Top Gear

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Why is it that, on a programme devoted to car enthusiasts, the sounds of the cars, (a great part of the enjoyment potential), are drowned out by what some people would describe as "music" ?

 

Why is it that, on a programme devoted to car enthusiasts, the lead presenter makes great play, for contrived "comic effect", of not understanding basic technical details such as the operation of differential gears?

 

Why is it that, on a programme devoted to car enthusiasts, far and away the most entertaining person on the show is an actor who cannot drive to save his life but obviously knows more about differential gears than the professed lead presenter and has a corner named after him? (The second most entertaining person on the show was the young lady in the grey shirt whose, ahem, features appeared immediately behind said actors head in the audience shots....).

 

Thank you, I feel very much better now.

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[lukeage 0]

Sounds like a letter sent to 'Points of View' :)

[veeDuB_Rado 0]

Why is it that, on a programme devoted to car enthusiasts, the sounds of the cars, (a great part of the enjoyment potential), are drowned out by what some people would describe as "music" ?

 

Why is it that, on a programme devoted to car enthusiasts, the lead presenter makes great play, for contrived "comic effect", of not understanding basic technical details such as the operation of differential gears?

 

Why is it that, on a programme devoted to car enthusiasts, far and away the most entertaining person on the show is an actor who cannot drive to save his life but obviously knows more about differential gears than the professed lead presenter and has a corner named after him? (The second most entertaining person on the show was the young lady in the grey shirt whose, ahem, features appeared immediately behind said actors head in the audience shots....).

 

Thank you, I feel very much better now.

 

Best wishes

 

RB

 

That is, EXACTLY the same with what I think.

[_Monkey 0]

Just as well I missed it then!!!:lol:

[Guest]

missed it too.

 

repeats on tomorrow right?

[.Rich. 0]

Last nights was one of the worst ive seen. BORING.

[Blue_Joe 0]

Why is it that said car enthusiasts can't actually just watch the programmes for purely the entertainment value that they are intended to provide. Let's face it it never has for some years been a serious programme dedicated to the incatracies of the workings of each car. They have always been a "is it fast - lets have fun with it"

 

Just either watch it and enjoy or don't!

 

Not having a big dig! Just hate the whole points of view thing!

[CoxyLaad 0]

I thought it was canny funny. I was very interested in the P2 mind, makes a good play for 4wd given the correct controller.

[chrishill 0]

fancy having a bash at a homebrew version of the p2's diff system then coxy? I dont think accelerometers are 'too' expensive ;)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Why is it that said car enthusiasts can't actually just watch the programmes for purely the entertainment value that they are intended to proved. Let's face it it never has for some years been a serious programme dedicated to the incatracies of the workings of each car. They have always been a "is it fast - lets have fun with it"

 

Just either watch it and enjoy or don't!

 

Not having a big dig! Just hate the whole points of view thing!

 

Agreed!

 

As car enthusiasts we do know how things work, but the whole point of TG is the entertainment/comedy value :-) The BBC selected 3 bafoons to present it, two of which know nothing about cars, which is what makes it so entertaining...imo! And Clarkson doesn't hold back if a car is sheeeite :-)

 

Wasn't overly impressed with the P2. The drivetrain shunting looked awful. I think the tidiest lap I've seen so far was in the Exige.

 

The C6's ride quality looked impressive, shame about the rest of it!

[chrishill 0]

I quite enjoied it, Gambon was entertaining, a much better interviewee than most of the people they normally have on.. the homosexual thing had be in stiches, as did james may in lycra. Loved the sound of the p2, didnt like the styling though. aimed at the max power lot I think.

 

BTW - 16v - that sigs not great for office forum viewing!

[bcstudent 0]

And Clarkson doesn't hold back if a car is sheeeite

'Clarkson doesn't hold back if he thinks a car is sheeeite'. I'd like to bet that I'd struggle to find anything wrong with 99% of the performance cars he doesn't like!

[H8RRA 0]

its a comedy show as much as a car show - the likes of fifth gear have supposed experts with more "traditional" report features but i like top gear because it is the way it is - just a group of petrolheads having a laugh.

 

do you really want to know how good your car is at football!? or do you accept it for the reason the feature was put together - a bit of a laugh and doing things that you'd love to do but can't.

 

i personally didn't miss the irony in the discussion about the traction control but i think some people have. the complexity of the system and the overall ability of prodrive in producing such a system that would baffle the average punter was the point of that clip that clarkson is being derided for.

 

...i mean really, what was the value of car winter olypmics and ski-jumping, rocket propelled mini's???!!!

 

- i'm really disappointed there wasn't more detail of the type of rocket fuel used to propel the mini and an in depth analysis of the ski's & the angle of attack of the mini when airborne etc. blahblahblha 8)

[Andy665 0]

Shame that the P2 will never built - built purely to showcase the anti-lag and differential systems. Its actually built around the firewall and frontal structure of a Subaru small hatchback that is not sold in the UK - looked like a very impressive bit of kit

[CoxyLaad 0]

god harra man you are such an anorak :lol:

what a boring bastad lol :lol:

[Guest]

I still liked the spisode where Carol Verderman had to explain to Clarkson what the difference between a Super Charger and a Turbo Charger was, he just shrugged

[craigowl 0]

I think the style of programs like Top Gear today is all to do with the low esteem with which science is held today by the majority of viewers.

The derogatory terms "geek" and "anorak" were even created in recent decades to classify anyone with a keen interest in technical matters.

 

Decades ago, programs like Top Gear and Tomorrow's World were mostly done in a very serious style with presenters like Raymond Baxter an ex-squadron leader and Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot - an altogether exemplary British gentleman - but who fitted in entirely with Auntie Beeb's stuffy image.

 

There were no laughs whatsoever as I recall. Spreading the then new Compact Disc with peanut butter before playing it stands out as the zaniest "wheeze" they risked.

 

As we know, many viewers of today have an attention span of 15 seconds and are bored rigid by scientific/technical matters. Clarkson even puts over himself as an ignoramus (he's trying to con us, I'm sure) when it comes to technical matters lest we thing he is a geek. So, having a few laughs at outrageous comments and stunts has to be the way to get people not to switch channels, IMO.

 

Not suggesting that is the case with forum members, many of whom are really clued up, serious minded technical people it would appear!

 

As a person who grew up in an era when science was held in awe, I still, however, like the content of Top Gear most of the time, though last night's did not hold my attention as much as the previous edition.

Playing football with new cars? what a boring and unashamed misuse of the material wealth we enjoy today.

 

I know I'll now be told to "lighten up", of course, but it's all to do with when you were born and raised, really.

[Guest]

good post Craig, I agree 100% mate :)

 

the dumbing down of TV (media in general) seems to be a continuing process, with Big Brother and Pop Idol making millions, and Mr Blobby or some Frog being No. 1 in the charts.

 

I also agree with the Clarkson thing, having seen him on other programmes he does seem to know his stuff, and seems genuinely interested and passionate about engineering, but as you say, I think he wants to come across a bit 'cooler' on Top Gear.

 

I'm a Discovery Channel rather than BB guy, and I hardly ever watch terrestrial TV because of the general mentality on most of the shows.

 

I really couldn't give a toss if Daren Gough can dance, or some other z-list 'celeb' can sing.

 

Still, as long as the masses crave and watch it, it will continue. I see there is an interesting 'Reality' program on house wives who clean to much on Sky now

[Kevin Bacon 5]

['H3R4POR]I'm a Discovery Channel rather than BB guy, and I hardly ever watch terrestrial TV because of the general mentality on most of the shows.

 

I really couldn't give a toss if Daren Gough can dance, or some other z-list 'celeb' can sing.

 

Quality :-) Another man after my own heart 8)

 

All BB et al show is what a bunch of sad Voyeuristic knobbers we are.

 

Gimme a documentary where you actually learn something any day.

[Guest]

my missus loves BB and all that rubbish, but after being shouted down a couple of times she knows she has to watch it at her place, and 'Dave's TV only shows clever programmes!'.

 

One show that was mentioned on here a week ago, and I have been watching for ages is Grumpy Old men, that is by far and away the best programme on TV, I see they have just bought out 'Grumpy Old Women' now, no one saw them cashing in there :roll:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yep, liking both the grumpy men and women shows :-) Have you seen the women one yet? It's very good and poignant :-)

 

I blame Jerry Springer's contrived horsecrap being aired over here for the sharp rise in reality TV shows.

[Dub_nut_g60 0]

got to agree, much prefer the channels that are interesting and informative, Discovery, nat geo etc....

 

Top gear is one of a few programs i watch on 'normal' tele because its highly entertaining and involves something i like!

 

cant understand why people watch shows like BB, why watch a group of people that are struggling to be classed as adults do stupid stuff in a house when theres much more interesting stuff on like 'air crash investigation' 'seconds from disaster' 'how its made' 'massive engines'

 

think im sounding like a 'geek' now!!

[Jim 2]

Quality :-) Another man after my own heart 8)

 

All BB et al show is what a bunch of sad Voyeuristic knobbers we are.

 

Gimme a documentary where you actually learn something any day.

 

Same here mate. Some of the best TV i've seen in recent years was, on a day off ill late last year, some education TV documentation on Isembard Kingdom Brunel! It was really interesting, and I really sat and learned more than morning than I probably had in the past 6 months! Couple that with the recent Planet Earth documentarys with the good old David Attenborough, etc - excellent TV!

 

Far more interesting than watching James Hewitt and Rebecca Loos(e) struggle through some crap music on Pop Idol!

[H8RRA 0]

surely you can enjoy a bit of both? everyone seems to want to pidgeon-hole themselves into "serious, documentary" type or "Dumb-down, crash tv" type.

 

Well, I enjoy a bit of both but don't always want to be watching dry documentaries but enjoy many and also like a bit of dumb-down tv when you see what idiot, cliched nutcases get up to when locked up together trying to rip each other apart (mind you, darren gough dancing or martin platt ice-skating is one step too far for me.)

 

Variety is the spice of life.

 

BTW, not quite up to the standard of kev "the wire" for prolific posting (how many on this thread kev 8) ) but as i've got a new job and handed in my resignation, I feel free in posting more frequently now :)

[StuartFZR400 0]

Yep, liking both the grumpy men and women shows :-) Have you seen the women one yet? It's very good and poignant :-)

 

I blame Jerry Springer's contrived horsecrap being aired over here for the sharp rise in reality TV shows.

 

Grumpy Old Men is cool. Somestimes I sit there and think 'chill out yu grumpy old g*t' and other times I will think 'hell yeh, I agree'. Very funny stuff.

 

Yet the womens one is a mixed bag; while I agree with some stuff, there is 50% that simply has a go at men in general - sexist comments like that visa-versa wouldn't be allowed. And thats my Grumpy Old Man comment for the day :lol:

 

(off topic somewhat) Whatching TG tonight, missed it Sunday.