Re: star in car, I think Chris was expecting more of a 'OOhhh AAhhh' reaction from the audience to things like the track now incorporating a dirt section and water trough, a reaction he didn't really get. If you watch it back at one point he gives a rather pathetic little clap and 'yeahhh' when one of the stars goes through the water trough ... problem is no one else really joined in with him.

I'm still going to give it into the 2-3 episode though to see if it improves enough for me to keep watching. I understand where folk are coming from when they say along the lines of 'why would the BBC want to change a very successful core format??' it's just that, for me, I was hoping to see a move away from the same old same old.

'Oh look, a £150k car being driven very quickly and sideways around the track!'
'Oh look, the presenters being chased by fighter jets/tanks!'
'Oh look, they're going to have a 'race' across a continent!'

A large chunk can simply be dismissed as Clarksonistas - in my view - who were never going to like the new show any way. They need to accept what's happened and move on. Either watch or switch off. It's that simple really.

Let's predict the viewing figures for Clarkon's new show over on Amazon shall we?

I say, give it a chance. All shows change and evolve.

An even larger chunk will be fans of the previous show that want it to be a success so they can carry on having a show on the BBC that feel is aimed at them. The vast majority of these people will give it a chance in the hope it gets better.
May people complaining about people complaining about TG need to accept that a lot of people didn't like it and want to vent.

They are venting for ulterior motives, let's be honest about it. Clarksonistas are aiming their fire in the wrong direction.

Let's think of all the shows that have gone through re-vamps. Initially people moan, then they move on and accept it. We are creatures who don't like change, but those moaning about the recent change need to remember why this change came about!

SOME are but not ALL. Stop tarring everyone that has openly said that this show is now rubbish with the same brush.
The BBCs own viewer appreciation panel has found that people do not like this show and has a very low ranking. They have said that changes are being made to the format in response to the audience feedback. If the BBC were convinced it was only Clarkson fans doing this that are never going to watch the show, they wouldn't be making the changes.

No they don't! The reason why the presenters have changed is irrelevant.
The reason for the quality of the show dropping, the feel of the show changing (even down to the mood lighting in the room & the size of the audience) & the impression that it's being aimed at a different audience than previously (now seemingly aimed at prepubescent teens) is what should be being questioned and talked about.
The JC fracas have been well documented and discussed for over a year, which is also oddly how long they have had to work out how not to make the new show as poor as it was.
They need to be able to enjoy the new version of the show.

Evidence please, I suspect you've totally misunderstood somewhere along the line.
Provide examples.

When you are used to seeing rally stars like Colin McRae get real air then someone driving through the same kind of rain-filled pothole many of us out in the sticks have to deal with on country roads is not going to impress.

I decided to give it a go and was actually cringing before it even started at Chris trying to be JC at the beginning with the 'I get chased....'

And it just went continually down hill from there. Chris Evans shouting at me through the TV. Matt Leblanc looked bored of everything that didn't involve him sat in a car. Even the new track made me cringe.

Makes me sad. TG has been one of my favourite shows for as long as I remember. I know there's the grand tour to watch and I'll give that a go too but it will never be the same as Top Gear just as Top Gear will never be as it was (and I'm one of the ones who through it was great as it was).

What a shame JC had to be a monumental idiot and ruin it for everyone involved.

BIB...it is really when they are moaning about the show as it is now.

They are all well documented. Just search the net. They don't need regurgitating here. It beats me how anyone can defend the bloke it really does.

...and this is the actual point that Clarksonistas need to reminded of over and over again. It is no good them throwing their toys out of the pram now. Quite frankly, they are 'lucky' he didn't 'leave' years ago. The BBC were extremely lenient with him over many years.

Yes, it is really, thanks for agreeing!

Give it time FFS. Matt and Chris have to develop the chemistry and try to make the show their own, they have big shoes to fill so surely people appreciate it won't happen overnight if you know how this media game works. Matt and Chris I'm sure are working hard to try to improve and tweak a few things.

Go watch Clarkson's new show. I'm sure people will be complaining about that show soon too, people just love to complain. Too many haters. BBC offer a free service for a Car Show, you have to pay extra for Amazon.

The BBC can't give in to public demand so quickly, they will look spineless and weak. They need to tell the critics to bore off.

Some great guys and gals working on the Top Gear production team, that made the show what it is down the years. A bit of respect please instead of crediting every Top Gear success to the likes of Clarkson, Hammond and May like they did EVERYTHING themselves.

It's still Top Gear, however it is presented, if you watch a show because of who presents it the show isn't very good to start with. That is old school TV making philosophy.

Jeremy Clarkson screwed Jeremy Clarkson. Simples.

...like crediting the success of Blue Peter to Singleton, Purves and Noakes?

I see Ash has barged in to divert the discussion away from the failings of the new show and instead rehash the old arguments about Clarkson. Classic diversionary tactics.

By common consent - Twitter 70-80% against, virtually all media reviews across the world, every single discussion forum that I've seen it discussed on; new TG has been absolutely slated with just the odd defender here & there. And suddenly Ash springs to action to divert us away from that to point out that Clarkson is a prat. What's wrong Ash - your beloved BBC taking a kicking, and you need to step in? Priceless.

What it must be like to be Ash, living in such a simple binary world with no ability to view things with an interwoven thought processes and where the only question that needs to be answered is 'is the BBC doing this?'. With your simpleton binary approach that allows your brain to conclude that not liking Evans = liking Clarkson = being in favour of punching a man, you miss so so much of the issue. But then, you know that; you aren't here to debate whether Evans is good or bad, right or wrong. You're here to divert the argument away from the panning that it's taken and will take after tomorrow when the 2nd show goes out, the one that was made before the first went out.

The one thing that really leaps out is your acceptance of second rate. You haven't suggested ways for new TG to improve, or shown any indication that it will. No. Your view is that we'll get used to this second rate childish version of the show with its shouting, cheering for a favourite car, bright lighting, primary colours, style over substance, and that once we're used to this poor quality imitation we'll be ok. You might be ok with second rate, just good enough to get 3-4m viewers. Fill yer boots love, that's what you've got. We haven't, not even my kids. They don't fall for shouty blokes who aren't saying anything and who have to shout & wave their arms about to get attention, they preferred the conceit [look it up in context] that they were allowed into the adult world of motoring. They sat stony-faced through the first episode, and dismissed it as rubbish by halfway.

You're not good enough to argue the case Ash - your simpleton binary approach designed purely to divert attention from Evans' car-crash opener won't wash.

And your point being?
People are discussing how bad the new show is, NOT the reasons why the new show exists.
There obviously is going to be an impact, and a period of getting used to new presenters is part of that. But, what is not explainable is how the show, that had the format nailed down, has managed to take such a backward step.

Would have made it more interesting....

Just watched Extra Gear and really liked it, think this will actually be better than the main show, perhaps Rory Reid, Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz should have been the sole presenters on Top Gear .

If the BBC had any sense, they would rush (I say rush, it was done every week for old Top Gear) week 3 through and show it this week, then reshoot ep2 later on to include the modifications and changes made. Showing ep2 as it is won't win too many extra fans by the sound of it.

A good idea, but equating sense with the BBC in this instance might be pushing credulity somewhat.

Absolutely right Fusion. I totally agree. It's no good Clarksonistas moaning about it now is it. They have one person to blame for this and we all know who it is.

Just give it time. You would't expect a new presenting team to have everything in working order from the get-go would you. These things take time to bed in. Did Have I Got News For You work immediately after AD left? No it didn't. Some years later, is the format better now? In my view, you betcha. Same will apply to TG. In a few years, it will be Clarkson who?

No, wrong again! Clarkson has one person to blame for there being no Clarkson on TG.
There are many people to blame for the revamp being as poor as it was.
Try again.

No 'try again' needed. Clarksonistas / Sun types need to move on and accept the change. Continuous moaning isn't constructive is it.