Top Gear Season 12 [Archive]

Streeteh

02-11-2008, 19:43

So it's back, tonight (Sunday the 2nd of November) at 8pm. Looks very good from the promo video which includes double decker ralley cross and possible footage of the Veyron finally getting onto the Top Gear test track

series 12 promo :
http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/series-12-promo#/uk/videos-by-category?VideoCategory=Popular

Haly

02-11-2008, 19:45

V+ is set ready :D
Hope it's better than the last season, was a bit disappointed in places and it was too short.

Streeteh

02-11-2008, 19:53

V+ is set ready :D
Hope it's better than the last season, was a bit disappointed in places and it was too short.

Don't panic, that's standard. They typically have a season aired in the summer which is obviously filmed mostly during the winter which is more car orientated. The winter season (filmed mostly in the summer) is the one that typically has more wacky stuff and (hopefully) a top gear 'adventure' episode.

Haly

02-11-2008, 20:02

Don't panic, that's standard. They typically have a season aired in the summer which is obviously filmed mostly during the winter which is more car orientated. The winter season (filmed mostly in the summer) is the one that typically has more wacky stuff and (hopefully) a top gear 'adventure' episode.

I didn't mean because it was more car orientated :p I liked that :D Just seemed to lack a certain something I couldn't put my finger on, it felt a little stilted in places.
Might have just been me though. :)

Mark

02-11-2008, 22:03

Read more about the ending (BBC News) (spoiler) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7704928.stm)

Del Lardo

02-11-2008, 23:23

Pretty poor episode :(

Hope it gets better.

vix

02-11-2008, 23:26

TinkerBell

02-11-2008, 23:49

Pretty poor episode :(

Hope it gets better.

:confused: I throughly enjoyed it and thought that it was hilarious!!

Del Lardo

02-11-2008, 23:52

I liked it more than the first ep of the last series. It has potential. Seems to be a lot of good road trips.

Were they at Bedford Autodrome with the trucks? I assumed they were but didn't realise it was like that :/ Decided not to apply for a job there two weeks ago and now I want to!

It's the big testing place whose name now eludes me just down the road.

Bedford is just an airfield circuit (though one of my favs) so no hills.

Pebs

03-11-2008, 00:21

THoroughly entertaining! It's a shame it's become so scripted but all the same, good fun :)

Haly

03-11-2008, 00:26

I liked it :) Sooo obviously scripted but entertaining.
Parky interview went on a bit long for my liking though.

Psymonkee

03-11-2008, 00:35

I liked Parky :)

Eating ice cream whilst watching that was tricky though :)

Mark

03-11-2008, 03:45

Yup, same here. I probably wouldn't watch it if it was all cars, but as it's mostly three blokes making complete fools of themselves, and that makes it worth my license fee. :)

Streeteh

03-11-2008, 09:36

Much better start than last season imo. As people have said, it's a shame it is so clearly scripted but there you go.

Stan_Lite

03-11-2008, 10:17

I thoroughly enjoyed it. I laughed through most of the truck challenge. I thought the Parky interview was very good.

It did seem a bit less spontaneous than before but still good fun.

Justsomebloke

03-11-2008, 10:29

Pretty poor episode :(

Hope it gets better.

Pretty poor episode :(

Hope it gets better.

That's what i came in to say :(
The only way I can describe how it was to watch for me was as if my telly was Lagging :huh: Seriously there seemed to be gaps between the links & between sentences the whole thing was like some amatuer drama night or summit.
It confused me for a while & I sat there thinking, Jeez this Green is good but No it was deffo the show, Not Fluid at all & it looked like it was the first time they'd ever done the show or present :(

Justsomebloke

03-11-2008, 10:30

That's what i came in to say :(
The only way I can describe how it was to watch for me was as if my telly was Lagging :huh: Seriously there seemed to be gaps between the links & between sentences the whole thing was like some amatuer drama night or summit.
It confused me for a while & I sat there thinking, Jeez this Green is good but No it was deffo the show, Not Fluid at all & it looked like it was the first time they'd ever done the show or present :(

Edit.
Double quotage Dodgyness, Never had that before :huh:

;D;D;D Kin ell I shouldn't puff this early in the mornings ;D;D;D

Del Lardo

10-11-2008, 14:27

Edit.
Double quotage Dodgyness, Never had that before :huh:

;D;D;D Kin ell I shouldn't puff this early in the mornings ;D;D;D

2nd best time of the day, sets you up nicely :evil:

Really enjoyed this week. The bit in the US was very natural (i.e. didn't feel scripted) as it was 3 friends enjoying themselves and the end result was a factual ;) article. The Fiat 500 test was fun though I was very suprised that it was faster than the Elise until I remembered that the Elise went round in monsoon conditions.

Haly

10-11-2008, 14:37

I enjoyed it too :D
Was impressed by the Fiat 500, I'd much rather have an Elise though :p

Streeteh

10-11-2008, 16:30

GRARGHGHG! Double post, sorry.

Streeteh

10-11-2008, 16:30

Jeremys 'apology' for this (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article5081378.ece) was hilarious. Perfect delivery :D

Haly

10-11-2008, 18:07

Yup ;D

leowyatt

10-11-2008, 20:59

Just watching it now and I so want that Charger :(

Del Lardo

10-11-2008, 23:36

Lotus forums have been rather busy today as people have been into work only to be confronted with piss taking collegues pointing out that a Fiat 500 is faster than their sporty bathtub.

For the doubters the Elise lap can been seen here (http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=8sbV0LFm6Mg) and it is very wet. JC/The Stig recons rain is worth 4 secs which would take it down to NSX-R level though there are several S2 111s owners who have driven the TG track (Lotus specialist based at Dunsfold where TG is filmed) and done sub 1m 30s laps in the dry.

EDIT: The clip also shows what a poor driver Clarkson is :D

cheets

11-11-2008, 02:34

Del Lardo

11-11-2008, 03:05

Nerds much :D

Guilty as charged :o

Del Lardo

17-11-2008, 13:39

Really enjoyed last nights episode. The Finish section was interesting and really demonstrated what's wrong with learning to drive and general driving standards in the UK.

The modded Vel Satis section was quite funny though I wish they'd got a saloon car to start with to give them a geniune chance of beating the Evo X. Something like a Mundano or a BMW 5-series would have been a good base car, hell you can pick up a ST220 or 528 for £5k nowadays.

Will

17-11-2008, 14:35

I thought last night's epidose was very poor. The only interesting bit was seeing James May drive to a pretty high standard which was cool, I look forward to him driving the supercar next week.

Mark Walberg's a complete ****er and I found him irritating to watch.

The Avantime feature was ridiculous and they actually made no effort to beat the time at all.

I can't remember the rest of the show as I was quite bored by it.

Last week's episode was great fun though.

Mark

17-11-2008, 15:30

Seems like Top Gear (or Top Clown :)) is getting to be rather like Marmite. ;D

Haven't seen last night's yet though.

iCraig

17-11-2008, 16:23

Still good but not as good as last weeks. SIARPC was crap and the V8 blender was alright, but too contrived, the jokes were too obvious with the banter about Clarkson having a V8 blender were too obvious.

Best bit was May's feature (which is rare ;D) and it goes to show what sort of driving standards should be applied. I haven't researched yet, but I'm guessing Finland have excellent road safery statistics?

A Place of Light

17-11-2008, 19:19

I only caught the last few minutes of the show, and I have to ask what the hell they did to that avantime?
It certainly sounded fairly meaty and, for a few seconds, I thought it was that mad F1 Espace that Renault showcased a while back.

Haly

18-11-2008, 00:16

Really enjoyed the James May bit.
Mark Wahlberg interview was crap though.

Haly

15-12-2008, 23:45

Star in a reasonably priced car is getting really crap this series :( I watch Top Gear for cars, not Tom Jones plugging his new single. :rolleyes:

Psymonkee

15-12-2008, 23:49

Best SIARPC was Boris Johnson merely as he wasn't pimping something.

Will

16-12-2008, 08:27

I found most of this season reasonably poor tbh. There have been some good comedy moments but overall not that great. :(

Justsomebloke

16-12-2008, 09:46

Star in a reasonably priced car is getting really crap this series :( I watch Top Gear for cars, not Tom Jones plugging his new single. :rolleyes:

I Completely agree, I was well ****** off when he Blatantly said "I am here because I have a new album out" Cheeky ******* it's a ******* car prog **** off :angry: + ;D
This years show is just to scripted & wooden, God knows where the fluidity has gone :(

Haly

16-12-2008, 12:32

I Completely agree, I was well ****** off when he Blatantly said "I am here because I have a new album out" Cheeky ******* it's a ******* car prog **** off :angry: + ;D
This years show is just to scripted & wooden, God knows where the fluidity has gone :(

Exactly! People used to go on it because they wanted to do well round the track, or to beat a certain time. Now they just don't care because it's yet another place they go to plug something. :/

I found most of this season reasonably poor tbh. There have been some good comedy moments but overall not that great. :(

It has been pretty poor :( Been quite disappointed as it's one of the few TV shows I enjoy.

Burble

16-12-2008, 13:57

I'm still thoroughly enjoying watching it. I'll admit that it isn't as great as it used to be but compared to all the other tripe on TV these days, TG is a bit of light hearted amusement. The presenters don't take themselves too seriously unlike a lot of the viewing public.

Kainz

16-12-2008, 14:29

I do agree about the Car/Star comments. It is seriously getting dire, even moreso then before. Having said that, the legend that is Borriiiissss was superb and made me lawl a lot.

TG is obviously going down the predictable path but there is one thing I do enjoy immensely - the quality filming and camera work. I have never seen any other show presented so well.

divine

16-12-2008, 14:44

All of the 'accidents' are completely scripted and you see them coming a mile off. It used to be funny because it was spontaneous and funny, not because someone said 'what would be really funny now?'

I don't agree. I don't think that sort of stuff was ever actually any better, we just hadn't seen it for 8 series previously. I go back and watch it and it is just as scripted and predictable feeling as it is now. You can still jokes etc. coming a mile off, just now we're more used to it.

I think rose tinted specs of a 'golden age' are partly to blame too.

I still thoroughly enjoy it though and its still easily one of my must watch weekly programs.

Haly

16-12-2008, 14:49

I think rose tinted specs of a 'golden age' are partly to blame too.

Having spent most of the summer watching repeats on Dave, not in my case :p

But the only thing I'm especially critical of is Star in a Reasonably Priced Car which has always been a bit hit and miss. It's lacked a certain something this series (I thought the same with the last series) but I wouldn't necessarily blame the scripting because like you said, it's always been heavily scripted.

divine

16-12-2008, 15:11

Have you considered that you're seeing them differently because of how it is now?

Surely that would just back up my point, ie. it's because it's been seen so much it has become predictable? If they were truly spontaneous there wouldn't be any predictability to see regardless.

I'm honestly of the opinion if you could switch round a recent series and an old one, the old one would be the one getting slated for being predictable now instead.

I honestly don't see much of a change, it has always been like this, just now it's been like for so long you notice it more.

Also, SIARPC needs to die and has needed to die for a long long time.