Are any of the newer Top Gear Specials worth watching?

Posted by HorribleHank44@reddit | thegrandtour | View on Reddit | 35 comments

I mean the ones without our golden trio. I like other stuff Freddie Flintoff has been in, but are any of the specials with him, Matt Leblanc or any of the non-May/Clarkson/Hammond hosts worth having a look at? I've never seen a full episode of Top Gear after the OG trio left, for what it's worth.

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jimmypower66@reddit

There is actually an episode of the American Top gear was Tanner Dax and Rutledge where they go camping in old pick up’s that was quite good. I personally hate Rutledge but that episode is fun

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Taeles@reddit

Honestly there is plenty of fun to be had from both groups that replaced the golden trio, once you accept that no one will do it as well as the OG its actually pretty ok. Well for me once Chris Evans got off the screen. He was entirely to hyper and spastic for my taste. The other thing I liked about Chris Evans departing was he took that mud track idea with him, the original track returned in LeBlanc's second season.

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GingerBeast81@reddit

Chris Evans made the show unwatchable.

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LevelInvestigator903@reddit

I assumed it was a choice made by someone who thought

1) He got decent viewers on the radio

2) He was popular back in the late 90s

Radio 1 had a captive audience regardless of who did it and was 90% "music, not presenter" and whilst I enjoyed TFI Friday, I suspect it would seem worse now as an adult in 2025. Adam & Joe did a brilliant spoof of it back in the day

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darthfracas@reddit

I wanted to give the first post-Trio Top Gear a chance, but when Evans started going crazy about keeping The Stig, I tuned out immediately.

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GingerBeast81@reddit

He has a face and voice best used writing books.

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PeekyMonkeyB@reddit

so does Chris Harris

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GingerBeast81@reddit

We talking about the same Chris?

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PeekyMonkeyB@reddit

they were both bad choices.

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TheLewJD@reddit

Worst take on the sub in 2025

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zinic53000@reddit

I think that was his job. They used the "new coke" method

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TheNittanyLionKing@reddit

Chris Evans was the worst possible choice they could have went with.

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MaroonIsBestColor@reddit

The OG American top gear had its moments

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HoveringPorridge@reddit

Once they sorted the format and let them act and react to natural situations (instead of directly trying to recreate the UK shows challenges) it improved dramatically.

I actually really grew to live that show, then they axed it just as it found its feet:(

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MaroonIsBestColor@reddit

I fucking know! By 2015 it was genuinely pretty good.

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Perilous_Giant@reddit

The moonshine one where Adam breaks the Cadillac in half had me laughing pretty good. And the pickup truck one was fantastic.

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the_well_read_neck_@reddit

I do miss that show. I've seen they've teased a reboot, and I'd love it.

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AustrianMichael@reddit

I really don’t get all of the hate. It still was one of the highest budget car shows out there, both with stunning visuals and stunning cars. And the later hosts (TBH, everyone other than Chris Evans) was likable: there was Eddie Jordan and Sabine Schmitz, which are quite well liked all around.

The „Golden Trio“ had its weak episodes as well, nobody is talking about them any more.

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JoeSicko@reddit

Couldn't watch Evans. Couldn't understand the team after that. Need subtitles.

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Sedert1882@reddit

The "Golden trio" were definitive, the rest all bad derivative.

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extra_less@reddit

The last team had great episodes, check out s31e02. https://www.reddit.com/r/TopGear/comments/qz2uok/season_31_episode_2_discussion_thread/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Some episodes are better than the near end of the original trio.

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ilikecadbury@reddit

Ye no they're not are they

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British_Commie@reddit

Top Gear was really starting to run out of steam by the time Clarkson got sacked, so I can fully believe the McGuinness/Flintoff/Harris trio had a couple of better episodes.

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ilikecadbury@reddit

Yea, by their standards it wasnt as good. I really tried the Flintoff era as i really liked him on A League of Their Own for years but it just wasn't good. Paddy especially was a pain in the fucking hole

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PineConeTracks@reddit

I really enjoyed the specials done by Flintoff and co. Obviously, it’s not the same as the trio but Flintoff and Paddy are entertaining

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diabolicalbunnyy@reddit

Yeah the Flintoff/Paddy/Harris run was OK, nothing close to the originals but they were entertaining enough.

The Evans/Leblanc stuff is pretty hard to watch though.

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CameronsTheName@reddit

Top Gear Australia with Blair Josceline (Moog from MCM) was fairly good. But I could see how the humour and many of the jokes / sayings may not appeal to people outside of Australia.

Otherwise, no. Top Gear has not been worth watching. There's about 4 minutes of actual good content since the big three left.

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