New Top Gear- The Verdict

EricTheWeary

There's a summary of TV critic's comments on the BBC site. I think the general theme is why didn't they do more to reinvent it, similar as on here.

RandallFlagg

I've just watched it and thought it was OK. Evolution not revolution, I'm OK with that

siremoon

richardhomer said:

wibble;1090606" said:

Because it's the same writers and producers

With the exception of Andy Wilman.

.. and Clarkson who wrote most of it. 

HAL9000

Tried too hard to be like the old Top Gear and just didn't work. Also not quite sure why CE was using his outdoor voice when he was indoors.

Guitar_Slinger

siremoon said:

.. and Clarkson who wrote most of it. 

A child of 5 could have written it TBH. When I used to watch, they'd set up the predictable, contrived "joke". Then I'd go upstairs for a wee or a poo and STILL get downstairs in time for the punch line.

Don't know why Chris Evans was shouting though. Early episode nerves maybe, coz Joey from Friends did alright.

richardhomer

HAL9000;1091444" said:

Tried too hard to be like the old Top Gear and just didn't work. Also not quite sure why CE was using his outdoor voice when he was indoors.

Chris Evans only has one voice - that of a pre-pubescent optimist.

He's the living embodiment of Alan Partridge - seemingly not quite capable of recognising his own absurdities.

I don't actually mind him that much - but think is oeuvre is extremely limited. He's not a 'wit' - he's a 'wacky' 50 year old - for which the world has limited need.

When the Clarkson/Hammond/May incarnation of Top Gear started - none were major stars - and presumably the Beeb had limited ambitions for it. It was just a car show.

It's international success has created an imperative to keep making it - and Evans's ego was probably well and truly massaged by the thought of being the 'self-confessed saviour' of the format.

The trouble is, the format is not what was popular - it was the creativity with which it was delivered that was where the magic lay....

scrumhalf

Evans is just wrong. This isn't The Chris Evans Show, which is what he's used to.

OilCityPickups

Evens, the tamed post TFI Friday version: shouting and being irritating without a hint of the wit of Clarkson.

LeBlanc: as bland as I expected ... the guy can't act his way out of a wet paper bag, so why should one expect miracles? Safe straight man role he can handle.

None of the chemistry that made the original interesting.

Won't be watching again    

holnrew

I really liked Le Blanc's laconic style, I think if he becomes a bit more sarcastic too he'll be great. 

holnrew

Also the chemistry of the previous presenters, that took years to get it to where it was. If you look at the first series James May was on it, he seemed pretty awkward.

dindude

Between Chris's high pitched screeching and Matt's low end mumble, i probably only heard about 60% of what was going on, very hard to watch / listen to.

exocet

holnrew;1091571" said:

Also the chemistry of the previous presenters, that took years to get it to where it was. If you look at the first series James May was on it, he seemed pretty awkward.

I heard a review of the show yesterday on Radio 4. There were two different reviewers, neither of which were particularly complementary about it. However, one of them did raise the point that the original Clarkson fronted relaunch of Top Gear - Series 1 - didn't feature James May, It had Jason Dawe. Anyway, the point was that Series 1 was a shocker and is never seen repeated anywhere...not even on channels that have "high 3 digit numbers".

chillidoggy

Antiques Roadshow was really good.

Philly_Q

dindude said:

Between Chris's high pitched screeching and Matt's low end mumble, i probably only heard about 60% of what was going on, very hard to watch / listen to.

Sounds like that Judas Priest show which convinced me I should wear earplugs at gigs.

boogieman

[quote="holnrew;1091571"If you look at any series James May was involved in, he seemed pretty awkward.[/quote]

FTFY.

To be honest, it's part of his charm. He's a very ordinary bloke, a bit socially awkward and nerdy, but with great enthusiasm for his subject.

GuyBoden

Chris Evans' attempt highlights how good Clarkson and May are as presenters on Top Gear.

I find Chris Evans' presenting style to be stuck in the "DJ for Juveniles" mode, it's just not funny for many adults.

I won't be watching again...........

octatonic

boogieman said:

To be honest, it's part of his charm. He's a very ordinary bloke, a bit socially awkward and nerdy, but with great enthusiasm for his subject.

The characters they play seems to be loosely based on who they are- if you've seen the other shows May and Hammond do they seem to be less like their Top Gear characters.

I think the three of them work because they are presented as psychological types.

Harmond is the ego, Clarkson is the id, May is the superego.

Clarkson does the same job in the trio that Cartman does in Southpark.

I don't, for a second, think he is actually like that in real life.

If you watch seasons 2-4 you see them less exaggerated versions of themselves- they aren't as interesting.

SRich

CE's morning radio prog contained some reasonably childish remarks from the man 'imself..........thus underlining the fact he can't take criticism in any shape or form. 

"When Sycophants Surround You" weekdays daily on Radio 2 from 6:30 - 9:30am

............and then repeated, (with a small twist) daily at 2:00PM - 5:00PM 

impmann

Wow... short term memory losses at play here.

The use of the word "Wit" in the same sentance as Clarkson without the use of the word "half" makes no sense. Clarkson stopped being funny about four or five seasons ago. Hammond has always come across as trying desparately hard to be Clarkson, but not managing it. He also wasn't funny. May - the only one worth watching... sarcastic, dry and genuinely intelligent.

BUT

BIG FUCK OFF BUT

Racism. Its not funny. It never has been. They had turned into Jim Davidson driving cars. Even in interviews they had said they were amazed they had "got away with it" for so long.

As for the new show.

Very samey - agreed. They need to find their own path.

Chris needs to stop reading his script. He's not JC and he should stop reading lines written in that style - it sounds silly.

Matt is genuinely funny - he has his own style (laid back, larconic call it what you will) and I honestly thought he'd be the one I'd be picking holes in... but no. The off-roader piece made me laugh - the line "as light as your grandmother's G-string" was a beer-snort moment for me.

The rest of it - I like the rallycross bit but the interview was tedious and too long, plus it featured Gordon Ramsey... and sadly, it didn't feature him having spears thrown at him from close quarters. The Stig... oh please, can you come up with something new please... some say we're sick of the "some say" bit. Not enough Sabine - intelligent, funny and a genuine talent. Good soundtrack.

Oh and shouting... yes, well, thats the CE thing... audience, shouting etc... but perhaps, just perhaps it doesn't quite work here.

I think there's work to do... but don't expect revolutions for this week's episode, its already mostly in the can. I'm hoping they'll find their feet...

And it was nice not to experience TG without mention of "the war", how bad other countries are, other xenophobic comments, no mentions of 'lady gardens', 'gentlemans vegetables' or similar childish bullshit, talk of teeth whitening or how stupid the other presenters are.

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and clearly more than most of the rest of the world did. :-)

PC_Dave

http://sniffpetrol.com/2016/05/31/fans-complain-that-new-tv-show-not-like-old-tv-show-they-used-to-complain-about/