and the Grand Tour has turned into a clone of it

Well no, Clarkson etc made Top Gear what it became (it was just a tedious car show before) so they went off and did the same for another broadcaster. As said above, Top Gear missed the opportunity to make it different rather than just try to emulate the same format with different people.

It would be like remaking Morcambe & Wise with different comedians.

I thought the last season of Top Gear was actually good but Sundays show was dire. Far far far too scripted and the actual car content was poor to say the least. Chris Harris is actually a great driver and knows his stuff but he’s just not the same guy as his videos on Youtube. Grand Tour is miles better and I think even the Beeb know as they said Sunday that this series is only 6 episodes. Why?

Last series was only 6 wasn’t it?

I’m a miserable sod and I liked it.

When that German girl laughs I go all gooey.

I found most of it painful to watch.  The chain racing thing was OK and Rob Brydon’s commentary on his lap was good. The main feature with the three V8s was just awful. Horribly contrived, obviously false cameraderie between the presenters, pointless ‘tasks’.  It makes the old Top Gear with Clarkson & Co look good. Very good.

In any normal situation, Chris Harris and three v8 powered sportscars would make for interesting viewing for me.

But I found myself utterly and completely unengaged and bored by Sunday night’s effort.  I don’t know whether it was the direction, production or the script but I switched off after twenty minutes due to loss of interest.

About the only thing that could’ve rescued it for me would involve a lovely German lass saying “Ja!” a lot and giggling.

I turned it off. Shame.

Needs to stop trying to be old new top gear/Grand Tour and be more like last series. Actual car reviews, more Sabine, more (I can’t believe I’m saying this) Eddie J.

It was OK, nothing more, nothing less. I thought the first series of the Grand Tour was crap too, didn’t make it past episode 3.

Bring back Top Gear circa 2005. round about the time of the first challenge against the train. That was the high point.

Enjoyed the last series of TG i thought they just started to get it all together but this Sunday’s episode was just dull.

I never thought id hear someone say that more eddie j was needed. I can’t go him at all.

Perhaps just watching over priced over powered pointless vehicles smoking their tyres again is getting boring.

I’ll  always watch it. I like cars and it’s a “rock” in my viewing that even the mrs won’t try to poo poo.  It’s the rediculousness of a lot of it that spoils the whole.  I want to see the new mclaren/Porsche/Ferrari but why on earth would I want to see how it compares to a hovercraft/harrier/tank/ken block or whatever utterly contrived bollox they’ll come up with next?  Chris Harris “on cars” is where they should be pitching it and I think that Blanc is actually the major hurdle to that happening.  I don’t mind the bloke at all but he’s “the star” and that seems to be the reason that Harris’ actual talent for presenting a quality piece on cars isn’t being shown.

more Sabine, more Eddie J

No just NO, both are awful. As is Reid

Chris Harris “on cars” is where they should be pitching it

+1

Cinematography and locations are top notch but IMHO Reid is a mistake, I may warm to him in time but for now I cringe every time he opens his overenthusiastic and badly scripted mouth.

Harris is a great car journo and can pedal some and I quite like LeBlanc though I seem to be in the minority in that view.

Tonight’s episode – really enjoyed it except Lee Mack. The McLaren, the driving backwards blind, the Big Foot story with those amazing scenes. In fact, probably the best episode of TG or TGT for ages

Loved the mclaren, was it the same one as last weeks episode ? It’s very pretty..

The electric motorbikes are “way cool” and are definitely the “future” let’s hope the evolution takes place within the next year so we can get all those noisy Vale’ wannabes off their noisy “yar yars”

The reversing chase was woeful, pointless,  but they did have to get Ried to do something on this episode..

lee mac? Hmmmm.. nah, but pleasant enough.

Managed about 2 minutes of them talking about why big foot hadn’t been shot dead then gave up and watched a bit of First World War By Numbers before Strike was put on by my wife.

Enjoyed this weeks, the bigfoot feature was a bit cringe worthy but the vehicles were great.

Reid just seems pointless and Lee Mack was just a waste of time just self promoting.

Utter dross. At least when Chris Evans was on it we could unite in pouring scorn upon him.

It’s just dreadful.

It’s family entertainment, so aimed at 6 to 100 year olds. You’ll not like all of it.

If you don’t like any of it, watch something else.

I thought it was fine.

I much preferred Jay Lenos garage that was on Dave before Top Gear.

Tonight was good, I’m hoping the new TG has finally found itself.  Chris and Matt seem to be developing a proper bit of banter

I turned it off Harris driving the Mclaren on his own was good but his presenting skills when not driving are well the same joke / style everyweek. I thought the last series was okay but so far this year has been poor. Rory is like the kid at school that is rubbish at any sports but somebody has to have them on their team…

Cars / Toys were great ..banter still cringeworthy..although better …Lee Mack was no petrolhead but I do like his humour and he is ” quick”..( even if his driving is not ) ..which only highlighted how slow the presenters are..they didn’t need to further showcase this by driving a couple of cars in reverse..

Rory Reid ..a complete waste of space a fact which has already been realised as evidenced by his bit part role ..and being shunted sideways to host Top Gear extra..on BBC 3.

Did anyone watch this ?

It was just ok ..

It was OK.

The reversing car bit was pitched as a review and then was 2 minutes of nothing.  Felt like they had 2 minutes to fill becuase Lee Mack was so dull that Matt & Chris were half asleep on the sofa.

Needs and actual day to day car review from time to time IMO.

The reversing cars piece was the best bit of the show. I’m not a huge fan of Lee Mack but he was actually pretty decent. TG is a general entertainment show with cars as its underlying premise.

The best motoring programme on last night was the documentary on BBC4 about the British Motorcycle scene/industry and I’m not even into motorbikes.

I enjoy it last night, perfect tired, melting into the sofa TV.

Have to agree, I stuck up for Rory for a long time, but it’s just not working. I’m enjoying the Matt and Chris show,

McLaren thing, awesome.

E-Motorcross Bikes, Russian Monster truck flying car thing – great.

SIARFC or whatever it is – toss, as ever, in fact worse. When Clarkson and co were there and they showed it in hundreds of countries at least they got some big stars on, now it’s just a couple of grand gig for someone between jobs.

Reversing car thing, toss.

In an hour program, there’s always likely to be some filler but there was enough to entertain me sufficiently to get between the dull bits.

I’d have loved if in the search for a giant, hairy shambling human-like figure they’d have at least managed to shoe-horn a vague sighting of a James May lookalike character in the woods at the end.

It’s family entertainment, so aimed at 6 to 100 year olds. You’ll not like all of it.

The problem though is that most of us *DID* like it and and *DO* like Grand Tour – they missed the opportunity to re-invent it to suit the personalities of the new presenters but instead they tried to keep the same ‘banter’ approach from the Clarkson days and it just doesn’t work. As I have said before, it’s like trying to redo Morcambe & Wise with different comedians.

Just finished ep 2 and I’m gonna say that it’s waaay more enjoyable than the last two series. Everyone’s relaxed a bit and the humour (looking at you Chris Harris!) feels much less forced.Nice work!

Enjoyed episode 2.

Glad they are sidelining Rory though – as others have said he just doesn’t fit. Perhaps it only needs Matt and Chris.

While I think TG is just about watchable now it’s still not great. Like many others have said, Matt LeBlanc is fine but while the others know a lot about cars they really are not good presenters for that type of show – and there is a no chemistry at all between them. TNG isn’t perfect either but it’s a lot better than the current TG.

Glad they are sidelining Rory though

I actually really like the guy, I find him really funny! 🙂

That was the best episode of the series yet.

I loved the Japanese culture, the graphic overlays, the mucking about and the country.. didn’t like the cars they bought but it was watchable enough.. The best bit.. well driving through Tokyo and the surrounding countryside, the inner city culture and the few minutes they spent in Fukushima.

I enjoyed that. No painfully dull Star in a Car bit.

the rory bit was the only good bit i thought  tonight.

how ever the format/presenter combo isnt working for me…

This –  “No painfully dull Star in a Car bit.”

Good, especially with no guest.

Enjoyed that tonight…that auction looked mental.

Makes The Grand Tour look pants.

Woo no star in car bit. I always watch on iPlayer to fast forward that anyway. So much better without it!