New look Top Gear

I don't know. The BBC were not forced to make this change. Irrespective of the circumstances they, and they alone, took the decision to fire Clarkson (there were other options such as suspension or fining him) and now they've got to lie in the bed they made.

Also what is Sabine Schmidtz doing there? It's no place for a woman.* It's a show about lads dicking around. Last of the Summer Wine with cars.

*post 2002 before anyone points out the old TG had women on.

I didn't think it was too bad, definitely has the Evans/Baker stamp on it (the staff from Evans' local Indian takeaway being on for no real reason could have been straight from TFI Friday). There were some very obvious cutaways to the audience in the opening, I assume for timing reasons.

And I agree with the comments about Extra Gear feeling too short. Both of the presenters were excellent, arguably better than Le Blanc. I don't know why the news section was done from the floor, not the raised podium the sofa was on for the Ramsay interview. Wide shots with the camera ops kneeling to get a low enough shot looked a bit awkward. Interested to read that it was recorded in the same studio session, it had a different director and crew.

This is why sets/seats/desks need a rostrum... Poor camera op's knees!

I think the debate about whether or not Clarkson should have been fired has been done to death, let's not go back over that one.



They frequently had female celebrities in the reasonably priced car and other women as guests. The studio audience had plenty of women in it too. I can't see any particular reason why it has to be men presenting.

In fact, with Clarkson and co launching their competing show, taking Top Gear in a slightly different direction is possibly a smart move.

I am very, very glad they've decided to not make all the front row of the audience chavvy but kind of hot girls.

It feels friendlier and that's good. But it will definitely take time.

Seem to be filmed on Thursdays, 10 days before broadcast.

Critics will be critics though - 4.3m on a bank holiday weekend isn't to be sniffed at.

Ummm, what? I had to read that post three times there to try and figure out whether you're trying to be funny. But no, you're just being offensive and sexist.

Interesting fact for you... it's 2016 and women like cars too.

Thought all in all it wasn't bad, if still obviously finding its feet. It did feel like it was missing something, Matt LeBlanc was more in the Hammond mold than I expected so perhaps it was missing a James May type. Occasional unnecessary (and sometimes unforgivable) lapses into bigotry aside, there wasn't much wrong with the previous incarnation so there's no need to change a great deal.



I'm sure Clarkson would be ashamed to have fans like you. Frankly this forum should be ashamed to have a poster like you.

So long as he brings in the page hits....

Bye Rob! Let's hope he doesn't come back under another name.

Anyway, for what it's worth, I thought the show was alright. The new rally-x track is a nice change, and the show is familiar enough whilst being a little different.

LeBlanc was good for somebody who isn't known for TV presenting. Chris Evans just needs to stop shouting (the start of the show was like a bad Clarkson impression), and the chemistry needs working on - which will happen over time.

I've never religiously watched TG, and that won't change; but I certainly won't be avoiding it.

I know those chairs are quite low, but surely other tv shows where presenters sit fairly low, the camera operators aren't like that are they? What about shows like This Morning, they are usually sat on fairly low sofas but whenever we see camera guys they are stood up.

Rob Schneider got banned for saying Top Gear should be an all-male line up because it's about " lads dicking around"? I'm not sure I agree with it necessarily but it's fair enough as a POV. No one would get banned for arguing that Loose Women is no place for a man.

Please tell me he did something else.