Top Gear

[DB7]

The trip to the Deep South was very funny. "Manlove Rules"

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

The trip to the Deep South was very funny. "Manlove Rules"

I was really worried for their safety when they did that one!!!



I think that is the most miraculous escape Richard Hammond has had... his crash pales into insignificance.

[christoph404]

The trip to the Deep South was very funny. "Manlove Rules"

yes, very scary, I thought the BBC were inadvertantly about to film a "Reality TV" sequel to "Deliverance" I think its very suspect that those homophobic hillabillies were on the scene so quickly at the news of some "gay english boys in town" I bet they really thought their luck was in..... Those mid west folk represent the bulk of the American voting public..... which is worrying to say the least.

[samkydd]

I adore 'Top Gear' or as prefer to call it...

I never liked the bombastic Clarkson and his two sycophantic co-hosts hanging on to his every word, but in the interest of fairness (and the fact that there is sod all else on) I have watched some of the repeats on the Freeview channel Dave recently.



The format of the show seems a bit rigid for the casual style of the three "whacky" journo presenters, and as soon as you hear them trying out their strained enforced banter between themselves you immediately think "I'd hate to get stuck in a lift or a railway compartment with any of them!" I get the impression that Clarkson is The Big I Am and the others have to laugh at his jokes or else!



If the car they're testing is an expensive supercar the first three minutes of the report praises it to the hilt, and then they slag it off for the rest of the report.



If the car they're testing is a run-of-the-mill hatchback or similar, they slag it off for three minutes and then sing its praises for the rest of the report.



Clarkson likes to brag to all and sundry what cars he's got and how much they cost and how big his garden is! Especially with celebrity guests, and this ends up as a gainsaying session of "My dog is bigger and blacker than yours!" which reminds me of the school playground when kids would brag about what cars their Dads had, in a feeble effort to gain superiority within a group.



It may make Clarkson feel good about himself, but for working class scumbags like me it is designed to make me feel inadequate that I can't afford a £111,000 Ford GT40, or an Aston Martin DB9! Not that I'd spend that sort of money on a car even if I could afford it, but people with money with no class whatsoever really enjoy rubbing our noses in it!



My only other criticism is that they don't cover enough "normal" cars like in the days of William Woollard, so if I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a new car, this programme wouldn't tell me anything at all! You get the odd report on a souped up Clio or a tiny Fiat Panda, but in the main its £30,000 plus exclusive cars!



I think the programme would work better with presenters who had a better rapport with each other and were not living in a little schoolboy's fantasy world !

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

Samkydd... you just don't get it.



The joy of 'Top Gear' has nothing to do with cars... indeed... I hate programs about cars. I even dislike the Pixar animation...



I must agree that I wouldn't wish to be stuck in a lift with those three though - lol

[DB7]

I think the programme would work better with presenters who had a better rapport with each other and were not living in a little schoolboy's fantasy world !

It was interesting to compare Top Gear in Botswana and Long Way Down heading towards Africa on Sunday. Frankly TG wipes the floor with it, better chemistry, more humour, far better editing. They succeed in keeping it fast-moving and wasting no screen time, while half of LWD should have ended on the editing floor.



A return to form for TG.

[christoph404]

It was interesting to compare Top Gear in Botswana and Long Way Down heading towards Africa on Sunday. Frankly TG wipes the floor with it, better chemistry, more humour, far better editing. They succeed in keeping it fast-moving and wasting no screen time, while half of LWD should have ended on the editing floor.



A return to form for TG.

Spot on! The Top Gear Botswana challenge was very entertaining and extremeley well filmed and put together, I think it is repeated tonight and Im going to have another look at it!

Am I alone in wondering what the point of LWD is? Charlie Boorman, in contrast to Ewan Macgregor, is increasingly coming across as a bit bolshy and frankly, not incredibly endearing. Being thrown out of Gatwick Airport and denied access to your flight on account of stupid comments to security about terrorists and bombs on planes is not something to be proud of and we were conveniently spared the gory details of that incident on the programme. Not funny Charlie!

[DB7]

It looks to me like what happens when actors have no strong producer or director to keep them in check. A bit of rain in France and you'd think they'd encountered a monsoon, then Charley starts throwing a strop over wheelies because the medic is concerned about a serious injury in Africa and the problem of getting one of them to a hospital. And does anybody go 'woohoo!' with such frequency.

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

What on earth happened to the rest of this thread???

[christoph404]

What on earth happened to the rest of this thread???

It has floated over to the British Television section!......ah..here we are!

[Marky B]

Top Gear is one of the best programmes on television,and the Botswana episode was excellent. With these three clowns,it is like a faster version of Last Of The Summer Wine,but only a damn sight funnier.

Recent escapades such as crossing the channel in a car,and Clarkson riding about the BBC offices in the world's tiniest car were a hoot.

Five's Fifth Gear is what Top Gear used,but I sense it is now trying to ape the BBC2 series. Maybe Vicki Butler Henderson might consider jumping ship and join the boys,and have a woman to whip them into place.

Finally,the Botswana episode,where Clarkson and Hammond put some meat into May's car to attract flies and other animals .....

Ta Ta

Marky B

[dremble wedge]

Maybe Vicki Butler Henderson might consider jumping ship and join the boys,and have a woman to whip them into place.

That's all the excuse required to post this...

[Marky B]

That's all the excuse required to post this...

Thanks,Dremble

Ta Ta

Marky B

[Marky B]

Maybe Vicki could join up with Suzi Perry to front a female version of Top Gear.

Whatever happened to Michele Newman,who used to be on TG a few years ago?

Ta Ta

Marky B

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

I think a female presenter would be just wrong... though I remember there were plans when Jeremy hurt his back a couple of seasons ago... but his back got better and the idea seemed dropped.



Maybe the Stig is actually a girlie?







The Stig unmasked!

[christoph404]

I think a female presenter would be just wrong... though I remember there were plans when Jeremy hurt his back a couple of seasons ago... but his back got better and the idea seemed dropped.



Maybe the Stig is actually a girlie?







The Stig unmasked!

If the Stig is a girlie then she has a very flat chest and no hips and a very masculine gate about her!!!.......The Stig was "unmasked" and named and shamed in a motoring magazine article a few years ago and its not Damon Hill either! Ex champion rally driver was his former occupation.The article concerned the Top Gear crew and the Stig being critcised for causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to a classic 1950s Jaguar that was loaned to the programme by a private collector. The Stig in his usual manner put the car through its paces and added a few wheel spins and sliding turns for good measure, in the process he wrecked the driveshafts, tyres, brakes and gearbox, no visible damage you understand but the BBC ended up footing the hefty bill for considerable mechanical damage inflicted on the poor old Jag!.....

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

The Stig was "unmasked" and named and shamed in a motoring magazine article a few years ago and its not Damon Hill either! Ex champion rally driver was his former occupation.

That was Stig Mk I - he only lasted two seasons. Today's Stig is somebody else.



As for chest and hips... some women are quite masculine in shape, and that is no criticism of them.



I was, however, joking when suggesting Stig is a girlie.

[samkydd]

Top Gear is one of the best programmes on television,and Finally,the Botswana episode,where Clarkson and Hammond put some meat into May's car to attract flies and other animals .....

Ta Ta

Marky B

Apart from the fact that James May probably stood next to the cameraman watching whilst they were doing it, there was just no follow through! There were no consequences for putting meat in his car, it just got forgotten about! You can't play a practical joke on someone if there's no punch line to it!

[batman]

Maybe Vicki could join up with Suzi Perry to front a female version of Top Gear.

Whatever happened to Michele Newman,who used to be on TG a few years ago?

What a team!







Michele hosted another car programme called Pulling Power after leaving Top Gear.



The Wholly Unofficial Michele Newman Homepage





Bats.

[DB7]

Here's old Stig

Extra: Perry McCarthy on life as ‘The Stig!’, motorsport news, results, features, teams, drivers, updates