Post anything that doesn't belong in any other forum, including gaming and topics unrelated to motorsport. Site specific discussions should go in the site feedback forum.
bauc wrote:
For me, todays episode was the weakest of all 4 till now, but it was still a good one!
Opinions eh. Just watched it and considered it the best we've seen from them so far.
I don't understand how it can be the weakest of all 4 when today was essentially classic Top Gear with a different name? Were you not a fan of the old format?
I was and I'm a super fan of the old Top Gear and what the boys do now as well, but in this episode I just felt all of the jokes and mishaps were just too scripted and forced for my taste, I love when there is more spontaneous stuff happening like James car falling apart - that for me was the funniest from the hole episode.
Actually I'm with you, it did seem too scripted, especcially James building a furnace and making bricks for his car.
It would be really interesting to know the restrictions placed on the new show by the BBC. I certainly feel that there are parts of the show that are purposeful intended as responses to what they cannot do. Instead of going off and doing something very different, JC and co have opted to do something as close as possible to the original without conflicting with the rules imposed by the BBC.
I liked the old show and really like the new show (much better than the "new" BBC Top Gear) however I must confess that I would prefer to see more reviews of cars and a little less arseing around. It may be amusing in the short term but I think it will tire quickly if they don't get more factual content.
I thought this episode was the best so far, it actually made me laugh and did have a reasonably sensible review of two cars even if they were expensive sports cars. The killing celebrities thing has already worn far too thin for me, and in general it all feels a bit too scripted to me, but then Top Gear was the same towards the end of their time doing it as well.
If this show is going to keep enthusing me they need only to do two things.
1 - Get rid of the bloody "American" driving the cars on the test track.
It's cringe-worthy the way he acts like a dick every episode on the in car camera.
I know it's scripted, and they want to attract an American audience, but come on guys, you can surely do better than this clown ?
I want to see a bloke working whatever car he's driving to the maximum.
I want to see that driver sit down for a minute afterwards, and describe how the car was to drive !
Not listen and watch to to same scripted, rubbish commentary all the time, every time from some dickhead who's got no credentials at all when it comes to motorsport.
Honestly, who is Mike Skinner ?
The killing off of celebrities is because the lawyers wont let them interview them - too similar to topgear.
I'm pretty sure the mouthy American is because the Stig was always silent.
The Problem is that the previous top gear was just Clarkson May and Hammond being themselves and essentially doing what they wanted. They are now trying to make a show without the rights to be themselves, makes it a bit awkward.
I dare say it will settle down over the coming seasons.
As ever I think the best bits are the unscripted bits which are somewhat more prevalent in GT than they were at the end of TG.
I am a big TopGear fan - basically been on board since right the beginning (even before James May joined) and have since followed every single episode there is, right up to when Clarkson was fired and of course continued watching the new reboot with Matt LeBlanc etc.
The Good:
- superb filming (cinematography) and production/quality
- the group dynamic between Clarkson, May and Hammond is real and entertaining
- I loved the rather stupid military squad feature in Amman, the double full feature length film through the desert and the last episode with the road trip to Austria
- some uncensored bits
- change of location to appeal to different audiences
The Bad:
- The American is cringe worthy
- the track that isn't a track (and does it need a power board?)
- it's pretending to be old topgear when it doesn't have to
- celebrity brain crash is not funny and just a waste of time
- some of the films have been too stupid and over-the-top
- most things are far too scripted and way too obvious = not funny, not entertaining
I think two of my biggest criticism is that TGT is pretending to be TopGear - but doing a quite frankly bad job at it, because they are quite obviously handicapped by the BBC. So why copy it at all? Why have a power board with timed laps of a track that isn't a track? The Top Gear power laps used to be relevant after many seasons, but now most people refer to Nordschleife times anyway. And we don't need every single program to conduct its own form of measurement. If they had lap times to a well known race track, fair enough - but that narrow track really doesn't do it.
The 2nd biggest criticism is how obvious it is scripted. I am quite aware that old TopGear used to be scripted too, but there was a level of uncertainty and unpredictability before. An easy example:
When they were testing the Maseratis and decided to race back to the boat, Hammond ended up taking a "short cut" into the container/docks/area. I mean, really? Meanwhile, Clarkon's car breaks down completely (which might have been unpredictable), only to then see him drive a pickup with the car on its back and come out EXACTLY after Hammon found his way out of the docks area? I mean come on. What I actually enjoyed about the old TopGear episodes and challenges is that it was unpredictable. For instance; I remember various episodes, the first race they did with the Aston Martin down to the south of France while Hammond/May took the train or the one in Japan with the Nissan GT-R. I think in Japan, Clarkson at some point (after narrowly beating them to the finish) said, "I mean, I know they plan these things to be close, but to see it be that close in the end, wow".
I feel similarly about some of the other challenges that they did. The building the car interior bit was just stupid. I would rather they would concentrate on doing challenges that are a bit more motoring relevant and script certain things about it, but not the outcome of the challenge! Some of the best bits about the old TopGear episdes were the challenges where they bought a car for a fixed amount of money, did challenges and see what happens. That ended up being way more entertaining and authentic.
Similarly, older feature films they did, like the road trip through Iraq or other places were simply amazing and required less scripted humor because the film and adventure itself was incredible enough to capture its audiences.
Given this is still a motoring show, I would suggest they rethink some of the things they have done so far for next season. There are heaps of things they could do that are entertaining and motoring relevant. Tire testing, winter/summer, wet/dry = informative and plenty of scope for challenges. More challenges between cars (like they did in the last episode combined with a road trip). Challenging tracks. I think the Nordschleife in a Jaguar episode back on old-Topgear (where he attempted to beat 10 minutes in the Jaguar) was a fantastic episode. They could do similar things with other cars on different tracks etc.
It's not that The Grand Tour is bad. I think it's very solid. But I can't see it lasting long if it continues trying to pretend to be TopGear when it quite clearly isn't due to BBC restraints. As it is, they will neither appeal to motorists (too much cocking about), nor to people looking for entertainment (too scripted) and the rest only watching it because they like seeing Clarkson, Hammond and May will soon quit as well on the basis of them not being 'real' anymore.
Not for nothing, Rosberg's Championship is the only thing that lends credibility to Hamilton's recent success. Otherwise, he'd just be the guy who's had the best car. — bhall II #Team44 supporter
I love the new show, but yes I agree with Phill, my biggest problem is that is too scripted - hopefully they will get more freedom next season and find a solution for the stupid celebrity brain crash segment which did not work after few shows at all!
Yeah mate, cheers
I've looked at that and all it tells me is he's a nobody as far as I can see ?
I agree that they are doing many things in a strange kind of way to have a dig at the BBC, because as has been mentioned they are limited legally to how close they can be to the original Top Gear.
But do the casual fans understand that ?
We all talk about it because we're addicted to motorsport of any kind, and have followed the transition from "Top Gear" to "The Grand Tour', but he's very boring and most viewers have no idea why such things are happening during the show.
Sad thing is US Top Gear does the three car challenge so much better and that's done each episode, not an episode here and there throughout the season.
When US TG started it was a carbon copy of the UK and it just didn't work, they knew that so changed to doing what did work, use the chemistry of the three presenters messing around in cars for a challenge each week.
