"unedited" top gear episodes

[Edit - I was wrong about nearly everything I said in this post. See below for my explanation.]

I've been curious about the new "unedited" episodes of Top Gear being advertised on BBC America. Today I pulled one up on the hard drive, started the same one on the DVR, and got them synced close enough to not annoy me too badly as I watched them. This was the episode where James May drove to the edge of the volcano.

Result: They've changed how they do the edits....it used to be that significant chunks of every piece were missing. Now, minor edits - 20 seconds or less - are the norm. I'd call that an improvement. Of course, they're also leaving out entire segments (in this case, they left out most of the news, and all of Jeremy driving the reliant robin.)

I'd give the "unedited" version of the show a B/B-. It is definitely an improvement, but still not like the original version. It can't be, if you want to force it into a one hour time slot.

I think the BBC America should make it a 1.5 hour show, and then air the original version, adding commercials.

Sorry if there's already been a thread about this. I checked, but could not find one.

sorry to be rambling about something so trivial....I'm home today with the flu.

Isn't the big difference that it's now an hour and 20 instead of just an hour???

I don't bother w/ the torrents, so I'm loving the "new" format.

Looking forward to tonight.

JoeyM wrote: they left out most of the news, and all of Jeremy driving the reliant robin.

That was the best part of that episode, too.

Gotta love on demand. Comcast shows the unedited version on demand...

stuart in mn wrote:

JoeyM wrote: they left out most of the news, and all of Jeremy driving the reliant robin.

That was the best part of that episode, too.

Wait--if this was the episode w/ him flipping it at every opportunity, then BBC US did indeed air it in tact (and it was hilarious--like LOL hilarious)

I'm a happy guy if they add 20 minutes to the broadcast and don't cut it. Of course, I'd be even happier with no commercials at all.

Streetwiseguy wrote: I'm a happy guy if they add 20 minutes to the broadcast and don't cut it. Of course, I'd be even happier with no commercials at all.

Isn't it great that you pay for the service, but still have to put with an ad ratio that approaches 1/3?

That's why we cancelled ours nearly 6 months ago.

JoeyM wrote: It is definitely an improvement, but still not like the original version. It can't be, if you want to force it into a one hour time slot.....I think the BBC America should make it a 1.5 hour show, and then air the original version, adding commercials.

OK, I just went through the same exercise with today's episode....it is complete, and totally unedited!!! It's exactly what I want from BBC America. How did they pull this off, and still have commercials? They put it into a 1:20 minute time slot instead of leaving stuff out to fit it into an hour.

Where did I mess up earlier? The DVR version I was watching before was, indeed, from season 15, but the episode was recorded on a Friday, not a Monday.

It looks like the BBC's unedited episodes are Monday's only. Subsequent showings on other dates may be fitted into a 1 hour slot, and thus have the annoying deletions I described above. Gamby's comment makes sense (the Monday airing included the reliant footage) even though the episode I watched (the Friday re-broadcast) did not.

Yeah--Monday night is first-run, unedited. I guess Friday fits the hour slot and then I THINK Saturday afternoon has it re-run with everyone getting to Twitter their comments and have them show up on the screen--because I guess "ZOMG t3H funn3y" is an important addition to the broadcast.

One word of warning if you watch with your kids like I do. I've been watching them real time for years so I've only ever seen the full episodes. There is one episode a few seasons ago where they re-make the classic VW Golf GTi ad about the guy who looses everything but still has his Golf. In the re-make it ends with the guy very graphically blowing his brains out with a gun. Not nice and to my mind totally OTT even for that show. I was lucky that my youngest missed that one for some reason I don't remember. It would have given her nightmares for a month.

Good to hear, But no BBC-America with "basic" Satalite

Which versions(s) will air on History channel later this fall, as has been advertised by them.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: There is one episode a few seasons.... .....ends with the guy very graphically blowing his brains out with a gun....

Hmm, that's strange. I have watched unedited complete seasons for at least four years and I don't remember that. I don't think I have watched all the episodes of all the seasons, but I have seen most of them.

You sure that was Top Gear? I don't think I have ever seen anything really questionable on Top Gear myself (May talking about his "tingly" sensation is about as close as I remember).

aircooled wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: There is one episode a few seasons.... .....ends with the guy very graphically blowing his brains out with a gun....

Hmm, that's strange. I have watched unedited complete seasons for at least four years and I don't remember that. I don't think I have watched all the episodes of all the seasons, but I have seen most of them. You sure that was Top Gear? I don't think I have ever seen anything really questionable on Top Gear myself (May talking about his "tingly" sensation is about as close as I remember).

It's the episode where Clarkson and May make a VW commercial.

Ohhhh... OK, I remember that. I don't remember it being graphic, but I guess it might have been.

Either way, not real common for that show.

aircooled wrote: Ohhhh... OK, I remember that. I don't remember it being graphic, but I guess it might have been. Either way, not real common for that show.

It wasn't really THAT bad.... they cut away, and then threw some blatantly fake red matter of some sort up on a wall.

But still, not anything i'd show a 5 year old, for sure. But then again, it's not targeted at them, either.

All I can say is FinalGear.com

BBCA is just too late

triumph5 wrote: Which versions(s) will air on History channel later this fall, as has been advertised by them.

I think that is the US Top Gear, different hosts, different location, different show, just using the name and idea.

The ones they play on BBC are perfect for those who do not download TV shows on the computer like my dad. My dad does everything else on the comp, but not download shows. He really likes Top Gear and supposedly my stepmom does too (who is not a car person), and he raves about it whenever I see him.

When you have already watched them on the net, then try to watch them on BBC America, it's definitely annoying. It makes me wonder how many other shows they cut up too to make it into an hour time frame.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: The ones they play on BBC are perfect for those who do not download TV shows on the computer like my dad. My dad does everything else on the comp, but not download shows. He really likes Top Gear and supposedly my stepmom does too (who is not a car person), and he raves about it whenever I see him. When you have already watched them on the net, then try to watch them on BBC America, it's definitely annoying. It makes me wonder how many other shows they cut up too to make it into an hour time frame.

go find a Dr Who forum and ask them if BBC America butchers that show, too..