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Top Gear New Series |OT| No Longer Starring Chris Evans

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LoveCake

LoveCake

Member
seanoff said:
at the end of the first segment

WHY IS EVANS SHOUTING???????
Click to expand...

It's his thing,

I have just watched Extra Gear and it was meh, it was slightly better than the studio segments on the show.

The problem with Evans was shown in an instant when asked about the Viper, if he would buy one and he said "no it's not my type of car" there was no pluses or minuses no reasoning in his answer, the only times I have ever heard Evans talking in an interesting way about cars is when he is talking about Ferrari, yes Evans has a few cars and has a wide range over the years, that makes him a car-guy sort of in the same way that Jay Leno is a car-guy but when asked to do the original USA Top Gear Jay said no it will not work and that's the issue here, Evans was good in his younger days on the Big Breakfast and wasn't to bad on Radio One and then TFI, but that was back in the day, when he left and came back to the BBC for Radio 2 he said that he had changed as he had got older and mellowed and that is the problem, Evans may have worked on Top Gear back then but not now.

Chris Harris on Extra Gear when doing the news was basically Jezza, May and Hammond rolled into one, he is the only one that knows what he is doing on the show, the BBC should do imo is just give Chris Harris funds to do his own thing like he did on YouTube and leave it at that.
 
D

Ding-Ding

Member
Just watched the program and it was hard going to finish watching it. Matt was O.K but it did feel like he wasn't really comfortable. So maybe with a bit more time he will become a half decent presenter.

Chris Evans though was fucking diabolical and made the whole thing painful to watch. If BBC want to save Top Gear, then they need to dump Evans as soon as possible. Bring in Harris and give Schmitz a chance in the studio and then just maybe
 
E

Evo X

Member
Just watched it. I figured since The Grand Tour isn't coming out until Fall, I'd check it out and give it a fair shot to pass the time. Here's my thoughts.

Not feeling Chris Evans as the main host. Kind of annoying personality. The jab at Jeremy Clarkson fell flat, and he just seemed too fake and hyper.

The Reliant Robin sketch from the old Top Gear is one of my favorites. I was laughing from start to finish. This one however, apart from a few quips from Matt, was a yawn fest.

I liked the new Rally cross circuit with the off road bits. Think it's going to make things more interesting.

The review of the Ariel Nomad by Matt was fun. Shows off that it still has good cinematography and production values. Makes me really want to drive one of these.

The segment on a Willy's Jeep vs Series 1 Land Rover was meh. Gimmicky and unoriginal.

The best part of the show wasn't even actually part of it, but Extra Gear with Chris Harris and Rory Reid. Both have far better personalities and charisma. Enjoyed Harris beating the Ariel Nomad around the test track and Reid checking out Sabine's Nurburgring workshop to get a ride in her 911 GT3R.

Overall, not a complete train wreck like most were expecting, but a far cry from greatness of the trio. Let's see where it goes from here.
 
C

CCS

Banned
Underperformed what Evans wanted in terms of ratings, 4.4 million and to quote "Anything less than 5 million would be a disappointment". Also, the lowest opening for a Top Gear series for a long time.

Still, not catastrophic. The question is how well they'll hold up, and how much of that audience was people tuning in to check it out who have decided not to bother coming back.
 
R

Riddick

Member
CCS said:
Underperformed what Evans wanted in terms of ratings, 4.4 million and to quote "Anything less than 5 million would be a disappointment". Also, the lowest opening for a Top Gear series for a long time.

Still, not catastrophic. The question is how well they'll hold up, and how much of that audience was people tuning in to check it out who have decided not to bother coming back.
Click to expand...

The next episodes ratings will be catastrophic, I can almost guarantee it. People were already skeptical and this definitely didn't convince them to stay on, it's just another generic car show now. I expect a sharp decline in episode 2.
 
B

Bam Bam Baklava

Member
CCS said:
Underperformed what Evans wanted in terms of ratings, 4.4 million and to quote "Anything less than 5 million would be a disappointment". Also, the lowest opening for a Top Gear series for a long time.

Still, not catastrophic. The question is how well they'll hold up, and how much of that audience was people tuning in to check it out who have decided not to bother coming back.
Click to expand...

I don't understand how any fan of the show could even bring themselves to watch this, I know I refuse to.
 
T

The Dutch Slayer

Member
It was just ok just very MEH.

Chris is just terrible the studio bits where awful and just so awkward.
Scripting was pretty bad overall but specially Chris his stuff.
The off road thing was great though matt does a great job I like him so far.

Editing was great but not AMAZING as most of TG used to be.
That Snatch soundtrack kicked in was when I thought maybe we have something that can be good in the future but for now its all just meh.
 
T

The Hobo

Member
It's going to take some time for Chris and Matt to get comfortable both with each other and with the camera so their chemistry will probably improve as the show goes on. I don't really care for Chris as a presenter, though.

Matt's solo segment was the real highlight and it wasn't good just in comparison to the rest of the episode, it was good in general.

The show has room to improve, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it will.
 
A

APZonerunner

Member
CCS said:
Underperformed what Evans wanted in terms of ratings, 4.4 million and to quote "Anything less than 5 million would be a disappointment". Also, the lowest opening for a Top Gear series for a long time.

Still, not catastrophic. The question is how well they'll hold up, and how much of that audience was people tuning in to check it out who have decided not to bother coming back.
Click to expand...

The lowest opener in TEN YEARS though. Like, jesus. It's not bad but it's certainly not good either. And who knows what the drop-off will be - what percentage of that 4 million have shook their heads at it and will never return? Next week's gonna be interesting, at any rate. I genuinely wonder if they'll get much chance to build their on-screen rapport, as the BBC might lash out and do something drastic.
 
Acidote

Acidote

Member
This is certainly not working for me. LeBlanc is promising and I think he will be great in a few more episodes, but I don't think I'll bother watching the next one. I don't like that other guy Evans. It felt like an endless slog to a good segment at almost the end.
 
J

JonathanEx

Member
Just watched Extra Gear. Quite liked that!

Between that and the main show, there's a brilliant one waiting to be found. And I suspect without (or with lesser) Evans in front of the camera.

Oh and for god's sake get some sound dampening within the hanger. It's killing it.


On the ratings, hmmm it's not great. There'll be more loss. I wonder how on demand will factor in - TG always did well on there, but the buzz right now won't draw people in. On the plus side - ratings grew throughout the episode, people seemed to mostly stick with it. Next week will be interesting.
 
G

Gandalf

Member
I thought it was really bad to be blunt. Most things felt forced and acted.

However, I'll still give it a go for the next few weeks, as their chemistry could definitely improve given time.
 
Q

Queen of Hunting

Unconfirmed Member
Chris when he was doing the viper segment he was pretty much Jeremy version 2 in describing the car etc etc. Too much stuff has been carried over from jeremy and co and im not talking bout just the script either
 
M

milanbaros

Member?
JonathanEx said:
Just watched Extra Gear. Quite liked that!

Between that and the main show, there's a brilliant one waiting to be found. And I suspect without (or with lesser) Evans in front of the camera.

Oh and for god's sake get some sound dampening within the hanger. It's killing it.


On the ratings, hmmm it's not great. There'll be more loss. I wonder how on demand will factor in - TG always did well on there, but the buzz right now won't draw people in. On the plus side - ratings grew throughout the episode, people seemed to mostly stick with it. Next week will be interesting.
Click to expand...

It is currently number one on iplayer and extra gear is number 2.
 
E

Exterminieren

Banned
CCS said:
Underperformed what Evans wanted in terms of ratings, 4.4 million and to quote "Anything less than 5 million would be a disappointment". Also, the lowest opening for a Top Gear series for a long time.

Still, not catastrophic. The question is how well they'll hold up, and how much of that audience was people tuning in to check it out who have decided not to bother coming back.
Click to expand...

In fairness, I'm not sure whether Evans is talking about the overnight ratings or the finals, which assuredly will be significantly better than 5 million.

The fact that the show's audience actually grew over the course of the hour is a pretty encouraging sign.
 
F

Fallout-NL

Member
Man, that was fucking rough.

Suppose they need some time to get things to gel... hope they have that luxury.

/edit: also, why the hell isn't Harris on the show proper? He's the only good thing they've got going for them at the moment.
 
G

Goldfishking

Member
Just watched and I liked it. Matt was suprisingly good, the camera work was still great. Evans was annoying most of the time, like he's trying too hard. But im optimistic that will change in the future.
 
T

thenexus6

Member
The whole Matt vs Chris thing driving to Blackpool was so tame and unexciting. Is that really the kind of challenge you want to open the new season with? It was nothing.
 
A

AristoCat

Member
Chris Evans was really the problem of the show...


The Viper vs Vette was well shot but was lacking some of the poetic voice over only Clarkson was capable of.

The Reliant segment was boring except for few Matt Leblanc bits here and there.

I don't have an opinion about the star in à car part, always though it was the weakest 10 minutes of the show.

The Jeep part was equally as bad as the Reliant.

The surprise was the Ariel Nomad with Matt, it felts more than okay, reminded me some of Hammond work.

I think Leblanc will do fine over time. But Evans was unbearable and the source of awkward moments among the audience.
 
L

LilJoka

Member
I guarantee most people are watching this out of curiosity. I will watch EP2 for that reason too. But thats it. Its fun being in the loop and understanding the hate memes/twitter rants.

Ratings by viewers is hardly conclusive.
 
S

strafer

member
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M

More Fun To Compute

Member
Chris Evans is genuinely funny and seems like a really warm person who you can't dislike. Is something that I have never thought ever since the nineties. And on that bombshell.
 
Lightning Count

Lightning Count

Member
Maybe I take things too seriously but I hated the Top Gun segment, should have just chosen a fast track somewhere and really seen what the cars are made of.
 
O

Oddish1

Member
I thought it was fine. Chris Evans didn't really bother me too much but the banter in the studio segments sounded pretty unnatural and it was weird going from Evans' being very energetic and loud to Matt being quiet and mellow. The first Reliant segment I didn't care for, seemed the interaction between the two was awkward and it just wasn't a very interesting idea. I never really cared for a star in a reasonably priced car. The other segments I liked quite a bit and I think show potential.
 
R

ReplacementPelican

Member
Bam Bam Baklava said:
I don't understand how any fan of the show could even bring themselves to watch this, I know I refuse to.
Click to expand...
You haven't even watched it? You're ragging on a show that you refuse to watch?

Oh well. I have enjoyed reading people's twitter reactions. I feel like many people, much like the poster I quoted, had already made their minds up about the show long before it aired though.
 
K

kimifan141

Member
Well the first episode was a disaster to me , i stayed up late to watch it and the show put me to sleep , i hope they get rid of Chris before the show is outright cancelled . Let the others run the show to make it at least watchable.

Not going to bother about the other episodes , will just wait out for the grand tour
 
B

Beefy

Member
Rumours already going around saying Matt won't be back for season 2. Not only because he has a new show but he sees TopGear as too much hassle and badly run.
 
O

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Going to watch EP1 and Extra tonight, but my dream team for the new Top Gear cast would have been Chris Harris, Alex Goy and Alex Kersten.
UK GAF: Will there be an "Extra" Episode each week, or are they one-off things?
 
B

Beefy

Member
OnkelC said:
Going to watch EP1 and Extra tonight, but my dream team for the new Top Gear cast would have been Chris Harris, Alex Goy and Alex Kersten.
UK GAF: Will there be an "Extra" Episode each week, or are they one-off things?
Click to expand...

Extra show each week.
 
D

DrForester

Kills Photobucket
CCS said:
Underperformed what Evans wanted in terms of ratings, 4.4 million and to quote "Anything less than 5 million would be a disappointment". Also, the lowest opening for a Top Gear series for a long time.

Still, not catastrophic. The question is how well they'll hold up, and how much of that audience was people tuning in to check it out who have decided not to bother coming back.
Click to expand...

Wow. I figured it would have great premiere numbers just for the curiosity factor.
 
Dee Dah Dave

Dee Dah Dave

Member
When the American shines brightest in a show founded on British humour and sensibilities, you know you fucked it up.

It was always going to be hard to reboot the show, but this is a paltry effort. One more reason to abolish the license fee.
 
D

DrForester

Kills Photobucket
Dee Dah Dave said:
When the American shines brightest in a show founded on British humour and sensibilities, you know you fucked it up.

It was always going to be hard to reboot the show, but this is a paltry effort. One more reason to abolish the license fee.
Click to expand...

The problem is that they didn't reboot the show. They just recast the show.
 
Baleoce

Baleoce

Member
Lacked chemistry, but then again it was the first show. And yeah, I pretty much knew I wouldn't like Chris Evans in this.

DrForester said:
The problem is that they didn't reboot the show. They just recast the show.
Click to expand...

Yup this stood out for me as well. They should have taken the opportunity to try something new.
 
F

Fallout-NL

Member
OnkelC said:
Going to watch EP1 and Extra tonight, but my dream team for the new Top Gear cast would have been Chris Harris, Alex Goy and Alex Kersten.
UK GAF: Will there be an "Extra" Episode each week, or are they one-off things?
Click to expand...


Harris and Goy, hell yes. Though I would switch Kersten for someone else, not sure who. Tiff maybe?

I'm so annoyed at the fact Harris doesn't feature more prominently.

DrForester said:
The problem is that they didn't reboot the show. They just recast the show.
Click to expand...

Missed opportunity for sure. Though opportunity might be the wrong word as it was more of a necessity. Anyone with a lick of sense would have understood this has no chance of working.
 
J

jelly

Member
Lightning Count said:
Maybe I take things too seriously but I hated the Top Gun segment, should have just chosen a fast track somewhere and really seen what the cars are made of.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it was mostly crap except when the pilot went green.

As if you are going to break to nothing in front of the chaser with no corner. I know the segments are fixed but it was at it's absolute worst in this episode.
 
T

thelatestmodel

Junior, please.
Bam Bam Baklava said:
I don't understand how any fan of the show could even bring themselves to watch this, I know I refuse to.
Click to expand...

I'm going to watch it on iPlayer when I get the chance, just out of curiosity. I'm sure it's the same for a lot of people, they at least want to give it a chance instead of badmouthing it without even seeing it.

That said, I don't have a good feeling about it and haven't since day one.
 
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