Top Gear

[Claret67]

Paddy McGuinness?
The professional, motoring expert, and excellent TV presenter ?

Oh dear ............

[hogthrob]

I'm willing to give it a go. I think McGuiness might be surprisingly good. Not so sure about Flintoff. Hopefully one or both of them will have decent chemistry with Harris, who I suspect was the real sore thumb in the previous line up.

As a light entertainment/comedy program, they don't seem to have grasped the idea that they need a foil for the comedian. A Morcombe needs his Wise; a Hardy needs his Laurel; a Max needs his Paddy. May plays this role perfectly; but they seem to be trying for three Clarksons.

[yumma]

Sums it up perfectly!

[Nigel306]

Well I've watched the 1st 2 episodes of the new series, and personally I've fast forwarded through most of it, dear of dear what have they done?
A entire half of the latest show to the tuk tuk, and why exactly is Rory still there?

[IAmATeaf]

I for the first time in a very long time actually enjoyed the guest spot yesterday, some of his stories were just beyond bad luck :D

The tuk-tuk piece did also go on a bit but again for me was worth it to see it cross over to India.

I like Rory, admittedly last weeks budget 4x4 piece was pretty rubbish but in general he has done some really good pieces. It does look very much like they've already shelved him by not allowing him to participate?

[Foxy100]

Last night it looked for once like they'd let Monkey write his own piece (the Merc E63 and BMW M5) but then screwed it up with a fake race (why didn't Harris just do both laps and they could have superimposed a trace lap?) but then it fell apart with the rubbish tuk tuk nonsense.

Sabine is a racing driver, make her race with Monkey rather than in badly scripted fake races.

Rory seems to come across well apart from when he's scripted. He just doesn't fit on TG.

It's just silly now. Last season I think TG had it right but this one I think they've gone backwards. Such a shame, so much potential.

[Dave+63]

I found it a little too coincidental that they waited at an animal crossing sign on TGT Colombia special (to photograph animals) and again on the tuk tuk piece last night so Matt could see an elephant.

Are they sharing scripts now?

[zanderpants]

Enjoyed the M5 bit (odd that TG also has an M5 bit last week as well) but the rest was just garbage. As other have said such a shame, especially as in my view Chris Harris is THE best car journalist around by a mile and I have enjoyed his content for years. Feel a bit like they have him playing part of the clown which is a real waste.


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[chicaneuk]

Enjoyed the M5 bit (odd that TG also has an M5 bit last week as well) but the rest was just garbage. As other have said such a shame, especially as in my view Chris Harris is THE best car journalist around by a mile and I have enjoyed his content for years. Feel a bit like they have him playing part of the clown which is a real waste.


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I struggle to watch the new series for specifically this reason. His old stuff on YouTube was great, but Top Gear evidently has to be an entertainment show for the average punter, and not just something for car enthusiasts. It's.. frustrating to say the least. But at least he is still putting stuff on YouTube that is more like the good old days, than the Top Gear dross.

[sprite1275]

I've only watched the first GT and last night's TG. Thought GT was way better. I like Chris, blanc is still in shock getting the job and Rory..... What's the point.

[catch21]

Matt's got a cushion down his shirt or he's doing a Clarkson with his weight. Jeez. We know it's staged, but it's still all got too much feeling of being staged.

[Culminator]

It would definitely be better without Rory. His voice just makes me switch over and has the same effect on me as out of control kids screaming in my local pub.

[mjc1216]

Why are the BBC continuing wasting my TV tax on this rubbish.

It's had it's day and time to put it down.

[jwg663]

<snip>...and Rory..... What's the point.

BBC diversity box ticking...


I've watched both episodes of this series & won't be bothering with any more. Cack-handed cack, IMO.

[hogthrob]

Why are the BBC continuing wasting my TV tax on this rubbish.

It's had it's day and time to put it down.

I would assume your tax is still making the BBC a shed load of money.

[mjc1216]

I would assume your tax is still making the BBC a shed load of money.

It needs to so it can pay it's overrated stars more than they are worth.

[Foxy100]

Why are the BBC continuing wasting my TV tax on this rubbish.

It's had it's day and time to put it down.

Really? The BBC makes a colossal amount of money licensing the TV programme. It also produces the biggest-selling car magazine in the UK, which it also licenses abroad, again bringing in a pile of money. Would you rather the BBC stops making it and all that funding disappears and some of the programmes you do like don't get made?

That they're keeping on Chris Harris speaks volumes, they just need to make sure they find the correct co-presenters and have some decent script writers involved.

These last two episodes have been incredibly damp though, which is a shame as the last series was mostly good.

[Foxy100]

It would definitely be better without Rory. His voice just makes me switch over and has the same effect on me as out of control kids screaming in my local pub.

He's a car journalist who's been dropped into a show he didn't script himself. You can see the real Harris from time to time but I'm not so sure with Rory, and that's a shame. But I agree, he adds nothing whatsoever to the show, which I suspect is why Harris will have two co-presenters to work with from next series rather than just LeBlanc (with Rory tacked on almost as an afterthought).

[mjc1216]

I would rather the BBC was made to stand on it's own two feet than keep taxing people like me.

And before people say it's only £12 per month etc it's about choice.

It's now out of date and with the likes of Netflix/Amazon etc i give it 5 years before the current method of funding has to change.

As you can tell i really don't like the BBC and all it stands for.

[jukeboxs]

I would rather the BBC was made to stand on it's own two feet than keep taxing people like me.

You can choose not to buy a TV license. That's what I do.

[Tony-GB]

It would definitely be better without Rory. His voice just makes me switch over and has the same effect on me as out of control kids screaming in my local pub.

He always sounds like he's mimicking Richard Hammond to me (when he does the voiceovers).

[Andyg]

Watched the first 2 TG episodes and to be frank it's complete garbage.

I like Chris Harris a lot, his pieces are usually insightful and interesting. The point he made about the M5 and AMG was totally valid. Utterly pointless cars in today's world.

The tuk-tuk thing was nonsense and so staged and scripted it was pathetic, but it seems they had i nice holiday. As bad as this was, it was no where near as bad the Suzuki Vs Fiat panda race up a hill. Rory and that the screamer Sabina should be dropped immediately as they contribute nothing, except to make Chris and Matt pieces look better.

Very disapointing as I thought last year they had made progress.


GT is so much better. Better cars, better presenters, better chemistry between the presenters, funnier - just way better. The Hammond/ Jim Clarke piece was excellent, al be it 20 minutes to short.

[Culminator]

They need to change the format and stop trying to be like it was before and failing badly.

[jordan-arch]

I wonder how many times we are supposed to be impressed that they can make a shit box car float, i get that this might have been the first time for this mob but it's certainly not the first time for TG.

The super saloon bit was interesting, but the M5 alpina bit was better on TGT.

To be fair that is also just going over old ground, all be it on a much more impressive scale, I know its entertainment based in a car show and even a poor episode gets viewing figures most would kill for its hardly the key viewing it once was.

[GraniteQuarry]

Watched the first 2 TG episodes and to be frank it's complete garbage.

Agreed, I'll go back to spending that Sunday night hour doing something more useful.

The central issue for me is no spark at all from the presenters, Harris included. He's a good driver who knows his onions, but the comedy scripting just makes him look like a chump. Joey is like a house brick, absolutely no persona at all, jesus even his timing seems off most of the time. Oddly I find Rory to be the most natural of the three!

[DA56]

You can choose not to buy a TV license. That's what I do.

Totally agree. Massive reform needed.

[cannondale]

I watch it on the i player so that i can fast forward the bad bits, the down side each show only lasts 10 minutes!! upside i then have 50 minutes to watch paint dry.

[IAmATeaf]

I’ll say it again, I like Rory, not in that way at the back I don’t think he’s not been given a chance, going back when the 3 of them did a piece where the cars arrived in containers that was quite good.

I think the beeb are trying to be different with the 2 plus 1+other approach but they’ve forgotten that TG was about cars and the interactions of the hosts.

[catch21]

There's no natural leader. I don't think Matt is comfortable in that role. I'm not sure the "one guy can drive" "one guy does tractors" sort of works. I'm unsure of Rory's role and probably so is he. CMH roles were clear. They played to the roles.

[Glamdring]

Last Sunday's was not the best, I thought. Far too much time on the tuk tuks - and The Grand Tour beat them to it weeks ago, crash, mountains and all and all.

[Macca]

Sorry all for posting this in the wrong place ... iPhone trouble

I’d be the first to admit I’ve not really enjoyed new top gear until now, it’s been great this series, Matt le Blanc seems to have settled in, he has a good rapport going with Chris and the content has been fun

The segment with Rory off roading with Sabine was good too

This makes the whole thing doubly annoying because it’s finally starting to work again and Le Blanc is leaving!

So Gents what are your thoughts?
And who is going to replace Matt Le Blanc .. I’ve not even got a clue who could slot in to that show?


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[cbh]

This makes the whole thing doubly annoying because it’s finally starting to work again and Le Blanc is leaving!

So Gents what are your thoughts?
And who is going to replace Matt Le Blanc .. I’ve not even got a clue who could slot in to that show?

As announced in October, and a page and a half talked about on this very thread, Paddy McGuinness and Andrew Flintoff!

[Maysie]

^^^
It is like the Twilight Zone in here at times!

[MikeB687]

I tried to like TG but have given up, the chemistry between the 3 on GT is what made TG what it was.

[alanm_3]

The segment with Rory off roading with Sabine was good too

Strangely enough, I enjoy most of TG but that segment really annoyed me. Just an excuse to wreck some cars for no good reason.

[IAmATeaf]

Strangely enough, I enjoy most of TG but that segment really annoyed me. Just an excuse to wreck some cars for no good reason.

Anything with Sabine the howler annoys me.