What will you miss most about Top Gear?

[sebberry]

What aspect or feature of Top Gear will you miss the most?

 

[Four Five Eight]

I think the general commitment to making an entertaining program that oozes with cinematic atmosphere, these other car programs are all right but you sort of get the sense that they are just getting random shots of the car and piecing it together underneath some rabbiting of the cars specs and an attempt at waxing poetic but with Top Gear they tried to give you a story and take you on their journey with them and that extended to their better reviews as well.

 

[skylock]

Absolutely the attention to details. Every minute detail.

The funny unexpected things like when they threw the Stig away.

Seeing the world thru Jeremy's eyes.

The way James marches to his own drummer.

Hammonds facial expressions esp when he is not sure about something. Snowbine Harvestor going out on the ice.

The subtle references to current events.

The absolute brilliance of the edit. And the camera work. Has to have been the best camera crew in the world.

The shows were good, but I can without a doubt watch the same show 8 times and find something new I missed.

I really liked the love of getting dogs on screen. I think that was a running joke. Speaking of running jokes, I liked those too except for the running into James. I was always afraid they were going to hurt him bad.

The level Jeremy would take something to. Running that lorry into that brick wall for example.

I know there is a poll for this, but it is not that simple for me.

 

[mautzel]

It's the whole package that made Top Gear the show it was and I really couldn't decice between the challenges, the road trips the races, the unusual reviews or the cocking about.

 

[MWF]

This poll is pointless. It's like asking "what's your favourite ingredient in chocolate chip cookies" and expecting someone to say "butter".

All of the elements listed and many more besides are what combined to make the show what it was. It lasted way longer than anyone expected and that includes those involved in its creation and with hindsight perhaps a little too long.

However it comes back with Chris Evans it will certainly be different and there will be a mountain of moaning from those reluctant to accept change but it will be one thing for sure and that's fresh.

 

[StillNotNeedingAChestWig]

Butter.

 

[DuckAvenger]

Well put MWF

 

[abczyx]

This poll is pointless. It's like asking "what's your favourite ingredient in chocolate chip cookies" and expecting someone to say "butter".

Great analogy. Top Gear was good because it did such a wide range of things better than what came before it.

I guess the only segment I never liked was SIARPC. There were a few good guests but often the segment was just a bit dull, and I think the poll seems to reflect that as a consensus view amongst most of our membership.

 

[TopGearNorthAmerica]

Thing is, I can't answer that question until I see what Chris Evans does differently.

We know he loved the CHM format. We also know he wants to modify SIARPC, he wants to keep the adventures and he wants to find a way to get more audience input. But it should be pointed out he can't make those changes until he has his team in place, and he hasn't finished hiring yet.

 

[MWF]

How do we "know" all or indeed any of that? I do admit however that all of the above makes sense. Even with him bringing back TFI Friday keeping SIARPC would make sense even if it is one of the more derided aspects of the format.

 

[TopGearNorthAmerica]

The thing about SIARPC is (and feel free to disagree) it's a segment that Clarkson designed to help attract mainstream ratings while at the same time make it one of the most off-beat parts of the British talk-show circuit.

On Jonathan Ross or Graham Norton, the celebs promote their latest projects and banter among each other. SIARPC offers a chance to deviate from their normal PR script and show that they're not afraid to fail onscreen. (The potential to reach that worldwide audience doesn't hurt either.)

Yes, of course, the celebs who have a genuine interest in cars and driving will do very well and relax, but even those with very little interest can offer some insight (Ross Noble bantering about motorbikes with RH is a real treat, if only to see JC's hanging his head in horror; Ron Howard's talking about Drive shows how he hoped to relate Formula One to a non-racing audience).

So of course Chris is going to keep it, interviewing guests is something he's learned to do and it helps attract mainstream attention to the show.

 

[dw1]

Returning to the original topic, I'll miss everything, but especially:
- Seeing celebs in a different light
- The friendship/conflicts, especially during the road trip specials
- Their comments on Brit vs French vs German vs Yank motors and motoring
- Each of them "playing to type", esp. James' amusing pedantics (I really did like his Toy Stories series)
- The comments about UK life, locales, & politics

But how can one summarize what one will miss about the best ever motoring show..... in the world.

 

[Spectre]

Looks like about nobody is going to miss SIARPC - at least per the poll...

 

[93Flareside]

I won't, it's like when you hit a mushroom in your food. Everything was great until the mushroom. SIARPC is the mushroom to my awesome tasting meal. I hate mushrooms.

 

[skylock]

I really liked SIARPC. If it had not been for that part, I would have never found the show to begin with.

I found all kinds of people I would have never heard of before.

 

[StillNotNeedingAChestWig]

Top Gear was good because it did such a wide range of things better than what came before it.

I guess the only segment I never liked was SIARPC. There were a few good guests but often the segment was just a bit dull, and I think the poll seems to reflect that as a consensus view amongst most of our membership.

You do know you can select more than one option in the poll?

Agreed about SIARPC. I'd give that negative marks if I could.

 

[sebberry]

This poll is pointless. It's like asking "what's your favourite ingredient in chocolate chip cookies" and expecting someone to say "butter".

Don't get your panties in a twist. It's a fun way to see what "significant" components of the show people enjoyed the most. Of course there will be many other elements to it that are hard to list in a poll. I thought this would be a good way for people to reflect back on the show.



Personally I like the chocolate chips

 

[DaShowstoppa]

I think the general commitment to making an entertaining program that oozes with cinematic atmosphere, these other car programs are all right but you sort of get the sense that they are just getting random shots of the car and piecing it together underneath some rabbiting of the cars specs and an attempt at waxing poetic but with Top Gear they tried to give you a story and take you on their journey with them and that extended to their better reviews as well.

That's probably the best way to sum it up. I can't quite say what it is I will miss - I'll just miss Top Gear.

 

[neutron]

I loved Top Gear as an entire package. When you start slicing it in segments, you lose the sum of all parts.

Here's a thing I'll miss and what I haven't seen mentioned a lot in this thread. I'll miss the best-of-the-best cinematography. So many new angles, techniques and styles I learned from watching this show. And the music selection - after every episode my playlists get a lot longer.

 

[Adamar]

And the music selection - after every episode my playlists get a lot longer.

This! The selection is so good that you've decided to make an entire subforum dedicated to the music, i think that's quite an achievement.

Other than that, i'll miss the Hilux the most. It was the very first segment of TG i can remember watching and i know i was ROFLAO very hard.