Chris Evans quits the show

I understand that they need celebrities to make the show marketable, but the show is a big enough brand as it is. While they can never replicate the CHM chemistry, they can make the show more car-oriented (Think Season 1 - 7 of Old Top Gear). If the new presenters (like Chris Harris) are good, they can generate their own new following. The issue is, most AUtmobile Journalists are rather bland (from the clips I have seen).

Keep Chris Harris and Rory with the occasional guest host (Sabine/Eddie), and add a reputed auto journalist (Harry Metcalfe?) or a former racing driver (...?)> Heck, I'd suggest Tiff Needell at this stage, as the host who can go up against the Stig.
 
OK, i will put my 2 cents on the table to.

Thanks god Chris Evans is leaving. He was awful. I am not from the UK and I don't actually know who the hell was he before and why was he chosen. I only see his personalty on TG and I couldn't stand him. He was like a ginger makaka on acid running and screaming.

I like Sabine. But she has a problem: she cannot "cockabout" because of language barrier. She is not fitting in my opinion only because of language. She is too script dependent.

Matt is ok, but he is too stiff. He should relax, be less of an actor knowing his lines by heart. He should improvise more. I think he is capable and can even be the main host.

Eddie Jordan is too old, not very good driver and he is speaking nonsense. Ok, he wasn't given much time on screen, but I am not very optimistic. I don't know why, but he reminds me of Top Gear Dog.

Chris Harris is Chris Harris. He is very good driver, enthusiastic (sometimes a bit too much) and natural. He definitely should stay.

Rory Reid was a discovery for me. I don't know where he came from, but he should stay.

All in all, this season was OK. I think it is in the same level with rebooted season 1. And it might have been even better without Chris Evans. And I am missing more improvisation or at least more natural acting.
 
I doubt they will get rid of Sabine unless they can get another woman from somewhere. The PC requirements of the BBC are still going to drive the hiring policy.

My opinion is, after all, just one guy's opinion and can be wrong, but if the Beeb wanted advice [and they haven't so far] I would say that they need to find presenters who can work as a team, can develop a chemistry between them, can be interesting, can be willing to make fools of themselves, have a natural turn of humor, and can be likeable to the audience. And have top grade writers who can play to the presenters strengths while understanding what an audience likes. That is actually a difficult shopping list, but I doubt TG will succeed without it.
 
Am I the only one who thinks that now when Fifth Gear is dead, BBC execs can turn their heads to Tiff & Vicky? An yes, please release also Eddie and Sabine.

As for Mr. Shouty


[video=youtube;Eo-KmOd3i7s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo-KmOd3i7s[/video]
 
While I'm not sorry to see him go, I think he was put in a position where he couldn't succeed. In the court of Top Gear fan opinion, he could never be as good as Jezza and the the new cast could not be as good as CH&M.

Especially in the final ep of this series, I found him not at all irritating, but I do have to admit there was still no "chemistry" with Matt.

Btw, IMHO Matt is finally finding an effective comedic style: the occasional snarky aside and/or double entendre, coupled with the lopsided grin.
 
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To be fair the chance to front the show was inevitably going to be a poisoned chalice.

Evans' problem was that he promptly necked the contents and demanded a refill.
 
So the thread about the last episode has 46 post, this thread has 67.....sais it all really.

I really hope the remaining crew can make something out of this mess by season 24, if anything they face even bigger issues now than they did before season 23, because Evansgear has alienated a lot of people from the franchise....
IMH, now that problem number 1 has been eliminated, one important other thing needs to happen, the BBC needs to get their fingers out of this, if anything was made clear by this series, besides that Evans was a cunt, is that a watered down, pc, 'safe', nice and non threatening version of TopGear does not connect with it's intended audience, we want banter, we want naughtyness, we want spark, we want "oooh, that's another 100 angry emails" none of those things are gonna happen if BBC middle management keeps looking over their shoulder, as they have clearly done here, not to mention they were the ones that saddled TopGear with Evans in the first place, that pretty much tells you all you need to know.....

About CHM TopGear, pretty much every 'behind the scenes' book or interview makes one thing very clear: it is that they were a little bit of outcasts among the BBC, the naughty boys, 'rebels', a little looked down upon even according to Richard Porters book.
Well, a show like TopGear needs that, they need this naughty schoolboy sprirt, they need this 'us against them' mentality.
They need some controversy, even if it is just pissing off the Marina fanclub, and they need the beeb to do a halfassed public apology, and maybe they would get a little behind the scenes scolding, but after that they just went on their merry way just like before, the BBC knew it, and they let them, because it worked.
Somehow, someway, that felt like it has gone missing, maybee because many people left, but I think mostly it's because the BBC is keeping a closer watch, 'do one of those race segment things again, those worked before' and the TopGear boys just don't have the freedom they should be having.
 
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His review of the Porsche 911R showed that if you give him something he is interested in, he can be excited about it.

Even... I... didn't dislike that review. :| Sure, the sandwich joke seemed stolen from JC's old SLR review, but it was still funny.
 
IT IS THIS SIMPLE: Find people who can talk like natural human beings, instead of frozen-solid wooden mannequins who can only stand there reading from a teleprompter. Then, FIRE ALL OF THE MORONS who have written the drivel that these statues have had to try to speak. And most of all, get rid of ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY who thought that the "stars" segments were worth putting on television.

+1

So that leaves two, then... Just like after series 1 of old "New" TG.

I still think BBC should look to TG Australia for someone who is both interesting and able to gel with a team. I personally would prefer Steve Pizzati, but if he's too much of a "straight man", why not Warren Brown? TG AUS series 1 episode 3, where he turn a Smart car into a hearse, is on my all-time TG top 10 (including TG UK) segments. I find it absolutely hillarious.

And while we're on TG AUS, they had some good ideas in their series 1 and 2 the Beep might as well nick. "What were they thinking", for example, just need a little tinkering, and it could be pretty good.
 
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Whoever they pick, should have some background in motoring journalism and also tv presenting. part of the joy of watching CHM was that the script was loose and they could improvise. This would reduce the some of the scripted mess on the show. let the guys be themselves and forget about being so completely politically correct
 
My problem with Sabine is, once again, "the script" she has had to read. I virtually haven't heard her talk at any point during the season when she sounded like "a normal human being" having a normal conversation. She is probably the worst of the wooden statues reading moronic scripts on the show. Yes, she's a good driver, yes, we've seen her do a "fun" job in the old Top Gear, but she just doesn't work as a Top Gear presenter. Big-time.

And Eddie has been a special case of awful. He has GOT to go.

Part of *that* is because apparently Sabine and the others were not involved in writing the scripts and were just handed something on short notice then told to perform it. That usually results in the kind of performances we've seen.
 
Ah well, finally. I don't for a minute believe Evans quit willingly.

As for who to keep and who not to keep: Get rid of Jordan, or give him something useful to do. We all know that he can be very funny and engaging - but on Top Gear he sadly makes the distinct impression of being his degenerated 90-year-old future self.
Harris and Reid are good, they improved visibly during the series, they just keep up growing into their roles. LeBlanc - he just plays a presenter. He needs to be more spontaneous, I don't know if he can pull that off. Perhaps when being placed opposite Reid, he'd be better.

Sabine should be kept, but as a 'guest presenter' doing occasional parts only. The problem (from my point of view) isn't her skills or her presentation but her heavy accent.
Coming from someone with probably an equally terrible German accent: No, it's not that. Her problem - or rather, the overt symptome, I'm explaining my take on the actual reason for it further below - is that her "funny" remarks appear to be a desperate attempt at "I want to say something funny, too!" while being (mostly) totally unfunny. And this also seems to be her own work, not some bad script. At least that's the impression I get, because with a script, this bits should come out less hectic.

it's a shame because she really is an articulate, more than competent woman who is clearly a gearhead
That she is, occasional difficulty to find the proper English expression notwithstanding. But she is clearly out of her depth doing a presenter job in English. She is fine talking about technical aspects of driving a car, when her racing driver experience gives her credibility and even the clich? "German seriousness" actually comes into play beautifully, but at least at her current level, having a casual, humurous conversation in English with a bunch of natural English-speakers in front of cameras and a studio audience seems to be too much of a strain on her (understandably), and that stress shows. As a result, she tries too hard.
 
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I have very little sympathy with Evans. He took on TG seemingly with very little consideration of what it actually meant, which, as he classed CHM as friends seemed rather odd. His penchant for then trash-talking CHM whenever he went on the offensive was appalling. My only sympathy lies in the fact that it doesn't appear that he was allowed to do what he wanted to do from the outset, although if this was the case why doesn't he stay around and say to the BBC 'your way didn't work, now try mine'.

TG was also lacking something far more important than cameraderie...it lacked the serious, well thought out and hyper-detailed ideas and set pieces. What we got was shallow, meaningless films and manufacturer-pleasing reviews. Evans stated that he wasn't going to upset any car manufacturers and they certainly didn't, but if you want to be known for serious car reviews you have to say stuff is bad at times. Hopefully, now that Evans has gone, Harris and Reid will be able to be more objective. I am of the opinion that above all else TG deserves a lead host that has automotive journalistic clout. Anything else is a farce. Unless they can sort the scripting and ideas then anything other than a straight car review will forever be a pale copy of the CHM years.

Harris and Reid can stay, Le Blanc is OK but too still too much of an actor IMO. He may improve if he stays around long enough to do so. Jordan is a prat and a waste of space and Sabine just seems to be superfluous as is the Stig really but we're probably stuck with the last two for BBC 'inclusivity' and 'merchandising' reasons respectively.

Oh and I loved Porter's SniffPetrol column today
http://sniffpetrol.com/2016/07/05/chris-evans-escapes-from-top-gear/#.V3wo8zVpwWR
...I suspect not quite as tongue-in-cheek as many of his pieces...
 
Chris Evans, wherever you are and whatever you are doing... FUCK OFF!!!


Now, let's focus on the remaining issues such as:

Sabine's inability to speak english in a way that most of the people can understand her (fire her)
EJ's total annoyingness (a pint of good ol' Johnnie Walker could make things interesting)
Lack of Rory on TGUK TV (Easy)
CH trying to be JC and forgetting his roots, which made him extremely popular and made me think he was The Chosen One to replace Jezza (Not easy, but can be done)
MLB's lack of proper, not forced style (as said before on this forum, fire every single asshole who wrote those stupid lines, or at least drop them off a 100 meter cliff)

This show has potential, that's why everybody here is rooting for TGUK to be on the air at least until S25. I will concede that I lost my patience with CE, but now a bit of light is shining.
 
I hope, Rory will become the main host with Chris Harris & Matt LeBlanc as Co-presenter.
Sabine and Eddie can be there as regular guest presenters.

Rory should be the main presenter. he does a very good job on Extra Gear and his tests are great.
Chris Harris lacks in "sanity" to be main presenter, but he is amazing in his tests. so, he is best as co-presenter.
Matt Leblanc is still a bit "stiff" and quiet as presenter, but he got alot better compared to episode 1&2. so, he is best as co-presenter.
Eddie is entertaining as "comic relief", but he is much to "wooden" in front of an audience. best use is guest presenter every other episode.
Sabine is ok, but her english really sucks. she wasn't funny on D-Motor on german DMAX and she isn't funny on TG. Let her test cars as guest presenter every other episode. alternate between her and Eddie.

Well said, that would be exactly my preference as well. Not sure whether Sabine fits in the show at all. Undoubtly she's a great driver but somehow lacks the easiness to get through to the audience.
 
I love Chris Evans.

NO idea why you guys don't want him to present your favorite motoring show.
I think it's jealousy and self-pity. Evans is dashing, intellectual, filthy rich and so smooth with the ladies.

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I love Chris Evans.

NO idea why you guys don't want him to present your favorite motoring show.
I think it's jealousy and self-pity. Evans is dashing, intellectual, filthy rich and so smooth with the ladies.

6551662-4x3-340x255.jpg

My sarcasm-o-meter just exploded. You'll be hearing from my lawyers regarding compensation.
 
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