Jasmine Sahu is well suited with this new American drama exclusive to Dave.
Lois Cameron explains why this series is much more than your average cosy period drama.
The last episode of this series sees Sherlock and Moriarty attempt to solve the final problem with devastating consequences.
With major cast changes afoot, Jacob Martin ponders whether Being Human can live up to its own scarily high standard.
We jump straight in with this week’s challenge, set up by a convenient disagreement between the three presenters on which is the best supercar to drive around Europe. Again Top Gear was testing out cars that none of us can afford to buy, but that’s not really the point. It’s not really a car programme anymore, it is entertainment. Usually this segment is the more entertaining part of the programme for those of us who don’t really care that much about cars, but this overseas expedition wasn’t that exciting.
Now in its fourteenth (yes that’s right, fourteenth) series, the producers must be running out not only of ideas but of countries to send their team. Which meant this week Clarkson, Hammond and May were sent to Romania to find the best road in the world. (I’ll save you some time – they did, they enjoyed it, they wanted to stay.)
All this cynicism shouldn’t discourage you, the show was quite enjoyable, but only because it was more of the same. We’ve seen all the pranks before, and nothing that disastrous happened except that James May got a bit lost. The banter between the three is still funny, but their escapades are becoming a bit dull, especially when it is obvious that the more elaborate pranks aren't really spontaneous or unexpected, which makes the victim’s anger less convincing. It’s a sign of how used we had become to cows on cars and actual danger from angry red-neck Americans, that when nothing that explosive happens we are disappointed.
One of the highlights was the coup they managed to pull off by getting Eric Bana as their Star in A Reasonably Priced Car. The only reason Mark Wahlberg appeared last series was because Jonathan Ross was off the air, but with Ross as competition they still snagged The Hulk. Even if Bana was promoting his new film, at least as a petrol-head the film was about cars, so it could be forgiven.
Overall it wasn’t a bad episode; it was funny before and it still is. The BBC evidently doesn’t mind giving Top Gear a huge budget as they have a formula that works and they’re sticking to it. It’s still a programme that people who are clueless about cars can happily sit through and still be entertained, and the A-list talent that was brought out was impressive. The camera work and editing are still some of the best on television, but one feels somehow there’s something lacking. Maybe they’re easing us in gently; hopefully it’ll become crazier by the end.
Top Gear is on Sundays at 9pm on BBC2
"especially when it is obvious that the more elaborate pranks are really spontaneous or unexpected" - surely that's "*aren't* really"?
And even when there aren't that many explosions about, it's still interesting to see the differences. Obviously it's staged - e.g. with the parking next to the dam - but at the same time they sometimes agree with a car choice at the end, swap opinions to pick the others' cars or prefer their own... and though it's completely unnecessarily lavish, I somehow still enjoy listening to their complaints that the V12 BMW has a lap timer on it. ~J
As a cyclist, I find myself somewhat dismayed by this occurrence. D:
Regardless of the reptition I'd still watch it purely for that Ferrari California - I don't watch it for entertainment, I watch it for the way they show off the cars. I'm a man, women watch Hollyoaks, I watch Top Gear. Both are pretty poor to the opposite sex.
And it is a car show otherwise they wouldn't sit in cars they're driving and talk about them. Throwing in poor humour does no harm. Leave them be!
Extremely sexist; especially considering that the person who wrote the article is called Hannah... I know plenty of women that love watching football matches and Top Gear and plenty of men that don't like either. Gender has nothing to do with it!
"I'm a man, women watch Hollyoaks, I watch Top Gear".
I'd like to live in such a simplistic world as this, where you don't need to think or try new things. I never liked Hollyoaks, but I'm female, so I'll start enjoying it. Despite the rubbish acting and unnecessary sexualisation of teenage girls. Thank you for showing me the way to true happiness. I'm going to bake a cake now; but I won't eat it. Maybe I could give it to you, Chris? You can eat it and I'll simper when you tell me what a good job I've done 
You must log in to submit a comment.
Report