I'm not a Top Gear aficionado, I've seen it once or twice, I know it exists. And I am aware of the pleasure it brings to millions of TV viewers around the world.
But this is the first ever episode of Top Gear that I have actually intentionally watched, and only because I had a vested interest in the subject.
If you haven't seen Top Gear before, it's basically a poor imitation of 'The last of the Summer Wine'.
There's your shortish daft bloke who is the brunt of most of the jokes, the slightly boring sensible one who doesn't do much, and then the tall one who's a bit of a prat and thinks he's in charge. And ooh, don't they get into all sorts of hilarious scrapes and capers.
But try as they might, they're never quite as funny as Compo and co, regardless of how many cars they accidentally roll down hills.
In fact had the 'Top Gear: Burma Special' been filmed in North Yorkshire I doubt you could have spotted the difference, (for all the interest they paid to Myanmar). Knackered lorries, some 'deadly' overhanging obstacles to overcome, running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere, narrow lanes to get stuck down, fords to cross, beautiful landscape that the camera can lazily pan across whilst playing sound bites of sort of relevant music, and of course (most importantly) funny folk to take the mickey out of.
The fact that the first scene of the program, where they introduce their vehicles, is filmed in front of one of the most beautiful images in the whole country – Shewdagon Pagoda, and not one of them even takes the time or interest to look behind them to realise this, let alone comment on their location, gave me an indication of how the rest of the program was going to pan out.
And they didn't fail me.
For the next hour or so it was basically three (very well paid) blokes whinging about the awkward circumstances that they had manufactured for themselves to be in, with the idea that it might make good television. I do realise that Top Gear isn't a travel program, it's a car show, and I get that. But it escapes me why they would want to travel half way across the world to produce a program that covers neither topic. They might as well have stayed at home in the studio and complained about the weather, and the price of petrol.
Perhaps that's what they do every week. I don't know.
The full version of this review can be found on my blog
But this is the first ever episode of Top Gear that I have actually intentionally watched, and only because I had a vested interest in the subject.
If you haven't seen Top Gear before, it's basically a poor imitation of 'The last of the Summer Wine'.
There's your shortish daft bloke who is the brunt of most of the jokes, the slightly boring sensible one who doesn't do much, and then the tall one who's a bit of a prat and thinks he's in charge. And ooh, don't they get into all sorts of hilarious scrapes and capers.
But try as they might, they're never quite as funny as Compo and co, regardless of how many cars they accidentally roll down hills.
In fact had the 'Top Gear: Burma Special' been filmed in North Yorkshire I doubt you could have spotted the difference, (for all the interest they paid to Myanmar). Knackered lorries, some 'deadly' overhanging obstacles to overcome, running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere, narrow lanes to get stuck down, fords to cross, beautiful landscape that the camera can lazily pan across whilst playing sound bites of sort of relevant music, and of course (most importantly) funny folk to take the mickey out of.
The fact that the first scene of the program, where they introduce their vehicles, is filmed in front of one of the most beautiful images in the whole country – Shewdagon Pagoda, and not one of them even takes the time or interest to look behind them to realise this, let alone comment on their location, gave me an indication of how the rest of the program was going to pan out.
And they didn't fail me.
For the next hour or so it was basically three (very well paid) blokes whinging about the awkward circumstances that they had manufactured for themselves to be in, with the idea that it might make good television. I do realise that Top Gear isn't a travel program, it's a car show, and I get that. But it escapes me why they would want to travel half way across the world to produce a program that covers neither topic. They might as well have stayed at home in the studio and complained about the weather, and the price of petrol.
Perhaps that's what they do every week. I don't know.
The full version of this review can be found on my blog
