It wasn't just Clarkson, May and Hammond it was Andy Wilman ,the producer as well that came up with the ideas as well. That's why he went to Amazon as well.
Remember the relaunched Top Gear was 30% owned by JC 20% by Wilman both old school mates 50% by BBC Studio's (the private arm not the state run BBC). Until 2013 when JC &Wilman was bought out. Hence the switch to Chump and Amazon.
The problem the BBC had is that the presenters became bigger than the show. It was easier for Clarkson, May and Hammond to find a new show than it was for Top Gear to find a replacement trio.
If i remember this correctly, BBC just wanted to get rid of Clarkson. They wanted to keep Hammond and May, so in their original plans they just need one new presenter, not the whole team. And don't forget that a lot of production team crew jump ship with them as well.
@@SKutas64 You're right, it was only Clarkson they wanted to get rid of. May and Hammond were generally well behaved and didn't cause trouble like he did. The thing is, getting rid of Clarkson was destroying the trio, whether the other two stayed or left. Hammond and May knew this so they left aswell. I'm sure there was a large element of loyalty to him because of being genuinely close friends, but at the core of it they knew the show wouldn't work without him.
Not so bad. Actually the classic trio got old and needed replacement anyway. But they were very good comedians, so the replacements should have been comedians too.
I too loved the May, Clarkson and Hammond era for the reasons you mention, but I also loved the show in the 1980s. Even as an under-10, I really loved seeing the reviews of new cars at the time. I think Chris Goffey, Tiff Needell and William Woolard came across as really knowledge and personable. I think you could really trust their reviews. Then Clarkson joined and really moved the game on. Nowadays I don't watch any telly as such, I get all my content from You Tube, especially cars.
Chris Harris is mentioned in a quite a few positive comments here - well deserved. He is the lead on a great YT channel for those addicted to collecting cars - I'm sure that as a fellow car addict, Matt watches this too!
Yes Chris Harris was excellent, but for some reason they made him the joke of the group. I remember Eddie Jordan being on one of the specials too and they did the same to him and gave him the worst car in the challenge but once the cars were in dirt tracks it was so obvious how much faster he was then anyone one else.. I also don't agree that the death of the show was as simple as the other 3 leaving, the Grand Tour was largely crap as well. I just think they were if a time and they time has passed
as opposed to chris evans whos only skill is upsetting many people every time he opened his mouth but if they wanted him to do that he was cheaper then Boris Johnston
It failed for 2 simple reasons. Firstly, everyone was bored with freddie and paddy trying to be the biggest northerner and lad. Secondly, it ignored Chriis being drowned out by those 2 planks.
I think your comment about being entertained and informed, is a much wider problem for the BBC than just Top Gear. RUclips has filled my hole in this department. Great passionate creators, in charge of there own futures and content. Keep it up Mat and all you other guys.
@@kofib3 its quite telling that I don't find drivetribe all that good and it has Hammond involved. I probably have ten or so motoring based channel subscriptions and I have never been happier with my motoring content.
@@Steve_Hallett Quite agree with you on Drive tribe, I just usually skim through some bits of it, but quite liked when they restored the M5 Touring and the Ford Mondeo ST 200.
He has got a Collecting Cars RUclips channel and podcast which are worth checking out. But I agree it’s a shame to lose him from Top Gear as I thought he bought a lot to the show.
Honestly they should've rebooted top gear with him and Rory. I genuinely think with all that forced friendship thing the bbc tried to push out, they'd not only just naturally just get along with time anyway, but also they are both very clearly knowledgeable about cars and how they work.
The opening sequence in the first Grand Tour was terrific, not a word spoken as Clarkson left a rainy London and rejoined his crew in the desert. That was an example of the production values that made the Wilman era so good. Don't under estimate how talented the production team were, the likes of Richard Porter and Jim Wiseman are brilliant.
One of the things which sets Wilman apart of most producers is that he is present during the whole editing process and can determine things right then instead of just being shown a cut of the edit.
I remember the program way back when it was fronted by a more formal presentation team, but as a kid growing up, it really ignited my interest in cars and encouraged me to join the motor industry. Even in the Hammond, May and Clarkson era there was still informative reviews and cars we could all have the opportunity to own. Despite a couple of makeovers the only good thing to come out of it is Chris Harris, he actually provides sensible, journalism and informed reviews. The others are just a couple of chumps!
Tbf Matt, your channel is the only 'car show' I really watch these days - you're informative and entertaining, and I lead a busy life with little time to watch anything that doesn't tick both those boxes. Keep doing what you do mate.
yeah the trio was the main and only reason the show worked. The Grand Tour was also an amazing show and the specials are little gems, even tho the three are beginning to show their age. What really shows how crucial them being on the show was to the show being successful, is the fact that the small amazon series they have being doing on their own are all massive hits. I mean, Clarkson's farm is a genuinely good tv series to watch, it's entertaining and it teaches something at the end of the day. I hope the future will bring us a legendary trio, but I'm happy to have lived the time of these absolute legends
I feel bad for Chris. He was great, and a proper car guy. Freddy and Paddy will go back and get their own TV programmes, Chris has been left short changed.
He certainly hasn't. He's living it large travelling the world with Collecting Cars. No doubt he'll be rejecting many offers from motoring related RUclips channels too.
Chris has his own Collecting Cars/watches business auction business so he's fine I think. That and I reckon he and Paddy will have got a decent pay out when Top Gear was axed. I wouldn't shed too many tears for him he is still doing great work with cars. Other two don't know don't care.
Agree with pretty much everything you said. I'm sure personally that we will never get a car show as special as old top gear again and I feel lucky to have been watching during its golden age. I personally think it was dying even when Clarkson, Hammond and May were at the wheel towards the end, even with those guys it felt very forced and try hard.
Completely agree with everything you said Matt, for me, post Clarkson, Chris Evans totally ruined it and from then on it was always on a downward spiral to certain death. I think youtube has so much content available now that we can all get a daily 1 hour tailored car show
The Clarkson, May and Hammond years worked because it felt like three mates just having fun and messing about in cars (whether they were actually mates in real life I don't actually know) whereas the last lot felt like just three random blokes told to have fun in cars and failing to do so.
They were actually mates irl. Hence Hammond and May's decision to step down from Top Gear after Clarkson's firing. Apparently they offered the two hosts big sums of money just for them to stay and work with a new third man, but they turned it down. May himself mentioned that they're pretty much a complete package. You can't have one without the other two.
I think that you forgot to mention Chris Harris, big props to him as he was the one putting life back into the show. I think if they had given time for Matt LeBlanc and Chris Harris to develop their friendship, it would have been such a better program!
Well articulated Matt. Feel exactly the same. I think Top Gear post 2002 was largely the creation of Andy Wilman and Clarkson. While May and Hammond became intrigal, there's no disputing that it was Clarkson's writing, bluntness and sarcastic humour that made the show great. It had both a wonderful child like appreciation of cars and travel but with a touch of blokey humour that just worked so well. None of the replacement presenters could ever hope to recreate it. Still miss it on Sunday nights but at least the trio are still very active on tv and online.
Well, the BBC should look no further than yourself, Matt, as the new lead presenter for any revamped Top Gear show they may or may not produce in the future. You've got a great backstory, a booming RUclips channel full of both entertaining and practical car advice/content, and you're a down to earth guy that the audience can relate to. Make your pitch to the BBC with this video to support your case and the job is yours 👍 Just need to find a couple of other people to present with you!
The original Top Gear was exactly the kind of show you described. The likes of Quentin Wilson, William Woolard, Noel Edmunds, Tiff Needell, testing out the sort of cars we were all looking to buy. It was only after a break & serious revamp that the remaining presenter, Clarkson, was joined by the other two & the format changed dramatically. I have to admit I preferred Fifth Gear, though again that got daft towards the end as well. Like you suggest, the days of weekly motoring shows is over, & RUclips fills that void many times over with all manner of characters like yourself giving varying levels of reviews instead. To ape Clarkson, "Some say he's a pompous git!" "But all we know is, he can review a cheap car quite well!" 😁
The original sensible car review show had dies and viewing figures were dire, that's why they had to change everything and the three amigos format saved the show for years.
I never really liked fifth gear for the most part. I particularly hated their head to head tests between a handful of competing models of cars. Touting it as a proper impartial test to see which was best. But instead they would disqualify models after each round. This is not a fair test and makes it easy to rig, and you know they did as they always ended up selecting the car most badge snobs would go for. A proper test involves subjecting each model to the same level of testing and scrutinising the results. Enjoyed their run of crash tests. Those were epic. But the rest of the show was annoying and filled with badge snobbery.
You're making it sound as if "the original trio" where the first presenters of TG, it was going for many, many years before they came along. I can remember watching it in the late 70's.
I think you hit the nail on the head - anyone can get high quality automotive content from RUclips to suit their individual taste. Trying to keep Top Gear going without the classic lineup was like keeping the Rolling Stones without Mick and Keef - the magic was gone. I like watching your videos because they're practical, informative and you allow your personality to come through, too. You've created your own brand through hard work. I based my last used car purchase on your reviews (a BMW F31 LCI) and I made a point to check a lot of the things you check in your own videos. So thanks, and keep it up!
I can remember when the original Top Gear used to be on, I would make sure I was ready to watch it religiously. But with the revamped series, I wasn't bothered at all, Jeremy,Richard and James were in a class of their own. I just get my fix watching you regularly overspend 😂, but on serious note you have the perfect platform to take this further. And I'm hoping you and your team get your heads together and take what you have forward. Keep it all going Matt, so many followers can't be wrong 👍👍
Man after my own heart, I fully agreed and said the same thing. Because I’m quite sad I even wrote to the BBC and said this is what should be done because I was so irritated watching the new cast try and out lad each other. The issue is the BBC don’t give the public enough credit and didn’t think people would want a factual show and we really did, I learned so much about cars from Clarkson and Co, proper nerdy stuff as well which I loved, it inspired me to go to Vietnam and Chernobyl. From watching the specials every Christmas with my family to providing comfort tv when nothing else was on (still do) I’m sure I and a lot of other people cherish it and mourn it’s passing (2015 and previous). Hopefully someone can reboot it in a few years, while I enjoy watching you tube I still enjoy regular format tv if nothing else to try and bring people together.
I agree with all you've said and I've said to you before I honestly believe you'd make a great presenter on Top Gear. Straight to the point and honest reviews you would be a breath of fresh air.
I’m ancient enough to remember it when William Woollard and Angela Ripon were presenting it! We now use RUclips for new car reviews like Carwow, what car? Or even Bob Flavin.
A very fair assessment by Matt. I believe that when Top Gear came back the first time Clarkson had bought a share of the rights to the show and it was them made by his production company and sold to the BBC. Some time later in 2012 the BBC bought out Clarkson's share to assume full ownership. Thus they were able to sack Clarkson when his actions displeased then. Fast forward to TG Mark 3 with the BBC in full control. This was the mistake in my opinion. When the programe was make by outsiders it had to be good enough for audiences to like it. Worse, by pushing people into a format that did not really work they took some risks culminating in Flintoff's accident. The huge legal settlement cost alone is enough to bury the concept for the time being and may have proved that the BBC is not competant when it comes to making popular TV shows which are best left to production companies. The BBC has licence payers money to spend on whatever it wishes whether it is good or bad. However, ultimately even with Clarkson and co, I felt that the show was starting to become a stale parody of itself and the presenters, at the risk of being accused of ageism, were getting long in the tooth. It could not have gone on for much longer at the same level of popularity but of course the BBC had a money making machine on its hands so the show had to go one. Lord Wreith must be turning in his grave and the state of the organisation he restuctured into a public service broadcaster!
@@geebee6737 As I understand it Clarkson and co had stayed in the pub too long and returned to the hotel after the kitchen had closed, upon which Clarkson lost it and assaulted the production assistant. I can't comment on that person's orientation, nor is it relevant. That says way more about you than about them, or JC. And by the way, I love TG and Clarkson's historical documentaries on the Arctic Convoys and Brunel. He's a fine journalist. But if you behave like an arse, you have to face the consequences.
@@malthuswasright totally fair analysis, plus some really good points made by @keithmatthews1673 - at its peak, the JC-Andy Wilman TG set a unique benchmark for TV production and viewer engagement. A perfect storm of talent, ambition, knowledge and genuine love of a topic. For those of us who cherished TG at its best, it will never fade from our memories; it's a terrible shame that, in this instance, a true understanding of the target audience seemed to be a million miles away from senior BBC management's priorities, or desires, at the time.
@keithmatthews1673 Clarkson was not sacked, he could not be sacked as he was not a BBC employee. He was _contracted_ and when his contract with the BBC expired it was not renewed...big difference.
It cancelled because it was cringe and couldn’t live up to what it used to be with Clarkson, Hammond and May. It was with two people who didn’t know a thing about cars and Chris Harris was the only saviour of the show. It was a good decision not to continue and let’s just keep the classics of Clarkson, Hammond and May and know how good Top gear used to be.
Good video Matt. I think Top Gear with Jeremy et al. was like your favourite rock band; they had a chemistry which made the whole greater than the sum of their parts. Once Jeremy had gone, it wasn't the same any more. I'd also like to acknowledge Quentin Willson's very sensible car buying advice, and Vicki Butler-Henderson whom a lot of male viewers had a bit of a "thing" for back in the day. Tiff was a character too. P.S. One advantage with a back to basics show of the kind Matt is suggesting would be that if it's on a major channel it would have the clout to be able to test new cars straight from the manufacturer. I enjoy RUclips channels like Ian on HubNut and Jack on Number 27 but they are heavily reliant on having people lend them cars to drive, and people who have just bought new cars don't tend to want to do that.
I loved the old Top Gear with Clarkson, Hammond & May. The BBC shot themselves in the foot sacking Clarkson and losing their cash cow. It used to make millions around the world but not anymore. I have the same feelings as you regarding their replacements. I also really like Matt Le Blanc.
When I first heard they were leaving I was sad about it but I also felt that it was a good opportunity to take the show back to it's roots. After all there's only so many caravans you can set fire to or Morris Marinas you can blow up - it was getting a little tired. It would have been nice to get (for example) Tiff Needell, Harry Metcalf, and Chris Harris as a trio (Maybe?) and go back to some proper road testing, maybe even have a Motorbike segment for 10-mins every show as well. Instead they carried on with the hyperbole, scripted "banter", and brought in a slew of presenters most of whom knew nothing about cars. I'm surprised Chris Evans didn't kill it off completely after the first series tbh. Such a shame.
I remember watching the very early Top Gear, presented by Noel Edmunds and Tiff Needel. Back in those days they did indeed review the cars that most people would buy. Unfortunately being a petrolhead is no longer cool, that’s why Top Gear has been “parked”.
Alongside Mat's channel I watch Baxenden Car Breakers, Kevtee, Chops Garage, Salvage Rebuilds, Car Throttle and others. Its surprising how good some of these channels are now and this is where I would look for new car show presenters in the future.
Auto Alex has filled the "group of car friends who lark about but also know their stuff" void for me. It's relatable content, cheap ropey cars with some nicer stuff thrown in for good measure. The guys laughing to the point of crying and coughing, innuendos too. Cars are obtained from Facebook market place, ebay, auto trader... you name it. All the places us Joe blogs would go for the next cheap and cheerful runabout
You nailed the answer in the first minute, Matt. The friendship among The Old Man, The Hamster, and Captain Slow. There were authorized copies around the world trying to re-create their magic. We even had an American version of Top Gear over by my neck of the woods. It was awful! Let's just take three random blokes, and we'll have a hit! No! One was a pro driver, one was very mildly successful comedian decades back, and the last guy.... I believe he was kinda fat. I recall Top Gear from before the days of the iconic trio. It was more of a factual show with a rotating cast of hosts. Clarkson, one of them. Quite successful too. But after many years, the ratings took a hit. Then there was that very unfortunate incident caused by one of the hosts. Old Top Gear was gone! When it did return.... one of the hosts was a fat man. He was soon gone, and the iconic trio came to be. I do agree with James May. The incident that caused Clarkson to be fired in 2015 should have been handled in-house. Would have benefited everyone involved.
There were two people that I thought would have been an interesting choice when they were recasting. One - Jay Leno. He is a MASSIVE car nerd. Anyone who's seen the episode of Top Gear he appeared on will know how massive his car collection is, so he _definitely_ knows his stuff and he already presents a car show on RUclips. He would also have added some of that American 'pizzazz'. Only downsides would be that he is quite old (73) and lives in Beverly Hills, so getting him to an airfield in Dunsfold to present a poky motoring show on British TV where he drives around in old bangers might have been a tall order lol Two - Jay Kay, the Jamiroquai lead singer. For similar reasons, the guy knows his stuff when it comes to cars, and he seems like he'd be a good laugh. He collects supercars, and has a number of Ferraris and Lambos. He's fast too, topping the leaderboard when he was a Star in a Reasonably Priced car. Granted, he doesn't have any experience of hosting a TV show, but then neither did Hammond or May when they started. Now, I don't know if Jay Leno and Jay Kay would have been a good pairing if they worked together, I'm not suggesting they should have, but individually they could have been interesting choices
We will always need car shows. You guys in the UK are lucky. Here in America we had no good car shows. I mean we had motor week. They actually film it not too far from where I live. I always wanted to be a test driver for them!
I think there's any number of car review channels on RUclips. People don't consume car programmes on the free to air channels like they used to sadly 😞
Chemistry is definitely what made the show work. It wasn't just a car show and finding that kind of chemistry isn't easy. However, I think Top Gear USA had it with Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood, and Adam Ferrara. They made the show their own. I was bummed when that one got cancelled too.
What did you think of Chris Harris then? Bit odd you didn’t mention his name once. Out of anyone who appeared on the show after the original trio left, Harris surely deserves some credit for being an actual respected car journalist who really knows his stuff and his individual segments were always top notch. Very bizarre that you just seemed to glaze over that aspect.
I think your bang on Matt they were top gear and when they left the show died. It's like trying to recreate "only fools and horses" I just won't work .keep up the good work really enjoy the show especially the spin offs
I watched Top Gear too for years and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the 'Specials', but for me it lost its way a long time ago and became childish. It went from being interesting and a bit of fun to seeing just how many stunts they could pull on one another, which for me dipped into the realms of stupidity. It had its day and lost its way a long time ago.
Top Gear should have definitely been shelved when Clarkson, Hammond and May went. When they replaced them the appeal of Top Gear went out the window. As you mentioned most of us now get our car fixes via RUclips. My current go to channels are High Peak Autos, Auto Alex, Drive tribe and more recently watching Misha doing his stuff on the Nuburgring. And when there's no new vids to catch up on its straight back to watching old top gear clips.
They still post car reviews on their RUclips channel. I have no clue if their just clips from the show but it reminds me of the original top gear in the 80's
Back in 2002 with Clarkson, Hammond and Jason Dawe. It was all Motoring Journalism with real buyers advice and comparisons, plus the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car, a stunt and a Stig lap. When James May rejoined the show in 2003 (after he was initially sacked), they carried on with that and added more personality and a sense of humour, continuing with the Road Tests and everything else I mentioned. All that bought success and money to the show which funded the Races and Challenges they did and I believe Series 4 or 5 was when it really took off and became the big hit we remember today. When it comes to the revamp, they should’ve stuck with Motoring Journalists and probs just one TV presenter who’s into cars (but Chris Evans didn’t fit it). Chris Harris and Rory Reid were perfect for it, no doubt. Alongside them, I’m not sure who I’d have. But yeah, Top Gear is done and has been since 2015.
The best episode from the latest crowd was when they got the cars that their parents had when they were kids. Chris Harris in the BMW remembering his dad was proper touching. The rest was just tomfoolery.
Agree on genuine consumer information, how does the car drive, what engines / gearboxes are unreasonable, rust, maintenance cost. expected retail value. Cars are along side houses the biggest investments people normally do?
The straw that broke the camel's back was the production company forcing unqualified people into dangerous situations. They ran the gauntlet again and again, until someone had their face chopped off. The wider reason was that it lost the connection and familiarity fans had, and it never really got the formula right to restore it. It's possible to do, but star fame isn't the answer. Car Throttle, AutoAlex, MightyCarMods, all examples of good synergy that worked with good ideas. Top Gear ultimately went the way of the Marvel's MCU. It came to an explosive end, and that generation had it's fill.
Yes, I totally agree with you Matt. The BBC were right to shelve the last Top Gear show. We do need a pause from Top Gear so those at the BBC can get their heads together and come up with a re-vamped and properly sensible car show. Then maybe add a bit of humour later on.
I would kill for a reunion final season with Clarkson, Hammond, and May. Even throw in Chris Harris and the other hosts if you want to have a little fun poking at the later seasons and have Chris bring his car knowledge to the show again. I think it would be a good way to end things on a high, but who knows if the BBC are willing to. Maybe Amazon could possibly license it out like Doctor Who, but that hasn't gone well either, so who knows.
I never watched it once the trio left, even cancelled my TV tax because TopGear was the last BBC program I watched so I wasn't going to keep paying tv tax. For fans like me it was never about exotic super cars or even the celeb guests, I just liked watched the trio mess about, some of the best specials are when they're in old second hand cars travelling across amazing countries in cars anyone can afford while bickering and bantering. I can't review TopGear after the trio as I never saw it but the Grand tour has been amazing, long may it continue
Erm, hold on ..... "Top Gear" originally WAS a proper car review show. It sort of faltered a bit when Jezza was drafted in and he told things as they were culminating in the famous Vauxhall Cavalier report. They stood back a while and the new format "Top Gear" was born. The other presenters (Tiff Needel / Vicky Butler-Henderson / et al) of the original Top Gear broke camp and started "Fifth Gear" on Channel 5. To go full circle would have been a mistake.
completely agree. I remember BBC's statement at the time saying no presenter was bigger than the show, and I remember thinking... Err, I think you got that one wrong, BBC !!!
The wonder is not that the BBC cancelled Top Gear, but that they restrained themselves from recasting it with Clare Balding, Sandi Toksvig and Diane Abbott.
I agree with you 100% - the “new” Top Gear should have evolved naturally from a real car review show. Even in the early JC et al years, this was an earnest car review show first and JC having a laugh second - and over time RH and JM came on board with that and joined the banter… I stopped watching TG for the same reasons as you: it felt fake and the newer presenters (other than the very good Harris) knew b*****-all about cars and the relationships seemed obviously forced. It was horrible to watch. A “reflective, creative break” is exactly what is needed now. And hopefully Chris Harris will come back…
I personally think we need "THE HIGH PEAK" show in RUclips, like chilling around with friends with their cars, going to car meet/show around UK. More like a stress buster with containing information!💯
We still need a car show, hosted by Hammond, May and Clarkson, once a year is not enough should be at least 2 X 10 episode seasons per year like they started with 20 years ago
I think Chris Harris was a great addition. I've enjoyed all on his online content. Very much an uber petrol head in my opinion. Thanks Matt. Another great vid 👌
The thing with C,H,M was they were not celebrities at the start so people had no real preconception of them and they were motoring journalists so already had the ability to put things in a interesting way so most of what they did was to their own script making it more natural.
You touch on it, but I think it's worth remembering that the first few of seasons of TG under Wilman/Clarkson were a bit clunky with Jason Dawes and then James May. It was probably season 4 by the time they'd gelled as a trio, and from then on it was almost unmissable TV. Yeah, they jumped the shark at one point, and it started it to get very contrived and predictable, but we kept watching it because it was still genuinely entertaining watching three real friends dick about in cars. There's also the point that the trio also have very distinct personas on screen - they have a kind of Three Uncles schtick going on which makes them very relatable. Clarkson is the slightly confused inappropriate luddite uncle with occasional emotional outbursts. Hammond is the energetic hyperactive uncle who's always getting into ridiculous scrapes and crashes a bit, and May is the dorky uncle who's well into Airfix and mechanical things and has a really decent workshop/shed. Importantly, all of them genuinely understand how to be motoring journalists first - just look back at that piece Clarkson did with the Aston V12 driving across the moors with Brian Eno's Ending playing, or the Funeral for a Friend when Ford killed the Mondeo, or the BMC/British Leyland challenge - underneath all the cocking about is a real car enthusiasts program. Post Clarkson TG had none of this. The arrogance and hubris of the Beeb is what killed TG - probably for good - thinking they could just swap the presenters and carry on as before without realising by that time it was only the presenters that were carrying it.
Never bothered to watch the "new" Top Gear. I picked up a few clips while changing channels - but it never was enough to catch my attention. It took a while before the "Grand Tour" had found its footing and I watched several seasons. Still, I miss my old Top Gear. It was my favorite show and it made me laugh out loud.
Some great points - especially the forced ‘banter’ of the reboot, in particular the Chris Evans incarnation. It’s all about the ideas and a balance of info and cocking about. Andy Wilman and the production crew - as well as Clarkson and co don’t really get enough credit for the work done off / behind the camera.
Four years into it, I was still wondering "who the fuck are these two guys next to Chris Harris?" Matt Leblanc was perfect, and Rory Reid was a great discovery, I still follow his work on AutoTrader to this day. I'm convinced this trio could have worked long term. Anyway, checking the "could have beens" huh...
Everyone forgets the unbelievably long period Top Gear existed as a generic consumer magazine show for BBC, before Jeremy Clarkson bought the production rights and turned it into an entertainment show
IMHO, the last episodes with the well-known trio were already going down in quality as more and more it was clear that it needed to be better, wilder, more insane and became very clear all was well prep'd and scripted. Older episodes were scripted too, but it wasn't so much OTT. The new episodes needed to pick up where others were left without the chemistry mentioned in this video. Characters needed to be build quickly and needed to play a role .... I haven't seen the last seasons and frankly, I don't miss it as YT has everything to offer: low budget challenges with minimal scripting and pretty good productions, car reviews, car projects, all kind of people with their own chracters and humour. Top Gear learned us a lot, but it all happened during the Hammond, Clarjkson and May episodes.
The show tanked after every creative mind that related to Clarkson either left or got axed by the BBC because they want to have Clarkson’s Top Gear without the controversy.
When Clarkson was fired and Hammond and May went to join him on the (excellent) Grand Tour, the BBC wanted to get their own back on them by trying to make TG bigger and better than before. They wanted instant revenge, which they wouldn't have got with a 'serious' motoring show - although I agree that would have been the better option. Unfortunately no iteration of TG has worked since the original trio left, but I am a fan of Chris Harris, I'd give him his own show!
TopGear can be revived, in the near future. The old format from the 80s and 90s would work, with a few challenges thrown in over the series. Chris should come back with Rory and another knowledgeable and humourous presenter.
The original top gear was a programme that did basic car reviews, then clarkson and co. came along and the only thing that remained from the original show was the name.
The BBC shot itself in the foot when they fired Clarkson, Hammond, May and Andy Wilman They made Top Gear great, spoke there mind and didn't care about offending people - the BBC were never going to find replacements of their equal !
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I'ts about time they have taken it off it has lost plot like you have just said get back to reviewing cars not 3 idiots
Absolutely
It wasn't just Clarkson, May and Hammond it was Andy Wilman ,the producer as well that came up with the ideas as well. That's why he went to Amazon as well.
And all of of the production team e.g. Richard Porter
As well as well
Remember the relaunched Top Gear was 30% owned by JC 20% by Wilman both old school mates 50% by BBC Studio's (the private arm not the state run BBC). Until 2013 when JC &Wilman was bought out. Hence the switch to Chump and Amazon.
@@Hudobec like fine wine
Clarkson and Wilman were at school together (Repton public school)
It’s blatantly obvious why it’s failed , it was doomed as soon as Jezza , Hamster & May left .
Captain Slow*
To be fair the show was already dying long before the trio left/got sacked
Who
Did wonders for toyota hylux
It failed because it became more about the ‘challenges’ than the cars. This started before the original 3 left.
The problem the BBC had is that the presenters became bigger than the show. It was easier for Clarkson, May and Hammond to find a new show than it was for Top Gear to find a replacement trio.
Spot on, when the guys became top gear, top gear disappeared with the guys.
If i remember this correctly, BBC just wanted to get rid of Clarkson. They wanted to keep Hammond and May, so in their original plans they just need one new presenter, not the whole team. And don't forget that a lot of production team crew jump ship with them as well.
@@SKutas64 You're right, it was only Clarkson they wanted to get rid of. May and Hammond were generally well behaved and didn't cause trouble like he did. The thing is, getting rid of Clarkson was destroying the trio, whether the other two stayed or left. Hammond and May knew this so they left aswell. I'm sure there was a large element of loyalty to him because of being genuinely close friends, but at the core of it they knew the show wouldn't work without him.
Spot on. It became outdated years ago when the presenters became bigger than the product.
Not so bad. Actually the classic trio got old and needed replacement anyway. But they were very good comedians, so the replacements should have been comedians too.
I too loved the May, Clarkson and Hammond era for the reasons you mention, but I also loved the show in the 1980s. Even as an under-10, I really loved seeing the reviews of new cars at the time. I think Chris Goffey, Tiff Needell and William Woolard came across as really knowledge and personable. I think you could really trust their reviews. Then Clarkson joined and really moved the game on.
Nowadays I don't watch any telly as such, I get all my content from You Tube, especially cars.
Chris Harris is mentioned in a quite a few positive comments here - well deserved. He is the lead on a great YT channel for those addicted to collecting cars - I'm sure that as a fellow car addict, Matt watches this too!
What’s the name of the channel please?
Yes Chris Harris was excellent, but for some reason they made him the joke of the group.
I remember Eddie Jordan being on one of the specials too and they did the same to him and gave him the worst car in the challenge but once the cars were in dirt tracks it was so obvious how much faster he was then anyone one else..
I also don't agree that the death of the show was as simple as the other 3 leaving, the Grand Tour was largely crap as well. I just think they were if a time and they time has passed
Chris Harris was decent, Evans was sh!t
Special mention for Chris Harris who done a brilliant job, he has all the enthusiasm, knowledge and skill of a top motoring journalist
Interestingly didn’t get a mention here though….
I'm sorry but Harris had the personality of wet cardboard.
as opposed to chris evans whos only skill is upsetting many people every time he opened his mouth but if they wanted him to do that he was cheaper then Boris Johnston
It failed for 2 simple reasons. Firstly, everyone was bored with freddie and paddy trying to be the biggest northerner and lad. Secondly, it ignored Chriis being drowned out by those 2 planks.
well summed up
It failed for 2 simple reasons. 1. Clarkson got sacked. 2. Hammond and May said fuck this shit
Did become a bit of a Northern C*ck swinging contest between Paddy and Freddy.
Well said
McGuiness, was the worst choice of presenter. An absolutely obnoxious twat, who made every car fan turn the telly off.
I think your comment about being entertained and informed, is a much wider problem for the BBC than just Top Gear. RUclips has filled my hole in this department. Great passionate creators, in charge of there own futures and content. Keep it up Mat and all you other guys.
Nobody wants to know about you filling your hole😮🤣🤣🤣👍
And with so many automotive content like this on RUclips, I don't miss Top Gear very much.
100%
@@kofib3 its quite telling that I don't find drivetribe all that good and it has Hammond involved. I probably have ten or so motoring based channel subscriptions and I have never been happier with my motoring content.
@@Steve_Hallett Quite agree with you on Drive tribe, I just usually skim through some bits of it, but quite liked when they restored the M5 Touring and the Ford Mondeo ST 200.
The great thing about Jeremy leaving BBC is that now we have Clarksons farm and Grand Tour.
Chris Harris was a class act on the most recent iteration of TG. I’ll miss seeing him. Also a very knowledgeable and decent chap.
He has got a Collecting Cars RUclips channel and podcast which are worth checking out. But I agree it’s a shame to lose him from Top Gear as I thought he bought a lot to the show.
Honestly they should've rebooted top gear with him and Rory. I genuinely think with all that forced friendship thing the bbc tried to push out, they'd not only just naturally just get along with time anyway, but also they are both very clearly knowledgeable about cars and how they work.
The opening sequence in the first Grand Tour was terrific, not a word spoken as Clarkson left a rainy London and rejoined his crew in the desert.
That was an example of the production values that made the Wilman era so good. Don't under estimate how talented the production team were, the likes of Richard Porter and Jim Wiseman are brilliant.
Yes exactly!!
Truly, that was the magic that made it work.
One of the things which sets Wilman apart of most producers is that he is present during the whole editing process and can determine things right then instead of just being shown a cut of the edit.
i bet the woke committee who sacked Clarkson watched that and updated their CV's
I remember the program way back when it was fronted by a more formal presentation team, but as a kid growing up, it really ignited my interest in cars and encouraged me to join the motor industry. Even in the Hammond, May and Clarkson era there was still informative reviews and cars we could all have the opportunity to own. Despite a couple of makeovers the only good thing to come out of it is Chris Harris, he actually provides sensible, journalism and informed reviews. The others are just a couple of chumps!
The BBC should be ‘rested’…it too has run its course
Tbf Matt, your channel is the only 'car show' I really watch these days - you're informative and entertaining, and I lead a busy life with little time to watch anything that doesn't tick both those boxes. Keep doing what you do mate.
try trottle house..
yeah the trio was the main and only reason the show worked. The Grand Tour was also an amazing show and the specials are little gems, even tho the three are beginning to show their age. What really shows how crucial them being on the show was to the show being successful, is the fact that the small amazon series they have being doing on their own are all massive hits. I mean, Clarkson's farm is a genuinely good tv series to watch, it's entertaining and it teaches something at the end of the day. I hope the future will bring us a legendary trio, but I'm happy to have lived the time of these absolute legends
I feel bad for Chris. He was great, and a proper car guy. Freddy and Paddy will go back and get their own TV programmes, Chris has been left short changed.
He certainly hasn't. He's living it large travelling the world with Collecting Cars. No doubt he'll be rejecting many offers from motoring related RUclips channels too.
Chris has his own Collecting Cars/watches business auction business so he's fine I think. That and I reckon he and Paddy will have got a decent pay out when Top Gear was axed. I wouldn't shed too many tears for him he is still doing great work with cars. Other two don't know don't care.
Fred is not going anywhere in his state after the accident mate.
Yep. His fearless gungho attitude was one of the features of the show. unfortunately it came back to bite him. However, £9m should help his recovery!
The only real petrol head of the show and rather belittled by his co presenters? An indication of the direction Top Gear was going!
Agree with pretty much everything you said. I'm sure personally that we will never get a car show as special as old top gear again and I feel lucky to have been watching during its golden age. I personally think it was dying even when Clarkson, Hammond and May were at the wheel towards the end, even with those guys it felt very forced and try hard.
Completely agree with everything you said Matt, for me, post Clarkson, Chris Evans totally ruined it and from then on it was always on a downward spiral to certain death. I think youtube has so much content available now that we can all get a daily 1 hour tailored car show
Spot on!
The Clarkson, May and Hammond years worked because it felt like three mates just having fun and messing about in cars (whether they were actually mates in real life I don't actually know) whereas the last lot felt like just three random blokes told to have fun in cars and failing to do so.
They were actually mates irl. Hence Hammond and May's decision to step down from Top Gear after Clarkson's firing. Apparently they offered the two hosts big sums of money just for them to stay and work with a new third man, but they turned it down. May himself mentioned that they're pretty much a complete package. You can't have one without the other two.
@@Geheimnis-c2e my favorite thing about May was his explanation beyond the “team” stipulation.
“Jeremy is a knob, but I quite like him.”
I think that you forgot to mention Chris Harris, big props to him as he was the one putting life back into the show. I think if they had given time for Matt LeBlanc and Chris Harris to develop their friendship, it would have been such a better program!
Really 😂😂
Props?
Well articulated Matt. Feel exactly the same. I think Top Gear post 2002 was largely the creation of Andy Wilman and Clarkson. While May and Hammond became intrigal, there's no disputing that it was Clarkson's writing, bluntness and sarcastic humour that made the show great. It had both a wonderful child like appreciation of cars and travel but with a touch of blokey humour that just worked so well.
None of the replacement presenters could ever hope to recreate it.
Still miss it on Sunday nights but at least the trio are still very active on tv and online.
Well, the BBC should look no further than yourself, Matt, as the new lead presenter for any revamped Top Gear show they may or may not produce in the future.
You've got a great backstory, a booming RUclips channel full of both entertaining and practical car advice/content, and you're a down to earth guy that the audience can relate to.
Make your pitch to the BBC with this video to support your case and the job is yours 👍
Just need to find a couple of other people to present with you!
Loved old Top Gear, was genuinely sad when it was cancelled
The original Top Gear was exactly the kind of show you described. The likes of Quentin Wilson, William Woolard, Noel Edmunds, Tiff Needell, testing out the sort of cars we were all looking to buy. It was only after a break & serious revamp that the remaining presenter, Clarkson, was joined by the other two & the format changed dramatically. I have to admit I preferred Fifth Gear, though again that got daft towards the end as well. Like you suggest, the days of weekly motoring shows is over, & RUclips fills that void many times over with all manner of characters like yourself giving varying levels of reviews instead. To ape Clarkson, "Some say he's a pompous git!" "But all we know is, he can review a cheap car quite well!" 😁
The original sensible car review show had dies and viewing figures were dire, that's why they had to change everything and the three amigos format saved the show for years.
I never really liked fifth gear for the most part.
I particularly hated their head to head tests between a handful of competing models of cars. Touting it as a proper impartial test to see which was best. But instead they would disqualify models after each round. This is not a fair test and makes it easy to rig, and you know they did as they always ended up selecting the car most badge snobs would go for.
A proper test involves subjecting each model to the same level of testing and scrutinising the results.
Enjoyed their run of crash tests. Those were epic. But the rest of the show was annoying and filled with badge snobbery.
You're making it sound as if "the original trio" where the first presenters of TG, it was going for many, many years before they came along. I can remember watching it in the late 70's.
I think you hit the nail on the head - anyone can get high quality automotive content from RUclips to suit their individual taste. Trying to keep Top Gear going without the classic lineup was like keeping the Rolling Stones without Mick and Keef - the magic was gone. I like watching your videos because they're practical, informative and you allow your personality to come through, too. You've created your own brand through hard work. I based my last used car purchase on your reviews (a BMW F31 LCI) and I made a point to check a lot of the things you check in your own videos. So thanks, and keep it up!
I think you hit the nail on the head with your breakdown. I always wished they kept on with the real tests on new and used vehicles.
The Auto Alex channel is where I get my Top Gear style fix now. Three mates messing about with cars. Its great.
I can remember when the original Top Gear used to be on, I would make sure I was ready to watch it religiously.
But with the revamped series, I wasn't bothered at all, Jeremy,Richard and James were in a class of their own.
I just get my fix watching you regularly overspend 😂, but on serious note you have the perfect platform to take this further. And I'm hoping you and your team get your heads together and take what you have forward.
Keep it all going Matt, so many followers can't be wrong 👍👍
Thank you. I’m trying
Man after my own heart, I fully agreed and said the same thing. Because I’m quite sad I even wrote to the BBC and said this is what should be done because I was so irritated watching the new cast try and out lad each other. The issue is the BBC don’t give the public enough credit and didn’t think people would want a factual show and we really did, I learned so much about cars from Clarkson and Co, proper nerdy stuff as well which I loved, it inspired me to go to Vietnam and Chernobyl. From watching the specials every Christmas with my family to providing comfort tv when nothing else was on (still do) I’m sure I and a lot of other people cherish it and mourn it’s passing (2015 and previous).
Hopefully someone can reboot it in a few years, while I enjoy watching you tube I still enjoy regular format tv if nothing else to try and bring people together.
I agree with all you've said and I've said to you before I honestly believe you'd make a great presenter on Top Gear. Straight to the point and honest reviews you would be a breath of fresh air.
I’m ancient enough to remember it when William Woollard and Angela Ripon were presenting it! We now use RUclips for new car reviews like Carwow, what car? Or even Bob Flavin.
Dont forget Andy Wilman he was a major part of old TG success too, he also left with the grown ups for the Grand tour
A very fair assessment by Matt. I believe that when Top Gear came back the first time Clarkson had bought a share of the rights to the show and it was them made by his production company and sold to the BBC. Some time later in 2012 the BBC bought out Clarkson's share to assume full ownership. Thus they were able to sack Clarkson when his actions displeased then. Fast forward to TG Mark 3 with the BBC in full control. This was the mistake in my opinion. When the programe was make by outsiders it had to be good enough for audiences to like it. Worse, by pushing people into a format that did not really work they took some risks culminating in Flintoff's accident. The huge legal settlement cost alone is enough to bury the concept for the time being and may have proved that the BBC is not competant when it comes to making popular TV shows which are best left to production companies. The BBC has licence payers money to spend on whatever it wishes whether it is good or bad. However, ultimately even with Clarkson and co, I felt that the show was starting to become a stale parody of itself and the presenters, at the risk of being accused of ageism, were getting long in the tooth. It could not have gone on for much longer at the same level of popularity but of course the BBC had a money making machine on its hands so the show had to go one. Lord Wreith must be turning in his grave and the state of the organisation he restuctured into a public service broadcaster!
"When his actions displeased them" - you mean when he assaulted someone.
@@malthuswasright ....who probably deserved it 🤣 , probably a he she or none binary !
@@geebee6737 As I understand it Clarkson and co had stayed in the pub too long and returned to the hotel after the kitchen had closed, upon which Clarkson lost it and assaulted the production assistant. I can't comment on that person's orientation, nor is it relevant. That says way more about you than about them, or JC. And by the way, I love TG and Clarkson's historical documentaries on the Arctic Convoys and Brunel. He's a fine journalist. But if you behave like an arse, you have to face the consequences.
@@malthuswasright totally fair analysis, plus some really good points made by @keithmatthews1673 - at its peak, the JC-Andy Wilman TG set a unique benchmark for TV production and viewer engagement. A perfect storm of talent, ambition, knowledge and genuine love of a topic. For those of us who cherished TG at its best, it will never fade from our memories; it's a terrible shame that, in this instance, a true understanding of the target audience seemed to be a million miles away from senior BBC management's priorities, or desires, at the time.
@keithmatthews1673 Clarkson was not sacked, he could not be sacked as he was not a BBC employee. He was _contracted_ and when his contract with the BBC expired it was not renewed...big difference.
It cancelled because it was cringe and couldn’t live up to what it used to be with Clarkson, Hammond and May. It was with two people who didn’t know a thing about cars and Chris Harris was the only saviour of the show. It was a good decision not to continue and let’s just keep the classics of Clarkson, Hammond and May and know how good Top gear used to be.
Good video Matt. I think Top Gear with Jeremy et al. was like your favourite rock band; they had a chemistry which made the whole greater than the sum of their parts. Once Jeremy had gone, it wasn't the same any more.
I'd also like to acknowledge Quentin Willson's very sensible car buying advice, and Vicki Butler-Henderson whom a lot of male viewers had a bit of a "thing" for back in the day. Tiff was a character too.
P.S. One advantage with a back to basics show of the kind Matt is suggesting would be that if it's on a major channel it would have the clout to be able to test new cars straight from the manufacturer. I enjoy RUclips channels like Ian on HubNut and Jack on Number 27 but they are heavily reliant on having people lend them cars to drive, and people who have just bought new cars don't tend to want to do that.
I loved the old Top Gear with Clarkson, Hammond & May. The BBC shot themselves in the foot sacking Clarkson and losing their cash cow. It used to make millions around the world but not anymore. I have the same feelings as you regarding their replacements. I also really like Matt Le Blanc.
Spot on with your analysis. I also believe people would prefer a more serious content to start with and let relationships grow naturally over time.
It would be good to see a video on the featured cars and what they sold for and how long it took.
When I first heard they were leaving I was sad about it but I also felt that it was a good opportunity to take the show back to it's roots. After all there's only so many caravans you can set fire to or Morris Marinas you can blow up - it was getting a little tired.
It would have been nice to get (for example) Tiff Needell, Harry Metcalf, and Chris Harris as a trio (Maybe?) and go back to some proper road testing, maybe even have a Motorbike segment for 10-mins every show as well.
Instead they carried on with the hyperbole, scripted "banter", and brought in a slew of presenters most of whom knew nothing about cars. I'm surprised Chris Evans didn't kill it off completely after the first series tbh. Such a shame.
I remember watching the very early Top Gear, presented by Noel Edmunds and Tiff Needel.
Back in those days they did indeed review the cars that most people would buy.
Unfortunately being a petrolhead is no longer cool, that’s why Top Gear has been “parked”.
That’s another reason
Alongside Mat's channel I watch Baxenden Car Breakers, Kevtee, Chops Garage, Salvage Rebuilds, Car Throttle and others. Its surprising how good some of these channels are now and this is where I would look for new car show presenters in the future.
Auto Alex has filled the "group of car friends who lark about but also know their stuff" void for me.
It's relatable content, cheap ropey cars with some nicer stuff thrown in for good measure.
The guys laughing to the point of crying and coughing, innuendos too.
Cars are obtained from Facebook market place, ebay, auto trader... you name it. All the places us Joe blogs would go for the next cheap and cheerful runabout
You nailed the answer in the first minute, Matt. The friendship among The Old Man, The Hamster, and Captain Slow. There were authorized copies around the world trying to re-create their magic. We even had an American version of Top Gear over by my neck of the woods. It was awful! Let's just take three random blokes, and we'll have a hit! No! One was a pro driver, one was very mildly successful comedian decades back, and the last guy.... I believe he was kinda fat.
I recall Top Gear from before the days of the iconic trio. It was more of a factual show with a rotating cast of hosts. Clarkson, one of them. Quite successful too. But after many years, the ratings took a hit. Then there was that very unfortunate incident caused by one of the hosts. Old Top Gear was gone! When it did return.... one of the hosts was a fat man. He was soon gone, and the iconic trio came to be. I do agree with James May. The incident that caused Clarkson to be fired in 2015 should have been handled in-house. Would have benefited everyone involved.
There were two people that I thought would have been an interesting choice when they were recasting.
One - Jay Leno. He is a MASSIVE car nerd. Anyone who's seen the episode of Top Gear he appeared on will know how massive his car collection is, so he _definitely_ knows his stuff and he already presents a car show on RUclips. He would also have added some of that American 'pizzazz'. Only downsides would be that he is quite old (73) and lives in Beverly Hills, so getting him to an airfield in Dunsfold to present a poky motoring show on British TV where he drives around in old bangers might have been a tall order lol
Two - Jay Kay, the Jamiroquai lead singer. For similar reasons, the guy knows his stuff when it comes to cars, and he seems like he'd be a good laugh. He collects supercars, and has a number of Ferraris and Lambos. He's fast too, topping the leaderboard when he was a Star in a Reasonably Priced car. Granted, he doesn't have any experience of hosting a TV show, but then neither did Hammond or May when they started.
Now, I don't know if Jay Leno and Jay Kay would have been a good pairing if they worked together, I'm not suggesting they should have, but individually they could have been interesting choices
We will always need car shows. You guys in the UK are lucky. Here in America we had no good car shows. I mean we had motor week. They actually film it not too far from where I live. I always wanted to be a test driver for them!
I think we all knew why after the ditched the trio😂 but nice video anyways
I think there's any number of car review channels on RUclips. People don't consume car programmes on the free to air channels like they used to sadly 😞
Without the golden trio, Top Gear was doomed to fail.
Chemistry is definitely what made the show work. It wasn't just a car show and finding that kind of chemistry isn't easy. However, I think Top Gear USA had it with Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood, and Adam Ferrara. They made the show their own. I was bummed when that one got cancelled too.
Luckily you can get your fix of car shows on RUclips nowadays! I enjoy watching AutoAlex, Car Throttle and your videos.
I think even with Clarkson and crew it ran it's course many years before. I think RUclips is the place to go for car shows
If the BBC brought it back i'd cast....You, Chris Harris, Mat Watson and maybe Alex Kersten!
What did you think of Chris Harris then? Bit odd you didn’t mention his name once. Out of anyone who appeared on the show after the original trio left, Harris surely deserves some credit for being an actual respected car journalist who really knows his stuff and his individual segments were always top notch. Very bizarre that you just seemed to glaze over that aspect.
I think your bang on Matt they were top gear and when they left the show died. It's like trying to recreate "only fools and horses" I just won't work .keep up the good work really enjoy the show especially the spin offs
Have you seen the pilot to the American remake of Only Fools? It's on YT somewhere... it's really bad. 😂
Exactly right!
When the new presenters went on crazy road trips or in the next hyper car it felt unearned.
I absolutely loved Matt LeBlanc's car reviews. A genuine petrol head. My favourite is when he reviewed the Ford GT in California.
I watched Top Gear too for years and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the 'Specials', but for me it lost its way a long time ago and became childish. It went from being interesting and a bit of fun to seeing just how many stunts they could pull on one another, which for me dipped into the realms of stupidity. It had its day and lost its way a long time ago.
Top Gear should have definitely been shelved when Clarkson, Hammond and May went. When they replaced them the appeal of Top Gear went out the window. As you mentioned most of us now get our car fixes via RUclips. My current go to channels are High Peak Autos, Auto Alex, Drive tribe and more recently watching Misha doing his stuff on the Nuburgring. And when there's no new vids to catch up on its straight back to watching old top gear clips.
They still post car reviews on their RUclips channel. I have no clue if their just clips from the show but it reminds me of the original top gear in the 80's
Absolutely agree 100%. Within 5 mins of 'New Top Gear' I remember saying to my TV - "Stop shouting Chris!"
Back in 2002 with Clarkson, Hammond and Jason Dawe. It was all Motoring Journalism with real buyers advice and comparisons, plus the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car, a stunt and a Stig lap. When James May rejoined the show in 2003 (after he was initially sacked), they carried on with that and added more personality and a sense of humour, continuing with the Road Tests and everything else I mentioned.
All that bought success and money to the show which funded the Races and Challenges they did and I believe Series 4 or 5 was when it really took off and became the big hit we remember today.
When it comes to the revamp, they should’ve stuck with Motoring Journalists and probs just one TV presenter who’s into cars (but Chris Evans didn’t fit it). Chris Harris and Rory Reid were perfect for it, no doubt. Alongside them, I’m not sure who I’d have. But yeah, Top Gear is done and has been since 2015.
The best episode from the latest crowd was when they got the cars that their parents had when they were kids. Chris Harris in the BMW remembering his dad was proper touching. The rest was just tomfoolery.
Agree on genuine consumer information, how does the car drive, what engines / gearboxes are unreasonable, rust, maintenance cost. expected retail value.
Cars are along side houses the biggest investments people normally do?
Chris Evans aka the Ginger Whinger, is/was a radio DJ. Him hosting the TV show Top Gear proved this beyond any doubt.
The straw that broke the camel's back was the production company forcing unqualified people into dangerous situations. They ran the gauntlet again and again, until someone had their face chopped off.
The wider reason was that it lost the connection and familiarity fans had, and it never really got the formula right to restore it. It's possible to do, but star fame isn't the answer. Car Throttle, AutoAlex, MightyCarMods, all examples of good synergy that worked with good ideas.
Top Gear ultimately went the way of the Marvel's MCU. It came to an explosive end, and that generation had it's fill.
You brought up a very valid point with multiple presenters after the original trio left.
Clarkson, May and Hammond were Top Gear and The Grand Tour. Mr. Wilman was the man behind the curtain. You can't replace originals.
Yes, I totally agree with you Matt. The BBC were right to shelve the last Top Gear show. We do need a pause from Top Gear so those at the BBC can get their heads together and come up with a re-vamped and properly sensible car show. Then maybe add a bit of humour later on.
I would kill for a reunion final season with Clarkson, Hammond, and May. Even throw in Chris Harris and the other hosts if you want to have a little fun poking at the later seasons and have Chris bring his car knowledge to the show again.
I think it would be a good way to end things on a high, but who knows if the BBC are willing to. Maybe Amazon could possibly license it out like Doctor Who, but that hasn't gone well either, so who knows.
I never watched it once the trio left, even cancelled my TV tax because TopGear was the last BBC program I watched so I wasn't going to keep paying tv tax. For fans like me it was never about exotic super cars or even the celeb guests, I just liked watched the trio mess about, some of the best specials are when they're in old second hand cars travelling across amazing countries in cars anyone can afford while bickering and bantering. I can't review TopGear after the trio as I never saw it but the Grand tour has been amazing, long may it continue
Erm, hold on ..... "Top Gear" originally WAS a proper car review show.
It sort of faltered a bit when Jezza was drafted in and he told things as they were culminating in the famous Vauxhall Cavalier report. They stood back a while and the new format "Top Gear" was born.
The other presenters (Tiff Needel / Vicky Butler-Henderson / et al) of the original Top Gear broke camp and started "Fifth Gear" on Channel 5. To go full circle would have been a mistake.
completely agree. I remember BBC's statement at the time saying no presenter was bigger than the show, and I remember thinking... Err, I think you got that one wrong, BBC !!!
The wonder is not that the BBC cancelled Top Gear, but that they restrained themselves from recasting it with Clare Balding, Sandi Toksvig and Diane Abbott.
I agree with you 100% - the “new” Top Gear should have evolved naturally from a real car review show. Even in the early JC et al years, this was an earnest car review show first and JC having a laugh second - and over time RH and JM came on board with that and joined the banter…
I stopped watching TG for the same reasons as you: it felt fake and the newer presenters (other than the very good Harris) knew b*****-all about cars and the relationships seemed obviously forced. It was horrible to watch.
A “reflective, creative break” is exactly what is needed now.
And hopefully Chris Harris will come back…
Right after jeremy left the BBC, they offer james may and richard hammond alot of money to stay but, they decline and desided to go with clarkson.
Your spot on with your view on top gear they never dealt with the people cars .
I’m saying it here, if it comes back and you carry on as you are on RUclips you will be a host and I would watch it
I feel sad how The Grand Tour has come to an end too 😢
I agree with you about the need for a sensible car programme, I want to be informed before I make a decision on my second biggest purchase.
I personally think we need "THE HIGH PEAK" show in RUclips, like chilling around with friends with their cars, going to car meet/show around UK. More like a stress buster with containing information!💯
We still need a car show, hosted by Hammond, May and Clarkson, once a year is not enough should be at least 2 X 10 episode seasons per year like they started with 20 years ago
I think Chris Harris was a great addition. I've enjoyed all on his online content. Very much an uber petrol head in my opinion. Thanks Matt. Another great vid 👌
The thing with C,H,M was they were not celebrities at the start so people had no real preconception of them and they were motoring journalists so already had the ability to put things in a interesting way so most of what they did was to their own script making it more natural.
You touch on it, but I think it's worth remembering that the first few of seasons of TG under Wilman/Clarkson were a bit clunky with Jason Dawes and then James May. It was probably season 4 by the time they'd gelled as a trio, and from then on it was almost unmissable TV. Yeah, they jumped the shark at one point, and it started it to get very contrived and predictable, but we kept watching it because it was still genuinely entertaining watching three real friends dick about in cars.
There's also the point that the trio also have very distinct personas on screen - they have a kind of Three Uncles schtick going on which makes them very relatable. Clarkson is the slightly confused inappropriate luddite uncle with occasional emotional outbursts. Hammond is the energetic hyperactive uncle who's always getting into ridiculous scrapes and crashes a bit, and May is the dorky uncle who's well into Airfix and mechanical things and has a really decent workshop/shed.
Importantly, all of them genuinely understand how to be motoring journalists first - just look back at that piece Clarkson did with the Aston V12 driving across the moors with Brian Eno's Ending playing, or the Funeral for a Friend when Ford killed the Mondeo, or the BMC/British Leyland challenge - underneath all the cocking about is a real car enthusiasts program.
Post Clarkson TG had none of this.
The arrogance and hubris of the Beeb is what killed TG - probably for good - thinking they could just swap the presenters and carry on as before without realising by that time it was only the presenters that were carrying it.
There is so much ( Car ) content available today online, that BBC 'interest' programming is almost irrelevant, not to mention expensive to produce.
Top Gear dissapeared with Clarkson, James and Hammond.
Never bothered to watch the "new" Top Gear. I picked up a few clips while changing channels - but it never was enough to catch my attention. It took a while before the "Grand Tour" had found its footing and I watched several seasons. Still, I miss my old Top Gear. It was my favorite show and it made me laugh out loud.
Some great points - especially the forced ‘banter’ of the reboot, in particular the Chris Evans incarnation. It’s all about the ideas and a balance of info and cocking about. Andy Wilman and the production crew - as well as Clarkson and co don’t really get enough credit for the work done off / behind the camera.
Four years into it, I was still wondering "who the fuck are these two guys next to Chris Harris?"
Matt Leblanc was perfect, and Rory Reid was a great discovery, I still follow his work on AutoTrader to this day. I'm convinced this trio could have worked long term.
Anyway, checking the "could have beens" huh...
Everyone forgets the unbelievably long period Top Gear existed as a generic consumer magazine show for BBC, before Jeremy Clarkson bought the production rights and turned it into an entertainment show
IMHO, the last episodes with the well-known trio were already going down in quality as more and more it was clear that it needed to be better, wilder, more insane and became very clear all was well prep'd and scripted. Older episodes were scripted too, but it wasn't so much OTT. The new episodes needed to pick up where others were left without the chemistry mentioned in this video. Characters needed to be build quickly and needed to play a role .... I haven't seen the last seasons and frankly, I don't miss it as YT has everything to offer: low budget challenges with minimal scripting and pretty good productions, car reviews, car projects, all kind of people with their own chracters and humour. Top Gear learned us a lot, but it all happened during the Hammond, Clarjkson and May episodes.
The show tanked after every creative mind that related to Clarkson either left or got axed by the BBC because they want to have Clarkson’s Top Gear without the controversy.
When Clarkson was fired and Hammond and May went to join him on the (excellent) Grand Tour, the BBC wanted to get their own back on them by trying to make TG bigger and better than before. They wanted instant revenge, which they wouldn't have got with a 'serious' motoring show - although I agree that would have been the better option. Unfortunately no iteration of TG has worked since the original trio left, but I am a fan of Chris Harris, I'd give him his own show!
TopGear can be revived, in the near future. The old format from the 80s and 90s would work, with a few challenges thrown in over the series.
Chris should come back with Rory and another knowledgeable and humourous presenter.
Because Hammond, May & Clarkson were Topgear! Nobody else
The original top gear was a programme that did basic car reviews, then clarkson and co. came along and the only thing that remained from the original show was the name.
The BBC shot itself in the foot when they fired Clarkson, Hammond, May and Andy Wilman
They made Top Gear great, spoke there mind and didn't care about offending people - the BBC were never going to find replacements of their equal !
Oh man I can't believe they took top gear off air that show was so good I enjoyed it and now it's not on BBC anymore