The new Top Gear presenters

Forums › Off topic › The new Top Gear presenters

SJB

2945 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#251520 29-Jun-2019 10:34

I just watched an episode of the latest incarnation of TG with presenters Chris Harris, Freddie Flintoff (ex cricketer) and Paddy McGuiness. It was the same old formula of a trek, this time in Ethiopia with cars from their youth, and track tests of super cars.

I didn't expect much when it started but almost immediately Flintoff and McGuiness had me in stitches. You need to like a Northern England working mans club style of humor and the intensity of it might be a bit wearing after a few episodes but on this showing the BBC might just have found a winning combination again.

The three of them couldn't be more different from Clarkson and co.

SirHumphreyAppleby

2844 posts

Uber Geek

#2266638 29-Jun-2019 10:51

They still make that show?

SJB

2945 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2266717 29-Jun-2019 11:49

I don't have a problem with them still making it as long as it is entertaining.

There are a lot of TV shows that have been going a long time, many of which shouldn't have been.

Stu1

1769 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Subscriber

#2266766 29-Jun-2019 12:25

They were pretty good really best of the replacements. The show isn't the same without Clarkson and co. Even Grand tour won't be the same either with the new format.

quickymart

13935 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2266798 29-Jun-2019 13:03

What about Joey? What was he like?

SJB

2945 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2266803 29-Jun-2019 13:20

He's a gone burger.

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2266804 29-Jun-2019 13:22

I really liked Matt LeBlanc, actually; I thought there was good chemistry between him and Chris Harris as well.

I thought the latest trio worked really well in that first episode, but I didn't think it worked so well in the second. I read an article that discussed how they weren't going to take the scripted approach that TG had been using, which does make it somewhat freer and bit more anarchic - that scripting of gags etc to the nth degree one of the main reasons why I was so glad when Jeremy Clarkson et al left: it had become so overly staged it was embarrassing to watch.

As it happens, I've also been watching a decent number of The Grand Tour episodes, now I've got Amazon Prime. I still find the format as convoluted as I did in S1, but just fast-forward the 'tent'-based content as that's the stuff I like the least. The two-part Columbia episodes contained much of the same stuff (eg, #@$#ing donkeys) but still worth watching it for at least the amazing scenery and locations.

But, man, they're showing their age; also, Clarkson's getting visibly 'larger' every series! The relative youth of the new TG hosts highlights this even more.

mattwnz

20149 posts

Uber Geek

#2266810 29-Jun-2019 13:43

It is still quite wooden. Maybe it will improve. The new format though changes the dynamics of the characters, because now Harris has become a May like character, with the two others constantly ribbing him. Not sure if the cricketer is quite the right fit for the show. Maybe another comedian?

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

SJB

2945 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2266811 29-Jun-2019 13:50

I really liked MLB as well. His sardonic type of humour appeals to me.

I have all the TG episodes from around season 6 until GC and co left. They went on for a number of seasons too long and it looked very tired and unengaging at the end. Probably around season 15/16 was enough, maybe even earlier.

I didn't see episode 1 of the new series so can't compare. Maybe they should keep Chris Harris for every series and pick 2 new sidekicks every time.

On thing I've always liked about TG is the fact you get to see cars driven that you could never possibly own unless you won REALLY big on Lotto. Watching the episode where the Veyron raced against the Mclaren in Dubai(?) or Schumacker driving the La Ferrari around the test track are still outstanding.

martyyn

1971 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2266812 29-Jun-2019 13:59

Whereas I watched the first show and thought 'oh dear, they are terrible' and only managed 10 of episode 2 before turning off.

I've never understood Freddie's appeal and the two of them couldn't be any more forced if they tried.

Harris is an excellent motor journalist but they are trying to turn him into Hammond.

Not sure I'll be watching anymore to be honest.

SJB

2945 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2266938 29-Jun-2019 17:18

The humour definitely won't appeal to everybody, same as that from Matt LeBlanc. Harris without a couple of jokers would be yawn inducing though.

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2267014 29-Jun-2019 21:52

Yet nothing on the current TG could be as forced as what I just witnessed on the US RV episode on S3 of The Grand Tour, having finished it tonight. There were parts that had me cringing so much I regularly had to reach for the FF. Given the money behind this series you’d think they could hire some decent writers, but it comes over more bad uni am dram than quality TV. Or perhaps too much of the budget got eaten up by that over-priced and over-sized “talent”?

Give me the the comparative freshness of TG over TGT any day*.

* The proviso being as long as it doesn’t involve that complete @#$& Chris Evans.

SJB

2945 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2267145 30-Jun-2019 09:45

Chris Evans was a dick from the day he was born. I remember the TG episode where James May went to see Evans collection of rare Ferraris.

There were half a dozen of the rarest in the world in an all white room and, you've guessed it, he had restored them all in white. And the only reason he had invited TG was to show off.

Geektastic

17943 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2267268 30-Jun-2019 11:52

Stu1: They were pretty good really best of the replacements. The show isn't the same without Clarkson and co. Even Grand tour won't be the same either with the new format.

They changed the format?

vexxxboy

4244 posts

Uber Geek

#2267274 30-Jun-2019 11:57

Geektastic:

Stu1: They were pretty good really best of the replacements. The show isn't the same without Clarkson and co. Even Grand tour won't be the same either with the new format.

They changed the format?

they are just doing the travel specials , no tent or studio content,

Common sense is not as common as you think.