[19x05] February 24th, 2013

[19x05] February 24th, 2013


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I felt they came up with some great ideas, if not a bit silly.

My elderly parents like their Honda Odyssey because the speedometer is gigantic, that is really important to them, as are the over sized buttons.
 
Quite liked it, dare I say it, the scripted bits kinda worked for me.

I just don't compare it to vintage Top Gear (Series 3 to 8) anymore, rather think of it as a different show. Those old classics are still there to enjoy, and these aren't a patch on them, but I enjoy the show for different reasons now.
 
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Quite liked it, dare I say it, the scripted bits kinda worked for me.

I just don't compare it to vintage Top Gear (Series 3 to 8) anymore, rather think of it as a different show. Those old classics are still there to enjoy, and these aren't a patch on them, but I enjoy the show for different reasons now.

I think that's what we all have to face up to. The whole dynamic of the show change after Hammond went upside down. When they came back they had 10 shows of material to fit into a 6 slot run and naturally kept the most expensive and time consuming stuff which is the three of them cocking about. Those who tuned in to see the crash stuck around for the silliness and the audience expectations were changed forever.

Nothing we can do about it.

Also I was really surprised that in the News they didn't nick our remarks about the front of the new IS200 looking like the Predator.
 
Episode did not really work for me. The Range Rover bit only worked because of the awsome truck it competed against, but that was pretty much the best bit IMHO. News were fine, Guest I skipped. Ye olde people Car ... well it is quite funny seeing Clarkson who looks like 70 in HD these days saying mean stuff about older folks driving ... but that?s about as far as I found that whole bit entertaining ... yes, some laughs here and there and some really nice old ladies who really need to get some sort of medal for getting into a car with Hammond and the HD-Mummy ... but in all that double segment was very much "sub par" as we ponces like to say.

6/10 - not exactly worst-episode-ever ... but I certainly won?t rewatch it.
 
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Did anyone notice a Chevrolet Lacetti beside the Renault Avantime at the Top Gear Technology Centre? They made a big fuss over giving the car a Viking burial and yet there's another one happy as larry.
 
I enjoyed it. A nice solid entertainment episode with a great car review in the middle. Okay the SIARPC was not great but they rarely are.
 
It was really rubbish, first time I've ever really disliked an episode. Just bad!
 
UK users: by happy coincidence, the Geoff episode happens to be on iPlayer, if you want to compare them.

I'd rather watch the "James" segment again than the epic fail that was Geoff/Hammerhead i-EAGLE Thrust (Yourself into the Rubbish Tip Forever Please!).

Another mediocre one, IMO. Now that it's been mentioned it would've been great to see some of the old ladies have a go in the car themselves, if possible.
 
Did anyone notice a Chevrolet Lacetti beside the Renault Avantime at the Top Gear Technology Centre? They made a big fuss over giving the car a Viking burial and yet there's another one happy as larry.

Could be the old backup car, because they usually have more than one RPC. Just in case...
 
Not nearly as bad as I had expected from the initial comments. RR test was very nice, and the James Multipla - apart from the hammer whacking - was quite fun. Lovely ladies! Old people deserve more screen-time.

/G
 
I think that's what we all have to face up to. The whole dynamic of the show change after Hammond went upside down. When they came back they had 10 shows of material to fit into a 6 slot run and naturally kept the most expensive and time consuming stuff which is the three of them cocking about. Those who tuned in to see the crash stuck around for the silliness and the audience expectations were changed forever.

Agree, although series 9 is actually my favourite. It's was all cocking about, but the gags were fresh and the challenges genuinely interesting and original. It spawned the first "special" and signaled the last series without obvious rehashing, The sprawling series 10 (still good ) is where I see the decline starting in terms of rehashing and lack of ideas... noticable in the cross channel amphibious and Leyland episodes. Series 11 to today has followed the same format of filling 6-8 episodes somehow.

Not that I ever complain about what's happened to the show. I watch it, and even the slagged off episodes like this one, Geoff, Sweeney and India make me laugh. It's still entertaining and that's all I ask.
 
Series 10 is still my favourite.

The amphibious vehicles wasn't really a re-hash. They took it to the next level, and then some!
 
Watching again, and looking at the multipla more carefully now: What a wonky piece of automotive craziness that is! And I'm talking about BEFORE it was altered by JC and Hamster... :-o


Wonder what was going inside the designer's head when he finished the final sketch and was like "Hmmmmm! Good! This will be one awesome car!"


The poor thing looks like a hamburger :D
 
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It didn't feel scripted, was quite funny, amazing Range Rover review, news was good, car tennis was quite interesting, ... I gave it a 9 because I liked it better than previous episodes ...

Agree, although series 9 is actually my favourite. It's was all cocking about, but the gags were fresh and the challenges genuinely interesting and original. It spawned the first "special" and signaled the last series without obvious rehashing, The sprawling series 10 (still good ) is where I see the decline starting in terms of rehashing and lack of ideas... noticable in the cross channel amphibious and Leyland episodes. Series 11 to today has followed the same format of filling 6-8 episodes somehow.

Not that I ever complain about what's happened to the show. I watch it, and even the slagged off episodes like this one, Geoff, Sweeney and India make me laugh. It's still entertaining and that's all I ask.
Season 10 was indeed great but I think the 'declining' started after series 12 (GTR race, Vietnam, Trucks, Alfa Romeo, ... were all classic in my opinion). However season 17 was an other incredible season to be honest.
 
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Watching again, and looking at the multipla more carefully now: What a wonky piece of automotive craziness that is! And I'm talking about BEFORE it was altered by JC and Hamster... :-o


Wonder what was going inside the designer's head when he finished the final sketch and was like "Hmmmmm! Good! This will be one awesome car!"


The poor thing looks like a hamburger :D

I ran one for three years as a sole family car with 3 kids. Not exciting by any means but as practical and capable family transport it took everything we threw at it and more and never let us down. It's still going strong and belongs to the same people we sold it to 4 years ago who live about half a mile from where I live now.

Jezza was a fan.....

 
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7/10 - Better than I expected it was going to be. Really enjoyed the Range Rover review and am looking forward to the Top Gear special
 
... but in all that double segment was very much "sub par" as we ponces like to say.

Ponce? From my watching of "The Bill" (Old Bill, not the latter stuff where it became a soap opera), a "ponce" is (or was) a procurer of prostitutes! :coplight:
 
Well I might have to upgrade my mark. All that time in the army I was told to watch out for IED's and at 23:35 James makes things perfectly clear that if I had been out watching for IUD's I would have been fine. Funny though I don't recall any gynecologists ever lurking around.
 
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