BBC Top Gear - Series 23 discussion thread

wtf are you talking about. everyone said they would give it a try.
it's way down on the old top gear ratings, and got exatly the same ratings as country file. unlike country file. the ratings will more than likely dip significantly next week.
 
I enjoyed it even though I'm not an Evans fan at all. I thought the old stuff and cast needed binning a long time as ago
 
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Apparently that's the lowest rating for Top Gear in a decade, it averaged 5-7 million in the CHM era.

Considering there was a big interest factor in it being a new team it was a fairly mediocre rating I think. Also considering now the response to the show has been greatly negative future ratings are probably heading downhill!

As far as Chris Evans goes he was on a hiding to nothing taking this job on, they'd have been much better going for a total unknown rather than someone who polarises peoples opinion anyway. Didn't help he presented it like he was still doing Don't Forget Your Toothbrush or TFI Friday from the 90's.
 
Wasnt bad, wasnt good, same scripted nonsense as the last lot.

Just like the last 5 or 6 series, i only really watch it for the specials, i did think CH was the only one who showed unscripted enthusiasm, maybe he's the next 'Clarkson' waiting in the wings to push the show forward when it bombs under CE. To be fair i dont really mind CE,I dislike him and JC equally.

I'll give it time, when they revamped TG initially, it was pretty dire for the 1st 4 seasons, it was utter crud with that fat bloke doing RH's job!
 
According to twitter swing o metre, 75% of comments on twitter are negative.

Just watching it now. And CE sucks at presenting. On his voice overs is he trying to be like Hammond and failing.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
I thought the first episode was very "meh". Especially with the 3 wheeler story. Essentially nothing of substance actually happened with them. I don't mind Chris Evans, but I didn't feel chemistry between the presenters. Maybe that'll come in time.

I did watch Extra Gear and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't know of Chris Harris before TG but I do find him quite likable. What I liked about Extra Gear was that it didn't try too hard and that's what I'm finding about TG, it tries to hard and feels forced because of it. Maybe in time that'll settle down.
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Chris Harris is probably the best motoring journalist out there at the moment. His passion for cars always shows through no matter what he is doing.

There's loads of videos on YouTube from him for Evo, Drive and his own Chris Harris on Cars. When Top Gear imploded and they lost the P1/LaFerrari/918 face off Chris managed to get the first head to head video out. Its an hour long epic with Marino Franchitti and Tif Needle that's well worth watching.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
I thought the first episode was very "meh". Especially with the 3 wheeler story. Essentially nothing of substance actually happened with them. I don't mind Chris Evans, but I didn't feel chemistry between the presenters. Maybe that'll come in time.

I did watch Extra Gear and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't know of Chris Harris before TG but I do find him quite likable. What I liked about Extra Gear was that it didn't try too hard and that's what I'm finding about TG, it tries to hard and feels forced because of it. Maybe in time that'll settle down.
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I agree with all this. Top gear should have gone back to basics, with more car reviews, albeit with a twist if nessisary. The stunts etc in old top gear had started to ware thin because it was all stunts and it didn't feel special any more.

New top gear could/should have rewound the clock a decade, not tried so hard for a few episodes, then slowly built the show it their own direction.
 
Ok, now I've watched it, just pure dreadful.
The only part CE wasn't extremely annoying, was in the reliant segment, where both of them, were just utterly boring,
Stars in the car was bizarrely rubbish, what was the teleproctor rubbish about. Did Clarkson take the script writters with him, because it was rubbish.

They also seemed to have taken all top gears best segments and some how made them terrible.

If they got rid of CE and went their own way it could possibly work, but that can't happen till season 2.

If I'm in, i'll probably give it another go, if I miss it like yesterday, I won't be firing iplayer up.

Extra sounds better as CH is great on youtube, so that show might actually steel the show. Although haven't watched that yet.

Oh and the best bit was the atom, given a few seasons mat could become good, if given the opportunity.
 
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Didn't watch it and won't watch it. Rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon than watch Chris Evans.

FWIW I can't stand Clarkson's politics but find him erudite and engaging as a presenter. And I'll watch anything with James May in it, even him putting a lawnmower back together :D I also enjoy his written musings.
 
glen8 said:
Everyone said they wouldn't be watching Top Gear anymore.....official viewing figures for last night stand at 4.4 million

I think people were telling porkies :D
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Curiosity.

Next weeks viewing figures will be more revealing.

I enjoyed Top Gear in its Clarkson/Hammond/May heyday, but they went on too long and it got stale, same old stunts and banter. The show needed a full revamp not a lame format copy and weak impersonations. It shows that the problem is with the production team, not the presenters.
 
I think if it was Matt, Harris and Rory it could be pretty good banter once they get settled in. Chris
Evans just does not fit and should stick to radio.
 
It's entertainment, and now we got the CE and the JC versions so a win win situation. Haters will hate and JC had enough but the new Top Gear was IMO good.
 
glen8 said:
Everyone said they wouldn't be watching Top Gear anymore.....official viewing figures for last night stand at 4.4 million

I think people were telling porkies :D
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Come on, we all knew the ratings for the 1st episode would be decent-ish.
I expect the next one be 3.5 to 4 mill


Well, I finally got around to watching it and I don't have much more to add that hasn't already been said.

*Evans shouts far too much.
*LeBlanc was pleasantly decent.
*I couldn't even watch the 2 stars segment after my first cringe, I just skipped it.

I think I would sum up the new show as 'soulless'.
I don't hate it, it's just a big pile of 'meh'.
 
To me it did not work well,

both starts are lacking something and don't seam to work well,
Chris Evans seam like James may's creepy old teacher who thinks he's cool.

they just dont gel
 
as mentioned on R4 this morning - first season of Clarkson era 2002, was so bad (before team melded) it is not re-shown any more on the tv , and viewing figures 3.5 million

In France there is a motoring show on M6 channel called turbo can see some episodes online, this has been running for years and has the same format as the original Top Gear with a modern budget, latest episode mini-alfa-romeo-giulia-peugeot-2008-renault-rs01
it has all the good ingredients racing driver checkouts, gratuitous locations, consumer/sport car review.
Here is an a3/rs6 review

... it shows how it should be done and puts BBC to shame - anyone else a fan ?
 
good grief that was hard to watch, evans is woeful in this and leblanc not much better. i rarely paid interest in the star in car part before but they've somehow made it worse

i think it may improve so i'll persist
 
V_R said:
youtube
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Oh nice - was fun to see it from that perspective.

While I found extra gear quite good I hope the use Harris a bit more on the main show.

cm1179 said:
good grief that was hard to watch, evans is woeful in this and leblanc not much better. i rarely paid interest in the star in car part before but they've somehow made it worse

i think it may improve so i'll persist
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I actually thought LeBlanc was quite good - stumbled a couple of times but that should improve with time and he didn't just try and ape the previous presenters but at the same time his own spin on it was still true to the spirit of top gear.
 
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