All new Top Gear May 2016

[WINKJ]

Bob

[SiriusProjects]

I've just watched the new Top Gear and personally I found it very cringe worthy. Chris Evans just sounded like he was trying way to hard and when he was reeling off the specs of the Viper at the beginning, it was almost like he was reading it off of a script, word for word. It just didn't seem natural. Roll on the Grand Tour. In the meantime, I think I will seek some therapy by watching some old Top Gear DVD's.

Edited May 29, 2016 by SiriusProjects

[350 Russ]

top gear is trending on Twitter and it's being torn to pieces, bet clarkson is loving this!

[Derbro]

Very disappointing. A second grade attempt. Was looking forward to a fresh approach but it was the same format. Why with an extremely high budget and world wide interest cant they come up with a new presentation to fit the new crew. The original programme was getting lost and losing its excitement but it seems they are happy to continue with losing viewers. Give it another episode before making my mind up to stop watching.

[Alex350z]

Chris Evans needs to do one!! What a total ****!

[Kieran O'Quick]

The old show played on cynicism and slackness. Evans is enthusiastic and shouty. "ROCK AND ROLL!!" he said at one stage. Compare this to Clarkson who refused on principle to ever use an exclamation mark.

 

He can't read his own script out loud for God's sake. Why would you even try to do that when your strength is live broadcasting? And why get shackled by someone else's inventions? The old seats and table and the old lap board were the weird bit for me. Dead man's shoes.

 

Bastardising the old format doesn't suit him. Evans has a style that is popular with lots of people. He should have held out and demanded his own car show.

 

(pause) ... Like Clarkson did back then.

[coldel]

Was disappointed, it was the same format effectively with the odd twist, but they didn't twist it enough. MLB was really good though, love his blinkered view on the UK and everything about it. It was gagging to be changed and really it just felt like same as before with a different voice, actually it just goes to show how scripted and set up the previous top gear was. For some reason the studio bits there was an echo to Chris's voice, which made it all sound a bit empty and surreal, not sure why they did that.

 

Sabine was brilliant, more of her please, awesome driver who just finds it all so effortlessly easy when in the car, natural on camera and clearly just knows cars inside out.

 

Have to say don't miss May's endless drone and Clarkson's stupid reviews on cars which border on utter pointlessness.

 

To be frank judging it on this one episode though and saying you will never watch it again is a bit daft, I am willing to see out the series see how it goes. Only Fools and Horses was going to be scrapped until they did the classic 'brace yourself' moment with the chandelier in the last episode of the series - its one of those where you have to see it through and then judge - this was purely the pilot, the starter for 10, introduce the hosts, etc.

[Stutopia]

MLB was way better than I expected, nice and dry and pretty effortless. Evans' screaming was massively irritating. I was surprised the dialogue didn't shift a jot tonally, the language used was kind of like a dubbed version of old New Top Gear. It's still early doors, they binned that fat fella off of old New Top Gear after Series 1 and the first few series it didn't pull up any ratings trees. More Sabine and, for god's sake, get Harris off the internet version and in something fast.

 

In other news, I'm stunned social media isn't on board TG could've given away a car of choice to every single licence payer and the Clarkson fanboys would have been outraged. They'll already be well into third drafts of 5 star reviews for Amazon, complete with hilarious, you-just-can't-say-that-these-days quips

 

[gangzoom]

Only saw one bit btiefly..Did they really stick a machinr gun and rockets on to a Viper??

 

Looked like the producers decided their target audience was a bunch of 5 year olds.

 

I presume the rest is on iPlayer, will give it a watch, MBL will pull in the viewers and am sure his half decent at his role.

[coldel]

MLB was better than Evans - seemed to be taking it all in his stride. Evans I think was just far too excited by the whole thing. I think they got the studio parts wrong, they seemed to use wide angle shots of the studio which made the presenters look less imposing and there was that weird echo as if Evans was talking without a mic.

 

I think the main two will gel well as time goes on, this is all new, people will have pre-conceptions, I would imagine if we looked at the first episodes of TG with the three previous in it they were hardly the cohesive presenters we see today.

 

As above, they haven't really moved it on, hope it will at some point. Guns on american muscle cars with Top Gun pilots in the passenger seats, thats Clarkson heartland really.

Edited May 30, 2016 by coldel

[KyleR]

I would put this new Top Gear on par with Fifth Gear, not near to where it should be. Evans hair annoyed me more than anything else about him, it was like some weird backwards combover. Matt when on screen was fine, but his narrating was very boring and irritating.

 

Sabine was excellent as always and should be in the studio. Speaking of the studio, please get rid of the old Porsche seats and engine and find something original.

 

The stars were good, I quite like the both of them, but the new rally track thing is awful. Someone go buy a Kia Pro_cee'd or something.

 

The challenge was pathetic, very boring with not enough twists or humour involved, the most craic we got was a love tap at the start, yippee.

 

 

I will continue to watch it each week in the hope that it gets better, but I also eagerly await the Grand Tour for some proper entertainment.

[ChrisB]

I agree with some others. Same top gear mixture of world class beautiful camera work in some segments mixed with silliness in others, but gawd I hate the incessant whining me me me ginger Evans. Yep, Matt with his dry humour and crazy Sabine should be fun. Nomad segment was hilarious

 

The old trio were great in my opinion - Clarkson was properly poignant at times and did some really fine work. The old top gear specials were always brilliant too. Loved them.

 

Old TG just needed less caravans and plastic pigs - oh wait new TG and they are back with a pig trip to the midlands

 

Loved that blue Viper - what a beast!

[Jetpilot]

I would imagine if we looked at the first episodes of TG with the three previous in it they were hardly the cohesive presenters we see today.

 

Absolutely right, but there is a gaping difference between now and then, TG was dead in the water anyway, what did they have to loose. You cant compare those first epsiodes to a show that was watched and enjoyed by millions, no matter your opinion of JC and the shows format.

 

CE and even the producers had a huge bill to fill and the first episode had to be bigger and better and if that was their best attempt (which it should have been) i have absolutely zero faith it will get any better, it was their one chance to wow the audience.

 

I seem to remember the TG haters calling for a new format as the old one was stale, boring and predictable, which is exactly what you got last night of TG at its worse (as it wasnt funny), but because CE is the presenter its all different, the only thing that was different is the main presenter now is about as entertaining as that annoying kid at school who liked the sound of his own (loud) voice bouncing around like he has just had too much sugar or e numbers.

 

Roll out the big guns, get Harris and Sabine smashing round the Nurburgring in some exotica, anything but focussing on CE, obviously they thought he was the one to draw in the crowd/

 

Peak of 4.7 million viewers dropping to 4.4 million, 600,000 less than CE wanted, make of that what you will.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Jetpilot

[Ekona]

Still higher than the opening show of last series though.

[Sargara]

I cant believe they relegated Chris Harris to some "behind the scenes extra" type show on the now online only, BBC3. Wtf!

 

Chris Evans was annoying, he was trying too hard and it came over awkward. Hopefully he settles into it more as it goes on. Matt saved it for me tho, I enjoyed his bits more than the others. Overall I liked it and I'll watch more.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Sargara

[veilside z]

Wasn't too bad. What happened to the 3rd presenter, supposedly to be female

[Ekona]

The presenters were announced months ago, did you not see that bit? It was always going to be CE & MLB as the main people, then bits and pieces from the other three.

[Bockaaarck]

I've only just got back from Norway, so hadn't seen all the guff and chat about the show, which I have just watched. Personally, for a first show, thrown together without probably the luxury of full planning. I thought it was ok, I think it's a grower. I think the relationship between Evans and LeBlanc will really start to become much more natural over the coming shows.

 

They have to play a careful game, attract people who liked Top Gear as it was over the last few series. As well as those show thought it was time to change the format. Gradually over the coming series, they will change it in to a newer format that they want it to be. I'll happily give it another viewing and I hope it'll develop in to a new and interesting format.

[Paddy78]

It wasn't terrible, but there is room for improvement. The old Top Gear took a while to seem natural too, you just have to look at the first few series where Clarkson is fairly wooden. They'll get used to the writing style and will be more relaxed in future shows.

[Cragus]

So many people had written scathing reviews on twitter before the opening credits had finished. These people don't want it to be a success because, for reasons beyond my comprehension, they love Clarkson.

 

I think as Evans settles into the role, he will make it his own. I actually enjoyed MLB's segment on the Ariel Nomad and as for Sabine - get her on moving forward - the thinking man's crumpet!

 

I haven't seen Extra Gear yet but I have heard it was pretty good - anyone watched yet?

[Ekona]

I've just watched it. Really enjoyed it, and now I kinda see what they're trying to do with the show.

 

You have the proper Top Gear that carries on where the old one left off: There's never going to be anything special there, nor any real meat for the proper petrolheads. That's where Extra Gear comes in IMHO. They can be more relaxed, less arty, more geeky, and slightly less concerned about making the big bucks. Rory is a natural in front of the camera, I'd expect to see him do some stuff for the proper show really soon, he's excellent. Harris is also brilliant as he's proved on his own stuff, here however he came across as a bit of an idiot and I can see people not really taking to him if they continue to edit him like that. However, the EG stuff itself was interesting, funny, clever and intelligently shot, proving they've got a very good team behind the scenes.

 

This is kinda what I always hoped TG would be, both entertaining and geeky. They've had to split it into two shows to do it, but I can now see exactly how they're trying to move the show forward. I'd say EG is as much a must-see as TG itself is.

[coldel]

Just watched EG, and I agree its pretty good! Shame its internet only, as many of those posters on twatter probably missed it.

[modo]

I'm afraid I agree,trying to mimic the old show. Hate the American input, Hope it gets better.

[Stutopia]

I just caught EG as well. Hmmmm. I like Harris and Sabine, though I don't quite know why we've seen her log saloon, when I just wanted to see her tear up the ring in her race car

 

I could comfortably live without this show if they just moved Harris onto the main event. He's clearly the May of the whole thing, which is no bad thing. Not sure where Rory fits in, I felt like I was watching a battle between MTV versus The Gadget Show doing a "Cars" special edition. Be interesting to see where they go with this other section, or if it hits the cutting room floor.

[The Bounty Bar Kid]

Hated it. Apart the bit with Gordon Ramsay. Love him!