Top Gear?

[chris p bacon]

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

The very first show of Great British Bake Off had 2.2 million viewers.

I haven't seen this version of TG yet (recorded but yet to watch) but I don't think it's a valid comparison.

 

Bake off is a low budget show that used a new idea, TG was already a successful show with a large audience base.

[Dunsignalling]

As you've asked; not especially. It's just he came across as a square peg in a round hole in much the same way as I reckon Ant & Dec, Dan Cruikshank or Grayson Perry (and many other people who are proficient in their own niche) would be a bit of a poor choice too.

I dunno, partnering Whispering Dan with Chris Evans ought to be hilarious viewing.

[HeeleyBridge]

I love Reliants and caravans. Bring back Tiff Needell and Quentin Wilson, the Top Gear dream team.

 

(One part of the above sentence is true - guess which one.)

[Dunsignalling]

A lot of the criticism and adverse reaction is really self-inflicted. If you make a copy of an existing formula, even down to mimicking the one liners and delivery style of former presenters, then it is pretty obvious that people will make comparisons with what has gone before and apply different expectations than for a fresh new approach. Put simply, if you just take a winning formula off the shelf and insert established stars as presenters then people can reasonably expect the new show to hit the ground running. If you decide to do a refresh and do something new, or introduce people relatively new to TV then most people will allow them time to find their feet and establish the new show.

 

I think that a lot has focused on Chris Evans, yet dire as he was I think that probably the bigger problem is that the format of the show itself really needs a refresh. The last series of Clarkson era TG had a very “haven’t we been here before” feel as they’d reached a point where they’d done the road trips, challenges etc to a point where they were basically just repeating stuff that they’d already done, and in many cases done better before. The show was pretty much reliant on the chemistry of the three presenters to retain my interest. I think they had a golden opportunity to take the show in a new direction and re-invent it in the way Clarkson did but by playing it safe by making a copy of what went before they’ve inherited the same basic problem of how to try and keep a show interesting when everything is basically just a copy of what the show has already done. I’m interested to see how Clarkson, May & Hammond address this in their Amazon Prime show.

 

In terms of TG, I do think there is potential. As others have said Matt Leblanc seems to bring a sort of dry observational humour and laid back approach that works well. Also he can drive a car. Sabine Schmitz is everything that a TG host should be, cracking driver, irreverent, funny and her own person. If she was bumped up to become one of a trio with the other two then it’d be a massive improvement I think. The problem then would be that if you had a hugely likeable Sabine, a dry and funny Matt Leblanc it’d still leave Chris Evans as a loud and unfunny alpha male unless he can radically alter his presenting style. The “star in a reasonably priced car” bit this week was painful, made worse by the fact that in Jesse Eisenberg they did actually pick a genuinely funny and articulate guest. What possessed them to put him on as a double act with Gordon Ramsey and then reduce the slot to Chris Evans shouting about who had the best car? If somebody that could interact with other human beings had bothered to try and engage Jesse Eisenberg in a short chat it could’ve been great, as it was it was ghastly.

So Matt LeBlanc + Sabine Schmitz + Chris Harris, then. Splitting into solos or pairs as appropriate to individual items. 

 

Just needs the BBC to work out how much it will cost to make Evans go away........

 

John

Edited May 31, 2016 by Dunsignalling

[bike2steam]

Top Gear - ??? More like 'Struggling To Get Out Of Low Gear', The Reliant suits Evans - me remembering the Jasper Carrot jokes about them is what made me smile??

[MJI]

People saying there is a market for an 'original Top Gear' style show. What the hell was 5th gear? It even had former 'orginal Top Gear' presenters. It should be noted, 5th gear got canned for regularly earning less than 1 million viewers, even after its return to Freeview.

 

Original Top Gear peaked around 6 million, which fell to 3 million for the final series back in 2001. This makes it sound viable when compared to the JC and co era Top Gear, but this fails to take into account the overall decline in TV viewing figures (approximately 20% since 2010) due to broadband internet and various streaming services.

 

Brand has considerably more impact on new car choice than reviews nowadays.

 

I stopped watching it when C5 reintroduced their logo.

 

C5 prefer onscreen logos to viewers.

 

I am someone who watches C4 SD rather than HD due to logos.

 

C5 viewing figures were suicide

I didn't think it was a bad start to a series, but how many of you watched "Extra Gear" on BBC3? There is a new presenter - to the masses - named Chris Harris. This guy can really drive and knows what he talking about. Needs to be added to the main series pronto! Chris Evans was too shouty, but I'm sure he'll calm down, I'd have been a little over excited if I'd been given the jewel in the BBC crown to present!

Matt Le Blanc made a decent start, but really need to develop another style of presenting, Richard Hammond he is not. The best bit by far was seeing Sabine Schmitt back. What an extraordinary driver, pity more of her presence wasn't used back in the studio.

 

Whether this can be as good as the other lot I'll reserve judgement, but then do I just want it to be that, or do I want something different? On reflection..yeah, something fresher would be better.

 

Mike

 

Sorry 7 has gone, BBC3 no longer exists

[MJI]

I think part of Fifth Gear's problem was that it was on Channel 5, which generally has fewer viewers than BBC anyway. I guess the question is "Should the BBC be producing popular rubbish or less popular quality TV?" At the moment it sounds as if it's producing less popular rubbish....

 

As to reviews, I think there was an element of that in some of the later reviews in Proper Top Gear, Clarkson often ended his reviews with comments like "This is a good car, but don't buy it, it's got a Ford (or Rover) badge on it, and it'll make you look boring" (a factor which may well in my mind have contributed to Rover's collapse a few years later) Yet when Skoda started building better cars under VW ownership, it was a different story.

 

When you are used to logo free channels you tend to not watch ones which get in your face, that stupid logo kept staring at me

[andyram]

I stopped watching it when C5 reintroduced their logo.

 

C5 prefer onscreen logos to viewers.

 

I am someone who watches C4 SD rather than HD due to logos.

 

C5 viewing figures were suicide

 

 

Sorry 7 has gone, BBC3 no longer exists

BBC 3 exists as an online channel with programmes also, I believe, available via IPlayer.

[ClikC]

I think part of Fifth Gear's problem was that it was on Channel 5, which generally has fewer viewers than BBC anyway.

I knew this would come up. I'd give the argument merit if we we're still pre-digital, I.e access to viewing channel 5 is limited. But because we are in the post digital age, there is only one impact on a channels viewing figures, I.e the quality of content on that channel.

 

As it stands, Arguing that fifth gear's viewing figures are a result of the channels viewing figures is a non sequitur.

 

Regards

 

Matt

[Glorious NSE]

But because we are in the post digital age, there is only one impact on a channels viewing figures, I.e the quality of content on that channel.

 

Mmmmmmm - dunno, i'd suggest that lower number channels are more likely to get noticed, and higher numbered ones more likely to be overlooked, unless you know to look for something. Don't know about everyone elses EPG, but when I turn mine on it always defaults to show channel 1 at the top, so that's always where I start browsing...

 

I might never realise there was something utterly amazing on channel #78 (or whatever) because i'd have had to scroll down half a dozen pages in the EPG to see it and either i'd have seen something better on the way,  or Rach would have got bored with my constant flicking and commandeered it for Eastenders or i'd have just got bored and gone to see what I can find on Netflix instead or...

 

And I bet there's plenty of folk out there who still flick through the channels one by one...

 

Admittedly it's an irrelevant argument if you're talking about a channel numbered only 5 however, i'm sure most folk get that far!

[Glorious NSE]

So my verdict?

It's still on my series link - i'll watch where it goes with interest. I don't think it was any worse than the last series to be honest, but that's hardly a glowing endorsement.

WIth just one show out of the way, it felt a little like it didn't quite know where to go, or why - and with the intense reactions out there from the hardcore fanbase, maybe that's a little bit understandable.

Whilst I think the previous format was getting very stale, I can imagine they wouldn't have wanted to change it and further upset the fanbase - though I think in retrospect that might not be the best plan. I suspect there were an awful lot of folk just waiting to call it a failure no matter what it looked like.

For the presenters - Matt LeBlanc was a little wooden at times but shows promise, I was encouraged.

I know Chris Evans is a bit marmite - but he able to be Chris Evans in a car, and was all the better for it. If he can find his own style to do the studio bits and not have to try and channel Jeremy Clarkson to fit the format he'd probably be a bit more relaxed and it would flow better?

The others - where? Why not some kind of all-in "introduce the new team" challenge?

[edcayton]

The others - where? Why not some kind of all-in "introduce the new team" challenge?

 

I'm guessing it's very hard to get them all together at once. They all seem to be doing the sensible thing and not giving up the day job.

 

Ed

[wollastonblue]

Having caught up with it yesterday. I really enjoyed it. I am and always will be a big fan of Evans, having grown up with him on the Big Breakfast and don't forget your toothbrush. I was more sceptical of Matt LeBlanc, but I'm guessing thanks to Episodes he understands the British sense of humour, and I thought the Nomad piece was brilliant.

 

I hope the new format does well.

[alfsboy]

I havnt watched it as I hate Evans who is a  trivial DJ .This by definition is a motormouth who will say anything to fill in the time needed between real talents on the records .Apart from John Peel the only clever DJ has been Kenny Everett. Clarkson is a motoring journalist  by trade and often his analysis is useful and bang on .After decades of horrible Vauxhall bashing he was the first to say how good the new ones were .He has depth beneath the foolery .Got a feeling neither  progs will be popular .  Its probably run its course.The format is blown and cant have many ideas left.Probably Ben Elton and Rowen Atkinson would make a better job of it .One can write and one can drive .

[Neil]

..... The problem then would be that if you had a hugely likeable Sabine, a dry and funny Matt Leblanc it’d still leave Chris Evans as a loud and unfunny alpha male .....

 

The perfect replacement for Clarkson; job done.

[Oakydoke]

....I really enjoyed it. I am and always will be a big fan of Evans....

Ah! It's you.

There had to be one.

[Oakydoke]

A lot of comments here and elsewhere hoping or speculating that the show, or the individual presenters, might get better as the series goes on; but I was under the impression from all the press stories and hype, that the series has been recording since January.

So all, or most of it could be "in the can" already.

[Oakydoke]

One brilliant comment I saw somewhere, nailed it for me.

 

"It was like watching a bad cover band, murdering all your favourite tunes".

 

Sums it up perfectly IMHO.

[Glorious NSE]

A lot of comments here and elsewhere hoping or speculating that the show, or the individual presenters, might get better as the series goes on; but I was under the impression from all the press stories and hype, that the series has been recording since January.

So all, or most of it could be "in the can" already.

Yes, but that only means they can't change it now, rather than the quality will remain exactly constant compared to episode 1.

[andyram]

A lot of comments here and elsewhere hoping or speculating that the show, or the individual presenters, might get better as the series goes on; but I was under the impression from all the press stories and hype, that the series has been recording since January.

So all, or most of it could be "in the can" already.

As I understand it, the films have been completed, but the studio sections are filmed throughout the series. For me it is the studio sections that require more polish.

[bertiedog]

Oh dear, Oh dear....the BBC have lost the plot, the show is OK as it stands, if the Clarkson years had not happened. But they did, and him leaving suddenly was a disaster for the show. The exec producers and planners have done their best, but you cannot replace a personality who was so popular overnight.

 

Chris Evans has his own following, but they are not the same audience as Top Gear, so it will take time to settle in. Matt Leblanc co hosting was a bad move, they should have used Evans as the only presenter, with the others coming on in challenges, reviews, and reports. He brings an American audience to the show in the States, but seems out of his depth co hosting the show.

 

I doubt that Chris Evans will stick to the job long, he has a history of developing shows and moving on, and I cannot see Matt taking over the whole show. None of the others, including Top Gear Extra, have the experience or sheer charisma to hold down the post.

 

We look on Clarkson and the boys as a team, but in fact Clarkson was always in charge, both the others were just there as a support act. So far there is no support team for Evans, the people are there, but not the variety act the boys were.

 

I do doubt as well, that the new Clarkson show will be that successful in the UK, the expected audience for a start is beyond the capacity to stream on the net, and lots of people only have slow connections not super fibre.

 

The New show depends on spread out net viewing in the UK, and may only be really successful abroad. TV is heading fast to pick and choose viewing, the days of 5 million sitting down and watching Top Gear may well be over anyway.

Stephen

[fozzy280472]

I think the others like Sabine and Chris Harris should be given some of the car testing , they are both bloody handy drivers.

I saw Chris Harris driving a Lola T70 at the Silverstone historic festival and he was first / second for pretty much all the laps in his driving stint , he really was quick .

I'll be honest , I thought Top Gear was getting pretty tired three years ago regardless of who was presenting.

[enginelane]

Mr Evans on his radio show bugging up the first show, it is now officially the best viewing figures for a summer launch of Top Gear. It's official, it's a success!

 

Onwards to episode 2

[bertiedog]

Mr Evans on his radio show bugging up the first show, it is now officially the best viewing figures for a summer launch of Top Gear. It's official, it's a success!

 

Onwards to episode 2

What else would he say? the figures are for the first show, where a good percentage were there to see whether he made a car crash or not!

Next weeks figures are the vital ones, as are the figures from the States. All they have are 8 shows, and every one will be a winner for Chris!!.......

in his dreams!!

I doubt at this rate he will continue, it the States TV critics and viewers comments that have hurt most at present, the UK are more forgiving.

 

Stephen

[chaz]

If the licence fee wasn't (more or less) compulsory would you part with money for BBC TV?

 

Chaz