Has Top Gear run its course?

Ozzie

Up to about 18 months ago, myself and herself would look forward all week to 8pm on a Sunday night and a new TG on BBC2. But not any more. Its all contrived a bit much now. I think they're running out of ideas. This has been mentioned elsewhere, eg Clarkson under attack from the Army, etc. Then the studio banter between the 3 is so obviously scripted.

It isn't helped by the "overkill factor" thanks to Dave showing repeats 10 times a day - they should rename it "The Top Gear Channel".

Now some of the specials are good, most recent Vietnam. But that had nothing to do with cars whatsoever. It was a fantastic promo for Vietnamese tourism, and I did enjoy the crack between the 3 boys.

Alot of money is being made by the Top Gear "franchise" and Sunday night is turning into a promo for the magazines and shows.

It's a pity, but I suppose that's the way it goes...

eamon234

It is getting a bit tired especially the last season mind you it's probably more popular than ever and is even getting a name in the US. It does need shaking up though the "challenge" segments seem to be getting longer and longer and taking up most of the show and while they're mostly entertaining, I'd rather be seeing some cars that I might actually be able to buy at some stage. I don't have a whole lot of interest in supercars and anything to do with them generally bores the hell out of me. Yes, they're beautiful (mostly!) and powerful but I'll never own or drive one and I don't really need anyone to tell me how good they are - it's the nature of supercars for them to be, well - super! There really is far too much emphasis on them. It's starting to remind me of those god awful reality shows on MTV showing kids how rich they'll never be and how their 16th birthday is going to be sh1te because their parents aren't millionaires.
I've noticed Fifth Gear also seem to be going down this road which is annoying because at least there was usually some chance of them reviewing a normal car without playing soccer with it or getting their mothers to test them.

blinding

Yes its time for the Diana squad to arrange an accident.

thunderdan

Agreed, the show doesn't appear to be as compulsive viewing as before, perhaps because its been on so long at this stage. Its more of an entertainment show featuring cars, rather than a car program. I think aswell they are suffering for their own popularity, how do they keep coming up with fresh ideas that are better than previous seasons. In fairness they have raised the bar extremely high.

Busi_Girl08

I love the show, fair enough, some bits are a bit hit and miss, but I will never stop loving it.

I do, however, think maybe they should take a break for a while. They all go their separate ways, take a year off, do their own projects.

Then come back refreshed, with new ideas and a new, improved can-do attitude

mike65

Like any on-going programme it'll have better and worse spells. If they took a year off or just did one series of say 7 progs per year would that be a bad thing?

I was reading the Sunday Times (I think) today and there is a bit on Hammond and May which just notes how they probably don't need TG anymore. Maybe there is a clue in that. God knows what Clarkson would do for fun.

Cicero

The old top gear of the early 90s achieved a lot more in 1/2 hour than they now do in 1 hour- it's fun, and I watch it, and I know they take the mick out of people writing in saying- why don't you review 'normal' cars?', but in fairness, there is a big gap there that could be filled, and would generate a lot of revenue for the right commercial station ...eh ...RTE maybe?? Naw, that would be too much like a good idea, and we couldn't have that.
Top Gear, especially Quentin Wilson & his features on 2nd hand car bargains, what to look out for etc etc - , was very popular in the 90s when we had our last recession- could definately make a similar programme again considering the economy

Running Bing

Didnt RTE used to have a car review show a few years back?


Anyway Top Gear ran its course a long time ago...hasnt been the same show since about 2-3 years ago.

It used to be class when it was actually about cars....thats what it was, an hour long show about fast cars.

Now its just excuse for three middle aged men to do stupid pointless stunts while reading scripted material to each other. Used to be one of my fav shows but I wouldnt even bother watching it anymore tbh.

fryup

Its bloody Dave's fault, with wall to wall repeats of more or less the same half dozen episodes.

TG is way too scripted anyway/

I'm watchin more fifth gear at the moment, i think their crash tests are very informative.

Busi_Girl08

I wouldn't mind the Dave repeats that much, but they repear the same episodes all the time!!!

I swear, the Paul McKenna ep is on practically every second week at this stage!!!:mad:

TheMorningLine

Clarkson has had his time. Good riddance

Busi_Girl08

TheMorningLine wrote: »

Clarkson has had his time. Good riddance

:eek:

:mad:

GET OUT!!!

cyrusdvirus

Busi_Girl08 wrote: »

:eek:

:mad:

GET OUT!!!

BG, the lad only has 26 posts.......he hasn't learned that you don't come in here slagging off J.C.......

Bobby1984

I think Top Gear has changed with the times. At the start it was for the pure Petrol Heads but now as more viewers have tuned in they have needed to cater for their needs too. Unfortunately i didnt know about the Top Gear at the start so i actually like watching the repeats now on Dave, Dave ja vous, the home of witty banter or whatever they wanna call it. Totally agree that it gets annoying when the same episode is repeated non stop.

All that said i am still a huge fan and will be tuning in whenever its back on the screen. However i wont be going back to the live show in Dublin this year.

Mossy Monk

TheMorningLine wrote: »

Clarkson has had his time. Good riddance

Where is he going?

Bobby1984

He is going no where. The new series of TG will be back on 15th November and will hopfully be as good if not better than ever

philstar

Bobby1984 wrote: »

The new series of TG will be back on 15th November and will hopfully be as good if not better than ever

me thinks not, its just too scripted Clarkson plays the bullying no it all, Hammond plays the lovable cute little fella, and May plays the middle class english oafish character.

And as for the races they do...talk about Hollywood:rolleyes: its completely staged those "last minute" finishes where one just beats the other, ya right pull the other one

nope to me its getting a wee bit stale:cool:

Bobby1984

I say they are more scripted than a Hollywood movie and so were the Live Shows. Sickened me to hear "this has never been done before" (referring to 4 motorbikes in a cage) when in fact we knew it had been done before, in every live show they done so far.

They have admitted to all of the "races" being staged to ensure they were finger nail biting close but in fairness this was always fairly obvious.

Even considering all of this I think its still one of the best shows on TV. I mean what else would you ya be doing at 8 on a Sunday evening!!!

thebman

Bobby1984 wrote: »

I say they are more scripted than a Hollywood movie and so were the Live Shows. Sickened me to hear "this has never been done before" (referring to 4 motorbikes in a cage) when in fact we knew it had been done before, in every live show they done so far.

They have admitted to all of the "races" being staged to ensure they were finger nail biting close but in fairness this was always fairly obvious.

Even considering all of this I think its still one of the best shows on TV. I mean what else would you ya be doing at 8 on a Sunday evening!!!

Thats kind of what saves them, lack of competition.

It is getting stale and it is a talk show with cars rather than a car show but it is still more entertaining than anything else on.

I hope they realise they are at the peak with the current format and mix it up.

andysheehan2003

Running Bing wrote: »

Didnt RTE used to have a car review show a few years back?


Anyway Top Gear ran its course a long time ago...hasnt been the same show since about 2-3 years ago.

It used to be class when it was actually about cars....thats what it was, an hour long show about fast cars.

Now its just excuse for three middle aged men to do stupid pointless stunts while reading scripted material to each other. Used to be one of my fav shows but I wouldnt even bother watching it anymore tbh.

yeah tink it was called 'DRIVE' it was good aswell lot more reviews of 'normal' cars. i have to agree with some of the posts saying they need a year off would do the show good. still looking forward to the new show though.
heard recently somewhere that they were in belfast over the summer driving minis thru the sewer system like the italian job and this will be in the new show any truth in that???

Ozzie

The new series back and I'm afraid its not as good as it used to be. I watched the electric car "sketch" and actually found it boring. Watched it back with my 5 and 7 year olds and we found it HILARIOUS!!!!!!!! So that's the level they're at! (And me too it seems!)

DOC09UNAM

No it hasn't, if you think it has, stop watching it.

/thread

Ozzie

... oh yes it has!!!

Mike Litoris

To the OP, I felt the same way with the last two series but I thought the first two episodes of the new one were hilarious. I suppose its ironic but the cars take a back seat and it's the humour, for me, that keeps me watching.

VinnyTGM

It is drifting (drifted?) away from a car testing program to an entertainment program with flashing light's and loud explosion's.

Seillejet

Agree with the OP. It was formally known as the programme I looked forward to most in the week. Now its meh!

fonecrusher1

Used to love top gear, always had it marked on the sky box. Now I occasionally watch it if i stumble upon it.
It really has become more about the 3 lads.
My main interest in the show is the cars therefore I find it less & less interesting due to the fact that around a third of each episode relates to reviewing cars. The rest is so-called 'news' (which ive already seen on internet), then theres the bit where they brown-nose famous people....yaawwwn!
Some of challenges are amazing but even thats getting stretched to breaking point.
I still like Top gear but only just.

pburns

I'm a regular over on the 'Motors' forum and looking through this thread I think it's telling that I recognise virtually no-one here. It's not the petrolheads watching TG any more! The show became a victim of it's own success. When Clarkson et al. re-launched the show back in '02 or whenever the format was so good that it began to reel in a wider audience and morphed into an 'entertainment' show.

I'd prefer if TG had a more modest, sustainable level of success and that it never became the money-making monster it currently is.

I still watch it but feel it could be so much better if they did not have to make it appeal to the laddish element and to girls...

fonecrusher1

pburns wrote: »

I'm a regular over on the 'Motors' forum and looking through this thread I think it's telling that I recognise virtually no-one here. It's not the petrolheads watching TG any more! The show became a victim of it's own success. When Clarkson et al. re-launched the show back in '02 or whenever the format was so good that it began to reel in a wider audience and morphed into an 'entertainment' show.

I'd prefer if TG had a more modest, sustainable level of success and that it never became the money-making monster it currently is.

I still watch it but feel it could be so much better if they did not have to make it appeal to the laddish element and to girls...

Been into cars since I was a kid & ive watched Top Gear since around 1993. I think its becoming harder & harder for the longterm fans to defend TG. As i said i do still watch it & probably always will but i sort of miss how it used to be all about the cars.
As you've mentioned, its made for everyone now, not just motor enthusiasts & i can only see it getting worse as its beginning to gain interest in the US & off course bbc will change the show to appeal to them also.

TG needs to come back down to earth a bit. Less pantomime more cars.

fryup

oh sweet jesus!! even setanta ireland are showing repeats now....thats bbc 2, rte 2, dave and now setanta ffs

thebman

I used to watch the repeats in college as there was nothing better on. That was a few years ago, its just annoying now like past simpsons episodes.

New ones aren't as good as the originals and the originals have been repeated so much they have lost their entertainment value. Doesn't help that the show is a formula by nature either and just repeats and the more it does the more obvious it becomes.

People on here saying it isn't old will be in a year or two if its still going.