[19x02] February 3rd, 2013

[skylock]

You know, I am getting a little sick again of people saying it should end because THEY do not want to watch anymore.

Why do you think your thoughts and feeling should have one lick of matter?

I enjoy the show. I will probably enjoy the show till the days it stops airing. Sometimes I like it better than I do another time. But it is none of your business on if it stays on the air or not.

It has been said many times, if you don't like it, move on, but quit belly aching about it.

 

[Molder]

There are some interesting marketing tricks going on...... I thought this wasn't done on purpose, but..... after giving it some thought, I don't think it's a coincidence.....
We all wondered why Clarkson liked so much the LFA and explained it so little..... the reason is that today the new issue of Top Gear Magazine went into sales and guess which car is on the front page? And guess what the title is? Yup. "Many things are wrong with it but it's still.... THE BEST CAR I'VE EVER DRIVEN" JC. So, only if you buy (or download) the copy of that magazine, you can find out the reasons why he likes it so much..... like everything else, Top Gear became just another product on the market..... (of course! well, silly me for thinking they were creative, bold, more entertaining..... dare I say - different?)

 

[controlspecimen]

The real issue has just occurred to me, because the lads now have stand alone interests that we see (Hammond's science programmes, James' man lab and Clarkson's books) we now know them more than we did. And now we find that the Top Gear "characters" don't gel with it.

Hammond is not a moron, James is not boring, and Jeremy is very smart. It's actually making me cringe to see things like the P45 and Hammond calling the STEALTH BOMBER a "silly little aeroplane"

And maybe now, two 50 year olds and a 40 year old "cocking about" is well, just a little tragic.

This is definitely true. Andy Willman said a year or two ago that James was getting annoyed at having to play a character now on the show, and I guess they decided that the show is successful the way it is.

 

[shellygrrl]

I think the only time I laughed was at the sabotage of the Viper, and Richard's reaction "Yes, we're living in a cartoon"

I was spoiled regarding the sabotage (and the outcome). Personally, I didn't find it funny at all. The sabotage actually triggered me. (Usually I'm not that sensitive to this, but this time? Whoa.) I also didn't like Jeremy calling Richard a "rampant racist". I thought it crossed a line. I don't care if it was in jest. That sort of thing is Serious Business, IMO.

The real issue has just occurred to me, because the lads now have stand alone interests that we see (Hammond's science programmes, James' man lab and Clarkson's books) we now know them more than we did. And now we find that the Top Gear "characters" don't gel with it.

Hammond is not a moron, James is not boring, and Jeremy is very smart. It's actually making me cringe to see things like the P45 and Hammond calling the STEALTH BOMBER a "silly little aeroplane"

I marathoned the first half of Series 6 earlier this week. Particularly during 6x02 and the Cheap Coupes That Aren't a Porsche Challenge, I sat there going, "Where the hell is THIS, now?" They can accomplish a challenge without sabotaging one of the others (this episode) or setting them up for later failure (a la 17x02). They can make fun of each others' cars without a bunch of added nonsense. I'm wondering if this was a visit to Bizarro World.

It has been said many times, if you don't like it, move on, but quit belly aching about it.

You have the right to say you enjoy it. I and others have the right to disagree and say we thought it was boring crap. Some of us here believe that criticism is a good thing. Please do NOT tell me and the others what we can and cannot say about the shows.

 

[GerFix]

It has been said many times, if you don't like it, move on, but quit belly aching about it.

What Shelly said (vide supra).

This would be a very boring thread (board) if everyone posted the same opinion ............. 182 posts saying they liked the cinematography. :?

 

[Hive]

You know, I am getting a little sick again of people saying it should end because THEY do not want to watch anymore.

Why do you think your thoughts and feeling should have one lick of matter?

I enjoy the show. I will probably enjoy the show till the days it stops airing. Sometimes I like it better than I do another time. But it is none of your business on if it stays on the air or not.

It has been said many times, if you don't like it, move on, but quit belly aching about it.

LEAVE TG ALONE! ;(

 

[MiloRambaldi]

Check out PCH in NorCal, Yosemite, the back roads of CO, etc. I hate when they go to Vegas.

Pikes Peak! Since they always flog the lack of curvy roads in America, a race up Pikes Peak would do nicely. And why not challenge the US boys to a little uphill climb while they're at it.
---
For me, the best part of this episode was the way Hammond answered the phone call from Jeremy. So funny I had to make a sound file for my laptop to scream at me when I empty the trash.

 

[DaShowstoppa]

You know, I am getting a little sick again of people saying it should end because THEY do not want to watch anymore.

Why do you think your thoughts and feeling should have one lick of matter?

I enjoy the show. I will probably enjoy the show till the days it stops airing. Sometimes I like it better than I do another time. But it is none of your business on if it stays on the air or not.

It has been said many times, if you don't like it, move on, but quit belly aching about it.

Because this is a forum to share my views, yes? Fine if you don't agree, but to me TG is now showing distinct signs of a TV show that has passed it's peak and is inexorably declining.

We are merely having a discussion. You like it? Then all power to you, but I'm not enjoying it as much any more and it is my right to express that.

Calm down dear, it's just a TV show.

 

[the Interceptor]

Like last week's show, I found this one to be pretty poor. It's kind of difficult to compare directly, but I see clear parallels in form of soullessness and the three guys just playing their respective roles. Previous challenges didn't always seem to have a point, but this one didn't seem to have any point at all. It was just the three being somewhere and doing something until they have filled the airtime.

There doesn't seem to be any purpose to anything anymore. The only thing I found mildly interesting in this episode was the "singing road". Even the scenery and the music were not up to previous standards. They didn't connect to the cars (at least it didn't come across one bit), they were mean to each other simply because they always are, and there was no structure and no proper pacing for the whole trip.

Verdict: 4/10 again

 

[Red Falcon]

Pikes Peak! Since they always flog the lack of curvy roads in America, a race up Pikes Peak would do nicely. And why not challenge the US boys to a little uphill climb while they're at it.
---
For me, the best part of this episode was the way Hammond answered the phone call from Jeremy. So funny I had to make a sound file for my laptop to scream at me when I empty the trash.

Pikes Peak! Now that's a place I would like to see!

 

[Ayman]

That "missing X factor" that everyone's noticed, or rather not noticed, has been missing for a while.

I also don't feel emotionally awe-struck by the beauty of their reviews anymore. The scenery, the filtering, the filming, the editing... All have improved immensely, watching a TopGear item now is utter eye candy. But something's not there.

I can watch the CLK Black review over and over and never tire of it. I can also watch the A10 Ascari review with just as much pleasure as the first time 'round. The Bentley Brooklands ... Etc etc. Some reviews were extremely simple yet so memorable.
Some specials too ! And of course, many news segments and SIARPCs. I do miss that eye-watering excellence we used to get. Now we're getting average excellence, it might do for ordinary viewers, but for fans who've followed the show since it began, it just Doesn't Do.

As for the episode, a square and bland 8/10. Skipped the SIARPC because I didn't know the guy and it wasn't a funny interview either (Skipped through it with VLC).
The American trip was nice, I absolutely gasped at the sight of that Aston. But it was too cut, news and siarpc just landed on it like scissors and ruined the continuity.
And of course, lots of laughs But not as many as in the olden days I'm afraid.

 

[The Spie]

That "missing X factor" that everyone's noticed, or rather not noticed, has been missing for a while.

It went missing midway through Series 13, somehow got found for Series 18, then got lost again during the extended break.

I also don't feel emotionally awe-struck by the beauty of their reviews anymore. The scenery, the filtering, the filming, the editing... All have improved immensely, watching a TopGear item now is utter eye candy. But something's not there.

It's the culmination of the "finding themselves" period, especially when it comes to Richard. They're very happy with where they are right now. Richard's proving to be a versatile multi-disciplinary host (he's not doing well at it right now, other than Crash Course, but he's at least moving out of his comfort zone). James is happy being a quirky guy with interests that happen to make for great television. Jeremy has fully come to terms with being The Nation's Grumpy Uncle, not to mention the He Got Paid Factor. TG takes them away from that. They're doing it out of a sense of obligation, not out of pleasure.

Skipped the SIARPC because I didn't know the guy and it wasn't a funny interview either (Skipped through it with VLC).

You don't know who Mick Fleetwood is? God, do I feel old.

 

[JimCorrigan]

You know, I am getting a little sick again of people saying it should end because THEY do not want to watch anymore.

Why do you think your thoughts and feeling should have one lick of matter?

I enjoy the show. I will probably enjoy the show till the days it stops airing. Sometimes I like it better than I do another time. But it is none of your business on if it stays on the air or not.

It has been said many times, if you don't like it, move on, but quit belly aching about it.

Our thoughts don't, in their eyes, matter. Nor should they. They can continue the show for as long as they want. All we can do is voice our opinions (those of us who want them to get it together or quit outright, and those of you who like it as it is), which we do.

I'm glad you're happy with the current series. I'm not. You want them to continue. I want them to stop being caricatures of themselves and go back to being the show TG was that MADE them famous, rather than be so stuck on trying to keep themselves famous. We can disagree. It's cool. But I won't stop my bellyaching unless you stop your pollyanna-ish routine as well, and I think we'd both prefer to type what we want 'till our hearts content.

- - - Updated - - -

You don't know who Mick Fleetwood is? God, do I feel old.

You're nearly the same age as James May. That means you are old.

 

[skylock]

When I joined this site oh so many years ago, there were people saying if was good while it lasted, but it has run it's course and it is time to end it now. Luckily noone took one bit of notice in what they had to say as they will now.

The show will end when Jeremy wants it to, and I hope that is a long long time from now. I don't love every show they make and when I stop enjoying it, I will stop watching it. That hasn't happened yet because for every show I do not love, there is another one I do.

I may be one of the few who actually likes the India special. I didn't until I got the DVD and listened to the commentary. I saw it in a whole new light after that. It will never be my favorite, but I just watched it again last night. In slow motion so I could see what my eye misses on full speed. It is amazing.

 

[BentAxel]

Always frustrating when the guys come to America and I miss them. Made it worse they were about 30 miles from me and I still missed it. I would love to see their faces that someone in California/Los Angeles recognizes them for the show.

Is there ever any leads given when they are over here?
Thanks.

 

[TC]

They probably do their best to make sure as few people as possible know where they are and where they're going to be.

 

[therado]

TG is still quite entertaining for me, however i do believe it lacks something and had this discussion with my buddies over the past weekend.

1. We want to hear the car more, rather than the music overlays(which adds to the cinematics but takes away the rawness of the engine sounds)
2. We want to see the grunt of the car - (i think back to the F430 review jason plato did in 5th Gear)
3. We think SIARPC should be taken out completely, i always skip through it unless its an F1 or motorsport racing driver.

just my opinion...

 

[DaShowstoppa]

I have never liked SIARPC - At best it slows the show down and takes up 20 minutes, at worst it's incredibly booooring. More pathetic simpering to allow more celebrity crap that we see more than enough of. Even worse now that often the star plugs something.

As Jeremy said at the beginning THIS IS A CAR SHOW.

 

[02rsxpilot]

I know basically nothing more about the new Aston and the Viper than I did before the show, and the Lexus has been making the rounds for what feels like years by now, so none of that was really new either. This was the biggest disappointment to me. At some point along the way, TG forgot that the cars are the stars of the show, not our three beloved hosts.

I did enjoy the drag racing, at least to see those world class exotics getting destroyed by little tuners like the Evo. Although, c'mon, the trucks had 2 foot wide racing slicks, don't insult the viewer's intelligence by trying to convince us Jeremy didn't know those were 8 second cars.

6/10 for me.

 

[OldSkoolGP]

I just got done watching the new episode of Jay Leno's Garage. Jay was driving the same Vanquish as James was. License plates are a match! Kinda cool that Jay Leno is getting Top Gear hand me downs.