Un-official GTPlanet BBC Topgear UK ThreadTV

[Roger the Horse]

Just caught up with the new series. Really, really good. Best Top Gear has been in getting on for a decade now. Clarkson, Hammond, and May have gotten stale by this point, if I'm honest I lost interest in The Grand Tour about half way through.

It feels like they're getting the level of scriptedness just right for the most part. It never feels like everything has been delibrately planned out before filming, but it also has enough scripted stuff for the quality to be boosted by the higher production values etc. that can come with careful planning.

Even the silliest segments, like the pac-man bit, still don't feel entirely scripted in the way much of The Grand Tour or later Clarkson era Top Gear did. I also like how there's a very different dynamic as a whole to it now. Feels a lot more professional without seeming bland or dry.

It's not perfect, but then again Top Gear never was perfect, and I think that's a large part of the appeal. Props to the BBC for managing to rescue Top Gear from the Chris Evans calamity. I think comparing this series to The Grand Tour shows just how much the BBC contributed behind the scenes to CHM era Top Gear. I think with The Grand Tour the old trio have been a lot less moderated and as a result a lot of stuff the BBC might have shot down or subjected to a higher level of quality control has gotten through and fallen flat as a result.

 

[AudiMan2011]

No episode this week due to some American golf tournament.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-tv/top-gear-tv-returns-bbc-two-16-april

 

[sems4arsenal]

No episode this week due to some American golf tournament.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-tv/top-gear-tv-returns-bbc-two-16-april

Oh man that sucks.

I hope the hinted Sabine vs Harris on the ring thing happens soon. I'd love to see them compete in a motorsport event though like an endurance race there perhaps?

 

[another_jakhole]

Oh man that sucks.

I hope the hinted Sabine vs Harris on the ring thing happens soon. I'd love to see them compete in a motorsport event though like an endurance race there perhaps?

I thought that derby race was their match-up. I took it as they over-hyped Sabine vs Harris and presented that derby race as it. That's why I didn't finish that episode. Did I misunderstand them after all?

 

[ProjectWHaT]

I thought that derby race was their match-up. I took it as they over-hyped Sabine vs Harris and presented that derby race as it. That's why I didn't finish that episode. Did I misunderstand them after all?

That was the Sabine v Harris they were talking about in the episode before, but at the end of the episode, they said it'll be a best of three so there'll be at least one more Sabine v Harris.

 

[another_jakhole]

That was the Sabine v Harris they were talking about in the episode before, but at the end of the episode, they said it'll be a best of three so there'll be at least one more Sabine v Harris.

Oooohh. Nice. Thanks for letting me know. I would love to see Chris and Matt racing others with similar experience as a reoccurring "theme" or however it's referred to as. Matt is a track day driver, which is what makes it appealing to me.

 

[Scaff]

No episode this week due to some American golf tournament.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-tv/top-gear-tv-returns-bbc-two-16-april

Stupid golf.

 

[Tyger]

Great episode tonight, nothing to fault really. The Merc test was on the button, Ross Noble was a good guest (and still a very nifty driver), and the Cuba feature was superb, and beautifully filmed. The current team seem to be gelling better each episode, which is actually strange when you think about it as the features and presumably nowadays the links too are filmed way in advance? It actually seems less contrived and scripted than TGT, which I never expected.

 

[Scaff]

Excellent episode.

The Cuba piece was great and for me highlighted the difference between old and new, the new seem to engage with the country that they visit rather than mock.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Last episode tonight??

 

[Robin]

Daum the Ssangyong Rodius looks great as a small yacht!

 

[Mike Rotch]

Good episode, Jay Kay made for an interesting guest too. My only bone to pick was not including / mentioning the Alpine as an alternative to the Porsche, but otherwise that was an enjoyable segment to watch.

@Scaff, if you liked the Cuba segment, check out Might Car Mods on YT. They did a Cuba special recently and went far deeper in the car culture there with the locals 👍

 

[daan]

Ssangyong Rodius looks great

Those are words that have never been in the same sentence before.

 

[Famine]

Those are words that have never been in the same sentence before.

Unless you count homophones, because the words "Ssangyong Rodius looks' grate" certainly have.

 

[sems4arsenal]

Probably the weakest episode (doesn't work as a finale) but I loved the whole series. Better than GT for sure.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Another great episode last night, thoroughly enjoyed this series, it was infinitely better than the last.

 

[JKgo]

...Just saw the episode. I enjoyed it a lot more than it had any rights to be. And was pleasantly surprised to hear not one, but two BMTH songs used in the Cayman segment!! Heh. And that CCR Fortunate Sons during the Shamal bit? Ace.

Couldn't quite tell whether Bernie and Eddie were having a laugh or were super serious during that interview. And it was a bit on the short side too - could've asked a couple more "probing" questions there but, I guess it is what it is.

And the Rodius yacht bit was great. I laughed really hard when the bottle of bubbly did its thing. That was an unexpected bit of accidental TV gold, right there.

 

[Peasantslayer]

The interview with Bernie felt a bit odd, it just seemed a little out of place for Top Gear and perhaps rushed, for the most part a good end to the series.

 

[Touring Mars]

The floating poo right at the end was totally gratuitous and immature... loved it! 👍

 

[TS050]

So the best sports car around 50k is the Cayman.


Can't help but think they forgot the M2. That had pretty good reviews, right?

 

[sems4arsenal]

The interview with Bernie felt a bit odd, it just seemed a little out of place for Top Gear and perhaps rushed, for the most part a good end to the series.

Agree. Also if Bernie doesn't do a lot of interviews, they could have advertised it a bit more. The guy still looks like a walking evil villain though.

 

[FoRiZon]

So...... This or The Grand Tour?

I dont know Jay Kay released new music until that interview being fans of him.

The last episode is like your usual Clarkson Top Gear episodes. Its okay and kinda works.

 

[Mike Rotch]

This or The Grand Tour?

TG, in this formula, any day of the week. Rory is the weak one atm, so even more upside beckons, and he is pretty harmless.

Versus Richard Hammond as the weak one. Down side; so much.

 

[sems4arsenal]

So...... This or The Grand Tour?

I dont know Jay Kay released new music until that interview being fans of him.

The last episode is like your usual Clarkson Top Gear episodes. Its okay and kinda works.

TGT still has the better chemistry and is the funniest. However, TG is just much more enjoyable and informative in terms of content. Chris Harris is by far the best presenter and reviewer.

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

TGT still has the better chemistry and is the funniest. However, TG is just much more enjoyable and informative in terms of content. Chris Harris is by far the best presenter and reviewer.

I agree on reviewer but I find Matt funnier and better at presenting too. They make a very good duo tho. Rory is a bit behind in term of presence, I feel like sometimes he tries too much like in the SSangyong segment.

 

[sems4arsenal]

I agree on reviewer but I find Matt funnier and better at presenting too. They make a very good duo tho. Rory is a bit behind in term of presence, I feel like sometimes he tries too much like in the SSangyong segment.

Rory has grown on me a bit but yeah he is the weakest link. Matt shines on camera, you can tell that guy is an actor. I like Matt but I feel the original trio ooze chemistry.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

GT is better at entertainment sort of like modern Fast and Furious movies. You just have to forget about cars and enjoy the stuff that they do and the banter. TG is definitely a better car show. I think of they gave Rory Reid a bigger role, it would be a lot better. Like Harris and Leblanc got to do reviews of the Chiron and the GT but Reid got some small hot hatch.

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

Rory has grown on me a bit but yeah he is the weakest link. Matt shines on camera, you can tell that guy is an actor. I like Matt but I feel the original trio ooze chemistry.

If you watch the early Clarkson May Hammond segment there wasn't really any alchemy going on. Challenge kinda bind them together and road trip made them best bud. Or at least that's how I see it.

 

[JackRyanWMU]

Other than the Celebrity Brian Crash segments and a few parts here and there, I did enjoy The Grand Tour more overall. That said, this season of Top Gear had its share of good moments and I can see LeBlanc, Harris & Reid starting to build their own dynamic between themselves; and do look forward to seeing what they do going forward.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

I'm really enjoying new TG more and more with each episode. Seems like the trio is allowed to be more natural and be themselves instead of trying to fit into caricatures of the old trio. Matt's obsession with heavy machinery is hilarious Also the last episode seems to use quite a lot of superhero themes (I heard Avengers, X-Men and TRON). But the best was seeing Harris parasailing behind that SsangYacht to Baywatch's theme That had me on the floor laughing.

I think the biggest difference between TG and GT is new Top Gear actually makes the cars the stars of the show, instead of GT's approach of making a skit/comedy show with only a sprinkling of car related activities. It helps that one of the presenters can actually drive (two if you count Sabine's odd appearance) and provide interesting comments about how the cars drives at the limit. Also, new TG is ambitious and surprisingly not rubbish. If this was the old trio the SsangYacht would have definitely capsized halfway through the show.

The only complaint I have is the wide angle shots of the Power Laps. Makes the car seem slower and totally ruins the flow of the lap. Understandable that they're trying to not evoke memories of the old TG, but I think this is one thing that they should've left alone. The old camera angles were perfect.

Still miffed that we don't get to see the Chiron's lap though. And they keep ignoring anything Koenigsegg makes since the CCX almost killed The Stig.