News Clarkson suspended

[Shagrat]

a nice summary and a car related pun.

+1 for effort

 

[DaGaffer]

Part 1 was a bit slow, what with them just driving round and round in circles in the desert. Part 2 was much more like it, and really enjoyed the Namibia Special over all. Wasn't quite up there with the Source of the River Nile or the other Africa road trip TG did, but it was better than the Vietnam and India specials.

Series 1 has been a pretty good start overall, considering how hastily put together it was after the Steak related shenigans, and they've made Chris Evans TG Reboot look like garbage without getting out of....ahem.....*puts sungleasses on*.....2nd gear. (YEAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!). Still 4 episodes to go, but looking pretty good for Season 2 imo.

I agree, except Vietnam was a great episode.

 

[Gwadien]

I dunno man, there's something about The Grand Tour which I don't like, every now and again it goes back to the Top Gear days where it's genuinely funny (for instance when Clarkson got the penis thrown at his head) but then you get the scripted bollocks, and I think it's to do with they're doing everything 100x bigger and 100x more expensive than Top Gear it's 100x more obvious that it's scripted - such as the whole tranquilliser & helicopter scene.

I'm probably being unfair because quite alot of the Top Gear episodes were pretty poor, but I thought that was due to budget constraints, so I was kinda The Grand Tour to be outstanding episodes.

 

[Job]

Have to agree..the poacher part was just stupid, but overall was enjoyable to watch.
Like an old sock.

 

[Bodhi]

I quite liked the poacher bit, almost like Clarkson was trying to make a serious point...

 

[Gwadien]

I quite liked the poacher bit, almost like Clarkson was trying to make a serious point...

Yes, he started off to.

Then he just was completely silly about it.

 

[Job]

Tbh, he knows his audience, there is a substantial part of the viewers who treat it as real.

 

[Moriath]

Tbh, he knows his audience, there is a substantial part of the viewers who treat it as real.

It wouldnt work as all improvised. It was fine

 

[Job]

I know you have to suspend your disbelief an all..but take the buggy trek...obviously theres a film crew, drones, backup.
But you COULD do it for real, say no gps, let them try to navigate and just have the backup crew follow them to stop them getting in trouble.
The fuckups and squabbles would be real, just a thought.

 

[Moriath]

I know you have to suspend your disbelief an all..but take the buggy trek...obviously theres a film crew, drones, backup.
But you COULD do it for real, say no gps, let them try to navigate and just have the backup crew follow them to stop them getting in trouble.
The fuckups and squabbles would be real, just a thought.

Obvipusly they had water and fuel. Or it wouldnt work.

 

[Job]

Sinking the cars had its.moments..but it felt like they were making it up as they went along.

 

[Wij]

Boring episode in my opinion. Fell asleep 3 times.

 

[DaGaffer]

Boring episode in my opinion. Fell asleep 3 times.

Agreed, apart from the Alfa QV test it was clearly the "lets use this as an excuse to go to The Sandy Lane for a few days" episode. And Clarkson really needs to get a grip on that gut.

However, I really enjoyed SUV episode the week before; the MG on a Disco was laugh-out-loud funny.

 

[Job]

Not good, this Maserati episode is just going nowhere, seriously, it's like they just got on the ferry with no plan.
Run out of ideas.

 

[Raven]

Should have been SMART.

 

[Moriath]

I thought it was ok. Entertaining enough for me at 1am anyway.

 

[Ctuchik]

Overall i'm happy with TGTs first season but there are a few things i hope they will sort out for season 2..

The biggest issue is i think that it's being produced by an American company that have to take American laws and regulations into consideration. So every now and then segments that could have been brilliant ends up overly obviously fake, probably because Amazon is terrified about making it look too "real" and end up being sued by retarded Americans that think it's safe to do the same..

And i could absolutely do without that nascar "test driver". He's not funny and it's obvious he's only there to pander to the American audience (who doesn't seem to find him all that fun either i've heard)..

The celebrity deaths were funny in episode 1 but after that it got old.

I kind of enjoyed conversation street but perhaps they should drop the comedy stand up bits and just do "the news".

Hopefully they will manage to scrape off all the rough edges in time for Season 2.

 

[DaGaffer]

Overall i'm happy with TGTs first season but there are a few things i hope they will sort out for season 2..

The biggest issue is i think that it's being produced by an American company that have to take American laws and regulations into consideration. So every now and then segments that could have been brilliant ends up overly obviously fake, probably because Amazon is terrified about making it look too "real" and end up being sued by retarded Americans that think it's safe to do the same..

And i could absolutely do without that nascar "test driver". He's not funny and it's obvious he's only there to pander to the American audience (who doesn't seem to find him all that fun either i've heard)..

The celebrity deaths were funny in episode 1 but after that it got old.

I kind of enjoyed conversation street but perhaps they should drop the comedy stand up bits and just do "the news".

Hopefully they will manage to scrape off all the rough edges in time for Season 2.

I actually think the biggest problem is they've clearly had to stretch the budget and schedule to cover 13 episodes, as against the six they would do for a typical TG season. Problem is even though they have more money, they still only have the three of them to present the films, so even if they want to film more segments they don't have the time (I've heard they've spent a lot of time getting to grips with the 4K cameras as well).

I believe "celebrity brain crash" is filler based around a contractual issue with the BBC, so it will be gone soon (but I'm not sure if its this year or next), and yes, "The American" has to go; he's really fucking annoying.

 

[caLLous]

Budgetary reasons are probably why they hung around in certain locations for 2 weeks running as well.

 

[Job]

The last episode was pretty good and strangely real.
Hammonds admission about the driving was like breaking the 4th wall and it felt like they were dropping out of character.
Overall OK, but original episode still miles better.

 

[Raven]

I enjoyed it overall, would have been nice to go out on a bang though.

 

[Bodhi]

Braincrash was a bit hit and miss, some were annoying but others made me laugh, especially the last one with Daniel Riccardio. However I still find it less annoying the Star in a Reasonably..mainly as that was 10 minutes and Braincrash is normally 2.

The American was a bit annoying, but did have some good lines (this thing couldn't pull a greasy stick out a dog's ass) but he could obviously pedal, like the new track too.

I really enjoyed Series 1 on the whole though, some brilliant moments (GT40 vs Ferrari, opening scene of Ep 1, Mustang past the Cenotaph especially), and miles better than Evans attempt to reboot Top Gear.

Looks stunning in 4K too.

 

[caLLous]

Oh it was better than the new Top Gear I don't think anyone will argue that.

I just can't like Hammond no matter how hard I try. Clarkson is a twat but he's a more-often-than-not funny twat. May is just a naturally funny person and deal with the other 2 well but Hammond tries so hard to be funny all the time and he barely ever gets it right. He is definitely the weak link of the 3.

All of the competitions and challenges were rigged except maybe a few (the drifting because that would've been ridiculous - I'll say that all the competitions and challenges between the 3 of them were rigged). It felt even more contrived than pre-Evans Top Gear and that's saying something. I can't fault the cinematography/editing/post-production, that's been of a very high standard for years and they maintained the level here.

Didn't like the American. Got bored with the braincrash bit, I agree it's better that Clarkson didn't have to sit down and interview people, that section was an instant skip for me on Top Gear.

Overall it was alright. I think I was expecting it to be better but, thinking about it, I don't know how.

And that i3 is *fugly*, I think that's the first time I've seen one.

 

[Moriath]

Advert on bbc1 tonight for top gear. Guess we will see what they learned from last year.

 

[dysfunction]

Advert on bbc1 tonight for top gear. Guess we will see what they learned from last year.

I don't think they have learned anything. The episode I am watching now is even worse than last season.
I feel very sorry for poor James McAvoy.

 

[Job]

Does anyone watch Jay Lenos car show.
It is pretty awesome.

 

[Embattle]

I don't think they have learned anything. The episode I am watching now is even worse than last season.
I feel very sorry for poor James McAvoy.

I didn't watch the TG with Chris Evans and I tried hard to watch this one tonight but I just found myself turning over to something else.

 

[dysfunction]

I didn't watch the TG with Chris Evans and I tried hard to watch this one tonight but I just found myself turning over to something else.

I only watched 2 or 3 of the Chris Evans series and I didn't think they could get any worse but they have somehow managed it!

 

[Gwadien]

Watching now, official reviews seem mixed.

They should really reboot it under a new name and with a different style.

 

[DaGaffer]

Well, it was certainly better than last season. The three of them seem to have a bit more chemistry, I enjoyed the Kazakhstan piece (especially when Chris Harris stuffed the Volvo into the Merc; I'm pretty sure that wasn't planned), and introducing the Gt-86 for the SIARPC segment was an inspired idea. I was quite surprised the track was back tbh; I was under the impression it had been sold off as a housing development.

The main weakness for me is that Matt LeBlanc still seems a bit stiff and scripted.