Of course. I'm not sure I understand your point.

 

Very true. The digital generation. They think in internet or app terms. And the latest greatest stuff that's actually in the car's center screen rather than how it drives. The analog "smell of gasoline and muscle cars" is a retro novelty for the kids. Not surprising really. We created it for them and sat them in front of TV's and computers from the time they could reach a keyboard.

 

Top Gear 23 promo. Things haven't exactly been going well. Chis Evans (not a fan of him at all) is not a great host. But at least it looks like the Beeb is using it's best technical talent on film/video/editing.

 

After watching the first show, I came away with the following thoughts.

Matt Leblanc is extremely dry, unemotional, and just plain boring to me.
Chris seems like he is trying too hard. Yelling everything and just seemed to be reading off the cards.
I was not impressed. I actually stopped watching it. I appreciate car shows, but I was just bored. Again these are my personal opinions. YMMV

 

Yeah, Evans should not have been the top choice. Leblanc, well he's currently doing some stuff in England sooo... maybe they wanted to capture a little bit of faded popularity (never watched Friends, couldn't stand any of it.)

It might be teething problems for now. They'll have to settle in and loosen up. It's the tech quality which I'm looking for in terms of photography etc.

The template was always there though. Even with the previous trio. They just have to get these guys to work together and that remains to be seen.

 

I thought LeBlanc was good, a bit deadpan but still brings something unique to the show. Evans was shouty and trying hard not to be Clarkson in the studio segments while also trying to be Clarkson during the driving bits. He's good in previous shows but he needs to find his own style for Top Gear. I think the editing team need to have a lighter touch with the fancy transitions and the overwhelming color grading.

As for the old crew, I liked Hammond, didn't mind May and thought Clarkson was a complete buffoon and a rich baboon with questionable opinions in his written pieces.

 

Agreed that Clarkson could be a buffoon at times, and spent more time making jokes and talking about political issues, his emotions, etc....and other irrelevant things than talking about the vehicle itself, the issue at hand.

James May was probably my favorite of the three. If you remember it, he would write an excellent piece in the regular (paper copy) of the Top Gear magazine every month, describing, in simple terms, the basic science and physics behind how various parts of a modern automobile work....engines, transmissions, steering systems, handling/tires, brakes, etc..... It was an excellent and simple series of articles that even grade-school kids could easily absorb, and was, IMO, one of that magazine's best features. At the end of the article each month, there would always be a sentence or two saying........"How did James do on this one?.......Has he earned a pint? (a pint of ale, of course)

 

I am not one of those people who was angry with BBC for canning Clarkson. They had given him plenty of chances to correct his behavior and he crossed the line. I watched the new show yesterday (thankfully on DVR) and it was really boring and unimpressive. I forwarded through much of the show. Hopefully the subsequent episodes will be better.

 

I'd say give it a season to see if they can recapture the magic with new hosts and crew.

As for Clarkson, he's an idiot, you can't punch a co-worker unprovoked and expect to keep a job.

Although I think the BBC is a bunch of hypocrites as well, if they find a comment by Clarkson to be offensive, well they can damn well edit it out, it is a taped show. The executives were rather childish about whining how Clarkson is so politically incorrect and getting all mad about the bad press when they could've just edited out the offensive comments to start with. Also I think the BBC execs never really knew how to handle a big star with a huge ego like Clarkson, how to keep him happy, how to keep themselves happy, avoid friction between themselves and keep this beef out of the tabloids. Hollywood is much better about managing the talent IMO.

 

I found that Extra Gear with Rory Reid and Chris Harris was much more entertaining. They actually looked like they'd talked about cars before. Duh!!!! Much more comfortable and it didn't seem as forced. The first episode of this Top Gear was painful to watch...

 

Finally saw it and thought it was alright for the first episode. They have to find and get into their own groove while old top gear has had years to fine tune their style. I didn't like Matt when he was a guest on the show, and I dont like him as a host. His voice is too monotone and it's like he doesn't show emotion in his voice. I dont know how else to describe it.

Ill probably watch the 2nd episode because of the car list

 

Watching it right now. We just got into our Reliant Rialtos and Joey's...I mean Matt's just overheated.

So far....it's pretty terrible.

I'm going to try and keep an open mind and make it through but if the doesn't get a lot better I'm not going to make it lol.

 

Today's world doesn't deserve a gem like Jeremy Clarkson. The last of a great and now mostly bygone generation of watchable television. I say that as someone who may be considered a millennial.

I hope the new iteration of the series does poorly and finally gets the farewell that it has coming as it should have when the former hosts departed.

 

It hasn't gotten better. My wife is watching now. Not a car person although she has watched several TopGears with me and enjoys the specials.

Her response? "These guys are terrible..."

 

They shouldn't have kept the same format but with different hosts. I stopped watching the old Top Gear years ago because it was stunt after stupid stunt, along with that Clarkson baboon pretending he could drive. Now they've got a new crew, along with stunt after stupid stunt... When it comes to cars, I'd rather watch 5th Gear, Autocar and Evo videos on YouTube.