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Post by Nicholas on May 30, 2016 7:37:53 GMT
I've got to admit, I consciously wasn't fussed about tuning in. I'd been mulling it over for a good long while as to whether or not I would, but it just hadn't been sold to me, and I feel too much of a sense devotion to the way it was before. Part of me feels guilty for not giving it a fair chance, but at the same time selling it to someone before to tune in is just as important as delivering, and, for me, it didn't hook me at the pitch. I've got a lot of love for Matt Le Blanc, but I find Chris Evans a little obnoxious. In my mind, the show is far too different to be labelled as the same franchise. It's a different show. So part of me doesn't feel guilty about tuning in because... why would I? I wouldn't be likely to tune in to a new ITV equivalent. The only thing that would draw me in is the recognisable name that's been slapped on, using the earlier version's success as the springboard. But it's different presenters, different crew, different set-up, admittedly another car show, but... the BBC just seems to be riding on the reputation of the old new Top Gear to flog something new and different entirely. I'll be interested to read news reviews and rating reports. It's a terrible thing, but part of me is almost willing the show to be a flop.
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Post by Culdee Fell on May 30, 2016 13:11:27 GMT
I watched the new episode last night out of curiosity and, just to throw in my 2ps worth, I honestly think this might be the shot in the arm Top Gear needs to revitalise it.
I'll be completely honest, I'd got bored of the Clarkson, Hammond, May version of Top Gear. Even though I still liked them as individual presenters I felt their episodes had started to get a bit too big and bloated, with every challenge needing to be bigger than the previous ones in order to have the same sort of impact. With this new episode it seemed to me that they were deliberately starting small. It was more tightly focussed on the cars than I remember Top Gear having been in recent years, and the challenges were more believable and less obviously staged and scripted.
Slightly stunningly I think this is the first new episode I've watched for about four or five years. And that stuns me, because around about 2007-2009 (Series 10-14 ish) I used to watch almost every episode. Looking back on this very thread I can see a lot more posts from that period than I can from the last few years before the "fracas".
I liked Chris and Matt. Chris was very good. Matt was trying too hard at times but I'm sure he'll find his footing. Crucially they've got a good rapport between them. In short, I was a lot more impressed than I expected to be.
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Post by Ian on May 31, 2016 15:23:50 GMT
Some say it was a good idea to revive a show after losing a much loved presenting line up. All I know is- it wasn't such a good idea after all. I managed half of the first episode and then had to switch off.
Chris Evans was trying far too hard. He bounced around like a strange Clarkson/Hammond hybrid, to the point he was just annoying and smug. The "We got custody!" thing with the Stig seemed far too over the top and childish even by Top Gear standards, and his "We don't mention catering any more on this show" line made me wish someone would serve him a cold platter in the hope he'll get sacked too. He tried far too hard to copy Clarkson's style and that was a huge own-goal. He should have tried something new.
New ideas seemed awkward- the cat-walk thing made the presenters seem too self-obsessed; the rally car idea was a good try, but I can't see that it'll gel.
Le Blanc was trying to fill the May role, and came across as being as interesting a presenter as a lump of wood. A truly baffling bit of casting, and the rapport between him and Evans was staggeringly absent- he's an actor for goodness sake, he could have at least faked it.
Over the years TV managers have taken a number of shows, revived them with new casts and then watched them sink faster than the Titanic. Reggie Perrin on BBC, Yes Prime Minister on GOLD... the originals were so loved by the public that such huge changes were going to be very hard to bring in. Alas, the same happened here. I applaud them for trying, but it isn't for me.
4.4 million viewers on episode 1- lets see how many check in for the rest of the series.
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Post by SammyPanda on Jun 1, 2016 12:39:28 GMT
Having watched the Extra Top Gear,I feel Rory Reid and Chris Harris should have been the primary presenters over Evans and Leblonc.
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Madness
Main Line Engine
Posts: 1,992
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Post by Madness on Jun 5, 2016 0:02:22 GMT
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Madness
Main Line Engine
Posts: 1,992
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Post by Madness on Jul 12, 2016 21:39:06 GMT
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Post by Galloping Sausage on Jun 16, 2023 20:59:36 GMT
I heard of Top Gear just getting on YouTube in the late 2000s, but it wasn't something I'm invested in too much. Although recently I got into James May recently thanks to one of his shows talking about fixing things, and one of them was about model trains. It was thanks to him that I got back into the hobby for a few years (though the video is edited).
I also watched this video on this guy talking about some rare Top Gear items.
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