Top Gear thread

[SVT666]

Sabine and Harris will be the only reasons this show succeeds.

[SVT666]

Maybe this is a "sink or swim" scenario.  The last three standing stay on permanently.  My prediction is the first one to leave is the old guy, then LeBlanc, and then Sabine.  The black guy, Evans, and Harris will be the last three.  I like Sabine, but I think the chemistry will work best with those three.

[Cookie Monster]

Sabine and Harris will be the only reasons this show succeeds.

Have you seen the show already or what?

[SVT666]

Have you seen the show already or what?

I've seen stuff from all of them.

[SVT_Power]

Agree. Old white guy is Eddie Jordan, whose F1 team had 4 wins. I have no idea of his character, or what he brings to the show.

If you watch F1, he's part of the BBC F1 coverage. Interesting guy, but not all that funny

[AutobahnSHO]

having filming issues- planned a trip to Kazakhstan but Russia blocked it

https://www.yahoo.com/news/top-gear-forced-to-scrap-a-500000-filming-trip-091213654.html

[Byteme]

SEVEN?!

I'm not sure all seven will be on every show.

To those who are already saying it will suck.  Lighten up and give it a chance.    Personally I liked the previous version and would watch every show, but it was getting just a bit predictable and it became more and more obvious that most of the situations were scripted. 

Try to approach the new show with an open mind.  Come to think of it that's probably good advice for approaching life in general.

[CaminoRacer]

Chris Evans is constantly in the news for being a lazy twat, so that's where a lot of my unexcited feelings stem from. Clarkson might have been an asshole at times, but at least he's a hard worker.

[BimmerM3]

I'm keeping my mind open, but all the bad publicity around Evans is certainly not promising.

[MX793]

trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTWcEjj0w3s

[Cookie Monster]

It looks pretty good from that 1 minute trailer I guess.

[BimmerM3]

lol I like how they put the clip of Evans puking in the show.

[AutobahnSHO]

LeBlanc almost ran over a cameraman..
https://www.yahoo.com/news/top-gear-matt-le-blanc-left-shaken-after-110452050.html

The problem is that the original show took a decade to get to where it was. The expectations are too high for the new show, they won't have time to fix themselves before the public reacts.

[280Z Turbo]

Chris Evans is constantly in the news for being a lazy twat, so that's where a lot of my unexcited feelings stem from. Clarkson might have been an asshole at times, but at least he's a hard worker.

He's also perhaps the ugliest man alive.

[CaminoRacer]

First episode was better than I expected.

[Morris Minor]

I have the DVR set for tonight. Will watch it later.

[Byteme]

First episode was better than I expected.

I thought it was good and I'll keep watching, but only after recording to cut out the commercials.

[Morris Minor]

Well I managed to get through about the first 12 minutes. Not sure that this will go anywhere other than tits-up, what with the orange-haired gremlin leaping around in tight trousers. I'll persevere though.

[MrH]

So I haven't watched it yet.  I've got it on the DVR.

Chris Harris isn't even in it?!  He's in some BS called Extra Gear? 

[MX793]

So I haven't watched it yet.  I've got it on the DVR.

Chris Harris isn't even in it?!  He's in some BS called Extra Gear? 

Really?  I thought he was going to be a recurring guest host in the show, along with a few others.  Not in every episode, but would do a segment here and there.

[CaminoRacer]

Yeah he wasn't in the episode.

I'd like it if they sacked Evans and just had LeBlanc, Sabine, and Harris.

[MrH]

Why isn't he one of the top three presenters?  He's the big draw out of that group for sure.

[MX793]

Why isn't he one of the top three presenters?  He's the big draw out of that group for sure.

Among US audiences, maybe, but Evans has a huge audience base in the UK by virtue of his very popular radio show.  IIRC, he was the UK's highest paid entertainer in the early 2000s.

[Byteme]

, what with the orange-haired gremlin leaping around in tight trousers. I'll persevere though.

Being blessed with devastatingly good looks myself  (I've been told I resemble Jack Hanna, the animal show guy) I try not to knock people's appearance, because a lot of it's beyond their control.  But having said that, I think those thick black frames on his glasses aren't doing him any favors.   

[MrH]

Among US audiences, maybe, but Evans has a huge audience base in the UK by virtue of his very popular radio show.  IIRC, he was the UK's highest paid entertainer in the early 2000s.

Make Sabine a special guest then.  Or Le Blanc.  Harris has to be one of the key 3 presenters.

[Byteme]

So I haven't watched it yet.  I've got it on the DVR.

Chris Harris isn't even in it?!  He's in some BS called Extra Gear? 

I found Extra Gear disappointing.  I was hoping for more behind the scenes stuff with outtakes and other stupidity.

[MX793]

Make Sabine a special guest then.  Or Le Blanc.  Harris has to be one of the key 3 presenters.

I believe Sabine has a similar arrangement as Harris.  The only full-time hosts are Evans and LeBlanc.

[MX793]

Just finished watching it.  A few thoughts:

-Evans seems like he's trying way to hard.  His enthusiasm seems forced, like he's trying really hard to convince the viewers to be enthused by bombarding everyone with exaggerated enthusiasm and hoping its contagious.  I found it irritating.
-LeBlanc seemed pretty stiff and out of his element in the live studio segments.  I thought he did a pretty good job with the Nomad segment, though.  There's some promise there.
-Cinematography seemed sub-par compared to previous seasons.
-Zero chemistry between the hosts, though I suppose that's to be expected.  The earliest seasons of "classic" Top Gear weren't all that different in that regard.
-Chris Harris needs to be brought into the main show and I could do without that "Extra Gear" show that feels like a compressed, Top Gear Light tacked onto the end of the show.

Was it utterly terrible?  No.  Was it as good as the "old" Top Gear?  Not even close.  I'd place it about on par with the US Top Gear.

[68_427]

Just finished watching it.  A few thoughts:

-Evans seems like he's trying way to hard.  His enthusiasm seems forced, like he's trying really hard to convince the viewers to be enthused by bombarding everyone with exaggerated enthusiasm and hoping its contagious.  I found it irritating.

Supposedly during the filming of the studio segment he started yelling at the audience for not reacting to anything he was saying.  Not laughing at his "jokes" etc to the point where he ended up just telling the audience to talk among themselves so it wasn't dead silent, and it'd appear the audience was enjoying themselves.

[Morris Minor]

Evans is the UK's highest paid entertainer (per Wikipedia) so he obviously has talent. I will give it another shot - I was tired & grumpy the other night. But Hector's point about the forced enthusiasm is well taken - it reminds me a bit of the hyperactive style used by hosts of kids' shows.