Something new and fresh was needed as copying just lead to comparisons being made.
shareLes Enfants Terribles
shareNothing like an agenda to help things along.
"Gizza job! I can do that!"
They should have scrapped the "Top Gear" name and made a new car show to avoid comparisons with the old one.
Top Gear was a massive success because of the chemistry between Clarkson, Hammond and May, not because of the format itself.
Yeah, I do agree with the OP of this thread. I think even under Clarkson and co. the old format was looking a bit tired(silly challenges, the whole "Last of the Summer Wine" act between the presenters, the guests and their laps, etc.). I was surprised at how familiar the new show felt. It's strange, because I thought that Evans would do something new.
shareMaybe they are planning to change the format, and this is a transitional phase.
shareThe BBC want's their cake, and eat it. The problem is it won't work.
The only reason Matt LeBlanc is a co-host for this new team is that the BBC knows that despite Jeremy Clarkson's rants against Americans (and their cars) over the years, Top Gear has become one of the most popular shows on BBC America the past decade. Even towards the end Clarkson realized that there were enough Americans to watch UK Top Gear that didn't take themselves too seriously (the Alabama incident).
I cringed when they introduced The Stig, with "some say....". This is Top Gear USA 2010 all over again.
Even Top Gear USA has become a better show because the three hosts have bonded over time.
Then to completely embarrass the first episode of the new Top Gear, BBCA reminds the viewers of how passionate Jezza, Cpt. Slow, and Hamster with a look back at the best engineering experiments. It's complete with commentary by previous "stars in a reasonably priced car".
Originally Posted by bartcartman:I started watching Top Gear USA this year and didn't find the show to be terrible as others have said. Perhaps I bypassed the awkward earlier years.
Even Top Gear USA has become a better show because the three hosts have bonded over time.
Originally Posted by bartcartman:Yep. I said the same thing in a post about a week ago. Plus the hours of previous seasons of Top Gear that BBCA will continue to air during the week. BTW, the clip show "From A-Z..." aired late last December in the UK.
Then to completely embarrass the first episode of the new Top Gear, BBCA reminds the viewers of how passionate Jezza, Cpt. Slow, and Hamster with a look back at the best engineering experiments. It's complete with commentary by previous "stars in a reasonably priced car".
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I rarely come to IMDB threads, but I was interested to see how others felt about the new show. I have to say that personally I found it very hard to keep watching. The segment where they drove a couple of Reliant Robin cars to Blackpool was "cringeworthy" as the breakdowns were so obviously staged, and the commentary that went with it only confirmed that it was planned.
I didn't mind the new off-road section of the "star is a rally car" track, but the voice-over by Chris Evans was poor, and I don't think the audience had anywhere near as much enthusiasm as previous seasons of the show.
Obviously people are going to want to give it time to see how things pan out, but given that the bulk of each Top Gear series is created long before it goes out, I don't hold out too much hope for it.
Finally, Chris Evans. I enjoyed his previous shows going back to the Big Breakfast and TFI Friday. He needs to be Chris Evans and not try to sound like Jeremy Clarkson. I noticed this in the segment with the Dodge Viper and it made me want to turn off.
To be honest I was bored all the way through - Evans was trying too hard and the staged incidents were as you say - cringeworthy.
The team from 5th gear have just lost their jobs - but that was - Imo - the best motoring show on TV, Maybe the BBC will pick them up after it's got rid of the current sorry lot.
To be honest I was bored all the way through - Evans was trying too hard and the staged incidents were as you say - cringeworthy.
The team from 5th gear have just lost their jobs - but that was - Imo - the best motoring show on TV, Maybe the BBC will pick them up after it's got rid of the current sorry lot.
That's an interesting idea as Wheeler Dealers been one of my favourite shows since its humble beginnings in the early 2000s. Problem is though that Ed is such a great mechanic that there wouldn't be any breakdowns.
Perhaps the BBC will wake up and realise that the shows chemistry was everything and cannot be replaced just by employing stars.
I thought the beauty of the 2003-2015 Top Gear was that the BBC would give the original three challenges on a crappy budget. If anything Edd China would thrive fixing a 1992 Mazda Miata that can't keep one of it's spark plugs from blowing out of it's cylinder (I'm paraphrasing the trip in the Middle East). Not to mention Edd would be away in some foreign country, scrapping for parts to improvise.
Just a thought.
If the BBC were smart