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SagarisGTB · Dec 30, 2011

Funny moments here and there, but the whole thing was predictable, seemed staged and most of the humor wasn't funny. Even at the end, the feel good moment wasn't very feel good. It's the worst xmas special so far. :indiff:

jeffgoddin
Gawd, Genesis after Peter Gabriel is just awful, better to erase it from your memory...

No. The two albums with Hackett post-Gabriel were still pretty good, though not as great as Cryme-Lamb period. "Los Endos" was a great song.

After Hackett left, they transitioned to pop. Not my cup of tea, but it made them millions. "Mama" and "The Brazilian" were my picks from this era, but it wasn't the prog that I love from Genesis.

And yes, the song played to annoy Hammond is from the Gabriel era.

Crash · Dec 30, 2011

I was honestly disappointed by this episode. There were only a couple of funny bits, but the rest of the episode was kind of embarrassing to watch. I caught myself looking at the time because it felt like that episode just dragged on with poorly manufactured, staid jokes.

Here's to hoping Season 18 will be better.

Mike Rotch · Dec 30, 2011

homeforsummer
I thought it was pretty terrible to be honest.

I was a bit cheesed off about how the cars ended up. Yes, before anyone says, I know that TG destroys cars on their road trips, but normally they pick fairly average examples at best. With their £7k budget this time, they'd essentially managed to get near-immaculate examples of all the cars. There are plenty of shoddy versions of each about - why destroy nice ones? The Mini in particular was a pretty much perfect late Sportpack, why choose 7 grand's worth of car to destroy when there are Minis knocking about for a grand?

Probably one of the worst episodes of TG I've seen so far. And certainly the worst roadtrip, which are normally the best TG episodes.

I think it was just too puerile. Lots of cock jokes and slapstick. Teenagers and people without the ability to discern subtlety probably loved it. Just confirmed to me that James May is now infinitely better and making TV programs when the other two aren't about, and that the USA TG cast now does the "three guys having fun in cars" thing much better than the UK cast.

+8.

Worst 'Special' by far :indiff:

. Surely they can change the formula from "buy predictable car, do pointless task, give someone pointless gift, "accidentally damage someone's car", start A-Team music and perform DIY modifications, someone's car gets ruined".

Why didn't they buy Indian cars and drive between two cities?

Brend · Dec 30, 2011

I have no motivation to watch this...should I convince myself? I can already sense it's predictability.

Robin · Dec 30, 2011

Anyone else cringe at such a fine condition special edition Mini Cooper being totally trashed?

I actually found the episode pretty pedestrian, anyone who had been watching Ice Road Truckers in India on Channel 5 would know that their journey through the country was a million times more exciting and interesting than Top Gear's attempt.

Didn't laugh once in the whole episode it was way too predictable, the banners on the train, the evening reception, etc was all too predictable. All this episode showed is that the rich in developing countries are stinking rich!

The Polar and Botswana specials are still the best ones IMO.

Akira AC · Dec 30, 2011

Pretty flimsy episode to be honest, there were literally like to or three authentic funny bits, the rest was just lame.

Things like the guests party and the food delivery bit made me feel like I was wasting my time, I found James May's TV shows way more appealing than this. The producers just sort of like ran out of ideas, besides Hammond and Clarkson just seem to be acting like themselves instead of being themselves (just like in seasons 16-17).

I'm not really sure what to expect for season 18 but one of the cool things about TG are the Specials, and this one was just lame(just like the middle east one, actually worst). Botswana, Vietnam, North pole and Bolivia specials were good because they actually had to face some challenging situations, but in reliable cars, with no sense of danger or an actual accomplishment to be done it feels like they are just in an acted holiday and that is pretty much what this special was.

They should be thrown into a real challenge like passing through the "Gulf of Darién" or pass through Australia, something like that, something really challenging that doesn't make them act like themselves, but rather be themselves.

homeforsummer · Dec 30, 2011

Mike Rotch
Why didn't they buy Indian cars and drive between two cities?

That would have been much, much better. Not least because they even mentioned a few of them in the hillclimb bit - a Tata Nano would have cost significantly less to buy than the Mini they destroyed and actually been Indian, the Hindustan Ambassador is an icon of India these days and I'm sure they could have found a Maruti Suzuki too.

The whole "English representation" thing I reckon was entirely an excuse to get Clarkson's mate David Cameron on an episode of TG.

Robin.
Anyone else cringe at such a fine condition special edition Mini Cooper being totally trashed?

Absolutely. I can imagine tens of thousands of Mini owners across the country cringing too.

I actually found the episode pretty pedestrian, anyone who had been watching Ice Road Truckers in India on Channel 5 would know that their journey through the country was a million times more exciting and interesting than Top Gear's attempt.

That's the other thing. IRT in India has been brilliant and gives a great impression of what the country is actually like. We got very little of that in TG.

E28 · Dec 30, 2011

TG specials need to be more genuine. None of this 'Fixing the Economy' 🤬. Give them 1k, tell them, to buy a certain type of car, and send them on a road trip without trains or modifying their cars. To be honest, the most interesting bits for me were the dual carraigeway and then they rigged James' horn to his brakes...

poolhaas · Dec 31, 2011

Didn't take long but Jeremy pissed some people off again

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/dec/30/jeremy-clarkson-row-top-gear-india?intcmp=239

He's a magnet for these sort of things, all it does is increase the viewer ratings.

E28 · Dec 31, 2011

Let's see:

included Clarkson driving a Jaguar around an Indian slum with a toilet fitted in the boot. "This is perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots," he quipped

It's a fairly common joke, and is even referred to as 'Delhi Belly', I don't really see the problem with that.

Another gag involved putting banners with seemingly innocuous slogans – such as Eat English Muffins – on the side of trains. However, the banners were strategically placed so that when the trains carriages split a new, offensive, phrase emerged: "Eat English Muff."

The train banner stunt, which included one slogan that transformed into the word "**** For Your Company", aired before 9pm when offensive language and content is prohibited from being broadcast.

That was just a stupid gag, not necessarily Clarkson's fault. And the 2nd incident, you could argue that it actually said 'SH I.T'. Also not Clarksons fault but the producers really...

The Daily Star, which dedicated the front page and a double-page spread to the incident in its edition on Friday, accused the presenters of "ridiculing" the Indian train system by "opening the doors of the moving carriages in fits of giggles and leaning outside".

They hardly ridiculed the Indian train system, just did an incredibly stupid thing that happened to be on an Indian train. Anyway, the episode where they made trains out of cars and caravans was practically ridiculing the British train system, but no one seems to care... :rolleyes:

mattythedog · Dec 31, 2011

^An episode of TG cannot go by without somebody complaining. I dont know why they watch the show of they're just gonna complain.

Akira AC · Dec 31, 2011

And thus, their site traffic increases by the millions.

I just don't understand why people fell on these stunts, maybe the Mexican comments were worthy of news mention but is is just traffic generation, nothing more.

Like the time when Clarkson talked about the strikes, a big deal was created with underlying reason of get the attention of the media, and the public in general.

The more attention people takes to these lousy issues, the more of of them will pop up.

E28 · Dec 31, 2011

Nowadays it seems any joke you make is labelled as 'racist' or 'offensive'. When it's Jeremy Clarkson making the joke on Top Gear, the media go nuts.

Also, do you know how many people complained? 23. Do you know how many watched the episode? 5 million. Meaning that 0.00046% of viewers complained.

SuperShouden · Dec 31, 2011

Why is Jeremy the only one getting yelled at? The toilet thing was the only bit that was purely him...for once, all three presenters were equally as offensive...but...it's TOP GEAR. If you're offended by May, Hammond and Clarkson...you've never seen the show...it's like when Sarah Palin got mad at Family Guy for making fun of her daughter. They make fun of EVERYONE.

ItsHim · Jan 1, 2012

I rather liked this episode because it does work on another layer altogether. What European governments have done to battle the ongoing financial crisis is indefinitely much more pathetic than what TG tried to achieve.

Seen from that angle it was a real slap in the face but a very deserved one.

Besides I still haven't written a letter to the BBC making complaining TG making fun of the Germans. I think I must do this now. As Clarkson said the postcode is WW2 V1, so at least I got this part of the address ;-)

SuperShouden · Jan 1, 2012

I love the ironic comment that "german engineering is synonymous with shoddy craftsmanship." Which is, of course, not true and TG knows it. Jeremy owns a Mercedes.

F1 fan · Jan 1, 2012

E28
Give them 1k, tell them, to buy a certain type of car, and send them on a road trip without trains or modifying their cars.

Exactly. I've been dying to see them do Vancouver to Toronto. These top gear challenges need to be cheap or else, as someone else said, it just seems like a holiday.

mattythedog · Jan 1, 2012

SuperShouden
I love the ironic comment that "german engineering is synonymous with shoddy craftsmanship." Which is, of course, not true and TG knows it. Jeremy owns a Mercedes.

It was a deliberately wrong comment. They're trying to make GB look good, so jokingly they said the Germans were bad.

SuperShouden · Jan 1, 2012

mattythedog
It was a deliberately wrong comment. They're trying to make GB look good, so jokingly they said the Germans were bad.

I know, that's what I was trying to say. They love German cars at Top Gear.

E28 · Jan 1, 2012

F1 fan
Exactly. I've been dying to see them do Vancouver to Toronto. These top gear challenges need to be cheap or else, as someone else said, it just seems like a holiday.

The earlier specials were actually interesting, when they were hunting for cars on a budget, and then trying to keep said cars running...

mattythedog · Jan 1, 2012

I just thought I'd share, the new series starts on the 29th January.

Tom · Jan 1, 2012

mattythedog
I just thought I'd share, the new series starts on the 29th January.

What? I have to deal with 3 weeks of school before Top Gear comes back on? :grumpy:

mattythedog · Jan 1, 2012

Tom
What? I have to deal with 3 weeks of school before Top Gear comes back on?

I know. But I have my birthday a week before, so that will keep me interested.

astrosdude91 · Jan 1, 2012

I was just thinking. This October will mark the 10 year anniversary of the current Top Gear production run. I wonder if they'll do anything special. Perhaps they'll invite Jason Dawe back for an episode.

Wiegert · Jan 1, 2012

mattythedog
I just thought I'd share, the new series starts on the 29th January.

I was expecting it to return on either the 22nd or 29th, and I really hope the new series won't be too disappointing.

astrosdude91
I was just thinking. This October will mark the 10 year anniversary of the current Top Gear production run. I wonder if they'll do anything special. Perhaps they'll invite Jason Dawe back for an episode.

I reckon they're going to make an anniversary special episode of some sort later this year, although I'm not sure if Jason Dawe will make an appearance.

Lain · Jan 1, 2012

James May is one odd chap:

Wiegert · Jan 2, 2012

Did James lose a bet or something?

Also, cannot unsee.

Akira AC · Jan 2, 2012

Maybe the world is indeed ending.

I mean Rei, come on, at least Gendo or Fuyutsuki are acceptable, but this is a crime against nature.

Bram Turismo · Jan 2, 2012

Robin.
The Polar and Botswana specials are still the best ones IMO.

The Vietnam special disagrees with you.

mattythedog · Jan 2, 2012

Bram Turismo
The Vietnam special disagrees with you. I can watch that special 50 times over and over, it remains by far the best TG special and episode ever.

They were on bikes though. I'm going with Bolivia or Botswana for the best.

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