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Top Gear

Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May
  • Posted at 4:30pm
  • 02 July 2008
  • by DavidButcher-RT
  • 4 comments

Now, only on BBC1…" said the continuity announcer bizarrely, "…it's the brand new series of Top Gear."

They wish. BBC1 would love to snaffle this show but no, it's staying on BBC2 and the BBC2-ness matters because, despite being a hit all over the world, on BBC2 it can still slope around behind the bikesheds and behave like a naughty schoolboy.

And sure enough, here come the scabby-kneed gang of Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May, looking as shifty as ever. Straight out of the opening titles and Clarkson roars, "Tonight: can an Austin Allegro fly?" over a shot of a 70s hatchback reversing up a huge ramp.

Six words and I'm 12 years old again, too. Across the country, I'd guess, millions of dads are regressing in their heads to a time when they didn't have to worry about the boss or the mortgage and could instead daydream about what an Allegro would look like airborne.

Which is why this show is such a phenomenon. It tickles the childish id in everyone, not just dads. The trouble is, no sooner are we reminded, via a teaser sequence on the series ahead, how blinding Top Gear is at its best, than they ruin it all with an extended soap-box session from Clarkson about the fuel crisis and why the Toyota (yawn) Prius isn't the answer, and why we should ban roadsigns or something. Which reminds us what a drag the show can be at its worst.

When there's too much in this vein, it's like being trapped at a party by a blazered public-school boor who lectures you on political correctness gone mad and so-called global warming and bloody health and safety. Suddenly the Spain v Italy Euro 2008 quarter-final over on BBC1 (or possibly BBC2) starts to look tempting.

But then, wonderfully, there's a classic Top Gear wheeze where the trio have to come up with an alternative police car for under a grand. The bit with the three of them in their absurd custom bangers chasing the Stig around the track had me weeping with laughter. For that we'll forgive the big kids anything.

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Comments

  • Posted on 06 October 2008
  • at 11:53am
  • by Moog

....and having an RAF helicopter pilot practising J-turns, handbrake turns and "drifting" (or powersliding to give it it's less Chavvy term) is sensible is it...?

  • Posted on 24 August 2008
  • at 9:23pm
  • by Semerkhet

If you're wanting a sensible motoring show, thats why Fifth gear exists. Quite why so many people are agaist the idea of "humour" is beyond me, life is sould destroying enough as it is, take the humour away and we may as well mot exist at all.

  • Posted on 28 July 2008
  • at 9:30am
  • by Jayare

Top Gear - Three sad old gits on an ego trip.

With all the great motoring technology out there to be examined and explained, we have these three acting like morons.

Please can we have a programme that reflects and deals with the reality of motoring; explains some of the technical engineering and design issues and for goodness sake has presenters who act their age not their shoe size.

There is a massive motor industry out there, employing some of the best engineering and design minds on earth, and what do we get: Ooh, this one goes faster than that one. Ooh I can make tyres squeal. For Christ sake people, grow up.

  • Posted on 20 July 2008
  • at 9:15pm
  • by Sue

why wasn't the bit on Hunting with the Ledbury included in tonights preview comments? It was brilliant - in the usual TopGear hilarious style.

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