Un-official GTPlanet BBC Topgear UK ThreadTV 

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Second part on tonight...

Also there has been a big war of words between Clarkson and Piers Morgan since Piers lost his job, Jezza made Piers his topic on his Sunday Times column about two weeks ago which was pretty scatching and now Piers has hit back in his Sunday Mail magazine column today....is it me or is it getting a bit childish now!
 
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Well, let's see... Piers Morgan is a phone-hacking Murdoch tabloid shock jock with a section of his wikipedia page titled "fueds", so... Jeremy should probably punch him some more. Actually, everybody who sees him should probably punch him until he stops being such a jerk.
 
While some parts were pretty funny, I thought in general it was pretty average. Last weeks was way better, because it actually had elements of a road trip. Watching them pretend to build a bridge for 30 mins got a bit tiresome IMO.
 
As someone who expected part two to be the better half, I was a little underwhelmed. Well, until they eventually got around to crossing the river. I honestly thought Hammond would bin it in the drink just shy of the end, either accidentally or with the intention of getting a few laughs.

Almost on par with the Middle East special in terms of enjoyment though. That's mostly down to the first half being the stronger of the two, even if neither were that great.
 
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MUSC4EVER
Second part on tonight...

Also there has been a big war of words between Clarkson and Piers Morgan since Piers lost his job, Jezza made Piers his topic on his Sunday Times column about two weeks ago which was pretty scatching and now Piers has hit back in his Sunday Mail magazine column today....is it me or is it getting a bit childish now!
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If Piers Morgan needs a Sunday Mail column to speak out, he's already lost. :P
 
mattythedog
While some parts were pretty funny, I thought in general it was pretty average. Last weeks was way better, because it actually had elements of a road trip. Watching them pretend to build a bridge for 30 mins got a bit tiresome IMO.
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It was utter rubbish.

It was, in fact, a completely faithful rehash of the India special, only it was twice as long, they "built" a bridge at the end of it and there were no cars in it. They even included all the same jokes.

Part 1 followed the Ukraine/ecohatch episode and the two merit direct comparison. In one they drove 800 miles to what's pretty much a no-go area in irrelevant lorries and filled up 65 minutes, and in the other they drove 800 miles to what's pretty much a no-go area in relevant cars and - in amusing TG fashion - provided top tips on how driving style affects fuel economy but filled up only 40 minutes.


Top Gear has now become a show where two of the main three protagonists want to go to places where the British have been involved in wars or where there is current civil unrest so they can talk about the wars and do impressions of characters from films about the wars. While the third one pretends to be interested and just as educated about the British Empire (there's not a chance Clarkson couldn't remember his Tennyson, and even less of a chance that Hammond was able to recite it unscripted).

It's a holiday program of past and present warzones. "Wish You War Here".
 
Famine
It was utter rubbish.

It was, in fact, a completely faithful rehash of the India special, only it was twice as long, they "built" a bridge at the end of it and there were no cars in it. They even included all the same jokes.

Part 1 followed the Ukraine/ecohatch episode and the two merit direct comparison. In one they drove 800 miles to what's pretty much a no-go area in irrelevant lorries and filled up 65 minutes, and in the other they drove 800 miles to what's pretty much a no-go area in relevant cars and - in amusing TG fashion - provided top tips on how driving style affects fuel economy but filled up only 40 minutes.

Top Gear has now become a show where two of the main three protagonists want to go to places where the British have been involved in wars or where there is current civil unrest so they can talk about the wars and do impressions of characters from films about the wars. While the third one pretends to be interested and just as educated about the British Empire (there's not a chance Clarkson couldn't remember his Tennyson, and even less of a chance that Hammond was able to recite it unscripted).

It's a holiday program of past and present warzones. "Wish You War Here".
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Wholeheartedly disagree. If you didn't laugh during that episode, I don't know what will make you do so.
 
Interesting how polarly opposed opinions are on this special. I watched it, laughed a few times, got excited/nervous at the end for the crossing... but wasn't hard to reflect back and see it was a total stale rehash, again without even cars to hold my interest. And it's like everywhere they go, they stop and stare at the landscape and say some "have you ever", "the most breathtaking...", etc. Not hard to find pretty pics of landscapes if I wanted. Just watch Planet Earth, for example. I watch Top Gear for the cars, and (previously) for the backwards socially inappropriate wit of Clarkson, with May as the straight guy/butt of jokes, Hammond as the clueless enthusiast... It was good, really good, once upon a time...
 
I enjoyed it, stunning scenery, that scene with the Black Cock sprit was hilarious, its was scripted but I don't care it was bloody funny!
 
hsv010
If you didn't laugh during that episode, I don't know what will make you do so.
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Michael Jackson's Children's Hospital. I'll let you search Youtube for that rather than linking it because it's highly NSFW, has lots of swearing and quite a chunk of unsubtle references to paedophilia.

And it makes me laugh.


Incidentally, I think that the Burma special now holds a Top Gear record. It's the only instance of the show in history not to feature on screen at any point any actual cars.
 
Watching the second part now - enjoying it alot more than the first part, and I still don't know why it needed to be in two parts..

Did anyone else notice the song they were singing at the party... and what the next line of the song is? :scared:
 
Famine
Michael Jackson's Children's Hospital. I'll let you search Youtube for that rather than linking it because it's highly NSFW, has lots of swearing and quite a chunk of unsubtle references to paedophilia.

And it makes me laugh.

Incidentally, I think that the Burma special now holds a Top Gear record. It's the only instance of the show in history not to feature on screen at any point any actual cars.
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But it was just so Brilliant. All the jokes were scripted, but they were written so well. Truly brilliant.
 
hsv010
But it was just so Brilliant. All the jokes were scripted, but they were written so well. Truly brilliant.
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There were just as well written during the Africa special. And the India special. And the Vietnam special. And the South America special. And the Botswana special. And the Arctic special.

And that's because they were lifted right from them. If you've ever seen a Top Gear special before, you could predict every next line. Oh look, they've stopped to marvel at some landscape and say how they've never seen anything like it (except in India, South America and Vietnam). Hey, one of them drove into another one! It was absolute cobblers.

Of course I've made no mention of Hammond's acting either. He can't. The "surprise" when he "found out" it was called the River Kok was like getting a teenager to say cheese for the camera. It was appalling.


The thing with the Africa, India, Vietnam, South America, Botswana, Arctic, Middle East and any other special you care to mention was that they had cars in them*. This didn't. Not only that, there were almost none on the screen ever - not even passing motorists**.

The 40 minute piece in Ukraine was the best part of this series. It was a road trip in a foreign country done right - though they couldn't help themselves with a bit of colonial history with Hammond pretending to be interested.


*Except Vietnam which was on mopeds, but at least that made sense.
**Except in the first 5 minutes in Yangon. Seriously.
 
Ignoring the almost total lack of cars this time and the feeling of deja vu during 90% of the jokes they used, the trip itself was more bearable than their Indian farce. Real vehicle issues, some half decent attempts at modifying said vehicles (especially Jeremy, I mean, he didn't burn it to the ground or completely ruin the way it drove), plus beautiful scenery and a party they didn't try to plan horribly as part of one overextended joke. It was passable at best.

hsv010
All the jokes were scripted, but they were written so well.
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James and Jezza pretending to relieve themselves in Richard's shower water container.

Yep. Some of the best writing in the entire series, there.
 
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Famine
Incidentally, I think that the Burma special now holds a Top Gear record. It's the only instance of the show in history not to feature on screen at any point any actual cars.
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Vietnam didn't either. According to Wiki, Wilman said that Vietnam was more about the guys than cars.
 
1241Penguin
Vietnam didn't either. According to Wiki, Wilman said that Vietnam was more about the guys than cars.
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Famine
*Except Vietnam which was on mopeds, but at least that made sense.
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Vietnam was passable (train gag was terrible, the backup vehicle was funny).

I think the Amazon was one of the best feature specials.
 
All told, it was definitely not their finest two hours - not quite Top Gear, more like stuck in third.

They get away with it though, because despite the fact that it's all been done before, it is still mostly quite entertaining to watch - and there were some genuinely good moments - but arguably not enough to pan it out over two entire episodes IMO. I did like their choice of music, though - 'Heroin' and 'I'm Waiting For My Man' being two examples that I noticed, but I'll need to watch it again (?!) to see if there were any more drug references thrown in there. Clarkson also said "I could sleep for a thousand years", which is another Velvet Underground reference (a direct quote from 'Venus In Furs'), and the Frank Zappa lyrics were very funny as well...
 
Read a review of the special by Critic Ian Hyland in todays Mirror, its quite favourable actually here it is..

'Top Gear's Burma Special. Possibly the most puerile thing they have ever done. Definitely the funniest.
To be honest, the scenery was worth the entrance fee alone.
Plus, who could gave failed to get caught up in Jeremy Clarkson's euphoria when he realised they had successfully completed their mission to build a bamboo bridge over that Burmese river.
Some say that the last time Clarkson was this elated he'd just managed to do up the button on a new pair of jeans.
PS. On a related note, I think we have now seen enough footage of Clarkson in a wet white linen shirt for one year/lifetime.
PPS. You only have until this weekend to watch this for free on iPlayer...I hate to see you forced into buying the DVD, Clarkson is rich enough already..'
 
So, I'm adding 'Rudyard the Bear' to my list of inanimate objects from Top Gear that I shouldn't like but secretly do...
 

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