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noliebro · 10-05-2004, 04:23 PM

I was just wondering if there is any animosity between the two shows. I live in America and know hardly anything about the both of them and I was wondering why they made two instead of just having Top Gear? I was also wondering if it is a very popular show in the UK or is it just known about by auto enthusiasts. Here in America only certain car freaks like me know about it and we just now got the show on speed channel, which not everyone has in America. :cry:

coloradosilver · 10-05-2004, 04:29 PM

From what I've seen here in jabbasworld, both shows are good and are well respected. I believe that the majority feel that Top Gear is the better show just because it introduces a bit of humor (Jeremy Clarkson) and has news segments and goes through more cars and has more features in it's one hour show. It's also a bit more in depth and excentric in it's method or testing and reviewing. Like the DB9 vs the Eurostar Train review. That was just awesome. I believe the Fifth Gear shows are only a half hour long and the presenters aren't as much showmen as they are on Top Gear. With the exception of Tiff of course.

yg60m · 10-05-2004, 04:30 PM

Tiff Needell and Vicky were on Top Gear before but they went to Channel 5, i don't know what were the reason ( money, freedom ...). So BBC call back Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear but i don't think that they is any animosity, they are not schedule on the same day and Tiff and Jeremy are friends (or i think).

Top Gear is know all around the world, JC is famous in India for example

HoboPie · 10-05-2004, 04:36 PM

Top Gear is more entertaining, but you have to take all reviews and even track times with a grain of salt.

Fifth Gear's opinions and reviews while not having the same flair, seem more reliable(read: not crazy).

kramerman · 10-05-2004, 04:39 PM

I think they are presented on different channels and thus the different aims of the shows. Top Gear is also longer and thus is able to put in more stuff compared to Fifth Gear.

However, watching all kinds of driving is enjoyable!

mindgam3 · 10-05-2004, 04:48 PM

5th Gear is on channel 5 which is a terrestrial channel but hasnt the best coverage over the UK and is known for broadcasting shit. Top Gear is on BBC 2, a much more respected channel and i think people who are vaguely into cars will watch top gear anyway as its on prime time 8 in the evening. Just about every bloke knows about both though and will probably watch both, but Top Gear is generally regarded as the better produced and more popular

10-05-2004, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by yg60m

Tiff Needell and Vicky were on Top Gear before but they went to Channel 5, i don't know what were the reason ( money, freedom ...). So BBC call back Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear but i don't think that they is any animosity, they are not schedule on the same day and Tiff and Jeremy are friends (or i think).

Top Gear is know all around the world, JC is famous in India for example

Basically the BBC axed Top Gear due to falling ratings (i think!) so Tiff and vicki etc were out of a job, jeremy had already left the show to do other things. So basically channel 5 snapped up tiff, vicki etc and as a bit of a piss take in my eyes called it 5th gear. I believe it was aired before the BBC managed to persuade Jeremy back to do the new format shows. I seem to remember that top gear used to be half an hour too (though no adverts). Certainly Top Gear is a better show, has a bigger budget and Jeremy of course! While 5th gear does tend to spend all its money on the first 5 or so episodes IMO

Still a great show though, i saw an advert for the first show of the season today and its looks like it's gonna be good

having said that 5th Gear is definately methodone to Top Gear's heroin IMO

Kal-EL905 · 10-05-2004, 09:15 PM

Up in Canada I'll take any car show I can get. All the ones produced in my country generally suck.

From what I've seen so far, I love both Top Gear and Fifth Gear.

It's not just car reviews like Car and Driver(which I love), and the guys put a comical spin on almost everything. It's very refreshing.

Cheers,
Kal

DeMoN · 10-05-2004, 10:59 PM

I used to like 5th gear better, until they started showing way too many non-super cars. Tiff is better driver, Jeremy better entertainer. If both were given the same car to test and conduct a show for same amount of time, I think tiff would do a better job. As things are, though, I like Top Gear better. Not only is it longer, but better cars are shown. The show has more stuff too (more time and cool board Stig etc)

noliebro · 10-06-2004, 01:14 AM

I love top gear especially and fifth gear has decent people but not so many good cars from what I have seen. I wish we would get more quality and entertaining shows in America. All we have are shows like Motortrend *shudder* which is just an old man reading stats while some guy drives a 2005 mustang around a track at 35mph. I was watching and I wished Tiff was driving that Mustang and throwing it into corners, not sunday driving. THE AMERICAN PUBLIC NEEDS BETTER CAR SHOWS. There is such a lack of car enthusiasm on just a basic level that it is sick. Most people don't even know when new cars are coming out that are going to be great and have a lot of buzz around them. No wonder they just buy Honda Civics, they are ignorant and not enthused enough to care.......OK I will calm down. :x Just had to get that out.