Top Gear - Indian Special

All I could think was how sad that a nice Mini had been destroyed.

Reasonably amusing but it really is getting repetitive.

Why did they insist on tagging that utterly unfunny Trade Mission crap on to it.

Taking 3 knackered old cars across india without the poorly scripted hilarity on the way would have been far better.

I watched but it wasn't the best I've seen, bit of a let down for an Xmas special

Agreed; a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. I must be a thicko, but I didn't see the banner-splitting bit coming ...

Could have made a fairly good one hour programme.

I thought it was funny at moments but some of the pranks they do are getting a bit boring, but it was better than watching some of the crap that has been on t.v.

And the XJS - looked like a really nice example of a car I've always liked the look of. So, basically an hour and a half on how to chuck away £20k.

Unfunny and unoriginal, but, as has been said, it has been a terrible Christmas for telly programmes.

I've had a bit of a varied time due to family & work commitments at the moment, so sat down to watch Top Gear along with my wife. Normally as I've said in the past, I just tune in & hang on for the ride. Top Gear specials tend to be entertaining. I feel it must be getting harder to come up with new good material.

Perhaps if my wife & myself had some refreshments when watching this, ah well everything can't last for ever.

I was disappointed by the blatant destruction of proper British cars. As above I would have preferred just 3 funny blokes doing a normal road trip across India and letting it just go wrong.

For the most part it was entertaining and I did laugh a couple of times, its about what I have come to expect now.

Me too, so I have no complaints

Although I don't think they'll ever beat baby Stig being born at Christmas last year

I am so out of touch with Top Gear that I didn't even know this was on. I've never had very high expectations of the show (or rather I know exactly what to expect), so I'm not a hater, just bored in a benign way. I stopped watching it just because I didn't care enough to make sure I tuned in.

I thought the Dr Who Christmas special was a very poor effort too. Formulaic, non-sensical and schmalzy.

On the other hand, I am immensely enjoying series one of Breaking Bad. DVD box sets; they're the way forward.

Wasn't the best Tg special by a long way. I watched, I smirked at times but on the whole it was all a bit meh. Passed 90 minutes I guess.

Yes, really poor show from Doctor Who. OK, it's a children's programme, so the plot doesn't have to be watertight, but it should at least make some sort of sense. I had really high hopes that Stephen Moffat was going to do great things with the DW franchise, but (IMO) he's failed to deliver.

Thank goodness my daughter got a PS3 for Christmas; GT5, GTA-IV and Skyrim have saved me from telly hell

You had to mention Dr Who, boy was I disappointed.

I thought the ending of the TG special was a real anti-climax - they just pulled up and said "put the cars on plinths" - it wasn't a proper ending like other specials

The other issue for me was that the cars were too good. The sports car special (MX5, Z3, Barchetta) was pretty good. The Botswana special (Lancia Beta, Merc 230 and 'Oliver') was very good and for me, the Bolivia special (Rangie, Landcruiser, SJ413) was superb, but purely because the cars were so bad. Last night's episode had very little to do with the cars, other than letting the gas out of James' aircon or the staged ripping off of the front end of the Mini (which I think was criminal - it was a superb example of one of the very latest cars)

For me, the losing of the banner out of the train door was the best moment, as it was clearly un-scripted and James and JC's faces were a picture.

The Top Gear USA special where they buy cheap US 4x4s was much better than the Indian special.

Some of the cars that TG use are crime related cars that have to be destroyed maybe that was the case for Mini as it did look a very good example.

The mini cooper. The obvious car of choice for any gangland drugs lord

You'd be surprised at the cars that they do use

Corrected for accuracy

These guy's are simply freeloading. Using their special adventures to get freebie's around the world. They're all the same now - bore off top gear.

As Paul says:

Years ago my old man had his then almost new company Ford Popular stolen and used in a bank robbery! Back then waiting lists for new cars were routinely around a year for anything with wheels.

It was poor.

It was well below par. That mini was a stunner, what a waste!

I think it ticked all the boxes- showing the highs and lows of India along with a bit of car related fun.

Interesting that the cars they chose can all be bought today in a newer form and all still have some UK input.

There are some bits I'd love to believe hadn't been staged - like the firework explosion / lawnmower accident/ pulling off the mini front.

yawn yawn yawn

jeremy clarkson and his 2 bum lickers are so past being funny it hurts

i havent watched it for a few years now, when egos overtake program content its time to move on.

now where is that dirty minx vicky butler henderson?

Top Gear has been a source of entertainment for a lot of years to myself & my other half, I may add. I'm not going to slag it off, but like all things in life I fear the end is in sight. Anyone who thinks it's not staged in any way is very blinkered or naive. There was a time when things almost looked natural, unfortunately that's not the case now.

Personally I'm just a bit sad. May said in a recent interview, they will know when the time is right to bow out. Could this be now. Then again the program rakes in loads of money world wide.

Top Gear is the equivalent of Mud belting out a cover version of Oh Boy, in matching velveteen tuxedos in 1975, thinking it would last forever.

For some of us, they were right Mud Rock, my first LP

I think it has just become overly staged now. There was a time when you accepted the need for a bit of editorial licence and the "convenient" camera shots -- but now, it seems the whole thing is staged, no option for any accidental or amusing incidents. The funniest thing on the show was the sign getting pulled out of the train door -- completely accidental and the shock, fear, relief played out on screen. Does anyone think the two accidents of Clarkson were accidental? They could have been, but i just yawned and thought staged, bet he now chases after the truck ...

It is a shame, because I love top gear, but i find now that I can't rewatch an episode i've seen. The fun has gone.

I am a big fan of top gear but thats 1 hour and 25 minutes of my life i will never get back .It promised alot and delivered very little . The show in the studio is still good but the specials are all but finished . The specials are like a car crash . You know your not supposed to slow down and look but you cant help yourself .

I'd suggest a really "careful what you wish for" here. Top Gear for me is still the best TV by miles. I'd be really sorry to see it go.

Agreed

If people just took it for how it is, staged or not, predictable or not, etc, it's still good to watch and I for one, would hate to see it go

Its only telly, and bad telly at that. What makes it a good show are the production values and editing, what lets it down are the muppets fronting it.

Its light entertainment at best thats its running out of ideas .I cant see the bbc getting rid of it now or in the future as it earns alot of money in overseas sales .

Yeah, it is worth watching I guess, but it has become very annoying due to the massively scripted element these days.

Early 'new' Top Gear's were so much better.

The problem is, people remember when it was actually quite good.

I do, but I have also learnt to live with the fact that they only have so many ideas and they do what makes the majority happy.

People have grown used to their ideas and format and now find it boring and staged, but they still have good viewing figures and people like and accept it for how it is.

I still think it's easy, enjoyable viewing and have watched Top Gear for years and yes, while some things may be staged, some of it is still unexpected. For example, when David Cameron told them to stay away from India - I don't think that was staged and if it was, it was very convincing

Everyone on here moans about it, but most still watch it

Exactly how I feel.