Top Gear Reboot Appreciation Society

[JulesMaximus]

You know what sucks the most about this? Chris Evans doesn't have decades of car reviewing experience.

The Nomad bit was bad but the jeep bit was just shtoopid. The reliant robin bit was off the charts stupid. At least the Clarkson TG reliant robin bit was funny.

I also can't help but wonder why anyone in GB would find Matt LeBlanc even remotely interesting. Nobody here does. I'm sure he's a nice guy but he has all the TV presence of one of my cats.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Funny, I'm watching Extra Gear and it is better than TG.

 

[DigDog]

Well, that's because they had experience and knew what worked. For example, the Robin Reliant episode

 

[HybridSquirrel]

It was pretty bad. I want to give them credit, but it was bad. Everything seemed way too staged, even the SIARP segment. To me, that was the worst.

And where was Chris Harris? I thought he was supposed to be a new presenter?

 

[SSSnail]

So this is like 5th Gear then?

 

[dr150]

When I thought the US Top Gear was horrid, the UK version has just surpassed it.

Both hosts should be replaced immediately (especially cardboard stiff Leblanc) if they want to salvage the drop in ratings that is sure to come.

 

[TheAdvocate]

So this is like 5th Gear then?

That's an insult to 5th gear (which routinely put me to sleep).

 

[Fritzo]

When I thought the US Top Gear was horrid, the UK version has just surpassed it.

Both hosts should be replaced immediately (especially cardboard stiff Leblanc) if they want to salvage the drop in ratings that is sure to come.

I agree LeBlanc has the personality of a rock. Not sure why they considered him for a host...he's been on TG as a guest a few times and Clarkson had to force words out of his mouth.

 

[gorcorps]

I agree LeBlanc has the personality of a rock. Not sure why they considered him for a host...he's been on TG as a guest a few times and Clarkson had to force words out of his mouth.

I don't know either. It seems like he might actually know about cars, but a big part of this show is being a good host, which means a good entertainer which he isn't. Not that they would fit well in the BBC version, but it probably would have just been better off sticking Leno or Seinfeld in there just from a personality aspect.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I don't know either. It seems like he might actually know about cars, but a big part of this show is being a good host, which means a good entertainer which he isn't. Not that they would fit well in the BBC version, but it probably would have just been better off sticking Leno or Seinfeld in there just from a personality aspect.

Leno is a robot with no personality. He's like a fatter, blue denim wearing, less hip version of Matt LeBlanc. And lest we forget, he already tried creating a show copying the Top Gear format and it failed miserably.

Seinfeld just wouldn't do it.

 

[Aikouka]

They would have been better off airing Chris Harris's youtube videos. Kinda annoying he stopped doing his videos for this, and he wasn't even in this episode. And WTF... Matt LeBlanc is a legit host on the show? I thought it was some opening bit or something. lol Almost seems like he's playing a milder version of himself that he does in Episodes. Anyways, I'll reserve judgement until I see Harris do some presenting, but the silly bits they do don't work as well with the new presenter.

There's another show that's only on the web called Top Gear Extra Gear. From what I heard (I haven't seen it yet), that Extra Gear web show features the other hosts. I've also heard comments that it's better than the current Top Gear itself!

Matt is boring

That was my biggest takeaway too. My problem is that he's so monotone that I can't ever get any emotion from him. I'm assuming that he's the new James May, but without any charisma at all. (I've never watched Friends, so maybe he's better at playing a character.)

The first season didn't have James, it was a different presenter that did bits on finding car deals and those segments were awful.

I actually didn't mind Jason Dawson's (I think that was his name...) segments on the show, but I think that's because I watched the earlier Top Gear seasons a bit later on. So, I didn't look at them as advice on buying a used car, but rather an interesting look at what the used car market looked like at that time.

 

[pauldun170]

I tried to watch it but ended up skipping a lot of it.
Lost interest in Top Gear years ago when it became a skit based show with the same circle jerk of super cars tossed in.

 

[rh71]

Without comparing with the old one, this is still a good show with high-end production we rarely see elsewhere. Will the comparisons ever end? Honest question.

I also skip segments like their guest star and if the feature (like American vs. Brit in a tiny car) is boring, I'll skip that too. I still pick out the ~20 minutes of great automotive tv from this show.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Without comparing with the old one, this is still a good show with high-end production we rarely see elsewhere. Will the comparisons ever end? Honest question.

I also skip segments like their guest star and if the feature (like American vs. Brit in a tiny car) is boring, I'll skip that too. I still pick out the ~20 minutes of great automotive tv from this show.

Only when they cancel the show because the ratings suck. Honest answer.

Man, I couldn't find 20 minutes of great anything in that episode. Clarkson must be giddy.

 

[JulesMaximus]

There's another show that's only on the web called Top Gear Extra Gear. From what I heard (I haven't seen it yet), that Extra Gear web show features the other hosts. I've also heard comments that it's better than the current Top Gear itself!

It is better than TG and I'll explain why. Because the hosts are interested in the cars and they focus on interesting things like why they decided to change the course for star in a reasonably priced car. They also have an interesting and personal look at Sabine Schmitz. They even took the Nomad and had Chris Harris drive it around the test track and comment on it. Yes, an actual car review on a car review show!!! GASP!!!

And it wasn't just on the web. It aired here in the US last night on BBC America right after Top Gear.

Extra Gear was relaxed and engaging while Top Gear was forced and uncomfortable.

BBC should can everyone associated with Top Gear and just produce Extra Gear. Don't change a thing about that show. Even the hosts are better than the hosts on TG.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Will the comparisons ever end? Honest question.

No. Honest answer.

If it's calling itself Top Gear then it's going to be compared to Top Gear. The only way the comparisons could possibly end is if new Top Gear morphs seamlessly into something that is almost indistinguishable from C/H/M Top Gear and that doesn't seem likely. As long as it's either noticeably better or worse than Top Gear classic the comparisons will keep coming.

 

[Fritzo]

Leno is a robot with no personality. He's like a fatter, blue denim wearing, less hip version of Matt LeBlanc. And lest we forget, he already tried creating a show copying the Top Gear format and it failed miserably.

Seinfeld just wouldn't do it.

Yeah, Seinfeld wouldn't be able to co-host. His ego is too big.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yeah, Seinfeld wouldn't be able to co-host. His ego is too big.

I don't think he has any interest in it... not that anyone asked him.

He's happy doing his 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' and I think he only does that because he likes doing it and he talks to other comedians about their lives, their passions, or pretty much whatever sparks his interest.

He certainly doesn't need the money.

You know who would be great on Top Gear? Howard Stern. But nobody is asking him and he wouldn't do it either. But he'd be great at it because he is an entertainer. He's honest and funny and he knows when something is interesting or when something sucks and he's not afraid to say it. He would be a cross between Clarkson and May. He knows nothing about cars but he will speak his mind.

 

[NoTine42]

I still maintain that Top Gear was great because it showed genuine friends that had fun in activities that happened to involve a car... much like most great 1st car stories.

Ill give the new cast time, but I'm having a hard time imagining any friendships developing

Ironic considering they hired an actor from the hit show Friends.

 

[Phanuel]

Harris Monkey should have been the host. Evans is really really bad for global appeal.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I still maintain that Top Gear was great because it showed genuine friends that had fun in activities that happened to involve a car... much like most great 1st car stories.

Yeah, it was a good bro-mance between the three of them. But more than that, they were good writers and had good senses of humor, so they could beat on each other mercilessly without it seeming mean or petty. Neither Evans nor LeBlanc have that down, LeBlanc is a wood block and Evans comes across as a trained seal clowning around trying desperately to fake being funny so that someone applauds and throws him a fish. C/H/M seemed genuine and Evans seems game show host fake.

 

[Fritzo]

I don't think he has any interest in it... not that anyone asked him.

He's happy doing his 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' and I think he only does that because he likes doing it and he talks to other comedians about their lives, their passions, or pretty much whatever sparks his interest.

He certainly doesn't need the money.

You know who would be great on Top Gear? Howard Stern. But nobody is asking him and he wouldn't do it either. But he'd be great at it because he is an entertainer. He's honest and funny and he knows when something is interesting or when something sucks and he's not afraid to say it. He would be a cross between Clarkson and May. He knows nothing about cars but he will speak his mind.

May actually knows a LOT about cars (and engineering in general). Stern gives off the impression he calls a repairman if his lightbulb burns out. Not a good choice IMO.

I'd like to see some people with actual expertise as hosts. When you're the best at something, you can have fun with it.

 

[MongGrel]

I don't think he has any interest in it... not that anyone asked him.

He's happy doing his 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' and I think he only does that because he likes doing it and he talks to other comedians about their lives, their passions, or pretty much whatever sparks his interest.

He certainly doesn't need the money.

You know who would be great on Top Gear? Howard Stern. But nobody is asking him and he wouldn't do it either. But he'd be great at it because he is an entertainer. He's honest and funny and he knows when something is interesting or when something sucks and he's not afraid to say it. He would be a cross between Clarkson and May. He knows nothing about cars but he will speak his mind.

Howard Stern grates on me personally, but to each his own.

Yeah, it was a good bro-mance between the three of them. But more than that, they were good writers and had good senses of humor, so they could beat on each other mercilessly without it seeming mean or petty. Neither Evans nor LeBlanc have that down, LeBlanc is a wood block and Evans comes across as a trained seal clowning around trying desperately to fake being funny so that someone applauds and throws him a fish. C/H/M seemed genuine and Evans seems game show host fake.

+1

May actually knows a LOT about cars (and engineering in general). Stern gives off the impression he calls a repairman if his lightbulb burns out. Not a good choice IMO.

I'd like to see some people with actual expertise as hosts. When you're the best at something, you can have fun with it.

https://www.amazon.com/Episode-1/dp...=UTF8&qid=1464806649&sr=1-1&keywords=May+Cars

Were only three episodes of that one, but I watched it recently and liked it.

 

[DigDog]

i don't find MLB that bad, i think the "fish out of water" is a character he could develop, actually.
otoh i agree that Evans is best described as "a trained seal".


OT

haward stern was great when he was a nobody; he was witty, accurate, sharp like a blade, and he tried really hard. he was also a very serious man - bear with me - but his trick was hiding it under this childish persona.

once he got his own show, he started goofing around and forgot what he was all about in the first place.

 

[JulesMaximus]

i don't find MLB that bad, i think the "fish out of water" is a character he could develop, actually.
otoh i agree that Evans is best described as "a trained seal".


OT

haward stern was great when he was a nobody; he was witty, accurate, sharp like a blade, and he tried really hard. he was also a very serious man - bear with me - but his trick was hiding it under this childish persona.

once he got his own show, he started goofing around and forgot what he was all about in the first place.

Actually, he is better than ever now.

He can make people I couldn't possibly give a fuck about interesting.