and WHO CARES if it's scripted
it's FUNNY
and that's all that matters
Agreed. Pretty sure scripted wrong turns/mishaps makes for better entertainment than 'Three men take most direct/safe route across country without incident'.
Enjoyable enough with a few laugh out loud moments. Little padded out similar to last year after they did away with the 80 minute format for the two-parter, looking forward to part two though if JC's tweeting is to be believed.
Agreed. Pretty sure scripted wrong turns/mishaps makes for better entertainment than 'Three men take most direct/safe route across country without incident'.
Wasn't that a JC line, once?
"I should have said 'On tonight's programme, three men travel the length of <country> without incident'" *nod to the camera*
its not about whether its scripted or not about car tests etc. Its just that its crap.
You know what i think? I think if all the people who post in here saying that it's crap and it's staged and it's not funny and they should scrap it...
If all those people didn't watch it and didn't comment about it on online forums and didn't tweet about it... If they stopped doing all those things, maybe it wouldn't appear to be quite so popular any more, and then maybe eventually it would go away! You see, the assessment systems can't tell if you like a programme or not, only if you watch it. And they make the strange assumption that if you're watching a programme week after week, it's because you like it, rather than because it makes continually boil with impotent rage.
Imagine how many people must be watching Top Gear every week, seething that instead of doing a comparative test of the new Fiesta against the new Astra and deciding which is the most economical mid-range estate to buy, they're in Vitenam or wherever riding inappropriate horses and sleeping in slums and driving lorries with no working gears.
Congratulations haters, thanks to your continued efforts Top Gear will be on for ever.
Here's a better tactic - boycott it. Don't watch it, don't comment on it, ignore it. Act as if it isn't there. if enough of you do that, maybe eventually it won't be.
I thought it was quite funny, but I think they could edit it down to a 1 1/2 hour special. 2 hours is too much.
20 mins, by the amount I watched, they could have put this into a normal show, over two weeks.
Same script - different Country - same old same old - Zzzzzzz
Seems to me that a few people here failed to notice the huge BBC Entertainment logo at the end of the credits.
They must have also failed to notice that their TV was tuned into a program that they hated for a whole hour. If I accidentally start watching something I don't like then I manage to change the channel within seconds.
Seems to me that a few people here failed to notice the huge BBC Entertainment logo at the end of the credits.
We might all know that it is all faked, oooops sorry scripted, but I suspect you will find a large proportion of the viewing audience actually believe it is real.
We might all know that it is all faked, oooops sorry scripted, but I suspect you will find a large proportion of the viewing audience actually believe it is real.
They must have also failed to notice that their TV was tuned into a program that they hated for a whole hour. If I accidentally start watching something I don't like then I manage to change the channel within seconds.
Most of these people are too busy dribbling into their laps to realise this.
Was okay...so far not the most intriguing country they've been to, but it's still enjoyable enough. I liked a few of the photogenic stops they made and was surprised to see that the vehicle introduction/modification scenes were so swift - considering that I perhaps wondered if it was dragging a little bit.
It had sunsets, but they saw better sunsets in Botswana. It had jungles, but there were better ones in Bolivia. It had crazy, crowded urban streets but so too did India. It had peculiar villages in the middle of nowhere, but so too did Vietnam. It had impressive landscapes but so did Tanzania. It's like a 'best bits' so far, which isn't a good or bad thing necessarily...it just hasn't really had its own strong identity yet.
Watched it but found myself fast forwarding through chunks of it after the first 15 minutes, to get it down to half an hour, which was all it was worth IMO. As some others have said, this one was too long with too many contrivances. I missed the usual studio based format.
Next week I'll probably do the same, about an hour is all this was worth in total IMO, I found myself wanting to see the bridge building section by half way. Bit of an expensive waste for me but hey-ho, good that some liked it. Yes it's just entertainment, but it wasn't particularly entertaining this week for me.
its not about whether its scripted or not about car tests etc. Its just that its crap.
Some of the posters on here remind me of those people who like a band so insist on liking every track of every album they ever ever do regardless of the quality.
top gear=shit gear.
Or it's like listening to a band you don't like so you can mentally-masturbate over how enlightened you are to see something that millions of people around the world can't see.
Post-modifications, i enjoyed everything.
Before that, i thought they were pushing too much the 'we're causing mayhem to the locals but it's ok because we're laughing at ourselves' angle. Surely they have a big budget to 'compensate' the local authorities.
Anyway, the first part was just a bit too long but overall, part 1 was quit good.
Looking forward to part 2!
You know what i think? I think if all the people who post in here saying that it's crap and it's staged and it's not funny and they should scrap it...
If all those people didn't watch it and didn't comment about it on online forums and didn't tweet about it... If they stopped doing all those things, maybe it wouldn't appear to be quite so popular any more, and then maybe eventually it would go away! You see, the assessment systems can't tell if you like a programme or not, only if you watch it. And they make the strange assumption that if you're watching a programme week after week, it's because you like it, rather than because it makes continually boil with impotent rage.
Imagine how many people must be watching Top Gear every week, seething that instead of doing a comparative test of the new Fiesta against the new Astra and deciding which is the most economical mid-range estate to buy, they're in Vitenam or wherever riding inappropriate horses and sleeping in slums and driving lorries with no working gears.
Congratulations haters, thanks to your continued efforts Top Gear will be on for ever.
Here's a better tactic - boycott it. Don't watch it, don't comment on it, ignore it. Act as if it isn't there. if enough of you do that, maybe eventually it won't be.
I'm sorry but can't help but laugh at people who insist on calling other people "haters", haha, I think of it as a childish Americanism used by petulant teenagers.
I don't usually watch "Top Gear" or programmes with any of the presenters.
But sometimes it amuses me to watch programmes and people who irritate me, like the Kardashians, so I can poke fun at them. Some people like to watch irritating TV to b*tch about it, some people like to watch horror films because they like being scared, some people watch porn because it gets off, it's not a hard concept to grasp.
I don't think that people who enjoy the so called humour that's featured in "Top Gear" can begrudge other people for only watching programme so they can slag it off. In essence, "Top Gear" appears to me to be a show where the imbecilic presenters get themselves into annoying and implausible situations, in the vicinity of some sort of vehicle, just to slag each other, and other people and things off. In fact, Top Gear is kind of similar to "Keeping Up With The Kardashians", but that programme isn't being funded by the License Fee, and the irritating people have long lustrous hair to flick while they're driving.
I have no interest in cars, my criteria for choosing my next car will be based on what I can afford and the colour. I like watching nature programmes and travelogues set in exotic locals. I'm quite interested in Burma. Burma, that the country they were in, not Vietnam, Vietnam is another country entirely. Until very recently, western camera crews weren't allowed to film in Burma and there isn't a lot of recent programmes filmed there.
There's a good film by Luc Besson, the director of "The Fifth Element", starring Michelle Yeoh, who was in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the pro-democracy movement in Burma, called "The Lady". The film could have been shorter, a lot less factual, with a few fight scenes with "Sue" escaping her compound at night, ninjering-up and kicking the junta's arse, sadly that didn't happen but it's still a good film.
I thought for the sake of Burma I could bear watching a couple of episodes of "Top Gear", after all, Aung San Suu Kyi has suffered far more for that country. I lasted about forty minutes before I had to switched over. I have no plans to watch the second part.
I'm not part of the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) panel, my viewing habits aren't being continuously monitored to be included as part of the ratings that the television industry uses to gauge the success of programmes. I'm not part of the audience panel the BBC uses to measure audience appreciation. I don't tweet.
I believe people have the right to complain about things they don't like. A lot of times, the reason why there's so many disagreeable things happening around us is due to people switching off, turning away, not engaging or vocalising their decent for something they don't like or agree with. People sometimes equate silence with consent. This is why it's important for people to speak up if they don't like something.
Of course posting this ":mad:" on an internet forum isn't much as protests go, and Jeremy Clarkson et al. aren't part of a profligate junta....technically they're freelancer.
I'm rambling now, perhaps I should have just kept it to :mad:
its not about whether its scripted or not about car tests etc. Its just that its crap.
Some of the posters on here remind me of those people who like a band so insist on liking every track of every album they ever ever do regardless of the quality.
top gear=shit gear.
Just like some of the posters on here hate a show so much they still watch it every week just so they can come on a forum and jizz with happiness on how much they hate it.
I watched 24 and hated it so never watched it again. Perhaps I am doing it wrong???
I didn't think it was quite as good as other specials but it was an entertaining hour nonetheless.
Burma certainly does have some stunning countryside, the traffic is barking though.
Best of all an hour long special means there is no bore in a reasonably priced car, so no need to get up and put the kettle on during the program.
I generally enjoyed it, had a few giggles - was it as good, so far, as some of the other specials, no imo - but it was a generally entertaining hour, which is about all I want for a Sunday evening and I'll be tuning in for part 2.
Seems to me that a few people here failed to notice the huge BBC Entertainment logo at the end of the credits.
Exactly!
Yes, it is scripted and the "accidents" are staged and filmed by conveniently positioned cameras, that's because it is a television programme which is broadcast to entertain viewers.
If this sort of programme doesn't suit some people......they could always change the channel!
Comments
Agreed. Pretty sure scripted wrong turns/mishaps makes for better entertainment than 'Three men take most direct/safe route across country without incident'.
Enjoyable enough with a few laugh out loud moments. Little padded out similar to last year after they did away with the 80 minute format for the two-parter, looking forward to part two though if JC's tweeting is to be believed.
Wasn't that a JC line, once?
"I should have said 'On tonight's programme, three men travel the length of <country> without incident'" *nod to the camera*
If all those people didn't watch it and didn't comment about it on online forums and didn't tweet about it... If they stopped doing all those things, maybe it wouldn't appear to be quite so popular any more, and then maybe eventually it would go away! You see, the assessment systems can't tell if you like a programme or not, only if you watch it. And they make the strange assumption that if you're watching a programme week after week, it's because you like it, rather than because it makes continually boil with impotent rage.
Imagine how many people must be watching Top Gear every week, seething that instead of doing a comparative test of the new Fiesta against the new Astra and deciding which is the most economical mid-range estate to buy, they're in Vitenam or wherever riding inappropriate horses and sleeping in slums and driving lorries with no working gears.
Congratulations haters, thanks to your continued efforts Top Gear will be on for ever.
Here's a better tactic - boycott it. Don't watch it, don't comment on it, ignore it. Act as if it isn't there. if enough of you do that, maybe eventually it won't be.
Same script - different Country - same old same old - Zzzzzzz Was anyone having a Baby.;-)
They must have also failed to notice that their TV was tuned into a program that they hated for a whole hour. If I accidentally start watching something I don't like then I manage to change the channel within seconds.
= guess you wont be watching and posting about it as its so shit then.
We might all know that it is all faked, oooops sorry scripted, but I suspect you will find a large proportion of the viewing audience actually believe it is real.
Only if they read the Daily Hitler.
Most of these people are too busy dribbling into their laps to realise this.
It had sunsets, but they saw better sunsets in Botswana. It had jungles, but there were better ones in Bolivia. It had crazy, crowded urban streets but so too did India. It had peculiar villages in the middle of nowhere, but so too did Vietnam. It had impressive landscapes but so did Tanzania. It's like a 'best bits' so far, which isn't a good or bad thing necessarily...it just hasn't really had its own strong identity yet.
Next week I'll probably do the same, about an hour is all this was worth in total IMO, I found myself wanting to see the bridge building section by half way. Bit of an expensive waste for me but hey-ho, good that some liked it. Yes it's just entertainment, but it wasn't particularly entertaining this week for me.
Or it's like listening to a band you don't like so you can mentally-masturbate over how enlightened you are to see something that millions of people around the world can't see.
Change the channel, and go away.
Before that, i thought they were pushing too much the 'we're causing mayhem to the locals but it's ok because we're laughing at ourselves' angle. Surely they have a big budget to 'compensate' the local authorities.
Anyway, the first part was just a bit too long but overall, part 1 was quit good.
Looking forward to part 2!
I don't usually watch "Top Gear" or programmes with any of the presenters.
But sometimes it amuses me to watch programmes and people who irritate me, like the Kardashians, so I can poke fun at them. Some people like to watch irritating TV to b*tch about it, some people like to watch horror films because they like being scared, some people watch porn because it gets off, it's not a hard concept to grasp.
I don't think that people who enjoy the so called humour that's featured in "Top Gear" can begrudge other people for only watching programme so they can slag it off. In essence, "Top Gear" appears to me to be a show where the imbecilic presenters get themselves into annoying and implausible situations, in the vicinity of some sort of vehicle, just to slag each other, and other people and things off. In fact, Top Gear is kind of similar to "Keeping Up With The Kardashians", but that programme isn't being funded by the License Fee, and the irritating people have long lustrous hair to flick while they're driving.
I have no interest in cars, my criteria for choosing my next car will be based on what I can afford and the colour. I like watching nature programmes and travelogues set in exotic locals. I'm quite interested in Burma. Burma, that the country they were in, not Vietnam, Vietnam is another country entirely. Until very recently, western camera crews weren't allowed to film in Burma and there isn't a lot of recent programmes filmed there.
There's a good film by Luc Besson, the director of "The Fifth Element", starring Michelle Yeoh, who was in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the pro-democracy movement in Burma, called "The Lady". The film could have been shorter, a lot less factual, with a few fight scenes with "Sue" escaping her compound at night, ninjering-up and kicking the junta's arse, sadly that didn't happen but it's still a good film.
I thought for the sake of Burma I could bear watching a couple of episodes of "Top Gear", after all, Aung San Suu Kyi has suffered far more for that country. I lasted about forty minutes before I had to switched over. I have no plans to watch the second part.
I'm not part of the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) panel, my viewing habits aren't being continuously monitored to be included as part of the ratings that the television industry uses to gauge the success of programmes. I'm not part of the audience panel the BBC uses to measure audience appreciation. I don't tweet.
I believe people have the right to complain about things they don't like. A lot of times, the reason why there's so many disagreeable things happening around us is due to people switching off, turning away, not engaging or vocalising their decent for something they don't like or agree with. People sometimes equate silence with consent. This is why it's important for people to speak up if they don't like something.
Of course posting this ":mad:" on an internet forum isn't much as protests go, and Jeremy Clarkson et al. aren't part of a profligate junta....technically they're freelancer.
I'm rambling now, perhaps I should have just kept it to :mad:
Just like some of the posters on here hate a show so much they still watch it every week just so they can come on a forum and jizz with happiness on how much they hate it.
I watched 24 and hated it so never watched it again. Perhaps I am doing it wrong???
Burma certainly does have some stunning countryside, the traffic is barking though.
Best of all an hour long special means there is no bore in a reasonably priced car, so no need to get up and put the kettle on during the program.
Spot on.
It's blatantly obvious that is scripted; nobody needs to even mention that.
It's akin to telling us all that water is wet!
Besides, if it wasn't scripted, it would be a chaotic mess of a show.
A country with little or no road safety whatsoever.
Right hand drive vehicles driving on the RIGHT: utter madness!
Why don't they switch to driving back on the Left, or if that is too expensive, start importing & selling Left hand drive cars?
Luckily the programme about Banger Racers featured more intelligent examples of the human species.
Exactly!
Yes, it is scripted and the "accidents" are staged and filmed by conveniently positioned cameras, that's because it is a television programme which is broadcast to entertain viewers.
If this sort of programme doesn't suit some people......they could always change the channel!