Season 14 slid off track

The man has a Miata with scissor doors, he is clearly a lunatic.
 
top gear is def past its prime..in my opinion series 6-10. but thats not to say they cant get back to the standard again. we have to keep in mind that there is a lot of behind the doors shit that goes on that we dont know about.. all the news papers..ecomentalists.. gay rights groups..all these people bullying TG and there is no way u can deny that all this is having an effect on the end product.

Hope they can pull out of it..but regardless of how bad the show gets ill probably still be watching.

PS.. earlier in the thread someone was bashing a new memeber...jus cause someone is a new memeber here doesnt mean they arent a fan or dont know what theyre talking abt. Ive been watching every episode since the first season but jus joined the forum. so theres no reason why a thread started by a new member should be given any less importance than one started by someone whos been here for years. people take this stuff way too seriously and personally.
 
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To be honest, I thought 14x04 was a much stupider episode than the rest, and though I'll never forgive myself for criticizing a show that I get for free and is much, much better than anything on TV in America (that's automotive-related anyway, and isn't Mythbusters) - Top Gear has officially jumped the Twingo.

I hope Season 15 will be their last series, as I can't forgive them ending on such a weak note here. Not with a bang, but with a whimper, etc.
 
Enjoy Top Gear for what it is...or what it isn't. Because we all know when its gone we're gonna miss the shit out of it and crave those stupid moments.
 
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In my opinion season 14 hasn't slid off anything, let alone slid off track. I've loved every episode so far and I'm confident every episode afterwards will be kicking ass.
 
I wonder if the last film in 13x07 was a subtle message from Clarkson, forewarning of the shift from car show to comedy/variety show? In hindsight, 13x07 really does seem like an ending. Or, at least, the beginning of the end.

BlaRo said:
I'll never forgive myself for criticizing a show that I get for free and is much, much better than anything on TV

I feel the same way. Whilst TG is still better than 95% of the rubbish that is on TV nowadays, it used to be 100% better than everything else. I guess I have no right to criticize, given that I steal the program as I can't wait for it to be shown via legal methods in my country.

Enjoy Top Gear for what it is...or what it isn't. Because we all know when its gone we're gonna miss the shit out of it and crave those stupid moments.

... which is why much of Series 2-13 (and especially Series 4-7 and 10) gets played so often at my house. I never get tired of that.
 
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Intangible, unrealistic standards? I think the OP just wants the show to not become a cash cow and appeal to the masses by shamelessly scripting and faking everything to gain a broader audience. Perhaps in the world of television, this is something that is unrealistic and intangible, unfortunately, but then again, this is Top Gear we are talking about, a show we all thought would be immune to the the conventions of television.

This doesn't mean I think the show will get canceled, though, quite the opposite actually. The way the show is going right now, it could still rehash tons of material from old seasons of Top Gear new viewers haven't seen, and they could fake it up quite alot to create some more "incredible" moments that so many will just gobble up. However, this is a trend that will always, inevitably lead to failure, as even the people who like Top Gear now will eventually realize its just the same competitions, the same jokes, the same "accidents" that keep happening over and over again.

The OP perhaps just came here to complain, but most people here "complaining" are just offering criticism towards the show so it wont just become a shameless cash cow (which in some sense it has already).

I will even admit my first post on these forum was almost 3 years ago, and is quite embarrassing look back on: (http://forums.finalgear.com/top-gea...january-28th-2007-a-16393/page-10/#post394865) I basically said screw all of Top Gear's shortcomings, just watch it because its a good show. Even I changed as someone who once rejected any negativity about the show.

So, I'm a relative newb - that means I don't think the show has shortcomings? No, that's not true at all. Yeah, SIARPC is pretty dull a lot of the time. Sometimes I think the jokes are repetitive and get old. Not everything has changed for the better over the years.

But the idea that this show would ever be not part of the normal trappings of tv is naive at best. I get it - a lot of you have been here pre-2006/Richard's accident, which is like the dawn of time in this fandom, to me. But the attitude that results from that reeks of entitlement. Nothing is going to stay the same, as much as we all want it to. The show is running its natural course.

Also, the argument that they "appeal to the masses by scripting things" holds no water for me. Of COURSE they appeal to the masses. Do you think the BBC would keep funding this show if they only appealed to a niche? It is called the British Broadcasting Corporation for a reason. It's the whole of Britain the show is supposed to appeal to - not a niche, as nice as that is. As a business, niches don't work so well on this large a scale. I mean, I get it. I've loved shows that are very culty. But nothing that is THIS successful stays a cult for very long.

Scripting a show isn't bad. To me, the show *always* looked scripted. I don't understand how someone could ever expect it wasn't. I mean, just for safety reasons alone, even. The idea, like any good magician would tell you, is to maintain the illusion of danger and spontaneity. I think that people have been disappointed in finding out just how much things are scripted is testament to what a good job TG has done and what a good show it really is.

Hey, if it's repetitive to people who have been here for a long time - that might mean YOU guys need a break from the show. Not that the show needs a break. To fresher eyes, it's not old yet. I don't have high expectations. I just love what they DO give me every week, and I don't have a sense that TG should keep jumping higher and higher for my amusement. That's how I still enjoy everything they do.
 
The bottom line is that Top Gear is a great show, and what it's done is push automotive television to dizzying heights. It's gotten so good so fast that there's not much left to change, fewer innovations left to make, so some things are going to seem like we've seen them before. But you know what? I don't give a shit. Sure, they raced some more non-racing stuff. You know what? That shit was hilarious. Wanna do another Cheap Car Challenge? Awesome, I've never seen one I didn't love. Do another race? That shit will be golden.

So to hell with it. The viewing numbers say that the public wants more, but Finalgear, not so much. No, after the ep ends we'll be rushing to our keyboards, typing furiously about how much we didn't like the episode, wishing for the nebulous "golden age" to return when everything was fresh and new. Well, guess what. You want to feel awesome because you loved Top Gear before it was "cool", and now that everyone loves it, it seems stale? That's great for you, high five. Now get over it, because Top Gear isn't your show. It's not yours, it's not mine, it's not your cat's. It's Wilman's show, and he's gonna do whatever the fuck he wants with it, and you can watch it or fuck off because I'm tired of your pissing and moaning.

So whine some more, complain some more that there's nothing new under the sun. Go ahead, because it's not gonna change a thing. And the one thing that stays truly constant? You're going to keep watching it until the bitter end, because deep down, you're a fan. You know it, I know it, so we can stop BSing each other. I'm right there with you. They could devote an episode to driving to famous latrines and you'd lap that right up. Every week of every season, you'll be grabbing that torrent because when it all comes down to it, even when you think that Season X was the be-all-end-all of automotive television, you'll know deep down that it's still some of the best quality entertainment out there and you're not exactly going to go watch fucking Coronation Street, are you.

Victim of its own success? Maybe that's what it is. You get so good, everyone expects you to keep getting better.
 
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I wonder if the last film in 13x07 was a subtle message from Clarkson, forewarning of the shift from car show to comedy/variety show? In hindsight, 13x07 really does seem like an ending. Or, at least, the beginning of the end.

That's kind of an odd comment, here's why:

For one, that shift was present somewhere between series 7 and 8, and it's been gradual but present. Honestly, series 9 was the most "comedy/variety" of any of the series' thus far, including 14's first four episodes. It's just something that happened.

Two, can you honestly say that the concepts of series 14 thus far have actually been all that different from concepts seen previously? Finding a good driving road? Done before - and actually really well done here, it was a rather good film, one "sequel" that is completely justified. Building an electric car? New, but not really much different from the build episodes from previous series'. The sexy Lancias? It used some old jokes, though it was mostly fresh, though my love of the Lancia Delta might influence my opinion somewhat. Keep in mind it's the most car-centric piece they've done in a while. The Renault Twingo? See Fiesta, except less good. Airport racing? They've done it before, a lot, going way back to historic people carriers. SUV reviews? Another case of deja vu, though I don't remember the other episode with a Range Rover on an alternate track.

My point is basically that this really isn't a dramatic shift from previous series' as you're suggesting. I'm not saying it's perfect, in fact I think the problem is the opposite of what you're suggesting. It's not that it's changing direction, it's that it's being a bit too safe and predictable. Airport racing and the Twingo were just deja vu, which wouldn't be the case if there was a massive direction shift.

Now, I've liked two episodes from this series as it is, the first and third - though admittedly the kit car at the end of the third wasn't great. Those one and two thirds episodes make me wonder if people are really just overreacting to one or two bad episodes. Every TV series I've ever watched - apart from the Wire - has had one or two bad episodes. Some of them have had a lot more than one or two bad episodes. Hell, I'm a Star Trek fan, there have been entire bad seven season runs (sorry Voyager fans). Maybe that's why I think everyone's taking this all a bit too seriously and overreacting way too much.

If we still see a lot of deja vu like in 14x04, then yes, let's move on and let James talk about toys and alcohol. But I'm not going to write the entire series off because of a couple episodes. If I did that, I would have stopped watching around the awful farming one, and look what would have been missed.
 
I'm gonna agree with what tone76 said. Jezza really was foreshadowing the end of Top Gear in 13x7. Not because they have nothing to say anymore, but because the industry as a whole is fading away. They are sailing into the end of the petrol car era as they know it and it is just too early on to know what the future may hold. Each of the presenters has made some statement or other to this effect, and we are just seeing the results.

How can you expect TG to not be a parody of a car show, when the cars and car companies have become parodies of their prime? How can TG test "new" cars when all the new cars are ridiculous imitations of other products? Yes, they can look at electric and hydrogen technologies, but until the cars become viable entities, there is just so much you can do.

The industy "jumped the shark" before TG did, but in that same time the world became aware of The Greatest Motoring Show EVER. So they are going abroad and finding new places, where the car is still relevant and the roads are less traveled, and milking it for every quid they can, while waiting to see what tomorrow may bring. Who can blame them!

Yes, maybe TG will fade into the sunset, and the presenters will move onto other projects (please, please, please), but when that day comes, we will all be less happy on Monday mornings, missing the mates who bickered and tormented their way into our lives.
 
I wonder if the last film in 13x07 was a subtle message from Clarkson, forewarning of the shift from car show to comedy/variety show? In hindsight, 13x07 really does seem like an ending. Or, at least, the beginning of the end.

The AM V12 Vantage film had fuck all to do with the end of TG. It had everything to do with the (possible) end of the supercar due to daft sods in government who want everyone to drive boring and dreary ecoboxes. And maybe even the end of the joy of driving.

Besides that...

That's kind of an odd comment, here's why:

For one, that shift was present somewhere between series 7 and 8, and it's been gradual but present. Honestly, series 9 was the most "comedy/variety" of any of the series' thus far, including 14's first four episodes. It's just something that happened.

I'd say the shift to more cocking about was sparked by the Winter Olympics.

SUV reviews? Another case of deja vu, though I don't remember the other episode with a Range Rover on an alternate track.

Maybe whoever said that was thinking of when Jezza drove the Range Rover Sport while being chased by the British Army driving the Challenger 2 tank (6x01), which I believe was the last time a Rangie was featured on TG.

Now, I've liked two episodes from this series as it is, the first and third - though admittedly the kit car at the end of the third wasn't great. Those one and two thirds episodes make me wonder if people are really just overreacting to one or two bad episodes. Every TV series I've ever watched - apart from the Wire - has had one or two bad episodes. Some of them have had a lot more than one or two bad episodes. Hell, I'm a Star Trek fan, there have been entire bad seven season runs (sorry Voyager fans). Maybe that's why I think everyone's taking this all a bit too seriously and overreacting way too much.

I think you have a point here. Virtually every show hits a bum note every now and then. Just because it does doesn't mean the show as an entity is going downhill. It just means you didn't like a certain episode.

If we still see a lot of deja vu like in 14x04, then yes, let's move on and let James talk about toys and alcohol. But I'm not going to write the entire series off because of a couple episodes. If I did that, I would have stopped watching around the awful farming one, and look what would have been missed.

Bolded for massive agreement from me.

And yes, if you stopped watching after 9x05 (the awful farming one), you'd have missed (IMO, and yours) the best bounce-back (long dramatic pause) in the world.
 
Iow can you expect TG to not be a parody of a car show, when the cars and car companies have become parodies of their prime? How can TG test "new" cars when all the new cars are ridiculous imitations of other products? Yes, they can look at electric and hydrogen technologies, but until the cars become viable entities, there is just so much you can do.

You've somehow managed to scoop this out of my subconscious. I think that's what I was driving at - albeit someone clumsily in hindsight - with my comments about the AM film in 13x07. It just feels like Jezza was trying to tell us something.

A lot of people won't get this, but whilst the good people of TG have done the same stuff they've always been doing, it feels as though they have become a little tired of TG themselves. Whilst I'd never accuse the TG's production team of just mailing it in (as Series 14's production values have been outstanding as always), it feels almost as if TG has moved from having a soul into something that's just manufactured.

I'll briefly touch on what I said in the 14x04 thread - to me, TG is like an old friend. We had some great times back in the day, but we've been drifting apart as of late. It seems as though our interests have changed, and whilst I still enjoy TG's company, I just don't quite enjoy it as much as I used to. Just like in real life, friends can drift apart as they grow and go in different directions.

As for writing off Series 14 prematurely ... we're more than half way through and it's been easily the least enjoyable series thus far IMHO.
 
What if the fact that everyone is much less wealthy this year, combined with the fact that the holidays are approaching has made viewers of Top Gear less enthusiastic about the TG brand of comedy? The show has had repetitive things in the past, new cars have been destroyed in the past. Jeremy once dropped a dumpster onto a Maserati! It was a crap Maserati, but it was still a Maserati!

It seems to me that things that were once not offensive suddenly are, and I think it may have a large amount to do with people having to suck in their guts and experience reality with a slightly tighter belt buckle. Thanks recession, you've turned people against my favorite show. :cry:
 
It was episode 6x08

BTW i have to say, nice and constructive discussion we are having here :thumbup:

I agree totally. I'm really surprised that it hasn't been invaded by a load of "oh go and watch Fifth Gear" trolls and that is has remained an adult discussion betweeen true fans of a show about which we all care and hate to see dumbed down or growing stale. I have to admit to nodding and grimacing when I read the first post and thinking "that's a whole big can of worms you just opened there" but chops to the OP for starting it. Previous discussions of this ilk have just provoked the trolls and ended up as slagging matches.

Maybe...it would not be a bad idea if they took one year off and ask the BBC viewers what they like or do not like, if it is going in the wrong or right direction.

Myself I would not mind if during one of the seasons, that one episode was solely dedicated to reviewing cars in their unique way and no SIARPC. Just back to the basics for one episode a season. Call it Top Gear Unplugged. :dunno:

Or they could just take on board how the true fans feel by paying more attention to what's written here instead of ratings and merchandising sales (never gonna happen I know).

Failing that hire ozgirl, ahpadt, the Interceptor and yours truly as script editors!!

EDIT: Seems there is at least one troll here after all! An anonymous neg rep for my final tongue in cheek comment. Anything constructive to add to the discussions? Thought not. Come back when you're grown a pair.
 
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I wonder if it would be a good idea just to make a one off Christmas special for a year or two just to see if that helps them get there mojo back?
 
I wonder if it would be a good idea just to make a one off Christmas special for a year or two just to see if that helps them get there mojo back?

Are you a Dr Who fan by any chance? ;)

Seriously it doesn't sound like a bad shout - specials at Easter, August Bank Holiday and Christmas next year to give them time to recharge their batteries. Jeremy could make a couple more excellent historical documentaries, James could go to Oz with er Oz and drink some more wine and Richard could erm.........erm........ little help here?
 
Are you a Dr Who fan by any chance? ;)

Seriously it doesn't sound like a bad shout - specials at Easter, August Bank Holiday and Christmas next year to give them time to recharge their batteries. Jeremy could make a couple more excellent historical documentaries, James could go to Oz with er Oz and drink some more wine and Richard could erm.........erm........ little help here?

Richard laughing at people as they go over big red balls?

Anyway, I would like to see them take a break for a bit. But I don't want them to come back and be worse than before or gone bonkers and then get the chop (like The Chaser). Still, they need a break. Besides, it has been proven that a break can make some of the best ideas ever (Polar Special and Series 10)
 
How can you expect TG to not be a parody of a car show, when the cars and car companies have become parodies of their prime? How can TG test "new" cars when all the new cars are ridiculous imitations of other products? Yes, they can look at electric and hydrogen technologies, but until the cars become viable entities, there is just so much you can do.

To be honest i don't think there is a lack of new and interesting cars to be tested nowadays, otherwise Top Gear Magazine could shut down it's business... I advice some fans of the show, to buy the Top Gear Magazine as well, it's quite good, with a lot of great car stuff... Let my scratch my head and think of cars i would like to see on Top Gear, to give you an idea how much potential their is:
- Ferrari 458 Italia
- Merc SLS AMG
- New Audi A4 & A6 ... also the A5 (or S5) has never been tested
- Lamborghini Reventon; it was in the studio and tested for the magazine, but never got a proper test on TV
- Bugatti Veyron Convertible and maybe also the new facelifted Veyron
- New Jaguar XJ
- The new E-class was never tested properly, except for the appearance as Sauna :)
- The new Vauxhalls/Opels like the Astra or Insignia
- The new VW Passat and CC version never got air time (maybe I'm wrong)
- How could I forget; the Golf Mk 6 never got tested and the new Scirocco could use a proper roadtest, not just what we saw in the advertising bit...
- A whole lot of new mid-sized SUVs came out like the Audi Q5, VW Tiguan, BMW X1 & X3 etc... But to be honest I don't care a lot for SUVs and Top Gear shouldn't give them too much attention, but maybe they can do something funny or unique with this class of cars...
- Get the Bugatti 16C Galibier in the studio
- We didn't had a Koenigsegg on the track for a while and Koenigsegg built the CCXR as a "environmentally-friendly" version of the CCX... That should be some fun in the hands of Jezza comparing it to the new Toyota Prius :)
- Top Gear could devote a half hour to extreme cars like the Aston Martin N24 or the MercMclaren SLR 722 GT (everybody should see that bit from Thriller were Jezza drives that monster)
- What about some very exotic, small series cars from other parts of the world which are very interesting... The Russians for example built some interesting things

This list could already fill two seasons of Top Gear with petrolhead porn and there is enough other stuff I don't have in my head now...

Also why bother making a bad copy of the ford fiesta film, when you have Ross Kemp... Make a film about cars that appear to gangsters, i think there is something you can do with Jezza and Ross in a 15 minute segment...

I also like the idea to do something with some guest hosts, like James was driving with Mika H?kkinen or visiting Jay Leno... But don't get like FG, where it is just about celebrities and not so much the petrolhead side ;)

Do something with the top three/five fastest guests from SIARPC...

What about Jezza making a new segment in TG, just like motorworld, where twice or so per season he shows some different car culture from other places around the world in a 10-15 minute segment...

Let the boys go around the world and test some super cars somewhere else, like maybe a long segment of them driving around in Hawaii or some other place you would call paradise where there are some decent roads and a great scenery.

I mean, there is enough stuff to be done, it's not like they run out of ideas ... And BTW I don't need every single episode to be a grand epic master episode... no no no ... I'm realistic, you have up and downs in a season, but I'm just asking for some (unique) highlights to talk about this season, which IMO we didn't have up to now!

For the people calling this whining, moaning or pissing or whatever... I just can say don't be childish! Top Gear is not a religion, it's a just a TV-show, but a great one non the less and it can and should be criticized when people feel, that it lacks quality. Also it should receive the props from its fanbase when its done a fantastic job... But right now I'm feeling like:
... It's like having an A-grade pupil who turns in a C essay: that's always going to upset you more than a C student who turns in a D essay.

As long as we stay constructive and try to analyze what the problem is and not trolling around, I think criticism should be respected... But I'm not that naive to think that Andy Willman will now adjust Top Gear because some of us are not happy with this season...
 
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Seriously, the 14th season so far is just amateurish. The latest 14x04 is horrible. No entertainment value at the cost of many wrecked perfectly usable cars, especially the Renault Sport. I'm sure it didn't cost much, but still it could have been save for something else, or at least put up it for competition like how 5th gear did. This was the first time in a while that I skipped through the show the whole time. Wasn't interested in the content at all. All the episodes so far failed to impress me that Top Gear is a viable show in the future. I'm not surprise if TG is gonna get canned like FG soon.

I completely agree. 15x4 was just disappointing. The Twingo test was a cheap rip off of the Fiesta test, as if they ran out of ideas. Plus the needless destroying of the car. The Airport race wasn't that good either, in fact it was pretty boring after having seen all those other bus and motorhome races.
The Audi, BMW, Range Rover comparison was crap too. I really begin to hate how Clarkson dislikes every SINGLE German car and downtalks it. I mean, if he's in a BMW he says that he hates all the gimmicks and techno stuff in it. If he's in a Range Rover those gimmicks SUDDENLY are useful and he can't stop talking about them. He also completely IGNORED the fact that the Q7 he drove is not only one of the most (or THE) most efficient car with 500hp in the world, but also one of the most powerful diesel engines. On the other hand he talks about crap like the "oh so nice big buttons" in the Rangie. That's a thing he doesnt't give a damn **** about when he "reviews" a German, American, Italian, Japanese, or whatever car.
Top Gear doesn't need to do "normal, proper roadtests". That's just not the Top Gear way. But just a LITTLE bit more objectiveness would be good. Especially not blindly prefering the British car whenever there is a British car in one of their so called comparisons. This especially applies for J.C.

I really really hope that the other episodes are better than the ones we've seen so far. The only episode of season 14 which was good so far was the one with the Aston, Lambo and Ferrari.
 
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