I’ve seen that the BBC are looking to replace the 3 Amigos with Jodie Kidd, Philip Glenister and Guy Martin.
Kidd and Glenister OK, but Martin please God no. I’ve tried watching things with Martin in while they should be interesting his accent and general ‘mate’ demeanour distracted from the interest. He comes across like Fred Dibnah but trying far too hard remind us he’s Northern IMO, whereas Fred had a real honesty about him.
I’m hoping we get a rival programme from Clarkson, Hammond and May. I’m still enjoying the old ones on Dave and IMO that’s who should take them on, with Andy Wilman producing it.
I can’t see it havng the same appeal, unless Jody Kidd wears ‘nice clothing’ 
from time to time.
Guy Martin would have been my No 1 choice for a replacement, so if they pull it off then I’ll certainly give it a go.
Not sure on Glenister and Kidd, but at least they are relatively interesting people and not just interchangeable BBC presenter drones. I remember that Nick Knowles was being touted at one point which would almost certainly have been awful.
what i find interesting is the background of the names going forward.
Clarkson, May, Hammond are all reporters by trade, they in some shape or form cut their teeth as reporters and over time moved into media.
Glenister and Kidd are actors, both with a passion for cars but is that enough? Martin is a sportsman and as eloquently put as GHE2 quite Northern/Dibnah with it…passion for cars and motors/motorsport they all share but is that enough? might as well go to the local Halfords car park on a Friday night and pick up equally qualified boy racers…
I’d rather have neither. At a push Jodie Kidd for a bit of eye candy but that’s it.
The problem the BBC has is that it sounds like it is trying to replace an entertainment show (featuring cars) with a car show (featuring entertainment). I’ll wager 90% of people who watched the last series didn’t really give a damn about which cars were driven, they just wanted to see 3 people cocking about.
Whatever they do they’ll lose audience figures because they just won’t be the same three people. All 3 purported replacements like cars, but I don’t think they’re great at the style needed. I’ll tune in out of interest but will prefer whichever show the three last presenters turn up on…
The BBC’s practice of must have a woman because we have to have a woman just to keep some sort of gender equality has killed a number of programmes. I’ve watched HIGNFY and apart from a couple most of the women sit there wasting a chair.
I think that Chris Evans would have been a better choice, experienced presenter, car enthusiast and keep the blokey feel, without a need for subtitles. I tried to watch Martin doing up a barge as I said his manner and accent was a serious off putting factor. If you had to work with someone like that you’d either try and be as far away as possible or say something. He’s nothing like Fred Dibnah. Fred had a real passion for the industrial revolution, proper heavy industry and all it entailed, which came across. I thought his back garden was a real gem.
A really interesting choice could have been Rowan Atkinson.
I think the BBC had been looking for an excuse to get rid of Jezza for ages and unfortunately he picked on a wimp and gave handed them the excuse. As I said I hope the 3 take their format somewhere else. I can’t see a revamped BBC TG being anywhere near as watchable, unless they keep essentially the same format. I remember the old TG from years ago and it was dull by comparison.
Count me amongst that 90%
All the previous series too
Count me amongst that 90%
All the previous series too :)[/quote]
Edited- ah the power of moderation 
[quote=“steve679” post=24772]what i find interesting is the background of the names going forward.
Clarkson, May, Hammond are all reporters by trade, they in some shape or form cut their teeth as reporters and over time moved into media.
Glenister and Kidd are actors, both with a passion for cars but is that enough? Martin is a sportsman and as eloquently put as GHE2 quite Northern/Dibnah with it…passion for cars and motors/motorsport they all share but is that enough? might as well go to the local Halfords car park on a Friday night and pick up equally qualified boy racers…[/quote]Top Gear towards the end though was never a factual show. Its success has nothing to do with how good the presenters were as reporters but how good they are as entertainers.
But their reporting background and general interest in other things made it watchable which de facto made it entertaining, of course not ignoring the comment about 3 blokes just having a bloody good time, doing all the things most blokes watching wouldn’t have minded having a go at. It was good fodder for a Sunday evening when you don’t want anything too taxing.
The original TG got to be as dull as anything even with Jezza and you never got a sense of the presenters enjoying it.
The next lot have an huge expectation to meet and how quickly they do will be related to it’s success. If it goes back to being about run of the mill cars, it may appeal but won’t be entertaining.
I agree with you, but Chris Evans ruled himself out (live on his breakfast show) almost immediately.
But their reporting background and general interest in other things made it watchable which de facto made it entertaining.[/quote]
although i agree with MattB here, it wasn’t about the facts but the content of entertainment, the delivery and style was still with the essence of reporting, and to a degree the facts…all the “top trumps figures” were reported in the same manner as old TG or the TG magazine does but surrounded in the a manner that GHE2 alluded to, their background helped offer some gravitas to their piece rather than a script learnt by a petrol headed actor.
if writing about cars, in whichever capacity comes naturally, (and i am not just talking about putting pen to paper, fingers to keyboards, but understanding cars, about ride comfort, how it makes you feel, Knowing and being able to tell the difference between the previous and new model/closest competitor) then talking about them on camera will be an easier transition than for others.
the various internet based “TV reviews” found on youtube/online magazines shows this…
Don’t think it’ll be too long before they’re back on…
Contrived… never…!