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

[racingfan1]

Originally Posted by Old Lace

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?

I believe I'm in the same boat you are. How has it been diluted with entertainment? And what esactly is wrong with the new fans?

[Mauren]

Originally Posted by Old Lace

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?

read this and you will understand. I agree with what he is saying.

Originally Posted by corradoboy

Different strokes...... I love the old episodes where the three of them have realistic cars, like on the IOM with the S2000, Z4 and Boxster; or the M6, Merc and Jag. The cocking is getting tired TBH, repetitive and predictable. After 8 years of the shows current format I feel they are straying too far from the shows point and my interest is waning. I have all this season on my PVR but if I want to watch TG I find many of the older ones on Dave more entertaining. I re-watched the Alfa review just for the beauty of the car and the camera-work, but stopped it for the train race. Similarly, I re-watched the Scooby vs Evo fight, then wandered off for the rest of that show. Either I'm getting old, or the show needs work !

The older shows had something to them. They weren't so mainstream back then. It was about the cars with some funny moments. It wasn't all about fooling around. It seems forced now and they should go back to doing what they did best. Even if some newer fans leave. Now I find people complain when they don't laugh when they see an episode. It's nice that you can have a laugh. I don't see that as the point of the show. I'm not interested in a punchline. More interested in a proper car review. In a way Clarkson has dumbed some things down, when it seems he is looking for common sense. I happen to like James May's views alot, there isn't enough of him and Hammond is tv show fluffer.

[La Chaton]

Well I for one, being a newer fan, prefer the newer episodes. I mean sure, the cars are great but I'd rather see an hour of cocking about than an hour of cars. Many things in season 1 I had to skip just to keep from falling asleep. But I think the beauty of Top Gear is that even though it's about cars it's still very funny, and even with all the foolishness it's still a serious enough cars show(for the most part anyways).

[HCT]

Originally Posted by La Chaton

the cars are great but I'd rather see an hour of cocking about than an hour of cars.

And that is the point of new fan haters. Car show => it has cars in it. It's not a cocking about show. If you wan't an full hour of cocking about watch a politicians speech.

[awdrifter]

If there's no Fifth Gear, I'd probably complain about the show not having enough car reviews and info too. But when we have both shows, I think TG is fine the way it is. Just give us some good races (like last week's GTR vs Shinkansen) and serious reivews (like this week's GTR review ) once a while.

[Karoug]

It's a good thing that the producer have said in a blogg that TG will be more car focused in the future!

[Mineworksfine]

Originally Posted by Karoug

It's a good thing that the producer have said in a blogg that TG will be more car focused in the future!

That's a very good point to raise. Wilman said in his pre-series blog that they were going to be a bit more car focused, but it's a fairly loose term. We've had various power tests at the track, two Cheap Car challenges (three if you count Jeremy and James' cars in 11x05) a big race, a smaller race and some other bits and pieces but there hasn't been a single proper road test of anything by James or Richard and the nearest JC got was the CLK Black. I think the cheapest new car they've featured at all outside the news is the new Impreza. And I don't count the Terios in the fox hunt because they made no attempt at all to say what they really thought of the car itself.

I know we have Fifth Gear for serious proper road testing (not that I watch it any more since it started to try and ape TG and failed miserably) but TG used to feature reviews of real cars even if they were sometimes done with an interesting twist. The Smart ForFour is a classic example - costs less than £13K but they made it an entertaining piece while still giving us an idea of what the car was like.

My vote is for a return to more of that, although perhaps they are saving all of that stuff for when Jeremy's back goes completely and can no longer slide around the track shouting "POWERRRRRRR!!!!" ??

[Karoug]

^It wasn't in the pre-series blogg.. It was in his ep. 2 blogg..

Everyone loves the films where we do challenges and cock about and explode, but they are a rod for our backs because of the pressure to keep doing them - top that, bigger laugh please etc etc, and this week we've said no, here's some beautifully shot stuff and we do hope you like it, but if you don't then we certainly did.

I honestly think this is where the show will end up one day. The massive millions of audience will drift off, and we'll be left with a respectable few million still buying our albums - filling arenas rather than stadiums.

[Old Lace]

Originally Posted by La Chaton

Well I for one, being a newer fan, prefer the newer episodes. I mean sure, the cars are great but I'd rather see an hour of cocking about than an hour of cars. Many things in season 1 I had to skip just to keep from falling asleep. But I think the beauty of Top Gear is that even though it's about cars it's still very funny, and even with all the foolishness it's still a serious enough cars show(for the most part anyways).

That's one thing I like about the show as well. I like that I can just shut my brain down for about an hour and just fangirl over cars and have a bit of a laugh without somebody nattering boringly in my ear. If I wanted Motoring Serious Business™, I'd probably go watch that Car and Driver show on the Speed network while trying not to laugh at the presenter's stupid broom-like mustache.

And for those who keep going on about how older Top Gear is better because there's less cocking about and more car reviews, you know what group you remind me of? Those hard core Doctor Who nerds who keep going on about New!Who sucks and Old School!Who is better because of reasons x, y and z. Ideally, I'm sure most if not all of us will like a balance in all things that make an episode. Realistically, I feel that isn't going to happen. There's going to be more cocking about with less reviews and vice versa. I swear the show can just be pure car reviews or pure cocking about but no one group will be happy with either because somebody will be left out.

I was going to continue but I got fed up. Goodnight, good morning, whatever.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Old Lace

There's going to be more cocking about with less reviews and vice versa. I swear the show can just be pure car reviews or pure cocking about but no one group will be happy with either because somebody will be left out.

this is precisely the point, a tv show that tries to make everyone happy is usually no good... think of it like an SUV, it can do a a wide variety of things, but it can´t actually do any of them well...

anyway I like what they´re doing lately so I´m not complaining...

[Mauren]

I'm not looking for a 5th gear type of show, they do get boring and seeing them trying to imitate TG is like nails on a chalk board.

I find TG has gone away from what they used to do. Now they try to entertain with cars. Rather than give INFORMATIVE entertaining car reviews. Look at how Chris Harris gives a car review.

Today their cocking about seems forced and I don't like it. For the people that do, don't you see it's fake and why are you falling for it? I feel bad for them haha. TG used to be better, they became to big for their own good.
May needs to do some car reviews.

[Old Lace]

I think we've been watching two different shows.

[Labcoatguy]

They just did an informative review in the last episode with the two Peugeots in the studio, and listening to Richard and James spout off the spec sheet was frankly not Top Gear as we know it. It was in fact very reminiscent of "old New" Top Gear in Series 1 when they were still exorcising the ghosts of "old Old" Top Gear, and reading off spec sheets while driving. The point is that they were not having fun with it; they actually looked like people just doing their job, not pouring their heart and soul into the review. The heart and soul is what makes Alfas and Top Gear alike, and if both of them occasionally fall into occasional hiccups of out-of-place cocking about, so be it; it's made up for it by the true joy we get when everything falls into place and an epic experience happens.

[smartpnoi]

I really like the old style shows from 2003/2004 where they first showed the 100 pound cheap car challenge and the race to Monte Carlo with the DB9. That was the first sign that they had something different. As old as those shows are (over 4 years ago now, doesn't seem that long ago) they found their niche. I like the current format now, with a lot of the cocking about with some car reviews. And when Clarkson does a review, he still seems genuinely honest about the cars even though he seems like a crap driver nor do I agree with him a lot of the time. I wish they would review different hot hatches or affordable cars (like a new S2000 or GTi) but it's not going to stop me from watching the show.

Ever since I started watching Top Gear, I think Hamster may have mentioned it on the show, it's just three middle aged blokes that are living their childhood dreams. Getting to drive the best cars and just cocking about. If I want a proper review with facts and numbers, I'll either listen to James May or I'll just watch Fifth Gear (which they do a pretty good job of doing). Top Gear in the new format started as an entertainment show and will always be an entertainment show. If you don't like the show, then just don't watch it.

That's just my two cents. All fans are good, there will always be people that aren't happy. Just as long as presenters still have fun doing what they're doing, then we should just enjoy the ride.

[edkwon]

Originally Posted by smartpnoi

I really like the old style shows from 2003/2004 where they first showed the 100 pound cheap car challenge and the race to Monte Carlo with the DB9. That was the first sign that they had something different. As old as those shows are (over 4 years ago now, doesn't seem that long ago) they found their niche. I like the current format now, with a lot of the cocking about with some car reviews. And when Clarkson does a review, he still seems genuinely honest about the cars even though he seems like a crap driver nor do I agree with him a lot of the time. I wish they would review different hot hatches or affordable cars (like a new S2000 or GTi) but it's not going to stop me from watching the show.

Ever since I started watching Top Gear, I think Hamster may have mentioned it on the show, it's just three middle aged blokes that are living their childhood dreams. Getting to drive the best cars and just cocking about. If I want a proper review with facts and numbers, I'll either listen to James May or I'll just watch Fifth Gear (which they do a pretty good job of doing). Top Gear in the new format started as an entertainment show and will always be an entertainment show. If you don't like the show, then just don't watch it.

That's just my two cents. All fans are good, there will always be people that aren't happy. Just as long as presenters still have fun doing what they're doing, then we should just enjoy the ride.

Its just a shame when the precedent has been set where many good programs started out with a good formula and then tampered with it excessively in the pursuit of greater popularity and ratings, and then somewhere down the line, goes overboard, slides into mediocrity and fades away. And it's at that point where some inquisitive mind goes 'where did it go wrong?'. I'd just like to avoid seeing that happen to this show just because the producers didn't know where to put a limit on the theatrics at the expense of substance.

integrity of art vs commercial interests, its a never ending struggle when it comes to mass media.

[LurkerPatrol]

Originally Posted by Labcoatguy

They just did an informative review in the last episode with the two Peugeots in the studio, and listening to Richard and James spout off the spec sheet was frankly not Top Gear as we know it. It was in fact very reminiscent of "old New" Top Gear in Series 1 when they were still exorcising the ghosts of "old Old" Top Gear, and reading off spec sheets while driving. The point is that they were not having fun with it; they actually looked like people just doing their job, not pouring their heart and soul into the review. The heart and soul is what makes Alfas and Top Gear alike, and if both of them occasionally fall into occasional hiccups of out-of-place cocking about, so be it; it's made up for it by the true joy we get when everything falls into place and an epic experience happens.

That bit seemed out-of-place to me as well, it was as if they were trying to compete with 5th gear or something.

The show hasn't been diluted in entertainment. If it were, there would be a whole new segment devoted to the TG trio pole dancing for 5 minutes while random audience members and Andy Wilman put bills in their speedos. (Omfg that hammond heaven site is going to be on my case in 5 seconds if they read that. Please stay away, I just have a dirty mind).

I think the alfa segment mirrored their true feelings about cars, and more of that would be the TG trio doing what they WANT to do rather than what they HAVE to do to please us (aka having races across varies planets in cars that cost $X with challenges along the way).

Nevermind the lady with the frankly moronic question about Jezza's love for cars. If she's still like this: , there's no cause for concern. Let it be and move on. We're here for these guys and .

[Mark355]

Originally Posted by edkwon

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.

[The Fishman]

If I want to watch a car program I'll watch Fifth Gear. If I want to watch buffoonary with cars, I watch Top Gear. I love it when they go too far.