Top Gear

[VWD]

On 20/06/2018 at 19:13, Offski said:

^^^ Anyone can watch it even in a property where no TV licence is bought or paid for.

That is what piths me off more than Top Gear or the presenters.   

But with the current TG, who WOULD want to ?

[moley]

Media reports are suggesting that Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinnies are to be the next presenters of Top Gear. 

[CWARD]

Just heard this. Freddie Flintoff usually comes over quite well but on his various shows and could add something to Top Gear. Paddy McGuiness though is a one trick pony, annoying one at that.  No point in setting a series link for Top Gear yet. 

[Aspman]

Not sure I see this working. I've not seen Flintoff doing much but Paddy annoys me as well.

 

Plus I can see a bit of an outcry at Rory getting sidelined. I must be getting PC in my old age. Surely there must be someone out there that isn't a white male clone of the previous 3. Sabine in there is a bit tokenist.

The format of 3 manchildren cocking around was really getting a bit old and they could have done with changing things up a bit. the last series was starting to find it's feet and was better than GT on Prime, so it was a shame that Matt packed it in.

 

I suspect the BBC big wigs don't want to change their cash cow if they can help it and ?I suppose TG makes enough money to salve the PC hand-wringing that must be going on at the Beeb.

[Ootohere]

I liked him doing Stars in their cars.

 

 

[Wet Kipper]

4 hours ago, moley said:

 Paddy McGuinness are to be the next presenters of Top Gear. 

 

"Volkswagen have stopped putting that nifty little torch in the back of their estate cars and SUVs.

No Lighty ? No likey!"

 

 

[penguin17]

FFS.  Why don't ITV just buy the rights/crew/presenters of Fifth Gear and finally put a decent motoring show back on mainstream TV.   Top Gear was passed its sell by date about 10-12 years ago.  The Grand Tour just took the ego's and salaries of three fat old twunts and dialled them up to 11.   Chris Evans blown what chance there was of the show returning to it's glory days.  There was even light at the end of the tunnel with Matt le Blanc and Chris Harris but that's now been scuppered.  It's finished.  BBC move on; you've made enough money selling the rights around the globe.  Just step away. 

 

How Fifth Gear is now relegated to Quest TV and the presenters aren't sure how many series' will be commissioned is beyond me.  It's been the best car show on TV for the last decade (ok, the choice of Ronnie O'Sullivan as a guest presenter is questionable!).  

[Skodaboy1983]

I think it's the final nail in the coffin for top gear, I do like paddy in phoenix nights and max and paddy but not sure he is the right person for the job. 

 

Davy

[Lady Elanore]

Perhaps it's time for the BBC to simply stop and think about a different show with cars in it. The 3 previous hosts (the GT boys) were real car guys, two of them were car journalists (rare case of erudite people in popular telly), one was an established presenter of words (Radio broadcaster). They had a natural chemistry unlike the current incumbents and this is mainly down to good luck. I think we are in the last days of the Empire :( 

 

In other news, Simon Mayo is leaving Drivetime (and Radio 2)  Another show the BBC tweaked and ruined

 

 

[CWARD]

Problem with dropping Top Gear and starting again with a new program is that TG is an established brand bringing in revenue for the BBC

[Lady Elanore]

I don't think the BBC will have an option about dropping it as it won't be making much money soon. The USA and other countries learnt of the Big 3 through many years of osmosis, whereas now they are throwing names at the show that the foreign audience will be mainly clueless about. it will takes years to get these people to the same level as Clonkson, May and Hammond. I doubt the BBC has the resources to do this any more. 

[moley]

3 hours ago, Skodaboy1983 said:

max and paddy 

Paddy and Max 

[Jfhuk]

Look what we won a test drive at Ferrari’os 8-)

[Wet Kipper]

20 hours ago, Lady Elanore said:

I don't think the BBC will have an option about dropping it as it won't be making much money soon. The USA and other countries learnt of the Big 3 through many years of osmosis, whereas now they are throwing names at the show that the foreign audience will be mainly clueless about. 

 

they sell the name and the format to other countries, but not necessarily the actual show

 

this website  is a little old, but it shows what TG looks like in different places.

 

BBC could easily stop showing it in the UK, but still bring in money from the licensing of the name and format to other countries' broadcasters

 

[Jfhuk]

It’s sold to 214 territories, still the Beeb’s biggest money earner.

[Lady Elanore]

7 hours ago, Wet Kipper said:

 

they sell the name and the format to other countries, but not necessarily the actual show

 

this website  is a little old, but it shows what TG looks like in different places.

 

BBC could easily stop showing it in the UK, but still bring in money from the licensing of the name and format to other countries' broadcasters

 

I think it's more about the quality of the UK show that determines a lot of how the overseas sales go, regardless of whether it's just format rights. You need a Halo product to sell the format. The USA version was originally awful and they eventually dropped it and went back to the 'Flab 3' presenters. I think they are currently back on their own presenters at the moment, but haven't seen the show? 

[Channel]

What the new show needs is a much more information regarding driving in the UK.  A mixture of Top Gear, Tomorrows World and a magazine section.  There are around 40 million licence holders in the UK and the reason viewing figures have dropped off is that is very little in the recent Top Gear  had any interest for the a vast majority.  Driving clapped out cars to some far distant country, repetitive and boring.  Towing caravans over jumps, why?  There are so many subjects that could be covered.  Winter tyre tests.  4x4 vehicles and how to tow correctly.  Do I have to register my car even though I do not have to pay road tax as I am totally electric, yes you do and up to day the fines for not doing so have reached 500k.  I have a friend that drives 30,000 miles a year never buys a new car and was unaware that first year tax rates on diesel cars are more expensive that the first year with a petrol car.   A demo of different automatic systems.  How to use the various systems in a car with Haldex 4 wheel drive system.  A look at the future of electric vehicles.  The current emission testing procedure, and how it differs from the NEDC system and will the new system mean an increase in first year road tax. due to the test producing more emissions because of more driving for longer and at greater speeds.  The programme needs to get back to the basics of driving now, and not waist time trying to more stupid on each episode.  Some of you will think that you know all the answers but I can assure you having done driving tuition for 15 years and off road instruction for 20 years you would be astonished at  the lack knowledge regarding the car they are currently driving especially in the 4x4 world.  If you put an early version of the Land Rover Discovery on to 3 rollers and one wheel on tarmac will it drive off without you changing anything from road driving?

[xman]

And how about reviews of cars we can afford, group tests, used car reviews (not jokes about bangers), tips from pros about buying and running costs.

 

A segment on diy maybe.

 

Light hearted segments welcome but studio interviews with "guests" are boring. Not interested in Ferrari's, other exotica, or anecdotes from rich guys.

 

No need for expensive star presenters, just people who are good at presenting, interesting and LIKEABLE and MODEST. They should also appear to know all about the cars (including technicalities) that's being talked about.

 

No product placement or bias

 

And segments on great drives (and maybe not so great drives) in the UK, occasionally trips to Europe (with various ways of getting there - tunnels, ferries, routes) to give people holiday ideas.

 

Edited 23 October, 2018 by xman

[Channel]

And Me. Could not agree more. Perhaps we should produce it.

[Aspman]

Top gear for the last long while was not about real cars or real reviews or consumer reports. That was original top gear and subsequently  5th Gear and now the printed mags  You Tube channels. It was an entertainment show loosly based around cars. Generally exotic cars 99% of the population would never see never mind own. And also comedic segments of baffoonery again loosly based on cars.

 

There is lots money to be made in an entertainment show based upon cars.

There is not enough money to be made in a factual magazine show based upon cars.

 

This is a car based forum for people who are more interested in average in the nuts and bolts of cars and engineering. You really have to accept that you are not really the target audience of Top Gear.

 

I think there is room for both but not in the same show. IF the Beeb can nail down the cocking around version it can go out in a similar format to now but I think they've quite possibly blown it now by 1 - losing Matt when the chemistry was just starting to happen and 2 - by refusing to renovate the format show in any meaningful way.

 

Personally I suspect Evans tenure on the show was hamstrung but any change in the format. It should have been Chris Evan's Top Gear, insted we got Chris Evans presenting Jeremy Clarkson's Top gear. Then Matt doing Jeremy Clarkson's Top gear although he was a better fit.

 

Rory could be moved sideways into his own BBC3 magazine style show with consumer style reviews etc with Monkey Harris maybe doing much geekier reviews of real world road cars.

 

 

 

 

[Lady Elanore]

They should have been bold and gone for at least someone interesting and car orientated. Perhaps Edd China would have been a good idea? And if they wanted to really add a bit of fun to the mix then I'd add Colin Furze. At least the standard of their car creations would go up and probably involve jet engines at every chance  

 

I can see the mutual frustrations would add to the mix, which is a good thing, plus you get a tall one, a middle sized one and a short one so they can reuse any old tee shirts they have left. Also they would keep similar core talents, just turned up a bit. One that likes driving fast things (except better at it), one that is into his engineering (except he is better at it) and one that likes to build stupid vehicles (except he is better at it). 

 

A thing the BBC seems to have missed is the voice over work for those special car features. Think of articles about the last naturally aspirated Aston Martin and Clonckson's voice, over a bit of Elgar and you get and idea. Chris Harris has a decent voice for this work, but Flintoff and McGuiness definitely do not

 

I am updating my CV now and sending it in to the BBC for a job as programme editor  

[Ootohere]

They went very bold, 3 marmite presenters and none with stupid facial hair.

 

As long as they are getting just sensible money and do the business there is plenty other car shows, just not enough on poverty TV that people have to pay a licence for or not.

 

That Modern Steals or Classic Steals is dire IMO.   Elo has some car collection though. 

 

 

 

[Guest]

 

[mac11irl]

End of an era then... whether you liked it or loathed it, the end of any long running series is still a sad moment.

[camelspyyder]

Never mind. Ones just a bore, one can't drive without crashing, and I hated Clarkson before we knew what he looked or sounded like. His writing in mags like Fast Lane was so bad it just f++++ing annoyed me. I'd rather watch reality car shows -  but only the first few series of each one, before the garage owner morphs into some cringingly naff bloated ego Z-list celebrity, e.g. Richard Rawlings, Danny from Kounting Kars, or Steve Darnell. By series 4 of any of those shows I just want to kill them. Goes for Jezza too,since about 2005 if I'm honest.