Top Gear, the talk show?

"505 - morphine not found" (morphine500) 02/17/2015 at 10:10 • Filed to: Top Gear

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I watched the latest Top Gear episode this morning. The episode heralded by Jeremy Clarkson as the one not to miss if you happen to be a gearhead. But I hated the Lambo part, felt the Land Rover film missed the point, and only enjoyed the AMG GT, because I love the peculiar ways of Mr. May. However, there was a part that I felt was truly up there with the very best, golden moments of Top Gear: the SIARPC with Ms. Robbie and Mr. Smith.

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What have we become? And in particular, what has Top Gear become? I thought this is as good a moment, as any to voice an opinion in this hotly discussed matter.

I started to regularly watch Top Gear (every single episode plus all DVDs) starting with Hammonds' return in series 9. That was in 2007, and we're now at series 22, so even though some die-hards would probably tell me to get off their lawn, I spent a measurable amount of my life watching their efforts. I loved most of it too. At that time I was already in TV production, at a car show in particular, so above all else, it was the breathtaking cinematography that got me. But there was great invention to the films they did, there were some truly creative ideas, that panned out very well. The challenges they set out to meet, the cheap cars, the Specials – these are all well-known formats by now, but they all started in that era, and the first few instances were great. We all loved them because usually it was something any gearhead would have wanted to do. Like the cheap Porsches, or the cheap supercars, or the Botswana special, or the classic rally on Mallorca and so on. I think these were just as scripted then, as they are now, meaning: some of the happenings were pre-planned, but the presenters' reactions were not, and neither the breakdowns, or mistakes. But you know what? No one seemed to care back then, if it was scripted or not, we just enjoyed the ride. I know I did.

So what happened? Time, and getting tired of this shit, that's what. The cinematography is still breathtaking, but after seriously moving on the "TV car show" game 7-8 years ago, Top Gear are stuck with the same style ever since. Meanwhile others have caught up, or moved in different, new directions. The challenges too: they just don't do new stuff anymore, only ever reuse the ideas they came up with years ago. It's like they set a TV format in stone in 2007, and license it from themselves ever since. Quite often these days I get the feeling, that some of the scripting is in there only for the formats' sake. For example in the Argentina special there really wasn't any need to modify the cars, but they still did, because that's what they always do. And don't even get me started on the completely pointless Middle-East Special.

If someone started to watch Top Gear today, without looking at older episodes, I think they would still find it great, because, let's face it, this is still the highest budget car show out there. It's old boots, like most of us, that have seen the same story-line over and over again, that feel these British blokes are getting annoying. The Huracan part was a word-for-word replica of the one they did about the Aventador. As well as straight-up wrong, but I digress. The Land Rover film was a nice try at something Discovery Channel would have done 5 years ago, and was the tried and true TG formula of talking a lot of superficial stuff, then doing a ridiculous but good-for-nothing stunt. AMG GT was almost there, but I know how much more interesting and funny James May is, when he doesn't have to dumb down his words for the accepted TG language.

So why did I love the SIARPC, the part I used to just skip? Simple. It was genuine. It was surprising, there was true excitement and I was giggling all the way with them. Jeremy is an excellent TV host, and the guests got involved much more than one would presume. Good television. Shame there were no cars in there, but anyway: if I want to get excitement out of an automotive video these days, I watch Chris Harris.

djmt1 > 505 - morphine not found 02/17/2015 at 10:45

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The i8 and M3 were in the Will Smith episode not the Huracan.

505 - morphine not found > djmt1 02/17/2015 at 10:56

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You're right, having watched two episodes this morning i mixed up my exotica. Thing is though, same difference: i didn't find the BMW old vs new film one iota more exciting than the Huracan one. Oh, and having watched them back to back revealed a shot shared between the Lambo and the AMG GT.

505 - morphine not found > 505 - morphine not found 02/17/2015 at 11:00

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ok, not exactly alike, since the AMG is RWD versus the Huracan AWD, but this shot was the one they had in slow motion. Exactly the same sequence of shots in both cases too.

Frank Grimes > 505 - morphine not found 02/17/2015 at 11:18

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There was a lambo in episode 4?

505 - morphine not found > Frank Grimes 02/17/2015 at 11:33

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no, i mixed that one up, see the reply thread started by djmt1 Doesn't change the point though, in fact proves it: i only watched the bmw part this morning, and have already forgotten about it......