Saki GT

Not sure if anyone noticed, but Top Gear is back for season two of the new format, and after two episodes, I think it finally cut the chaff and found its groove.

The cut-back host lineup is Harris, Le Blanc, and Rory, and they are showing good chemistry. The car focus (vs antics) is nice, and the celebrity feature is better integrated and they get to drive an FT86 on the old test track. Plus, the first two episodes feature a road trip challenge, Ferrari FXXk, and the Alfa Guillia.

Kenny_Stang

Yeah, I've enjoyed the new season so far, much better than last year.

s2000Junky

Maybe will check out now that the first season of Grand Tour is done.

Firebase

I caught it too, was pleasantly surprised. I remember back in the day, 2003-ish, first season of "new" TG with May and white Stig. They took some time to get traction (pun intended) but when they did..wow. Harris, Le Blanc, and Rory were very good and saw some real promise to restore alot of the former glory. They did well...kudos.

vader1

I have not seen the new season yet but the initial run it seemed to me that LeBlanc, and even more so Harris, were hamming it up a bit too much. Harris did segments where he had this bug eyed grin and bellowing out "WOWIEEEEEE THIS SURE IS FUN!!!!" I never saw him do that kind of thing before in his online videos and it seemed over the top and unnecessary. They never made May ham it up.

I hope they are going away from that. Just let them be themselves and the show will do fine.

Of course the chief over actor was Chris Evans but he is gone.

Maybe it was not the talent but the directors thinking they had to look like they were all orgasming in every segment to make it interesting, but I found it distracting from otherwise decent segments.

TheDonEffect

Infinitely better. I wish though that they start this trip with doing team challenges to grow chemistry and establish dynamics, then move onto the competitive road trips where it becomes more of a show about the three presenters than a car show since most of the time they're filling it with their commentary. It would give see the viewer time to understand and warm up to them and the presenters time to organically create chemistry.
But with the strength of the other two presenters, leblanc is starting to look stale, wish we could bring back Tiff needell. The driving shootouts between him and harris would be better than Clarkson and Hammond and better than what they did on 5th gear.

s2000Junky

Amazon/GT is closer to the original Top gear then a new cast and trying to chase a formula that can never be reproduced, simply because the original 3 amigos are actually friends outside of the show and have legit chemistry/history together. With a peppering framework of production, the rest comes off as sincere off the cuff commentary and antics, because a lot of it is. You cant produce that without it looking contrived. That is what made original Top gear so special. If the new guys can eventually find their own chemistry that comes off sincere, along with enough quality car production entertainment, it will probably do well enough for a wile.

Kenny_Stang

I agree with this, granted that TG did lack a little in the chemistry department when James May first debuted on the show, but after a couple of seasons he fit in perfectly with Clarkson and Hammond. These things take some time to develop, and as you said, can't really be forced or it comes off cheesy and contrived. I think the current show runners/producers are trying to force some of that same feeling with the new group, and it doesn't always come off correctly. That being said, I like the new TG trio, I find all three likable, and I think given some time, they will develop their own chemistry. I don't think they will ever as good as the Clarkson, May, and Hammond, but they will be decent. I'll definitely keep watching.

sam_spider

This years is starting off far better. Chris, Matt & Rory are all that's needed and they seem to get along quite well.

I think they (BBC) were trying too damn hard last year and it really showed. Evans being gone alone makes the new one worth watching now.

EricJT7

I'm liking how there's both a Grand Tour and Top Gear, I think both are great shows, though if I had to choose just one: grand tour, for the comedy part. Both have equally awesome cars and film crews I think. And I like how Matt LeBlanc and Chris Harris are in the new TG.