Last night's Top Gear

[ChrisF]

Have to say that in such a poverty stricken country,

->Open Spoiler<-

they were wasting food in that way.

[Number45]

Funny you say that Number45. Are you finding Fifth Gear (if you watch that) to be the opposite to what that used to be as well? Time was they'd get all hyped about the latest 1.0 litre Clio, but now they are well into Ferrari 430 Scuderia and Veyrons. Seems like the two shows have swapped focus?

I haven't watched it for a while actually, but I might start picking it up again. This is the first series of Top Gear I've watched properly for ages, and before that I probably watched more of Fifth Gear. I'd much rather listen to Tiff/Jason (He's still doing it, right?) talk about a Clio than the Top Gear crew waffle about beaten up old cars.

Yet, when Top Gear do cover new cars they typically do it so much better (Even if the show is always doctored to make sure that either Jeremy 'wins' or the car that he likes the least 'loses').

Fifth Gear wins overall just because Tiff took my car round a track and loved it!

[jezzace]

I'm not interested in cars very much, so I love it when they do episodes like this. I found it chuckle-worthy throughout.

[Concrete donkey]

I'm one who has no intrest in cars whatsoever and find these features and the car reviews just as good as each other. It says alot about a show where they can make a topic I find boring engaging and fun I think.

[merf]

i thought it was a pretty crass and dull Top Gear last night, I'm no bleeding heart conservationist but churning up areas of outstanding natural beauty did seem totally wrong to me.

The first 15mins were just tedious in the extreme, consisting of nothing other than shots of knackered old cars driving down straight dusty roads.

They can still knock out decent challenges, the US one being a prime example and the other week when they looked for the ultimate driving road in light sports cars being good examples.

pretty poor effort last night though.

[Brats]

I think they're struggling to think up new ideas to fit into the existing format. The Top Gear format seems now to have to fit into one of these categories:

• Staged race between Clarkson in car and Hammond and May in public transport which is completely nerfed for no reason other than to let Clarkson win
• Staged race between car and other thing (plane, rock climber, bloke on skateboard, etc)
• Review of insane supercar that sounds like Statler and Waldorf (i.e. review loves car to start with than thinks its crap or vice versa) - conclusion usually the same - perfectly great cars have no soul, flawed cars have soul.
• Staged car challenges across large area of land

Which is then added to by 'star in a reasonably priced car' (which has now become very dull) and the news which involves them staging some argument involving motoring laws/some newly announced car/gay people with sycophantic audience laughing (probably staged too) and stig racing round the same old track with 'wacky' CD in stereo.

The recent series have been incredibly slick (the music choices are ace - the cinematography is still amongst the best on TV) but the format is starting to wear a bit thin. Great going for the number of series it has had though.

Bettr than the Antiques Roadshow for Sunday viewing mind.

[Kotatsu Neko]

I really enjoyed last night's episode. Just the right balance of humour, visual splendor, and car stuff. Epic too.

I can't understand the people knocking the show personally. It's one of the best things on TV in my opinion and by all means go and watch Fifth Gear if you're bored. That really brings home just how much better TG is.

[Kotatsu Neko]

The show yesterday upset me in almost every imaginable way. It was infantile, insensitive, disposable and out and out offensive in many parts. I hope the show gets dumped soon, it's more than overstayed it's welcome.

How about instead of moaning you just watch something else instead? TG is the top rated show on BBC 2 so sorry to disappoint, but there's zero chance of the BBC dumping it.

[Swallow]

Lol, as childish a response as I could hope for.

[Kotatsu Neko]

Lol, as childish a response as I could hope for.

You really are an angry person.

And I hope you really did 'LOL'. If not, I'll be disappointed.

[Swallow]

I did. Srsly.

[Concrete donkey]

Lol, as childish a response as I could hope for.

You havn't exactly gone into what the show had done to upset you in almost every imaginable way. Yes the questionable use of food in a poverty striken region of the world is one thing, (but no worse than doing it here where there are no shortage of poor and homeless) but I'm struggling to find anything in that show that could be described as out and our offensive even once.

[Swallow]

The execution of a relatively solid concept was so incredibly vapid, the show had chance after chance to redeem itself at any point but completely failed to do so. The worst of it was that it was plain dull. As for not being offensive, you saw the Stig's "cousin" and the credits right? The entire presentation was cack-handed and condescending, and for any serious journalist to summarise one of the natural wonders of the world as "thoroughly unpleasant" absolutely beggars belief.

[Kotatsu Neko]

InterestingSo James May isn't entitled to his opinion because it conflicts with your own?.

I trust you won't be watching next week then, or any future episode. I wouldn't want you to be bored, or worse, even more angry than you already are.

[Swallow]

What? Do you understand critical assessment? Or professionalism?