New Top Gear- The Verdict

Headphones

Dull as ditchwater episode.  May be a hint of humour with the long jump, but...

Sabine and Matt seem to have an element that might work (the others are just car nerds).

But - and this is key to success - they've forgotten why the show was popular.  It was never a car show - which is what this version is.

It was successful because it was bloke TV.  Three idiots doing stupid things and taking the piss out of each other - it just happened to be in a carry setting.  Could have been boats, planes, pottery, sheep farming - anything

While this might aspire to be a good car show (maybe it is?), it's shed the audience that couldn't care less if it's a beetle or a porsche, keeping just the car nerds.

It'll be a struggle for them to recover that audience now they've lost it.

There will be other popular bloke shows. This ain't it.

terada

I stopped watching a couple of weeks back.

Bogwhoppit

Are we talking about Countryfile again ?

Philly_Q

Bogwhoppit said:

Are we talking about Countryfile again ?

No, but imagine the crisis they'll have when John Craven retires....

richardhomer

One of the things this series has brought home is - in spite of his reputation - how unegotistical a presenter Clarkson was. Apart from 'my guest tonight' on the reasonably priced car slot, it always looked like a team effort.

Evans has always been about Evans - he just can't help himself.

Time to kill the show I think.

Chalky

richardhomer;1137480" said:

One of the things this series has brought home is - in spite of his reputation - how unegotistical a presenter Clarkson was. Apart from 'my guest tonight' on the reasonably priced car slot, it always looked like a team effort.

Evans has always been about Evans - he just can't help himself.

Time to kill the show I think.

Spot on. Clarkson's role in the three Stooges act was to think he was in charge, but without the counterweights of the other two it wouldn't have worked. Even with his mouth closed, Evans is constantly shouting - Look at me! Look at me!

stickyfiddle

They don't need to kill the show, they just need to replace Evans with someone better liked who is more of a team player.

Don't forget it took the last lot a couple of seasons with other guys before they settled in Clarkson, May and Hammond.

fretmeister

If Clarkson's new one on Amazon beats the BBC figures even though it requires a Prime membership then I reckon the BBC will pull the plug.

I've watched a few and they have been very very dull indeed.

Dull is ok if it was a proper car review show, but it isn't.

Moe_Zambeek

I also gave up a few weeks back. I'd watch a show with MLB larking around with some amusing co-conspirators but Evans is just a complete non-starter for me. I've been pondering a Prime membership anyway, if they do any deals before September I think i'd go for it, at least in part because of Clarkson / May / Hammond.

SRich

That was a short run series ........6 weeks. Perhaps BBC wouldn't commit to a longer run. 

Chris Evans just needs to go....still too shouty, too laddish..........too....Evans really. Matt Le Blanc works well and is a natural presenter for the show and Sabine also seems to fit (although she does seem a bit Chermanic Michael Schumacher-esque).

The others.........meh! Part time guests possibly.

The combo of two 'stars' and the first car / best car schtick was old in the first week - just boring and needs to revert back to the time proven Star in a Reasonably Priced Car or drop it altogether.

Eddie Jordan - who I think is terrific in F1 circles - just looks like the Old Feller that everyone takes the piss out of. Doesn't look as sharp as he usually is.

   

Jalapeno

Watched bits of a few episodes, my view is that it was a pale imitation.  Should have changed the format (and at least the Rover sofas).

It didn't work, and Evans didn't cut it (despite his impeccable petrol head credentials).

boogieman

SRich said:

That was a short run series ........6 weeks. Perhaps BBC wouldn't commit to a longer run. 

Chris Evans just needs to go....still too shouty, too laddish..........too....Evans really. Matt Le Blanc works well and is a natural presenter for the show and Sabine also seems to fit.

The others.........meh! Part time guests possibly.

The combo of two 'stars' and the first car / best car schtick was old in the first week - just boring and needs to revert back to the time proven Star in a Reasonably Priced Car or drop it altogether.

Eddie Jordan - who I think is terrific in F1 circles - just looks like the Old Feller that everyone takes the piss out of. Doesn't look as sharp as he usually is.

   

Apparently they overran the filming schedule and couldn't get the planned 8 episodes in the can.

I gave up watching the latest series after week 2, it's hackneyed, laboured and has no redeeming features that I can see. Evans is just awful and was the kiss of death. He's also under police investigation for sexual harassment now I see, so I imagine the Beeb will be dropping him like a hot potato very soon.

not_the_dj

I watched them all and enjoyed them, I don't mind Evans, but I can see how he annoys a lot of people, so he is the wrong choice for this....or at least the format is.

Early on after he was given the job he said on his radio show that he didn't just want to do a rehash of the same old stuff, but that's exactly what they've given us, so I wonder if there was a desire in the BBC to keep the format the same rather than giving him more scope to just "make an entertaining car based show".

It'll be interesting to see The Grand Tour and to see if they've shaken it up more.

EricTheWeary

Meanwhile LeBlanc is dating one of the producers, so he's having a nice time there. Meanwhile the obnoxious Evans who was dating 17 year olds in his mid thirties was once a bullying sex pest, how surprising... As not a fan of TG anyway the lack of reinvention seems the oddest thing - it could have fallen flat on it's face but at least they could have tried. Like the England football team all over again.

chillidoggy

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1381280/top-gear-host-chris-evans-faces-police-probe-over-sexual-assault/

crunchman

With the old version the presenters were the butt of a lot of the jokes.  May was the main victim with his "Captain Slow" moniker but there were various jokes about Hammond's height, teeth, car crash etc. and even Clarkson was not immune. They always portrayed him as a buffoon who would just charge in at full throttle and hit anything with a big hammer if it went wrong.

This version seems to be missing that element.  I think they may have tried to make Jordan the ridicule figure but it doesn't work with him the same way as it did with James May.

The bigger problem though is Evans.  He is just annoying.  When he was presenting stuff years ago it was aimed at a teenage and student audience and his shouty style was tolerable, but it doesn't work on Top Gear.

chillidoggy

Viewing figures down to 1.9 million for the last episode.

not_the_dj

chillidoggy said:

Viewing figures down to 1.9 million for the last episode.

Clashing with the football wouldn't have helped. Must be more of a crossover with that audience than Antiques Roadshow.

crunchman

not_the_dj said:

chillidoggy said:

Viewing figures down to 1.9 million for the last episode.

Clashing with the football wouldn't have helped. Must be more of a crossover with that audience than Antiques Roadshow.

You have to look at the figures down the line with iPlayer in there.  4 or 5 years ago I used to regularly watch it at 8 on a Sunday night.  I've watched all but one episode of this series on iPlayer.

xSkarloey

Evans- see ya

LeBlanc- fine.

Rory Reid- Really like him, and I thought the bits he did last week with Norman Dewis about Jags were very good.

Chris Harris- TG's future.

They should bring more of a 'car news'/ driving issues element into it to give a nod to the public service remit (you can do this while being entertaining because it essentially involves moaning about how shit some aspects of driving in Britain are).