Home » News » Top Gear EP Responds To India Special Criticism

Top Gear EP Responds To India Special Criticism

4 January, 2012 15

"It's your fault." "No, this was your bloody gag." "Dad! Look at my painting!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you haven’t seen the Top Gear India Special yet, stop reading and go here. If you have seen it, you are either eagerly clicking to the next page to see Executive Producer Andy Wilman’s thoughts – perhaps to understand why it was what it was – or you’re wondering, “What’s the fuss about?”

 

Apparently the fuss was big, 900 comments on the TG home page big. People weren’t happy and to be honest we’re in that group. It felt forced, campy, staged and just produced. Their “mission” seemed too abstract and far fetched compared to epic journeys in the past. We didn’t rant on the TG thread, but enough people did to get a response from the creator of the greatest show in the universe. Jump to see some example comments, and his reply. (Don’t worry Top Gear, we still watch you for hours. Every single day.)

 

The thread on Top Gear’s site is a deep well of fans and critics alike, but here’s some comments of note, with my comments on their comments in parentheses:

 

1. “Absolute shite.” – (Geez, don’t sugar coat it.)

2. “Oh dear. Sorry, I’m a huge TG fan and was looking forward to it very much, but was sorely disappointed. I actually found it embarrassing and cringeworthy in parts. Forced and contrived. So many missed opportunities and it was frustrating – you were in India, a country of such contrasts and beautiful people and scenery yet you focused on a premise that didn’t work and gave us overlong and overdone silliness like the garden party.” – (Agree completely and points for using more than 2 words.)

3. “everything was just so obvious…. it sucked. trying way to hard, wasn’t funny, was just scripted and in places, cringe. not cringe in a funny The Office type way, cringe in a bad way. bring back the old top gear, when it wasn’t scripted”

4. “Seeing the front of that Mini get ripped off nearly made me cry, was so sad.” – (I agree. Richard acting like he didn’t hear it made me feel like I was watching a children’s cartoon. We are smarter than that, as is he.)

Some people even said the show should end; that it’s losing it more and more. I disagree, and those people will be shot after I post this, but we weren’t that happy with the special either. It had a lot of forced gags, bad acting, worse singing (why why why?) that odd party and the destruction of the Mini we were drooling over. I know Top Gear sets up plenty of gags, but these were just too obvious for them to sell as spontaneous.

 

Because of the volume of complaints, Andy Wilman, the Executive Producer you might know from the recent Top Gear Top 40 Moments that’s been running more than SVU, responded to the comments:

I give this man props for being in control of one of the biggest shows in the world, yet being connected to his fans enough to address them (and this isn’t the first time). Big egos in Hollywood are as common as rug burns on assistants’ knees and I don’t think many of them in control of a show this big would take the time to talk to the fans, but Andy does. He sees how passionate people are, how much we love this show and that we all just want it to be as good as possible. No one is rooting for its failure, and when the show is good we would follow Wilman and the trio off a cliff with cult-like devotion. The fact that he admitted he didn’t love the special shows how small his ego is, and how much he cares. He’s a fan like us. We’ll be here for the next one Andy, don’t worry.

 

- Zack K


  • CriticalBill

    All right, I'll be the unpopular one….was this REALLY the first time the show felt " forced, campy, staged and just produced"? Cuz I've kinda had that felling about TG at other times ……but it could just be me . I'm sure I'll be burned at the stake for having said this. You TG loyalists are a crazy lot

    • http://www.thesmokingtire.com Zack

      You won't be buried. There's definitely plenty of moments that felt that way, but for me, this was a new level of obvious, and too much. They might have a moment or two in other specials, but to me the gags were disguised well. Here it was almost wall-to-wall. I think Clarkson's recent controversy made the pre-approved script so necessary, and that hindered them, but so much of it smelled fake I had to comment on it (which I never have before).

      I'm not a blind loyalist, meaning if the show just tanks season after season I won't still be cheering. But I have re-watched every single episode countless times. Their episodes (new ones too) give me-and plenty of other people- a connection to a world of cars, driving and just plain fun that cannot be found anywhere else. I would give a ball to the things these guys have done, and drive what they've driven. That's why I watch.

      • CriticalBill

        I'm with ya Zack. , I too have seen every episode I can multiple times. I'm just not one of those guys who believes that Clarkson's comments should be THE final opinion on any vehicle . I see so many people on other forums saying "Well, Clarkson said that car sucks" not realizing he was being dismissive just for the shock value. Yes I'd love to have the access these guys have to the cars and track, but for me I could fast forward through all the nonsense and get straight to the driving.

    • Pablo

      Almost every episode seems that way to me. It's an entertaining show for people that like cars but don't know very much about them. I am a die hard car guy and I don't find the show very entertaining. They like to play on false stereotypes and outright myths. I remember thinking that the show was very staged after one of the first episodes I ever watched (The Hilux episode). What was funny to me is that I was watching it with a friend who knows very little about the mechanical aspects but likes cars.. he loved the episode and if you ask him it was on par with a scientific documentary with some humor thrown in. So I can see why the show is popular. It just makes me laugh that people are finally making light of it.
      It's like people suddenly complaining that the WWE "professional wrestling" is fake and scripted…. well no shit sherlock

  • Ed2012

    What annoyed me most about the episode, apart from the issues already mentioned was the fact they kept referring to Mumbai as Bombay. British colonialist hangover / forgetfulness or just plain stupid?? I would think a company like the BBC would get something like that right.

    • Bombayite

      Nonsense. I'm an Indian and tons of people in India still say Bombay. Mumbai is just some bogus invention of the fascist Shiv Sena party, a bunch of thugs who gained control of the city government at some time and decided to change the name to some silly name they dreamt up. Bombay isn't even a British name. It's Portuguese – Bom Bahia – but don't expect some illiterate Shiv Sena goonda to know that.

  • emcCa

    Good little write-up. I knew while watching the special it definitely wasn't one of their best (the Vietnam special is my personal favorite), but I couldn't quite put my finger on why. This did that for me. I've been reading about the upcoming season though and it should be pretty damn good.

  • http://www.thesmokingtire.com Zack

    The Vietnam special seemed like the model to base a trip to India on. It made me want to visit Vietnam, and connected to the country and people in an unbelievable way.

    Of course the new season will be good. There's new cars none of us can afford and fun things to do with them. That, and the fact it's Top Gear UK.

  • Pozzan

    I think they tried and failed to be funny. What happed to the car show? Now it's just a silly TV show and TG never was just a TV show.

    I'll keep watching it to the end, no doubt, but i hope they bring back the old "3 middle aged blokes in their adventures with cars" theme, not i want to make stupid jokes, kids entertaining and all that bullshit.

    Limited budget??? C'mom, its fucking Top Gear!!!

  • Zy Ex

    Thanks for the post Zack. I knew something was going wrong when i was not as exited as i felt i should during and after i watch it. Mr. Williams responds does make a lot of seance and its great to see this kind of attitude from a producer. I'm just glad we still have Top Gear to begin with.

  • tom

    they have been horsing around too much for a couple of seasons now, it's nothing new.
    And people complaining about staging and acting, they just got used to the performance TG was putting to the ground. It happens to every great show or series and it's normal after 17 seasons.
    If this was season1 they would all be WOWing and cracking up.
    Top Gear still is the best car show on the planet , and no other comes close.
    Maybe they need to humble dont a little,come up with some new jokes ,and keep it simple ( going on a road trip with 3 new cars and arguing which is best are in my opinion their best segments ,foget the roads,clothes,hats,wether,countries..just cars )

  • http://ecu-espana.es/ reparacioncentralita

    It is true that only answering to the fans and admiting that he did not really like it himself shows that he really cares and that he is really searching for new and good ideas. About the budget for me also sounds a bit strange. One of the biggest and most popular shows on the world and there is no budget? I do not know… But for sure i will keep watching and supporting the show.

    Greetingd Alex

  • Reece

    Their were a lot of obvious moments in the episode, I didn't really understand the part about hosting the indian guest and it even felt awkward to watch during the staged parts. I still think UK top gear is the best! A lot better then the American version, were as everything seems horribly staged, scripted, and the host…. well

  • Villan

    All their opinions on cars are completely biased, you either agree or disagree. But it's the trios personalities that keep the show going after 17 seasons. Richards cute, but kinda dumb foibles, James being the brainy boring cautious one, and ofcourse Jermey's blatant obligerance blend so well together and make it a fun experience for anyone watching. Ofcourse the show is scripted a lot because it's the BBC. You really think the BBC wouldn't put a muzzle on Clarkson? He could single handedly cause world war 3 with some of the racist stuff he says. But that's why I watch, I love their chemistry and I love the cars they test. Aslong as these 3 stick together the show is Top Notch….. wait that aint right, let me try again. As long as these 3 stick together the show is Top Gear!

  • http://dannycruz.com Danny Cruz

    Hmmm. I haven't watched it! Been too busy watching every single episode since season 1 on Netflix. I'm almost done. Now I have to track down all the newer episodes not on there. Including this one.