[23x04] June 19th, 2016

[MWF]

Another thought that occurred to me over my first coffee this morning. In days past there was real tension in the races, they were (in the main) believable. There were cameras following the participants so you felt part of the action and that it was actually happening in real time.

Sabine running up a couple of steps, around some people then back down and going the other way with a static camera? For crying out loud if you're going to shoot B roll footage at least have it credible and fitting with the overall narrative.

Nearly 12 hours after broadcast and only just on page 2 of the comments. Time was when we would be 5-6 pages in at least.

Says it all really.

 

[fasterplease]

I liked it, again.

New Top Gear is on BBC2, I think you were watching Dave ??

 

[Captain Black]

EDIT: An hour after a new TG episode and fewer than 400 people online on FG. Time was when that number would run into the thousands. Says it all really.

You make a very good point. Just look at the DECLINING number of replies and views to each episode thread.

Ep.1
o Replies: 227
o Views: 19,570
Ep.2
o Replies: 142
o Views: 9,723
Ep.3
o Replies: 64
o Views: 5,296

I think that speaks volumes.

 

[RaphEmer]

Well, speaking for myself, I don't usually comment until I've seen the episode and it won't air here until next Saturday night. However...Old New Top Gear, I would try to get the latest episode the same day so I wouldn't be far behind in viewing. Haven't felt the inclination toward doing that with New New Top Gear.

 

[T0nyGTSt]

This is actually ok. I'm halfway thru and you got to admire the 'no cost' music licensing... james bond, larry david, I beleive the 6 million dollar man?

 

[Delarent]

Some terrible audio engineering on this episode. Other than that it was ok:ish

 

[dj.TAKA]

Honestly... that wasn't a bad episode actually. It was the most 'top Gear'-ish so far.

 

[hal9000]

Oh dear, viewing figures for last night were the lowest ever at 2.34 mill, lower than any CHM episode.

I thought this episode might have got a few more viewers as last weeks show had slightly more positive reviews.

 

[Redliner]

Aston Martin Vulcan sounds AMAZING.
That is all.

 

[volvoturbo]

I am a positive minded guy but this episode



I feel like they are slowly killing my favorite pet. Each time CE speaks it feels like he is kicking my favorite pet right in the balls. Even makes a similar sound. The train challenge was boring. No funny jokes, no interesting facts about cars, no silly boy races in between, no jokes on the radio to each other, and even the train, they could have told some impressive 'facts' about it, some jokes, at least show the engine of that beast...it was just that old guy (sorry, forgot his name) eating and playing with spoons.

I actually liked the idea for the cooking challenge, good idea, execution, boring.

And what was up with the end of the challenge? Don't get it really. First they just drive around with no time restrictions, sleep in a hotel, and almost at the end 'the race is on'.

I really used to like those cheap cars challenges The US versions are actually pretty good, %%%% brilliant compared to this. At a tenth of the budget.

The only shimmer of light in this show is Rory. He makes some actual jokes, not terribly funny but he's trying, and he shows some real, boyish, enthusiasm for cars. It was the only part which I didn't want to fast forward.

I would actually prefer if they would just stop the show, show some 'best off' of the CHM series and start airing the US version. Watched one of those episodes, clearly much much lower budget, but also clearly much much more capable CAR LOVING presenters. (who speak AND understand English)

I think it's a good thing there is no poll anymore, nobody gives a %%%% anyway.

Number of replies to the thread is also saying a lot, rocketing down like a suicidal angry bird.

I miss old top gear!!

BBC please just kill it, you are really destroying the legacy of CHM. At least kick out those presenters, keep rory, and add 'loves cars', 'funny' and 'a little crazy' 'british humor' 'enthusiastic' and certainly 'quite childish' to the requirements to present this show. Almost forgot, also add 'low pitched voice' to the requirements.

At this moment, 'Gardener's World' is my favorite BBC show.

Go figure

 

[Finnley]

I really liked the Vulcan and the Tesla parts. The race wasn't very good: cars weren't all that special, and nothing really happened. I skipped SIARPC as usual.

6/10 for me.
Only rating the Vulcan and Tesla parts would give a solid 8.

 

[calvinhobbes]

4/10 from me after last week's 8/10

Can we please get more Chris Harris and Rory Reid? Their bits were quite nice, but alas the long cheap race distance car challenge or whatever it was supposed to be felt as flat as a pint of stale ale. They drove through some of the most gorgeous landscape Europe has to offer and instead of capitalising on that, they showed someone falling over (there's a TG phrase I'd hoped I would never have to use again) after giving a bike a push start and someone stopping for fuel.

 

[thejaredhuang]

Chris Harris great as usual, I'm not convinced of Rory Reid yet but I'll take him over the others, I skip over the RX guests cause I think the track is dumb but this was always the weakest part of the old show too IMO. The challenge had potential but it was ruined by lack of development and my point below.

The #1 problem is they have too many presenters, there were 6 on this programme and only 2 of them ever interact with each other. They will never build chemistry without all 6 on screen at the same time which is too many. It seems like there are really two shows masquerading as one; Chris Evans, Sabine, MLB, + whoever (EJ) and the other show with Harris and Reid.

They desperately need to cut down to 3 or 4 presenters and they should all at least interact with each other in studio segments. There are multiple redundancies in the current format. Harris and Sabine can both drive fast, Sabine probably a little bit faster but Harris is a much much better presenter. Reid and Evans are doing almost the same exact role with Reid being more likeable. MLB seems to be the Hammond of the new show which it needs, Eddie has the same role but he is much more obnoxious. I think the show needs MLB since he brings some star appeal and a different flavor as evidenced by his Goldwing.

I would take Harris, Reid, MLB and drop the rest. I"ll welcome them as guests but not as the main cast.

 

[ahpadt]

Also I dont see the attraction of Chris Harris he is just an unfunny bland version of Clarkson

- Chris Harris out of element in that review, he should stick to what he's good at and not try to copy Clarkson

Chris Harris is a car geek. Simply put. He's not a Clarkson wannabe by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm assuming neither of you have watched his youtube channel or earlier /drive videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8AMAhCRmep7VJKe1sxvHFg https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL239B84BD346EEEFA

It was easily one of the best car channels out there.

 

[pete8475]

I skipped SIARPC as usual.

Only way to do it these days.

 

[upyourego]

Controversial but I think the car vs train challenge was one of the best Top Gear has ever done - regardless of era.

 

[hal9000]

Controversial but I think the car vs train challenge was one of the best Top Gear has ever done - regardless of era.

I'm truly astonished you would call that one of the best challenges ever on Top gear. It wasn't even a proper train vs car/bike challenge because they f**ked about picking up chefs and then dawdled about having their food judged, so it was obviously staged from start to finish. This was a road trip more than a challenge because they only decided to make it remotely interesting and have a race between the cars for the last 10% of the way.

To show how contrived this "challenge" actually was the OE train journey London to Venice takes about 31.5 hours. We know from previous CHM challenges that London to Milan can be driven in about 16 hours, Venice is another 3 hours or so further on. Not hard to work out the cars/bike had 10-12 hours to kill beforehand to meet the train at about the same time. Not much of a challenge really, is it??

 

[Tzarrim]

Chris Harris is a car geek. Simply put. He's not a Clarkson wannabe by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm assuming neither of you have watched his youtube channel or earlier /drive videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8AMAhCRmep7VJKe1sxvHFg https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL239B84BD346EEEFA

It was easily one of the best car channels out there.

I know that, hence my bit about sticking to what he's good at. He's probably forced to act that way and it's yet another example of how the higher ups have no idea why&how old TG worked and why the new TG doesn't. Kind of like "the beatings will continue till we have us a new Clarkson".

 

[gurei17]

What was the Colonel's Super Sweet and Secret Recipe for TGUK? Take three blokes, make em grow together a as group, and let the cameras roll.

We laughed at their futility, their stupid and dumb as fuck antics, but the thing was they were A GROUP. Now is just a band with a frontman a a bunch of sassy, second class, busted up backup singers (some of them with incredible talent, wasted on this).

I wanted to be positive, and give them a chance, but maybe I expected too much and got dissapointed. Now let's go to fake taxi, that's a real car show.

 

[Chibouki]

Now let's go to fake taxi, that's a real car show.

Well... The screaming in fake taxi is less annoying for a start.