Top Gear review: Evaluating Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc's revamped BBC show
What did (and didn't) work for the new presenters
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Six weeks later and Chris Evans’ stint as Top Gear host has come to an end. Viewing figures have plunged, viewers have been highly critical, rumours are already circulating that the host may have to step down from his new gig, and that’s just today’s headlines.
But, hysteria aside, how did the 23rd season of Britain’s number one car show actually fair?
UPDATE: Chris Evans has stepped down from hosting Top Gear. In light of this, here's what he did right and wrong during his time on the BBC show
Chris Harris, Rory Reid and Sabine Schmitz - RIGHT
Despite all the attention being primarily being on Evans and Matt LeBlanc, it was the lesser known hosts who really shone. All three showed passion for the cars they were driving, particularly Harris, whose various solo outings were more reminiscent of Top Gear past thanks to his knowledge and enthusiasm.
Chris Evans - WRONG
Yes, there was a lot of expectation riding on Evans’s shoulders. How did he cope? By shouting like Jeremy Clarkson, coming off as a pale imitation of the ‘fracas’ starting presenter. During the celebrity interviews, the BBC host came into his own, but during the scripted segments, it all seemed forced and not particularly funny. It worked a few years ago with TFI Friday but not now on Top Gear.
Matt LeBlanc - RIGHT (to a degree)
The sitcom star managed to win over many Top Gear fans’ hearts in thanks to his likeable, Joey-esque persona. Unlike Evans, it was during the scripted moments that the Friends star really shone, while in the studio his charisma felt slightly forced. As the show's main host, though, the US star was far superior to his co-presenter.
Personality - DIDN’T HAVE ONE
Without the brass personalities Clarkson, Hammond and May, this year's Top Gear seemed a little empty. All of them were opinionated - for right or wrong - and it gave the show something extra, a sense of fun, it’s own personality different to other car shows. Despite trying, Evans and LeBlanc offered little to be invested in, their relationship came across as fake, taking away from the show’s roots as an entertaining car show.
Photography - STUNNING
Whether you loathed or loved the hosts, the camera work on the show was undeniably stunning. From racing through the desert to doing doughnuts in London, Top Gear constantly looked spectacular.
The Stig - WRONG
The untameable racing driver only really works when he/she appears in random sketches as a brief cameo, and the introduction isn't stilted. Neither were done well by the new Top Gear team, the Stig coming off as a remnant of the past. Perhaps it is time for the white leathered driver to zoom off into the sunset.
Eddie Jordan - MEH…
The F1 owner was, at times, quite fun. Yet the majority of the time, he came across as some bizarre comic relief character, allowing the others to joke about his luxurious lifestyle and age. In one episode, he literally just sat on a train and played the spoons; not exactly thrilling TV.
Improvisation - ADD SOME
Even though Clarkson’s Top Gear was often scripted, the best moments came when things seemed genuinely improvised. This again comes down to our two main hosts, Evans and LeBlanc, who failed to bounce off each other in any meaningful way, the pair lacking any real relationship - something that was blindingly obvious throughout.
Celebrity interviews - WRONG
Earlier, it was noted that Evans came into his own during the celebrity interviews - a point we can still hopefully agree on. However, the whole idea of having two semi-well-known, seemingly unlinked celebrities read off a teleprompter what the other is promoting was grating. The new dirt track was also quite boring, something not helped by Evans making the audience cheer as they drove through a puddle.
Revamp - DO IT PROPERLY
Clarkson’s Top Gear, it’s fair to say, was growing stale. If the trio had come back for another series, it would have been relatively unremarkable. What many fans really want is a proper revamp, one where the changes aren’t just the hosts changing but much of the format. Replacing your reasonably priced car with a Mini doesn’t count. The studio itself, keeping the same decor, could have done with something new. Top Gear needs to move on significantly - something it has failed to do this season.
In conclusion, the spectre of Clarkson hung heavily above this season of Top Gear, stopping the BBC show from moving on where it should have. Perhaps if Harris, Reid and Schmitz are given their fair amount of screen time, things could get better. But with Evans at the helm, it’s hard to imagine things improving UPDATE: And now he's gone, perhaps the BBC really are looking to change things up.
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