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New look Top Gear

with Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc, et al . . . (May 2016)

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SP
Steve in Pudsey
There was also a higher number of car reviews featured, compared to early episodes.


The reason why consolidated figures are more important. I can't be the only one who records the show so I can fast forward through the tedious reviews of high performance cars I'll never own and get to the fun stuff?
UK
UKnews
Well well well



VM
VMPhil
Bizarre. They've done one series, ratings down yes but hardly a disaster and in the past few weeks up against Euro 2016 matches and F1 races. I would have thought he'd at least do a second series before making a decision like this.
:-(
A former member
I can see Matt becoming the main host. This is a complete shock, Who could be brought into move it on? Does this mean TFI Friday can come back?
IN
Interceptor
I reckon Channel 4 came back with a tempting offer for an Autumn run of TFI Friday.
JO
Jon
I reckon Channel 4 came back with a tempting offer for an Autumn run of TFI Friday.

I reckon it's a good day to bury news.


I think he'll regret going near Top Gear.
MA
madmusician
The man has been the victim of a terrible hate campaign in the press, finishing with the deliberate leaking of yesterday's allegation to coincide with the final episode of the run.


I really feel sorry for him - it was a tough gig to take over from Clarkson and he wasn't given a fair run at it whatsoever by a press and many people who have an axe to grind from the 1990s and attacked at a moment of weakness.


At least he's continued doing his radio show, so he can slot back into that (and hopefully move it on again, as a regular listener to the show I've felt it's dropped in quality recently as he's been focused on Top Gear more). Let's be honest, he didn't have any TV hits post-TFI anyway (the reunion and new run of TFI notwithstanding) so it's not like his reputation has been diminished too much. No doubt he'll continue to be a key BBC presenter on things like the BBC Music Awards and events like the VE Day Concert in the future (providing that criminal investigation doesn't come to anything).

I still feel that New Top Gear wasn't given a fair crack of the whip and the press won in the end. A pity.
Hatton Cross, Brekkie and Jon gave kudos
JO
Jon
The press are once again assuming a lot of power tipping the Brexit result and killing the new Top Gear.
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Back to Fridays on the One Show too?
BA
bilky asko
I watched the final episode last night. I can see why the ratings have dropped. The only good bit was Greg Davies and his appearance; the crap finale was painfully and obviously contrived, and the reviewing style was clearly trying to emulate the old style - and poorly.

I hope they give Matt LeBlanc more freedom to make his stamp; he was the only person in the new team I liked.
HO
House
I think the answer is having a presenting team - that are mostly or entirely funny by nature - who have distinct enough personalities that they're not trying to re-create the humour or chemistry that worked for Clarkson, May and Hammond. The reason Matt LeBlanc worked was because a lot of his 'moments' were more subtle in nature - a smooth glance at the camera that conveyed something that wouldn't have been plausible had it come from Evans or the 'original' trio.

One idea is pitting him with someone who is an automotive novice - not to overplay it for comedy purposes, but a certain degree of both humour and intrigue could be developed by including someone who doesn't 'get' or live for the nitty-gritty details of cars (ala the majority of the audience). Think of how well the 'star in a reasonably priced car' segments can work precisely for this reason, and how uneven Top Gear episodes can be when they segue from serious reviews to silly 'films'.

There are plenty of comedians I can think of who I think could work within a reformatted Top Gear, all of whom have a relatively distinct sense of humour and comedic style, including Greg Davies, Alex Horne and Frank Skinner (if part of the right team). One thing that occurred to me recently is the similarity between Top Gear and Dave's Taskmaster, featuring films of five comedians competing to win tasks (varying from very silly to quite challenging), interspersed with studio 'banter' in front of a live studio audience. The reasons it works actually overlaps a lot with the Clarkson-Hammond-May-era Top Gear - especially the non-serious competition ostensibly taken seriously.

Top Gear needs to either take itself more seriously, or give up the pretence that it does. And actually I think they need to make it feel like they're not trying as much - be a smaller show with smaller expectations that could, potentially, grow with demand (essentially how the last era began). The Clarkson format is dead - and a successor is waiting just around the corner in 'The Grand Tour'. Either retire it for a couple of years and then start over when the animosity has died down (not financially preferable for BBC Worldwide...) or blow it up and find something that's comically daring.
LL
Larry the Loafer
I think he was either pushed or lured. He couldn't have defended the show for six weeks straight and then decide the show's better off without him.

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