Top Gear Is Improving, But The Ratings Aren't Just Yet
Despite opening with a strong audience share and 4.4 million viewers, Top Gear hasn’t been faring so well in terms of overnight ratings over the last few weeks. According to Barb (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) figures quoted by Overnights, the second episode suffered a huge drop to 2.8 million, while the actually rather brilliant third episode fell to 2.4 million, and the fourth episode has dropped further.
Naturally, major newspapers across the land are being terribly dramatic and portraying this as the latest blow for the struggling series, pointing out that last weekend’s episode had the lowest ratings for any Top Gear episode since the show’s relaunch in 2002. However, it isn’t all bad news.
Firstly, the drop in viewers is the smallest we’ve seen so far - with episode four netting 2.34 million. This shows that following the first appearances of Chris Harris and Rory Reid - who are arguably carrying the show while the other presenters attempt to find their feet - viewing figures are starting to level off and may yet increase. Secondly, those figures don’t take into account catch-up viewing, something series 23 of Top Gear has fared well with thus far, particularly when it’s competing with the live football matches of Euro 2016 as it has been the last couple of weeks. Yes, the overnight figures are not ideal and are probably concerning BBC bosses, but they don’t show the full picture.
Ratings aside though, we’re just glad the show is improving. The good news is we can expect Harris and Reid in both of the final two episodes - hopefully the BBC will take heed of the pair’s superior critical reception and give them a bigger part to play next series.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
I must be the only car guy on here that is not a Rory fan by the looks….just can’t warm to his presenting style!
Best comment I saw today about the revamped Top Gear, I must share.
**The host competitions are so lame. The old hosts used to take ownership over their conveyances, talked about them, you could tell they loved cars for the sake of cars.
From the start they each believed their choices were the best, and they took ownership of that choice. With the new hosts it’s like they don’t even know what they’re sitting in or on.
They discover things about their vehicles with about as much depth and interest as a person does in a rental car while road tripping.
You could get more information by sitting in the car at a dealership, or going to the manufacturer’s website and looking at pictures.
It’s supposed to be about the love of cars.
The new hosts like cars as accessories, not as essential pieces of technology**
This guy was reading my mind :o
That’s true. The trio use to personalize their cars, and make little jokes or smartass remarks about things they thought were stupid, or broken. The new crew doesn’t really mention anything that’s out of place. Like with this last race they did against a train. I don’t believe they got those 2 cars for that cheap, and nothing was wrong with them. The trio would have pointed out shet, and continuously made fun of the person who bought the bike. They barely even poked fun at Matt for getting a bike. There was a gold mine with the cooking challenge, and his bike. No one said shet.
I find the car reviews such as the hot hatches and the tesla to be great, but i find the studio parts and the challenges to be so awkward and forced.
They’re trying to recreate scenes like painting Hammonds bike pink in Vietnam, but that takes time, friendship and a wee bit of beer. Not scripts
No. Just no. They’re not gonna grow better if they go on doing it this way. I’ll put aside all the usual complains about presenters. There’s more to ot than that.
1.THEY DONT SHARE NUMBER VALUES OF SPECIFICATIONS.
I find it really annoying. There were 3 modes on vulcan. They didnt say what’s the output of the mode 2. Jeremy or hammond would mention that. They didnt say weight distribution, weight figures. Even a tin can could have carbon fibre body nowadays. What matters it what the car company has achived by using carbon fibre body.
They didnt talk about the gorgeous wheels of vulcan. The crazy styling of it. The tail light thing… The practicality of focus RS. Things they could fit in the boot.
3.THEY ARE TOO CAUTIOUS
can u imagine what chaos the old trio would make if they had to make food in the car, jeremy will burn the car down. Hammond will spill everything. James will travel slowly until the food is no longer edible.
the cameraman is doing a great job and the presenters ruin it. The sections just wont add up. Think of the moment jeremy introduced the all electric merc AMG. This just sucks.
I could go on complaining all day. But it’s not worth it… it’s their job. Who am I to teach them how to present a show
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i liked this past episode
Harris, Sabine, Matt, Rory. The others : out.
And out the SIARC too.
personally the tesla fim was a-ok with me but the main segment just wasn’t funny to me if it was clarkson, hammond and may im sure they all would have been taking the piss out of each others cars. But the fact they all wanted to keep the cars for me killed it and the chef bit wasn’t funny either
I know it’s pointless to compare with the old TG, but the old TG got me laughing in tears. This feels forced and the best I could get is “ehh” or even more rarely “hah”. Seems they’ve gone the reasonable way, yet they still try to fight some jokes in there. Even Fifth Gear, which is more reasonable and “practical” feels much more fun, since they’re not forcing any jokes and the few jokes that come, feel natural and right.
If they get over their need to make bad jokes, it could be enjoyable, but in a totally different way that the old TG was. I respect the fact, that they’re trying to reshape it, but in order to be successful at it, they should totally ditch the old TG format, that they just can’t replicate any more.
B