Un-official GTPlanet BBC Topgear UK ThreadTV

[Vic Reign93]

The media's targeting of this is rather petty if you ask me.

Did anyone really expect these new presenters ( people who probably never met each other before all this) to start with 13 years worth of chemistry and banter right from the off?

For what its worth, it wasn't a train wreck, not as good as the past, but also not as bad as it has been in the past (Sweeney Episode I'm looking at you. ).

If Evans dials it WAY back and the others get abit more freedom in what to say, they could actually make it decent, not exceptional by any means, but decent.

Put it like this, Top Gear USA was once in this position, barely any chemistry and plenty of people ripping on it and wanting it cancelled.

These days it's actually quite good, they found their formula and it's going quite well for them.

The only question is, Can New Top Gear survive long enough to do the same, especially with the old guard preparing The Grand Tour?

 

[mustafur]

I watched far too much of that episode, I want my 1 hour back.

Chris Evans needs to go before this can be watchable.

 

[Robin]

Did anyone really expect these new presenters ( people who probably never met each other before all this) to start with 13 years worth of chemistry and banter right from the off?

I was watching back very early TG episodes with Clarkson and Hammond... then with May to compare and they had decent chemistry from the get go, it was never as wooden and clinical as last nights performance.

I think part of the reason it worked was they were both unknowns partnered with a dominant 'alpha male' presenter. With Chris and Matt you have two dominant presenters both quite famous and slightly full of themselves and the clash of big characters doesn't work. Someone to a certain extent has to be the 'whipping boy'...

 

[sems4arsenal]

Just seen this, not a train wreck but not far off either. Evans is awful and very shouty (what is up with that). The segments weren't bad but I was bored by the second half, the most impressive thing was Ramsey's lap and his new car.

Matt Le Blanc was fine, Sabine so and so. Will eventually watch Extra Gear but please just get Chris Harris to replace Evans.

Also they need to work on their driving.

Edit: a minor pet peeve but I can't take Evans criticizing a car seriously, I rolled my eyes at his thoughts on the Viper and the typical idiotic V10 old school complaints.

 

[Dreadmed]

It got a bit of a hammering from the reviews on the BBC column that got opened up, to put it bluntly... the main problem seems to be Evans, myself and quite a few people out there (from the looks of it) said beforehand that he's the main reason why I wouldn't watch it. Judging from the reviews, that seems to be justified... early days though.

 

[ECGadget]

So, to give it a chance I watched it all.
Opening with Chris. Cringeworthy. Opening credits. Similar, trying to hard to be Clarkson. If you want to change it up, stop copying. Matts confusion with the UK. Was funny the first time. And the second. Then it was just lame. But he was okay. The Vette/ACR segment started off okay, then became really rubbish on the last minute. Driving really wasn't all that at all. Segments in general were okay, they've had worse but it was not good for the first episode. Star in car was really terrible. Like, completely utterly terrible. Audience didn't really seem interested, and Evans was just forcing it all out. Ramsey had a decent lap though and I think they track is okay. The chemistry just was not there. Biggest problem by far has to be Chris Evans.
Extra Gear however... nice.

 

[sems4arsenal]

Don't they get driving lessons? obviously the Viper is tricky to drive but I swore he hit the rev limiter a few times in this.

 

[FoRiZon]

Please can those guys on Extra Gear replace Evans? God hes as presenter on "top gear" as Jesse Eisenberg as Joker on "Batman V Superman" -__-

 

[MatskiMonk]

Evans is playing to the studio audience, rather than the cameras, that's why he seemed shouty. I don't much like him, but I don't think he did a bad job to be honest.

In general I think people want it to be a train-wreck to justify the over-the-top defence of the last line-up, but personally I think we've endured far worse in the past (someone's already mentioned the Sweeny debacle!)

 

[Danny]

 

[mustafur]

I didn't like it FACT.

 

[FT-1]

I get the impression he is even shouting in his tweets!

 

[Danny]

To be honest with the relentless promotion and hype, I'd have been more surprised if it hadn't hit some impressive figures.

Viewership for the next couple of episodes will be telling.

 

[Outspacer]

So it beat a REPEAT of Antiques Roadshow. Must be good then.

 

[Robin]

FACT is Evans, tweeting overdefensive questionably accurate figures in SHOUTY LETTERS makes people dislike you even more FACT!

 

[Ibonibo]

If I read it correctely, it's a 50 million dollar budget show, and the target was set by the BBC to 5 millions. It failed on that.

And as others said, if the novelity factor didn't get it to 5 millions, the second episode will probably be less....

As I didn't knew Evans, I watched some Utube stuff of him. And oh god the guy is just aweful, how that guy became a "celeb" is beyond me. Nothing charismatic about him, comes of as a knob (did i said that right?)

 

[JKgo]

...Okay, so I've seen it. Quick thoughts:

1. Evans was taller than I thought. Shock.

2. LeBlanc was shorter than I thought. Even more shock.

3. Only two in-studio presenters? What happened to Eddie Jordan? I was actually looking forward to him having a banter with the other presenters....

4. New, WWE-esque TRON screens. Cooool.

5. Evans sounds like a kindergarten teacher trying to organize a bunch of unruly kids. "C'mon guys!!" "Isn't that great!!" "A round of applause!!" Stttooooppp iiittt....

6. New RC segment - Evans is a radio DJ? I couldn't tell. His interview technique is as bad as JC's. Also, Mr. Episode Editor needs to get the boot - way too quick jump cuts during the segment. Too hectic for me.

7. Sabine is... wasted. Didn't expect her to be in-studio presenting, but only one segment appearance? More like a glorified guest instead...

8. As expected, LeBlanc showed off his acting chops. His deliveries were very, very good, deadpan and silky smooth.

9. WHERE WAS EDDIE???!!! Bah.

10. Oh and, it's almost same ol' thing. Only with new faces.

11. Couldn't see the Extra Gear. Can't find it in local listings. Boo. Maybe I missed it somewhere. Will search and check it out later.

 

[FoRiZon]

Ditch Evans. Keep Le Blanc. Promote those two guys on Extra Gear to main show.

Will still have people moaning about having Clarkson back but atleast it will bring from "quite cringeworthy" to "actually pretty good".

 

[daan]

11. Couldn't see the Extra Gear. Can't find it in local listings. Boo. Maybe I missed it somewhere. Will search and check it out later.

iPlayer or On Demand only.

 

[MatskiMonk]

FACT is Evans, tweeting overdefensive questionably accurate figures in SHOUTY LETTERS makes people dislike you even more FACT!

Says the guy who was quoting the Daily Mail earlier on. Excuse me while I jus go and find a replacement ass for the one I just laughed off.

Seriously though, on top of everything else, I'd guess the presenters are just sick and tired of all the bullcrap on social media - if people didn't like the show then fine... but the level of trolling thats been going on for months previously on social media is borderline psychotic. I had the opportunity to meet Chris Harris a couple of weeks ago at Silverstone, I very much got the impression he was already sick of people questioning the show before anyone had actually seen it. It's a massive shame that the new presenters, an experienced bunch with (mostly) proven track records, are taking so much flack basically because the Almighty Sir Jeremy Lord Clarkson had a couple of drinks and thumped somebody.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

@Famine about six mins after the show aired Clarkson tweeted 'you can watch Topgear in the US tomorrow or you can gouge your eyes out with hot spoons', although the tweet isn't there now, could've deleted it....

5.8 million viewers last night, just a question of how many come back next week.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

In general I think people want it to be a train-wreck to justify the over-the-top defence of the last line-up, but personally I think we've endured far worse in the past (someone's already mentioned the Sweeny debacle!)

I thought the Sweeney episode was pretty okay.

 

[Ingram]

@Famine about six mins after the show aired Clarkson tweeted 'you can watch Topgear in the US tomorrow or you can gouge your eyes out with hot spoons', although the tweet isn't there now, could've deleted it....

5.8 million viewers last night, just a question of how many come back next week.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that was from a Twitter account which just had the same profile pic as Clarkson's.

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

I've watched Extra Gear now and it's really cool, I think they could mix up both and do a great show.

 

[AlvaroF]

They really need to cut off the caffine on Evans, it isn't a morning radio show, where you just need to talk joyfully. Nope, here he needs to act, but let him figure that out. He just looks like "a kid on christmas morning porwered by meth".
They wasted the other presenters. But it's the first show, we'll see if they don't waste them anymore.
UK v USA was lame. The Viper/Vette was decent. And the Nomad was interesting. The interviews were rubbish, even Clarkson did it better. The SIARPC track is alright, but for this segment to be enjoyable they need to polish it.
Entretaining enough, funny enough. But to suceed they need to tone down Evans and be a bit more informative. Let's see if they can improve.

 

[axletramp]

First impressions:
1) Where's the new format and ideas that Chris Evans was supposed to bring to the show? An uncomfortable amount of rehashing going on there which was my biggest disappointment. I'd presumed we were to be presented with a new format and tbh they're asking for comparisons and criticism if they keep it this similar.
2) The show definitely needs the other presenters to break things up. Perhaps this will come over time and the launch episode isn't the best example.
3) Matt Le Blanc looks to much like he's scripted compared to Evans (we didn't get the chance with the other presenters, including Schmidt's brief segment). Which leads me to...
4) Awkward chemistry between Evans and Le Blanc wasn't great TV.
5) I didn't actually mind Chris Evans' enthusiasm and shouting. He's always been like that in the past so why would he be any different now.
6) I am actually looking forward to the next episodes, but IMHO they need to shake the format up more to keep - and even attract more - regular Top Gear fans.

 

[FoRiZon]

Oh. Blackpanthaa thoughts.

 

[NW48]

I said I'd give it at least three episodes before giving a final judgement, and I still will. However first impressions so far;
- Evans needs to tone it down. Like, all the way down. Stop trying to be Clarkson, you will never be Clarkson.
- Star in a Reasonably Priced Rallycross Car was just horrible and cringeworthy. Gordon Ramsay was decent, Jesse Eisenberg was just utterly terrible. Not funny at all. Also not liking the new format where it's basically, as others said, a game of Top Trumps.
- Matt LeBlanc was decent, definitely not great though. A lack of chemistry (duh, this was to be expected) with Evans really hurt the tone of any segments with the two of them.
- This episode was the least I've ever laughed in a Top Gear episode. Which was pretty sad...

I can't think of too much more now as I wasn't intrigued too much. But onto Extra Gear...

- Fantastic format, Rory Reid surpassed expectations, and Chris Harris was his tremendous.
- I actually laughed more in this than the main show.
- Nice insights into a range of things, from the Nomad to the new TG Test Track
- Interview segment was great, that's how it should be done.

Overall, lots of improvement for the main show, and for Extra Gear, hopefully they don't change too much.

 

[Robin]

Says the guy who was quoting the Daily Mail earlier on. Excuse me while I jus go and find a replacement ass for the one I just laughed off.

Doesn't matter who I quoted, it's not like they made the viewing figures up whereas Evan's is quoting stuff which no one can verify outside of the organisation.

 

[Touring Mars]

I didn't particularly enjoy the episode, and the bit with Gordon Ramsay smugly announcing his new LaFerrari was cringe-worthy. Matt LeBlanc is likable enough, but his bits were so stilted and scripted that they made Richard Hammond look like David Attenborough in comparison. Chris Evans is annoying and over-familiar, and the choice to stick with the old formula already looks like a bad idea. But, as I've said before, even a relatively poor TG episode is still alot better TV than most other programmes, and it is still watchable - and I dare say there will likely be some great moments to come, and hopefully things can only get better in terms of LeBlanc's inexperience and Evans' dis-likability.