topgear presenters

hydro graphics ireland

Is it just me or has the show gone down hill within the last couple of years. Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, James May are out dated and need to be replaced with younger presenters. Yes No Maybe????

rovoagho

It's just you.

Royal.Baby

Replaced with who though?

I don't know if i like them or not, sometimes they are funny then other times they make me cringe especially Clarkson.

hydro graphics ireland

Dnt get me wrong I love the show, but it just seems to be lacking that little bit joie de vive lately...

SCOOP 64

Cant remember the last time i watched it,used to watch it every week, same thing every week racing top spec/sports cars a round a track which i could never afford .

Scortho

It's only really the challenges that are worth watching.
Top gear is good as an entertainment show, not really as a motoring show.

meoklmrk91

There is something not... quite right with the last couple of series, I am usually really exited for a new series but right now I have a bunch of episodes waiting to be watched and no real inclination to watch them. I can't really put my finger on it but it's just not as good as it used to be. My one gripe has always been that I wish they would do a bit more with normal road cars, super cars are great fun and superb to look at but it's all getting a bit same-y.

I do agree that sometimes the presenters can be cringeworthy, James is probably my favourite because he does seem to test more practical cars, where as with the other two it can sometimes seem like they are testing what they are going to buy next, cars that the vast majority of the population could only dream of owning.

The specials seem to have lost their spark too, the polar, america, Vietnam specials were some seriously good viewing now it just seems like staged opportunities for Clarkson to act like an oaf. I used to love Clarkson, he was a loveable oaf, now he is just an oaf and an annoying one at that.

All that said I can't think of anyone who would replace them and I suspect that if the BBC tried there would be up roar.

Royal.Baby

Make it about the cars again. The celebrity in a car thing is terrible.

hydro graphics ireland

Maybe Russell Brand would be a good replacement for Clarkson?

madfcuker

Over the years it's got more and more scripted. Lack of funds from BBC doesn't help either.

I do like to see decent challenges bit they have done pretty much every challenge and they are running out of ideas.

Vote 4 Pedro

you might be right, i used to watch every week without fail but i have not planned to watch one for ages.
i have caught the odd episode and they make me cringe where they used to make me laugh my chopper off.

Snickers Man

So you're going to improve a show based on the comic qualities of a grumpy old man with.....a younger presenter?

I think you're missing the point.

Daveysil15

I think its still a good show but it has lost some of its appeal. The old challenges were great but they've pretty much done everything now, and any new challenges just seem unoriginal. I don't like the ones where they make/modify their own cars. It's like watching a sitcom where they're reading from a script; trying too hard to be funny.

I liked the episode where they went to the USA and got chased by the fellas in the pick up truck. Somehow I don't think that was planned. The Vietnam one was also very good.

ScumLord

I'd like to see more normal stuff too but then there are other shows for that. Top gear is the presenters. I'd say if one decided to quit the show would likely end.

misterdeeds

hydro graphics ireland wrote: »

Is it just me or has the show gone down hill within the last couple of years. Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, James May are out dated and need to be replaced with younger presenters. Yes No Maybe????

Mmmmm prob not me thinks ,well clarkson has to be left in it for me anyway as for the other two ..... yeah cud do with some freshning up I agree but it is not as I remember years ago when they were ordinary everyday cars featured seems to be more challenges nowardays than car reviews imo
As for clarkson getting the boot so to speak , I know he is a shareholder in top gear so I would imagine he has a good say with regard to his appearance in it

pixelburp

The whole point of the Top Gear triple act is that they're middle-aged men acting the maggot & generally behaving like kids. Replace them with younger presenters would be to not only spectacularly miss the point of the show and its comedy routine, but to mistake its own audience...

If I'd like to see anything, it's for May & Clarkson to lose a bit of weight. Sounds harsh I know, and sure they're getting on & all that, but good god the pair of them look ludicrous as they fold themselves into the various supercars. Nevermind another crash, I'm waiting for the cancelled episode because of a heart attack :eek:

dfx-

Careful what you wish for. Change the presenters and you could end up with Top Gear USA...:eek:

No need to change.

Driveby Dogboy

hydro graphics ireland wrote: »

Maybe Russell Brand would be a good replacement for Clarkson?

And on that bombshell...

inforfun

hydro graphics ireland wrote: »

Maybe Russell Brand would be a good replacement for Clarkson?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umDr0mPuyQc

Johnmb

Sitec wrote: »

Get rid of that idiot Hammond and replace him with Chris Harris. He's actually able to drive and is a real character.

It's the relationship between them that helps make the show. There's no point in saying that new presenter A is better than any one of the current presenters, he/she would suck unless they fit in with the other two. That would be the challenge if any one of them decided to leave.

knucklehead6

Johnmb wrote: »

It's the relationship between them that helps make the show. There's no point in saying that new presenter A is better than any one of the current presenters, he/she would suck unless they fit in with the other two. That would be the challenge if any one of them decided to leave.

Isn't that what happened with that guy in Season 1, Jason Dawe?

Didn't fit on with Clarkson and Hammond in their level of geniality

Caonima

hydro graphics ireland wrote: »

Maybe Russell Brand would be a good replacement for Clarkson?

Wash your mouth out

Isotonik

The show in it's most recent format has always been heavily scripted but I don't sense there's been any decline in quality. I do agree with the point that a lot of the challenges have already been done though.

One of the show's all time funniest moments for me came in the last series where Clarkson and May tested the Honda and VW Crossovers and had that caravan race. Epic!

mr lee

stopped watching long ago,too staged,too scripted and too much fake laughter

Bits_n_Bobs

Got to agree - getting increasingly too staged and swapping the genuine banter with canned laughing.

Myrddin

I think its somewhat a victim of its own success. It's been running a long time by modern standards, all the ideas have been done twice over at this stage, & it's well past its peak.

There are moments/flashes of brilliance, but it's increasingly rare, & more often than not I find myself saying "Hmm, they done this a few seasons back" or somesuch. I still watch it religiously, but honestly, I feel it would be a better show if the scripting was relaxed. I think the season before the most recent took this approach, & it was the best season in a long time.

The most recent African special was decent, but again not a patch on the classics like the Polar special, Vietnam, & South America. I don't think changing the presenters would work either, couldn't see anyone else fit in. I like Clarkson, I think he can be funny & witty in a 'stuck in his ways' kind of way, I like May a lot, even his own projects are pretty good, I really don't like Hammond much though.

I think the format of the show needs freshening up, the SIARPC segment should have been done away with long ago. The opening features are usually good, & then along comes the SIARPC comes along & takes all the momentum out of the show, it's usually just a plug for a new film or book too. I do however like the F1 stars when they're on.

rovoagho

You know they've done caravan races before, right? Twice possibly?

I'm still happy to watch it, it has nice cars, locations and photography, and it usually makes me laugh, but they're getting lazy in their old age. To be fair, I probably would too.

knucklehead6

i think one of the best segments in recent years was the one where Jeremy and Hammond went out and bought second hand cars to show James what you can buy for the price of the Nissan Pixo that he was talking about.

Red Nissan

Everyone's posts are most valid and I can agree with everything being said. I especially agree with less scripting, some of the shows are getting really boring with the lustre worn off, IMO, because of the retakes to get those scripted moments absolutely bang on, Clarkson and co would be happy with close enough to have fun.

The budgetary strain shows through too and it was funny or ironic that Top gear did a race through the 'old' BBC building, only to have the operations move back in a short time later due to funding problems.

Isotonik

rovoagho wrote: »

You know they've done caravan races before, right? Twice possibly?

I remember they did a caravan holiday before which resulted in a fire plus a separate camping challenge in modified cars but apart from the obligatory dropping a caravan from a crane stunt and caravan conkers I can't remember any other instances when they've been featured.

Nody

Isotonik wrote: »

I remember they did a caravan holiday before which resulted in a fire plus a separate camping challenge in modified cars but apart from the obligatory dropping a caravan from a crane stunt and caravan conkers I can't remember any other instances when they've been featured.

There was the time they turned one into an airship and blew in over an airport while racing a sports car. Season 18 had the raise with two 4x4 to get there first. The camping trip with burning the caravan and tearing down the tent of the next caravan over.

How ever I do recall one were they had 3 caravans and had to "modify them" or something; one built a huge maze or something and there was something with a cliff while two where having an icecream at the beech or something.

inforfun

Nody wrote: »

There was the time they turned one into an airship and blew in over an airport while racing a sports car. Season 18 had the raise with two 4x4 to get there first. The camping trip with burning the caravan and tearing down the tent of the next caravan over.

How ever I do recall one were they had 3 caravans and had to "modify them" or something; one built a huge maze or something and there was something with a cliff while two where having an icecream at the beech or something.

corcaigh07

the show needs freshening up for sure.

I do think while changing any of the 3 presenters would be too drastic, some guest reviews by guest presenters, some new segments of some kind, even just replacing something like the News with reintroducing things like the cool wall would semi-freshen the show up a bit.

IvySlayer

I think Jeremy and May are fine

It's Hammond who's getting really annoying, actually has been for serveral seasons. It's like he's Clarksons little brother trying to be him.

When it comes to the scripted parts, he's the worst.

The caravan segment with James and Jeremy was the best part of the least season

Myrddin

In terms of scripting:

When Clarkson has to do it, the persona of Clarkson still comes through
When May has to do it, the persona of May still comes through
When Hammond has to do it, it's just awful.

mickdw

Sitec wrote: »

"Star in a Responsibly Priced Car " is also bollocks.

Its the best part or at least it was until Tom Cruise came along, went straight to the top and suddenly all who followed appeared to suddenly achieve better times and knocked him off again.

Red Nissan

I've got my note pad out for next weekend, but this is the first years I've not been looking forward to it's return.

Cienciano

I like the show, but the completely unnessessary scripting is so bad. Watched the source of the nile one there last week, the entire building the raft and the directors car falling off was just terrible.

IvySlayer wrote: »

I think Jeremy and May are fine

It's Hammond who's getting really annoying, actually has been for serveral seasons. It's like he's Clarksons little brother trying to be him.

When it comes to the scripted parts, he's the worst.

The caravan segment with James and Jeremy was the best part of the least season

Hammond is definitely the weak link on the show. Always thought it would be so much better if they had Tiff Needle instead of Hammond. But Tiff might have a bit too much knowledge about cars for the other two :pac:

Starscream25

Jeremy clarkson is some muppet,don't know does he still do it but I remember him being fairly rude to some people in the crowd passing it off as funny calling them baldy etc.

Axidium

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Cant remember the last time i watched it,used to watch it every week, same thing every week racing top spec/sports cars a round a track which i could never afford .

Watch Fifth Gear! No one wants to see diesels going around a track.

EB_2013

Sitec wrote: »

"Star in a Responsibly Priced Car " is also bollocks.

Hate that part too. I always forward or skip the interview. I just want to see the lap.

Myrddin

Siarpc segment needs to go, it's never good, even when there's an interesting guest.

Cienciano

Myrddin wrote: »

Siarpc segment needs to go, it's never good, even when there's an interesting guest.

I think I agree. The anticipation of "who wants to see their lap time" has long gone. I don't think anyone really cares if Gordon Ramsey beats James Blunt anymore. And with different track conditions, it's all a bit meaningless.

Red Nissan

Cienciano wrote: »

But Tiff might have a bit too much knowledge about cars for the other two :pac:

Tiff stood in as the Stig for a couple of shows too during those "troubles", so yer, right.

Nody

Cienciano wrote: »

Hammond is definitely the weak link on the show.

He's to much like the other two, porsche fan? Yes. Motorcycle fan? Yes. Fast speed fan? Yes (even if Jeremy is starting to become a bit of a "oh it's to fast now" personality).

The ideal person to add is the lady who's doing Top Gear Germany (Sabine Schmitz the turing ring driver who was in two earlier seasons and the Germany vs. UK Top gear show). Her attitude would help offset the other two quite nicely if replacing Hammond and add some real competition to things rather then the current same old same old (not that it will stop me from watching every episode with in 24h)...

pixelburp

I'd agree the format, maybe even the presenters need to change, but it's too much of an institution now; and considering its primary ethos is to enable 3 middle-aged men to act like pillocks for an hour (the producer openly admits this) a new face, let alone a female one, would upset that balance & the dad demographic too much. It's being strangled by its own success really; they built a formula that worked brilliantly, it has become tired & creaky through over-eagerness to recreate the previous organic chaos via scripted scenes, but nobody's brave enough to change it.

bnt

I'd say that "organic chaos" is over-stating it a bit. There's always been a script, since shoots have to be planned so that they get the shot. Every shot you see, someone took the trouble to scope out a location and get a camera there in advance.

I was particularly struck by this when Amy Williams raced her Skeleton bob versus the rall car at Lillehammer: she obviously did multiple runs, since there are shots from cameras all over her - including one attached to her helmet - but those cameras aren't in evidence in long shots of the race they showed.

One thing that annoyed me about Hammond is how he fakes enthusiasm for things, though I think that's less of a problem than it used to be. He looked totally out of place in the Pagani Zonda, a physically huge hypercar, and I didn't believe the way he enthused about it. The Morgan Aero 8 was more his style - I believed him there, even before he spent his own money on one.

pixelburp

bnt wrote: »

I'd say that "organic chaos" is over-stating it a bit. There's always been a script, since shoots have to be planned so that they get the shot. Every shot you see, someone took the trouble to scope out a location and get a camera there in advance.

I think this new series emphasises my point a little tbh; I get what you're saying and I agree partially - there has to be a general script to set up a scenario - but in the past to me it felt like things were left to happen of their own accord & the trio reacted naturally. Now it's just a series of sketches, gags and reaction shots based on the presenters' assigned personalities.