Is Top Gear Still Stuck in ‘Second Gear?’

BBC’s Top Gear was back on our screens this Sunday and after disappointing ratings trolling the show for the past two years, could we see this year’s series creep back up the TV charts?

This weeks show saw Matt Le ‘Joey from Friends’, Chris Harris and Rory Reid go on a V8 car road trip across America. It reminded us of the programme which we originally fell in love with. However, many would argue that the issue with the current incumbents doing these challenges is that it reminds us of spectacular the old trio were.

The ‘Star in a reasonably priced car’ revamp is still a tricky watch, despite a range of brilliant guests such as Rob Brydon. The segment which used to involve a chat with the host now seems to just focus on the driving. It takes away from the ‘chat show’ manner which Clarkson provided. It used to be a beautiful segment where Jeremy could dig into and have banter with the guest whilst ripping into their car history.

Presenting also seems to be an issue for Matt and Chris. It almost feels as if when you are watching either one there is a whiff of primary school presentation around them. It’s as if they are lined up in a row, reading off the autocue. Chris, in particular, has a problem, as every word he says is like it’s been written in a script for him. It makes for extremely unnatural/uncomfortable viewing. Unfortunately for Matt, we believe it’s the classic American presenting style that annoys some, but he makes up for that with his knowledge and superb car reviews. There isn’t an issue with Rory as he tends to be entirely genuine when it comes to his presenting and therefore it is that real humor which keeps the banter alive.

Sundays show with the Bonneville salt flats, not only provides fans with a sense of ‘Déjà vu’. But it also reminded us of how brilliant the show was when Clarkson and Co went to do the same challenge. Unfortunately for Matt and the gang, it was flooded so they couldn’t use that as a segment. But to be honest, the lack of fresh ideas was something that became apparent during the show, as the wheeling out of rally legend Ken Block is getting somewhat a bit tedious now for Top Gear fans.

The promo clip for the series looks promising; however, we still believe it’s going to take a long time for these guys to get back up into pole position, as in many viewers minds they are certainly not in ‘Top Gear’.