Top Gear, Evans version, starts Sunday....

[Dec66]

Were there any bicycles on it?

 

[gavroche]

Not impressed with the new TG. Why bring an American as co-host? The show was trying to copy the old one but the chemistry is not there. The audience looked as if they were told what to do . Bring back the old trio I say, they were much, much more enjoyable.Not sure if I will carry on watching it. Sorry BBC, the new TG is not up to scratch.

 

[Doseone]

I really wanted to like it and I don't have a problem with Evans or LeBlanc, but I agree with what others have said - it's the same show with different hosts who are missing the chemistry of the previous hosts.

The format of TG had got tired and this is an opportunity missed to freshen it up. In it's current format I think it will wither on the vine.

 

[Dec66]

This "lack of chemistry" thing; now, I didn't watch tonight's effort (and I wouldn't have done if the other three were still on it), but if you ever catch an early Clarkson/Hammond Top Gear on Dave, you'd think the same about those two; they're like two fellas who've met in an airport bar waiting for the same connecting flight.

Then May pops up and looks pretty lost.

The only way of getting such "chemistry" is time.

I'm sure it'll be all over the TV and papers tomorrow.

 

[The Jogger]

It's an ego tickler for the presenters and Ramsey. Not my cup of tea, I was hoping it would be good.

 

[Brandane]

The only way of getting such "chemistry" is time.

But if I understand this correctly, there is no set team of presenters, so next week might not feature MLeB at all. There is a pool of about 5 or 6 other presenters who will feature alongside Evans at some point. Therefore I wouldn't expect that any sort of chemistry is going to develop. I don't intend watching it on a regular basis after tonights disappointment, so I won't be finding out.

 

[DCLane]

I gave it a go;

Basically the same stuff as previously.

Chris Evans was trying too hard to be Jeremy Clarkson. And failing badly. It was too much 'enthusiastic shouting' but maybe that's because it was the first show.

Matt LeBlanc looked out of place. Except his 'Ariel Nomad' piece - that was fine.

Maybe it'll work, given time.

 

[JtB]

I stopped liking TG when it got past its "sell by date" and so I had no interest in either paying to watch JC do a new format or watching a bunch of new presenters recycle JC's old format. Looking at the previous comments in this thread I'm glad I didn't switch on the TV this evening.

 

[TVC]

I surfed through it tonight to find Evans doing his best JC impression whilst driving a sports car with a toy gun stuck to its roof amongst some jet aircraft. Children's telly.

 

[swee'pea99]

Have they managed to breath life back into the corpse?

Too early to say, IMHO, and hard to get past the vitriol of the vast tribes who view Jeremy Clarkson as some kind of martyr to PC (having conveniently forgotten how tired and jaded the old TG had become). I suspect the entire format has had its day, and I was a tad disappointed by how timid they'd been in making changes - it really needed a more adventurous revamp than this. But it was always going to be very tough, and I think on the whole they did about as well as could have been expected.

Will it be good enough to survive the season, and lead to another? I wouldn't put money on it. But I don't think it was as awful as many had gleefully anticipated. I'd give it a cautious 'pass'. No triumph, but first episodes are always tricky, and this was the first episode to beat all first episodes.

 

[TVC]

There will be more series, perhaps that is the problem. It's such a cash cow with Beeb selling it (and I assume) the format round the World that they dare not mess too much in case the market walks away from it.

Perhaps just make it for export and save it being inflicted on us.

 

[Crandoggler]

Evans isn't likeable enough for TV. He seems to dress like a 15 year old, it's awful. Didn't like the way he presented anything, not enough genuine enthusiasm for me. I'd be like a fat kid in a candy shop if I got the chance to drive those cars, and the previous trio did just that. Believable and genuine enthusiasm for the cars.

I think I'd prefer Leblanc on his own!

 

[AlanW]

I wanted to like it, but sadly it just didnt work for me I'm afraid. In fact I turned it off before the end.
I have nothing against Chris Evans, but it just didn't seem to flow and as for Matt La Plank........

 

[Piemaster]

I'll agree with what seems to be the general consensus - disappointing. Not sure what I was expecting, apart from something...different. It was an opportunity to revamp the show and it hasn't happened - they've even kept the old sofa! Like sticking a new set of alloys on an old Corsa and getting it resprayed. You've still got a Corsa.

 

[Oldfentiger]

I surfed through it tonight to find Evans doing his best JC impression whilst driving a sports car with a toy gun stuck to its roof amongst some jet aircraft. Children's telly.

Yes, I actually said the the Missus " Feels like I'm watching children's TV"