I posted this on another TGA site and welcome your thoughts also. it is a bit of a venting - but this show is really starting grind my gears.
I would love to hear other people thoughts... as I hope it is just me getting old and grumpy.
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It is a funny old world as I have been searching for a TGA site that actually has people enjoying the show. because it is getting to a point where I just cannot handle it anymore.
A bit of background, I have watched Top Gear since Tiff and Jeremy were doing it together. It has been a long, long time. And I REALLY wanted TGA to be good. But quite frankly, it isn't. And it is a mix of things. The main bit begin the hosts, the script and the direction.
Enough has been said about the presenters... Warren is the only one that is watchable. Steve and Charlie shoudl never have been put on TV. They do not have a sense of humour or any presence on the set. Their comedic timing is woeful and you get a feeling of desperation with the jokes. All three of them wave their arms about like they are directing traffic, and they don't know if they are talking to the camera, eachother or the audience. It is just bloody amateur.
The production is fantastic, just amazing and is by far the best part of the show. The only thing lacking is the continuously changing camera locations for the TG test track. This stops us getting a feel on where the car is and what it should look like through corners
BUT . . . by far the thing that kills this show is the direction, the show's soul, it's essense. this is the reason why it is getting such bad reviews. Let me use 3 examples. The Kimberly adventure, the 427 Holden review and last night's Alice to Daintree advernture.
Go home and watch the Kimberly adventure again. how much do they talk about the TRD Hilux. How much do they talk about how it feels to drive the car... how much do they use the car as the single main leading star of the show. Now compare that to the US or African Adventure by the UK counterparts.
The 427 review was by far the worst piece of TV since Glen Ridge read the AUDI press release for the Quattro and called it a review. This review was all about Steve being a cock behind the wheel of the car, it was all about Steve and what he could do. It was NOT about the car. And this is the same with all the reviews... Last night's SL63 was exactly the same - all about Charlie... how Charlie looked behind the wheel, what Charlie thought of Ballet... This is not entertainment.
Last night - I almost hurled something at the TV with the Alice adventure. 6 days of filming the trip and nothing happened. Not a bloody thing. The reason nothing happened is that they were in $160,000 4WD, driving 3000km northwest on roads. The only entertainment you get is what the boys do... whereas with the UK show - it is what the boys do with the cars, there were no challenges, no interaction, just lots of tedious footage of overly scripted "setups"
Now imagine the Alice Adventure again - this time with 20 year old diesel cars from various makers. A couple of challenges along the way - them getting out of places where the cars had broken down... the problems with the dust, the heat. A couple of shots of them at night with some sensational sunsets. The old cars forming a backdrop... Some interaction that comes form the heart and isn't scripted. Some honesty, something that we as viewers actually sit back and say "Wow, I wish I was there".
The cars is what is missing... there are no cars in this show... the show is produced like" Get Away" or "The Great Outdoors", the cars are just props to whatever the 3 presenters can muster or read from the script.
THE SHOW IS ABOUT THE CARS.... NOT THE PRESENTERS.
The aim of the game is to get the Car to be the star and to get the lads to react
I have just watched the first episode of Series 12 in the UK and have laughed my arse off for almost a full hour. TGA has some serious issues if it is to continue on TV, it's ratings are heading south rather quickly and evem though I will be watching the next couple of episodes - the FFWD button is always at the ready.
It is a real pity too... I more than anyone else wanted this to be a success, but the show just doesn't have any fun in it.
Thanks for letting me vent.
I would love to hear other people thoughts... as I hope it is just me getting old and grumpy.
-----
It is a funny old world as I have been searching for a TGA site that actually has people enjoying the show. because it is getting to a point where I just cannot handle it anymore.
A bit of background, I have watched Top Gear since Tiff and Jeremy were doing it together. It has been a long, long time. And I REALLY wanted TGA to be good. But quite frankly, it isn't. And it is a mix of things. The main bit begin the hosts, the script and the direction.
Enough has been said about the presenters... Warren is the only one that is watchable. Steve and Charlie shoudl never have been put on TV. They do not have a sense of humour or any presence on the set. Their comedic timing is woeful and you get a feeling of desperation with the jokes. All three of them wave their arms about like they are directing traffic, and they don't know if they are talking to the camera, eachother or the audience. It is just bloody amateur.
The production is fantastic, just amazing and is by far the best part of the show. The only thing lacking is the continuously changing camera locations for the TG test track. This stops us getting a feel on where the car is and what it should look like through corners
BUT . . . by far the thing that kills this show is the direction, the show's soul, it's essense. this is the reason why it is getting such bad reviews. Let me use 3 examples. The Kimberly adventure, the 427 Holden review and last night's Alice to Daintree advernture.
Go home and watch the Kimberly adventure again. how much do they talk about the TRD Hilux. How much do they talk about how it feels to drive the car... how much do they use the car as the single main leading star of the show. Now compare that to the US or African Adventure by the UK counterparts.
The 427 review was by far the worst piece of TV since Glen Ridge read the AUDI press release for the Quattro and called it a review. This review was all about Steve being a cock behind the wheel of the car, it was all about Steve and what he could do. It was NOT about the car. And this is the same with all the reviews... Last night's SL63 was exactly the same - all about Charlie... how Charlie looked behind the wheel, what Charlie thought of Ballet... This is not entertainment.
Last night - I almost hurled something at the TV with the Alice adventure. 6 days of filming the trip and nothing happened. Not a bloody thing. The reason nothing happened is that they were in $160,000 4WD, driving 3000km northwest on roads. The only entertainment you get is what the boys do... whereas with the UK show - it is what the boys do with the cars, there were no challenges, no interaction, just lots of tedious footage of overly scripted "setups"
Now imagine the Alice Adventure again - this time with 20 year old diesel cars from various makers. A couple of challenges along the way - them getting out of places where the cars had broken down... the problems with the dust, the heat. A couple of shots of them at night with some sensational sunsets. The old cars forming a backdrop... Some interaction that comes form the heart and isn't scripted. Some honesty, something that we as viewers actually sit back and say "Wow, I wish I was there".
The cars is what is missing... there are no cars in this show... the show is produced like" Get Away" or "The Great Outdoors", the cars are just props to whatever the 3 presenters can muster or read from the script.
THE SHOW IS ABOUT THE CARS.... NOT THE PRESENTERS.
The aim of the game is to get the Car to be the star and to get the lads to react
I have just watched the first episode of Series 12 in the UK and have laughed my arse off for almost a full hour. TGA has some serious issues if it is to continue on TV, it's ratings are heading south rather quickly and evem though I will be watching the next couple of episodes - the FFWD button is always at the ready.
It is a real pity too... I more than anyone else wanted this to be a success, but the show just doesn't have any fun in it.
Thanks for letting me vent.