Stevo985 Posted July 18, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2011 It wasn't great. They don't even try and make it believable these days. I think they need to stop those comedy challenges. What i think would be watchable would be these challenges, but ACTUALLY get them to do it. So don't script everything so its more "entertaining", just get them to actually do them. It would at least then be interesting if not funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 :nod: the train sketch was awful in pretty much every aspect. The XKR-S got panned against the Nissan although they're really competing in different markets. Its a shame more was not made of the fact that the Jag beat all of the Aston's around the track which is closer to what it will be competing with. On a plus note, I just skipped back a page and relived the stunner from last series :shock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted July 18, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2011 I thought the 'Scum Class' recurring joke was pretty grim, just to underline a painfully unfunny sketch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I bet a few of you were straight out with your calculators working out Mays 25 mph over an 8 mile stretch v Clarkson getting up to 80 mph , factoring in the head start and getting ready to say clearly Clarkson overtook him after 3.1miles where D = S x T dictates that he shouldn't have overtaken him until 3.21 miles *.... Top gear has always been scripted and Tbf there aren't many shows where the punchline isn't blatantly obvious ... of course the chip pan was always going to be going up , even the scattered packets and debris in the buffet car were obviously arranged on the floor by someone but that didn't make it a bad sketch ... More importantly they started to review some decent cars of late , the M1 , the new Range Rover .. affordable cars rather than super cars that appear to have been designed for people with garish taste * made up figures before some pedant even bothers :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted July 18, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2011 It was made a bad sketch by the fact was drawn out obscenely, terribly acted on at least 1 count, bordered on retarded from it's inception, and above all, just wasn't funny. It may have been funny if, for example, it'd been something come up in Last of the Summer Wine back in the day, where it's clearly set out to be a comedy show with a script, rather than this stupid half way house the show continues to do with them playing caricatures of themselves (in Hammonds case, terribly) and somehow seems to pitch the comedy on that fact that it is scripted, rather than it is funny. And even then it's not going in the comedy hall of fame. The stuff Top Gear does well is the stuff that is less about being a comedy and more about entertainment and information. The races from early in the show's lifespan, clearly to one extent or another scripted, but the script wasn't about making it funny it was about making it a little more interesting, and the comedy came from some throwaway moments (the SLR vs boat race scene on the ferry with James nearly but not quite coming onto Hammond by saying slightly creepy things) or from comments from all of them, not in playing some dumb character. The same thing happens in their road tests or other more factual pieces - they're funny because of the set up, or because of the things that are said. They need to cut the bollocks attempts at comedy because they've collapsed over the line over 'OK' never to return. And it's not like a dyed in the wool Labourite who hates Tory Clarkson and wants him off my screen or just doesn't like the show - I like Clarkson generally (Meet the Neighbours is the best thing he's done) and love Top Gear. That love is getting burned out by the constant shit they're putting out disguised poorly as comedy. If you go back an watch some repeats on Dave (not hard) theres a marked change in the show that comes around about the time they do the caravan sketch, where the dumb caricature sketches come in thick and fast and more often than not, unfunnily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 a dyed in the wool surely that would be a liberal'ite :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted July 18, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2011 I think ti stopped being properly funny when the illusion of it being real completely went. I thik back to stuff like the America episode where they write stuff on the cars and go to that petrol station. Or the one where they turned them into boats and raced them across that lake and eventually Clarkson capsized. THAT was funny stuff. And I think it was because, maybe naievely, at that point I still though that it COULD be real. I knew elements were scripted, but I still believed the overall challenge was real. Whereas now, they don't even pretend it's real anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted July 18, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2011 The XKR-S got panned against the Nissan although they're really competing in different markets. Its a shame more was not made of the fact that the Jag beat all of the Aston's around the track which is closer to what it will be competing with. It sounds a very stuck up thing to say, but all I thought during that Nissan/Jag bit was "but the Nissan isn't a jag" and then my uncle who i was watching it with also said "But the Jag is a Jag" Which is true. The Nissan performed better, but it's ugly as sin, and it's a Nissan. Not a Jag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted July 18, 2011 Moderator Share Posted July 18, 2011 The point I took from it was that THAT Jag isn't really a Jag at all, as it ignores basically everything that Jag are. And as for the trains. Poor enough. As soon as I saw the buffet car I knew what was gonna happen. I actually thought 'scum class' was one of the funnier bits in it. And their logic that 'no-one would buy a scum class ticket, they'd pay the extra' was pretty good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 The Nissan performed better, but it's ugly as sin, and it's a Nissan. Not a Jag. This The point I took from it was that THAT Jag isn't really a Jag at all, as it ignores basically everything that Jag are. but look at the XF , i bought mine because well because it wasn't a Jag in the traditional sense that you need a pork pie hat and tweed jacket to drive one ...but more importantly it also wasn't a BMW or Merc which the whole world and his dog drive around my neck or the woods .. first few months i had the car people would come up to me every time i went food shopping or down the pub and say .. Nice car etc etc .. to a degree even now 3 years on when they are more common people still notice it ... and I thought that new Jag from last night falls in the same category Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 The point I took from it was that THAT Jag isn't really a Jag at all, as it ignores basically everything that Jag are. and me and IMO that would have made a far better feature, if theyd have raced it against a xj220 or go on to that paris concept car, like others have said although the nissan was obviously faster it didnt feel like comparing apples with apples Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted July 18, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2011 The Nissan performed better, but it's ugly as sin, and it's a Nissan. Not a Jag. This The point I took from it was that THAT Jag isn't really a Jag at all, as it ignores basically everything that Jag are. but look at the XF , i bought mine because well because it wasn't a Jag in the traditional sense that you need a pork pie hat and tweed jacket to drive one ...but more importantly it also wasn't a BMW or Merc which the whole world and his dog drive around my neck or the woods .. first few months i had the car people would come up to me every time i went food shopping or down the pub and say .. Nice car etc etc .. to a degree even now 3 years on when they are more common people still notice it ... and I thought that new Jag from last night falls in the same category Absolutely. Jag has needed a revamp for ages and over the past few years, I'm sure TV will agree with me, they've (we've) been doing a pretty good job at modernising the brand, whilst still keeping it luxury. The XK-RS is just another step towards that new image. So the fact it wasn't like all the old jags, was probably exactly what they were going for, although they obviously wouldn't have planned on being blown out of the water by a Nissan) On a side note: Tony, have you seen the facelifted XF? They look even nicer now (imo, of course) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted July 18, 2011 Moderator Share Posted July 18, 2011 TBF to the Jag, that Nissan is one of the technically greatest cars ever made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 On a side note: Tony, have you seen the facelifted XF? They look even nicer now (imo, of course) have to say I didn't when I first saw it last year but just looked again on the web page and it doesn't look soo bad in the pictures ... the dark blue /black on the web page looks quite tasty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Absolutely. Jag has needed a revamp for ages and over the past few years, I'm sure TV will agree with me, they've (we've) been doing a pretty good job at modernising the brand, whilst still keeping it luxury. I do agree and there a few things in the pipeline that will hopefully change the opinion of Jags. Firstly the new XF, looks blooming brilliant but it now has the long awaited 4 cylinder engines that the segment demands. They recently drove one from the production plant in Castle Bromwich to Munich (816 miles IIRC) on a single tank averaging about 57mpg. I think X-Type set the brand back about 20 years. They were right to go after some of the 3 series sales but the styling was a million miles off what was needed to get drivers out of their beamers. Also, the worst kept secret that it was built on (even then) a very old Mondeo chassis just killed it before it even began. Going forward Jaguar will be a different animal, in recent years the cars have been very good and have won an incredible amount of awards, the challenge continues to be selling the 'brand' to the public and converting the awards into hard sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted July 18, 2011 Moderator Share Posted July 18, 2011 I still love the original XK8. Saw one the other day and they still look as classy and elegant as they did when they came out. Plus now you can get one for relative buttons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I know i've arrived at this party quite late, but last night's episode was quite cringe worthy, only made watchable by the genius that is Mr Be.. Rowan Atkinson. The fact that Top Gear completely ignored a £90,000 Jaguar going around their track faster than the much more expensive Murcielago did the car an injustice IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted July 18, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2011 I think more than one person has said it before now, but the XK8 when it first came out was felt to be a bit odd looking, looked like it was on spindly stilts and that. And then it grew into itself and now looks pretty stellar. I've liked them for a long time. Then again I like the XJS a lot (non-American spec though - the US ones look hideous, keeping up with the tradition of European sports cars being Americanised and put through the ugly machine while they're at it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted July 18, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted July 18, 2011 James May has a go with the GTRs launch control behind the scenes. Just emphasises how incredibly the thing gets away. It's like it's in a cartoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted July 18, 2011 Moderator Share Posted July 18, 2011 Nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts