Your opinions on the new 5th gear format. [Archive] - Sports Car Forum

Jabba

10-10-2005, 05:09 PM

First....I could tell immediately that they were going to have a serious attempt at taking on Top Gear with the way the Aston Martin feature was filmed. The camera angles and location had a real Top Gear feel to them IMO...not quite there yet...but a massive step in the right direction.

Then we have the "office HQ setup" obviously an attempt to take on the Top Gear hanger idea....I was actually embarrassed by this and could do nothing but cringe...absolutely piss poor attempt at copying an original and great idea...and is simply awful...the cups didn't even have coffee in them...and the whole setup was incredibly false....felt really cheap and kinda lonely in a sad way in there....I felt like ringing the samaritans after viewing this part of the show..0/10

The "shoot out board" more copying and equally as cheap, tacky and horrible...I hate people that copy and also make piss poor inferior versions.

VBH...getting old and haggard...really nasty looking beast these days...only fit for the knackers yard....isn't it time we change her in for a new model please ? Even her mum is better looking these days...also the track is still a bit of a joke.

Second part of the plato Ford GT was quite good...a big improvement here that briefly had TWO Ford GT's I think for the first time ever...they kinda beat Top Gear on something.

All in all a much better show except for the terrible "office" setup and trying to copy Top Gear and making a cheap shit job of it.

Lets hope they continue to improve as the TEN part series goes on.

FER355

10-10-2005, 05:35 PM

I didn't like vicki's blond hair.. it made her look like a cheap $5 whore IMO
also I have no idea how she squeezed her chubby ass into Schumachers F1 seat but I was seriously expecting it to break when she did :lol:

as for the new style.. the office thing just looked totally false and unnatural, and although they went to an hour show they wasted most of it in an aeroplane !

Anonymous

10-10-2005, 05:42 PM

haha i agree on the office part, early on with the self concious looking bald bloke in the background on the computer it made me cringe, atleast you would have cheered the samaratans up if you had of called, bit of a break from the norm :P AMV8 was a great feature which somehow was left unfinished really, but well atleast there was less time filling with competitions and boring features. Auction was ok, nice cars to drool over but pretty boring not being their in the flesh

As for vicki, crap hair but well if she offered it on a plate i still would :P
For the Plato feature, he lacks the personality to do anything other than drive well really IMO, some skilled driving and an ok feature really just lacked the entertainment factor in the plane :bah:

Overall Not TG standard but a step in the right direction, as i said in the other thread ditch the office and link in a studio with nice cars in or something, anything is better than baldy :P

oh and isn't the shootout board a mockery anyway, with 2 drivers, should be kept in pairs of cars really, we assume it is always the same Stig on top gear, certainly apart from 2 occasions it always was when perry mcCarthy was the stig, who knows if it still is, or even who it is!

Jabba

10-10-2005, 06:25 PM

dutchmasterflex

10-10-2005, 06:29 PM

oh man.. sad to hear that they're trying to be like Top Gear so badly...

still can't wait to see the first episode though!

Jabba

10-10-2005, 06:30 PM

About two hours to go :P

Anonymous

10-10-2005, 06:31 PM

Yeh that shoot out board....surely they must realise what an embarrassment it is compared to the Top Gear one.

And why do they always have to have a damn competition with a stupid question...hmm £1 per min premium rate phone call perhaps ??

still got to have thousands of morons calling just to break even, where do they all come from :lol: how much does a decent DB7 cost 40-50K? max still thats a hefty wedge to make just from those calls!

dutchmasterflex

10-10-2005, 06:34 PM

* Set count down to about 2 hours *

i guess i can stop refreshing every 10 mins :)

Jabba

10-10-2005, 06:35 PM

Yes thats what I thought...I guess they know what they are doing though. Why waste 6 grand on that seat as well ?? and then stick it in the corner...would have been better spent on putting something in those cups LOL.

Jabba

10-10-2005, 06:36 PM

oh man.. sad to hear that they're trying to be like Top Gear so badly...

still can't wait to see the first episode though!

Have you checked out all the 5th gear features on the front page yet ?

AlienDB7

10-11-2005, 02:33 AM

The new 5th Gear format feels kinda odd, things dont seem to work well together. What's with the chat after the feature, that's a complete rip off of the Top Gear studio chat but in an unnatural way!

Overall, it's an improvement from the older 5th Gear. Much better camera work, still can't match Top Gear's though.

nthfinity

10-11-2005, 02:07 PM

the new format is easily a 200% improvement... mabey more. the show focused almost entirely on some great non-practical cars, and i absolutely loved not seeing any notion of pracicallity :twisted:
i cant say i look forward to all of the goofy crashes, but its something thats become a staple of 5th gear, and some of them are definately some good fun to see. the 5th gear HQ discussion seems very very farm from natural, but not terrible either, i still see it as an improvement. im not so sure what all those people in the background are doing :roll:
shoot out: well, Tiff wanted a proper race track tests... to bad its not just one driver (id be satisfied with Tiff, or Jason... but not as much with VBH... the) its a total TG rip, but is right to be more satisfied with it then an airstrip.

DAMN THE CONTESTS! enough already :roll: nice aston tho :mrgreen:

all in all, 5th gear may be in its 8th season, but it immediately feels like an infant growing to something much much better... cheers to em overall :)

racer_f50

10-11-2005, 02:24 PM

I had pretty high hopes when I started watching the first episode, but they were pretty much crushed throughout. these guys need some lessons on using time wisely, because honestly I was bored through half of it. The constant digs meant for Top Gear have been getting annoying as well in the past couple series, I would've hoped they'd grown up enough to quit that. I agree with most of you that their HQ is a blatant attempt at ripping off Top Gear, and it only backfired on them since it's just cheap and awkward. Really makes you realize how small their budget must be beyond getting cars, and it's just sad how they try to make it seem all special and great.

Hopefully they can improve their time use and quality issues for the next shows, though, it definitely has more potential now 8)

gangajas

10-11-2005, 04:18 PM

I think it's great, they don't have stupid features like TG has, and the stars are the cars not the presenters.

Fleischmann

10-11-2005, 04:28 PM

I gotta say this episode is a major improvement on the earlier seasons. The camera work is much better, similair to that of Top GEar. however I don;t like the fact how they rip off every idea from Top Gear and also the way the presenters try to act funny (apart from Tom, he's cool :D ).

Sir_GT

10-12-2005, 08:20 AM

I thought the show sucked.

The hosts just don't have any charisma. They're as dry as the sahara. The office looked like they nicked the set from crimewatch, and then you had Tiff trying to be witty, with the two other hosts obviously not knowing how to fill air time.

It was just awful. Really awful. Bring on Top Gear.

jorge

10-12-2005, 08:47 AM

Apart from their awful office, i really like the new 1-hour format and the AM V8, Ford GT & 911 vs 240R features were very very nice.

Overall i would say the show has become very good with the time :)

akathestig

10-12-2005, 03:58 PM

I have never really watched FG. I've seen almost all of the TG eps and I am a huge fan. This was the first entire FG ep i've seen, and to hear from so many on here that this is a huge improvement makes me wonder how anyone could have sat through any of the older shows. How bad were they? I thought this was brutal and the TG jab was so lame. It was hard to sit through the entire show. I can't wait for TG!

Daggernite

10-12-2005, 04:06 PM

I thought it was better than before. But everything just seems to be rushed. I'd rather have lengthy in depth reviews than crappy short ones, and just cut the crappy things out like planes and dumb concept cars.

What they should do it look at the Z4 and boxster review they did last year and try focus on what made that so good. Cuz that was perfection.

yg60m

10-12-2005, 05:12 PM

Lol, I am always downloading the full episode with my f...... 56k connection so I can't give my POV on anything else than the features : they looks very nice and well made as usually, maybe better than Top Gear for some parts as I can hear more of engine's sound ... And the program for next shows is very attractive : Zonda F; Koenigsegg (or Veyron, wich one is the fastest :wink: ), can't wait to see Top Gear's answer :drool:

ae86_16v

10-16-2005, 05:48 PM

Ehh. . . I think I prefer the 1/2 hour version more. Seriously, it seems be bit drawn out. The 1/2 hour version was bam bam bam. Done, car reviews that is it. No discussion, no need to be funny, etc.

They need to come up with original ideas. The office setting was okay, but I think they could do it better, I don't know how. But it just did not feel right. A bit cheesy too.

And yeah, Vicki does not look good at all anymore. Before she used to be alright, but now she is too old looking.

I don't know, I'll give it a few more episodes. Looking forward to seeing the F1 car. But I liked the 1/2 hour version more.

FoxFour

10-16-2005, 09:06 PM

Personally, I like the new format. Even though there are many Top Gear influences in this show, I for one like the office for a studio. All of the driving impressions were great. Since it's an hour show they seem to be able to spend more time reviewing each car. Remember, on Top Gear they (The hosts) blabber on for a while and mingle with the audience. Works for their show but since 5th Gear has no live studio audience, they can still keep their automotive news show -type format. A little chit-chat for a moment and then right to the next segment.
Jabba, I think Vicki still looks good, loved her new hair color and I think she lost a few pounds in the process. You know, water retention and all that..

Wutputt

10-17-2005, 01:46 PM

On one hand, they made a giant leap forward. And then I'm talking about the features, like the AMV8 one and the double GT one: well filmed, some nice touches (though I was left wondering if Harrier just was something to make the review more interesting or if they wanted to show us they also can do some review with the British Air Force like Top Gear did).

On the other hand, they also made a big step in the wrong direction. The office just is a complete rip off of Top Gear’s studio. And it felt so cheap, as did VBH's hair job. Also the fact they changed their shoot out format into a lap time board just show they are fellow travelling Top Gear. The fact they still want to put some immature jokes against Top Gear in their show really annoys me.

After watching the complete episode, I think I’d rather like the old 30 min format. Their current 1 hour format contains 15 minutes of commercials, and I can't dispose myself of the fact they filled the other 15 extra minutes with utter crap or boring stuff. In the new format they are talking constantly between the reviews. Whereas the Top Gear presenters have enough charisma to make it interesting (or piss their colleague presenters off which makes it interesting ;)), they just don't have it, which ruins my global opinion about the show. They just have to stick to the reviews, and not waste money on the talking liaisons in between, cause they suck at it.

In short: the new review were a real improvement, but they just have to cut the '5th Gear office' scenes out of it to give me an overall good impression of the show.

11-26-2005, 09:28 PM

you see guys from where i sit here in israel that the taxes about car are almost 100% to the olriginal price so any cars they tested is like another wow i wish just closer it so far and about the show it better from top gear they there they talking a lot and sometimes take far amazing videos and test good car to limites but in fifth gear they test cars like no tomrrow far shoot outs and compit one on
and again with top gear sometimes i just to sleep!!!!! :twisted:

CMonakar

12-07-2005, 10:23 PM

I like 5th gear, but I have a few complaints:
1. The recent Cayman and M6 reviews were completely completely worthless. Why was Tiff so obsessed with the damn M-button? Who cares?!!
2. Watching Tiff type the name and lap time of each car into the computer is an insulting waste of my time.
3. Tiff got a little too emotional when chasing Vicki down in the William's F1 car. Someone should have cut that during production.
4a. Every road test Vicki does is worthless. Maybe they can salvage all the 'work' she has completed by having her and Tiff test the same car so we can determine a handicap and apply it to all of her other lap times.
4b. They should fire Vicki after they are done with 4.
5. There is not enough interaction between the cast members. This is where I think they lose a lot of points to Top gear. Some of the best humor in Top gear comes from the cast members joking around with each other. Tiff and Plato seem to balance out well together (eg Viper v. Vette).

Anonymous

12-08-2005, 11:31 AM

I'll accept that trio if they ban Plato from any future auctions :P Really a waste of his talent. I think we all had concerns how 5th gear would manage to fill the new format and they just haven't and yet again Top Gear rasie the bar, it's mainstream entertainment now even non car people watch it and its the top rating show on the channel by a clear million lately. Really 5th gear has to much filler, when they are good they are VERY good, Tiff's 430 test for instance, good and different to Top Gear, Esprit feature, great but spoiled for a few quid and won't come back :-( more like those please! less like the awful M5 test!

martin100

12-09-2005, 06:22 PM

Like i´ve often said, i think 5th Gear is just poor. Everything they do is just a cheap copy of TG like the "studio" and the shootout time board. And the presenters could never possibly reach the perfect combination of JC, JM and Richard Hammond. The last 5th gear eps were so poor actualy (I had to struggle not to fall asleep during Bentleys "Crash tests") that i decided to only download single features if there are any good at all. TG is better then ever and BY FAR the best car show i´ve ever seen simply because it´s so different and filmed like a Hollywood movie :!: :!: :!:

yg60m

12-09-2005, 06:41 PM

They should stay with 30 minutes but with better tests than what we had for the BMW M6 or the Cayman S ... Anyway there are good things in this show :wink: but it seems to go in the wrong direction :?

BADMIHAI

12-10-2005, 03:11 AM

nthfinity

12-10-2005, 01:36 PM

I think it's ironic how they're poking fun at Top Gear while they're imitating them. Since imitation is the best form of flattery, why the fuck do they even try to poke fun at TG? They must be jealous. I guess Clarkson is right for replacing Tiff with the Stig since they amount to the same thing. Is that Vicky bitch pregnant? :fist:

you do know thats pretty far from what happened... right?

Jeremy left TG, then TG was cancelled... then 5th gear was created, with Tiff as 'chief' editor.... then TG reappeared with Jeremey's new costom format... and the Stig came with that... Tiff was never part of the new TG... nor would he have.