Top Gear (TV Series) Episode #23.1 (2016) User Reviews

Best to wait for The Grand Tour

[aaron_j_edgerton · 1/10 · 29 May 2016]

Gave it a go but unfortunately there is no magic here.

Chris Evans bounces around like a school boy on red cordial and Matt Leblanc gives it his best but this new show doesn't seem to work.

You can even see the reactions of the studio audience are like what the hell is this? Where is Top Gear?

I was hoping to see Chris Harris to bring some kind of credibility but alas he was nowhere to be found and after seeing this poor attempt I hope he decides to go back to his very popular online programming as this show will surely taint his stellar reputation.

Best to wait for The Grand Tour and leave this one alone.

I gave them a chance at least.

[markgrifter · 1/10 · 29 May 2016]

I was disappointed. The cinematography of the episodes are still top notch and fantastic, but where it failed was through the cringy, synthetic chemistry between the cast. Chris really failed to resonate with me here, and it just put me off listening to him when I was watching the visuals of the vehicles.

This won't last for long. And IMDb will benefit my making a new page for Top Gear titled (2016-) because I'd rather not see the Top Gear we all know and love have its ratings be crushed when it's this new series which will be at fault. I guarantee it will garner nowhere near the same appreciation.

If you're a big fan of Clarkson, May and Hammond there's a very good chance you'll dislike this lot.

Flop Gear

[kevinmorice · 2/10 · 29 May 2016]

Whatever that was it has no place masquerading under the title of Top Gear.

Evans shouting his way through the episode with an audience full of his friends making it like a rip- off of TFI Fridays. Then reading scripts that were clearly written for Clarkson and May to read.

Sabine Schmidt appearing for 2 minutes and not getting to add anything relevant.

Changing all the features they could have kept the same was a mark of inspirational stupidity.

Trying to retain the challenges but with Matt and Chris instead of the original trio was another master stroke in flawed planning.

Announcing that the show will have 7 presenters and using 2 and a half of them was the funniest bit of the entire show. It was like waiting for a Stan Lee cameo and then realising that you were watch Fant4stic.

boring

[oscar-montanez · 1/10 · 29 May 2016]

It is really a shame how a great show was literally destroyed by Evans. Clearly he lacks the spice and innate humor that Clarkson has and he is just making another messy TFI Friday with cars. Evans is not a particularly good interviewer either.

LeBlanc is also not a funny guy. Maybe he was funny in "Friends" but that was because he had 5 more actors with him almost all the time, so his acting really didn't have to be very good. In fact we should remember that the spin off of "Friends" named Joey after LeBlanc's character was a total failure.

The other presenters did not appear in this episode, OK the German woman that beat Clarkson in the Nurburgring appeared like 20 seconds.

In particular I have several complaints about this episode:

• the trip to Blackpool was really boring, it was supposed to be a race but instead LeBlanc was in the back of a tow truck almost the whole trip. This was really nonsense to be honest. Why didn't they attempt to repair the car like the former team did so many times?

• Why invite someone like Jesse Eisenberg to a car show if he does not even like cars and do not even own one. The interview was really boring. Evans is not a particularly good interviewer and was not able to lead the guests. Eisenberg even said something like "I don't care" when he was asked how he did in the lap. Evans appeared to be jealous of show-off-Ramsay when he bragged about having a LaFerrari and another LaFerrari spider. Oh and Eisenberg apparently had no clue how to drive a car.

• During the UK vs US race Evans kept on cheating all the time. First blowing the ball by hand and then removing a door from his car and using it as a flag. This looks like trying too hard to be like Clarkson, but it just does not appear to be funny when he does it. It was just ridiculous and even LeBlanc was upset about it.

The "star in a reasonably priced car part" was changed completely using a car that is not reasonably priced and changing the track to include some off road part. The off road part seems like a good idea but the whole concept of a reasonably priced car is gone.

The worst part was probably the comments about catering (referring of course to the reason why Clarkson was fired).

All in all a terrible show. 1 star is probably too much. I guess this is goodbye top gear very soon. Something similar to what happened to two and a half men when they kicked out Charly Sheen. This show would maybe last 1 more season.

Not great

[marcsimmonds · 1/10 · 30 May 2016]

People say the old show became overgrown, obnoxious and self-indulgent, but at least while the boys were driving super cars around the world they would actually review them and give you every fact and figure they had. This new show had barely a scripted sentence pertaining to a car they were driving. That along with Chris Evans god awful presenting skills which would have suited a village panto better than TV and the absolute lack of any rapport between the show's hosts is why I won't be watching this again, and I recommend you don't either.

One upside to this mess is Matt Le'Blanc, he seems to enjoy himself on the show but only when he's presenting alone.

Oh, and please Chris Evans.. stop shouting.. just stop shouting.

Re-boot or decommission

[simwils-31584 · 1/10 · 31 May 2016]

I have watched Top Gear on and off since it's first show in the late 70's where Noel Edmonds was it's main presenter. This show was mainly aimed at people who liked cars and wanted honest reviews. When Clarkson arrived on the show around 1986 he gave honest reviews where he was not concerned if he upset the manufacturers. In a way Clarkson would say what you would love to say but were too afraid in case you offended anyone. He had a new way of presenting which gave the show a lift. After ten years on the program Clarkson left where he had his own program, aptly named CLARKSON where you could see the beginnings of what would become the new Top Gear format which has been a huge success as it not only appealed to car fanatics, but a whole new audience who would never have watched the original Top Gear. The original program had got old and stale so this re-boot made it the great success it has been over the past 14 years. Now new Top Gear, the BBC missed a trick not to re-invent but to re- heat old programs with new presenters who are not up to the task. When going on an adventure Clarkson, Hammond and May would explain why they were doing it and what the end goal would be, whether this was best rear wheel drive, best 4x4, best convertible and so on. What was the point of driving to Blackpool in two three wheelers? What was the entertainment value with one being on a transporter? The Jeep and Land Rover trials were utterly awful and dull. What's the point of taking a three wheeler to the top of a hill. We already know the Jeep and Land Rover will not struggle making those journeys. This was just weak and lazy programming with no thought, imagination or entertainment value whatsoever. The rally cross is a good idea but the guests were dull which made it difficult to watch. Chris Evans was turning the studio into TFI Friday, just remember how successful OFI Sunday was!! I think Chris Evans should stick to what he knows best and do shows which are his idea and built around him as he is struggling with this format. I think if Top Gear is going to remain with the BBC it is in urgent need of another re-boot to move it as far as possible from the Clarkson, Hammond and May era. This show was still at it's peak when the others left so it's always going to be a monumental task to continue this format without the magic of the original three. I don't even think this new Top Gear will make it to Dave where the original and best is still being shown. If the Grand tour is a success, which it probably will be then the BBC will have a huge decision to make about commissioning another series of this now awful program.

Chris Evans forced humor and shouting at the camera is absolute rubbish.

[slayer-nine · 1/10 · 31 May 2016]

To start off I want to state that I'm not familiar with Chris Evans and I'm somewhat familiar with Matt Le Blanc. I heard some people had misgivings about Chris being involved with Top Gear and now I clearly understand why.

The entire feel of the show was completely off, right from the start with the incredibly awkward introduction of Matt and a overly energetic Chris who felt compelled to shout at the camera like the audience was a bunch of pensioners who forgot their hearing aids.

The segments with Chris had an incredibly scripted feel that lacked any genuine emotion. With the previous hosts I didn't notice the scripted bits, the show felt more cohesive. This "new" Top Gear feels like a movie with bad CG effects that stick out like a sore thumb. Every contest had a BS you win and then Chris wins plot line result that a three year old child could have predicted.

The BBC needs to find a better host who can handle off the cuff humou, someone who is more of an everyday bloke that can talk like a normal human being.

That being said, Matt Le Blanc was OK, incredibly dry, but OK when reviewing the cars. Couldn't tell a joke to save his life... That bit about your mothers g-string was odd and the way he tried to play up the "bad guys" was just awful. With a different host Matt may have really turned out better but he was very awkward and forced with Chris. He looked like a guy on a date with a woman who is desperately attempting to get in his pants and post the play by play on snap chat.

Gave 2 stars because Mat was actually good.

[holygigi · 2/10 · 30 May 2016]

The beginning felt awkward but, to be honest, I don't know what they could've done differently to avoid the elephant in the room. And then they put about 8 Indians on top of a car, for whatever reason. Sure as hell wasn't because it was funny.

Apparently they really want to sell to the US audience, so they had to incorporate a segment about US military. Because $$$. That German women seemed fun though, shame we didn't get to see more of her and we had to settle for that thing.

That main host, whatever his name is, is annoying as... I'm trying to come up with something, but can't, he is the most annoying thing I saw on TV. Even worse then Olly! He seems to be that 13 year old kid who can only express himself with capslock on all the time. Seriously, shut up. My advice to him: whenever you feel the need to speak, just don't. Do whatever else you want, just do it in silence. And somewhere where we cant see you. I'd pay for that.

Matt was cool, relaxed, even though from time to time even he didn't seem to be able to make it look like they weren't reading from the teleprompter all the time.

The new interview with a star had a random guy who no one knows who he is and Gordon Ramsey. Gordon seemed fun, but then that diva started shouting again for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Best segment was the one with Matt reviewing the orange car. Seemed like something Hammond used to do, but with Matt's spin on it. Was good.

The end race was OK at most, but again, interrupted every 20 seconds by that obnoxious 13 year old kid screaming.

There's just no chemistry between the two host, one is super relaxed and has his own witty segments and the other one feels like they needed someone who can imitate a cat getting stepped on it's tail for an hour. "Ah, you said a joke? Let me look in the camera and scream random words, that sure is entertaining"

Maybe, maybe, I'll give the 2nd episode a go and that just because of Matt. But if it will be the same scream-fest performed by a spoiled kid, I'm out.

TFI Friday gone bad..

[fandango1111 · 2/10 · 30 May 2016]

Wow, wow, wow! I really was hoping for a good show but, I'm sorry, it just didn't work for me at all. No chemistry between the two presenters is the problem. Matt Leblanc is actually not bad at all: he is quite funny and laid back and with a worthy British counterpart could blossom in this show. The real problem in my view is the casting of Chris Evans - this otherwise talented presenter here seems to be completely out of sorts. He is running around like an over-grown boy who has seriously overdone on drinking too much sugary soda. He is trying too hard and it doesn't seem he's enjoying himself really or - indeed - enjoying anything that Matt Leblanc does or says. I didn't believe him. Perhaps he's desperately trying to come across as an Alpha male next to Matt who is one? In short, it is simply not the right show for Chris. He has done much better in the past. I know this is very tough but he is a good guy and a professional and will find many more suitable things to do in the future of his long and no doubt successful career.

Who knows - perhaps Matt and Chris will have that drink after all between the episode 1 and 2 and their bromance will start blossoming from now on! I hope so but, unfortunately, I doubt it very much.

A parody of original series with zero originality and zero passion

[djremotion · 1/10 · 30 May 2016]

I don't believe there is single person on Top Gear production who does believe in attract-ability of automobile as such. They are in such a hurry of masking every scene with totally unnecessary stuff that they totally lost a car enthusiasts motivation to watch that show.

Show me some nicely shooted scenery with interesting car and a host giving his honest opinion with decent wording and you are golden.

Instead you did not trust the talent aka cars and hosts, and piled so many dirt bikes jumping over low flying fighter jet and antitank guns on top of a sports car that even cocaine infused Michael Bay would throw up.

That combined with guest that would not give a rats ass about driving in general or his lap time or anything and a horrid lead host trying to do Clarkson imitation on crack.

Only thing solid was Matt LeBlank genuinely enjoying that Ariel Nomad, until only minute later that was also destroyed with totally unnecessary extras.

What a stinking pile of non car related mess. What a wad day for television in general.

Flaw with the name "Evans"

[marys8787 · 31 May 2016]

Sabine haven't had much air time, but the stuff she said was pretty entertaining (like: "he has so much more grip than this piece of sh..") and she felt just right, comfortable with the role it was given for her.

Unlike Evans. He tried to push enthusiasm (and himself) the whole time therefore he was unfunny and awkward.

And what was with that American vs Britain challenge? Evans was being rude towards LeBlanc during that challenge... And since when they give cars and not buy them themselves? Let them buy cars on their own and then make challenges.

LeBlanc did tried to joke, and yea it wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either. I honestly believe that Matt needs to get used to this and he'll be alright. The producers obviously tried to push him as a "funny guy", but it's alright for Matt to be serious, let him make his own jokes, when he feels like it, don't script it.

The major flaw in this show is Evans. Getting rid of him would massively improve the show.

The dynamic trio should be: Reid, LeBlanc and Sabine. I honestly feel like they would just click.

Wow

[eu-58108 · 10/10 · 31 May 2016]

Chris Evans was so funny. he did not at any point make me want to hang myself with a noose of thorns. This was my first IMDb post and i feel it was needed to show my simple LOVE for Chris Evans.

He gave so much useful information my ears started bleeding from his wonderful teachings and not in any way terrible jokes.

I give this 10 stars as it is a masterpiece and it was a shame that it was only and hour long. I wish i could have a 3 hour GIF of Chris Evans screaming in my ear. that is the only way to "improve" the show.

I also love the fact that the first challenge was them driving to a city. I don't think it was a challenge and even when Matt broke down a tow truck simply drove him. This is what i want to see in my programs as it really makes for fun viewing that makes my butt clench with excitement. P.S. Matt was good.

Writers

[mad_man_moon · 7/10 · 30 May 2016]

I liked it.

Highlights were Sabine and Matt. Sabine's completely brilliant and should be a heavy part of the show, co-presenter, I think. Matt delivered strongly, and nailed his lines completely, really bringing character and humour in to things.

However it was disjointed, and I think that's because they've clearly kept enough of the writers on (or the feel if they don't have them) from the old show. This doesn't fit with Evans. I think Evans works best without a script, and it seemed like he had one here, he felt too stilted and forced. Give him creative control, and let him freewheel it, there's a reason why he can be electric on screen ... let him be.

Let the show evolve, because it was more of the same, and it could do with a shake-up.

Get Sabine on full time, people!

Nice try, but way off...

[mandic-sasa-bgd · 3/10 · 30 May 2016]

I know old TG by heart, I don't know how many times have I watched all the episodes.

Honestly, I was genuinely very happy when the day came for new TG to air, because I wanted to see what have they done. Well, not much.

I am not from UK so my knowledge of Chris Evans is limited to what I saw on TV, I know he is a very successful radio host and real petrol head, but he is not for TV, at least not TV in this format. Some people already said it, too jumpy, to loud, and I don't know why.

Only bright spot is Matt LaBlanc, as strange as that can be. Only in his review of Nomad, I smiled a couple of times.

They announced 7 hosts, and we only saw three (well two and a half, since Sabine we saw for like 3 min), so I am guessing it will be like that for the duration of this season.

Instead of changing the show and to bring us, the viewers, something new, they stuck with the same format, that just don't work without the other three. They even rewrote the power lap times. The guest segment is boring, short and not at all interesting, the only bright spot is a new track.

Too much trouble and not much result.

I am huge fan of TG, and I will keep watching it, but I will not wait for it with the same joy as I used to, Sundays will never be the same (well until GoT finishes ;) )

1 star for Joey.

[trashcan-e · 1/10 · 30 May 2016]

"Ifeelzeneedzeneedforzspeed." - either this killer line from Sabine, or the PC wagon full of Indians, the "chemistry" of two 2x4's, Gordon's cars versus what-now? - take your pick, the show gave me plenty of reasons for turning it off. It is something else entirely now - the show you used to love will be airing on Amazon. This however, does not fly with me and I'm not putting myself through another hour of this. I'll be surprised if it finds its crowd and if it proves big enough for BBC to keep pouring money into it. Leblanc is okay on his own, but when they're together with Evans - oh. my. god. If you are going to keep this running though, BBC - word to the wise - make Sabine The Stig.

Dreadful!

[davelynch16 · 3/10 · 30 May 2016]

I was looking forward to this "New" show I wanted for it to be good but had my doubts it would work. I was a big fan of the old show and I would not call myself a fan of driving and cars. The other presenters simply did such a great job. as for the new presenters I didn't expect them to be this bad, simply no chemistry between Matt and Chris. Matt did his best but Evans just didn't click. The only good point about episode 1 is the new star in a rally car segment. I will watch again as it surely can't get any worse, It may be unfair to base my review on a pilot episode. But I am more and more looking forward to the new Clarkson and company version on Netflix.

Soft show

[zandezan · 3/10 · 29 May 2016]

Top Gear used to be a hardcore car show. We loved the previous presenters because of their passion in cars. Now it's too soft.

Matt was OK but Evans is not the right guy for the show. He maybe is a talented showman and presenter but he is not a car man. The way he drove the Viper was so fake, so boring.

Clarkson, Hammond and May would make even these challenges look so much better and interesting.

From the 6 presenters only 2 appeared in the show. I can't count Sabine because her time on screen was too little and if you did not know she is in the team you would not understand she is a presenter.

The only thing I liked was the rally cross circuit. That was a good idea. I ll give the show second chance but I don't see it going far.

got bored after 4 minutes

[rorycurran · 1/10 · 30 May 2016]

I really liked top gear when Jeremy Clarkson was around but now it is not the same and is just boring. I thought the presenters should have more time because it feels out of place and is not funny anymore.

I thought that Matt Le Blanc though was pretty entertaining as the presenter but i didn't like Evans and that was the problem for me mainly because he wasn't funny.

I would rather just wait for the grand tour or you could watch extra gear but I will give this show another chance. But i did not like the new version of it at all and would not try it out if you liked Clarkson,Hammond and May.

Absolute garbage

[remindeer · 1/10 · 5 August 2018]

This new show was so hard to watch I was cringing most of the time and mostly just forward through 99% of it. Anyone who knows Top Gear knows that Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman were the brains behind the whole operation. When they all left, the show should have ended instantly. What we have here is a soulless husk of a corpse. Why oh why did they bring Joey, Jessie and Gordon Ramsay into this mess?

Pathetic

[fkemble-96216 · 2/10 · 31 May 2016]

What happens when a TV presenter goes to work with a bad hangover on a bad day and everything goes badly wrong; well he punches someone. It really is too bad that Jeremy Clarkson committed such an act and not necessarily because it doesn't do to hit people but because it means that he got fired and then leaves void. Everyone knew that Clarkson was an oaf but he was an intelligent and amusing oaf and along with his cohorts who were masters in their own right, it made for an amazingly successful show- the recipe was just perfect. These are hard shoes to fill and anyone taking on the reigns of responsibility for the new show was going to be up against it but c'mon, who is this Chris Evans guy, what measure of insanity led to this guy being chosen; he just doesn't have what it takes, in fact he's an idiot, it;s that simple. Mat LeBlanc was probably chosen in order to create more appeal to the American audience but once again, he's not the right fit and was almost as bad. I was so disappointed in this contrived, cumbersome, constipated train wreck! Needless to say my Top Gear viewing days are over unless I revisit old shows with the masters at the helm.

Terrible hosts I wish they just canceled the show...

[Tarantulo · 1/10 · 7 June 2016]

The new hosts are simply horrific... It all looks and sounds like a parody of Top Gear show, except it is not funny at all. If you can, I advise you not to watch this. Its painful.

The voice of new presenter is annoying. I really love Dodge Viper, but the presentation was so disturbingly bad. I am not sure what they were thinking. Matt Leblanc should not be here... He is absolutely not funny in this show.

To me personally its like they are pretending to be someone else and they are not living up to those names.

I would vote they simply cancel the show and let it rest in peace. Because now they are just destroying the name of the show with these ridiculous new hosts.

An honest first impression.

[fjahnhogler · 6/10 · 10 June 2016]

Seeing that most people have had their mind made up before even watching the show, I tried my best to go in with an open mind. A show by the BBC with an enormous budget, including cars and fun challenges, cannot possibly be a 2,3/10! These are my thoughts.

The show is Top Gear. The same old show that has been running for 23 seasons. A show which I have loved for many years. Now it has new hosts. Let me go through them a bit, since they seem to be the reason for all the hatred.

Chris Evans, once a guest on the original "new" Top Gear, has taken the role as the "new" Clarkson. Is he a tad annoying? Yes, from time to time. In the studio, he is too excited and jumps about too much. He does try to copy many of the Clarkson aspects, which people seem to hate. I see where they are coming from, but I feel that the hatred exaggerated. We do have to remember that he is taking over the part from a man who we all have seen for years. This is not an easy task, and the pressure must have been immense. Following the same concept as before, it is not weird that he does the shouting bits etc. So until he has found his natural style and roll, which might take some episodes, I feel that we should give him some slack!

Matt LeBlanc as co-host felt great sometimes, and awkward at others. Whilst driving, I think he performs well and acts natural, but when he speaks the scripted lines in the studio, he sounds like an amateur not knowing how to act a script like a human at all. I do not know whether it is nervousness or just that he has not acted live like this before.

Speaking of the script... It is god awful. It is way too corny, and the lines seem un-natural and out of place. The old Top Gear had its moments like that too, but everything that was clearly scripted in this episode that they said was out of place. Hopefully, they will sort this out when they get more comfortable and change the show to their liking.

All in all, I would give this episode a 6/10, because it was not half bad! It definitely needs to improve in many ways, and if we just give them some time to do so I think it can be great. Best of all is that we will have two fantastic car shows to watch!

Too bad

[joosten-bart · 1/10 · 30 May 2016]

wow, this was the most awful top gear ever!

So OK points though Matt is relatively OK and a bit funny tough it might be a played, but hell he is an actor, Sabine is pretty funny as well, BUT come on, only about 30 seconds in total, Evans, well, Evans, please go do radio and f... off from television. Top gear, if they continue like this for the season, the show will probably have abysmal ratings and be canceled before you know it... and the BBC will have destroyed an fantastic television show, just by firing the dream team, and getting the worst lead presenter in the history of television shows on the BBC.

I for one can't wait till Amazon releases Clarkson, May and Hammond... that will perhaps bring back the feeling of the good old show and the characters we love, and some might hate...

And Evans, please stop with the old show bashing, it really is not alright.

too much of local accent too little of gloss

[kottusso · 2/10 · 30 May 2016]

Spoiler alert! The previous 22 seasons of Top Gear were full of purified perfection garnished with irony, allegory and sarcasm. The presenters had their chemistry with the audience and made great reviews and journeys through the series. This show has nothing of those. Evans looks like a drunk teen aged ape jumping and shouting around the stage, on the contrary Matt looks solid and handles himself, better performing as a presenter of the motoring show. The footage seem ragged and dreary, Sabine well performed as always but Evans ruined the ACR review. I may compare Chris acting with Matt's Reliant - too soggy for my taste. The only thing I really enjoyed was the test track for the reasonably priced car, which has nothing to do with the Cooper, but the rally-cross-ish stage is more challenging and spectacular. I really miss the right English language and its presenters.

All a bit hysterical

[ewaf58 · 5/10 · 29 May 2016]

Well Mr Evans was doing his best to succeed but it came across like a mashup between Thank God it's Friday (together with that program's audience) - an unfunny German road show and a surreal adaptation of Stranger in a strange land starring Mr Leblanc.

I didn't feel relaxed watching it - the previous team felt reassuring and comforting like a pair of your favorite slippers

But I'll give it another chance because 5th Gear is not getting another series - what a pity that team weren't told before the BBC selected the current group.

Is there anyone in this bunch who can actually review a car?