Top Gear

I agree too, it was really good & laughed regularly throughout

I think it's alright, but I notice the Stig laps are another element cut out now. I also think that Freddie & Chris showed that the premise "can you make a cheap electric sports car?" was a Yes.

I'm liking the new team. McGuiness is a natural at this. Flintoff seems slightly wooden in the studio but he'll likely grow into it.

The Subaru pick-up brought back memories. I used to run one, back in the day. Absolute rust-buckets, but mechanically bomb proof. Apart from those torsion-bar rear springs. Broke a few of those, and you had to drop the whole back subframe out to change one
Happy days though

Tonight's one looks totally daft, featuring a hearse. It's still growing on me McGuinness seems to be cropping up everywhere at present but this suits him as a presenter and their camaraderie appears to be genuine. Only time will tell whether this series is stiil a worldwide hit, but I don't think that's much of a problem for British audiences because the presence of Flintoff(also does a weekly 5Live podcast with Ribbie Savsge and Matthew Syed(former table tennis champion) called Flintoff, Savage and the Ping pong guy which is award-winning)) who is up for anything dangerous and Harris who is the car pro.

Freddie with the classic line to Paddy "its like building a library in Bolton Pointless " still chuckling at that 10 mins later

Good to see Zara tindell got her driving skills from her Grandfather

I haven't watched since Clarkson, May & Hammond left and I never will, yes that is narrow minded, yes its stupid to prejudge the show and make bold claims without watching but I don't give a fuck. They're Last of the Summer Wine tomfoolery & male comradery was the essence, heart and soul of the show.

I have no interest in the show now and I will happily die on this hill no matter how petty it may be

I miss the "motoring magazine" element, but it is watchable telly, and even if they'd done hearses before, they went in a different direction (and it's maybe nitpicking to note in the beach rally, Chris drove an empty hearse, whilst the Stig had passengers in his).

I don't know how they reviewed the Pista in week 1 without making a "Pista Resistance" joke.

It IS about three blokes dicking about in cars but the one last night was very funny especially when Flintoff destroyed the hearse by turning it over - I wouldn't let him near a car personally. The look on McGuinness's face was priceless. Poor old Chris Harris is almost reduced to stooge - that melon on his head was a little silly although his look was also priceless. I think there should be more about the cars and less about them, but they have undoubtedly gelled together so far and does anyone really miss Le Blanc? In the end it is not about us liking it, it is whether it sells abroad. On the face of it there will be one or two in some countries who will struggle with the regional accents, scratching their collective heads but I cannot see this being anything other than a hit again-quintessentially British humour, which traditionally is liked around the world. Funniest bit was the german girl Sabine gunning for Paddy's hearse-man that girl is competitive!

Interesting old-school "let's get into political trouble" angle, even if they clearly didn't really seem to upset anyone there. Maybe Paddy shouldn't have abandoned his Gurkha team? Both cars were surprising, I love when they do stuff with weirdly obscure cars, it makes a change from "here's another Ferrari/Range Rover/Porsche".

I remember the Austin Allegro(but not the estate version) and it was every bit as boring as it looked, despite what Flintoff said and how ever much motor bling was added. The Matra Bagheera was new to me I'd never heard of it nor seen it before and it reminded me of Richard Hammond when he bought a low-slung supercar and had trouble with ramps and things. I thought the thing with the Gurkhas was good, showed them to be the elite fighting force they are and feared by the enemy-these guys are tougher than the SAS.(One of mother's family was a Captain in the Gurkhas)

I must admit it was strange to hear a political thing creep in and I suppose you could understand why they wanted to show the second half of the film AND the hideous paint jobs those cars received at the end. Bob Mortimer was great fun as he always is, and did well in the celebrity challenge. Chris Harris was in his element in the new Rolls Royce SUV but they seem to forget RR was sold to the Germans so it ceased to be British years ago. I didn't think that episode was the best of the series so hopefully next week's will be better.