The Fall of Top Gear

8.30 on Thursday nights in the 1990's; always the best time of TV entertainment for me and my father. Top Gear was the must see program to be educated on car mechanics, history and how to be good quality new and used vehicles, as well the occasional car crash.

My, how much it has changed. From six different presenter, it has sunk down to just one! In the late nineties, it tried desperately to look trendy!, with tricky camera shots, and cut away scene of confusing sky and sea film reels.

It's true, presenting has come a long way. It is no longer attention grabbing enough to have a guy in a suit giving a commentary to a test drive happening in the background! We are a nation of innocent, but frankly rather stupid youth, obsessed with speed and nothing else!

What gets me is that they even used to do Bikes! And now? I now tread tuning to nine o'clock on Sunday night on BBC TWO! Never mind practical cars and general test drive; its all outlandish, childish behaviour from Clarkson and Hammond driving through a Mall and crashing into the sea, with James May constantly being anal and slow! And the STIG? Who gives a toss! We don't care about how fast an unaffordable car goes! But can you believe they've made dolls of him now?

With credit to Rave or Rich on http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-automotive-cars-bikes/31094-top-gear-sucks.html, let me point out a typical lay out: 1) test drive of fancy car - waste of time, 2) News - the best lot in program, and quite funny, but childish, 3) Cool wall - cheap excuse for Clarkson and Hammond to beat each other and insult the audience 4) Star in a reasonably priced car - celebrities are resented now, so my eyes are closed, 5) Comparing old super cars to new - a wasted opportunity, 6)STIG - need I say more 7) Overseas Adventure - the only good thing in this program.

The show is no longer good debate, but more rubbish comedy and prejudice airing.

History repeats itself. It wont be long before Clarkson destroys himself and falls into oblivion.
And with news that the budget for season 12 is to be slashed, it seems that a downfall for Top Gear to come. You see, there are only so many cars available to them and most (if not all) have already been used by them in some part of their long history of series. Therefore, the only alternative for them now, is to go out of ordinary. That is why the vietnam/africa trip comes in every so often, which I have to admit, are rather good, if getting a bit exhausted now!
So, with cut budget, they might be back to square one..... doesn't that sound interesting?