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Lord Blackadder

macrumors P6
May 7, 2004
15,669
5,499
Sod off
I'll give it a look, but Top Gear has had its day I think. Clarkson killed it by injecting too much of himself into the show gradually over time. This new version will never (and should never) try to replicate that - but without such an approach it is doomed.
 

MacsRgr8

macrumors G3
Sep 8, 2002
8,284
1,753
The Netherlands
I forgot it was coming (says enough).... usually I'm counting down to any new Top gear series, but not without the usual 3.

Waiting for the Amazon version of the real Top Gear.
 

DAC47

macrumors 6502
Mar 1, 2007
413
93
Cardiff
Watched it, thought it was fine
Format was basically the same as before.
Star in a rally cross car was the only bit that didn't really work for me.
will watch the rest of the series.
 

Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
55,272
53,036
Behind the Lens, UK
Watched it, thought it was fine
Format was basically the same as before.
Star in a rally cross car was the only bit that didn't really work for me.
will watch the rest of the series.
I'm sure I'll watch it (just because there is so little on), but it just felt more like TFI Friday than Top Gear.
 

iLog.Genius

macrumors 601
Feb 24, 2009
4,908
452
Toronto, Ontario
The show format is pretty much the same with the hosts being the only thing different (obviously). I watched it open minded but I can't get with Chris Evans as host. I'm not even comparing him to Clarkson. Something about Chris Evans made me want to skip past his parts. Matt LeBlanc isn't the best but I found his segments a lot more tolerable and think as the series progresses, he's going to improve.
 

DAC47

macrumors 6502
Mar 1, 2007
413
93
Cardiff
They really should have canned it. IMHO it was getting tired even before Clarkson's incident. Sometimes you've just gotta quit while you're on top.

That was never going to happen TG makes the BBC a lot of Money from overseas sales, they were always going to a least try and keep it going. Ultimately its is just a car show not a drama or a comedy so it shouldn't be to difficult change all the personnel and carry on at a reasonable level of quality.
 

Lord Blackadder

macrumors P6
May 7, 2004
15,669
5,499
Sod off
I finally got around to watching it - you know, I never thought I'd say this, but Matt LeBlanc actually did OK... he played it cool, but in a self-effacing manner. Evans was a bit of a try-hard, but to be fair it was only episode 1. I'd like to see more of Sabine Schmidt, her cameo back in the Clarkson years was very entertaining and she's a great driver.

I'll give it at least a few more episodes. It was reasonably entertaining and they didn't build any car-boats or car-rocketships.

EDIT: Oh, and though I absolutely love those old Land Rovers, I do confess to harboring a true lust for the Willys MB Jeep. Screw the penis-envy Hummer, the WWII Jeep is still king.
 
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0388631

Cancelled
Sep 10, 2009
9,669
10,820
I've always liked LeBlanc's laid back attitude, even when he's serious. As for Evans... I would love to see him clocked by a two by four.
 

quagmire

macrumors 604
Apr 19, 2004
6,910
2,338
Ugh.... I couldn't get past the Corvette vs Viper segment. They just go back to the typical anti-American car BS even though Classic Top Gear shown off American cars are improving. And the god awful Top Gun references..... The whole segment just felt very staged down to every aspect of it.
 
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Gav2k

macrumors G3
Jul 24, 2009
9,216
1,608
Was painful to watch.

Mlb I'm sorry to say shouldn't be hosting the show. It feels very wrong.

Ce what can I say. He's a ****, the jibes about clarkson got old quick. The production staff need shot, it wasn't live so why were we seeing them being counted bk in??

I don't like it and will not be watching it. I'll wait for knobheads to start (yes I know it's not called that)
 

AustinIllini

macrumors G5
Oct 20, 2011
12,683
10,517
Austin, TX
Ugh.... I couldn't get past the Corvette vs Viper segment. They just go back to the typical anti-American car BS even though Classic Top Gear shown off American cars are improving. And the god awful Top Gun references..... The whole segment just felt very staged down to every aspect of it.
It's just complete trash.
 

sim667

macrumors 65816
Dec 7, 2010
1,390
2,915
I watch it.... terrible.

Whilst I liked the old presenters, they'd had their day too..... they should just cancel it honestly.
 

venomgt95

macrumors 6502
May 8, 2014
458
126
Michigan
I quit watching after the Star in a rally car part. Evans was practically shouting everything he was saying, which i dont understand because nobody else before hand had to shout. The film about the two driving to Blackpool (or wherever they went, i honestly forgot) was extremely boring. Granted, it's episode 1 so things may get better, but, we'll see.
 

Lord Blackadder

macrumors P6
May 7, 2004
15,669
5,499
Sod off
Sounds like the public have spoken.

I'll be curious to see what the reaction is to Clarkson's new show. I doubt it will be an objectively better show - which would suggest that what people actually want is not a show about cars (otherwise Fifth Gear would have been more popular), but a "Jeremy Clarkson show."
 

DAC47

macrumors 6502
Mar 1, 2007
413
93
Cardiff
Sounds like the public have spoken.

I'll be curious to see what the reaction is to Clarkson's new show. I doubt it will be an objectively better show - which would suggest that what people actually want is not a show about cars (otherwise Fifth Gear would have been more popular), but a "Jeremy Clarkson show."

I'm guessing he'd quite happy about new Top Gear as he still gets paid by the BBC every time it gets recommissioned.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...ood-because-he-gets-paid-for-it-a7012626.html
 

yg17

macrumors Pentium
Aug 1, 2004
15,027
3,002
St. Louis, MO
Sounds like the public have spoken.

I'll be curious to see what the reaction is to Clarkson's new show. I doubt it will be an objectively better show - which would suggest that what people actually want is not a show about cars (otherwise Fifth Gear would have been more popular), but a "Jeremy Clarkson show."

I would watch Clarkson, Hammond and May host a show about knitting. Those 3 have a dynamic between them that is just so entertaining and fun to watch, the fact that their show is about cool cars is just icing on the cake.
 

Vogue Harper

macrumors 6502
Nov 16, 2008
410
23
Serenity
Cringing at every juncture of the first episode. Gordon Ramsay and Jesse Eisenberg were just painful to watch (not sure why they had to extend the whole USA v UK premise to this part of the show as well). Just goes to show how much the show depended on the chemistry between May, Hammond and Clarkson. I will look forward to Grand Tour later in the year. I doubt I will watch any more of Top Gear with these presenters.
 

WoodNUFC

macrumors 6502a
Apr 30, 2009
641
68
A Library
I actually like the new version. The first episode wasn't great (and at times painful to watch), but as a long-time viewer of the show I felt like it was getting a bit tired before Clarkson's incident. I might be biased but I felt the Clarkson/Hammond/May trio hit its peak in series 10, with the Botswana Special, and hasn't quite felt the same to me since. Not to say I haven't enjoyed the newer episodes, but that episode to me is perfect Top Gear.

I like the rallycross segment, and I can see potential with Chris and Matt. Even in episode two they seem to be clicking better. I think people should go back to the first two series of the Clarkson/Hammond era Top Gear to compare. Series 1 with Jason was boring, and Series 2 when May joined wasn't all that great either. I think these two will be good together with some time to gel. Comparing the new hosts after 1 or 2 episodes, to hosts who had over a decade together, isn't completely fair IMO.

But I will say, I'm really looking forward to the trio's new Amazon show too!
 
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Macky-Mac

macrumors 68040
May 18, 2004
3,510
2,558
I watched part of the rebroadcast of the first show.......it was a bit bizarre seeing them trying to be convincing while saying lines intended to sound like something that clarkson/hammond/may would say.

Didn't watch the whole thing......maybe over time they'll develop their own identity, if the new show doesn't fade away first
 
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