blix Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 just got back from my hols and have been going through all the recorded top gear and 5th gear progs and i have to say what the f??k are they doing with top gear.once upon a time this used to be the best car prog on the box.it now seems to be a cross between the a team and the goodies.every week they have a mission to make a convertible out of a people carrier or a boat out of a car.fith gear is now in my opinion the best car prog by far.maybe they should get rid of clarkson and get ba barachus instead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewcam Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 [ QUOTE ] just got back from my hols and have been going through all the recorded top gear and 5th gear progs and i have to say what the f??k are they doing with top gear.once upon a time this used to be the best car prog on the box.it now seems to be a cross between the a team and the goodies.every week they have a mission to make a convertible out of a people carrier or a boat out of a car.fith gear is now in my opinion the best car prog by far.maybe they should get rid of clarkson and get ba barachus instead [/ QUOTE ] Seconded. I'v been thinking the same myself. After the last 2 topgears i will not be making a point of waching the rest. Whats the point, i mean i want to see interesting cars, not convertable espaces or jet canoos (sp) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1how Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 As somebody who loved top gear and couldnt wait to see the next episode I think what you are saying is spot on.Last Sundays episode is the worst I can remember(none of them have been good this season),and the first time I have ever switched over and watched something else.I watched the rerun of 5th gear the other night and really enjoyed it(looking forward to the how tough are old mercs feature next week as well).Never thought I would say it but 5th gear is the best car programme at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woppum Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 I think they are doing well considering the shabby talent of new cars out at the moment. Untill the new Porche Turbo, 599 and the new Merci come out there is just nothing exciting in the pipeline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blix Posted May 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 maybe they could get x goodie bill oddie to come on and do some bird calls while were waiting or what about rolf harris and his diggerydoo thingy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woppum Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 [ QUOTE ] maybe they could get x goodie bill oddie to come on and do some bird calls while were waiting or what about rolf harris and his diggerydoo thingy [/ QUOTE ] Just what I was thinking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blix Posted May 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 no seriously though fithgear seems to be coping alright through this car drought dont you agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techieboy Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 Apart from their pointless head to heads. Reversing in a Golf vs a Skoda. Hmmmm. The point of 5 minutes of that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techieboy Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 Not to forget the classic drifting competition in the RS4 and the M3 CS. Much better uses for either of those cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac_Terrorist Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 IMO all of the car programs have been diluted too much to appeal to the majority of the general public. Old school Top Gear was just fine for me but Mrs TT wouldn't have enjoyed it. The present style of Top Gear and we can both watch it (or at least I don't get interrupted as much whilst watching now). I would like to see a proper 'petrol head' cars / motoring program without any half witted so called celebrities sharing their experiences of cars and ragging a shed on wheels around a track in a bid to try and out do each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blix Posted May 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 a good point you have just reminded me in this "ALL NEW TOPGEAR" i for one was hoping they would do away with the star in a reasonably priced car otherwise known as A HAS BIN IN A DUST BIN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmoo Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 what the chevy has done though is given an excuse to start a new speed chart. but think about it, wont you sleep better at night if u owned a hilux knowing that if you attached an outboard motor and sealed it, it would go quite fast on a lake... cant begin to say how valuable that is.. its boys with toys these days and more about entertaining than cars. but 5th gear test more "normal" cars.. ones you can buy rather than ones you are never likely to afford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mort Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 agree... boys with toys.... its not serious. Top gear critique is bollocks. It is what it is. get over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Top Gear is not what it used to be. I remember it being about reviewing cars. Now it's just an hours entertainment, which happens to use the odd flash motor for added effect. I still watch it as I do enjoy it, but not because I think they can offer any serious and useful comments on vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
showtime Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 i just take it at face value, "entertainment in a car flavour" personally i think it is more enjoyable/entertaining/fun than the old format & that is a sentiment shared by many colleages/associates 5th gear is good as was driven but Top Gear is definitely funnier than both of them & hence (to me at least) more entertaining! there is no way i'd watch a program giving in depth reviews on the latest [insert name of bland car here] supermini diesel or similar! how boring? its nice to see the flash stuff used & abused don't look into it too deeply & just enjoy it for what it is guys even got a vid of some bloopers for you HERE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blix Posted May 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 this is still a car forum isnt it ? so if i were to write a post about canoeing in a zany and witty way and post it on here i would,nt get umpteen people reminding me this is a car forum and what the hell am i doing.i like to think i have a good sense of humour but clarkson and co are trying too hard.if i wanted slapstick i would watch re-runs of bennyhill..... or maybe i wouldnt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 I watched 5th gear for the very first time recently. I just wanted to see what Tiff had to say about the Corvette Z06. To be honest, whilst the show was better than I was expecting, I don't think it was that much better as a car show. As entertainment TG wins hands down for me. As a car show you may learn a bit more from 5th Gear, though in the case of the 'Vette I actually preferred Jezza's article. I think the important thing is [and something which Clarkson himself acknowledged back in 1998] is that on the whole people don't pay any attention to what they say on these shows anyway. The majority will take on board a couple of facts, but value the judgements of friends, colleagues and their own test drive over the views of journalists. Basically, it's all about ratings. TG do well from being an entertainment show featuring cars. That leaves 5th Gear to pick up viewers who want to watch a car show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 I guess this debate will rumble on - roughly two threads a week (one around 8pm Sunday, one around 8pm Monday... ) end up dedicated to it. Many years ago (and we're talking William Woollard era here) I used to enjoy the old fashioned Top Gear, when it was, more or less, a televised version of What Car?. Being a real car anorak, I lapped up the road tests and facts and figures about everyday cars. If such a show were broadcast today I'd definitely still watch it, and I'm sure many of you would too. But the viewing figures would be in the tens of thousands. Remember, that's why the original Top Gear was canned in the first place. Now we have 5th Gear, who still try to hold on to some semblance of the old car show format, but have tried to 'update it' by copying Top Gear, and in my view have failed miserably - apart from the odd five minutes or so doing a proper review of a car. On its own, the head to head is pointless - if they were to expand the two car test to include a little more about the cars, drive them on the road a bit, and just have the thrap round the track as the last bit, then it might have some meaning. The trouble is, to all but the ten thousand or so, that's "boring". Finally, we have Top Gear. Still some stuff about cars... occasionally. But by and large, simply a great entertainment show with established characters (you're supposed to hate Clarkson!) aimed at petrolheads and the wider 'young adult' audience (i.e. the same people who watch Brainiacs). For me, Top Gear is still the best hour's entertainment of the week on terrestrial tv. If I want to find stuff out about the car, I'll read about it. By the way, sayerbloke, I missed 5th Gear last week - what did Tiff have to say about the Z06? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Top Gear is entertainment and I do wish it was more for the petrol head rather then going for the market who happen to buy these type's of magazines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastit130 Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 I was only thinking about this whole "moving away from facts" bit when they took the piss out of the guy wanting a review of sensible cars last week, flashed up a picture of a Corsa and moved on. The thing is, there are so many mags reviewing stuff inside out and masses of online resources that if I want real detail I can easily find it. If the old style TG meant low viewing figures and thus no programme then I'd take the new one and at least some motor based entertainment every time. At least I can unwind on a Sunday night with some cars, other powered things, some daftness and general enjoyment of POWER! 5th gear just doesn't do it for me. I try but the "head to head" is about as realistic in terms of a road test as The Stig lap. The hairy guy is quite fun and tends to be a bit more with it. He could end up on TG... As it, is no week would be complete if there wasn't a fattish middle aged bigoted presenter capable of talking himself inside out and reaching a climax of similies and hyperbole only to pause before the last... ... ... ... ... ... ...two words! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 True, but people will more then likely buy Top Gear magazine rather then Car or Evo for getting information because of the TV programme. But the magazine has become rubbish, I stopped buying it when Michael Harvey took over from Kevin Blick. It just got filled up with tripe, the only highlight out of the 300 pages was James May's article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snail Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 The missus will happily sit down and watch top gear with me. We'll talk about the sports cars, take the pi$$ out of James/Hamster/Jezza, and we will laugh at the stupid stunts. Put fifth gear, or Vroom Vroom on, and i'll get nothing but grief. If i want a petrol head hit, i'll turn on UK gold, or Men n Motors, and watch old skool top gear, but i'll have to make sure the missus is away. There are things i think have run their course on TG (star in a car), but overall i think the presenter combination (mad James, obnoxious JC, and Hamster for the ladies), the combination on hooning, stupidity, and news just about hits the spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 [ QUOTE ] By the way, sayerbloke, I missed 5th Gear last week - what did Tiff have to say about the Z06? [/ QUOTE ] He spent some time on a mountain road in Europe, then took it on a circuit nearby. "It doesn't take long for you to begin to enjoy this car". Of the interior: "Way behind European standards". "Ride quality is very good until you hit a pothole but very survivable". "Excellent HUD" Of the sound: "Aston Martin and Jaguar, eat your hearts out!" "It defies all the things that have been bad about American cars" And in conclusion: "The best value supercar on sale today!" He was forced to admit it's an American car that he loved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blix Posted May 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 men its time to stand up and be counted.tell her i like fith gear and im going to watch it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick12345 Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Ya I wish they would take that reasonably priced car and drop a caravan on it. Show was muck slicker when edited down to 30 minutes. Slick shiny photography, fast cars back to back. this padded out version doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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