12/02/12

Myrddin

What utter tripe, from start to finish.

I'm normally the first to defend Top Gear, in that it's a great hour of light hearted comedy with no ads...take what you will from it like. But that was just inexcusable, scripted sh1te from start to end.

Well, the good run had to end somewhere. Two outta three aint bad.

The Black Oil

Mostly dreck, yeah.

Jaguar...like how it's spelt. :pac:

Myrddin

Oh & cue the PC brigade in defense of overweight people who drive low torque small engined cars. It should be on the front of the Daily Mail by Tuesday.

downwithpeace

The whole car chase thing was a waste, from the angry director to the damaged Jag boot it all came off as scripted and sitcom low.

One or two laughs, just can't remember what they were now so must have been at that moment type laugh, sad really given the first two were enjoyable but maybe this was the budget episode, hopefully.

Myrddin

downwithpeace wrote: »

The whole car chase thing was a waste, from the angry director to the damaged Jag boot it all came off as scripted and sitcom low.

One or two laughs, just can't remember what they were now so must have been at that moment type laugh, sad really given the first two were enjoyable but maybe this was the budget episode, hopefully.

Given the closed roads, explosions, fire crew, filming, wrecking of the Jag, the pneumatic catapault etc...I doubt this was a the budget one. Massive waste of money. First two of the season were brilliant, this doesn't even compare

pixelburp

Uhm yeah, so I think that episode was pretty much the archetype 'bad' Top Gear people have been giving off about these past few years. I can stand a little bit of the scripted nonsense, but in fairness it was all forced from the get-go. And as usual, it was Hammond who had the most obvious & abundant number of 'gags'. One would wonder if there's something in the contract or if he just curries favour with the production team that he gets so much joking-around time

Oddly, the most enjoyable part was the section that's usually my least favorite - the Reasonably Priced Car. Reynolds actually seems like a sound, funny bloke.

Had tuned in tonight because the previous two episodes showed some resurgence in form and vitality, but tonight's was a slide back into playing scripted silly buggers. Shame.

downwithpeace

EnterNow wrote: »

Given the closed roads, explosions, fire crew, filming, wrecking of the Jag, the pneumatic catapault etc...I doubt this was a the budget one. Massive waste of money. First two of the season were brilliant, this doesn't even compare

I wonder if some of that was really from the film set as said in the episode, Top Gear then added in the over the top things which would still keep the costs fairly low, sort of.

The Black Oil

Once I saw the description in the TV guide I lowered my expectations a lot, chuckled a few times.

downwithpeace

pixelburp wrote: »

And as usual, it was Hammond who had the most obvious & abundant number of 'gags'. One would wonder if there's something in the contract or if he just curries favour with the production team that he gets so much joking-around time

It's almost like his day time family friendly shows have crossed over to his Top Gear hosting.

The Black Oil

Possibly would have been more entertaining if they had bought a few mobile homes and used that nitro jump thing to fling cars over them. They've done it before, but they could have found a new angle, maybe.

Tzar Chasm

I thought may's segment about the panda was fairly good, but I would agree that hammonds bit was the most scripted yet, clarkson did seem to be taking things at least semi seriously

Buffman

I actually thought some of it was ok, apart from Hammonds bit's with the focus/ramp/explosion. Writing off the new Focus was completely pointless and didn't add anything. Clarksons chase bit was better.

Fake Focus ST was interesting with the fake dials, (which I'm sure will be for sale in Halfords soon if not already!)

Mays bit was good, but I'd say that's the normal car review done for this series. 200 odd HP in a Corsa!:eek:

News was ok, the bit about who exactly Clarkson would shoot and where was funny, even if scripted. A new Dacia, yay!:D

The new mondeo looks nice.

SIARPC was ok, at least he was plugging something with a good car scene.

Johnny Storm

WTF is up with Hammond's hairdo? Did he loose a bet?

positron

I thought it was okay. May's bit with the 'senior cornering specialist' and Ray Raynolds just about saved this episode for me. Yeah, Hammond was overdoing everything, it was like a bootleg Wipeout Challenge or something.

PS: What's actually really fully was the 'Impressions Shows' take on TopGear 1951 or something like that I watched the other day (Sky Plus). Can't find a youtube link now, but will have a look later.

fryup

Johnny Storm wrote: »

WTF is up with Hammond's hairdo? Did he loose a bet?

twat hairdo

ScumLord

Everything on TV is scripted. Even live shows that seem natural are all scripted, giving out that top gear is scripted is silly because, of course it's scripted.

I thought it was an all right episode.

Myrddin

ScumLord wrote: »

Everything on TV is scripted. Even live shows that seem natural are all scripted, giving out that top gear is scripted is silly because, of course it's scripted.

I thought it was an all right episode.

There's scripting, & then there's bad scripting.

The Black Oil

It's not really the scripting so much as how much they fall back on routines because they can't be arsed.

Tzar Chasm

ITs Hammond tho, Hammond is the Problem, May and Clarkson's segment in China was obviously scripted, like trying to get Kung fu stig into the car, or KFStig stopping to beat up a cameraman, but I didnt mind that cos it was kinda funny in an odd sort of way.

Hamond's bits are just painful towatch, you can tell exactly what he's seting up to do and the joke always seems laboured
examples
The Ski Ramp for the Flying Mini
The bobcat 'crash' on Top Ground Gear Force for Comic relief
The Landcruiser'rolling' down the sanddune in Bolivia
painting the Mexican flag on the Miniin India
any of the Fussy eating bits

there are more too, but it always seems More staged when Hammond does itthan the other two.

that said there can be some moments of pure gold from the Hamster when he is genuinley caught unawares, Like when Oliver sank, or the pure joy on his face driving across america inthe Pickup truck

ScumLord

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

ITs Hammond tho, Hammond is the Problem, May and Clarkson's segment in China was obviously scripted, like trying to get Kung fu stig into the car, or KFStig stopping to beat up a cameraman, but I didnt mind that cos it was kinda funny in an odd sort of way.

Hamond's bits are just painful towatch, you can tell exactly what he's seting up to do and the joke always seems laboured
examples
The Ski Ramp for the Flying Mini
The bobcat 'crash' on Top Ground Gear Force for Comic relief
The Landcruiser'rolling' down the sanddune in Bolivia
painting the Mexican flag on the Miniin India
any of the Fussy eating bits

there are more too, but it always seems More staged when Hammond does itthan the other two.

that said there can be some moments of pure gold from the Hamster when he is genuinley caught unawares, Like when Oliver sank, or the pure joy on his face driving across america inthe Pickup truck

I'd agree, in this most recent episode when Hamster and Clarkson are talking about blowing up the trailer I thought to myself, Clarkson is actually a pretty good actor and the Hamster is just hammy. I do get the feeling he is really like that though. He's a cringe worthy TV/radio personality and even though he seems so hammy the show might suffer without he's hammyness in it.

Buffman

ScumLord wrote: »

I'd agree, in this most recent episode when Hamster and Clarkson are talking about blowing up the trailer I thought to myself, Clarkson is actually a pretty good actor and the Hamster is just hammy.......... even though he seems so hammy the show might suffer without he's hammyness in it.

Ye, Hamster could do with taking a few acting lessons. As you said, everything on TV is scripted, but if the acting is crap it doesn't matter how good the script is.

But then I think back to how he almost died doing it and tend to cut him a break. After all it's only TV!
I'd have to say overall he's probably done more good stuff than bad.
Oliver the Opel Kadett etc.

I think you're right about him being an element to the show that would be missed if gone.