# Top Gear Christmas Special



## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Has this been shelved or delayed like last year , or are they concentration on the live shows to milk the cash? used to really look forward to Christmas special even though IMHO top gear for me the last series was not hitting the mark just needs massive changes to format for me, what do others think


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## Freddie (Mar 17, 2013)

Think it's on in march. Am sure that's what the latest may said.


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## littlejack (Jun 11, 2008)

Big fan of the show normally but the last couple of series have been a bit hit or miss for me. Think it needs some sort of update to make fresh and funny again.. Just my opinion though
steve


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

littlejack said:


> Big fan of the show normally but the last couple of series have been a bit hit or miss for me. Think it needs some sort of update to make fresh and funny again.. Just my opinion though
> steve


Yes totally agree that how i feel big fan , but nothing last forever we need to change and adapt to survive:thumb:


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

A change of set would be enough, and get rid of 'a star in a reasonably priced car'.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

LeadFarmer said:


> A change of set would be enough, and get rid of 'a star in a reasonably priced car'.


Totally agree on the set but thank you very much someone that agree the Star in a Reasonable priced car is miles past its sell date i switched over to other chanels last 2 series when it came on unless very attractive film star etc


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## slapshot (Jul 29, 2007)

As Clarkson has sold the rights to the BBC I suspect the show will only get worse and with fewer episodes from now on.

They always miss the significant new car releases anyway so the programme is pointless.

The interweb (EVO TV, Chris Harris on Cars) and 5th Gear are far more relevant these days.

All IMHO.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

slapshot said:


> As Clarkson has sold the rights to the BBC I suspect the show will only get worse and with fewer episodes from now on.
> 
> They always miss the significant new car releases anyway so the programme is pointless.
> 
> ...


Is the latest series of 5th gear on youtube yet is it Series 23? , thanks Derek


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## ITSonlyREECE (Jun 10, 2012)

I use to watch Top Gear religiously, but recently I think the producers have lost touch and forgotten what the show is meant to be about. The 'epic fails' are too obvious and it REALLY puts me off. 

Another thing I don't like about the show is that I think the series are too short. It feels like you've only watched 3-4 and then it's all over.

Even though all the above are negatives, I think Clarkson, Hammond and May are the best trio on TV to watch.


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## DIESEL DAVE (Jul 26, 2007)

ITSonlyREECE said:


> I think Clarkson, Hammond and May are the best trio on TV to watch.


:thumb:


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

ITSonlyREECE said:


> Even though all the above are negatives, I think Clarkson, Hammond and May are the best trio on TV to watch.


Mmmm, not sure I agree...:argie:


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## Brooklands (Jun 12, 2010)

Tis a tired concept now - well past it's best. Shame really......


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Lead Farmer I know the 3 I would like:thumb: , well if it was a road trip they may get a bit annoying :lol:


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## R14CKE (Aug 10, 2012)

Top gear is back on tv on the 2nd of feb 

All being well I get the tickets iv requested for the 1st episode been along time waiting


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

slapshot said:


> As Clarkson has sold the rights to the BBC I suspect the show will only get worse and with fewer episodes from now on.
> 
> They always miss the significant new car releases anyway so the programme is pointless.
> 
> ...


Chris Harris is a very talented driver. He's just a bit dull to listen to for any length of time and his head is getting too big as well.

Not seen 5th gear for a while, but the last series on channel 5 they were trying too hard to be Top Gear.

Their tests to judge the car were even more pointless than Top Gear. Scoring each other's drifts isn't actually beneficial in the real world.

Some of the cars tested really were boring. They'd only interest a small amount of people.

Every petrolhead likes to see sports cars even though they are highly unlikely to own one.


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## griffin1907 (Mar 4, 2006)

R14CKE said:


> Top gear is back on tv on the 2nd of feb
> 
> All being well I get the tickets iv requested for the 1st episode been along time waiting


Thought is was 26th January??


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## R14CKE (Aug 10, 2012)

griffin1907 said:


> Thought is was 26th January??


Errr I dunno I know I had a choice of dates to request and I thought I chose the 1st episode...... Or I may have chosen the 2nd one then! Either or it's 26th or 2nd


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

R14CKE said:


> Errr I dunno I know I had a choice of dates to request and I thought I chose the 1st episode...... Or I may have chosen the 2nd one then! Either or it's 26th or 2nd


The shows are not live though I thought , that will be the reason:thumb:


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

R14CKE said:


> Top gear is back on tv on the 2nd of feb
> 
> All being well I get the tickets iv requested for the 1st episode been along time waiting


Trust me its not all that great being live in the studio on the Wednesday's when they film it.

I was fairly disappointed when i was there for the first episode of last season when they used my 205 GTI, its hard to hear them and they vanish at any point VT is running for a smoke best part of the day was the VIP access all areas and the catering van that I had!....not talking soggy sarnies here proper restaurant quality food!


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

Ooo Alison king


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## R14CKE (Aug 10, 2012)

Derekh929 said:


> The shows are not live though I thought , that will be the reason:thumb:


That right it's recorded on the Wednesday and aired on the following Sunday


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

LeadFarmer said:


> Mmmm, not sure I agree...:argie:


You left Michelle Keegan out and put Carla in lmfao?


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

I think Top Gear are missing a trick to be honest. With the audience size they attract they could help solve a lot of the issues we see on our roads. All they have to do is run a weekly campaign combatting poor driving such as telling people...

1) Not to hog middle lanes of motorways, but move over to inside lane instead. 

2) When two lanes merge into one single lane, use both lanes and then give way alternately on approach to choke point. This would stop drivers creating massive queues in the inside lane in rush hour whereby the queue tails back so far it impacts on other roads/junctions etc. All because we Brits love queuing and for some reason we hate it if we think someone is pushing in. :wall:

I could go on.....


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## InvaderZim (Aug 24, 2010)

Brooklands said:


> Tis a tired concept now - well past it's best. Shame really......


They also don't seem to be having as much fun as they once did. When I watch the early episodes they generally looked more excited to be there. The last few I watched they seemed bored like they were just going through the motions.



ITSonlyREECE said:


> The 'epic fails' are too obvious and it REALLY puts me off.


They seem to have, at some point, given up trying to pretend the disasters aren't planned. So now they just show right from the start what will happen in the end with things like at the beginning of the race "oh no, look someone put the top gear office right next to the track"

They have either dumbed down the comedy or gotten lazy with it or both.

Another problem is eventually they run out of things to race a car against and if they all look bored in the car, on the train or in a boat then it isn't fun to watch the 18 hour 'race' either. We have to at least believe a bit that they are trying to win and enjoying the challenge


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## R14CKE (Aug 10, 2012)

Just received confirmation of my tickets for two weeks time !


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

R14CKE said:


> Just received confirmation of my tickets for two weeks time !


Hope they are not VIP as Clarkson will have a cheap dig at you:lol: like he did year ago , we was sitting a couple of rows behind the VIP area and i quote he , know this guy paid double the price to be in the VIP section what a mug,the guy behind him see's the same for half the price:thumb:


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## Melkor (Aug 16, 2012)

I love top gear but as you say it has gone rather stale now, especially star in a reasonably priced car, I don't watch that bit unless it is someone who interests me.
The series does seem very short to me now, one of my favourites was the veyron vs may in he's washing machine lol.


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## Stezz (Apr 29, 2011)

Hopefully now jeremy has sold his stake in top gear back to the BBC, the program will be nice and fresh and interesting again


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## Xploit (Nov 16, 2011)

I think its more because the shows are few and far between, its no less funny and no less exciting IMO. We're all over 10years older than when it first aired so maybe a proportion of us/you are just turning in to old moaners...

They definitely need an epic road trip this series to keep people happy, like the one to the north pole or that across the Andes


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Top gear in the USA is much better, more focus on cars.


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

I think that's the problem. For a programme that started off telling us about cars, it's no longer about cars anymore. Instead it's a car themed programme. Cars are now just a backdrop to the presenters attempt to make a programme to entertain us. Often it works, often not.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Mirror Finish Details said:


> Top gear in the USA is much better, more focus on cars.


You've certainly caught an American bug.

The US version is absolutely dire. We get it over here too.

From all the Top Gear discussions on American forums, it seems they far prefer the UK one to their own too.


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## InvaderZim (Aug 24, 2010)

Xploit said:


> I think its more because the shows are few and far between, its no less funny and no less exciting IMO.


Everyone likes different things in shows but I've been going back through some of the earlier episodes on Netflix and they really did seem to have more fun both with the cars and each other back then. Just watched the one where Hammond and Clarkson were wrestling on the floor over the picture of the car for the cool wall and Hammond started eating it. They just don't seem to have that much fun on the show anymore.

I don't get a channel with the show here so we would actually buy the latest episodes on Amazon (I know they are available for 'free' elsewhere but it was nice just having them show up as each episode released and being all legal and stuff). But when I found myself fast forwarding through more than the star in the car parts I stopped buying the episodes.



Xploit said:


> They definitely need an epic road trip this series to keep people happy, like the one to the north pole or that across the Andes


Just as long as it isn't to a dreary and depressing place where Clarkson buys some huge thing for Hammond to try to carry.



Mirror Finish Details said:


> Top gear in the USA is much better, more focus on cars.


The first episodes were terrible. They must have had a budget of around $500 for each one and the stars weren't comfortable together. It takes time to build chemistry and for them to get to know each other well enough to truly have fun. After they did the Alaska show at the end of the first season they seemed to have bonded and now I laugh way more during the shows. I about died in the one where they had the cardboard cutouts of all of them with things exaggerated on them, that episode was good.

Their budget seems to have increased and they've gone away from trying to mirror the UK format. They also got grief early on for just duplicating the UK shows but I'm guessing they paid a small fortune for the rights to the name so they pretty much had to try to duplicate the show. It is better now that they've given up on that.

Originally for me the best US episodes were at least up there with the lower end UK ones but now it is so much of a different show they aren't really easy to compare. I just know that we laugh a lot during them and enjoy the small things like the way one of them will look at the camera with just the right expression when the other says something they think is stupid or predictable.

But again everyone's taste differs and I'm sure some people don't enjoy the show.



Kerr said:


> From all the Top Gear discussions on American forums, it seems they far prefer the UK one to their own too.


I've found that here people's opinions of shows rarely change. If it was great it is always great and if it was bad it is always bad. Probably why most shows here stay on the air about twice as long as they should. I mean, According to Jim stayed on the air 8 years.
It reminds me of a local restaurant review I read online where they said "I've been here about 8 times now and it has never been very good". What the???? If it isn't good then try someplace else!

Interestingly if you even try to point out that there is the least little thing that has gotten worse on the show people here on the forums will rip you apart. It is almost like trying to discuss religion or synthetic oil, there is no discussion. I was pleasantly surprised to find this thread where the good and the bad were being discussed.

And there is always the plus with the UK Top Gear of all the British accents, most people in the US love British accents (heck, half the fun of this forum is finding the different slang words for things over there)


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## SunnyBoi (Apr 25, 2013)

New episodes of Top Gear are repetitive. Same ideas, the moment you see the challenge you can figure out the outcome.

Newer episodes can be watched once and only once - older episodes, well never get tired of watching them again and again!


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## mattcoupturbo (Aug 14, 2006)

SunnyBoi said:


> New episodes of Top Gear are repetitive. Same ideas, the moment you see the challenge you can figure out the outcome.
> 
> Newer episodes can be watched once and only once - older episodes, well never get tired of watching them again and again!


This I agree with. I will watch and often enjoy the new episodes but they pale in comparison to some of the earlier ones.


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

Nothing for the 26th so hoping the week after.


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

Exotica said:


> Nothing for the 26th so hoping the week after.


Indeed you are correct, starts this sunday.


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## R14CKE (Aug 10, 2012)

Yes it is and it's about 80s hot hatches very funny


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