OK. Good to know I'm not completely alone. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it for a few years now but I'll catch the star in a car bit on youtube if it's someone I'm interested in.
I know what you mean. It's gotten to a point where you know throughout the length of the show how scripted it is. And with the huge budget they've got, they're only doing about 12 episodes a year now but they're constantly filled with explosions and crashes and doing the same old testing every week of a $500,000 Italian supercar. I miss the days when they'd take a Veyron up against a Cessna across Europe or a four-way race across London between a car, a bike, a boat, and a stair-confused Stig on public transport.
I missed the days when they used to test cars (normal cars) in a fun way, therefore combing humour and info. Yes seeing a supercar is very cool and exciting because most of us will never own one. However, it grates after a while. As Ninja says, it's just ridiculously scripted now. The 'Challenges' never really excited me as all of that was clearly scripted as well. Are we meant to believe that the BBC lay 30 different camera crews along the route from the start to the finish just to film Clarkson belt past them at 90mph? Logistically, it's just too hard. All that BBC money could have been spent on F1.
Actually it's that kind of arrant pointlessness that turned me off. I used to enjoy it prior to that - in the days of Tiff Needell and Quentin Wilson when it was more about information than comedy.
Fifth Gear is what you want. They tested the Kia Rio 1.1 diesel and new Nissan Micra recently. They still do some fun stuff as well but they are getting the balance just about right. Top Gear is just a pure entertainment program now, but is starting to get a bit pointless and too detached from reality. Also pissed of that the sketch with the flying wing man as also on the xmas dvd. Why then show it on the a weekly episdoe, or are they now just running out of ideas?
I do still quite like Top Gear but I watch it purely as light entertainment. I know its scripted but that doesn't bother me in the same way as House and Sherlock is scripted, which is obviously fine. I guess thats because I only see it as a entertainment program. I do miss the £100 car challenges etc.
Damn you Genji! Was just about to post that! I've made my feelings on Top Gear clear before, however I will be watching this when it's broadcast!
