Happily, and it's very un-PC, they often seem to get the hot ones up at the front. Er, madam

It really was a lame gag, so lame I even started to wonder for a brief second was he CGI'd in or got ridiculously cheap flights or something

The Bolivia special was one of the best Top Gears ever, and I actually really liked the last episode, they were taking the mick out of the 'lack' of funding idea - it was funny

I'd assumed it was CGI'd but even if it wasn't it wouldn't have been impossible to use different cars, negating the cost of shipping it to the different locations. I might iPlayer it and check if you can see the number plate when it's overseas.

Or I might not bother.

Dear God no of course he didn't. It's not as if the X6 is only available in the UK. Arrange with beemer to have one of a specific specification (so it looks the same) available for a bit from a local dealer to film, then shove Clarkson & the crew on a flight.
Still fairly expensive of course (I'd say a couple of grand for the flights all in, then extra for accommodation for him & the film crew for two days at each location) but still nothing like shipping a sodding great 'sports utility vehicle' round the world.

It may actually even be that Clarkson had been going to those locations for some other reason anyway - he did seem suspiciously suntanned at one point in the show.

I rather liked last night's episode actually. The three films reflected the character and strengths of the presenters quite well and Seasick Steve may be obscure but he was a pleasant and congenial guest. The last of any TG series does tend to feel a bit 'fragmented' anyway but at least each bit of content was reasonably diverting.
And the news may be generally scripted but watching them struggle with the notion that what they were saying was going to be viewed in a different year than they were saying it was kind of amusing.

Jon

I wonder if they could have used an ABC (or other) film crew in Australia as well. Might be worth having a look at the credits if I can be arsed.

A wasted moment - too much Vauxhall and not enough Magaret Calvert. I really hope James May gets a series where he can talk to people like this more comprehensively than he was able to last night. I even flagged it to a serious typo-friend as well, unaware of the intrusion of Luton’s finest.

I'm 90% certain the same plate was on the car in the Spanish segment. The shot in the Aus. bit didn't allow room for a plate, the Barbados segment felt quite lo-fi compared to the other sections as well. Which sorta means local crew.

Just found out TG Live was staged in Sydney & Hong Kong this year and Clarkson at least was present, so if they had enough forethought they could have killed two birds with one stone, as it were.

Jon

Just to point out that Seasick Steve is an awesome musician, and although I have only recently discovered him, I saw him playing live on stage (on TV) and he was brilliant. If I remember someday when I am surfing, I am on the look out for an album with Never Go West on it.

This cigar box guitar is what he was playing http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8310377.stm

As for TG, I am of the same opinion of many others on here- everything is staged. Even when something is genuine, I can't believe that it isn't a set-up. It stands to reason that it's extremely easy for Hammond to have fallen off an electric skateboard, but I don't truly believe that it was an accident.

Well yes, it's a television show about cocking about with cars, not a documentary.



The framing of the camera was in anticipation of the stunt, it was certainly not an accident.

Let me first respond to the professor with this answer-

I know that it is a staged television show, but there is plenty of opportunity for planned stupidity and plenty of scope for accidental occurrences that on other shows would only be seen on "It'll Be Alright on the Night 97" The problem is, that while much of the cocking about is clearly planned, any chance incident that occurs is now seen as staged and is not, therefore, as funny.

Anyway, back to the reason why I'm here. I just passed a large 4x4 vehicle with the tailgate open, being followed by a very new looking Mercedes estate car. It all happened so fast, that I didn't get to check, but I suspect that it was Top Gear filming- except for one thing- Do they film on a Saturday?

I know that they like north Wales- the DB9 roadster was filmed here and parked in Conwy and the DB9 sequence at the end of the spring series was also filmed in Snowdonia.

If it was them, then there is a chance that our Zafira will be visible in the next series.

Nah, they'll edit that out

I'm really starting to tire of the scripted cock-ups to be honest. I've been watching some older repeats and during the tasks and challenges plenty of funny stuff happens but it doesnt feel as setup or scripted. Now you can see the 'accidents' coming a mile off.

Hammond is becomming tiresome too even in the studio segments with his over-the-top yet 5hit acting that doesnt come across as natural one bit.

A lot of TV shows work an 11 day fortnight, so yes.

Tell you what then - stop watching it.

I'm starting to tire of people complaining that a pre-recorded, scripted television show has bits in it that aren't spontaneous.

Jon

That's just it. Everybody knows all that or at least had suspicions, but as veato said, it's never been as badly done in the past somehow

Personally, I'm done with it if there isn't less of the comedy pratfalls in the next episode (whenever that is).

People only get p1ssed off with it cos they like(d) it so much, whether that's the people who accept the show almost no matter what and will defend it, or people that are starting to think they'd be better doing something else for an hour, or somewhere in between