[14x06] December 27th, 2009 [South America Special]

[14x06] December 27th, 2009 [South America Special]

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Turns out the script called for Clarkson to misjudge his distance from the edge and plunge to his untimely death in the Land Rover, but annoyingly he had some sense of self-preservation and made it out alive. So you see, Top Gear isn't staged at all!
 
Sik02Stang said:
look, im very sure that it was a genuine event and it was not staged in any way. yes, there may have been rescue crew on standby but thats about it. that is a pretty busy road and them stopping to take the time to set up the safety equipment needed would just have been unrealistic and in some cases maybe even unsafe. those trucks dont like to stop and those people dont like to be held up. based on the "good acting" by jezza, well, i have seen pure fear in someones eyes on a few occasions and his wasnt far off. go back and look at that video of him in that car and you will see genuine fear. if there was safety equipment, seems sure to me that he didnt know about it, trust me, i feel he would have told us.
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It only takes a few minutes to set up such a situation. Find a quite stretch of road, even close it for a short time. James & Richard did that fine on their own without worrying too much about the jam that ensued. No one said anything about safety equipment, not much use anyway. Right spot where they can be seen from almost opposite. Oooh nice waterfall, perfect. Useful to grab the close up of tyre on edge. Get the camera crews in position, turn one vehicle around and 'action'. Vehicle was a new Toyota Sequoia, too rich to be a typical local. Metal-tech the guys who built the FJ and ran vehicle support said they were given a brand new 2010 Hilux to use, they even ripped the plastic covers off the seats. Simple conclusion, the Sequoia (potentially a $50k car) was also a crew car.

I'm not the only one to think so: http://forum.ih8mud.com/trails-events-expeditions/345621-bbc-top-gear-chile-bolivia-special.html

Not that any of this matters as overall I thought it was a great 'show'.

And you're still patronis(z)ing. I've studied and worked in video and TV media for over 15 years.
 
had to wait until 8:30 this morning to watch it after my night shift.

First 10 I've given in a few seasons I think.

I'd also say this one is up there with the arctic special, maybe even better.
 
Burlz said:
It only takes a few minutes to set up such a situation. Find a quite stretch of road, even close it for a short time. James & Richard did that fine on their own without worrying too much about the jam that ensued. No one said anything about safety equipment, not much use anyway. Right spot where they can be seen from almost opposite. Oooh nice waterfall, perfect. Useful to grab the close up of tyre on edge. Get the camera crews in position, turn one vehicle around and 'action'. Vehicle was a new Toyota Sequoia, too rich to be a typical local. Metal-tech the guys who built the FJ and ran vehicle support said they were given a brand new 2010 Hilux to use, they even ripped the plastic covers off the seats. Simple conclusion, the Sequoia (potentially a $50k car) was also a crew car.

I'm not the only one to think so: http://forum.ih8mud.com/trails-events-expeditions/345621-bbc-top-gear-chile-bolivia-special.html

Not that any of this matters as overall I thought it was a great 'show'.

And you're still patronis(z)ing. I've studied and worked in video and TV media for over 15 years.
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yea, i know its an expensive car, but, i have been to all corners of the globe and i have seen maybe 2 cars that are consistant no matter where i was, the Hilux/Tacoma and that one. dude, im sorry, i just feel your wrong here. relax and accept that its my damn opinion. i really dont care who else agrees with you. this is, as i said before, a discusion forum and not an argument forum so stop arguing and move on with my damn oppinion. jeez. i couldnt help but notice that your rep is RED. that should tell you something as well.

BlaRo said:
Turns out the script called for Clarkson to misjudge his distance from the edge and plunge to his untimely death in the Land Rover, but annoyingly he had some sense of self-preservation and made it out alive. So you see, Top Gear isn't staged at all!
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:lol::lol::lol:


Bartg.pl said:
For the moaners about foreing specials "oh no its scripted and therefore it sucks i give it -20" I always say this - send in 3 middle aged blokes, give em 3 cars/bikes and tell to drive around an exotic country while doing Tv show without any plan whatsoever and it just wouldnt work, just throw away all the thoughts "oh dear, that car couldnt break down here, bad script" and just enjoy the Top Gear as it was 2002 again.
The moment that made me laugh most was when Hammond crashed for the first time into Suzuki and James went "Honestly It wasnt very funny 3 series ago, and It really isnt funny now" :lol:
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that was very cool. someone said before that it wasnt edited out because of time, i disagree, i think it was andy showing us that they agree as well. one thing i know will always be in these challenges, no matter what type, is that richard will most likely crash into james because it just drives him nuts! i love it! otherwise, great post!
 
Finally got round to watching it. Absolutely loved it. Top Gear at it's best. I'm glad to see they showed how amazingly beautiful both Bolivia and Chili are. I hope it draws in lots of tourists. Especially Bolivia can use the cash.

It was such a shame they had to turn around. I would have loved to see that volcano. They should have drank more coca tea, it really helps to fight altitude sickness. Being heavy smokers will not have helped them. :blink:

And I don't want to be greedy, but I do hope they will release a dvd with extras like they did with the Polar expedition. :)
 
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omg i'm shocked, the episode was incredible, james was funnier as ever, hammond running out from the mosquito/bird loled my day.

You guys MUST watch DAKAR 2010 and see what the desert here is like.
 
To me - just another magnificently filmed episode. The feeling of the purpose to reach the Pacific wasn't passed in my opinion. Looks like just a perfect filming in the extreme conditions with no particular goal...

I understand the worries of Andy in his blogs - something is really happening with the team, though he makes his best to prove the contrary.

anyway, 10+/10
 
DanRoM said:
Yet "only" an 8 seems inappropiate for the probably most dangerous special yet...
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It's still a B or "Above Average", so not exactly "damning with faint praise" in my book. ;)

kurthest said:
That has always been something I never understood about this site. Most people will score an episode 7 or 8 if its a bad episode, and 9 or 10 if its not bad. I'm trying to use the whole scale, however I think my lowest score has been 4/10.
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I was certainly guilty of the "Automatic 9 or 10 Because I Just Got My Top Gear Fix" in seasons past, but after looking back with some dissatisfaction at Series 13, I've been trying to be more "personally honest" in how I rate the show in Series 14, comparing it to earlier "favorite" challenges, races, reviews and SIARPC.
 
And do you guys really care, that the Death Road segment was a bit staged and scripted in some parts ? I mean this is clearly most stunning road in the world, not in way of Transfagarasan - beautifull road designed to blast across in a supercar, but in "oh my god I've wet myself by just looking there" way and considering the fact, that trucks, buses and normal vehicles overtake each other all the time in dust, rain and night with no visibility at all :ph34r:
 
wandrews said:
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omg i'm shocked, the episode was incredible, james was funnier as ever, hammond running out from the mosquito/bird loled my day.

You guys MUST watch DAKAR 2010 and see what the desert here is like.
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Do you know where on the Pan American Highway those native american carvings in the hill side next to the road are?

I drove over the moutains in Puerto Rico in tropical down pours on roads similar to that death road, but they were paved at least. It was sacry as shit. I can't imagine unpaved contenting with trucks and buses
 
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While not perfect, it was much better than the sort of stuff we've been getting lately. Hammond's reaction to the insects was obviously genuine and genuinely funny, as was when he was high.

A thouroughly entertaining episode, and thats all that matters really.
 
So awesome to see them finally go to South America and go through Chile (my mother's homeland) :)

I've been up around that altitude around there and it really does screw you up.

And yup, those geoglyphs are in the north near Arica.
 
BlaRo said:
Turns out the script called for Clarkson to misjudge his distance from the edge and plunge to his untimely death in the Land Rover, but annoyingly he had some sense of self-preservation and made it out alive. So you see, Top Gear isn't staged at all!
Click to expand...

The Daily Mail and eco-mentalists must have been sat there watching that with their fingers crossed whispering "please fall in, please fall in..."
 
6/10 for me, the polar and vietnam ones were much much better. since it seems the vast majority loved this episode any complaints from the ones that didn't think it was perfect will just come off as nitpicking.
 
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