[15x07] December 21st, 2010 [Special]

[15x07] December 21st, 2010 [Special]


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Some people shoot , other edit the raw footage...
great episode and it cant be called series 16 until Jan the first, catch my drift?
 
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10/10

That said it wasnt all perfect, I do wish they had simply gotten a large part of the Blue Ridge Pass blocked off to go as fast as they want, as they often do other times (but we don't see) but the turn of events that followed created for what i thought were some genuinely classic Top Gear moments.

on the Stig stuff: I wish I could be certain how much of that stuff was light hearted fun and how much of that was as honestly brutal as it could have been, regardless it had me cracked up the whole time and "emergency stig" at the end provided a crucial final laugh, true props to Ted Needell for coming in and TG themselves for getting him, its clear any bad blood they talk about having with 5th Gear is only in good fun, and its always nice to see old friends helping out a friend in need.

On a final note, I am truly excited for the season to come from the preview. I love that they seem to be pulling a 'Mythbusters' by having a car falling from the sky racing a car on the ground, and if the show is even so much as name dropped (doubtful, though it is) on TG i will be ecstatic. Also, the Aussie challenge looks amazing, I'm assuming its vs. Top Gear Australia, which could definitely produce some great laughs, but it makes me more excited for the future prospect of TGUK getting with TG america for some challenges (now that i think about it, this UK episode did draw some similarities with the moonshine cheap car challenge from TGA)
 
Some people shoot , other edit the raw footage...
great episode and it cant be called series 16 until Jan the first, catch my drift?

Sorry I don?t agree Nikado one can start a "series" when ever as long as there is a beginning and an end. If you look back at the end of 15x06 Clarkson signs off with ? on that unusually harmonious bombshell it is time to end not just the programme but the whole series?? Then of course at the beginning of so-called 15x07 he says ? hello we are back? you will also have noticed there is no Clarkson voice over on the opening to the show pointing to what is coming up on the show again suggesting a new series.
On the Stig stuff apparently Clarkson was very very annoyed after the Stig ?came out? he was quoted as saying something like ?he was around my place for dinner and stuff? as if he was a mate and Clarkson was hurt by it all.
 
A pretty good Top Gear episode, as good as one can expect 16 series into the damn thing.

It reminded me a lot of my own recent road trip, albeit mine was down the west coast of the US and I had a new GTI instead of a new supercar. Everything, from the painfully low speed limits on wonderfully twisty roads to pondering why anyone would buy a large soda with free refills were an almost exact copy of my own road trip in early November. Only thing is I did it all alone and watching this episode made me realize how much more fun it would have been with two mates tagging along.

As usual could've done without the scripted crap, but thankfully it was kept to a minimum - other than the studio lights going out I didn't mind any of it.

Overall a 9/10 for me, but like I said I'm probably a bit biased since I had a very similar experience just a few weeks ago.
 
Quite frankly, I was disappointed. It felt lame. The scripted bits felt more scripted, the comedy half assed, and missed opportunities abounded.

Compared to the brilliant cheap-car challenge of TGUSA this week, in which I had tears running down my face from laughing so hard at the Eaton Proving Ground bits, this was just very ho hum. 4/10

...the stab in the back joke about the stig was great though
 
I gave it 10/10 , though thats probably influenced by my disappointment with series 15 and watching Top Gear Aus and USA in recent months(probably should of given it 9/10 now thinking more). I really enjoyed the trip around America and loved seeing the SLS AMG and the 458, though I was a little disappointed Hammond took the 911 GT3 RS again like he did back in the trip to the alps in series 10. It did start out a bit dull but picked up pretty fast and I loved the drive by shooting with Hammond's remarks on insisting in shooting the Stig in the back! Excellent camera work as per usual (especially the country side and New York) and it was great to see the SLS sliding and that epic dance by the Mayor. That had to be one of the coolest Mayors....... in the world! I was surprised at how the New York challenge actually worked out to be interesting as I thought it would be kinda dull as it would be just setting the GPS, putting in commands to not use a specific road and done. Instead it was great and very close as well as fun to watch.

The news was also definitely one of the better ones this time, though a little overtly scripted, but I didn't really mind as it did come across as being very funny, though childish at times such as the use of pussy and the iphone camera heli thing. I did enjoy how they treated the issue of the Stig and it came across as quite humorous. But I do worry about how they will re-implement him back into the show after this as they obviously need to after investing so much into the character,such as merchandise and brands.
 
So when they get to Manhattan, they start the semi drag race in front of the building I work in... at 53rd street and they were going North. Jezza eventually turns off after they hit traffic, and the map shows him turning left onto 39th... south of where they were driving north from.

I found it amusing. Why lie about their location?

It is called Television.

Anyone who has filmed anything live will tell you that it never comes out perfect. In the middle of a city, there may be traffic, pedestrians, even a bird flying across the shot. So they cut together the best bits. As TG never tires of telling us, it is an entertainment show, not a documentary.

When they were in my home town of Manchester (M5 vs AMG Estate, I think) there were a number of "impossible" turns.

Amount of people watching: >3.5 million
Amount of people noticing: <1000
Amount of people caring: <100
 
Damn good episode. 8/10

I've come to expect cheap punches at us Umuricaans, but they kept it pretty clean this time. James in the Ferrari and Jeremy in the big Merc was great, but Hamster in the 911 was a bit of a let down. I've seen that before... many times. Great car, no doubt, and I'm sure Hammond loves them, but it made rather lackluster TV if I'm honest.

Even the SIARPC was pretty good.

The only thing I didn't like was the way they handled the Stig. I was hoping for more class. I can't help but feel sorry for Ben. It seems like he was treated second rate while on the show and even worse now that he's left.
 
Awesome episode as always! Hammond sure was extremely blunt and salty about the whole stig thing! I loved that bit! There were a few really scripted parts in the studio (namely the pu$$y part) but that's alright I still loved it!
 
I'm downloading it as we speak, but no-one's downloading off me! This is ruining my ratios :(

Now that StreetFire has full episodes streaming, I usually don't download them, unless it is over the top awesome. Like the 4x4 challenge in South America and the Vietnam Special...those I had to have :)
 
My internet is running at a steady byte per hour, so I'd have to leave my computer on until Doomsday (i.e. never) for the video to fully load. Downloading is a much better option for me.
 
So when they get to Manhattan, they start the semi drag race in front of the building I work in... at 53rd street and they were going North. Jezza eventually turns off after they hit traffic, and the map shows him turning left onto 39th... south of where they were driving north from.

I found it amusing. Why lie about their location?

I noticed Jeremy called it the "Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia" but it looked like all the Parkway footage was shot in North Carolina. No biggie. Like someone else said, it's television.

I'm pleased that everyone has been so complementary about the Mayor. Being from NC myself, I braced myself for the worst. A nice surprise. They might be "country-fied" but there are good folks up in that area.
 
Finally got around to watching it today and loved every minute of it.
 
Watched it yesterday. Epic episode. I was smiling almost the whole time.

9 points for being a great episode, best in some time I think. Plus a half point because I missed them so much, and a half point because they aren't TGUS (heh). 10/10 here. :)

Side note, I just got my new issue of Autoweek in the mail a couple of days ago. Seems they were using the very same SLS and Italia the TG boys used. The piece was done in Charlotte, NC, and the license plates on the cars are the same as seen in the TG episode.

5285225721_d83fbcb944_b.jpg


5285216141_d4c384e62d_b.jpg
 
Alright, not the greatest.

Poll results so far makes no sense, 65%+ gave it 9 or 10!

Stig drive by shooting was so slow they could have used a disability scooter.
 
I noticed Jeremy called it the "Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia" but it looked like all the Parkway footage was shot in North Carolina. No biggie. Like someone else said, it's television.

I'm pleased that everyone has been so complementary about the Mayor. Being from NC myself, I braced myself for the worst. A nice surprise. They might be "country-fied" but there are good folks up in that area.
Noticed that what sections they showed were in NC as well. But that Viaduct section is probably one of the coolest parts of the road.

Also, I'm in Winston Salem as well.




Here's a couple pics while on the Viaduct of the BRP earlier in the year:
mtns070309d.jpg

mtns070309e.jpg
 
Noticed that what sections they showed were in NC as well. But that Viaduct section is probably one of the coolest parts of the road.

Also, I'm in Winston Salem as well.



Here's a couple pics while on the Viaduct of the BRP earlier in the year:
mtns070309d.jpg

mtns070309e.jpg


cool, im just down the road for the next few days in greensboro. damn, its cold here!
 
cool, im just down the road for the next few days in greensboro. damn, its cold here!
Cool. Its just cold to you, though I'm use to the mtn air. Take a drive to the mtns (about 1.5 hrs away), then you'll feel a difference.
 
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