TopGear Christmas Special

positron

This years TopGear Christmas special is set in India (Clarkson says so), and someone has spotted them shooting in Mumbai.





Based on the pictures, it looks like the challenge has got something to do with 'dabbawalas' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dabbawala).

I think more people will go hungry in Mumbai, thanks to TopGear!

mike65

Cool, TG Special and Christmas now go together like Morecambe and Wise!

fryup

although motoring in india has been done to death now..there was a bbc series during the summer about it

i would have liked to have seen them drive across australia in the outback

pa990

mike65 wrote: »

Cool, TG Special and Christmas now go together like Mince and Pies!

Cardinal Richelieu

Seems they are in Delhi too and have to transport musical instruments before playing them in front of a British Embassy dinner party.

positron

Set your reminders/recording etc - Christmas special airs on December 28th at 8PM.

positron

More details emerge: http://transmission.blogs.topgear.com/2011/11/30/andy-wilman-on-top-gears-india-special-wednesday-28-december-8pm-bbc2/

The backbone of the Top Gear specials has always been the toughness of the challenge, from the frozen North Pole to the desolate salt pans of Botswana to the jungles and mountains of South America. But, this year, we’ve taken on our biggest challenge of all: sorting out the British economy.

Let me explain. A few months ago, Mr Cameron said our nation must become a favoured trading partner of India: currently, we do more business with Ireland than with this country of 1.2 billion people. Top Gear, we thought, could help solve this problem with a trade mission, flying the flag for UKPLC. Our plan was to drive across India, drumming up interest in British goods, advertising the peerless standards of British skills, British nous, British Britishness. We would make the Indians think: “No, we shall not buy mayonnaise from Belgium, but Angel Delight and Kendal Mint Cake from the British.”

Usually, on Top Gear challenges, we give ourselves a pitiful budget of a couple of hundred quid for each car. But, this time, Britain’s reputation was at stake. We couldn’t be seen sitting in a puddle of engine oil by the side of the road. You don’t see Prince Andrew cracking out the spanners on his foreign visits.

So we thought we’d spend a bit more and buy three cars that represented the best of British. With their budget of seven grand each, Jeremy and Richard excelled themselves, Jezza picking up a 1995 Jaguar XJS 4.0-litre – the Celebration edition, no less – and Richard buying a tidy Mini Cooper.

But James, in his OCD idiocy, decided he wanted a Rolls-Royce. Unfortunately, the only Rolls-Royce you can buy for seven grand is a 1976 Silver Shadow…

The success of our mission lies not only in how the cars coped, but also whether Britain’s balance-of-trade deficit is rectified. We’re not being unrealistic: we know it won’t happen immediately, but if Britain’s trade with India reaches an even keel by, say, Easter, we’ll be happy. And maybe, just maybe, the knock-on effect will be that other car shows from around Europe will also visit India, and then the economy of the entire Eurozone will pick up, too, and then China will be forced to cut its prices as the global balance of trade shifts, and, before we know it, the world’s economy will be restored. We set out with a modest ambition – to help Britain’s balance-of-trade deficit – but this TG special could have truly global repercussions. If it does,
we don’t want any plaudits. Just watching the show will be thanks enough.

For much more from Andy on our India special, plus loads of exclusive pictures, pick up our huge new Awards issue of Top Gear magazine (including your 2012 Top Gear calendar). In all good shops, and some average ones, from December 1

eleven1

cant wait for this one , the ones they did in south america & the middel east & albania were better than many blockbuster multimillion movies , i hope G.clarkson will behave himself a bit better so we can have this show for many years to come otherwise the BBC will treat him the same way they did to his mate jonathan ross . nobody wants that to happen .

ScrubsfanChris

Top Gear is one of the highest grossing shows for the BBC, the Jonathon Ross show just cost them money.

As long as Top Gear keeps making money, JC will be around, as himself and Willman own 50% of the rights. So the BBC can't use the format without those two still onboard.

positron

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juFm6tLaVsg

JAMES VTI S

^ when is it on

meoklmrk91

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

^ when is it on

The 28th of December, pity it isn't on St. Stephens day.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Looking forward to this

Mr Simpson

Can't wait for this!!!

Atlantic Dawn

Bump for this, it's on at 8pm tonight on BBC2.

omg a kitty

Cant waaaiiitt
Set on record..in case I forget

gbee

I only saw this after the bump. I seem to be living in isolation these days.

positron

May be someone should crosspost to Motors, or is that not allowed these days?

Myrddin

positron wrote: »

May be someone should crosspost to Motors, or is that not allowed these days?

It'll inevitably end in another 'scripted' thread.

vicM

Is it wrong my son is a huge Top Gear fan? He cannot stand Nick Jnr. The replays of the Bolivia Special are driving the OT mental!

Oh, did I mention he is 3

Dravokivich

Looking forward to seeing this tonight, their specials tend to be more entertaining than the actual show imo.

longshanks

Well that has been mostly crap so far

bnt

Coronation Chicken in 30+ degree heat? If the Gentleman's Relish on a Digestive Biscuit doesn't kill the party guests, that'll sort them ... :eek:

Rick Deckard

Unless it got drastically better after the ambassadors party (when i switched over) that was by far the worst telly in a long time, even by tg standards.

vicM

Rick Deckard wrote: »

Unless it got drastically better after the ambassadors party (when i switched over) that was by far the worst telly in a long time, even by tg standards.

it got worse

bnt

It's OK, but I have some questions. They're driving up in to Kashmir, and I have no idea why.

edit: I suppose that one thing that made this relatively boring is that the cars have been totally reliable. As James said: the only problems were ones they caused themselves.

Myrddin

Rick Deckard wrote: »

Unless it got drastically better after the ambassadors party (when i switched over) that was by far the worst telly in a long time, even by tg standards.

Sigh, & so it begins. Why people watch it when they know it has low standards you have to wonder. Maybe stick to Big Brother etc?

It wasn't brilliant, but I got a laugh out of it. It sure beats Big Brother & the usual reality tripe fest we're treated to at xmas.

Duggy747

That was awful and I have a high endurance to Top Gear's shìtty behaviour of the later series.

Terrible scripted humour which bottomed out at that party.

Let down by the one thing I thought would be good this Xmas.

padraig_f

That was rubbish. I was going to say 'worst special ever' but it was possibly the worst episode of Top Gear ever, completely boring.

phasers

That was bloody awful! The cars may as well have not been there, and the "hilarious antics" were far too obviously staged, even by TG standards.

dfx-

EnterNow wrote: »

Sigh, & so it begins. Why people watch it when they know it has low standards you have to wonder. Maybe stick to Big Brother etc?

It wasn't brilliant, but I got a laugh out of it. It sure beats Big Brother & the usual reality tripe fest we're treated to at xmas.

Yep, I thought it was fine. If they went to the summit of Everest and drove off the edge to their deaths, there'd be people complaining it was boring, scripted and the worst ever

The alternative too was the Celtic - Rangers derby :eek:

Myrddin

padraig_f wrote: »

That was rubbish. I was going to say 'worst special ever' but it was possibly the worst episode of Top Gear ever, completely boring.

Last years one was surely the worst though?

downwithpeace

Felt like it was written before shot, party was horrible to watch but the damage done to the cars after trying to make them better (Not including the mini coming a part in that) along with James horn when braking were very funny.

Still it was enjoyable.

positron

Woops, what was that all about?

It's as if they all got a bit of delhi belly and had to make do with a few jokes. There was about 3 decent laughs, but rest was all, well they looked tired. May be the good old India must have been a bit too much for them to handle, and a lot of missed opportunities too! Anyway, there's plenty worse on telly.

Venom

That was pretty woeful tbh.

Rick Deckard

EnterNow wrote: »

Rick Deckard wrote: »

Sigh, & so it begins. Why people watch it when they know it has low standards you have to wonder. Maybe stick to Big Brother etc?

It wasn't brilliant

Never watched big celebritiy in jungles, whereas watched top gear since a wee lad.

Nice to see you are entitled to an opinion though.

Myrddin

Rick Deckard wrote: »

Poor reply from you. Never watched big celebritiy in jungles, whereas watched top gear since a wee lad.

Nice to see you are entitled to an opinion though.

Sorry to disappoint you

Of course your entitled to your opinion, but in your own words, if TG has such low standards, why, seriously why, would you sit through a 90 minute special of it?

It's so tiring when people who know TG is gonna be crap, sit through it, & then have a moan about how bad it was. It just doesn't make sense.

Yes Top Gear was better years ago, yes the jokes are old & tired, yes its scripted, this isn't a revalation. It's been like this for years now, & this same argument comes up every time. Yes I know, there's 'the hope' that it's gonna be epic like the Polar or Vietnam specials, but these were exceptions rather than the rule.

I hate soaps. Absolute drivel & a bigger waste of time I couldn't name. But I don't subject myself to them & then go on & moan about how crap they were. Yes its disappointing when there's a poor showing on TG, but as someone above mentioned, it sure beats the alternatives.

Rick Deckard

Ok so.

Myrddin

Rick Deckard wrote: »

Ok so.

Don't let me dissuade you from voicing your opinion, that's not what I'm saying. It's just when I look at the TV guide for tonight @ 8pm, it's a bloody no brainer tbh.

I dunno, I got a few laughs out of it. It's hardly up with the Polar/Vietnam/Chile specials, but it was worth a watch if anything. An hour an a half of TG, uninterrupted by ads for Jedwards new album, & not a reality tv star in sight.

dastardly00

Not the best TG special, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

padraig_f

EnterNow wrote: »

Yes Top Gear was better years ago, yes the jokes are old & tired, yes its scripted, this isn't a revalation. It's been like this for years now, & this same argument comes up every time. Yes I know, there's 'the hope' that it's gonna be epic like the Polar or Vietnam specials, but these were exceptions rather than the rule.

Agree with you in general, but tonight's was really bad. I still enjoy the series but, despite all the extraneous stuff, it works best when the cars are the focal point. As someone said about tonight's show, the cars might as well not have been there. It descended into a really bad travel show.

Myrddin

padraig_f wrote: »

Agree with you in general, but tonight's was really bad. I still enjoy the series but, despite all the extraneous stuff, it works best when the cars are the focal point. As someone said about tonight's show, the cars might as well not have been there. It descended into a really bad travel show.

I dunno, I thought last years middle east one was much much worse than this one.

I actually didn't think there was a lot of James May on tonights one & the bits that did show him he looked kind of sick of it.

The Black Oil

Oh man, parts of that were a real fingernails on the blackboard affair. I'm all for them ditching or shaking up the standard far flung country challenge format, but really? There was no challenge here, at all. Next to nothing out of their comfort zone. It's not about being offended, it's just tedious and a clear example of them playing up their characters rather than just being 3 blokes having fun. The lunch thing at the start was pointless because you knew they'd screw it up, but I don't really hold objections to that. The party thing was just a rehash of the stupid car train caravan thing from a few months ago.

To be fair, driving on India's busy roads did look genuinely mental and I did chuckle a few times. The Himalayas looked stunning, but it was too little, too late. It didn't need to be an ad for Bord Failte India, but considering the mileage, we seemed to see feck all of the place.

I only complain because there are some long-term issues here. We know they can make a good show, but more importantly, they know it too. They stopped bothering a long time ago.

Also, I can't recall one of their cars ever being truly fecked and them having to use the backup in any of these specials. I wonder do they get a mechanic to do a once over on their purchases before departure. That's not a 'scripted' complaint, I'm curious.

Myrddin

Black Oil wrote: »

Also, I can't recall one of their cars ever being truly fecked and them having to use the backup in any of these specials. I wonder do they get a mechanic to do a once over on their purchases before departure. That's not a 'scripted' complaint, I'm curious.

Those backup cars I reckon are only there for 'suspense' reasons. We all they're gonna finish in triumphant style, with the mechanics out of shot Take the Chile one, there's no way May & Hammond jury rigged an exploded diff halfway up the Andes.

fryup

a load of old **** tbh, worst of the specials..looked like it was done in a hurry> not well thought out

still think vietnam was the best...they were on bikes which made a pleasant change and a real challenge for all three, with the backdrop of a beautiful & interesting country

as i said before i would like to see them drive across australia via the outback..now that would be interesting

kev250

dfx- wrote: »

The alternative too was the Celtic - Rangers derby :eek:

Thats the one i decided to watch!
Is the episode online yet?

Ozzie

Ok it wasn't the greatest but was entertaining. My 5 year old asked me what are testicles and my 9 year old wanted to know what muff was.... Good all round Christmas family viewing or what????

Slunk

As i said on the other thread about it. Its bad when the gfs mother asks was this on before? Same old crap. Its actually cringey now. Knocked off halfway through

Stinicker

It was brutally rubbish, they had some hot indian women at the "Party" and there was no awkward moment with James May trying to pull, the Mexican instead of Indian flag was not even funny. The close up of flies on ****, the lad pissing, no spitting sign etc. were not done in a funny type of way.

I have never been to India but the 3 lads really **** on that country big time tonight. How stupid was the gag of tampering with May's A/C? They could have shown some positive Indian things like that lad Lepu in Bangla Bangers did with his tv show, it could have been funny and informative and really it was only rehashed crap! Get back into the studio and have some interaction with audience.

gbee

I was in the company of my son's girlfriend last night, she does not like car show and she had a face as long as the door on her as we all settled down to watch Top Gear India, Christmas Special.

She was soon in stitches and laughing heartily, her laughter was infectious and soon the whole room was laughing.

So I got a good laugh and enjoyed it. I'll not offer any other comment at this time.

mike65

It was both the worst of the TG specials and probably the most entertaining thing on the box last night! The cars/bikes etc should always be at the heart of the 'drama' and they weren't, in truth I'd have been happy if the 90 mins was just beautiful shots of the Jag, Mini and Roller driving through India but that's the way I am.

I did laugh at the banners when they split even though I'd spotted the joke the moment they were put up.