Heads up for those interested. The new show starts Sunday at 8pm on BBC2
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Absolutely loved the last Top Gear, can't see Evans and co having half the charisma, character, whatever you want to call it to make it a success. I'll prob watch the first episode out of curiousity........can't wait for the return of the three amigos on Amazon :DOriginally Posted by jaytip
Feedback from a friend who was at the filming of the first of the new show last Thursday is that it's pretty good. Different format, track, studio from the old version.
The presenters made a real effort to interact with the audience and were seeking feedback on whether the audience thought the new show was in the right format and going in the right direction.
Realistically I think they're on for hiding for nothing. Trying to follow the old guard will be next to impossible, people will no doubt compare both shows-Clarkson, May and Hammond bounced off and complimented each other perfectly, different styles of presenting etc..... Anyone trying to replicate this will find it very very hard.
I thought the newspapers said the audience of the first recording slated Evans and Le Blanc? Then again do I believe everything I read in the papers, lol.
I think you'll find that was The Hate Mail that made up that story.
They have been conducting a viscous campaign against the new TG team for their own reasons.
So clever my foot fell off.
I will watch with interest - I suspect like many, I am curious to see how it plays out and will see if it engages me or not.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I'll definitely be watching it. We already know it will be a different animal from TG of old but that doesn't mean it won't be good in other ways. Might take them a series or so to gel and find the right format too so it will be worth sticking with it.
I will give it a try.
I stopped watching the previous bunch as it got to the stage where you knew which one of the clichéd phrases were going to be trotted out again - so predictable, just like watching something badged as a new series but on Dave!
Agreed- Every other day it seemed a story was published, discontent within the production crew, no-one getting on with Evans etc...... Hope it does go back to more of a 'Car' show and doesn't try and copy the old format, Evans I don't think will pull that off well.
I'll give it a go. I missed the last few series of TG as I thought it became extremely boring and predictable.
I'll try the new Clarkson led version on Amazon too.
In fairness the threshold for quality terrestrial television is fairly low at the moment and I think it will be good fun. Going by what I have seen so far it feels like they have tried to distance themselves from the previous format and do something a little different.
Never going to write it off until I watch it and see how I feel about it. The hate campaign in the media has been hard to fathom. Show sounds like it has some great ingredients so I look forward to the first episode!
I'll give it a go, let's hope they don't do shite like trying to covert a people carrier into a soft top.
I can't bear Evans and the way Sabine has literally just screamed all the way through her previous appearances will be hard to watch but it is about cars and I will give it a try although the other three had such a fantastic chemistry that in my opinion can't be beaten and I will subscribe to Amazon to watch them.
Thing is, no-one can deny that the old Top Gear format, whilst still capable of cranking out the odd gem, had become a total dinosaur. The same old jokes, the same buffoonery from Clarkson/Hammond/May. I turned off more episodes towards the end, than I left on, because I was so sick of the tired old format.
So really there's just as much pressure on their new show, as there is on the new BBC Top Gear. I look forward to seeing what they do with both reall, and admire the BBC for showing their hand first. I find it more concerning how there's been nothing about 'Grand Tour' other than a few clips of (unsurprisingly) the three presenters being confused and bumbling again.
Unlike many people - it seems - I don't actually find Chris Evans too objectionable, whereas Clarkson and his pals (especially Hammond) were beginning to grate over the last couple of series of old Top Gear. So I'm quite looking forward to watching the show on Sunday.
I like Evans, and not just because he's the only person to ever compliment me, from the urinal next to mine in a pub toilet, on my shirt. It was a very fine shirt too. Monkey I think will be very good for the show and will likely outlast the rest of them if it goes wrong (he's the only one who can a) present and b) drive at the same time and has been doing it for years, and knows what he's talking about) and don't have an opinion on the rest of them, with the exception of Jordan who I'm not so keen on. Going back to Monkey, it's very rare to find a journalist who can write or a driver who can write, but he is excellent at both and has a lot of experience at presenting. Evans is a presenter, Jordan is under contract to the BBC and presumably nothing else, Sabine can drive and the American seems a nice chap. I haven't a clue who the other presenter is or what he does. You get what I'm trying to say about Harris, he's the only one that covers all bases.
I'm looking forward to it, and I'll watch the other show when it comes on.
Incidentally I think the previous version of Top Gear was on its last legs and wasn't going to last much longer anyway. What we have now is the best case scenario for everyone involved. The BBC is big and bad enough to know how to massage the new show if it doesn't work.
"A man of little significance"
Whatever folks personal opinions on here of Hammond, May, Clarkson and Evans, there is no denying that they are enormously popular.
I don't see why some are pitching it as an 'either or' choice re TG or The Grand Tour, I'm just pleased there will be two new car based shows to watch this year.
Yep, this is the best way of looking at it. More cars on my telly box, brilliant.
Foxy has nailed it regarding Harris - he is the far and away the best automotive journalist out there right now. I'd love for many of the other Evo boys (Meaden, Bovingdon, Catchpole, Metcalfe, maybe even Trott) to get a chance on the bigger screen too but Harris is the one that is most likeable by non-petrolhead folk I would say.
Can't wait.
I agree with this 100%.
At its height, TG was some of the best TV ever. The North Pole expedition was simply brillilant, as were other road trips. And who can forget the Toyboata, or the Reliant Shuttle?
But the last few seasons did start to lose it (Peugeot ambulance anyone) and many fans on here and elsewhere were slating the show episode after episode. Personally, I think a nasty edge has started to creep in to the writing also, which was a shame as wit was being replaced by things like "there's a slope on the bridge". They were running out of ideas and it showed.
So I think a new version of the show is well due, and hopefully should be welcomed and enjoyed. I also hope that JC,JM and RH's new show on Amazon is excellent -I like the concept and wish it well.
With luck, there will be two great car shows to watch.
So clever my foot fell off.
I'd say it was between Andrew Frankel and Ben Oliver in the UK although there are a lot of contenders - Steve Sutcliffe, Dickie Meadon, Chris Chilton to name a few, as well as Harris. Nick Trott did some great stuff when he was a freelancer at Car, before he moved to Evo. Incidentally, both Harris and Frankel have Sea Dwellers, Oliver has a few nice vintage watches. Trott has a Siffert reissue, Chilton a vintage Seiko chrono.
"A man of little significance"
Good knowledge! I've spotted Harris with a Chopard Jacky Ickx in some of his vids too.
Edit: and Henry Catchpole always sports his Speedy on a Nato :)
Last edited by Hammond; 24th May 2016 at 14:56.
Are you Richard Hammond?
I'm not entirely joking...
So clever my foot fell off.
New cars bore me silly but I still read all of Frankel's pieces in Motorsport every month, surely that's the mark of a really good journo.
Motor Sport is the only car magazine I buy. The current issue is particularly good.
"A man of little significance"
I had a strange phone call the other day to see if Top Gear could hire our specialist cleaning lorry to clean the airfield at Dunsfold! They have been dragging mud onto the runway and a normal road sweeper was unable to remove it.
Very strange might have changed the track to involve some rallycross or something, they wanted it for a number of weeks every Thursday.
Have to say I will watch it but I don't expect to enjoy it as not a big Evans fan, but we wait and see.
Its over. Clarkson's gone. Knows a slope when he sees one. Ginger is just a knob............................
Here's a preview of the series - a very interesting read!
Looks pretty good to me! Nice to see some classics getting a mention too.
http://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-...mate-preview#1
So clever my foot fell off.
Interesting about Chris Harris being able to Present and drive at the same time.
I watched the whole of his P1-Laugherrari-918 comparison.
It was an hour, as I recall, and the production quality was pretty good, BUT, he waffled on for a lot of the time and NEVER came to any conclusion over which he liked best.
I thought, whilst there was some great camera work and Clarkson-esque drifting skills, it was a bit long winded and overly-padded.
Hopefully he'll have had some forthright editing applied or a 5 minute review of the AM Vulcan (as we're promised) will be him waffling on about bacon sandwiches, the weather and the door handles...
I'm not convinced, despite the near adoration in some quarters.
I won't be watching NTG because I can't stand Chris Evans. I'll try and catch the Vulcan bit on Youtube though.
M
I won't be watching because I despise Evans.
I remember Chris Evans from the big breakfast days. Curious to see if the same level of humour will pass over to TG.
I like Evans, I liked TG of old but it was past it's prime now. I'm very willing to give the new show a try and am looking forward to watching it. TG or antiques roadshow, now let me make a choice ....
I really don't like Evans at all and I just love Clarkson/Hammond/May but I will give it a go as I just love cars so let's see.
Harris also has enough of an edge (ego) and mischief to make him interesting to watch. I'll be most interested to see if the BBC, or the nerves created over his 'big break', are enough to tame the ego and make him less of an personality. I certainly hope not.
PS Peter Dron is also a bloody brilliant, and underrated, UK journo.
Except he lives in France!
"A man of little significance"
You've got to be kidding me.
Mauro Calo, on the other hand, still lists the BBC on his linkedin profile.
"A man of little significance"
He still does some driving for them.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
So far so good enjoyed the Yank muscle car topic
Not keen on Le Blanc so far.
Cheers..
Jase
A bit painful. Feels like a student project and Chris is trying way too hard. Hopefully he'll calm down.
It's a bit like a bad tribute band at the minute TBH.
I'll hang on in there for now.....
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I agree. The old (and it appears, current) format was built around the 3 presenters or at least it was in our minds. I can't help feeling that the new line up requires a new format. Trying to copy Clarkson, Hammond and May isn't going to work for the viewers.
So far CE is doing a circus ringmaster impression with his guests and the audience.
It's crap
To rehearsed, no chemistry. I give it a try next week, but don't see that line up for the next series
Just awful. I thought they'd do something new rather than try to copy (badly) what went before. Makes you realise how good Clarkson is to be honest.
Oh Dear, It can only get better I suppose!
Could they not have come up with anything original to add to the format?
I'll keep watching but let's hope they find their feet and it improves.
Already enjoying the Jutland programme on afterwards though.
Lasted fifteen minutes and switched over the AR.
I think it's like all the recent remakes like Dad's Army, suggested remake on the Carry On films.
Why try to mend something that wasn't broken, it'll never work.
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