Top Gear's Episode 4: A Retrospective

I was recently reading Autoblog's review of the latest Top Gear episode and found that the post highlighted the show's struggles just about perfectly. The review largely compared the "new" Top Gear to the old show. It is worth noting that "old" Top Gear is my favorite show of any kind, and it blended automotive knowledge with comedy more seamlessly than any TV show in history. While reading the post I couldn't help but wonder if the new crew on Top Gear was given an impossible task; recreating the old show with different people. Mr. Turkus' view was that the new show failed at using the old show's "skits" like racing different modes of transportation and cheap car challenges. My concern about the show's success lies deeper. Instead of trying to make new people fit the old system, my thought is that you let the presenters build a relationship on screen and then cater the "skits" to the presenters themselves. A simple reboot of the same material seen in the old Top Gear leads to audiences expecting that the show deliver the same level and type of entertainment. The old Top Gear began with purely car reviews by Jeremy Clarkson in the 80's and only used the format we have grown accustomed to after Clarkson, Hammond, and May had established a relationship on-screen. Top Gear still has potential as millions of viewers still watch the show despite the obvious deficiencies. Developing new material would eliminate any comparisons to the old show and give the show a chance to succeed.

Making Top Gear "right" is essential to the automotive community as it is really the only program that offers true comedy that enthusiasts can relate to. Further, the old Top Gear brought even those with little interest in cars into the automotive universe with this comedic ability. The failure to keep those viewers will likely mean fewer "turned" enthusiasts who gain interest in car culture from the show. At least we can still look forward to The Grand Tour...

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