Christmas Special - March 3rd and 10th

The Black Oil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AKfRnte96Y

Hope it's a good one.

My name is URL

Does Clarkson have the Stig tucked under his shirt or something? :eek:

The Black Oil

Hah, yeah.

Pretty good, actually. Minimal dicking around. They just seemed to get on with the driving, showing us the amazing and more mental aspects of the country. I don't care what parts were scripted, the stupid presents or the set up of their cars (though I wouldn't call them scripted, just that there's not a chance Clarkson set up that shower thing) - it wasn't a painful exercise like India.

Christ hasn't risen yet.
May reading Philip Larkin's poems.
Entering Jezza. :pac:

pixelburp

Enjoyable, and much better than last years trip to India; felt almost old-school with simple fun and minimal obvious scripting.

Though it's a bit rich Clarkson mocking Hammond dying his hair, when his own sign of age looks like he's smuggling a helmet under his shirt. Genuinely not sure how he can do all those adventures and still be so badly out of shape :eek:

Myrddin

Pretty enjoyable, looking forward to pt.2!

Johnny Storm

Clarkson very fat, but James May also looking like he's pregnant.
Enjoyable episode.

lertsnim

Africa can be an absolutely beautiful place. Some of the scenery was incredible.

Duggy747

I quite enjoyed that, minimal (or at least more subtle) scripted events and just watching the 3 guys having a bit of a genuine laugh with their dodgy cars (Bar Hammond's, which was busy rescuing the other 2)

I thought it was going to nose-dive into scripted shìte when Clarkson called them over to look at the map and Hammond left the saucepan on the hob.

Looking forward to next week, anyways.

Myrddin

Duggy747 wrote: »

and Hammond left the saucepan on the hob

Yeah same here, could have sworn it was gonna be the Caravan event all over again. Very enjoyable, some of those 'roads' :eek:

mike65

James Mays gut has really exploded in the last couple of years.

It shows how out of touch I am, when Hammond arrived in a 1500 quid Subaru I was expecting

pixelburp

I presumed the camera left looking at the cooker was a little wink to those in the audience who remembered the last time Hammond did that. A little tease for those who thought they were having deja vu

Tzar Chasm

Interesting side challenge

Whats the 'best' wagon you can find on done deal for 1500 euro

Tzar Chasm

feck Africa, this is worth considering in the bangernomics thread

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4670100

first thing that popped up on DD

99 Subaru forester for 600

Dravokivich

One of those wheels, is not like the others!

stevenmu

Much better stuff, the scripting really did seem minimal which was much more enjoyable.

Hammond's Subaru was fairly impressive on the dirt roads, towing the others without any problems. obviously it would be better than the other two but really didn't expect it to be that much better.

inforfun

stevenmu wrote: »

Much better stuff, the scripting really did seem minimal which was much more enjoyable.

Hammond's Subaru was fairly impressive on the dirt roads, towing the others without any problems. obviously it would be better than the other two but really didn't expect it to be that much better.

Well, i knew a Subaru could tow a bit

best part from about 1:00

The Black Oil

First half was better. Again, amazing countryside and people, cars really took a battering. Didn't think they'd make it across on the home made raft. Bit mental that the airbags went off.

Kilkenny14

Good finale - I did laugh when the log shattered the back widow of Clarkson's car as he was congratulating himself on his idea.

Dempsey

I enjoyed that christmas special

The scenery was stunning and it was well captured. Couldnt help thinking that those countries provided funding to do abit of showcasing for tourism!

They definitely put the cars through the ringer, the Subaru was coasting along until breaking the wishbone. Very surprised the Volvo lasted as long as it did and surprised James May chose a car knowing that it would be so uncomfortable.

Clarkson's new handbrake coming the back window was funny, so was the airbag going off and how dazed he looked afterwards. Also, the producers putting the backup car into the river was gas aswell!

As said, I hope they do more interesting stuff like this in future than the completely hammed up type stuff they sometimes resort to.

Myrddin

Dempsey wrote: »

Couldnt help thinking that those countries provided funding to do abit of showcasing for tourism!

I wouldn't worry about it, some of those countries have huge military budgets...save them spending on weapons for a change!

Anyway, I enjoyed the first part more. Though all i nall it was pretty enjoyable...still not a patch on the Polar, Vietnam or Chile specials...but a far sight better than the India & Iraq ones

Nody

Not overly impressed to be honest; not enough drama or racing for my taste (I found the race to Italy for example as more interesting). I did laugh out loud with the self built ferry issues though

_Kaiser_

This is on Dave at the moment (started at 8pm) for anyone who missed it first time round

fryup

any xmas special this year ?? or do they want us to buy the dvd

mike65

No special

ScrubsfanChris

No news yet, there still on the Top Gear World tour at the moment I think.

cdeb

Burma/Myanmar special was filmed last month; presumably part of series 21.

pa990

fryup wrote: »

any xmas special this year ?? or do they want us to buy the dvd

Dont buy the DVD.

it was a disappointment.

Ruu

Boliva one was on Dave over the holidays.

The Black Oil

Tweet from Clarkson

The Top Gear Christmas special will air in March. But I have made a programme about PQ17. It airs on January 2nd. #lookitup

colm_mcm

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-12-23/jeremy-clarkson-ventures-to-northern-seas-to-tell-the-story-of-the-arctic-convoys

guttenberg

Is there a reason why the Christmas Special doesn't get aired around Christmas any more? late to film it or BBC have programmes for that slot which garners a higher audience?

ElNino

Probably because Top Gear have released a Clarkson Special DVD for the last 2 years for the Christmas market. Clarkson used to do his own solo DVDs separate to Top Gear but they seem to have taken them over. Richard Hammond was in the most recent one and James May was in the previous year's one.

danniemcq

Watched that PQ17 documentary last night.

Was a damn cool story that i didn't know much about before this, a "handbrake" turn by a ship is one of those things that you shouldn't be able to do but it was damned impressive