Poll: Top Gear...Epic Win or Epic Fail?

[Chrono212]

I was talking with some friends about the "car show" Top Gear. The reason I put car show in quotations is that although it does have revues of cars, they are mostly high end ranges that most people will never get to experience in the flesh.
However, the majority of the show is more comedic in nature (for example, making (poorly constructed) boat-cars and driving across the English Channel...waiting for them to sink)

Don't get me wrong, I <3 Top Gear BECAUSE of its silliness.

But going back with to the talk with friends, some of them HATED it with a passion saying that it was "an epic waste of my TV licence" (BTW the BBC is a state run TV company, nothing Soviet, but if you own a TV you have to pay for a licence for the TV in order to fund the BBC) because of its lack of 'public service' or even 'day to day relevance'

So, what I want to know is: Do you think Top Gear is a waste of money OR worth much more in entertainment value OR should it turn into a normal (read: cheap) car show?

And for all those poor people who have no idea what Top Gear is:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=top+gear&search_type=&aq=f
Click on anything and enjoy

 

[ma55ter_fett]

I don't much care for it.

My dad does though, but we don't see eye to eye on most issues.

Can you add a "I can't be bothered to think about careing for top gear." option?

 

[KSarty]

I thought this past season's "screwups" were too noticeably scripted, but I still love the show just as much as I always have. The 3 presenters work so well together and they do true reviews of the cars that I'm actually interested in seeing reviews for, the ones I can't afford. I'm not really interested in watching a 1 hour time-slot that focuses on the gas mileage of your everyday sedan.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Love it, and will continue to watch it. I don't mind some of the over-scripted stuff, because I think the whole concept just works brilliantly.

 

[SextusMaximus]

Top Gear? Don't care much about cars - the presenters are okay, but I'll probably stick with something else.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

I would like it, if I could stand the amazingly opinionated Jeremy Clarkson.

 

[El Poncho]

I love it, if you go to Top Gear to actually learn about cars then you must of heard something wrong about it imo.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Hammond, May and Clarkson all have characteristics that pretty much represent the British male. This makes the show very fun to watch, and because it had been running so long, I've pretty much grew up with these guys on the T.V. They are like old friends.

 

[Meemaimoh]

Top Gear is fun and silly and unpretentious and frankly hilarious. I don't - and can't afford to - care about cars all that much, but I still catch it whenever I remember it's on.

[...]they do true reviews of the cars that I'm actually interested in seeing reviews for, the ones I can't afford. I'm not really interested in watching a 1 hour time-slot that focuses on the gas mileage of your everyday sedan.

This exactly! What little attention I can spare for cars will always go to a Lamborghini over a Suzuki.

 

[Bladecatcher]

Oh I love the show. But I see it as this: Top Gear is about cars in the same way as The Escapist is about video games. Yes, the main focus and theme is cars (or games), but thats not the only reason why we love it. It's the entire package, all the little bits and pieces that make up the entire show and make it great; or website- whatever, you get the message.

 

[Aura Guardian]

It's good. Not too fond of your poll options though.

 

[sniperworm]

I love it, it's pretty much the only show I make sure I see.

 

[dontreallyknow]

I have never managed to keep a strait face trough a TopGear episode. they just got my sense of humour.
the only thing we miss now, is that guy on this forum, whos avatar is jeremy clarkson wiggeling his head, or something like that.

 

[ostro-whiskey]

The kind of people who dont like Top Gear are the kind of people who drink light beer and bacardi breezers.

 

[Supreme Unleaded]

Top Gear is great in its entertaining nature, but it also has alot of factual information.

For example, the challenges are funny but give little acual information, the car reveiws are less funny but give more information.

Simple.

And i love simple.

 

[fix-the-spade]

It's epic win.

Think about it, one of the most watched tv shows ever can be summed up as:

Three middle aged men arse about with cars and blow stuff up.

It's not exactly intellectual material, but it's good fun and it's not built around humiliatingly crushing anyone's dreams (besides Jez, May and Hamster). Something that not enough TV genuinely is these days.

Skarin where are you? We need that avatar of yours!

 

[hamster mk 4]

I'm from the US, but went to England to visit relatives. While there they introduced my wife and I to Top Gear. On the flight home we had a season and two challenges worth of DVD's stuffed into our suitcases. That show is awesome and I am extremely envois of the people who live in the country where it is natively produces.

 

[MR T3D]

top gear is FUCKING AWESOME.
my favourite car-based show by miles.

I don't much care for it.

My dad does though, but we don't see eye to eye on most issues.

Can you add a "I can't be bothered to think about careing for top gear." option?

there *is* the option of not checking out the thread...

 

[The Rockerfly]

One of my favourite programs on TV, although for car advice it's a bit rubbish. It's great fun and I love Jeremy Clarkson's sense of humour and ability to poke at every most things British

 

[Zeromaeus]

TopGear is awesome. I don't like automobile based television and I like TopGear. That's how awesome it is.
...
...
It doesn't hurt that its British.