[TV] Top Gear - Season 14

[Osella]

absolutely fabulous Lancia worship. Should've mentioned to Chris Evans that Lancia supplied Ferrari with the D50 grand prix car.

[Gerryc]

I couldn't decide whether to be horrified at the amount of money Chris Evans has spent on cars - or just jealous.

I loved the idea that anyone who visits his place gets shown the cars and maybe gets a drive - now, where does he live and what possible excuse can I contrive to go visiting.

[Craig]

Didn't show me around when I was working next door to him when he lived in Godalming. Just shouted a load of drunken abuse over the wall cos I dared to distrub his Saturday morning by working. Stupid.

[maximus]

To be fair I think he has changed his ways significantly since then.

[Hepatic]

he's not married to that kid any more for a start

last night was a tad dull if i'm honest. the twingo thing was an utter waste of time and a car. in fact it was so dull thats about all i can remember of it. oh, the news was mildly entertaining. they need a serious rethink on what this show is to do if they are going to survive, it needs to be fun but in an "oops" kind of way rather than the "eastenders scripting" kinda way...

[ECW Dan Selby]

Yeh I look at everything now and think "Ahh, I wonder who they've actually got driving/doing this bit then...".

It really has turned into a horse and pony show.

Selby

[Al Weyman]

Not being funny but as someone who does not and never has liked wanton destruction of usable vehicles I found last nights episode in mostly bad taste. You had the wrecking of the airport machinery and I know for a fact in a plant auction they would have made reasonble money which no doubt the BBC paid a few grand for, then the bloke bragging he had wrecked some of the Star in an Ordinary car, cars and finally the wrecking of a brand new Fiat Twingo. I found the whole program unneccesary and unfunny and think the BBC should stop spending our money wrecking vehicles as its getting boring now. I think Clarkson has become a boring pillock now.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Exactly -

TAKE THE SCRIPT AWAY!!!

Selby

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Not being funny but as someone who does not and never has liked wanton destruction of usable vehicles I found last nights episode in mostly bad taste. You had the wrecking of the airport machinery and I know for a fact in a plant auction they would have made reasonble money which no doubt the BBC paid a few grand for, then the bloke bragging he had wrecked some of the Star in an Ordinary car, cars and finally the wrecking of a brand new Fiat Twingo. I found the whole program unneccesary and unfunny and think the BBC should stop spending our money wrecking vehicles as its getting boring now. I think Clarkson has become a boring pillock now.

Thanks Al. I stopped watching the show ages ago for all the reasons you've listed above. I also agree with your comments about Jeremy (up himself) Clarkson!

[jab]

To prevent this thread becoming a bash-fest, I thought it was very good. The Twingo test wasn't as good as the Fiesta test from last year but I still enjoyed it

I think series 14 has been better than 13 so far

[mildura1963]

Does anyone know when season 14 will be shown on OZ & NZ?

[Al Weyman]

So you find a geezer driving around in a brand new nice little hot hatch deliberatly bashing into things and ending up driving it into the sea entertainment? I am afraid I just don't get the joke.

[Steven Humphrey]

To quote Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons- 'worst episode ever'!

Seeing The Stig in the 4x4s was quite entertaining though.

The program does need a serious rethink though. Be good to have more motorsport related pieces (not just BTCC drivers arsing around) and there's not been a good race this series, along the lines of Clarkson in a supercar & the other 2 in a train/boat/plane etc.

[stroller]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Not being funny but as someone who does not and never has liked wanton destruction of usable vehicles I found last nights episode in mostly bad taste. You had the wrecking of the airport machinery and I know for a fact in a plant auction they would have made reasonble money which no doubt the BBC paid a few grand for, then the bloke bragging he had wrecked some of the Star in an Ordinary car, cars and finally the wrecking of a brand new Fiat Twingo. I found the whole program unneccesary and unfunny and think the BBC should stop spending our money wrecking vehicles as its getting boring now. I think Clarkson has become a boring pillock now.

So the BTCC is out for you Al ?

[Benny1664]

I normally stand up for Top Gear when people slate it but last nights one was awful. The entire show was just stupid and pointless?! I hope that they get it back on track soon and stop it being just about the presenters and go back to being informative about cars as well as entertaining.

[Al Weyman]

So the BTCC is out for you Al ?

Definitely, Definitely, Definitely!!! I hate it with a passion and think its the worse thing ever for British Motorsport. It has made my sport that I participate in more dangerous and more expensive as the hotheads try to emulate it and I have proof of this as its been quoted to me when I have taken drivers to task, 'Hav'nt you watched Touring Cars' is an often used remark in defence of appaling driving.

[mountainstar]

I'd wonder if all the other media commitments and Top Gear Live shows they have are taking away from the show?

[Graz]

Yeah, not good, not good...

[maximus]

I can see the anger at the wanton distruction, but the Twingo wasn't new, it was a 58 not a 59. (seeing as the review was shot this year) Apparently Renault were happy for it to be trashed so I wouldn't be suprised if it was a car used only for reviews and had been driven to death. I bet there was nearly 100 000 miles on the clock, not good for a year old car!

I actually enjoyed the last episode and thought it was a return to form! I am suprised at the level of criticism.

[Burnsie]

I wasn't impressed by the airport vehicle racing, it stank far too much of "here we go again". It was already done with the people carriers and the buses, so it would have taken a significant change to have made its inclusion worthwhile. And if Richard Hammond's lines (as in the script, not his racing lines) weren't the same as the previous two times, they were extremely close.

Originally Posted by arnage arnie

Be good to have more motorsport related pieces (not just BTCC drivers arsing around) and there's not been a good race this series, along the lines of Clarkson in a supercar & the other 2 in a train/boat/plane etc.

Absolutely! Two of my favourite Top Gear episodes are the Britcar 24hr race at Silverstone, and the race from England to Monte Carlo - Clarkson in the Aston and May/Hammond on public transport. More of these please.

Originally Posted by jab

The Twingo test wasn't as good as the Fiesta test from last year but I still enjoyed it

Yes I'll agree with that, it was entertaining and quite fun. While I understand the objections about the destruction of a nice car, I would guess (although I don't know for certain) that the Twingo was given to them by Renault for that purpose only. It's worth remembering that Top Gear is an entertainment programme first and a factual one second, and has a weekly national viewing audience of around seven million.

I wonder how many Top Gear bashers (not necessarily on this forum, I mean the Mr Needhams of the world) have looked at the Top Gear car reviews website? Take the Twingo review as an example: it's an in-depth, thorough and informative review detailling everything you would reasonably need to know before taking the car for a test drive. I particularly like the 360° view, very nifty. So not only will Mr Needham have all the facts and technical specifications of the Twingo, he'll also know that it's capable of driving upside-down in the sewers of Belfast.

[Stephen Green]

Originally Posted by Burnsie

I wasn't impressed by the airport vehicle racing, it stank far too much of "here we go again". It was already done with the people carriers and the buses, so it would have taken a significant change to have made its inclusion worthwhile. And if Richard Hammond's lines (as in the script, not his racing lines) weren't the same as the previous two times, they were extremely close.

The airport vehicle race was filmed early in 2009 (I was there marshalling it) and was due to be shown back in July of this year. For some reason it wasn't so they have included it in the new series instead.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Burnsie

I wasn't impressed by the airport vehicle racing, it stank far too much of "here we go again". It was already done with the people carriers and the buses

Don't forget camper vans as well. It was another rehash of the same idea and a very poor one at that. As Stephen says, BBC have been sitting on this footage for a good 6 months. Given that there was so little build-up and minimal promo I wonder if they realised how poor it was.

While I understand the objections about the destruction of a nice car, I would guess (although I don't know for certain) that the Twingo was given to them by Renault for that purpose only.

Ford spent a lot of money providing multiple cars for the Fiesta film last year, including one specially modified to be able to drive out of the sea. I've no doubt Renault were equally involved in this film. I'm sure they see it all as good PR but even before they ditched it in the sea I was questioning why they were smashing up a perfectly good car. Following on from my comment on the airport racing above, wasn't this just a rehash of the Fiesta film. At least they admitted as much.

So not only will Mr Needham have all the facts and technical specifications...

You think that was a genuine letter of complaint?


Overall it was a poor show even by Top Gear standards. The news section they used to at least try to make an effort, now it's just an excuse for a stand-up routine - 5 mins of carefully scripted spontaneity and knob gags.

As for the Star in as RP Car, have they excused the supply of interesting guests? It's become an excuse for someone to plug their latest film / DVD / CD / book / etc.

[Burnsie]

Originally Posted by Stephen Green

The airport vehicle race was filmed early in 2009 (I was there marshalling it)...

Your blue flagging could have been a bit better Stephen

Originally Posted by redshoes

You think that was a genuine letter of complaint?

No of course not But "Mr Needham" is representative of a certain type of Top Gear viewer.

[Fox89]

Meh. Season 13 was OK but not great, this one I think crosses the line into "poor". The good bits of the show where never the carefully scripted bits. They always used to balance the ludicrous with the fun but sensible.

Now it's just in-jokes, rehashes of old stuff that was funny the first time and....that's about it really.

The sad thing is, if they just followed the formula they used for the first 10-12 seasons it would still be brilliant. I go back and watch those epic races time after time after time. As long as the car that was being raced was interesting, then the races wouldn't become stale.

[Stephen Green]

I think the format of the show needs rethinking, it has become stale with each series very much a copy of the one before.