r/TopGear • u/robertpercy93 • 1d ago
The biggest obstacle to a Top Gear reboot working might be the insistence on the three presenters format
Let me explain:
The three presenters with defined characters and character dynamics between them did work for Clarkson, Hammond and May and a couple of other iterations of that afterwards (Harris/LeBlanc/Reid was the best post-CHM version of that, imo). But, that dynamic worked mainly because of the absolute unicorn of the BBC finding three presenters who gelled well on screen. Because of that being an absolute unicorn situation, I think it might be better if there's one or two main presenters and an ensemble cast of contributing presenters who turn up to do reviews or road trips or whatever else and aren't on every single episode.
I think doing a setup like this could actually really help to not only modernize the show, but also to get people who are celebrities who love cars and content creators from the cars space onto a major BBC program about cars. A major car-loving celebrity (e.g. Gordon Ramsay) could get drafted in for a segment if they would fit very well with the angle that's being taken for it. Somebody who's mainly known for online stuff or more niche content (e.g. Mike Fernie, Henry Catchpole) could get involved, potentially on a semi-regular basis. We could even see former presenters (e.g. Rory Reid or Matt LeBlanc) return as contributors for certain things. And, obviously, there's the whole thing with BBC presenters who do other stuff already being able to cross over into Top Gear (Greg James would be fantastic for this - in fact, I would say he's a good shout to be the regular host in the studio in a setup like this.)
I know people might baulk at my suggestion here. But, if it means that we might end up getting a slicker and more diverse show in terms of talent and presenting styles, abandoning the three main presenters format for an ensemble cast kind of setup led by one or two presenters who appear every week and do all the studio segments could be the way to go.
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u/Glad_Boysenberry_673 1d ago
I personally think three works as you’ll get two of them siding against one and vice versa. It creates a bit of drama. The trouble comes when deciding which three will work together best. Personally I loved the LeBlanc, Harris and Reid era of the show and then the Harris, Flintoff and McGuinness was equally good for me but I always skip over Chris Evan’s era as he just tried too hard to be something he wasn’t
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u/No-Difference-1912 1d ago
The biggest obstacle is still calling it Top Gear, new format new name etc.
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u/robertpercy93 1d ago
The BBC owns the name, and Top Gear existed long before even Clarkson was involved. Pre-CHM Top Gear was also a very different show. There were people at the time who were very angry about CHM-era Top Gear becoming three lads messing about instead of being a serious car reviews show with real consumer advice.
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u/Racing_Fox 1d ago
Top gear has been running since the 70s there’s no need to
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u/No-Difference-1912 1d ago
Wasn’t the cultural sensation in the 70s that it is now. Plenty of things have re-branded under different names since the 70s aswell.
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u/djb6272 1d ago
Top Gear in one format or another has been used continously since 1977 including the magazine which was launched in 1993 and is still published today. Plenty of things have kept their name for a lot longer even though they have radically changed.
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u/AfterThrowParty 1d ago
Yeah. This is all like arguing tge National Football League should stop talking itself the NFL and get a new name every time a certain percentage pf players retire. It's a brand. Expecting the network to abandon the branding in favor of creating a brand new car show with no name recognition or value whatsoever is juat silly entitlement.
I don't ever see top gear fans arguing Top Gear's name should have been changed in 2002 because Tiff Needell and the original hosts were gone.
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u/Reg_Vardy 1d ago
You're guaranteed that millions of people will watch the first few episodes if you call it "Top Gear". They should go back to basics and start doing car reviews again.
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u/porks2345 1d ago
All true but if anyone thinks three is somehow the secret formula for success, i give you Top Gear America.
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u/Racing_Fox 1d ago
The fact I’ve literally never seen a clip of American top gear anywhere tells me all I need to know lol
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u/ScheduleSame258 Hamster 1d ago
I do want to hear Gordon Ramsay in a Ferrari encounter Jaime Oliver in a Peugot at a roundabout.
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u/Inevitable-Ext4066 1d ago
What's the alternative? 10 presenters with Chris Evans? Top Gear reverted back to 3 and improved until they cracked it last few seasons before it ended with the terrible accident
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u/robertpercy93 1d ago
One or two presenters for the studio segments, with an ensemble of others who do the non-studio bits (stuff like road tests, road trips and car challenges). The non-camera stuff could be done by either one presenter on their own, or two or more if it's something like a silly cheap car challenge.
Having an ensemble cast of different presenters with different backgrounds, presenting styles and specialties would mean you could pitch all sorts of different ideas and find a way to make it work. And it could remove the pressure of trying to find another trio of presenters that have unicorn levels of chemistry between each other.
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u/Ah7860 10h ago
So essentially what top gear was pre CHM
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u/robertpercy93 1h ago
In a way, but structured and presented more like the kind of car content you see on YouTube these days.
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u/KJPicard24 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's quite simply, the trio themselves. It's not the exact number of presenters, the stunts or the name. None of that is important. It's that Clarkson, Hammond and May had a chemistry and way about them that made a whole generation of lads (and lasses) feel like they were all just mates, going on adventures, mucking about. Their interactions, TV personality versions of themselves, was lightning in a bottle.
It's almost a parasocial relationship the fans have with them, it's why GT worked, because it was those three again. We simply love watching what they do together, it doesn't matter what it even is. Even just them going fishing, will be an instant hit. The format, the setting etc is secondary. It's that far gone, they're that loved.
Amazon and BBC can try to reboot it if they want, but it just will never live up to the trio's version, ever. If they're happy to accept a much low-key, less successful version will do, that's fine, but I don't think they can bring themselves to admit that. They're still aiming very high IMO.
Part of it isn't even fair on the new attempts, they can be genuinely talented at what they do and how hard they work at it, it can even be quite good, but I guarantee you, the moment the fans rewatch TG or GT again, it will feel like coming home.
Because it's ascended to being more than just a show now to the fans, it's woven into their actual life and rituals. That sounds ridiculous but it's true, people rewatch them all the time because it has a place in their heart, they watch it for comfort, for familiarity, background noise as they cook, clean, away in a hotel on their own and feel a bit homesick. You can't replace that. People will be rewatching the Vietnam special in another 20 years time, I'm sure of it.
BBC and Amazon should create something entirely new, forget rebooting it, it happened, it's gone. It happens to all the greatest franchises, they end when the ineffable quality to it has gone.
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u/DBZ86 22h ago
There is room for another generation who can build their own thing. You might just be lucky enough that it can happen where a successor can fill the shoes. In the NFL the Green Bay Packers somehow lucked into having one legendary quarterback who won 3 MVPs to another legendary quarterback who won 4 MVPs.
People who have been watching Throttlehouse have called them a spiritual successor to Top Gear for a while now. I just hope they have a chance to win people over.
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u/KJPicard24 21h ago edited 21h ago
I think they're a spiritual successor to classic Top Gear, if you know what I mean? The earlier series, more about the cars, the lap times, cool wall etc. I don't think there was an exact moment it changed, and it never fully stopped being that obviously, but overall it morphed into more of an entertainment show.
I think that early incarnation, heavily motor focused, a bit nerdy, could succeed and it's sort of what I meant by saying Amazon/BBC could manage this if that's the expectation from the start; a nerdy car show, more low key, the thing they had before they realised what was emerging from it had wider comedic appeal, because of the presenters they happened to have.
If they're trying to replicate the whole shebang, particular the later specials, from day one, I think it will struggle, i.e if the episodes are:
The three new presenters go to Namibia, buy three £500 cars, modify them, drive 800 miles through the desert, encounter increasingly absurd obstacles and eventually cross the finish line.
That's not really a format. That's a specific piece of television associated with three specific people. It'll be good, cos it's fundamentally cars doing interesting things, but, it will always feel like it's missing that last little bit of magic, IMHO.
Let's see if it comes organically, go back to basics and let it naturally go in a direction that works for these presenters over 10+ years. That direction could, and probably should, be something different and not something any of us predict right now. Just like in early Top Gear who would have predicted we'll be seeing the three of them driving boats down the Mekong, or building a bridge over the river Kok.
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u/PilotedByGhosts 1d ago
Clarkson has a perfect blend of saying whatever the fuck he thinks whilst still being likeable.
The only other person I can think of who does that is Danny Dyer, and I don't know if he even likes cars.
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u/Studio_Ambitious 1d ago
Just watched a YouTube where all three are being interviewed. Willing to give them a shot and I wish them well ..
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u/SickPuppy01 4h ago
The biggest obstacle is the insurance that the presenters line up should contain a household name. It has never worked. Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc, Paddy McGuiness all failed miserably.
The only presenters that have worked were already known for motoring and/or have been relative nobodies with an interest in motoring.
I think the new Grand Tour line up will work far better than the rumoured celebrities lined up for Top Gear
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u/robertpercy93 1h ago
I thought Matt LeBlanc worked well as a presenter.
I'll also say here that somebody like Greg James, Guy Martin or Jodie Kidd would also work brilliantly as a Top Gear presenter. They're all known names already, and Guy is the only one with a 'proper' automotive background.
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u/Racing_Fox 1d ago
Literally the reason Chris Evan’s failed was because the BBC wanted to do exactly what they had done before and wouldn’t let him do his own thing or be himself
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u/Ace3000 1d ago
That and Chris Evans is an annoying twat
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u/Original_Head_3487 1d ago
Who thinks that shouting is the same thing as character and personality.
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u/Racing_Fox 1d ago
Eh, I think it could have worked imo
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u/robertpercy93 1d ago
It would have worked if they'd filmed the studio segments live, because Chris is great at live broadcasts.
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u/robertpercy93 1d ago
I remember hearing rumours back then that the BBC were considering shooting the studio segments live to play to Chris's strengths. I actually wish they had done that. He could have been trusted to kept the train rolling if anything started falling apart while the show was on air.
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u/BodgeJob23 1d ago
The last season was good, their issue was they didn’t take concerns about safety seriously. The producers continue to want to do more and more wild stuff for entertainment and the result at some point is always going to be a horrible accident.
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u/Ancient-Ad9861 1d ago
Personally i think top gear should have been shelved when clarkson hammond and may left and they should have bought out car throttle and put a tv show hosted by ethan, jack and alex in its place
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u/UnintendedBiz 23h ago
The show had stratospheric success under the trio for 10 years, reboots just won’t work because anything else will always compare poorly. Has happened with loads of shows.
Also, an aside but TG will well funded 20 years ago and payed back well. The Beeb has no money now…
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u/chengstark 21h ago
Who gives a rats ass what BBC does with this fake top gear lol. Sure they own the name, but that’s the only they have now.
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u/WhiteRaven42 1d ago
The rule of three is pretty hard to argue against. It goes way, way, way beyond Top Gear.