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Top Gear.......new Low?


mikeyv
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I've been critical of TG for a good while now, but tonights first show of the new series was dire.

It's just so juvenile, which would be excusable if it was made by young kids, but just comes across as desperate when produced by middle aged blokes.

I nearly turned it off tonight, but persevered in the hope it would get better....it didn't.

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It's entertainment for the family... Not a serious car show. When you look at it like that it's fantastic. My 11 year old niece and sister love it and they hate cars. Says it all really :)

Did you see tonights program Chris?

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Only 11 year old's could find it entertaining truthfully. The show has slowly got worse over the years and now it's just dire.

I used to like Clarkson believe it or not, now he just uses the show as a child would use a toy.

Like what i like or i'm taking my ball in.....

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Not yet planning on watching it later but my sister already text to say it was brilliant lol

Thought you hadn't.

Be interested to hear your opinion once you've watched it.

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Not worth taking seriously,regard it as a comedy programme,what was the bit in the supermarket all about,it's well past it's sell by date haha,5th gear probably a better alternative?

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As Chris said im too much into my cars to be able watch it. It just makes me mad. They have no clue about cars and are biased and even down right lie to the public, ok its entertainment but there just a bunch of idiots. I think my problem is it went from a respected car journalistic car program to what it is now with the same title so to me its still been taken seriously by a lot of the general public and that makes me frustrated. maybe im wrong.

I respect that it has a good entertainment value but for most car lovers out there they have the same view as me. Im very much enjoying motor trends road kill episodes on youtube it has that entertainment but done by two ppl who know whats what. the latest ep maybe the best yet



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Been pants for years. The epic journeys are good as the cars genuinely have issues and unforeseen things happen. 90% of the shows are play acting, crashing on purpose, scripted incidents etc

Still watch it though :(

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What can I say.... I'll hold judgment until I've seen the latest episode but I bet I'll love it.

I think the problem is as Pete says, you are all still looking at it as a serious motoring journalist programme. If you look at it as an entertainment comedy show centered around cars then it's fantastic entertainment and always has me laughing.

Some say what they do is juvenile, I'm just jealous me and 2 mates can't get up to what they get up to. Looks a right laugh, I'd love to ride a motorbike through Vietnam, or I'd love to drive across America in a cheapy old banger or across Africa in a 2002 Subaru impreza or race the euro tunnel in a Ferrari and all with your best 2 mates! Just wish I could afford to :)

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Quick look on Facebook.... Half my car friends hate it... Half love it. Guess it's like marmite. :lol:

Marmite is too superior and fantastic to be compared in any way to Top Gear. It would be nice to have a decent motoring /car show on TV again, without mega ego's getting in the way.
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Ooooooo you're all haters :lol: :lol:

I find it funny tho.... On the honda forum they were loving it, on the Alfa Romeo forum most enjoyed it, on MG forum again most enjoyed... On LOC you all hate it! Does this have something to do with top gear always slating lexus? Such as saying Lexus don't break but we wish they would :lol: (apart from lfa and new coupe which they love)

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Funny you should mention other car forums.

Not been on civic type r owners club for a while now, but checked earlier, as they were always 90% + in favour of TG in the past.

Last nights got about 2 pages of comments, all bar one poster slating it.

As to your Lexus point, they aren't exactly pro Honda or MG either.

Anyway, I know plenty like it, that's fine, each to their own, but I'm loath to waste another hour of my life on these buffoons.

Probably record it, then fast forward through the dross in future.

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The original TG was a sensible car show and it was crap. Most of 5th Gear is rubbish - who wants to see dry reviews of the latest Golf? Buy What Car magazine for that...

Some of the stuff is ocassionally crud but the vast majority is superb, IMO. I was wetting myself at the supermarket bit . Yes, of course its scripted and staged and I doubt anyone in their right mind is thick enough to base a car-buying decision on anything they say. But as entertainment, its original, escapist and involves petrol - what more could you want?

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My two year old thought it was hilarious! I've never seen her laugh so much! I found it funny but it's gone too far for me, I think they need to find a balance. I know it's more an entertainment show now instead of a car show but some of the script is cringeworthy! They could have been on to a winner with the old hatchback vs modern but I think they spoilt it.

I don't agree with you on 5th gear Neil, you know what your getting with that, it's informative and actually reviews cars. Mr average wants to see a review on the new Golf, not everyone can afford the latest Ferrari or McLaren. Yes it's not amazing but it is what it is.

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Iv'e also got a Honda (sorry!) and they no likey on the forum too.......the only car progs actually about cars seem to lurk in the 'channels below', about mainly classics, presented by old rally drivers like Penny Mallory and Tony Mason....at least they are proper enthusiasts, not ego junkies.

(Janet now removes bum from high horse, and goes for some cereals for brekkie)

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I don't agree with you on 5th gear Neil, you know what your getting with that, it's informative and actually reviews cars. Mr average wants to see a review on the new Golf, not everyone can afford the latest Ferrari or McLaren. Yes it's not amazing but it is what it is.

I consider myself Mr Average and I definitely don't want to watch a review of a Golf or anything that I can afford - I can go to the dealer and get a free test drive. But a supercar? I'm very unlikely to see one moving in the flesh so TG is the next best thing.

Fifth Gear did a few good things but they were always the TG-like tests (racing an F1 car against a MotoGp bike, F1 car against an M5) - the rest was just too dull. Even they only review Porsche, high-end beemers etc (so that Tiff and Jason can have their 'hysterical' races around the track) - not only can I not afford them either but I see them every day on the roads. Tom Ford is a good presenter but the others all try too much to be like the TG cast and fail miserably - they're just not childish enough :shifty:

Problem is that TV does not suit the requirements of car reviews - a 3 page review in What Car mag would need 40 minutes of TV time to replicate and how many people want to watch a whole program about one car? Yes, those few who may be wanting to buy that car but that's just dull for the rest of us. In What Car, you can just skip the review you don't want and carry on...TV producers can't afford to make programs which so few people will watch.

TG is the only program on TV that I actually know what time it is on and plan to watch - even the repeats on Dave are great. :whistling:

(My personal fave TG 'sketch' was the classic car rally on Mallorca - comedy gold :phone: )

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It was petty dire in my humble opinion. I can't believe there aren't more interesting things they could be doing in the motoring world.. My biggest issue is that there is no way at least some youths will not be copying those stunts, because saying "don't try this at home" will not stop them. I only hope that it does not take someone's lad to be killed, climbing over a moving car, to prove what a set of pointless idiots they have become.

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I totally agree Hugh, there were countless thing they could have done on the feature of old school hatchback vs new hatchback but what they chose to do was totally pointless, ok a little funny in parts but they missed the boat in my opinion. I consider myself to be young but even for me I think they've crossed the line, it's gone from being a funny entertainment programme to a silly scripted cringeworthy programme. I'll continue to watch in hope the series improves.

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The original TG was a sensible car show and it was crap. Most of 5th Gear is rubbish - who wants to see dry reviews of the latest Golf? Buy What Car magazine for that...

Some of the stuff is ocassionally crud but the vast majority is superb, IMO. I was wetting myself at the supermarket bit . Yes, of course its scripted and staged and I doubt anyone in their right mind is thick enough to base a car-buying decision on anything they say. But as entertainment, its original, escapist and involves petrol - what more could you want?

What? i watch many many car reviews that are entertaining done by presenters that have a clue. I havent watched it for years, i was watching it when they were making that transition from serious to entertainment and WAS been taken seriously by many. like i said they should of changed the name, even the magazine is called top gear magazine full of so called reviews and verdicts

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The original TG was a sensible car show and it was crap. Most of 5th Gear is rubbish - who wants to see dry reviews of the latest Golf? Buy What Car magazine for that...

Some of the stuff is ocassionally crud but the vast majority is superb, IMO. I was wetting myself at the supermarket bit . Yes, of course its scripted and staged and I doubt anyone in their right mind is thick enough to base a car-buying decision on anything they say. But as entertainment, its original, escapist and involves petrol - what more could you want?

What? i watch many many car reviews that are entertaining done by presenters that have a clue. I havent watched it for years, i was watching it when they were making that transition from serious to entertainment and WAS been taken seriously by many. like i said they should of changed the name, even the magazine is called top gear magazine full of so called reviews and verdicts

Entertaining? Are you sure?

In the interests of fairness, I just watched a review on YouTube of a Golf. It was very informative, the presenter was perfectly watchable (and it was only 7 mins long) BUT if it had been on TV, I would have switched it off after 30 seconds (unless I happened to be considering buying a Golf).

Bog standard cars are just not interesting, even to a petrol head (which I consider myself to be).

You cannot make a successful TV program based on car reviews of sensible cars - TG know this and have changed accordingly (and very successfully). There may be 30 million cars on the road but only a small minority of those owners actually CARE about their car enough to maybe get interested in a pure car program.

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there were countless thing they could have done on the feature of old school hatchback vs new hatchback

I thought that at first but, on reflection, I can't really think of anything that would be interesting.

A drag race or timed lap might be interesting but we all know the oldies would be mullered - I had a Mk II Golf Gti and much as I loved it then, it was slower than a Honda Civic diesel I drove a few years ago.

So what else would have been better?

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there were countless thing they could have done on the feature of old school hatchback vs new hatchback

I thought that at first but, on reflection, I can't really think of anything that would be interesting.

A drag race or timed lap might be interesting but we all know the oldies would be mullered - I had a Mk II Golf Gti and much as I loved it then, it was slower than a Honda Civic diesel I drove a few years ago.

So what else would have been better?

A blank screen.

You're obviously a fan, and you're not alone, but I still think this opening program of the new series was utter garbage, and a lot more people seem to agree than in previous TG threads, on this and other boards.

The program is stale and utterly predictable in my opinion.

I much preferred the Wilson, Needell period, with Clarkson in a minor role( usually as a passenger of Tiff, with his eyes closed.

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