June 22nd

cyrusdvirus

It's baaack...

mike65

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

*Runs about the room pow-r sliding burning caravans* :pac:

Mike.

vengeance52

mike65

Mike.

elmolesto

Excellent:D

vengeance52

kaimera

excellent news.

Shame I'll be afk again

Caoimhín

kaimera wrote: »

excellent news.

Shame I'll be afk again

afk??????

mike65

Away from keyboard! Oh Noes!!!!!!!!!!! :eek:

Mike.

Caoimhín

mike65 wrote: »

Away from keyboard! Oh Noes!!!!!!!!!!! :eek:

Mike.

Post still doesn't make sense.

mike65

Nothing exists in the mind of the viewer now unless it can by posted about on boards!

Mike.

Caoimhín

mike65 wrote: »

Nothing exists in the mind of the viewer now unless it can by posted about on boards!

Mike.

Ah, like its not a thought unless it can be shared?

cyrusdvirus

Just a little update from the TG newsletter thingy...

Series 11. Who'd have thought eh?

We were talking about this very thing in the office the other day, about how we used to try and predict how long the show would run for when we brought it back in 2002.

I remember declaring with massive authority that we'd peak around Series 3, and then slide gracefully into oblivion.

Brian, our studio director, told me I was talking arse and said we'd keep climbing up to Series 5, and only then would the Job Centre beckon. Everyone has chipped in with different punts along the way, but thankfully we're all quite thick and our Mystic Meggery has been way off.

Then - it was a busy day - we started talking about how we'd eventually bring Top Gear to a close. We all agreed quite quickly that the cool thing to do would be to kill the show whilst it was on top - take a leaf out of Wham's book or copy Fawlty Towers and just walk out the door before it all gets stale and sad.

That way we could hold our heads up and say we left behind a body of work that was quality all the way, instead of grimly clinging on as the viewing figures and our dignity tumbled.

Quitting whilst you're ahead is a hard path to take - one that requires courage, integrity and moral backbone - which is why in the end we decided to abandon that idea and just keep churning it out until we've outstayed our welcome.

However, although we're spineless we do try our best. But since it is getting harder and harder to come up with new stuff, a few months ago, as the new series loomed, we did something we've never done before - we decided to have a brainstorm.

I'm talking about a proper one like businessmen do. You know, book a hotel with conference facilities, everyone out of the office, mobiles off, agenda for the day, tea, biscuits, whiteboards, the lot.

Looking back, I can't say it went brilliantly. We'd picked a hotel just off the M1, and I mean just off: exit at the junction, right at the roundabout, straight down a road for 2 miles and the hotel is on the right. You'd have to be a muppet to get lost.

At 10.30, half an hour after the appointed start time, James rang and said he was lost, going round in circles in Watford. Jeremy meanwhile, in honour of the brainstorm, had brought along a laser pointer for the power point presentation, with which he managed to blind the waitress bringing in the tea and coffee facilities.

Eventually we got going and item one on the agenda was me kicking off with a little speech. I thought it would be a good managerial thing to do - a few words about how far we'd come, what we'd achieved, and then when everyone felt praised and motivated, smoothly changing gear and outlining the tough tasks that lay ahead - continuing our guardianship of a great TV brand, eyes of the nation upon us, that sort of thing.

I finished and looked round the room. Silence, as the significance of my words sank in. Finally, Jeremy was the first to speak: "Who fancies coming for a tab?"

Eventually we really got going, and item two on the agenda was the news section of the programme. "Be ruthless," I ordered. "Don't be frightened to kill your babies, blue sky the moment, no idea is a bad idea," etc.

So we all thought about it and after a while decided we quite liked it as it was.

And then Richard suggested that during the news, the presenters themselves - instead of the trained technicians in the broadcast trucks - should have control over pulling up the pictures and cueing all the stuff on the screens. Now plainly this is a terrible idea, but since it was already midday and the first idea we'd had, we all voted in favour.

And so the day went on. We looked at every aspect of the show, decided we quite liked those bits as they were as well, and then went to the pub.

Think of the forthcoming series then as a familiar friend, your favourite old jumper that brings comfort, warmth, and things you've seen before. The day wasn't a write-off by any means though, because we came up with a new character, a bit like the Stig, but not like the Stig, who hopefully does exciting stuff for everyone's amusement.

We worked out a plan for tweaking the guest spot, we decided we'd get some new chairs, and on top of that we dreamt up some good ideas for films. Most exciting for me is that we've finally come up with another big race - you know, car versus something or other.

The last time we did one was a couple of years ago, with the plane against the Veyron, and in hindsight we lost the plot in that one - too pompous, too overblown and preposterous, too much work on the scripting to make it funny. This one is back to basics, more hardcore, mega car, mega opponent, with a solid premise. And a clue for the geeks: we did it in Japan.

Elsewhere, we've tackled rural issues such as the fox hunting ban and fascist ramblers. With the ingenious use of cars, we go to war, literally, with a German version of Top Gear (which incidentally means Sabine is back) and there's a very exciting shootout with the RS6 against the most suicidal of skiers.

Jeremy also reckons he has an ingenious plan for improving British police cars, so we'll be testing that theory, and we've always said you can't be a true petrolhead until you've owned an Alfa, so now it's time to put our money where our mouth is.

There's some good metal too - new Evo X against the Impreza, CLK Black and hopefully the Mazda Furai. Overall though, the other thing we're going to do is try and speed up a bit.

We've looked back over the last two or three runs and noticed that a whole programme can get swallowed up by one monster film - a bit like one of those Yes albums from the 70s where side one is just one track - so we're trying to calm down the prog rock side.

Actually a band analogy is a good one here. I was reading the other day how REM had spent ages recording previous albums and tied themselves in knots in the process, but that their latest one was knocked out fast, with short sharp songs that don't outstay their welcome.

We'll inevitably still have big films, cos it's the only way you can enjoy the three of them cocking about together, but they'll be shorter overall, and alongside them we'll be inserting some quick two or three minute punk songs.

Right, I'm going back to the edit.

Andy Wilman is the Executive Producer of Top Gear.

coolcon

looks now like it's going to be june 22nd. http://www.finalgear.com/news/2008/05/26/top-gear-probably-returns-on-june-22nd/

Our man in Havana

Nothing in Digiguide to support that.

AlanD

The Sky EPG does not show Topgear on for this Sunday, so it could be the next week.

Our man in Havana

AlanD wrote: »

The Sky EPG does not show Topgear on for this Sunday, so it could be the next week.

It is back the 22nd, i.e. Sunday week at 8pm.

MOTORING: Top Gear
On: BBC 2 Northern Ireland (Digital) (142)
Date: Sunday 22nd June 2008 (starting in 9 days)
Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)

The very latest Top Gear news and views from the usual team. Jeremy, Richard and James apply their minds to the question of what the British police should drive. At the moment Bobbies are forced to drive around in diesel hatchbacks, gingerly shuffling the steering wheel and letting criminals get away rather than risk scuffing their wheel trims. So, armed with no more than 1000 pounds each, the Top Gear boys set out to buy a bargain priced police cruiser that can take part in a dramatic chase without fear of costing the tax payer a packet if it gets broken.
(New, Stereo, Widescreen, Subtitles)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marked By: 'Favourite: Top Gear' and 'Category: Motoring' markers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=242710

Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

mike65

So, armed with no more than 1000 pounds each, the Top Gear boys set out to buy a bargain priced police cruiser that can take part in a dramatic chase without fear of costing the tax payer a packet if it gets broken.

Now that will be fun - B movie Interceptors R Us!

Mike

Vegeta

car versus mag lev train on the horizon. Nice

barnicles

YYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

Plug

Next weekend?

elmolesto

I can't wait

vengeance52

Plug

Theres going to be a new member of the team and also they show good ways of keeping costs down on petrol. Clarkson on that topic should be really funny:D

vengeance52

Plug wrote: »

Theres going to be a new member of the team and also they show good ways of keeping costs down on petrol. Clarkson on that topic should be really funny:D

new member? any more info on this??

Plug

vengeance52 wrote: »

new member? any more info on this??

No thats all:( I'll have a look on the interweb and see what I can find;)

could be sabine shmith? sh!t!

vengeance52

Plug wrote: »

No thats all:( I'll have a look on the interweb and see what I can find;)

could be sabine shmith? sh!t!

doubt sabine schmit. although I would be awsome if it was her.

Plug

vengeance52 wrote: »

doubt sabine schmit. although I would be awsome if it was her.

She's a great driver but God almighty the German sense of humour would be suicidal!

P.C.

Top Gear back.

About time! :D:D:D:D:D

vengeance52

Plug wrote: »

She's a great driver but God almighty the German sense of humour would be suicidal!

it could work, esp with clarksons views on forign people :pac:

elmolesto

vengeance52 wrote: »

it could work, esp with clarksons views on forign people :pac:

lol

vengeance52

Top Gear Ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub9gOtsuPbo

barnicles

Video removed vengance

vengeance52

barnicles wrote: »

Video removed vengance

works fine for me

barnicles

vengeance52 wrote: »

works fine for me

Works fine for me now too

elmolesto

Works for me

Our man in Havana

Knock it off lads, the video works.

Mossy Monk

That's a great ad.

Our man in Havana

Agreed!

vengeance52

BBC2 20:00 Top Gear (T) New series.

The boys search for an alternative to the modern police car, and introduce a new team member. Alan Carr and Justin Lee Collins are Stars in Reasonably Priced Cars.

Today............... is TG Day.

Mossy Monk

A little over 5 hours to go. Hoorah

Our man in Havana

Sky+ set and ready. Series link enabled.

vengeance52

vengeance52

Todoquetengo

yay! thanks for the heads up

Plug

Can't wait! Will be watching it with a chicken curry aswel!

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

8pm

man, I hope i make it out of my chair to the sky box before then

Silverfish

I got out of bed just now so I'd only have 4 hours to wait.


EXCOIREH!!1

mike65

Fcuk it, this better be good! Sadly I'll be watching Spain/Italy The VCR awaits!

Mike.

Silverfish

mike65 wrote: »

Fcuk it, this better be good! Sadly I'll be watching Spain/Italy The VCR awaits!

Mike.

I don't know if I should ban you for that, or just an infraction. Hmm.


:pac:

Plug

Silverfish wrote: »

I don't know if I should ban you for that, or just an infraction. Hmm.


:pac:

Ban him! Football is the sport of satan:pac: