Literally couldn’t bear to watch Clarkson, and didn’t like Hammond or May either.

Therefore definitely better, although Evans was annoying and definitely trying too hard. Did laugh though when they were in the Reliants in the rain, and Evans pointed out LeBlanc looked like a moviestar, and he looked like a dick 😆

Thought LeBlanc was excellent.

Agree it needs more presenters though, don’t know why the other two were restricted to the extra show?

Sabine has huge racing, teaching, business and german tv responsibilities don’t forget.

Didn’t watch TG but really like Matt Le B. in “Episodes” if you haven’t seen it worth looking out for.

Episodes” if you haven’t seen it worth looking out for.

Worth avoiding.

Loved the old Top Gear but admit it had turned a bit stale this last few years. I’m not a massive fan of Evans but we sat down to watch it last night with the mindset that it wasn’t the old TG with new presenters but a different show.

But instead we did get the old TG with new presenters. Evans came across as trying too hard to be like JC and I will go against the grain and say I found Le Blanc to be quite bland.

I will still keep the series link but I won’t be going out of my way to sit down and watch it live again.

Didnt watch it, not my cup of tea.

Wifey did though and said it was cringing.

Le Blanc only seemed OK because Evans was so, so bad.

Gash.

Le Blanc wasn’t actually that bad in places, Sabine good but not enough of her. As for the mess they made of that fell, that was a damned sight worse than Jeremy did in the Disco in Scotland a few years back, I hope they get as much flak.

Now that they are gone I kinda miss the big bafoon.

When does the Amazon series start?

Just give Sabine a bunch of cars to drive around the ring…an hour a week of that would be great.

Fell asleep watching.. The whole thing is tired, a bit boring and now it’s a bit shouty and forced. Needs to rapidly pick itself up and point in a new direction..

Saw a survey in the Telegragph of all the presenters – yeh or neh ? Top was May then Clarkson and Hammknd. Evans was last by a very big margin behind everyone else. Viewing figures where just 4.4m and would usually fall after the first episode, it looks doomed. Sabrine and Chris Harris I like, they should have just given them the show.

Front it with a female and make it about transport rather than just cars and I’m in.

You’re all saying the format was tired and needed changing. The worldwide success of the show and the format would tend to disagree with you all. Evans has tried and failed because he tried to out do Clarkson and Co and that frankly was never a goer. The show is not for you and never has been. It’s for your kids, it’s a pantomime car show with a few adult orientated jokes. I get pleasure from watching my son laugh his head off at the daft antics they get up to. He’s 13 yrs old. They may well increase the viewing figures as it settles down but they will never replace James May who was my main reason for watching anyway.

New TG is like trying to substitute a supergroup with new musicians and no songwriter. Before he started on TG, Jeremy Clarkson’s writing stood out as being special amongst a fairly anodyne crowd. He could introduce humour and write material that appealed to non petrolheads. The interplay between the characters was important too. You have the (increasingly) boorish, opinionated one, then quaint, old fashioned sensible one, followed by the little vain one who was in touch with his feminine side. Whilst they played on this and exaggerated the characters, even though we were in on it, it was entertaining to watch despite an increasingly boring and tired format. Sadly, with new TG, the format stayed and the strong interplay between characters went (little choice – Clarkson’s behaviour couldn’t be condoned). The smart money’s on Rory Reid and Chris Harris, with Eddie Jordan as the wild card if he can be placed in an unfamilar environment and let his guard slip. I’d have picked Harry Metcalfe as the new James May (he may or may not like that analogy!!). It can improve if the commissioning team have the courage to let the less well known ones flourish, but I suspect they’re banking on the familiarity of the big names setting the ball rolling. They can’t go on copying forever – even the Viper piece in Arizona was a blatant copy of a piece by Jesse Crosse an old colleague of Clarkson’s on Performane Car. I don’t think that he was credited with it though.
The new Amazon show has greater promise because you have the magic of the characters to bounce off each other but with, possibly, a newer, fresher format, which what it would have needed eventually even if it were to stay with BBC.

TG Extra was surprisingly watchable, a lot better than the main programme.

As above….. Got angry watching it. Don’t mind “friends got old” bloke. He was surprisingly OK. Evans is a shouty bacon deprived try hard cockwomble who I knew would be terrible. Sick of the US / uk thing too. Marketing production dicks must have had a field day in that meeting!

Really not sure what people expect. It’s a programme featuring men talking about cars; it’s not going to be that exciting, whichever way you cut it.

The old show was popular because it had Clarkson presenting it. A man whose views/right wing slant/”anti PC” comments appeal to your typical white/middle aged/middle of the road/blokey motoring enthusiast. And by extension, their wives aswell.

Clarkson’s a bit of a bellend, but he’s also a decent presenter, especially for Top Gear. Without him, it doesn’t have the same appeal to the target audience.

They should just scrap it really. Cars are so last century anyway, IDK why anyone cares about them anymore. It’s all about the push bike these days.

I’m wiv Tinners….

The old formula was way beyond its sell by date and they’ve just tried to roll with it when it should have been canned.

I reckon the new ‘Grand Tour’ and the fact that they’ve decided to film it all over the world is going to be the fresher format that this needed.

I loved JC’s writing back in his Performance car mag back in the 90’s (before he started rambling in the Sunday Times).

He has a way of being edgy and rude without running over the line.

As I was out last night at a concert, I missed TG, and couldn’t be arsed to waste disc space recording it, relying on catch-up, so I’m just checking in to see the general consensus.
Not entirely sure what bikebuoy was implying with his post, but it appears that the greater majority are saying exactly the same as Quinten Letts in the MoS today. (I read/scan through my dad’s copy, I don’t bother with papers myself).
The Viper piece seems to be a virtual copy of one done by the Hamster, as is the Nomad, so it’s been said in some reviews; that’s the only bit I want to see, I really, really want a Nomad, utterly mental little car!
Thank God for catch-up, I can download it, watch the five minutes or so that’s actually interesting, then delete.
A bit like Later… these days, sadly.

It’s all about the push bike these days.

If that’s your opinion then maybe you should go find a nice push bike forum to chat on, and leave us here to talk about cars.

😀

Extragear was pretty good, they should swap the presenters around, much improved! They had the nomad doing a lap of the track.

Countzero, you didn’t understand my comment about “I was entertained “

Pretty much says it all.

As borish as the programme was, the format was never going to change due to it being highly successful at selling itself around the world for welcome income that the BBC can waste on providing content no body, too small minority, wants to watch.

I’m surprised at all those who thought they would get a revamp/new format, and actually be content nee satisfied with the output. You seemed to expect a format that only appeals to you and not consider income generation for the BBC.

When Chris took over R2 from Terry, the UK Middle Class almost blew petunias and lillc’s. But a year later after many a boardroom wrangle and potential contract termination cost, the Beeb kept hold of him and to this day Chris continues to please, bring in audience, provide media other than just radio.

Honestly, you expected a new format?

Yer…riiiiight.

and its repeating now on bbc till 20.00.

As has been said before the old format worked because the old presenting team built it for themselves, I don’t think any of the international format sales have been succesful because the format doesn’t survive well without its original stars – I fear the same with the new version and I imagine BBC income will fall accordingly. All the Euros I know who watched Top Gear loved Clarkson and the team, I think it will be tough to keep them.

6 pages, and no one has yet mentioned the fourth wheel; Andy Wilman. He was every bit as much a part of TG as the three on screen.

I didn’t think much to it, really. That said, i’m giving them the benefit of the doubt. It’ll take a while for them to find their feet, and if they get Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz on screen more, then it’s got some real potential.

We always watched Top Gear on catch up so we could fast forward it.
So far the remote has not been touched. It’s certainly no worse than the last people.

^^^^ Wot Tinners said.

It was a bit crap, in my opinion. They really need to stop trying to be May, Hammond and Clarkson: Once they stop doing that, it may become watchable.

It can improve if the commissioning team have the courage to let the less well known ones flourish

Isn’t it all mostly filmed already? Just the studio bits to play with I think.

They took two Reliants, chopped the roofs off and repainted them but did not think to fix the engines! Schoolboy error 8)

Let’s hope that the plan is to rebuild and revitalise a bit at a time … Matt Leblanc was good when allowed to as lib but his studio script to camera was obviously reading, probably because the writer doesn’t know his style. Loved Sabine calling out the yank cars (and Ferrari!) for having sh1t chassis!

Evans will calm down as he gets used to it being his job

6 pages, and no one has yet mentioned the fourth wheel; Andy Wilman. He was every bit as much a part of TG as the three on screen.

This, as it was him and Clarkson who came up with the format. I used to subscribe to Top Gear mag and he did a three part, multi page piece on the show from the start of ‘new’ and it was quite sad really. Felt like the end of an era and should have been left as that.

I have not seen much of the new one but quite like Evans so am disappointed they’ve gone for a remake. He’s bright enough and certainly has the knowledge to produce something fresh.

I like it. Like La Blanc, Evans is watchable. It’s entertaining, nothing more, nothing less

I’m in a minority as I enjoyed it. I thought the new presenters were just as good as the old. Shame the guest bit survived.

I suspect some of it was carried over from the old presenters because it was so far down the planning process and permissions to walk away from

Yup Wilman also produced Clarkson’s Extreme Machines. He made a ships engine room look exciting, granted it was the Jahre Viking but once you’re inside it could be anything.

Not watched it yet. If Le Blanc is the highlight though it must be bad…

I think the audience must have been paid off to show such enthusiasm. Also, what was the point of that Robin Reliant section? Dulldulldull.

Presumably a reference back to an earlier, better version.