Top Gear

[Blue One]

I'm in the US this week and had the 'pleasure' of watching the new US TG series. I wish I could say it was just the cheesey US cultural stuff I didn't like, but it was the whole premise of the TG series it exposed as a complete fake that I really hated. The presenters are more obvious than our UK guys because they don't have the chemistry or depth of character in the UK series, but that made it easier to see what a rigged and completely put on series TG is. We've conned ourselves in the UK that although we know it's kind of scripted and 'set-up' that there's a grain of truth in the expoits and adventures we see with great cars. The truth it that is no different to an episode of Corrie or Eastenders; completely fictional and created for pure entertainment.

The US series just makes this more obvious by its slavish copy of the UK formats and formula with what is still a very new team, which makes the 'is that Ferrari California or a jet ride quicker to Las Vegas race' they had in the episode I saw so obviously set-up, scripted and unnatural. It just shows that the TG we have been consuming for the last eight years is no different, we've just been happy to hope that wasn't the case and rely on trust we were watching some genuine car-based antics - sorry folks we've been had!

Maybe nothing new here, but I hope the BBC and TG either shift the show's format to something more credible for petrolheads or can the series and come up with something better. If they don't do it voluntarily it'll happen anyway as the formula simply fails to maintain its current success as people get wise to the ruse...

[A205GTI]

The problem is, JC admitted this Top Gear is an entertainment programme and no longer a car programme, hence why it is so popular now. I must admit I dont enjoy it as much as I used to but is still better than fifth gear and that god awful used car roadshow. Just My opinion though.

Thats why Jeremy has apparently gone back to talking about cars in more detail on his last DVD (haven't seen it just what Ive heard) But while Top Gear rakes in the money with the format they've got it wont change. funnily enough just like Eastenders!!!

I must admit I do like wheeler dealers, though in the real world he would lose money on every car due to wages, running a workshop etc. if thats all they did but very entertaining.

[LRdriver II]

Yes.. and so what?

Just dont watch it then. Its called "entertainment" and is fun like that. Do I need to tell you that the easter bunny does not exist either?

[mnkiboy]

I don't think anyone here is under the illusion that the races are real. Of course they're scripted. It's an entertainment program and I find it entertaining. End of.

[Flipatron]

I bet James May wasn't very impressed when he read the script about him cracking his head open.

[balders118]

Yes yes, an 'entertainment' program. The problem I find with it is that it just isn't entertaining anymore, which is why I don't watch it.

And for all the "IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT DON'T WATCH IT" crowd, I believe the reason people moan about it on here is a lot is because we have lost what used to be a great program aimed at car enthusiasts like all of us. There is now no real alternative, 5th gear IMO is good, but way too short, and Ben Collins is awful at presenting. People continue to watch TG in hope that it will get better and return to the time of actual car reviews and when it doesn't happen come here and moan. TBH, it's never going to come back.. not under the current TG format anyway.

[Blue One]

The reason I felt I wanted to post it was that I feel the show does make itself out to be a genuine programme, if you watch Corrie you know it's drama. TG is a bit like The Truman Show; the guy only found out it wasn't real as time went on - like TG.

The way it has now descended into circus and farce is at least a way of now letting everyone know the truth , I just think the BBC should acknowledge this in how the show is portrayed and filmed rather than trying to con people. The way the Xmas show portrayed the road trip to Isreal was typical, you suddenly saw all these support vehicles when May had his accident, but not otherwise. I just think they are trying to con everyone into thinking it is a genuine show and that's what actually really pi**es me off.

Anyway I'm sure there'll be plenty more 'so why watch it then!?' comments coming up...

Edited by Blue One on Monday 10th January 08:31

[Globs]

balders118 said:

I believe the reason people moan about it on here is a lot is because we have lost what used to be a great program aimed at car enthusiasts like all of us.

And we pay for it, too.
It doesn't make up for having to pay for Eastenders and other living room sewage, but it does help.

[Hub]

This one continues to go round in circles then! Surely it has been done to death?

[balders118]

Globs said:

balders118 said:

I believe the reason people moan about it on here is a lot is because we have lost what used to be a great program aimed at car enthusiasts like all of us.

And we pay for it, too.
It doesn't make up for having to pay for Eastenders and other living room sewage, but it does help.

At the end of the season before last (the program ended with images of the vantage v12, but ZERO info about it) was the last straw for me. I actually felt so dissapointed by how st it had become I emailed the BBC to show my disgust. Not that it made a grain of diffference but i'm sure more and more people are doing similar these days.

[LuS1fer]

It is scripted, I don't find it entertaining and the trailers for the forthcoming series have instantly persuaded me not to watch it. I'll stick with Fifth Gear.

[marcosgt]

The "Top Gear" thread - "Return of the Living Dead Thread"

M

[98elise]

Blue One said:

The reason I felt I wanted to post it was that I feel the show does make itself out to be a genuine programme, if you watch Corrie you know it's drama. TG is a bit like The Truman Show; the guy only found out it wasn't real as time went on - like TG.

The way it has now descended into circus and farce is at least a way of now letting everyone know the truth , I just think the BBC should acknowledge this in how the show is portrayed and filmed rather than trying to con people. The way the Xmas show portrayed the road trip to Isreal was typical, you suddenly saw all these support vehicles when May had his accident, but not otherwise. I just think they are trying to con everyone into thinking it is a genuine show and that's what actually really pi**es me off.

Anyway I'm sure there'll be plenty more 'so why watch it then!?' comments coming up...

Edited by Blue One on Monday 10th January 08:31

I seriously doubt many people who what it believe its anything other than a car based entertainment show.

That is unless you think that they have camera's at every corner on a cross europe race, that get the perfect shot every time.

The only issue I have with TG is that in some of the "lets build an electric car/house on wheels" type segments, the set up gags are so poorly acted, its like an episode of Last of the Summer Wine.

It is still the best entertainment show on TV though.

I'm off to start a Corrie thread now.....

[Lordbenny]

Here we go again!

[AJI]

I quite like the format but wish that it wasn't so staged and predictable in whats about to go wrong. And the fact that they always paint themselves as silly unknowing boys playing with big toys.

Saying that, there is nothing more boring than a dedicated car show that only bashes on about run-of-the-mill mundane euroboxes and how they compare to other run-of-the-mill boxes.
I, along with many others, wish to see super car exotica and how they are to live with in the real world.
The challenges etc. are a good thing, but this has all been mentioned and discussed on previous threads.

But I wanted to contribute to this thread because I know of one of their future 'events' in their show (the UK one that is).
We got contacted the other day by the TG production team requesting access to the A66 over the Pennines. They are planning to do some sort of gritter/snow sweeper conversion on combine harvesters. So I'm guessing this will fit along the lines of their tractor episode where they compete in who can 'build' the best effort to do the job etc.

Only problem is that the Highways Agency declined the request due to 'insurance'...but I never did work out what the HA 'insurance' stand point was about. I mean, the HA do not, as far as I know, have their own insurance company they call upon when a motorist (or any 3rd party) damages part of the road (this is done with individual's own insurance). So I'm guessing that they simply just wanted to back away from any media hype that may have shown the HA in some possible negative light, something that the UK press are experts on. (And one reason why nobody is willing to take any form of 'risk' these days - but thats a whole different subject matter).



(Just thought the PH massive might be interested)

[heebeegeetee]

Blue One said:

I'm in the US this week and had the 'pleasure' of watching the new US TG series. I wish I could say it was just the cheesey US cultural stuff I didn't like, but it was the whole premise of the TG series it exposed as a complete fake that I really hated. The presenters are more obvious than our UK guys because they don't have the chemistry or depth of character in the UK series, but that made it easier to see what a rigged and completely put on series TG is. We've conned ourselves in the UK that although we know it's kind of scripted and 'set-up' that there's a grain of truth in the expoits and adventures we see with great cars. The truth it that is no different to an episode of Corrie or Eastenders; completely fictional and created for pure entertainment.

The US series just makes this more obvious by its slavish copy of the UK formats and formula with what is still a very new team, which makes the 'is that Ferrari California or a jet ride quicker to Las Vegas race' they had in the episode I saw so obviously set-up, scripted and unnatural. It just shows that the TG we have been consuming for the last eight years is no different, we've just been happy to hope that wasn't the case and rely on trust we were watching some genuine car-based antics - sorry folks we've been had!

Maybe nothing new here, but I hope the BBC and TG either shift the show's format to something more credible for petrolheads or can the series and come up with something better. If they don't do it voluntarily it'll happen anyway as the formula simply fails to maintain its current success as people get wise to the ruse...

My answer to this is: Speak for yourself.

I've never been had. I've never thought of it as anything but a car-based entertainment programme.

I mean, what part of it am I supposed to believe? That if I set off in a car and my pals go by boat we'll get to a to a town in Sweden at exactly the same time? And that if my pals ferry breaks down they'll just walk down to a quay and there'll be a powerful motor boat waiting for them? Or that the Stig really is an alien?

I mean come on, what single part of TG do you think is reality? I don't think a single part of it is.

I've been a fan of Jeremy Clarkson right from when he first started writing in car mags, and I find him very enjoyable and entertaining to watch (as I do with TG).

But I wouldn't use Jeremy Clarkson or TG to choose my next car in any way shape or form, not in any way whatsoever. Why would I

So OP, if you ever thought that TG was anything other than an entertainments programme - a car based comedy made to look like reality, a sort of car-based Jackass for all the family - more fool you, I'm afraid.

[Shinobi]

heebeegeetee said:

Blue One said:

I'm in the US this week and had the 'pleasure' of watching the new US TG series. I wish I could say it was just the cheesey US cultural stuff I didn't like, but it was the whole premise of the TG series it exposed as a complete fake that I really hated. The presenters are more obvious than our UK guys because they don't have the chemistry or depth of character in the UK series, but that made it easier to see what a rigged and completely put on series TG is. We've conned ourselves in the UK that although we know it's kind of scripted and 'set-up' that there's a grain of truth in the expoits and adventures we see with great cars. The truth it that is no different to an episode of Corrie or Eastenders; completely fictional and created for pure entertainment.

The US series just makes this more obvious by its slavish copy of the UK formats and formula with what is still a very new team, which makes the 'is that Ferrari California or a jet ride quicker to Las Vegas race' they had in the episode I saw so obviously set-up, scripted and unnatural. It just shows that the TG we have been consuming for the last eight years is no different, we've just been happy to hope that wasn't the case and rely on trust we were watching some genuine car-based antics - sorry folks we've been had!

Maybe nothing new here, but I hope the BBC and TG either shift the show's format to something more credible for petrolheads or can the series and come up with something better. If they don't do it voluntarily it'll happen anyway as the formula simply fails to maintain its current success as people get wise to the ruse...

My answer to this is: Speak for yourself.

I've never been had. I've never thought of it as anything but a car-based entertainment programme.

I mean, what part of it am I supposed to believe? That if I set off in a car and my pals go by boat we'll get to a to a town in Sweden at exactly the same time? And that if my pals ferry breaks down they'll just walk down to a quay and there'll be a powerful motor boat waiting for them? Or that the Stig really is an alien?

I mean come on, what single part of TG do you think is reality? I don't think a single part of it is.

I've been a fan of Jeremy Clarkson right from when he first started writing in car mags, and I find him very enjoyable and entertaining to watch (as I do with TG).

But I wouldn't use Jeremy Clarkson or TG to choose my next car in any way shape or form, not in any way whatsoever. Why would I

So OP, if you ever thought that TG was anything other than an entertainments programme - a car based comedy made to look like reality, a sort of car-based Jackass for all the family - more fool you, I'm afraid.

[phone]

[hesnotthemessiah]

They script Top Gear!!!!!!

[Petrolhead_Rich]

Flipatron said:

I bet James May wasn't very impressed when he read the script about him cracking his head open.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Yes they are scripted, but they still DID drive to the north pole/across africa, bolivia etc, they did actually make JC drive 1" from death on the road passing the land cruiser, even though in reality they would have picked a better place to pass etc

It's a petrolhead entertainment show and it's brilliant, 5th gear etc is for car reviews.

All the films, soaps, etc are for entertainment, if I wanted car advice I would ask Pistonheads or look through car magazines, when I've finished my sunday dinner and I'm kicking back with a cold beer and relaxing, I'll put on top gear!

Only gripe I have is that it hasn't been on for the last two weeks!#

ETA-

AJI said:

We got contacted the other day by the TG production team requesting access to the A66 over the Pennines. They are planning to do some sort of gritter/snow sweeper conversion on combine harvesters. So I'm guessing this will fit along the lines of their tractor episode where they compete in who can 'build' the best effort to do the job etc.

Only problem is that the Highways Agency declined the request due to 'insurance'...but I never did work out what the HA 'insurance' stand point was about. I mean, the HA do not, as far as I know, have their own insurance company they call upon when a motorist (or any 3rd party) damages part of the road (this is done with individual's own insurance). So I'm guessing that they simply just wanted to back away from any media hype that may have shown the HA in some possible negative light, something that the UK press are experts on. (And one reason why nobody is willing to take any form of 'risk' these days - but thats a whole different subject matter).



(Just thought the PH massive might be interested)

It will be like the resurfacing one they did, showed road works can be done quicker.

They will do it on an airfield instead so it doesn't matter, hopefully they will mention the HA not giving them access to embarrass them too

Edited by Petrolhead_Rich on Monday 10th January 10:06

[Blue One]

Okay, there are plenty of TG fans on here (I am one also despite the criticism). As for the 'all more fool you' well all the fool you actually buddy! I watch my TV and like to think it has some credibility, we all know they have multiple cameras etc but they make it appear to be a reality show, as in 'they are being filmed but are doing it themselves'. The fact is they aren't and they should be honest about it....

Edited by Blue One on Monday 10th January 13:44