Dimrill wrote:
Did anyone watch James May's Toy Stories about Scalextric? It was very good.
Aye, me & my mate* have been watching them. It was an extremely exciting race what with the constant breakdowns & all.*Who's fucked off to Oz for a year & left me to watch shit like this by myself. I need more geeky RL mates
"Or now"?
That was a shit episode.
I thought it was rather good actually. The Lancia stuff was Top Gear at its best, about the love of cars with soul and passion and flaws that you hate and love at the same time.
And I want one of those Stratos replicas.
And I want one of those Stratos replicas.
Too much filler! Why was it *longer* than it used to be? Are they putting in stuff so it can be neatly trimmed out to make it an hour long for the teh internashunals?
DavPaz wrote:
Too much filler! Why was it *longer* than it used to be? Are they putting in stuff so it can be neatly trimmed out to make it an hour long for the teh internashunals?
Dave.
Dimrill wrote:
DavPaz wrote:
Too much filler! Why was it *longer* than it used to be? Are they putting in stuff so it can be neatly trimmed out to make it an hour long for the teh internashunals?
Dave.
Yes?
DavPaz wrote:
Too much filler! Why was it *longer* than it used to be?
Is it so that Jeremy Clarkson gets more money?
The *proper* Stratos was pure filth... mid engined, mid corner lift-off, end-swapping-tastic: an X/19 on steriods. Imagine any manufacturer producing such a tricky handling car these days, the Health & Saftety Brigade would have a field day!
Sadly, I've never seen one on the road, though.
Sadly, I've never seen one on the road, though.
DavPaz wrote:
Too much filler! Why was it *longer* than it used to be? Are they putting in stuff so it can be neatly trimmed out to make it an hour long for the teh internashunals?
The budget cuts are evident. That was certainly one of the "cheap" episodes.
Also I'm starting to find the fakery and falseness of it a little too much.
I give it 3 more years.
I can't imagine the airship caravan was especially cheap, it seemed a bit odd though that bit. Normally they'd have some sort of section on building the thing.
markg wrote:
I can't imagine the airship caravan was especially cheap,
A wild stab in the dark is that they borrowed it.
The tiresome and predictable sequence around the airport got on my nerves as well. Is this Top Gear or Tales Of The Unexpected?
... oops, I actually thought the airport scene was a 'real' cockup too. Gah, I'm pretty gullible, then. 
I did love the Lancia stuff though; that's what TG should be all about: misguided, subjective passion about all things (proper) cars. (Even though they hate Porsches, the swines).
I did love the Lancia stuff though; that's what TG should be all about: misguided, subjective passion about all things (proper) cars. (Even though they hate Porsches, the swines).
Eh? Hammond loves Porsches and May seemed to be driving one in his own series.
The airship was filmed from presumably, a helicopter, right? So I guess the chopper violated Norwich Airport too? I wish they'd quit some of the scripted stuff. Or at least take acting classes.
I've always got the impression the Porsche hatred was a Clarkson thing, as May and Hammond seem to like them well enough. Last night, you just had a comment from Chris Evans, who is a very notorious Ferrari nut.
markg wrote:
Eh? Hammond loves Porsches and May seemed to be driving one in his own series.
That's true, you're right, Hammond likes his Porkers... didn't know about May though, thought he was a Fiat Panda kinda guy. Clarkson hates 'em with a passion, though, for reason(s) that I've never been able to ascertain fully, less still fathom.
I suppose a Porsche isn't the obvious choice, if you can only drive in straight lines (unless you're on an airstrip), eh Jezza!
Captain Caveman wrote:
markg wrote:
Eh? Hammond loves Porsches and May seemed to be driving one in his own series.
That's true, you're right, Hammond likes his Porkers... didn't know about May though, thought he was a Fiat Panda kinda guy.
Here you go:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/col ... rsche.html
The plan was to land the airship in the middle of a cricket match but it went wrong hence the proper crash at the end:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6247486/Top-Gear-caravan-stunt-backfires.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6247486/Top-Gear-caravan-stunt-backfires.html
chinnyhill10 wrote:
The tiresome and predictable sequence around the airport got on my nerves as well. Is this Top Gear or Tales Of The Unexpected?
Didn't you know that this programme became Last of the Summer Wine about 2 series ago now? To be fair, they should rename the show "Three Old Men in Crazy Travelling Adventure Time". Next week they're racing tin baths down a hill.
Two series ago? It's pretty much been like that since they started the latest format, surely. Just with much higher budgets and worse acting.
I still think it's entertaining enough, just not as good as people have made out, and SIARPC is invariably tedious. In my view, they should do more things like the Lancia stuff last night; for me, that was a real return to form. For a start, it concerned interesting and rare cars, enough to warm the cockles of any true petrolhead.
I still think it's entertaining enough, just not as good as people have made out, and SIARPC is invariably tedious. In my view, they should do more things like the Lancia stuff last night; for me, that was a real return to form. For a start, it concerned interesting and rare cars, enough to warm the cockles of any true petrolhead.
Mixed show tonight. I giggled at the airport racing, and, being me, I loved the 4x4 test. Guy Ritchie came across as a twat (winching? What the fuck is he talking about?) and you'll notice that the reasonably priced car changed numberplates during his lap, which probably means he couldn't actually complete one. Loved the Fiat test though.
Grim... wrote:
Mixed show tonight. I giggled at the airport racing, and, being me, I loved the 4x4 test. Guy Ritchie came across as a twat (winching? What the fuck is he talking about?) and you'll notice that the reasonably priced car changed numberplates during his lap,
Not only that but the ever changing weather conditions between shots!
I liked the airport truck racing, the 4x4 stuff and the twingo test. I always go and do something else when the "star" is on.
I liked the Twingo test thought the 4x4 test was fucking crap ("here's some cars that are all pointless and shit and identical to ones we've discussed before, let's talk about them for twenty minutes"), thought the airport racing was meh and thought the scripted ad-libs felt more forced than ever. After seeing repeats on Dave it's not just that I'm getting bored of it, those ones still made me laugh. I still enjoy it though and would rather it was on than not but it isn't nearly as good as it used to be.
I fully intend to watch this on iplayer sometime during today. I mean... why not, eh?
DavPaz wrote:
I fully intend to watch this on iplayer sometime during today. I mean... why not, eh?
Because everyone's saying it was a bit naff? Even Grim... made some negative comments about it!
I enjoyed it.
Th3Mull3dW1n0K1d wrote:
DavPaz wrote:
I fully intend to watch this on iplayer sometime during today. I mean... why not, eh?
Because everyone's saying it was a bit naff? Even Grim... made some negative comments about it!
Let me put it this way... I've got nothing better to be doing.
I'm glad to be vindicated. I always thought it was shit.
You aren't vindicated. It's a Steve Martin situation, not a Red Dwarf one, it did used to be funny.
GhostofChristmasBeex wrote:
You aren't vindicated. It's a Red Dwarf situation, not a Steve Martin one, it did used to be funny.
Feex.
No, I'm pretty sure that this was debated at length some time ago and the forum agreed that Red Dwarf was always shite. Unless when it was first screened you were seven years old or younger or suffered from some sort of learning difficulty.
GhostofChristmasBeex wrote:
No, I'm pretty sure that this was debated at length some time ago and the forum agreed that Red Dwarf was always shite. Unless when it was first screened you were seven years old or younger or suffered from some sort of learning difficulty.
Wait, run that by me again... I'm a bit slow...
GhostofChristmasBeex wrote:
No, I'm pretty sure that this was debated at length some time ago and the forum agreed that Red Dwarf was always shite. Unless when it was first screened you were seven years old or younger or suffered from some sort of learning difficulty.
I think you'll find that the forum didn't agree. In fact I recall the debate changing precisely no-one's mind about Red Dwarf. Those that hated it couldn't allow those that like it to enjoy it though.
DavPaz wrote:
GhostofChristmasBeex wrote:
No, I'm pretty sure that this was debated at length some time ago and the forum agreed that Red Dwarf was always shite. Unless when it was first screened you were seven years old or younger or suffered from some sort of learning difficulty.
I think you'll find that the forum didn't agree.
Shocker.
And it wasn't shit at all (talking about Top Gear again). Just because it wasn't as good as previous weeks doesn't stop it being one of the best things on TV.
Last night's show was a bit 'meh', but I do still think it's a fantastic show - certainly it's the only programme on television that I make any kind of effort to watch. I think the problem is that the show has been running in it's existing form for so long, it's difficult to think what other silly challenges and stuff they can really come up with without repeating things they've already done.
Grim... wrote:
And it wasn't shit at all (talking about Top Gear again). Just because it wasn't as good as previous weeks doesn't stop it being one of the best things on TV.
Basically,
Grim... wrote:
Just because it's shit doesn't stop it being one of the best things on TV.
FTFY
Ross Kemp in the boot was brilliant.
Not as good as it used to be (the budget has clearly shrunk), but still ace. And Top Gear gets consistent extra marks for being extraordinarily pro-UK Forces.
Not as good as it used to be (the budget has clearly shrunk), but still ace. And Top Gear gets consistent extra marks for being extraordinarily pro-UK Forces.
Dear God, I was almost turning inside out with jealousy during the Bolivian special.
I would love to do that.
I would love to do that.
Grim... wrote:
Dear God, I was almost turning inside out with jealousy during the Bolivian special.
I would love to do that.
I would love to do that.
But even you would struggle to afford the 3 Winnebago's and huge support crew that were just out of shot.
Just proving how staged the entire thing was, the one time something real happened (May driving into a well) the cameras were not running and there was no crew around! Yet when Clarkson was squeezing past the people carrier near the waterfall there were cameras covering it from every conceivable angle including some not quite matching cut aways of rocks falling down the cliff face.
In many ways The Long Way Round was far more entertaining despite less happening on an episode to episode basis because it was real. If Top Gear isn't careful people are going to start turning against it. It needs to get its feet back on the ground pronto.
Yeah, I'm finding I can suspend my disbelief no longer with some of their stunts. And I watch WWE!
chinnyhill10 wrote:
If Top Gear isn't careful people are going to start turning against it. It needs to get its feet back on the ground pronto.
I doubt it. 'People' would still watch it if it was simply Clarkson sitting in a car on in front of a paying audience, going "RAAAH!", and revving the engine excessively, and the audience cheering and waving Top Gear banners.
kalmar wrote:
chinnyhill10 wrote:
If Top Gear isn't careful people are going to start turning against it. It needs to get its feet back on the ground pronto.
I doubt it. 'People' would still watch it if it was simply Clarkson sitting in a car on in front of a paying audience, going "RAAAH!", and revving the engine excessively, and the audience cheering and waving Top Gear banners.
It is probably mentioned somewhere in the x no. of pages that I'm not reading, but there were very loud rumours about it be cancelled due to significantly lower viewing figures for the last two series. And not in the same vein as the rumours which Clarkson himself put out a while back saying that it would be the end, seemingly to cause outrage.
chinnyhill10 wrote:
In many ways The Long Way Round was far more entertaining despite less happening on an episode to episode basis because it was real.
The Long Way Round was excellent because, as you said, for most of the time it was just the three of them on bikes, genuinely struggling in the environment.
The Long Way Down, however, was utter fucking tosh featuring three bikes followed for most of the journey by Russ fucking What's-his-face in the convoy of trucks. Not to mention they'd set such a ridiculously tight schedule for the entire trip they had no time to do anything but ride. Funnily enough, the riding was the least enjoyable part of The Long Way Round.
Long way down was a better book than programme. The book cut through all the 'Meh, we're so tired' and also skipped almost all the europe section and gave a fairly decent account.
I've been given the Charley Boorman book from the new series as a christmas present. I hope it is better than the TV programme, which I gave up half way through episode two.
I've been given the Charley Boorman book from the new series as a christmas present. I hope it is better than the TV programme, which I gave up half way through episode two.
Just got round to watching the latest episode, and: wow, a celebrity section that wasn't insufferably smug, pluggy and boring.