Home Entertainment With new blood behind the wheel, Top Gear feels magical once again

With new blood behind the wheel, Top Gear feels magical once again

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Top Gear S27 (3)

Top Gear may have started out as a TV show about cars, but over the years and seasons that followed the mega-popular series evolved into something else. It changed gears from being a sensible highlight focused on ordinary cars for ordinary people, and instead it became a comedy of errors. It was the best show about best friends who were also constantly bickering, as Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were a trio of misfits whose shenanigans made for brilliant viewing.

Just three old men, having a good time and being frenemies to each other. Then things changed. Clarkson got sacked for being too much of a cock on the set, took Hammond and May with him, resulting in the trio having the last laugh as they inked a massive deal with Amazon to helm The Grand Tour. Top Gear was in trouble, it needed new blood and a new direction if the brand wanted to stay afloat.

Top Gear S27 (4)

Enter the new era of the show which was…well at least it was pretty to look at. Car culture was pushed back to the top of the show priority, Chris Harris led a new team and all the blocks were in place for a fresh revival. And yet, something just did not fit with the format. That spark of petulance, that chemistry that had driven Top Gear simply wasn’t there.

Left to their own devices each of Top Gear’s new faces (with Matt LeBlanc joining in for two seasons as well) were alright, but together the team dynamic felt forced, scripted and under the constant gaze of a BBC PR rep who monitored the show for even the faintest whiff of naughtiness. The magic was gone, and Top Gear looked like it would soon be forgotten about in the months to come.

That is, until the 27th season which managed to restore the status quo charm to the track.

Top Gear S27 (6)

With Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness joining Chris Harris to form a new unholy trinity, Top Gear is back to doing what it does best: Shining a spotlight on impossibly fast cars, taking on all manner of challenges and watching a trio of children engage in shenanigans. It’s a simple formula, it never needed to be fixed and the show finally feels like its back where it needs to be.

So what do a former cricketer and a chap with the thickest of northern accents bring to the track? A surprising amount of charm and silliness, as Flintoff and McGuiness are finally restoring an organic layer to Top Gear. Gone are those awkwardly scripted links from the studio, replaced instead by genuine laughs, with the lads having a genuine camaraderie that is all centred on one idea: Making life hell for Chris Harris. Okay, to core philosophies then, the other being the sheer enjoyment of cars.

Top Gear S27 (2)

It shows in the segments, as Top Gear wastes no time in setting up the scope of the show with a journey across Ethiopia, a reinvention of electric cars and reviews of the type of vehicles that only the rich and the famous can even hope to afford. It’s all once again beautifully shot, with every curve of a hypercar accentuated with maximum V8 sexiness as engines roar and roads are left tattooed with burnt rubber.

And really, what more could you ask for? Banter, break horsepower arguments and a fun group dynamic. It’s not completely perfect (I genuinely miss Rory Reid’s infectious enthusiasm), but these are the early days. These are the episodes where Flintoff and McGuiness are easing into their new roles, learning the ropes and embarking on adventures that are backed by some of the most gloriously cinematic visuals that any car lover could ask for.

Top Gear S27 (7)

Top Gear once again feels natural, less scripted and relaxed in its effort to show just how brilliant cars are and what they can still be in an ever-changing world. I’ve got a feeling that this looks like the start of a beautiful new friendship.

Top Gear returns from Thursday 29 August 2019 at 8PM on BBC Brit (DStv channel 120)

Last Updated: August 21, 2019

20 Comments

  1. Coming pretty late to DStv. Already watched the whole season. Don’t ask how I got it!

    It was enjoyable, although the jabs at Harris did grow old quickly for me. It was more like bullying by the other two new presenters, rather than frenemies! At least with Clarkson, May and Hammond, there were times when each got one over the other, so it wasn’t a case of ganging up on one person to create “false” comradery!

    Reply

  2. Nick de Bruyne

    August 21, 2019 at 17:18

    Yay this is so good to hear! I’m excited to see it. I’m a VERY long time Top Gear fan (the Tiff days), and also a long time Chris Harris fan (who I got to meet in person at the Spa24 last year!) and I’m just so happy Chris is still around, he is born for this stuff, and he is quick as hell too.

    I have no idea who these other two are but how much more of an Irish name can you get than Paddy McGuiness my WORD. I’m looking forward to trying this, I actually really liked the new seasons (ok, not the Chris Evans one).

    What happened to Rory then? And is Extra Gear also canned?

    Reply

    • HvR

      August 21, 2019 at 17:46

      BBC said it would return with Rory as presenter; but since there has been no new season of Extra Gear with Top gear already finished and Rory working on an ITV series I guess it got silently canned,

      Reply

      • Nick de Bruyne

        August 21, 2019 at 17:46

        Hmm ok thanks for the reply! I’ll look into it a bit more when I can. Rory really did well for himself considering he just did his own thing on YouTube before this

        Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 22, 2019 at 13:15

      Harris is quality, used to love his youtube channel Chris Harris on Cars. He had all the quirks of the full Top Gear crew rolled into one person.

      Reply

  3. G8crasha

    August 21, 2019 at 13:30

    Coming pretty late to DStv. Already watched the whole season. Don’t ask how I got it!

    It was enjoyable, although the jabs at Harris did grow old quickly for me. It was more like bullying by the other two new presenters, rather than frenemies! At least with Clarkson, May and Hammond, there were times when each got one over the other, so it wasn’t a case of ganging up on one person to create “false” comradery!

    Reply

  4. Thiru

    August 21, 2019 at 14:22

    That’s a waste of time. Chris is a good driver but Top Gear will never be the same without Jeremy, May and Richard!!! The BBC rather just put an end to top gear and get The Grand Tour on BBC

    Reply

    • HvR

      August 21, 2019 at 14:46

      “get The Grand Tour on BBC” they will probably burn down the BBC before they do that

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 22, 2019 at 13:15

      Ironically, Havent even enjoyed the Grand Tour.
      Enjoyed the first season, to a point, but 2 and 3 have felt pretty empty.

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 22, 2019 at 13:15

      Ironically, Havent even enjoyed the Grand Tour.
      Enjoyed the first season, to a point, but 2 and 3 have felt pretty empty.

      Reply

  5. Todd Aglialoro

    August 21, 2019 at 19:59

    *Brake* horsepower.

    Reply

    • Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

      August 22, 2019 at 14:01

      Beat me to it

      Reply

  6. Jon Gall

    August 21, 2019 at 19:59

    I tried watching the series I got about 15 minutes into episode 1 and I had to turn it off. It’s just not entertaining. All they’re doing is rehashing old stuff that the original trio did and they do it very poorly. They just don’t have the chemistry of Clarkson Hammond and May.

    Reply

  7. ATW

    August 21, 2019 at 21:03

    Show will NEVER have the viewers it had with the boys. Just a fact.

    Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      August 22, 2019 at 13:05

      Correction: The first 2 episodes will have the same/bigger viewership, just to see if its as good as people hope it will be.
      The rest of the season however…

      Reply

  8. Nathan Delaney

    August 22, 2019 at 04:27

    Bring back Rory and get rid of Paddy and maybe?

    Reply

  9. Nathan Delaney

    August 22, 2019 at 04:27

    Bring back Rory and get rid of Paddy and maybe?

    Reply

  10. Paul Henderson

    August 22, 2019 at 11:09

    We watch this on BBC America and have really enjoyed this mix of presenters, I have been a fan of Top Gear UK since the 1970s and thought that nothing could replace Jeremy, Richard and James but the new presenters have done that and long may they continue, thank you BBC for continuing with the show

    Reply

  11. Jim Holub

    August 22, 2019 at 18:26

    I’ve watched a couple episodes. As a USA viewer, I’m thankful for the occasional subtitles. I have no idea who any of the celebrity guests are, but I’m ok with that. It does feel like they are bullying Harris, but I’m looking forward to seeing him get his paybacks. As always, the show is beautifully shot. The chemistry between this trio is way better than the last series. I’ll keep tuning in.

    Reply

  12. Fox1

    August 23, 2019 at 08:50

    People just can’t be happy with 2 great car shows in the world. That’s sad.

    Reply

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