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Top Gear (Again)

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paulllambert | 13:33 Mon 26th Jan 2015 | Film, Media & TV
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I've only been watching for about ten years, so only know of it with the current presenters. Anybody been watching it for donkey's, or even from the start? (1977, I believe). Is it better now? What changes have been made? I'm guessing it used to be more of a motoring programme, with less childish pranks and scrapes ( no good to me) Thanks.
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If you search on youtube for 'top gear tiff needel' yull see the old format. Much more informative but much less fun and not the multi million pound earner it is for the Beeb as the current format.
Far less gaff's and more about the cars, in an educational fashion.
I have seen re-runs of the original format. Even Clarkson as the lone presenter was reasonably serious and attempted to educate the audience.
Pure entertainment (if you like this sort of thing) with perhaps 10%-15% educational content
^^ these days
i have watched it for a long long time and it has evolved to this format from demand I believe
remember when vicky butler henderson & others split off to fifth gear - how long did that keep going? That was more of a car program rather than the new entertainment based format of top gear.
Your last sentence pretty well sums the program up paulllambert !

It used to be a reasonable serious program about all aspects of motoring motoring but it long ago descended into a childrens program, for nearly-grown ups. It main audience is 10 year old boys and upwards, but not upwards by very much. Its contains the same sort of knob jokes that boys snigger about behind the bike sheds. Any resemblance to serious journalism was ditched many years ago.

Last nights episode was a typical example. Hammond, who normally fronts cutting-edge investigative programs, like "Crufts", test drove one of the most sophisticated sports cars on the market today, the Lamborghini Huracán. It appeared to have everything that anyone would look for in a modern sports car. It had blistering performance, and the best handling of pretty well any car imaginable. But Hammond didn't like it, because it didn't drive or look like a "real" Lambo.

I can remember the program reviewing the big Lexus, the LS 400. I had the great pleasure of driving this as a rental car across America and back, in 1994. It was, without doubt, the best car I have ever had the pleasure of driving. When I pulled into the forecourt of Motels at night, the owners wanted to come out and look at it, and this is a country cars where are so ubiquitous, that they very rarely attract a second look.

The car gave a faultless 6000 miles, most of then in almost complete silence. It was extremely luxurious and well appointed, and had a stereo system better than mine at home.

But Clarkson didn't like it because it wasn't "involving" whatever that means. Of course, I never tried to drive it sideways at high speed, and use up a set of tyres in an afternoon, so perhaps my 6000 miles wasn't a real test.

But do I watch it I hear you ask ? Well, yes of course but sometimes with the sound turned off, as the presenters are so ruddy childish and irritating.

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