Finally finished new Top Gear, fell asleep first time. Two former jocks are now hosts, both of which can hardly be understood( one needed early sub titles). Chris the only car guy. Only one car test and not showing the Stig timed drive. Rest belongs on Discovery or Travel channels. Last season was only ok but this just sucks, may Top Gear rest in peace. Grand Tour not much better as a car show but Jeremy and the rest are always entertaining.

 

yep i agree, this weeks was rubbish, and they are bullies, not a good example of how to behave as kids watch it

 

I can't believe there's someone named Paddy McGuinness and it isn't a joke.

 

Seemed way too chummy based on the clips I saw here and there in the weeks leading up to it.

 

Sadly Grand Tour ended last season so no more of those though they did indicate they'd be doing something else with Amazon in the future. It is amazing how they destroyed Top Gear, used to be my favorite car show. Not so much now...

 

Grand Tour is confirmed for at least 2 more seasons, just no more studio segments

 

That's good news, though on the last episode the hosts indicated they were off the show. Glad to hear it is coming back. This is the last alert I had: https://carbuzz.com/news/the-grand-t...-too-expensive

But Clarkson is on your side though he'll be doing double duty: https://www.motoringbox.com/cars/ent...een-cancelled/ (Season 3 was kind of marginal though, we'll hope Season 4 is better).

Anyway thanks for the heads up, I look forward to those guys every year..

 

Couldn't disagree more. I feel like this latest series finally has a set of presenters that actually like each other and have chemistry, which hasn't been the case since Clarkson, May, and Hammond. I do miss Rory since he actually had a unique third perspective (an odd mix of super practical and completely non-practical concerns, but it worked).

Road & Track seems to think so too: https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...-27-interview/

 

My interpretation of the sign-off in the last episode was that they would be doing just "specials" like the one in Mongolia.

 

Paddy McGuinness does have a few other car shows under his belt although he's best known probably in the UK for a Saturday night tabloid show "Take Me Out" - I'll leave you to Google that one...

The critics of the Hammond May & Clarkson era said it was all scripted and the latest trio seem more so to create the "bunch of lads doing lad things" - like ganging up on Chris because he's not from Up North. If they show this on BBC America, I wouldn't be surprised if they offer it with closed caption/subtitles. There seems an unnecessary degree of "cruelty" for gags - like the heat stroke from wearing a sweater in the Ethiopian desert or electric shocks while driving electric vehicles.

Grand Tour decided to drop the "personality in a car" and the studio segments and I can understand why - they just seem like filler material now.

Honestly, I think it's time to let it go on a sabbatical for a few years...

 

stopped watching top gear when Clarkson May and Hamond left. Chris Evans don't blame him for bailing out (he could see it wasn't working), after that it was utter garbage

 

My take as well. The chemistry between the presenters is what makes the show. It isn’t been a car show for decades. I view it as car centric comedy. I thought Matt Leblanc, Rory Reid and Chris Harris had decent chemistry and that made the show acceptable. This year the chemistry seems much better, if not a bit more lockeroom-esque. But let’s be honest, if we are talking role models, the previous trio wasn’t always something to aspire to. Even the cricket guy had his serious moments when he was talking about partying and refinding his focus. The first episode was ok, but I think it has lots of potential from there. Agreed that I would have liked to have watched the hot laps. I suspect they didn’t like how Harris narrated them and expect they will come back in future episodes.

 

I realize this is an English show but the US has always been a huge audience to the degree they actually film many episodes here. This new version just seems further away from the US audience.

 

Speaking for myself I loved Top Gear because it wasn't a US-centric show...

Like if you were to do car show today that catered to US consumer tastes, all you'd talk about are SUV's and pick-ups and NASCAR

 

I never watched the US Version of the show. I cannot imagine it being interesting. It is legit not just the subject matters, but the people.
If Mythbusters had different hosts, it wouldn't be the same.
Same thing here. Can't wait to start seasons 2 and 3 of Grand tour. =) I let the show leave my radar for too long.

 

Top Gear USA just got a team of three together who were starting to gel when all of a sudden, they were all gone and replaced with another set of three who nobody knew and not just zero but negative chemistry. Mercifully I think it only lasted one season.

I think the current trio on UK Top Gear are trying too hard to be "locker room" lads. I have no idea who thought driving fast between two bollards or an opening and closing parking pole were good things. Especially in an old Jag ;-)

They're threatening to return later this year. We shall see.