TG's change of direction

Jimi Hendrix

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
Messages
1,109
When TG started with its new format, what made it so special was that it was a motoring show, with some entertaining features. But nowadays I think that its style has changed a lot and it has become a entertaining show, with some motoring features. IMHO this makes the show worse, I preferred it before this happened. What do you think about this?
 
Re: TG's change of direction

Jimi Hendrix said:
When TG started with its new format, what made it so special was that it was a motoring show, with some entertaining features. But nowadays I think that its style has changed a lot and it has become a entertaining show, with some motoring features. IMHO this makes the show worse, I preferred it before this happened. What do you think about this?

Yeah, though I don't like talking about it, I'm realising this as well and questioning if I really like it or not. Either way its an undenyably good show and I do love it, but I prefer when it was more motoring focussed.

IMO they should aim to do what they did in series 5 which IMO was the best series of TG. As much as I love the crazy random stuff they've done in series 8 so far, like driving with monkeys on the roof of a convertible Espace and ruining a radio program, it'll never beat watching the Enzo, Zonda, CGT, XJ220, McF1 and F40 on the screen at the same time OR Clarkson driving a Land Rover to the top of a mountain OR watching the crew powerslide a Monaro on a beach. Those were the best eps IMO...

But its still a bloody good show and I guess they're just replying to the demand for the entertainment side of the show.
 
Re: TG's change of direction

SL65AMG~V12~612BHP!!!!!!! said:
Jimi Hendrix said:
When TG started with its new format, what made it so special was that it was a motoring show, with some entertaining features. But nowadays I think that its style has changed a lot and it has become a entertaining show, with some motoring features. IMHO this makes the show worse, I preferred it before this happened. What do you think about this?

Yeah, though I don't like talking about it, I'm realising this as well and questioning if I really like it or not. Either way its an undenyably good show and I do love it, but I prefer when it was more motoring focussed.

IMO they should aim to do what they did in series 5 which IMO was the best series of TG. As much as I love the crazy random stuff they've done in series 8 so far, like driving with monkeys on the roof of a convertible Espace and ruining a radio program, it'll never beat watching the Enzo, Zonda, CGT, XJ220, McF1 and F40 on the screen at the same time OR Clarkson driving a Land Rover to the top of a mountain OR watching the crew powerslide a Monaro on a beach. Those were the best eps IMO...

But its still a bloody good show and I guess they're just replying to the demand for the entertainment side of the show.

x2
 
I think it's just a matter of there honestly only being so much to talk about regarding new cars. If ten new supercars came out every month they'd do less of the entertainment more of the pure car stuff, but there aren't, and you can only linger on one segment for so long (or you'll end up with the iceland roadsters type deal).
 
Re: TG's change of direction

SL65AMG~V12~612BHP!!!!!!! said:
Jimi Hendrix said:
When TG started with its new format, what made it so special was that it was a motoring show, with some entertaining features. But nowadays I think that its style has changed a lot and it has become a entertaining show, with some motoring features. IMHO this makes the show worse, I preferred it before this happened. What do you think about this?

Yeah, though I don't like talking about it, I'm realising this as well and questioning if I really like it or not. Either way its an undenyably good show and I do love it, but I prefer when it was more motoring focussed.

IMO they should aim to do what they did in series 5 which IMO was the best series of TG. As much as I love the crazy random stuff they've done in series 8 so far, like driving with monkeys on the roof of a convertible Espace and ruining a radio program, it'll never beat watching the Enzo, Zonda, CGT, XJ220, McF1 and F40 on the screen at the same time OR Clarkson driving a Land Rover to the top of a mountain OR watching the crew powerslide a Monaro on a beach. Those were the best eps IMO...

But its still a bloody good show and I guess they're just replying to the demand for the entertainment side of the show.

x 2000000000
 
Re: TG's change of direction

SL65AMG~V12~612BHP!!!!!!! said:
Jimi Hendrix said:
When TG started with its new format, what made it so special was that it was a motoring show, with some entertaining features. But nowadays I think that its style has changed a lot and it has become a entertaining show, with some motoring features. IMHO this makes the show worse, I preferred it before this happened. What do you think about this?

Yeah, though I don't like talking about it, I'm realising this as well and questioning if I really like it or not. Either way its an undenyably good show and I do love it, but I prefer when it was more motoring focussed.

IMO they should aim to do what they did in series 5 which IMO was the best series of TG. As much as I love the crazy random stuff they've done in series 8 so far, like driving with monkeys on the roof of a convertible Espace and ruining a radio program, it'll never beat watching the Enzo, Zonda, CGT, XJ220, McF1 and F40 on the screen at the same time OR Clarkson driving a Land Rover to the top of a mountain OR watching the crew powerslide a Monaro on a beach. Those were the best eps IMO...

But its still a bloody good show and I guess they're just replying to the demand for the entertainment side of the show.

That is so very true. Regular roadtests are rare now, I mean, how long ago was it Clarkson actually got to say that a car was the worst thing he had ever driven, ever?
 
I'd agree with all this - I enjoy the show every week, but on reading this thread I have definitely thought I prefer some of the older stuff... I love the funny bits but not when they are just pointless - for instance when James and Richard went camping in the rain it was great because you still got to see how dumb the design of the Citroen was and so on, so it's still a "test"... but when it's dumb for dumbs sake... nyeah <shrug>
 
I agree with what's been said so far, I personally think some of the older episodes were the best, but I can see that the new style is probably attracting a wider audience. Some of my non-car-crazy friends will now watch the show with me, which probably wouldn't have happened a few seasons ago. So that's a good thing, for me at least. And I still enjoy the show a lot, it's entertaining, motor related... what could be better?
 
The only part I tend to look forward to is the news segment or when they interact with the audience because that's consistently the best part of the show. You can only see so much of Clarkson power sliding around bends yelling "POWER!" until it gets boring.

If I wanted to see carbon copy boring motoring reviews, I'd watch Fifth Gear. Top Gear should be entertaining.
 
Ximian said:
The only part I tend to look forward to is the news segment or when they interact with the audience because that's consistently the best part of the show. You can only see so much of Clarkson power sliding around bends yelling "POWER!" until it gets boring.

If I wanted to see carbon copy boring motoring reviews, I'd watch Fifth Gear. Top Gear should be entertaining.

Nicely put.

I do prefer it now actually, you still get what you want to know in terms of motoring, but you also get some of the funniest television on at the moment. :lol: It's a nice balance IMO.
 
GraemeH said:
I think it's just a matter of there honestly only being so much to talk about regarding new cars. If ten new supercars came out every month they'd do less of the entertainment more of the pure car stuff, but there aren't, and you can only linger on one segment for so long (or you'll end up with the iceland roadsters type deal).

I almost wonder if the iceland roadsters didn't cause this shift. They proved that you just can't take any car, take it to an interesting place, and it'll be entertaining. When there aren't really interesting new cars out, they'll have to resort to less review-y features, just to keep things interesting. I mean, look at the Saabilac in the radio segment. There would be no way to make that interesting normally, so just including it as part of a more interesting entertainment segment got the review out of the way, and lead to something that was actually worth watching, since it would be almost impossible to make that car interesting or entertaining.
 
The Guardian article about the first episode of this series:

Last night's TV

Maybe it used to be funny (well, sort of) but these days Top Gear's whole schtick just seems horribly tired and out of touch

Sam Wollaston
Tuesday May 9, 2006
The Guardian

They have made a few changes at Top Gear (BBC2), says Jeremy Clarkson, to keep it fresh and exciting. There's a new member of the team for a start. She's a she, which is a plus. She looks a bit like Jeremy Clarkson, which isn't - at least not for her. She has the same hair, though fortunately without the big bald patch at the back of her head.
She's also a dog, a labradoodle, which is a hybrid so they thought about calling her Prius - except that it wouldn't be fair on her (a car joke: cue moronic laughter from Top Gear audience morons). Also, it would have meant she would have eaten more than they were expecting (slightly cleverer car joke: cue moronic laughter only from some sections of moronic Top Gear audience). In the end, says Clarkson, they settled for Top Gear Dog (much mirth from all Top Gear audience morons, turning to spontaneous applause).

Well, Jeremy, if it works for you, maybe it will work for me, too. I'm going to call you TV Twat. And in tonight's show TV Twat is going to drive a very fast car very fast round a track. Hmmm: I see what he means about those changes. That sounds very fresh and exciting. But first the Cheery Dwarf is going to drive a - wait for it, this really is funny - a gay car! It's a convertible Nissan Micra, in Penelope Pitstop pink. And Cheery Dwarf is so embarrassed he has to wear a paper bag over his head. This produces whoops and yelps of joy from Top Gear audience morons when we return to the studio. They're having a ball. Madam, could you just come to the front, to make it look as if there are lots of women here. And you - no, not you, you're too fat. Fit ones to the front, please; that's lovely, thank you.
Top Gear Dog, meanwhile, has gone to sleep.
Time for a metaphor from TV Twat; he does love a metaphor. Here goes then. "This is a Renault Espace, probably the best of the people carriers. Not that that's much to shout about. That's like saying 'Oh good, I've got syphilis, the best of the sexually transmitted diseases.'" He's on a roll now: "Behind the wheel of a car like this, you feel like you're drowning in wallpaper paste." Really? And then he does that thing he always does: pauses mid-sentence, on a rising intonation, to signify the punchline; he's about to say something slightly surprising or shocking. "So we're going to see if we can liven it up a little bit ... by cutting its head off!" He's talking about the Renault Espace; this is the comedy-stunt part of the show. TV Twat, Cheery Dwarf and The Other One are going to make a convertible people carrier. I'm not sure why, but they seem to be having enormous fun doing it. Then they go to the zoo, and put it in the car wash and set fire to it.
There's a new reasonably priced car for the celebrities to race around in - again, fresh and exciting. Our boys pretend they don't know who James Hewitt is, which is actually quite funny. And then we get to see TV Twat do his look-at-me-in-a-very-fast-car bit. He puts his foot down and whoops and laughs: ha ha ha. Like he always does.
Back in the studio they sit around doing jokes about the environment and the French, the government and TV Twat's broken-down car, and the audience morons laugh, especially at the car jokes, because they're the funniest of all. Who the hell are these people? Does anyone know?
And all the while Top Gear Dog sleeps on, absolutely unimpressed and uninterested. I know how she feels.
A small confession: I quite like cars and driving (I was once motoring editor of this paper). And I used to quite like this show, was even quite amused by you-know-who. But as well as being tired, it just doesn't feel right for now. That combination of oafish laddishness and a screw-the- environment mentality has become not just boring, but out-of-date and, well, just plain wrong. As for the audience morons, they should obviously all be crammed into the convertible people carrier, doused in petrol and the whole lot set fire to. How fresh is Top Gear? About as fresh as ... (big pause) a fart.
 
^ That's way too harsh, it wasn't that bad.

I agree, though, too much of a good thing just seems too old. The stunts are brilliant, but if it's not balanced with some less crazy stuff (clever road tests, the Cool Wall, etc.) then it might slowly become like the automotive version of Jackass (except not crappy). soon Steve-o's going to be duct taping his nads to the back of a moving Espace while Jeremy throws ferrets at his nipples.
 
Personally, I like the new series just the way it is: A couple car reviews and then the rest is funny bits. I think it's a good balance. One of the main reasons I watch Top Gear is for the entertainment, laughs, etc. If I wanted something more serious and all that, I'd watch Fifth Gear.
 
i totally agree with you guys, the show was much better when it was more focused on the cars rather than on silly challenges :roll: but its still entertaining, and with it's new, more humouristic style, i think it will attract a broader crowd....
the article was harsh, but come on "TV twat, cheery dwarf and the other one" :lol:
 
Jimi Hendrix said:
The Guardian article about the first episode of this series:

Last night's TV

Maybe it used to be funny (well, sort of) but these days Top Gear's whole schtick just seems horribly tired and out of touch

Sam Wollaston
Tuesday May 9, 2006
The Guardian

They have made a few changes at Top Gear (BBC2), says Jeremy Clarkson, to keep it fresh and exciting. There's a new member of the team for a start. She's a she, which is a plus. She looks a bit like Jeremy Clarkson, which isn't - at least not for her. She has the same hair, though fortunately without the big bald patch at the back of her head.
She's also a dog, a labradoodle, which is a hybrid so they thought about calling her Prius - except that it wouldn't be fair on her (a car joke: cue moronic laughter from Top Gear audience morons). Also, it would have meant she would have eaten more than they were expecting (slightly cleverer car joke: cue moronic laughter only from some sections of moronic Top Gear audience). In the end, says Clarkson, they settled for Top Gear Dog (much mirth from all Top Gear audience morons, turning to spontaneous applause).

Well, Jeremy, if it works for you, maybe it will work for me, too. I'm going to call you TV Twat. And in tonight's show TV Twat is going to drive a very fast car very fast round a track. Hmmm: I see what he means about those changes. That sounds very fresh and exciting. But first the Cheery Dwarf is going to drive a - wait for it, this really is funny - a gay car! It's a convertible Nissan Micra, in Penelope Pitstop pink. And Cheery Dwarf is so embarrassed he has to wear a paper bag over his head. This produces whoops and yelps of joy from Top Gear audience morons when we return to the studio. They're having a ball. Madam, could you just come to the front, to make it look as if there are lots of women here. And you - no, not you, you're too fat. Fit ones to the front, please; that's lovely, thank you.
Top Gear Dog, meanwhile, has gone to sleep.
Time for a metaphor from TV Twat; he does love a metaphor. Here goes then. "This is a Renault Espace, probably the best of the people carriers. Not that that's much to shout about. That's like saying 'Oh good, I've got syphilis, the best of the sexually transmitted diseases.'" He's on a roll now: "Behind the wheel of a car like this, you feel like you're drowning in wallpaper paste." Really? And then he does that thing he always does: pauses mid-sentence, on a rising intonation, to signify the punchline; he's about to say something slightly surprising or shocking. "So we're going to see if we can liven it up a little bit ... by cutting its head off!" He's talking about the Renault Espace; this is the comedy-stunt part of the show. TV Twat, Cheery Dwarf and The Other One are going to make a convertible people carrier. I'm not sure why, but they seem to be having enormous fun doing it. Then they go to the zoo, and put it in the car wash and set fire to it.
There's a new reasonably priced car for the celebrities to race around in - again, fresh and exciting. Our boys pretend they don't know who James Hewitt is, which is actually quite funny. And then we get to see TV Twat do his look-at-me-in-a-very-fast-car bit. He puts his foot down and whoops and laughs: ha ha ha. Like he always does.
Back in the studio they sit around doing jokes about the environment and the French, the government and TV Twat's broken-down car, and the audience morons laugh, especially at the car jokes, because they're the funniest of all. Who the hell are these people? Does anyone know?
And all the while Top Gear Dog sleeps on, absolutely unimpressed and uninterested. I know how she feels.
A small confession: I quite like cars and driving (I was once motoring editor of this paper). And I used to quite like this show, was even quite amused by you-know-who. But as well as being tired, it just doesn't feel right for now. That combination of oafish laddishness and a screw-the- environment mentality has become not just boring, but out-of-date and, well, just plain wrong. As for the audience morons, they should obviously all be crammed into the convertible people carrier, doused in petrol and the whole lot set fire to. How fresh is Top Gear? About as fresh as ... (big pause) a fart.

What paper is this from again? Oh yes, the Guardian.

Can anyone remind me how many times 'TV Twat' has taken the pi$$ out of the Guardian? ;)
 
LoneWolf said:
What paper is this from again? Oh yes, the Guardian.

If we all had a dollar everytime TG made fun of The Guardian, we'd all have a lot of money. It only makes sense they'd write such an immature article.

Seriously everyone who skimmed over that article and didn't read it, like me, read it. That might have been one of the worst written articles I have ever seen. It looks like Carsightings, youngwarrior, and Top_Gear_Girl all got together and tried to write a synopsis.

There's a new member of the team for a start. She's a she, which is a plus. She looks a bit like Jeremy Clarkson, which isn't - at least not for her. She has the same hair, though fortunately without the big bald patch at the back of her head.
She's also a dog, a labradoodle

Couldn't they have just said, "It's a dog."

(a car joke: cue moronic laughter from Top Gear audience morons)

Well that's just brilliant writing there.

And in tonight's show TV Twat is going to drive a very fast car very fast round a track

....That's what he always does. You just noticed now?

Back in the studio they sit around doing jokes about the environment and the French, the government and TV Twat's broken-down car, and the audience morons laugh, especially at the car jokes, because they're the funniest of all.

http://img205.imageshack.**/img205/9791/gay6so.jpg... UGH.
 
A small confession: I quite like cars and driving (I was once motoring editor of this paper).

Ok so this guy like lots of other critics is frustated. If Top gear is as fresh as a fart , just turn off the tv!

I just watched the 03 top gear and boy was it funny , the only review they made was this new Lotus exige S but the boat part was just G R E A T !
BTW if I want technical reviews I just buy Auto motor und sport , top gear has to be entertaining .
Perhaps the best would be to blend the fifth gear and top gear team , (I would give everything to see Jeremy and tiff head to head once more time)
 
Top