Last night's Top Gear

[VR46]

Very funny episode, camping cock-ups looked very orchestrated, but good to see Top Gear back with a bang

[Alastair]

After reminding everyone else I forgot the first 25 mins myself

TBH I hated most of what I did see though. The set ups are really grating, none of that caravan bit looked realistic (maybe the bollard crash), what was with the AK47, how's that funny? The cop turning up. The Toyota F1 indoors, glad my license fee went towards that one!

I'll watch the repeat to see what I missed, maybe that'll sway me back.

[Brats]

I agree. The setups are becoming too stupid. I'd prefer it at the end if they had just decided to torch the two caravans out of sheer boredom rather than try to make out they were accidentally burnt down. And why didn't they try to turn the caravan around in an actual turning, rather than on just a straight bit of road?

I prefer the bits where they set up games and don't have to 'act', like the caravan conkers and darts from the previous series. The best episode recently was the 'Winter Olympics' one, again because it was them just setting up enjoyable games.

[PeteJ]

I agree it was too obviously setup, but I still found it funny. Easily the most entertaining program on TV.

[dcmk]

Aye, they went so far out of their way to prove caravan is utter rubbish - it was always going to be entertaining.

[Brats]

The crash against the bollard and that mad woman ('you fill up the toilet') were great, but turning the thing around and the fire were tedious. They also seem to be getting more and more into charicature mode now, like Clarkson arguing that all American cars are rubbish, forgetting the fact that he owns one. Every part of the programme is staged now and calling bearded people from the audience 'Jesus' is getting very stale now.

It's becoming less and less a car programme now and more like a Terry & June style sitcom. It needs a nudge back into place imo, still retaining the humour but with that fresh, spontaneous feel to it. Interesting that Clarkson said 'normal service will resume next week', like he knew last night's episode was a bit duff.

[Alastair]

I thought that about the 'normal service' comment too, fingers crossed then.

[Miguel007]

I thought that about the 'normal service' comment too, fingers crossed then.

I thought he was talking in relation to the schedule changes what with the World Cup & Wimbeldon knocking it off for a few weeks.

Now that they are finished 'Normal Service' next week.

[Alastair]

It was back to normal in the shedule last night though, 8pm sunday as usual. Unless that ep was planned to be shown at some other stage when they scripted/recorded it. Who knows.

[Wools]

It was a brillant episode and it's now turned into my favourite program on TV.

The Caravan burning was staged but so what? I could not stop laughing at everything they did and strangley I'm eyeing up my Dad's Mondaeo with a certain degree of respect.

Brillant show all round!

[SubparMario]

The Caravan burning was staged but so what?

The fact that they are really bad actors comes in to play. As fun as it can be, all the staging really is a bit of an insult to the viewers' intelligence.

[Wools]

The fact that they are really bad actors comes in to play. As fun as it can be, all the staging really is a bit of an insult to the viewers' intelligence.

But they never claim to be and I dont believe they are really trying to insult our intelligence.

Pulling an AK out of a small draw in a caravan parked at a UK holiday site is surely going to be taken with a pinch of salt?

[Alastair]

Repeat is tonight at 7 on BBC2 if anyone missed it or it's online already at the bbc site.

Was the Stig in the first half of the show? Was it the same one as in the Toyota F1? I was wondering why it was a completely different person with different overalls and helmet? Just for the F1 car or have they changed him again?

[VR46]

He was only in the F1 car this episode, thought at the time Toyota would want one of their own test drivers (or similar) in the cockpit ... sure that's probably who it was.

Think that was part of the problem with this episode, no supercar for the team and The Stig to thrash.

[Alastair]

That's what I was getting at but didn't know because I didn't see the first 25 mins, cheers Dave