[01x06] December 23, 2016

[01x06] December 23, 2016


  • Total voters
    113
At the beginning everything promised a very nice episode. SAAB in the opening, Hammond indulging his inner 'murrican, Conversation Street and Christmas segments with dumb jokes that still would make you laugh your ass off.
And then came long-awaited May's feature on car history.
And very nice episode just turned absolutely magnificent.
Very happy Christmas indeed.
 
The American would be good if they used him to talk about the cars handling, braking, power delivery, etc. instead of just trying to deliver unfunny jokes. Especially when he does 2 cars back to back, he could let us know which car does what better.
 
Has anyone noticed that in the beginning, James looked very bored, like he was there just because he had to? More involvement of and space for May is needed to make the tent bits work.

However the GT film was a masterpiece, a gem, a classic even if it was compared to the best ones of Top Gear.
 
The American would be good if they used him to talk about the cars handling, braking, power delivery, etc. instead of just trying to deliver unfunny jokes. Especially when he does 2 cars back to back, he could let us know which car does what better.

Sorry, but this turns Mike Skinner into a reviewer, which is most emphatically *NOT* his job description.

Remember that GT is not allowed to use a silent "tame racing driver" because that is the property of the BBC. However Clarkson's format requires the use of a professional driver whose main job is to get a car round a test track as fast as possible.

The American is, to put it bluntly, a loud (American-style) NASCAR driver, which is as completely opposite to The Stig as the Chumps can manage. He is not supposed to be The Stig, even though he has The Stig's function.

And even though he was singing the Mustang's praises, I was sorta hoping he'd lodge a complain on the order of "Why the hell did the ruin a classic by putting the steering wheel on the wrong side?"
 
James saved it.
 
Nice one. Hammond and May back again! Don't care for the Christmas stuff, but whatever, they do that every year.

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I wonder how long till the three will pull their actual penises out 'for fun'
That's what Chris Evans does.
 
Loved the GT40 story. Much more in depth then I've ever heard before. Reminded me of Jeremy's Maserati story when he reviewed MC-12. Difference with the Maserati one is that it feels rushed, like they didn't have enough time for a proper in depth back story like they've in the more recent shows. i was quite surprised anybody was still around from the GT40 era that was well enough for an interview, completely surprised by that and it felt so much more genuine. It's like reading a history book and going "oh yeah that happened" and moving on. When there's still somebody alive to talk about the event or you see items from that era, it makes it that much more special. It was like when I first went to Germany. I knew it existed and things happened there but, physically going there and seeing people and things was much more special and very cool. After tonight, I really need to find a recording of that first win for Ford at LeMan.

Brain Crash, saw that coming from a mile away.

The News Conversation Street: Great, felt like old Top Gear, no problem there.

Christmas present thing felt like old TG but, once it turned to the robotic tablet, it should have ended right there.

Focus RS v Mustang GT. That was great because I always thought the focus was muuuuuuch slower and not that close in comparison. Pleasantly surprised and makes me want a focus even more. I like Mustangs but, everybody has one(including me) and it's about as interesting as a Honda Accord to me.

Well done. Things are on the up and up.
 
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Good episode, even if the tent bit dragged on a bit. The film features where good to very good. I even liked the celebrity death this week, solely because they incorporated a personality quirk of the celebrity in question.

But they need to readjust their humour not to target 12-year-olds boys. The pathetic attempts at humour in TGT hurt so much because everyone knows how much better they can do.

But: 8/10.
 
If you're referring to the Christmas part, I kinda liked that, though I agree the bit with the electrical gadgets dragged a bit. I very much like how they implement hints and quotes from Top Gear into TGT, which basically is their way of showing the middle finger to the BBC's legal department -- be it Hammond's remark at the Cenotaph or the classic Top Gear lines on the condoms.

And again, I very much doubt they would have been allowed to show the condom gags on BBC prime time television.
 
Where the hell has content been since Vietnam Special? Why the focus on caricatures of proper automobiles? I became charmed by Top Gear 2.0 because of the insight and commentary about the nature of the car and its many variants. Although a compelling program, the relevant content has been absent. I mean, God knows the ****ing Teslas have enough problems without having to pretend the battery is inadequate. They went to the mother countries of the two most interesting popular cars this century so far, and nothing. (Logan/Sandero and Nano) I am please to see this insight is not comprehensively absent for now.
 
Has anyone noticed that in the beginning, James looked very bored, like he was there just because he had to? More involvement of and space for May is needed to make the tent bits work.
Yes, maybe he's thinking 'oh goody, I get to say "does that mean he's not coming on, then?" again...' :rolleyes: He does, at times, feel almost like a prop (or comic foil for C & H) in the tent segments. It feels weird.

Anyway, other than the childishness that I'm sick of, good episode. Has Clarkson really not driven a GT40? I can't remember and I seriously doubt it's true.
 
And again, I very much doubt they would have been allowed to show the condom gags on BBC prime time television.

I know you must think that the BBC is just full of these PC Prudes but I don't think they'd throw up a fuss over that condom gag, after all it's the BBC not the bible belt I don't think that the BBC would have a problem with condoms.
 
Anyway, other than the childishness that I'm sick of, good episode. Has Clarkson really not driven a GT40? I can't remember and I seriously doubt it's true.

Back when the '05 GT came out, Top Gear did a review and he showed that from his forehead up in the GT40, he could not close the door. He's not too fat. He's too tall. That's why he bought the new one and was all excited about it.
 
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Anyway, other than the childishness that I'm sick of, good episode. Has Clarkson really not driven a GT40? I can't remember and I seriously doubt it's true.

What's wrong with childishness? Some of the best humor in history is based on adults behaving like children: Charles Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy come to mind.

But I agree that slapstick is not for everyone and that CHM often lack the timing to be really funny in that direction.
 
9/10

This episode proved that they can still produce good stuff. Hammond by himself with the Mustang and May with those dreamy Le Mans cars. I'm just growing tired of the tent stuff and I really hope they either cut it down to just a short intro and the news or completely out. Watching some older Top Gear has really made me appreciate their road trips and legitimate car review pieces.
 
Pretty good episode. Most of Hammond's Mustang thing and May's GT piece were up there. Notice the clip of the worst motorsport crash in history at the start of May's piece.

8/10. Lose marks for Hammond's remark about ice cream, and the audience applauding it. That's pretty horrible.
 
Lose marks for Hammond's remark about ice cream, and the audience applauding it. That's pretty horrible.

Yup that was ridiculous. I love ice cream and I'm not gay. STUPID comment.
 
This thing about James in the tent- I think it somewhat applies to Hammond too- the whole sitting behind the desk thing doesn't work for me, especially at the start when Jeremy is standing. It's a small thing, but it emphasises the separation and it's as if they are waiting to be allowed to make a funny line, here and there. But James does look bored.

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Back when the '05 GT came out, Top Gear did a review and he showed that from his forehead up in the GT40, he could not close the door. He's not too fat. He's too tall. That's why he bought the new one and was all excited about it.

Prior to that (I think)- not sure if it was on TG or one of his annual videos- Jezza drove a GT40 that had a special bubble in the roof so he could fit in it-

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