Top Gear

[kingfisher]

Anyone see Top Gear tonight? In one of the items they took the biggest lemon they could find, a lada, and went out to see whether they could make a proper car out of it.

They sent it to the boffins at Lotus, who put a 1000hrs in it, 200BHP, race suspension, tyres, brakes, in all a whopping 100.000£ of improvements. And it went like a bullet. Even looked cool.

D'you think they do boats as well?

Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[Forbsie]

I'd offer my one up as the lemon. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.seafin.co.uk>Tender to...</A>

 

[tcm]

Re: BBC: a waste of money

I'm afraid that the program confirmed to me how totally the BBC has lost the plot. Fine, a good laff, having White Van Men shoot-out, blamming around in an e55 amg/rs6, and the aforementioned £100k lada makeover.

But what what has this got to do with public service broadcasting? Sod all in my book. I'd like to see Tblair and a few others every blimming week explain themselves, on tv or radio once per week. Not flykick Yesterday in Parliament into the long grass of long wave. They can't compete with bums-on-seats TV and should leave it to those who can. I'm not really in favour of free lager vouchers for students but it seems a whole heap more worthwhile than 100k on an uprated piece of junk for the sake of 10 mins of TV.

The BBC can't get the "ratings war" out of its thick head. The very best quality TV won't attract the bigest audiences. If you want to be the best, and attract the most, you'll need premier league teams to play kickabout in the Tate, or hang Turners and picasso up at macdonalds. All very worthy, but very very expensive, and um unless you work at the very worthy BBC..what's it all about? Can't some other arty outfit have a few quid? How much does the BBC get versus the ballet, or whatever? Do they make tons of loot? I don't think so.

Here's an idea. Flog the BBC. New laws make it part of their licence to give the government airtime as and when it requires. Also, no more naughty adverts like how great it is in the NHS and why not apply for a job (really a party political broadcast, see). Same for ITV. Arts council same as any other will decide if it's really good idea to give money to a new production of whatever at national theatre, remake of jane Eyre on BBC, or whacky races compered by the increasingly thug-hero and engineering-ignorant Clarkson

Oh yeah, Clarkson too. Dangerously dim in his field and alarmingly happy to tel those who don't care what car they buy not buy a vauxhall, cos "everybody will laugh" so a product that gave loads of jobs to uk workers and tax quids now, thanks to the BBC inabilty to rear talent greater than a sneermeister, gives loads of sales to some other country's dullcar factory. Did it matter that vauxhalls were dull? Nope. Did they work? Yep. Did UKplc get loads of corporation tax from Luton? Yep. What does the BBC like? Anything foreign exotic. Good value BBC eh?

 

[ari]

Re: BBC: a waste of money

"But what what has this got to do with public service broadcasting? Sod all in my book. "

Erm, entertainment? I watched it, and so did you, evidently!


"I'm not really in favour of free lager vouchers for students but it seems a whole heap more worthwhile than 100k on an uprated piece of junk for the sake of 10 mins of TV. "

You don't suppose for one second that the BBC paid Lotus £100,000 for that Lada soup-up do you!!?? Bit of free publicity for Lotus Engineering, bit of flag waving, bit of fun. The point was made that for YOU to take your Lada there and ask Lotus to do that WOULD have cost £100,000, not that they actually paid that!


"Oh yeah, Clarkson too. Dangerously dim in his field and alarmingly happy to tel those who don't care what car they buy not buy a vauxhall, cos "everybody will laugh" so a product that gave loads of jobs to uk workers and tax quids now, thanks to the BBC inabilty to rear talent greater than a sneermeister, gives loads of sales to some other country's dullcar factory. "

So do you actually go and buy the car Clarkson tells you to? No didn't think so, nor do I, nor does anyone. It's a bit of fun, thats all!


Blimey, its only a TV program, it entertains, thats what it is supposed to do. Lot better than William Woolard or whatever he was called comparing boot size!

Ari.

 

[tcm]

\"Moron shall speak unto moron\"

hm, cheers ari. The original BBC motto was "nation shall speak unto nation". I wasn't aware that the idea of taxes was to fund "entertainment".

Anyone got some actual numbers? Does the BBC makes tons of loot dues to resales of period dramas? Or does it burn lots of money?

Oh, and a free pint on account to whoever names the originator of my post title (easy, surely)

 

[byron]

But! Surely! being Lotus all the bits fell off once they moved the car.

http://www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[NorthernWave]

Did you think it looked just like a Lotus Cortina??

Buy my Fletcher please!!!!!

 

[Dave_Snelson]

Re: BBC: a waste of money

Yes, I'm with you on this one ari. This program is both entertaining and funny...and good value for money.

Whilst "ratings wars" are tedious, ratings themselves are an important measure of a program's popularity - and this program has it!

...and what was all that about getting the UK Government to appear on telly. For goodness sakes!!! Tony and his cronies get enough airtime for their blatent lies (er sorry, spin) as it is. I can see it all now....Stalinist TV. YOU WILL ALL LISTEN TO THE GREAT MASTER BLAIR FOR ONE HOUR EVERY SUNDAY!!.....and the Marshall Music playing in the background. Don't even go there!!

Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[zefender]

Re: Clarkson is a complete plonker

Can't agree with the entertainment bit. Clarkson seems to have been allowed to produce a really poorly produced blokefest in this latest series. His diction is like a cliched weatherforecaster and the information is hopelessly blurred between fact and fiction. And it's just not very funny, despite the best efforts of Jeremy's new toadies to laugh like maniacs at every utturance from 'the chosen one' .

Did the Lada piece touch on new ground in broadcasting? Nah, it was FHM meets Changing Rooms - a rather sad feature that is done by many custom car enthusiasts the world over.

Not sure privatising the BBC woud help much. The quality index on C3, C4 and C5 (plus the twilight zone of other cable channels) can hardly be held up as fine examples for a BBC plc to follow.

Don't think this format will see it into another series.

 

[jfm]

whether BBC makes loot?

I have some very recent numbers, though not postable. BBC of course makes loads of loot, but also burns loads of loot. As regards Top Gear, the BBC doesn't make loot from the program itself (it is not sold abroad etc) but it makes much loot from Top Gear Magazine. I suppose it is debatable whether the two are linked or not, I mean would the mag sell anyway, even if it wasn't connected with the program?

The program is banal in the extreme. Clarkson can invent similes but doesn't understand auto engineering. Eg like nearly all motor journos (there's the odd exception, like LKJSetwright, sp?) he doesn't seem to understand even basic physics like difference between torque and power.

 

[jimg]

Re: \"Moron shall speak unto moron\"

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.geocities.com/kawtapes/timowords4.html>http://www.geocities.com/kawtapes/timowords4.html</A>
At least that what Google said!

 

[jhr]

Pedantic Git Ahoy!

Surely it was "Nation shall speak peace unto nation"?

The subject of whether the BBC is there to make money or not is always a good subject for a lively row. Arguably, the rubbish stuff that pulls in the viewers and allows them to make trillions out of spin-off publishing means that we also get the World Service, kipper tie-wearing Open University lecturers etc, without undue political or commercial influence being exercised by third parties (dons tin helmet). Any organisation that's making quality drama, wildlife programmes (best in the world), excellent children's programmes and allowing John Peel airspace is all right by me.

Also, in my opinion, even when they're making rubbish, it's rubbish with good production values and without topless darts, News Bunnies etc. Having said all of which, Top Gear is, I agree, total dross, though there's something so shamelessly non-PC about Clarkson that I have to confess to finding him amusing. But maybe it's a subtle conspiracy with the breweries to get us down the Pub on a Sunday night...........

 

[JerryHawkins]

No, more like...

A Lotus Sunbeam with a boot added! Flat front, boxy, black with big silver stripe - pure Sunbeam!

Jerry

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Clarkson is a complete plonker

have to agree about that
it is no longer a serious show
it is a bit of a panto with cars

i mean they now have a talk show spot where someone comes on is lightly fawned over then we see them racing. at least they donot end the interview with ..so your book film is out in......

i used to like clarkson as a light bit of fun in between seriousd motoring peices
i think there is a place for this show but this should not be the sum output of the bbc on motoring. there are no other programmes looking at engineering at all.

on the whole i would state that is still think the beeb is the finest broadcaster i have i ever seen.
the natural history unit is worth the licence fee alone. i

would personally loveto bomb the eastenders set but i know it has alot of people who like it. i get enough history and natural history so i donot think i should begrudge them that, just please no more game shows and do stop copying itv formats.

note channell five stoped the mindless sex and introduced more history and culture . its audience went up.

Maybe, just once, someone will call me sir without adding, you're making a scene

 

[Guest]

Re: whether BBC makes loot?

Personally, would rather the Beeb spent our money on things like Top Gear than on dross such as Fame Academy and Eastenders. FWIW, I find the new-look Top Gear hugely entertaining, but I wouldn't base any purchasing decision on what they have to say. It's an hour's worth of car-related idiocy that makes me laugh, makes me seethe, and makes me tune in for more. It may be puerile at time, but it's rarely banal.

Think you're a bit harsh on motor journos. OK, Clarkson may not be the most knowledgable hack, and LJK Setright possibly is/was, but while LJK always made you think, Clarkson usually makes you laugh. I think there's room for both.

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Pedantic Git Ahoy!

"Nation shall speak peace unto nation"?

and if you don't we'll send the gunboats round

Maybe, just once, someone will call me sir without adding, you're making a scene

 

[jhr]

Re: Pedantic Git Ahoy!

Ah, yes: good old-fashioned British tolerance and compromise

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Pedantic Git Ahoy!

carrot and stick
but without the carrot

Maybe, just once, someone will call me sir without adding, you're making a scene

 

[EME]

Re: Pedantic Git Ahoy!

Am I missing out on a good fight or what??

Can I be a second , pistols at dawn...or abuse at 1700??

<font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Pedantic Git Ahoy!

it aint a fight
we are just trading corny old lines.
i only usually fight with wakeup but he has calmed down now
i think they have upped his medication

are you two still in the same outpatients btw?

Maybe, just once, someone will call me sir without adding, you're making a scene