on effect in the future ie that those people who didn't really care about cars before now start making more interesting decisions when they come to replace their motors instead of treating the purchase as just another domestic appliance.

Who knows, in five or ten years time perhaps the only time we'll come across Hyundai Accidents and Proton Implosions is at 2am when we need some recent immigrant minicabber to take us home, at which point we'll have drunk enough to be past caring!

[Mauren]

unfortunately it's been diluted with entertainment.

New fans are terrible.

[trist0608]

Originally Posted by Mineworksfine

Who knows, in five or ten years time perhaps the only time we'll come across Hyundai Accidents and Proton Implosions is at 2am when we need some recent immigrant minicabber to take us home, at which point we'll have drunk enough to be past caring!

If this comes even remotely true I will be the happiest person on Earth. Mind you, living in the States, Proton doesn't exist, but the generic cars dumped on us by GM and Ford are probably worse. Last time I was in a Proton was back in the 90s but it was on par with the US-spec Ford Escort at the time, only the Proton handled better. Most mass-market US cars still handle like appliances when compared to the crisp handling of similar UK autos, though Ford and GM are finally getting the message as evidenced by Ford's new managers wanting truly "global cars" not great Euro, crap US, and scrap metal world cars. GM is even importing Euro-spec Opel/Vauxhalls for Saturn and Aussie Holdens for Pontiac. Mind you, VW is talking about US-spec cars beginning with 2012 Jetta/Passat, so not everyone is on board.

Now, if the US economy will stabilize I truly have options for a good car to replace my Mazda. Of course, I might end up keeping the Mazda just so I can splash the cash on a local used Caterham. I've wanted one since I visited their shop while living in England in the 90s. I liked the Morgan as well, just too expensive here used. (Don't know why people know/revere Morgan and not Caterham here. Yes, I know the two cars are quite different, but similarly rare.)

[Ford Prefect]

One of the great things about Top Gear, is that you can watch it with your girlfriend, or other people who aren´t quite as crazy about cars as I am. With that said, I could still do without a fair bit of the stuff they do and replace it with more car reviews and roadmovies. Don´t get me wrong, I love watching the cocking about stuff, and the mix has been quite alright for my taste lately, but I still wouldn´t mind if it were more focused on cars. Not that my oppinion makes any difference to the bbcs programming at all, but that´s just for you to deal with...

The thing is, Top Gear is a motoring show, it´s just more about driving than about cars, which I think is the main issue here. Not everyone is totally crazy about cars, but almost everyone, car nut or not, drives. I know quite a few people, especially girls, that take no real interest in cars, but still enjoy driving them. And this is exactly how the three TG guys manage to make the connection between a car show, and a regular average tv audience.

The old "if Top Gear would just be about cars it would be like Fifth Gear" argument is getting really worn out, and it´s really starting to annoy me. I think if my last name was Clarkson I´d actually be offended by that comment, and would probably find whoever said it to make his life miserable. Even if they would turn their programming around to do one car review after the other, Top Gear wouldn´t be the same, but it would never be anywhere remotely as boring as Fifth Gear, which I find extremely dull, and I´m the sort of person whose car enthusiasm annoys the vast majority of people...

[Speedtouch]

^ Agree entirely. TG is at the moment a family show (minus the very small children). Everyone loves it, because the concocktion (see what I did there) is perfect for an entertainment show, however I think it is better than ever before. Maybe some more of the motoring show in the mix could help, but that would not make it into 5th Gear.

[Ottobon]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

instead of doing softcore pornography. (Actually, I would pay an indiscriminately large amount of money for somebody to do this.)

How much money? I'll start monday!

[Old Lace]

Originally Posted by Ottobon

How much money? I'll start monday!

Hell, if it'll make muppet-face stay off the television I'll help out too!

[Old Lace]

Originally Posted by Mauren

unfortunately it's been diluted with entertainment.

New fans are terrible.

I have a feeling that I'm going to regret this later but I'm going to reply to your post. What do you mean that it's been diluted with entertainment? And what exactly do you have against new fans?