Top Gear

[SoleBizzz]

Anyone watching?

Agree, Sparkling.

I thought the Top Gun chase bit was fun to watch. But the Blackpool segment just didn't work with the adolescent-boy-style rivalry removed. Competing amiably over pointless things also presumes a really solid relationship, and it fell flat because they were going through the competition motions but with a total lack of relationship or conviction.

Chris Evans was AWFUL
Matt was ok but is far better at acting than he is presenting
Sabine was good
Gordon is a knob

Not very impressed to be honest. It just seemed to lack any pizzazz.
Hopefully the chemistry will improve but I'm not holding my breath.

I thought there was a lack of chemistry between CE and MLB. More Sabine would be good and some originality not just a minor rehash of a tested formula.

Has anyone watched Extra Gear yet? I just watched it with DP and it was so much better than Top Gear. Rory Reid was great, more of Sabine and her awesome log cabin by the Nürburgring and actual car stuff instead of the dicking around.

I watched it, and it was ... OK. But just OK. Funny enough, in parts.

It was definitely a pale imitation of the former Top Gear. And both presenters were trying far too hard. Sabine was the only really good part - and I bristled when they called her a girl.

It was no better or worse than the appalling mess TG had already become under Clarkson et al. I hope over the course of the series things gradually change and it becomes their own.

Awful is all I have to say

Apparently Evans hates the scripts and has now bought in Danny Baker. Which does suggest, he knew it isn't there yet.

At least he knows it.

The three before had brains and wit as well as a thorough understanding of cars and a true friendship and camaraderie.

Chris Evans will never match up.

Top Gear was shite - it sold it's soul for cheesy laughs. It was better when it was actually about cars. For a first episode, I thought it was alright today. Think it's got potential. Hope they do some focus groups/ research and realise how awesome Sabine is. More of her please!

I didn't watch the Extra programme but I wonder if that is the show they couldn't persuade the BBC bosses to put on? The bosses insisted on a clone of old TG when we were ready for something new and interesting.

I felt like the Extra content was a bit like the more informative parts of "Old" TG - the News, an actual review by someone who knows about cars/motoring journalism (Chris Harris) - but a bit friendlier. New TG is -so far- mostly just the inane parts of old TG with Chris Evans shouting over the top of it doing a Clarkson impression.

Top marks for Sabine, so relaxed and clearly enjoying just being herself and socking it to all the men in a man's world.

Matt was ok and I think will improve. He was really wooden in the studio, but when he was doing his own thing he was much more relaxed and entertaining.

CE has got to realise he's in an aircraft hanger not a studio and PLEASE STOP SHOUTING. Though I don't buy that him and Matt hate each other, they currently have zero charisma together. If this was a blind date they wouldn't be making plans for a second date. Oh and please stop trying to use Clarkson's words. The whole "some say"thing was excruciating. I know there are script writers,but Clarkson is an experienced journalist who knows how to craft words. CE either babbles on or parrots boring scripts.

I'll give it another go next week, but this week I just kept pausing and going off to do more exciting things like the washing up!

I am SO disappointed! I loved the old Top Gear and the holy trinity (JC, RH and JM) but I was happy at the prospect of having TWO fun motoring programmes to watch. I watched TG back n the old days with Tiff Needell, Chris Goffey etc so I know that it can evolve and improve. But it hasn't. I think it's bizarre to have stuck SO closely to the previous format, it felt so fake. CE is awful, shouty and I hate his skinny legs and his awful boots! Never mind the shouting. I thought MLB was far better. CE does dye his hair red, I bumped into him outside yes is about 5 years ago and he was becoming a silver fox to my surprise, it suited him, do the very red hair is fake. He is a total Wanker. Give the show to MLB and Sabine

My 13 and 11 year old boys enjoyed it. I said to them that I wished CE would stop shouting. They said he has to because of the background noise so it didn't bother them. Matt has lovely white teeth,

We liked it here. Not as "blokey" as Jezza and gang, but funny nevertheless. MLB has found his calling I think. CE was nervous - he was under a lot of pressure with big boots to fill. He'll prob calm down a bit as he relaxes in to it.

DS says "They've ruined it?"

No-one here liked CE's boots - we're all amazed he only has one pair. Chemistry sadly lacking.

Thought this was funny

I liked Sabine Schmidt seems to be a theme

In fact, I liked it overall. I felt i had actually learnt some facts about cars which was a massive improvement on the previous show.

I also think it will get better. They're all new to the show and each other. There was an interview with CE and he very much gave the impression that the BBC wouldn't let them change the format. Hopefully they will have let them tweak it as the series went on.

Thank you for watching it for me I have never been able to bear CE. My parents used to adore don't forget your toothbrush and I was baffled then by the shouty, shrill attention seeker. They could have brought back Clarkson, Hammond and May with CE and I still wouldn't have watched.
If they'd done TG with unknowns who represented the three faces of car lovers (the silly twit who loves cars but isn't mechanically minded, the enthusiast with a bit of setting do and a massive geek who actually gelled) it would have been good for a revamp and a reboot. Fifth gear was more serious but didn't get the viewers so it needed to be silly but still make the geeks chortle.
Sounds like CE needs to be shuffled out and then it might be watchable. Another case of the BBC talent dept gorn mad.

No JC - I'm happy. I hated the old TG by the end.

Instead of landing jokes normally, Chris evans put more emphasis on the words themselves so that to me it felt like a children's programme where they try and interact with the children "hey look whats that BEHIND us" Matt kind of grew into it but still not great was patchy, and I hope the US vs USA thing stops it feels .like a fake camaraderie with Jeremy clarkson and co you felt they knew each other and it was just an extension of their day to day interactions, you are acutely aware that Chris and Matt were put together and this UK vs USA divide was created because they needed an angle.

The thing is top gear as people know it developed gradually into itself and the guys chemistry fuelled it, that's why I don't think this format will work with these presenters, the jokes are there to be made but they haven't got the familiarity to pull off the humour, they should have decided to change it to their strengths. Sabine seems to be the shining light for many, but I'm not sure if she was genuinely brilliant, is helped by a touch of nostalgia, or some champion her because she is a woman. She did well but I think some are going over the top for it all to be genuine.

I remember Chris saying they no longer would go for the cheap laughs and that's exactly what they attempted, and on that bombshell...