Matt LeBlanc handed £1.5m to front next two series of Top Gear

Re: Episodes

Indeed, I can only hope they quietly get rid of Eddie Jordan before he does any more damage. He was terrible on Top Gear and he makes the F1 coverage worse.

Re: Episodes

Yep. Eddie looked as if someone's granddad had wandered onto the set by mistake.

Re: If it sells he'll be worth the money

Evans was sabotaged, by himself bottling it, the previous team refusing to adapt, or BBC management being idiots. Someone refused to change up the show, and I can't figure out which.

It was blindingly obvious that he was never going to work in a slow paced, wink-and-nod, show like Jeremy and co's Top Gear. He's just not that kind of presenter. He's the king of facepaced, chaotic shows.

Why he didn't transform it to his strengths, I'll never know. It would have been great, and it would have alienated plenty of people I'm sure, too! But at least it wouldn't have been that trainwreck!

Re: If it sells he'll be worth the money

It wont work because TG was more than a "name" and format. It was an amalgamation of the original 3, silly ideas and chemistry. They would have been better off spending the 1.5million on developing a new format rather than trying to compete with the old TG.

1.5mil for one presenter though. Fucking fuck that's a waste of money.

Re: EJ

EJ definitely does like *racing*, whatever about liking cars as such. He was a former F3 and F2 driver, and (according to wiki) a McLaren tester, before being a team boss.

I wonder if they're using him the right way? I didn't watch much of him on the new Top Gear, but there should be plenty of scope for hilarious stories based on the old pro running rings around the new guys, especially if they got their hands on some old F3 cars from the 70s.

Re: EJ

I'm also not 100% convinced that having two stars to interview/race was a good idea either.

I suspect this is where the accountants came in. Making such a show costs money, and the longer you can make the waffly bits, the less you have to spend on the show (important consideration of you just ended up with a £50M hole in your budget that you can't really ask the license payer to fill). People don't watch the show for deep insight into the (car)life of the stars, and that segment just had too much prominence. It's a good thing fewer people were watching, because I think that would have become the kettle segment: the time you realise that you won't miss much when making a cup of tea..

Speaking of accountants - would it not be better to take the best bits out of the actual show and the "background" episode which was really just another show segment?

I've never really been a fan of Chris Evans as I don't like his voice and his extravert personality, but he's given it at least a go (well, for good money I'd imagine). That said, not only do I have to give him thumbs up for broadcasting the "stop because I need to barf" segment when Sabine Schmitz showed him what real driving is, using an Audi (and, let's be honest, it IS harder as a passenger), I also think he was predestined to fail. He had to find a middle ground between taking over a show with established personalities and quirks and somehow give it a new spin (pardon the pun) without changing it so much that it was no longer Top Gear, and without making it a "Chris Evans and other people" type show, which would work more with his personality.

I might not like the guy, but hat off for trying - it was never easy. At least they now know what doesn't work - a process that also took a few years for the previous team..

Re: arguably the UK’s most famous ginger man

Rupert Grint, Frankie Boyle, Tim Minchin...

In fact.. just get Boyle in to do a guest episode. I'd watch topgear for that.

Re: arguably the UK’s most famous ginger man

Chris Evans, Prince Harry, Rupert Grint, Frankie Boyle. Zzzzzz.

If you want to have a Ginger, I have a suggestion.

Re: So...

Let's hope not. That LeBlanc isn't as bad as Evans won't fix things; it needs a kick up the arse just to get it back into third gear.

Evans was dire, 'kid's show' and shouty, the rest just so-so, set dressing. Eddie Jordan could have been replaced by the proverbial tub of lard. The 'road trips' were inane. The 'Star in a RPC' segment became dull and stupid. The interviews tedious. Above all, it felt contrived with none of the past sparkle.

It seemed like they were dragging a dead carcass around, trying to pretend it was still alive. I can watch any old crap but that doesn't make me a viewer.

I gave it a chance. I more often than not ended up fast-forwarding 85%, watching about 15%. And it never held its own against old re-runs of TG on Dave.

Re: So...

More Chris Harris is always welcome as far as I'm concerned. In fact, the TG Extra that he and Rory were doing was probably the best bit of the last season of Top Gear.

Re: Still Undecided

In partial defence of C4 as I totally agree with your thoughts about that other show (which was a totally different set of circumstances) ..

The BBC clearly didn't want F1 and were trying to do so in as quick a way as possible. So C4 picking it up has been a very good thing indeed. Whilst they haven't done quite as well as the BBC did in previous years, their coverage hasn't been too bad and also their live race sessions are broadcast advert-free (which wouldn't happen if a more commercial terrestrial channel picked it up).

With regards to EJ, he is essential viewing in the F1, his knowledge and insight is second to none (I don't believe any rumour until he has repeated it) but in TG he was totally wasted - not that I suppose he minded being paid to travel 1st class on the orient express.

Re: Still Undecided

@I like heckling : C4 is publicly owned, but self funds from advertising and other activities. Hasn't had any government money in a long time.

Re: Still Undecided

> Whilst the 2 proper motoring journos were a breath of fresh air.

The only 2 credible car people on the show are Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz. Chris is both an excellent driver and seriously knows about cars. Sabine is genuinely quick at least around the Nurburgring. The rest are just talentless space-filling "celebs" that can't drive properly, don't know too much, and have absolutely zero valuable insights to share. Given EJ won the Irish Kart Championship in 1971 and used to race in Formula Ford before he managed his Formula 1 team, I really expected more from him than some boring senile old duffer that clearly can't even drive safely on the road any more. After season 1 I have literally no idea WTF he's even doing on the show.

They should have just given the show to Chris and Sabine. Sorry but Matt LeBlanc doesn''t cut it either. At least he might have been bought some good humour to the show, but for most of Season 1 he looked like he was on antidepressants.

Re: If Chris Evans had stayed

Because of the increased likelihood of him being run over by one?

Re: If Chris Evans had stayed

Couldn't stand him on Radio 2 when he took over from Terry Wogan, and refused to watch any Top Gear episodes even out of curiosity as I didn't want to inflate the viewing figures.

Presume that they are now going to be repeated on Dave - but if I fast forward the ads as well as the bits with him in, will there be anything left to watch?

I thought so.

His biggest problem was playing second fiddle to Evans. While Evans seemed to be trying to channel Clarkson, and failing abysmally (as well as just being an annoying twat*), LeBlanc was just being himself - and seemed to be getting more comfortable presenting as the series went on.

^{* I enjoyed Don't Forget Your Toothbrush - but I was a lot younger then. I've found him annoying ever since, though.}

Re: Seriously tough...

Give me your phone number, I'll let you smell me.

Re: Seriously tough...

No but your comment reminds me of what comes out the other side.