Oh Tom, it's boring now. Perhaps Clattenberg should have been sacked at half time of the FA Cup final for not being great??
Not watched the latest but the first season of Top Gear version 2 had a different third presenter (in place of May I think) so they didn't get the formula right immediately either. Tom makes a fair point though. Version 2 wasn't trying to replace an incredibly successful show. Version 3 is and, because of that, modest success may well be considered failure.
You have a supporter in The Guardian Tom! https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-...-574b3dc7e4b006af16bc1b74#liveblog-navigation
Big difference. Clattenburg had one moment to make the decisions. Top Gear had months to get this right. It just does not work.
Top Gear - I was surprised the format was relatively unchanged. There were a couple of good tweaks - changing the course for the lap for one. I had expected a big overhaul. I thought Evans was just trying too hard and clearly there isn't quite the chemistry yet but jeez, that takes time. They need to be given time for that to happen. Clarkson and gang revolved to where they got to. I thought the acoustics in the studio bits were off; seemed a little strange and made it sound tinny and cheap. It wasn't great, but not as bad as some are making out. My biggest disappointment was that it wasn't that much different.
That's one of the biggest things for me (apart from Evans). It felt cheap like a straight to dvd remake.
Tom you are so Black and white sometimes. You were never going to let it work. You love Clarkson and nobody else would be the same. You love Clattenberg and he can do no wrong. Clattenberg didn't get his job right that day and you think Evans didn't on this. Still a fair comparison. Sometimes mate you need to just let things happen and give things a chance. You need to soften your black and white view as you go through life. I don't think Top Gear was instantly brilliant under Clarkson. They grew into the role.
The first Clarkson one's were pretty awful, and James May wasn't even there back then. Le Blanc seems to be good in the film segments but awkward in the studio. It'll get better, I'm sure, but the hope that Evans calms down is likely a forlorn one.
Agree about Le Blanc and he'll get more relaxed. They need to talk to Evans to calm down, but presumably first series recorded now.
Was quite interesting to hear that apparently they've had real problems with getting Evans talking to camera whilst driving. By all accounts he finds it really hard, whereas that was a stroll for Clarkson. Now think what you may about Clarkson the man etc, but watching that just now does make you realise he's bloody good at this lark.
Like you said the studio segments looked and sounded bad. The audience were placed in weird areas. The guest segment was a mess. Ramsey looked like he was sat their thinking what the **** is going on. Hopefully they sort it out as like I said two good car shows are better then one.
