I bet nobody saw that coming #leftfield
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35490238?SThisFB
Matt Le Blanc is the new Top Gear co-host
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
Musings on the byways of popular culture
I bet nobody saw that coming #leftfield
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35490238?SThisFB
You must be logged in to post a comment.
He was really funny in Friends. My favourite bit was him wearing all Chandler’s clothes at once. “Could I *be* wearing any more clothes!”
As long as he plays it as the exaggerated version of himself from Episodes.
I was watching James May’s Cars of the People show the other night – very enjoyable it was too. And it struck me that the show was – to all intents and purposes – old Top Gear sans Hammond and Clarkson. Even if the new show flops (and personally a show hosted by Evans and Matt LeBlanc is a complete turn off for me), the Beeb can still air car related docs. with Top Gear production values using any one of the old TG presenters. I think we’ll be seeing quite a few.
I much prefer James May’s shows to Top Gear. He’s informed, interesting, and a little bit passionate, some way above Clarkson and Hammond as a broadcaster.
Agreed, I think he’s absolutely top notch.
Yes, I enjoyed the James May show too. It struck the right blokeish level, without tipping over into Clarkson levels of boorishness.
For me, the two weakest parts of the old TG were the news – smug mockery of the utilitarian, combined with adolescent wankfests over the kind of cars only Nick Mason can afford – and the star in the reasonably priced car. It was always the filmed location segments that kept me watching. So an hour of James May arsing about suits me fine.
I suspect that means you didn’t like the cheap filler stuff.
Those were two of the best bits. The news usually produced laughs, the best lines coming from James May. Star In A Reasonably Priced Car was kind of a mini Clarkson chat show, which he did rather well – I always found him more agreeable in that slot than otherwise. The filmed test drives were the low point – this isn’t really supposed to be a proper car programme you know. And the more outlandish, Last of the Summer Wine-type, arseing about on location stuff got more and more wearing with time. Apart from those two elements you call weak, I thought it all got rather repetitive and predictable.
I wasn’t trying to single out the adolescent humour – which is obviously a huge part of the show’s appeal. I just found the studio segments wooden and stilted and nowhere near as spontaneous as I assume they were supposed to appear. And why were there always glamorous young women lined up on the front row, in camera shot behind the hosts? Seemed like an unnecessary throwback to the seedy 70s, of cars, birds and Pirelli calenders.
And, IIRC, MLB was rather good value in the Reasonably Priced Car bit.
Another vote for Episodes – love it.
It was interesting to observe Clarkson during the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car segments. He was unfailingly obsequious and deferential to the guest during the pre-drive chats.
This was entirely at odds with his boorish, dismissive and generally obnoxious behavior during the rest of the show.
Well, in the rest of the show he was only dealing with his offsiders and a succession of inanimate objects – maybe that’s the difference.
And the carefully-placed studio audience which he would often insult.
I rest my case.
“a succession of inanimate objects” – I get it.
This is normal isn’t it. In work, we all take the piss out of each other, but if a client comes in, we’re obviously nicer to them.
I anticipate many “stuck in second gear” jokes ahead
Could be good. He seems funny and likeable. That’s one more than Clarkson.
I am far more looking forward to seeing him (MLB) in the new series of Episodes.
Episodes is very good. And MLB is fantastic in it.
People watched Top Gear for Clarkson, Hammond & May, so this reboot is completely pointless. Like most people, I’ll probably watch episode one to see just how bad it is.
People watched the last version of Top Gear for Clarkson, May and Hammond. The previous version they watched for Clarkson and those folks who ended up presenting 5th Gear on Channel 5. There were versions before that (includng Angela Ripon). None as successful as CMH but then Again I doubt Their new show will be either.
I think Clarkson is a crashing boor, but he can be very funny. Same as Chris Evans.
I don’t think they can be classed as different versions of the same show. The only thing Clarkson & Wilmans’ Top Gear had in common with the original Top Gear was the name.
Jim Cain!
*ATTEMPTS EMBARRASSING WHITEBOY HIGH FIVE, FALLS ON FACE*
A mate of mine is one of the founder of the Classic Car Club in London in 1995. He has a wealth of stories concerning all the Top Gear people and others like Nick Mason, who keeps a full-size drumkit set up in his office at all times,
Surely that’s just lazy? He can’t be arsed to pack it away. He clearly doesn’t practise much*
* He is a much better drummer than me
He was on Chris Evans’s breakfast show this morning. I hope for their sake the chemistry improves.
I see Eddie Jordan is now being lined up to join the team. Damon Hill would be a pretty good addition too. Then ditch the shouty Chris Evans. I’d watch the first one with LeBlanc, Jordan and Hill.
I think an ideal Top Gear line-up would be Matt LeBlanc, James May, and Kim Kardashian.
The main problem I have with this LeBlanc character is his alpha male ranking is right off the scale. He’s like Clarkson without the wit or the brains
“He’s like Clarkson without the wit or the brains …”
… but so’s Clarkson.