I watched the new Top Gear a few days ago. I thought it was decent. It was never going to be as good as what we are used to, but it’s still early days. Chris Evans came across as trying a bit too hard too hard and seemed over excited about everything but to be fair, there was a lot of pressure on him. Matt LeBlanc is well suited to this kind of role - particularly driving segments where his acting skills help. I think he is a great addition, especially to add the Europe vs USA element.
I was surprised that Sabine Schmitz had such a small role in this episode. I’m thinking that Evans and LeBlanc are the hosts, while the others will chip in every now and then with a segment. Probably not a bad idea.
I was never a huge fan of the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car part of the show, and adding off-road sections to the test track has done little to change that. Still, it’s a minor improvement.
There seems to be a trend online to criticize the new series. It seems like it was doomed to bad reviews before it even aired, which I don’t think it deserves. Clarkson and co took a while to get into their stride when they began on Top Gear, so I expect the same here. And anyway if all else fails there is still a little show coming soon to Amazon Prime..