[TV] Top Gear - Season 14

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by jab

I have many many hours of old TG on tape. I loved it at the time and I've gone back and watched them loads of times. But that was when I was younger. I look back now and cringe. Usually anything that didn't involve Clarkson or Needell was boring as hell

I've been following a similar discussion on another more TG-orientated forum, and someone over there has just made a valid point. She said that she had been reading through an old thread and picked up on the usual complaints about it being too entertainment-orientated and it was being dumbed down - the same complaints as now. She then said that the thread was from series 9. Rose-tinted spectacles spring to mind...

I got a hold of around 40 episodes from 1997-2001 of the old top gear and they all bored me to tears. It was godawful. There were a few okay segments but the rest was painful to watch.

Ever since I really got into cars at 16, my interest has always been more about doing cool stuff with them and taking trips and adventures with them. If I look at what I read in car mags, I gloss over the heavy technical road tests with all sorts of minutiae I care less about and head the road trip type articles or other automotive related stories.

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by jab

I think they did, but Hammond's crash was a set-up - I think they thought it would be too risky with his banger, which is fair enough

Totally agree, although I do think it would have been better if they'd had been a little more honest and said, "we'd decided we couldn't risk the Toyota because this would probably happen..."

[Al Weyman]

I did say car road tests etc. as I do like some of the stuff they do like the time theu put Hampster out in an SD1 with the CTCRC Group 1's that I race in. I just watched the one where they launched the Bond and that really was quite epic, I am amazed it worked at all and dread to think what the budget was or what H & S went that week as that thing falling back to a earth a million and one things could have gone wrong. Controversly I just watched an episodeof 5th Gear and low and behold to my daughters great interest they were testing a Mitsubishi Colt similar to one she bought new a year ago only not a turbo and a drophead coupe so you see they are affordable or at least some of them as she works for me so does not earn fortunes and I never bought it!

[jab]

Well, I trust that will have satisfied most people - an episode totally devoted to cars

[Adam43]

and another Hamster crash set-up. tut

I am begining to wonder about that dragster crash a few years ago...

[Fox89]

Originally Posted by Adam43

and another Hamster crash set-up. tut

It was a good one though! XD

Well, I trust that will have satisfied most people - an episode totally devoted to cars

Yup, I really liked that one. Best episode this series, Bolivia aside, just for being more-or-less normal Top Gear.

[strider]

Originally Posted by jab

Well, I trust that will have satisfied most people - an episode totally devoted to cars

I didn't see it all, but liked what I did see.

Originally Posted by Adam43

and another Hamster crash set-up. tut

I am begining to wonder about that dragster crash a few years ago...

I didn't see this Hamster crash, but I will say say the consequences of the big one a few years were nothing like as bad as was claimed.

I say that because of mine really did have brain injuries to the level that the Hamster was claimed to have had on whatever scale it is, and there is just no comparison.

[garcon]

I take it you're a neuro surgeon, strider.

Because only someone qualified to be one could possibly make that kind of statement.

[mountainstar]

From what I've read, he still has a lot of problems but doesn't make them public in a big way.

Brain injuries are an inexact science from everything I have seen.

[aeroehl]

That episode from today was terrible. It started out fine with the Lexus and was all downhill from there.

[strider]

Originally Posted by garcon

I take it you're a neuro surgeon, strider.

Because only someone qualified to be one could possibly make that kind of statement.

No, I'm not and if it was inappropriate for me to make that remark, then I will happily withdraw it.

However the scale I was talking about is the Glasgow Coma Scale, which goes goes from 1 to 15, with 15 being the best. After Felipe Massa's accident he was measured at 14, which is probably why he was able to make such a speedy recovery.

My friend had a subdural haematoma and he was measured at 3. His life hung in the balance for several days. He survived and has made what to all intents and purposes is a pretty decent recovery, but things are definitely not the same. He could not, for example do the job that Hammond does.

Yet Hammond was also supposed to have been measured at 3, which is why I find it difficult to equate the two.

[marcel82]

I can't get why they decided to have a running gag on how their budget for the episode was low, and they'd have a hard time getting to an hour, but then didn't do the cool wall bit/ they hadn't done that this series, it would've prevented the show sliding off like it did (they dragged that elderly woman into the show, which nobody would've been interested in, and neither was she), and how expensive can it be to put a few car photos on some cardboard stuff?

[Craig]

I wasn't that excited about the Christmas instalment (other than it increasing my desire to visit that area) but the final episode was far better than anything that had gone before it this series. It sums up what has been said here - cut out all the crap and over the top stuff and they can still make a good show.

[garcon]

Originally Posted by strider

No, I'm not and if it was inappropriate for me to make that remark, then I will happily withdraw it.

No need, it's all about opinion. Oh, and neither am I.

The only reason I said what I did is, as mountainstar said a little more diplomatically, brain injuries are a notoriously complex area of medicine. For all kinds of reasons, it often seems that the degree of initial trauma seldom fully dictates the degree of eventual recovery. I must admit to being pretty amazed at Hammond's recovery.

[redshoes]

Not the best episode I've ever seen but the probably best this season. Just goes to show that they can make good TV without all that pointless arsing about.

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by marcel82

I (they dragged that elderly woman into the show, which nobody would've been interested in, and neither was she)

I was.

Then again, I'm a typography geek...and I saw this cute bit of Mayesque road sign graffiti in Salzburg a couple of weeks' back:

[Rockmunky]

I thought the arsing about was more blatant in the last episode, but whether that was because i'd had this thread in the back of my mind or whatever, I don't know.

Hammond falling into the presents was stupid and pointless, plus I am sure they've done the "let's pretend we have no budget" thing before.

[jab]

Originally Posted by ensign14

I was.

Ditto. I was quite looking forward to it, though I think it would've been better suited had they done 2 separate features, one on the car and one on the signs (although her comment about the car looking like it had been designed by a committee was golden)

Originally Posted by Rockmunky

plus I am sure they've done the "let's pretend we have no budget" thing before.

I haven't seen it but Wiki tells me they did it for the last episode of series 3

[strider]

Originally Posted by jab

Ditto. I was quite looking forward to it, though I think it would've been better suited had they done 2 separate features, one on the car and one on the signs (although her comment about the car looking like it had been designed by a committee was golden)

I also thought that what she had to say was very interesting.

[mattt]

Originally Posted by Rockmunky

plus I am sure they've done the "let's pretend we have no budget" thing before.

Originally Posted by jab

I haven't seen it but Wiki tells me they did it for the last episode of series 3

I'm sure its been done before, they even resorted to auctioning parts of the set to fill part of the show, i cant quite remember when it was but it was before hammonds crash.

I thought they did the no budget thing better this time. They definately ended the series with the best two episodes imo. although i didnt think the series as a whole was bad, it definately wasn't the best.

[Born Racer]

Just watched it. I love these road trips.

What did you think of Clarkson right on the edge of that Death Road where the rocks were crumbling?!

[johnh875]

Yep noticed that - if Clarkson noticed the rocks falling from under his wheel & still kept going he is stupid not just brave. I would have been reversing to find a slightly wider bit of road to pass. Ok, if the road collapsed under the tyre the Range Rover would probably settle on the other 3 wheels and perhaps the point where the axle housing rested on the ground unless there was further collapse - but with that drop I would not like to test that theory!

[garcon]

If Clarkson really was on the very edge of a precipice into the abyss, where do you think the cameraman was?

[Born Racer]

I personally think it was a nifty bit of editing.

He didn't look scared enough. For one thing, you would forget about doing your commentary at that point.

[White flag man]

The camera never lies.