Top Gear S21 Episode 6 (9th March)

colm_mcm

It’s traditional for the Top Gear trio to go somewhere far-flung for a Christmas special. They’re running a little late this year, but in this two-parter we’re promised a tumultuous road trip, this time through remote Myanmar – better known as Burma – in ramshackle local trucks.

The challenge is to reach the River Kwai in Thailand, and what do you do on the River Kwai? You build a bridge, of course.

In other hands, basing an entertainment show on that premise could feel tacky, but we feel sure Clarkson and co will be paying due respect to British veterans. The question is, will they blow the bridge up afterwards?

ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME
6/7. The first of a two-part programme in which Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are challenged to build a bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand. In order to do that, however, they have to drive across Burma, a country that has been largely closed to Westerners for more than 40 years, and must make the trip in three lorries, each bought sight unseen from the internet on a limited budget. What follows is an epic journey of beautiful scenery, regular adversity, ongoing malfunction and the constant bickering of the three men.

Radio Times

corsav6

Looking forward to this 1, a bit tired of supercars at this stage.

colm_mcm

Looking forward to it too, hopefully its one of the better ones.

Mycroft H

It's a two part-er according to the BBC schedule. Looking forward to it.

corsav6

Mycroft H wrote: »

It's a two part-er according to the BBC schedule. Looking forward to it.

I'd rather a 2 hour special but I suppose its something to look forward to next week.

colm_mcm

Lorries!

C.K Dexter Haven

On now-appropriate music...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dzWRlTgEB5Q

C.K Dexter Haven

Gorgeous scenery

kneemos

India special part two.

spank_inferno

Tyres on Jame's van are a bit narrow!

C.K Dexter Haven

Eh, is anyone bored watching this? I usually look forward to the specials but this is turning out to be pretty dreadful.

spank_inferno

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Eh, is anyone bored watching this? I usually look forward to the specials but this is turning out to be pretty dreadful.

I'm quite liking it.

C.K Dexter Haven

2nd half marginally better than first

blindside88

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Eh, is anyone bored watching this? I usually look forward to the specials but this is turning out to be pretty dreadful.

Turned it off half way through, I'll watch it later in the week but was bored stiff after 30 mins.

C.K Dexter Haven

Again, scenery spectacular

impr0v

This is awful.

C.K Dexter Haven

impr0v wrote: »

This is awful.

Must be a part 2- there's no bridge yet.

Totally dragged out.

spank_inferno

Those horses are practically dwarven.

C.K Dexter Haven

Appropriate ending to part 1- Captain Slow's snoring-Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

kneemos

The following program looks promising.

Ghost Train

Was alright I guess, nice to see the place but not much happened

wotzgoingon

It was a good episode.

C.K Dexter Haven

Great scenery- woeful Top Gear.

kneemos

They're not in the least entertaining or interesting without the cars,particularly when it's scripted to death.

pixelburp

Well that episode contained 100% more horse penis than I was expecting to see. Huh. Least we can say that wasn't scripted! Or at least, I sincerely hope it wasn't.

I dunno, I enjoyed it more than I expected to, probably because I just assume these expeditionary episodes will contain lots of contrived moments; par for the course really. So dialling back expectations, it entertained more than other episode this series. Burma looked amazing, with its new capital echoing that abandoned Spanish city from last year, and if nothing else the 3 boyos looked suitably fatigued by it all so at least their physical exertions seem real - seriously, Clarkson needs to go to a gym because increasingly those trips abroad seem to wreck him.

One question though on the scripting: has it ever been established exactly what, during an episode, is scripted and to what extent / how they organise everything? Do they just pre-plan 'hilarious' scenarios and try to work them into the journey, or does it happen and they just stop and work in some reaction moments? I only ask because I find myself automatically trying to spot the joins, as it were.

alchemist33

I thought it was pretty good until the modifcations, and then it reverted to type. At least there seems to be some real peril next week

Mycroft H

Burma looks genuinely amazing. Episode is pretty good too. Looking forward to next week.

cdeb

Anybody know what CK Dexter Haven thought of the show?

I enjoyed it, though it was missing something. Not sure what - local interaction maybe (a la the traffic jam and food vendors in Kampala). Or maybe it's just that it's unfinished and so hasn't tied things together yet. Plenty of good scenery and interesting motor information (changing sides of the road because of a dream?! And we think our country is screwed up?) and a bit of messing about and having fun; just what's expected really.

Part 2 looks better and we could end up with quite an ok special. I remember thinking something similar half-way through the Nile special, and it's one of my favourites now (possibly only behind Bolivia)

C.K Dexter Haven

cdeb wrote: »

Anybody know what CK Dexter Haven thought of the show?

)

It's the TV forum bud, not motors, get over yourself:rolleyes:

mike65

Too much silly scripting early on - just let the environment speak for itself. How crazy to be RHD and drive on the right.

The Black Oil

The usual dicking around and modifications that are routine, but I enjoyed it.

cdeb

Random tweets from Jeremy -

Top Gear enthusiasts. Honesty time. Part 1 of the Burma special tonight is OK with some good moments. Part 2, next week, is a bit special.

To be clear: part one is OK. Part 2 is sensational.

To be even clearer. Part 1 is good. Worth a watch. Part 2 is as good as we've ever been.

Right. We did our absolute very best with the Burma special. Worked our arses off. And the 2nd half next week is the best bit.

Wait!!! Just remembered. In part one, you get to see James on a horse. That's funny.

So sounds like next week one will be an improvement, which should be worth watching.

Dempsey

Enjoyable enough but I think part two will be much better

Tzar Chasm

I thought it was good, some of the gags were a bit obvious, mostly hammond, but a lot of it seemed natural.

the modifications were well done this time, hammonds stuff was secured properly for once.

looks like its building to something epic

dave1982

Did may fix his handbrake because when Jeremy got stuck on hill May was behind him stopped on the hill?

bnt

Dunno - was he at the wheel? If so, he had the usual brake there.

I thought Hammond's "peas" joke was the funniest he's ever been, to be honest! :pac:

Nody

I think a challenge or two would have helped lift it greatly; for example load and deliver goods from A to B or similar.

Ruu

Watching Clarkson on the horse had me in bits, big oaf.

minotour

I know its entertainment and all but if they had taken the wrong road out of Rangoon how is it that the producers had pre-booked their "hotel" at the end of the wrong road???

I know, ill get back in me box now.

kneemos

minotour wrote: »

I know its entertainment and all but if they had taken the wrong road out of Rangoon how is it that the producers had pre-booked their "hotel" at the end of the wrong road???

I know, ill get back in me box now.

Noticed that as well.
Embarrassingly bad at this stage.

dastardly00

I have to say that I nearly wet myself laughing when the three lads were on the horses. And also seeing the bloke on a motorbike with the German army WWII helmet!

Dolph Starbeam

Ruubot2 wrote: »

Watching Clarkson on the horse had me in bits, big oaf.

Same as, one of the funniest things I've seen on TG, the poor little horse, Clarksons feet were pretty much on the ground.

GavRedKing

Just caught it last night, was an ok episode, hopefully the 2nd part is as good as Clarkson says it is.

The capital city and the 20 lane road was brilliant, it was like a huge runway. :pac:

Mr321

Burma looks to be a beautiful country. Good news is Ive seen on a review from Jeremy Clarkson thats the second half on next weeks show is the best of the to part special. So something good to look forward to other then its also a long weekend! Woohoo

Red Kev

GavRedKing wrote: »

Just caught it last night, was an ok episode, hopefully the 2nd part is as good as Clarkson says it is.

The capital city and the 20 lane road was brilliant, it was like a huge runway. :pac:

I was reading about it yesterday. It is actually designed with the load capacity of a runway, just used as a road outside of emergency situations. Government seem to be paranoid. They moved the capital 350km inland as they were afraid of an amphibious attack on the previous capital beside the sea.

fryup

do you reckon they really sleep rough??

or is it just for show and then they're ushered off to some swanky hotel?

kneemos

fryup wrote: »

do you reckon they really sleep rough??

or is it just for show and then they're ushered off to some swanky hotel?

Pimping out the trucks wasn't done overnight.5 star or camper
vans I'd say.

pixelburp

fryup wrote: »

do you reckon they really sleep rough??

or is it just for show and then they're ushered off to some swanky hotel?

I found it hard to believe they slept rough in that first place they arrived at, (apparently) off the route they were meant to take. It looked like an honest-to-god hovel and were it me I would have sooner kipped out in the truck than sleep in that filth encrusted room. So yeah, either they had somewhere else ready when the cameras were turned off, or they just slept in their trucks. To be fair, Clarkson looked like a man that didn't get a proper night's sleep so I'd say wherever they slept it wasn't 5-star and they try and maintain some of the illusion of spontaneity.

More to the point: where do those in the camera car(s) sleep? Assuming there's a grain of truth in the trio's sleeping arrangements, do the cameramen just wave cheerio and head off to a budget motel?

cdeb

pixelburp wrote: »

To be fair, Clarkson looked like a man that didn't get a proper night's sleep

He always does (thinking North Pole, Bolivia, Nile specials in particular). But I always put that down to several pints the night before. They strike me as the kind of guys who'd regularly go on the piss on trips like this!

Mike Litoris

I finally finished the episode at the 4th attempt. Probably the worst episode of TG I've seen.:mad: None of them looked like they wanted to be there.

philstar

^^^^^^^^^^^^

ah come on now,