http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/blog/article/386537/

Plenty will be along to wish it a hasty end. I think it'll be a loss, but it has been dropping in quality lately.

. . . . now where did I put that bunting?

agreed – last few have been average.

The American and African road trip ones were epic. Some of the funniest TV I have seen recently!

Sadly, I suspect that won't be the end of Clarkson on the TV though.

Used to really enjoy Top Gear.

However, it's turned into formulaic, televisual pap.

yeah last few series have been getting alittle silly…and very predictable and over the top…like when the dacia sandero in romania? thier was no need for that.

Has dissapeared up it's out of touch backside.

It was fun for a while, but then became a a parody of itself with the presenters getting increasingly homophobic and generaly less likeable every minute.

matt_outandabout – Member

agreed – last few have been average.

I think average is being kind, I am a fan but last weeks show was pretty poor!

Personally, I couldn't care less, but I will be a good thing if the BBC put something worth watching on instead.

Obviously either May or Clarkson chickened out of the 'Lets put you in a car fueled by rockets and stopped by parachutes and have it career off and nearly kill you just to boost ratings scam'!!

but I will be a good thing if the BBC put something worth watching on instead.

Don't think santa delivers that sort of promise 🙂

But in all honesty, top gear is one of the better things on TV, despite being below parr. I'm not sure I could hope for an improvement without feeling I was aiming for a fall.

Love Top Gear but it needs revamped, still entertains but as others have said become to much of a script. Be a shame if it went but if they don't sort the formula then it'll will die. Sunday's should be good though another road trip one which usually are very good.

It's JackAss for big boys:)

It will be sad to see Clarkson go, hope he's back on with another programme. I love it that his very existance upsets a certain types of people.

They've been doing it in the present format for what 8 or 9 years?
I'd give them credit that they're only now starting to run out of ideas.
How many other shows on TV have lasted any longer?

Last of the Summer Wine
Dad's Army (I think)

What else?

epicyclo – Member
It's JackAss for big boys

Apart from Jackass being funny. And made by people who are funny. And Jackass being nothing to do with cars. 😉

Cornation Street
East Enders
Emerdale Farm
Country File

the list goes on.

I like Top Gear, as mentioned it just needs a re-vamp like it got 8 yrs or so ago that made it the hit it is, ok its a bit too samey now but everything has a shelf life surely.

Time for the shows boffins to come up with a newer format now me thinks.

Real shame if it goes, its just simple entertainment, all be it a bit silly sometimes but still better to watch than many of the other sunday evening offerings.

as a massive fan it has gone down the pan a little the last 2 series…

the stardom has obviously gone to their heads, james may is best suited to the stuff he is doing now the 'toy'programmes are good.

as for hammond well he's just a small bloke.

there are still classic moments but i think the production has gone too 'fancy' maybe…

to be honest the worst part of the show in my eyes is the star in a car, they should use this section to do 'normal cars'

i did like 5th gear as more of a 'laymans' car programme. its a pity top gear can't go back to that a bit more. but then again thats what it was trying to get away form with the big revamp??

Some of TG has been genius IMO. Granted, I probably have a schoolboy sense of humuor, but bits like the camper van / bus races they did were fantastic.

became a a parody of itself with the presenters getting increasingly homophobic and generaly less likeable every minute.

Can't say I've ever noticed any homophobia on Top Gear. 😕

There's lots of faux-machismo and comedy posturing but I can't recall any homophobia. Did I miss the episode where they crashed a Nissan Sunny into a gay wedding or something?

I watch it, or bits of it occasionally. That's fun. It has come to its natural end in its current form. Just like it reached the natural end in its last form all those years ago. Will it have a fresh reincarnation? Or will we get some dreary reality TV nonsense in its stead?

Bring back William Woollard.

Im hoping the next episode will be a bit better than the last few. Their roadtrips do always seem to be pretty enjoyable though 😀 So my hopes are high.

If they wanted to go out with dignity they should have called time after the sublime and utterly moving piece on the Aston V12 they ended the last series with.

woohoo!

Its capable of being a good show but they just made far, far too much of it. Given that the point of Top Gear was to focus on the top gear – the best of the best cars – there just aren't as many cars to feature as there are programs made. Rattling on about yet another reincarnation of the same car that is £200,000 more expensive, but 20 grams lighter is just dull, no matter how many sharks you try to jump. The last series looked like the end, I was quite expectant not to see another one, or at least the current one billed as the finale.

They clearly know whats wrong but if they knew how to pull it back they would have done it with this series, but if anything its been worse.

5th Gear (which is the old Top Gear format and presenters, minus the name and Clarkson, sold on to Channel 5) while pretty crappy has the advantage or being able to cast its net a lot wider, so at least it can be crap in lots of different ways

RIP: Top Gear

one lives in hope. and i wish that wheni t sinks it takes a whole load of tripe with it.

please please please vote for me to become the Dictator of Britain. special priviledges to those who ride bikes and/or agree with me.

"Can't say I've ever noticed any homophobia on Top Gear."

What about the bit when they invited someone from the audience up and he sat next to JM with his arm along the back of the sofa and they all ran away from him and refused to sit on the sofa again in case they caught gay?

I'd call that pretty homophobic.

'in case they caught gay' lol oh dear.

I reckon it jumped the shark a couple of years ago personally

as PM + 1

The road trips were worth watching, the Vietnam one with the chopper especially, but it does seem tired these days.

What about the bit when they invited someone from the audience up and he sat next to JM with his arm along the back of the sofa and they all ran away from him and refused to sit on the sofa again in case they caught gay?

I thought that was the moment when TG finally disappeared into a drain from which it would find it difficult to emerge. It was a truly embarrassing and cringeworthy moment.

When TV shows get their ideas from ads for chocolate bars, you know the inspiration is running low (see airport vehicle racing Dairy Milk ad.)

Its just a hint it may be coming to an end, and they said it won't go from the schedule so a reboot! fifth gear as poor as it is sometimes has reinvented and is still trying, im sure ths isn't the end just another fresh start.

Some of the programming as said above has been epic, other times its been poor.

What about the bit when they invited someone from the audience up and he sat next to JM with his arm along the back of the sofa and they all ran away from him and refused to sit on the sofa again in case they caught gay?

I'd call that pretty homophobic.

Yeah I saw that show, but never interpreted that as anything to do with sexuality.
Did they actual say anything on the show to suggest it was?

To me they "jumped back" because A) the bloke admitted to liking whatever weird car it was James was on about and B) liked James – thus marking himself out as a "weirdo" but not particularly a "gay weirdo".

I thought it started going beyond the acceptable when they painted some fairly offensive slogans on their cars and drove them in the southern states of the USA, and wondered why they were chased out of town by the locals – shame they didn't catch them and give Clarkson a punch on the nose. Also the perpetual references to James May being gay are getting fairly boring and quite offensive. And the "Star in the reasonably priced car" has gone well past its sell-by date.

I actually prefer Fifth Gear now.

the episode where they crashed a Nissan Sunny into a gay wedding or something

Is this the elusive Fresh Idea that will give the show a new lease of life? 🙂

He said: "There is a grumble and a rumble in the air from some of our regulars that we have lost the plot, we've disappeared up our a***s and we're predictable.

Well at least they know what the problem is, maybe they can fix it 🙂