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Literally couldn't bear to watch Clarkson, and didn't like Hammond or May either.
Therefore definitely better, although Evans was annoying and definitely trying too hard. Did laugh though when they were in the Reliants in the rain, and Evans pointed out LeBlanc looked like a moviestar, and he looked like a dick 😆
Thought LeBlanc was excellent.
Agree it needs more presenters though, don't know why the other two were restricted to the extra show?
Sabine has huge racing, teaching, business and german tv responsibilities don't forget.
Didn't watch TG but really like Matt Le B. in "Episodes" if you haven't seen it worth looking out for.
Episodes" if you haven't seen it worth looking out for.
Worth avoiding.
Loved the old Top Gear but admit it had turned a bit stale this last few years. I'm not a massive fan of Evans but we sat down to watch it last night with the mindset that it wasn't the old TG with new presenters but a different show.
But instead we did get the old TG with new presenters. Evans came across as trying too hard to be like JC and I will go against the grain and say I found Le Blanc to be quite bland.
I will still keep the series link but I won't be going out of my way to sit down and watch it live again.
Didnt watch it, not my cup of tea.
Wifey did though and said it was cringing.
Le Blanc only seemed OK because Evans was so, so bad.
Gash.
Le Blanc wasn't actually that bad in places, Sabine good but not enough of her. As for the mess they made of that fell, that was a damned sight worse than Jeremy did in the Disco in Scotland a few years back, I hope they get as much flak.
Now that they are gone I kinda miss the big bafoon.
When does the Amazon series start?
Just give Sabine a bunch of cars to drive around the ring...an hour a week of that would be great.
Fell asleep watching.. The whole thing is tired, a bit boring and now it's a bit shouty and forced. Needs to rapidly pick itself up and point in a new direction..
Saw a survey in the Telegragph of all the presenters - yeh or neh ? Top was May then Clarkson and Hammknd. Evans was last by a very big margin behind everyone else. Viewing figures where just 4.4m and would usually fall after the first episode, it looks doomed. Sabrine and Chris Harris I like, they should have just given them the show.
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Front it with a female and make it about transport rather than just cars and I'm in.
You're all saying the format was tired and needed changing. The worldwide success of the show and the format would tend to disagree with you all. Evans has tried and failed because he tried to out do Clarkson and Co and that frankly was never a goer. The show is not for you and never has been. It's for your kids, it's a pantomime car show with a few adult orientated jokes. I get pleasure from watching my son laugh his head off at the daft antics they get up to. He's 13 yrs old. They may well increase the viewing figures as it settles down but they will never replace James May who was my main reason for watching anyway.
New TG is like trying to substitute a supergroup with new musicians and no songwriter. Before he started on TG, Jeremy Clarkson's writing stood out as being special amongst a fairly anodyne crowd. He could introduce humour and write material that appealed to non petrolheads. The interplay between the characters was important too. You have the (increasingly) boorish, opinionated one, then quaint, old fashioned sensible one, followed by the little vain one who was in touch with his feminine side. Whilst they played on this and exaggerated the characters, even though we were in on it, it was entertaining to watch despite an increasingly boring and tired format. Sadly, with new TG, the format stayed and the strong interplay between characters went (little choice - Clarkson's behaviour couldn't be condoned). The smart money's on Rory Reid and Chris Harris, with Eddie Jordan as the wild card if he can be placed in an unfamilar environment and let his guard slip. I'd have picked Harry Metcalfe as the new James May (he may or may not like that analogy!!). It can improve if the commissioning team have the courage to let the less well known ones flourish, but I suspect they're banking on the familiarity of the big names setting the ball rolling. They can't go on copying forever - even the Viper piece in Arizona was a blatant copy of a piece by Jesse Crosse an old colleague of Clarkson's on Performane Car. I don't think that he was credited with it though.
The new Amazon show has greater promise because you have the magic of the characters to bounce off each other but with, possibly, a newer, fresher format, which what it would have needed eventually even if it were to stay with BBC.
TG Extra was surprisingly watchable, a lot better than the main programme.
As above..... Got angry watching it. Don't mind "friends got old" bloke. He was surprisingly OK. Evans is a shouty bacon deprived try hard cockwomble who I knew would be terrible. Sick of the US / uk thing too. Marketing production dicks must have had a field day in that meeting!
Really not sure what people expect. It's a programme featuring men talking about cars; it's not going to be that exciting, whichever way you cut it.
The old show was popular because it had Clarkson presenting it. A man whose views/right wing slant/"anti PC" comments appeal to your typical white/middle aged/middle of the road/blokey motoring enthusiast. And by extension, their wives aswell.
Clarkson's a bit of a bellend, but he's also a decent presenter, especially for Top Gear. Without him, it doesn't have the same appeal to the target audience.
They should just scrap it really. Cars are so last century anyway, IDK why anyone cares about them anymore. It's all about the push bike these days.
I'm wiv Tinners....
The old formula was way beyond its sell by date and they've just tried to roll with it when it should have been canned.
I reckon the new 'Grand Tour' and the fact that they've decided to film it all over the world is going to be the fresher format that this needed.
I loved JC's writing back in his Performance car mag back in the 90's (before he started rambling in the Sunday Times).
He has a way of being edgy and rude without running over the line.
As I was out last night at a concert, I missed TG, and couldn't be arsed to waste disc space recording it, relying on catch-up, so I'm just checking in to see the general consensus.
Not entirely sure what bikebuoy was implying with his post, but it appears that the greater majority are saying exactly the same as Quinten Letts in the MoS today. (I read/scan through my dad's copy, I don't bother with papers myself).
The Viper piece seems to be a virtual copy of one done by the Hamster, as is the Nomad, so it's been said in some reviews; that's the only bit I want to see, I really, [i]really[/i] want a Nomad, utterly mental little car!
Thank God for catch-up, I can download it, watch the five minutes or so that's actually interesting, then delete.
A bit like Later... these days, sadly.
It's all about the push bike these days.
If that's your opinion then maybe you should go find a nice push bike forum to chat on, and leave us here to talk about cars.
😀
Extragear was pretty good, they should swap the presenters around, much improved! They had the nomad doing a lap of the track.
Countzero, you didn't understand my comment about "I was entertained "
Pretty much says it all.
As borish as the programme was, the format was never going to change due to it being highly successful at selling itself around the world for welcome income that the BBC can waste on providing content no body, too small minority, wants to watch.
I'm surprised at all those who thought they would get a revamp/new format, and actually be content nee satisfied with the output. You seemed to expect a format that only appeals to you and not consider income generation for the BBC.
When Chris took over R2 from Terry, the UK Middle Class almost blew petunias and lillc's. But a year later after many a boardroom wrangle and potential contract termination cost, the Beeb kept hold of him and to this day Chris continues to please, bring in audience, provide media other than just radio.
Honestly, you expected a new format?
Yer...riiiiight.
and its repeating now on bbc till 20.00.
As has been said before the old format worked because the old presenting team built it for themselves, I don't think any of the international format sales have been succesful because the format doesn't survive well without its original stars - I fear the same with the new version and I imagine BBC income will fall accordingly. All the Euros I know who watched Top Gear loved Clarkson and the team, I think it will be tough to keep them.
6 pages, and no one has yet mentioned the fourth wheel; Andy Wilman. He was every bit as much a part of TG as the three on screen.
I didn't think much to it, really. That said, i'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. It'll take a while for them to find their feet, and if they get Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz on screen more, then it's got some real potential.
We always watched Top Gear on catch up so we could fast forward it.
So far the remote has not been touched. It's certainly no worse than the last people.
^^^^ Wot Tinners said.
It was a bit crap, in my opinion. They really need to stop trying to be May, Hammond and Clarkson: Once they stop doing that, it may become watchable.
It can improve if the commissioning team have the courage to let the less well known ones flourish
Isn't it all mostly filmed already? Just the studio bits to play with I think.
They took two Reliants, chopped the roofs off and repainted them but did not think to fix the engines! Schoolboy error 8)
Let's hope that the plan is to rebuild and revitalise a bit at a time ... Matt Leblanc was good when allowed to as lib but his studio script to camera was obviously reading, probably because the writer doesn't know his style. Loved Sabine calling out the yank cars (and Ferrari!) for having sh1t chassis!
Evans will calm down as he gets used to it being his job
6 pages, and no one has yet mentioned the fourth wheel; Andy Wilman. He was every bit as much a part of TG as the three on screen.
This, as it was him and Clarkson who came up with the format. I used to subscribe to Top Gear mag and he did a three part, multi page piece on the show from the start of 'new' and it was quite sad really. Felt like the end of an era and should have been left as that.
I have not seen much of the new one but quite like Evans so am disappointed they've gone for a remake. He's bright enough and certainly has the knowledge to produce something fresh.
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I like it. Like La Blanc, Evans is watchable. It's entertaining, nothing more, nothing less
I'm in a minority as I enjoyed it. I thought the new presenters were just as good as the old. Shame the guest bit survived.
I suspect some of it was carried over from the old presenters because it was so far down the planning process and permissions to walk away from
Yup Wilman also produced Clarkson's Extreme Machines. He made a ships engine room look exciting, granted it was the Jahre Viking but once you're inside it could be anything.
Not watched it yet. If Le Blanc is the highlight though it must be bad...
I think the audience must have been paid off to show such enthusiasm. Also, what was the point of that Robin Reliant section? Dulldulldull.
Presumably a reference back to an earlier, better version.
The BBC has made three massive errors with the new TG:
1 not remaking the whole thing from the ground up: the whole thing about races and challenges and driving around with guns on your car is pure Clarkson. Would Matt Leblanc fantasise about cars with lasers? No, he'd be chatting up women. And keeping the furniture, the Stig (another Clarkson creation) - just crazy. It would inevitably lead to comparisons with the real TG. I don't know if it was budget or timidity but that's a terrible call.
2 Not realising that it was the camaraderie not the cars that was the appeal of TG.
3 Employing Chris Evans.
I thought it was quite good. Star in the car bit was crap, as always. Otherwise it was fine.
I've just watched it and I'm trying to figure out what it is they've done.
I was full of positive vibes prior to watching that, new presenters and a new format it had the potential to be great. But it wasn't.
Dire regurgitation of the same old sh*t without any of the interesting stuff it could have had. Relegating Chris Harris to the B show is a travesty.
Very very disappointed.
Oh and Chris Evans, it's not TFI Top Gear - PLEASE STOP SHOUTING!
Blooming hell there's a lot of old waffle on here.
You got to see Super Teddy Sheringham clatter Ramsey not once but twice.
What more d'you want?
What more d'you want?
Less football. 😉
Sabina looks aged
You know that she is a 47 year old Woman, and that Nürburgring episode of Top Gear she was in that you keep seeing on Dave is 12 years old, right?
Did'nt hate it as such.
Probably just forget about it from now on.
I watched for 10 min then turned it of, utter rubbish and as for Chris Evans, he reminds me of thrush, a right irritating c**t
Has Chris Evans made any reference to it on Radio 2 this morning ? I know in the last few weeks he did make plenty of it.... Wonder if he was so enthusiastic this morning ?
It was OK. Probably too much change for the Clarkson fanbois and not enough change for those thinking the last few series had got stale so I suppose its was about right. Could've been a lot better if they were willing to take some risks, which I though Evans would be willing to do. The last 20 mins was better than the first 20 mins. Star bit was always poor so no change there.
I like watching Clarkson, I have positively avoided Evans since Don't forget your toothbrush (he has always been shouty, he's not going to change). A lot of people watched TG for Clarkson/May/ (lesser extent) Hammond. Trying to remake the show with different people is a big mistake, you can see by the sheer number of presenters they are lost. If they made a car programme with Chris Harris, Sabrine, and Eddie Jordan (bit motorsport orinetated) I would be interested but I am not wading through the rest with Evans and LeBlanc. Griff Rees Jones as the "new" May not really a car person ?
TG is a massive commercial success for the BBC, well was really. Its resold and remade under license (eg French have their version with same format) so the BBC had to do something. If I may say so, the bbc should have just sucked it up and paid the producer £2m (?) compensation and/or spun the show out and bought back the right to show it. As it stands the show is going to fail in the UK and the new Clarkson one is going to kill it abroad.
Has Chris Evans made any reference to it on Radio 2 this morning ? I know in the last few weeks he did make plenty of it.... Wonder if he was so enthusiastic this morning ?
He's been defending it on Twitter quoting FACTS (sic) about viewing figures and % of viewing audience.
I predict these viewing figures will halve next week.
I'm in the it really was awful camp. Just no attempt to move the show forwards, they even used the same car seat seats and engine table.
After all Chris Evan's bigging the show up I was hoping for something fresh.
The Celeb bit was just awful.
Ramsey to blind to read the autocue and too vain to put his glasses on. Would it have been so hard to learn one fact about the guy you are sitting next to?
JC always made it look easy. It wasn't a rough ride and that's why they got such good guests in the Reasonably awful car.
TG was sold abroad as a format to the US and Australia; no doubt others. They were all cancelled due to crapness.
Do it differently, or don't bother.
Just watched extra gear, that was actually ok
I enjoyed it. Evans was Evans, MLB was quite warm and funny. Not keen on that German bird though.
The Nomad feature was probably one of the best ever on TG.
The Nomad feature was [s]probably one of the best ever on TG[/s][b]OK until they tried to do a badly scripted 'race'.
TBH my lasting impression was of how much impact the producers obviously had on the old TG. The scripting of the scripted 'races' was awful, and it just wasn't as well shot (and the nomad should have left the dirtbike for dead on the road).
Reliant Robins - broke down on the M40, then a load of padding.
Jeep Vs LR S1 - a load of challenges in which is was obvious the Jeep was the better car. Followed by a strongman who can't push the jeep (unsurprising) and the Brownlees being rubbish in front of the camera.
Studio bits - mehhhh
Star in a rallycross car - Why? What was wrong with the old format? If you wanted a change just put 2 fairly well matched (it's usually fairly obvious who's going to be OK and who'll struggle with a gearbox) stars in cars and race each other.
Matt could probably be quite funny if he was just left to get on with it (or given a script) without Evans.
Unsurprisingly Sniff Petrol's piece is quite amusing. [url= http://sniffpetrol.com/2016/05/31/fans-complain-that-new-tv-show-not-like-old-tv-show-they-used-to-complain-about/#.V015YvkrJpg ]Sniff[/url]
Thought extra gear was pretty good, way more relaxed and better chemistry among the presenters.
I honestly thought it was rubbish. Evans was a complete tool and as stated endless times, shouted everything out like Mr Cillit Bang!
And please look at the audience as they didn't look comfortable at all and most looked like they didn't want to be recognised by the original TopGear fans. I won't be watching it any more and I do think that it's a dying duck now.
I'm with Mrs Hayes.
oomidamon has it with the sniff petrol link.
Was it as good as the previous top gear at its best: no
Was it as bad as the previous top gear at its worst: not even close.
We'll see how it works out over the rest of the series and I'm pretty sure they'll listen (and at the very least shoot the sound man [or stick a pillow over Evan's gob] for next week).
Parts of the aftershow (Sabine bit) were great and I actually think that given a chance she can can be the presenter TG has needed for years.
P.S. Comment about her looking "aged" while presenting a show that might as well have been fronted by compo, foggy and clegg for the last X years are peak singletrack.
Parts of the aftershow (Sabine bit) were great and I actually think that given a chance she can can be the presenter TG has needed for years.
I think a few of us think this is the future, I'll watch again when Chris Evans is gone
P.S. Comment about her looking "aged" while presenting a show that might as well have been fronted by compo, foggy and clegg for the last X years are peak singletrack.
Tremendous 🙂
the odd/disappointing thing was after 11 months of being "creative", it looked for all the world like a panicked mid-series presenter swap.
MLB seemed to be struggling with having to read a scripted autocue in a 'live' environment, I got the impression he could improve greatly as he relaxes into the role and turn into an asset.
The first episode was always going to have huge viewing figures with all the interest, it'll be the mid-series figures that have some relevance.
Just watched the first bit.
Very odd - very little original thought. Evans was even copying Clarkson's intonation albeit with a more irritating voice. So we watch an excited middle-aged bloke driving a very fast car on an airfield - ok. that's novel - and then lets intro the Stig in exactly the same way.
And the Top Gun script was positively childish and hackneyed. Gave up pretty quickly.
TG was becoming tired true, but at least they did it better than this new lot.
\if it was just a gentle introduction to a new format with lots of familiarity then it was fair enough. Tone down Evans and it would be significantly less painful but really it was time to ditch the comedy challenges and come up with some new stuff.
After what seems like some great casting it looks like they've bottled the new start and just reverted to the worst of type.
Very much this.
crashtestmonkey - Member
the odd/disappointing thing was after 11 months of being "creative", it looked for all the world like a panicked mid-series presenter swap.
As said, the proof of the pudding will be the figures for NEXT weeks show!
And as also said, ExtraGear felt fresher, and less forced than the main show to me, and i was impressed by Rory Reid, i thought he came across really well 😀
The one presenter I thought would be a nightmare, Matt Leblanc, turned out to be the saving grace of the show. The interviews were crap, the Rally Cross dull, Topgun and Schmitz yawn, the trip up to Blackpool pointless, Blackpool challenges back of my eyelids lack of excitement.
Pukes on cock because of the Ego. Move him out the picture and you have a winner, you heard it here first.
I remind you of this,
He's worse than Clarkson.
Well, I enjoyed it.
There, I said it.
TBH, they were always "damned if you do, damned if you don't." If they'd shook up the format massively then we'd all be sat here now whining that it's totally different and they've ruined it.
Evans I'm ambivalent towards. He's got the enthusiasm for sure, but he seemed to be doing a JC impersonation which was... odd and unnecessary. Bit surprised that the lauded "five presenters" turned out to be two with a guest spot from Sabine (who is truly awesome, BTW). Presumably the others are in this "Extra" thing that I didn't know existed till I read it here?
I do wonder whether this is the show they had to make. All the presenters are new to the role and it's always going to take a few episodes, a series even, for those both in front of the camera and behind it to find their feet. I'm reminded vaguely of Doctor Who; the first "new Doctor" series is always a bit shaky as the character is different and the writers are clearly still writing for the previous incumbent. It's not a great shock that the same happened here.
The Reliant spot was dreadful, though. I can see where they were going with it, but "we drove from London to Blackpool on the back of a flatbed" isn't particularly compelling viewing.
Hopefully it'll evolve over time. If this is a starting point, then it was pretty decent; if it's a showcase for how it's going to be from now on it was wasn't all that great.
Extra Gear is really rather good.
I remind you of this,
You didn't really read the article did you? She'd worked with him since the Big Breakfast and left the show twice with Evans interceding with the BBC the first time to get her back. Seems more like the BBC were the problem than Evans.
The population 58 million people and they choose this bloke ... 🙄
I'm not sure that's how it works.
It was a bit rubbish really and we all know it. Shame. I watched and I'll not bother next week, pity really as though it was getting a bit predictable (the old series) it was at least amusing at times and was good for winding a certain sangtumouious type of person that that feels the need to newter the thoughts of those they don't like.
American Top Gearis still going, just catching up on the new series. The presenters on this have gelled over the years and I find it as good as the old UK top gear
Watched it last night and whilst I agree it's pretty much the old format it's certainly not as bad as the worst of old top gear. It isn't up with Top Gear's best from before either that said. LeBlanc can't read an autocue and Evans seems to think it's a car-y version of TGI Friday but I assume they'll settle into it. A few episodes in I think it's worth judging them properly.
Oh, and Sabine Schmitz is a mentalist. Not for the driving but that whole "lets build a western saloon" thing.
So he has been on his radio show this morning saying that it is now confirmed that his Top Gear is the most successful EVER !
Felt a bit sorry for him really, obviously he is so used to getting his ego massaged that he is in denial about this 🙄
So, who's giving it a second chance?
I will as I want to give it a chance
Me, well I think so. Not sure really.
Will see later, all that shouting did my head in last week.