chris Evans confirmed as new TOP Gear presenter

moby2101

Chris Evans is the NEW presenter of Top Gear, he's signed a three year deal with the beeb! http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33158464

Should be epic!

cdeb

I don't know. Have I Got News For You survived the loss of Angus Deayton, but it kept Merton and Hislop, and the chemistry between the three didn't really make the show. Not sure if this will work. TBH, could be a poisoned chalice for Evans. Even if he is an obvious choice.

Sleepy

Who's going to be with him is the key to whether it'll work or not.

Harry Palmr

There are so many variables regarding success or failure. He could be great, the co-stars could be ****e - Nick Grimshaw could yet be one of them. The actual production values and technical side might be done on the cheap from here on. They might drop or add features that are better or worse...who knows!

gumbo1

It could go this way. May leads the show that is focused towards everyday drivers, like TG was when it was just Clarkson. Hammond is there for the off road kinda stuff as he likes those type of vehicles. Evans comes along for a 10 minute segment, open to negotiations, about the sports cars and expensive stuff. Just an opinion.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

cdeb

gumbo1 wrote: »

It could go this way. May leads the show that is focused towards everyday drivers, like TG was when it was just Clarkson. Hammond is there for the off road kinda stuff as he likes those type of vehicles. Evans comes along for a 10 minute segment, open to negotiations, about the sports cars and expensive stuff. Just an opinion.

Are Hammond and May staying? What I've seen so far indicates not.

Harry Palmr

Nope they have resisted the offer made by the BBC to continue.

Anyway expect ITV/Netflix/Whoever to make a move soon.

moby2101

Hammond and May are both out, looks like it will be either 2 other presenters or a series of weekly guests..

Blazer

I frakking hate that ginger twat...and I'm a ginger too.

cdeb

That's what I thought.

It might have survived one host change. I think three is too many. Especially if Hammond/May/Clarkson get an offer elsewhere.

Shaun Ryder as co star would be entertaining

dave1982

Russel Brand :pac:

_Brian

TBH it needed a good shake up anyway.
If you stumbled across any recent episode of TG it could have been from and of the last seven years, same crack over and over.

CianDon

Truly sad day for Top Gear. Move for Evans show's that the Beeb are now intent on cementing the Top Gear platform as car based light netertainment rather than a true petrol heads car show. I'll happily admit that the Boy Evans has a rather incredible collection of cars but he never has come across as a true petrol head and more so a top trumps 'I love my Ferrari' character and dont start me on him onscreen. What you had with the two previous incarnations were groups of proper petrol head automotive journalists who worked their way up the business rather than a radio celebrity who deceided to turn his hand to reviewing cars. I could never imagine Evans expressing a decent respect for the everyday warriors like Fast Fords, the GT86 or hot hatches.

Only hope now is that the Beeb are content with their big marquee signing, ala Clarkson, and make a move for a pair of co-presenters who dont bring the same large personality but a large level of knowledge in the automotive journalism field. Please, please, please Mr. BBC can we get Chris Harris on Top Gear?

Myrddin

CianDon wrote: »

rather than a radio celebrity who deceided to turn his hand to reviewing cars

Is that not exactly what happened with Hammond?

CianDon

Myrddin wrote: »

Is that not exactly what happened with Hammond?

I wouldnt exactly call working on BBC regional channels much of a celebrity status. Besides, had worked on Men & Motors for a year or two before taking the Top Gear audition

mikom

TDI Friday.

firestarter51

he is a twat that thinks he is funny
no more top gear for me
i only watched it for the banter between the three lads

Redniallers

James may has given him a thumbs up on Twitter...

Larbre34

Evans eh? A bigger car crash than Clarkson waiting to happen. Pun intended.

They can call it Top Gear, but it wont be Top Gear.

Meanwhile I see discrete 'coming soon' trailers for the run-out episodes of Clarkson, Hammond and May are appearing on BBC2. That should be depressing. I presume they will be presented in the 'specials' format rather than studio links, considering they are no longer employed!

I won't be watching Top Ginger, but I look forward to whatever format Clarkson, Wilman, Hammond and May fetch up on. Hopefully the paymasters don't meddle too much.

_Kaiser_

Not an Evans fan - cemented by that TGI Friday reunion or whatever it was last week on C4 - so I won't be watching the "new" TG as what made it work for 20 seasons is the banter between the 3 lads.

I never understand the complaints that it's not a "real" car show - it's not meant to be! It hasn't been in over a decade.. it's an entertainment show featuring cars and an extremely successful one at that.. hence why the BBC is trying to keep it going, but without the 3 lads I can't see it working.. TG in name only.

If Clarkson, May, Hammond (and Andy Wilman, who I seem to remember leaving as well) show up elsewhere, I expect "new" TG to go the same route as "new" Coke...

KevinMunster12

Never seen him before presenting, ill make up my mind when I watch him!

Old Perry

Realistically if its gonna succeed it needs a total overall. best thing really would be to lose the top gear name and start fresh with who ever. keeping the brand and same format people are gonna watch with certain expectations and i reckon that has a fair chance of fallin flat on its face

robinph

It could be you.

Chris Evans just said on The One Show that they will be holding open auditions for co-presenters. They will release more details of how to apply on his show in the morning.

The Black Oil

Disappointing choice, very predictable. He may have car knowledge, but it's his personality that's irksome. His ego is on a par with Clarkson's and in that sense they've replaced like with like, but at least Jeremy could be entertaining.

Larbre34

He's already suggesting having Clarkson, Hammond and May appear to do the sofa and star in a reasonably priced car. Thats a bit like going to someone else's house and telling them you're going to redecorate it. He really is an egotistical ginger t**t.

cdeb

Actually, it'd be very interesting to see their lap times.

Myrddin

I remember saying that ages ago, they should put each of the trio on the other chair & let them do a lap it'd be great viewing.

Larbre34

Evans stirring it yesterday that Richard Bacon would be one of the co-presenters. Another former Big Breakfast c0ck of the highest order. I think a dignified burial for TG would be better than this appalling vista.

bnt

The presenter-stirring is reaching a new level of turbulence: the Daily Mail has a new name today. Hmm. :cool:

Atlantic Dawn

New Series starts 8th May.

demanufactured

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

New Series starts 8th May.

The lads new series or a new series of top gear?

dublinman1990

demanufactured wrote: »

The lads new series or a new series of top gear?

Chris Evans Top Gear will start on the 8th of May.

GavRedKing

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/12066136/Who-will-be-Top-Gear-co-presenters-alongside-Chris-Evans.html

How in the blue hell are Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz "virtually unknown"

I would have assumed that anyone into cars would know who Chris Harris is and Sabine Schmitz is pretty well known from previous episodes of Top Gear and thats before you mention the Nurburgring and her exploits in Germany with BMW and Porsche racing.

Coulthard is also meant to be on board.

robinph

GavRedKing wrote: »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/12066136/Who-will-be-Top-Gear-co-presenters-alongside-Chris-Evans.html

How in the blue hell are Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz "virtually unknown"

I would have assumed that anyone into cars would know who Chris Harris is and Sabine Schmitz is pretty well known from previous episodes of Top Gear and thats before you mention the Nurburgring and her exploits in Germany with BMW and Porsche racing.

Coulthard is also meant to be on board.

Never heard of either of them myself.

Top Gear is not a car program. Since the Clarkson re-boot it has been light entertainment/ comedy show whilst stood in front of cars, prior to that it was about boring cars.

GavRedKing

Harris has a good Youtube channel called Chris Harris on cars, think hes got about 300k subscribers too.

Anyone whos watched Top Gear for awhile will know of Schmitz, shes been in about 3 or 4 episodes.

Will be interesting to see what direction they take with it though under Evans.

GavRedKing

Chris Harris on the P1, La Ferrari and 918.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3YPTkBRaOk

Frank Bullitt

I watch Harris's channel quite a lot. He is a very good motor journalist and has good character to fit in well with this.

I hope he can keep his channel up and running as well.

As for the new line up as a whole, its pretty disappointing tbh.

_Kaiser_

Assuming the above Telegraph report is true, this won't end well I reckon.. they appear to be going for a "back to its roots"/5th Gear angle which is COMPLETELY missing the point of what TG was under Clarkson.

Chris Evans always comes across as desperately trying to relive the "success" he had in the 90s since.. well, the 90s - but then given that the BBC seems to be trying to take the show back to what it was then, maybe he's actually the perfect fit for this.

If Amazon get distribution sorted out in countries where they're not officially available then this could REALLY be the last ever season of TG.

Titzon Toast

TG had gone to ****e for the last 5 years anyway, I've been watching it since it was a half hour program on Thursday nights on BBC2.
I think is was actually lucky that Clarkson got sacked, this new version with Chris Evans could be great.
The Amazon show the lads have signed up for is going to sink like a stone I reckon.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

The only reason i like top gear was because of Clarkson Hammond & May, three mates just having a good time and plenty of laughs along the way, you cant replace that, looking forward to their new show.

Titzon Toast

Abel Whispering Self-control wrote: »

The only reason i like top gear was because of Clarkson Hammond & May, three mates just having a good time and plenty of laughs along the way, you cant replace that, looking forward to their new show.

That was true for a long time alright, it became very forced and contrived though.

aphex™

To quote Clarkson from the last series of TG shown on BBC:
"I'm 55, why am I still doing this?"
Answer: Money.

ScumLord

GavRedKing wrote: »

Chris Harris on the P1, La Ferrari and 918.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3YPTkBRaOk

I think Clarkson, Hammond and May were at the track the same day. So that battle is definitely going to be in the show.

I've been watching Harris for a while, he has loads of great videos on youtube, I don't know how he convinces people to give him their cars when they know exactly what he'll do with them. Some guy loaned Harris his F40 to see what it was like to drift around a track.

Sabine is a nutcase, I've seen videos of her driving around the ring (her day job) and she has absolutely no fear in a car.

I don't really know a whole lot about Evans, never really went out of my way to watch him.

I think it could be a good mix, Sabine and Harris do a lot of actual racing, they could clash really well. Leaving Evans as the James May character, I think Harris and Sabine will steal the show.

bnt

At this point, halfway through the series, it's looking like Chris Evans vs. everybody else. This report in the Evening Standard is typical, it has Matt le Blanc saying that he wants out if Evans is retained for the next series, with Evans' treatment of the other presenters a major factor. I don't know how much truth there is in that, because these guys still have to work together for the live parts of the current series, and we don't need any punch-ups on set, do we? :eek:

wil

Anyone else notice Evans Rolls Royce Corniche number plate was BRX 522T
Brexit 52% eerily accurate or the curse of the Top Gear number plates....

Or entirely contrived?

firestarter51

wil wrote: »

Anyone else notice Evans Rolls Royce Corniche number plate was BRX 522T
Brexit 52% eerily accurate or the curse of the Top Gear number plates....

Or entirely contrived?

That's was filmed weeks ago

wil

Judging by this photo from 2015, weirdly freakily accurate

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lgilly/17911817966/

wil

firestarter51 wrote: »

That's was filmed weeks ago

Not beyond today's ability to add it in but it appears to be genuine.
Ish as someone states it's a 78 plate on a 76 car.
Either way freeeeky