Time for a Top Gear retool?

mike65

Its fair to say that series 11 has not been as well received as previous ones (though there were increasing grumbles for both 9 and 10 as well), is the current format/structure played out? How many more unlikely challanges can be cooked-up, is it time to drop certain regular features and if so replace them with what?

Should the tone be tweaked, less 'lads larking about' and more 'heads under the bonnet'? I'd happily see the end of "Star(s)..." and replace it with a proper chat with genuine car freaks (not celebs necessarily) who have some nice/interesting vehicles to show and drive.

I'd like to see more time given to classic cars, its true they pop up quite regularly but it tends to be in shorter features or as a side aspect (ie a 1950s Ferrari popping up at the end of a review of the lastest prancing horse).

Mike.

Royale with Cheese

Dump the star in a car section anyway. Always fairly boring.

xbox36016

ya this summers top gear was one of the worst yet thay nead to do something new on it

Silverfish

Definitely.

Or at least go back to having one celebrity, not two at a time.

I like the format and style other than that, works for me.

grames_bond

if it aint broke don't fix it imo!

Mossy Monk

1 celebrity works better. That was obvious on the last episode.

RobertFoster

I'd like to see "the news" expanded. The banter between them is good, but it seems a bit scripted over the last series.

Peteee

mike65 wrote: »

Should the tone be tweaked, less 'lads larking about' and more 'heads under the bonnet'?

While I'd like to see the end of stars, I think this season (Short as it was) was a lot more about the cars and less lads larking about.

Funny how it hasn't been as well received!

Zonda999

I assume its a good bit cheaper to send some "celebritys" round a race track than film supercars, isnt it??I wonder how much that whole Japan trip cost the bbc??

unklerosco

I'd like to see celebs in their own cars... +1 for more news and a veyron around the track

Slutmonkey57b

mike65 wrote: »

Its fair to say that series 11 has not been as well received as previous ones (though there were increasing grumbles for both 9 and 10 as well), is the current format/structure played out? How many more unlikely challanges can be cooked-up, is it time to drop certain regular features and if so replace them with what?

Should the tone be tweaked, less 'lads larking about' and more 'heads under the bonnet'? I'd happily see the end of "Star(s)..." and replace it with a proper chat with genuine car freaks (not celebs necessarily) who have some nice/interesting vehicles to show and drive.

I'd like to see more time given to classic cars, its true they pop up quite regularly but it tends to be in shorter features or as a side aspect (ie a 1950s Ferrari popping up at the end of a review of the lastest prancing horse).

Mike.

God the last thing they want is replacing the Stars section with, as Jeremy would say, adenoidal men in anoraks going on about the difference between the cylinder bore on the 1972 911 vs. the 1976 model. If that's what you're looking for there are 101 other places you can go to be bored senseless. Interesting vehicles (like the Peel car) are better presented by the lads, rather than whatever prim anorak has been storing it in the shed for 40 years. The stars section can be brilliant or boring depending on who's in the chair. I thought the change to two guests worked ok, was no better or worse than having one guest. The newsreaders was particularly good, though Fiona Bruce seems to have lost some of the glamour now she's on Antiques Roadshow....

I thought "Top Gear Stuntman" was good. Frankly I don't think it's broken at all. It's just been going for quite a while now, and there have been so many flawless episodes that a sub-par one sticks out a lot worse than it would on another show (given that a sub-par Top Gear is still 100 times better than most of the dross on TV)

mike65

Well funnily enough dull geeks was not what I had in mind - it was anyone from Nick Mason to the Cross Hills collection to Jay Leno etc.

Mike

elmolesto

This serie was one of the worst.

Mossy Monk wrote: »

1 celebrity works better. That was obvious on the last episode.

I agree.

Holsten

More Stig!

elmolesto

Holsten wrote: »

More Stig!

YES

Slutmonkey57b

mike65 wrote: »

Well funnily enough dull geeks was not what I had in mind - it was anyone from Nick Mason to the Cross Hills collection to Jay Leno etc.

Mike

Car geeks talking about cars is always going to degenerate into uninteresting. Engineering stories need to be presented with flair, and the 3 lads have that down to a tee already.

GERMAN ROCKS

i hate the stars in reasonably priced cars. for that part i usually turn to fair city. i love the challenges especially where they have to buy bangers and there always breaking down etc.

mike65

Cheap cars are fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYQye0PJJJQ

Mike.

razorblunt

I think the Stars thing is pointless now, I woudn't mind seeing it being replaced with "People at Home" racing the cars whoever gets the fastest time in a series gets to test drive the Veyron a la May

Just for the craic!

mike65

I like that.

They should do a random draw of the studio audience, each week a Golden Ticket is issued and the lucky sod gets a day at the track.

Mike.

damnyanks

blind date crossede with top gear

barnicles

I don't think so......

I like it the way it is

rccaulfield

Clarksons atop class ponce imo-only ever been a hand ful of decent cars on that show- hamster and may make the show!

towel401

The star in a reasonably priced car keeps the Peugeot CC drivers watching

omb0wyn5ehpij9

I really think they should get rid of the Star in the reasonably priced car, it's getting incredibly old and boring at this stage