I’m a big Top Gear fan. After last year’s implosion, I’ve been waiting to see how the revamp would turn out. Now with all six episodes done, I can officially say it was OK. We’re getting a remix next year to work out the kinks.

The presenter roster was a bit too deep to start with (6!). Eddie Jordan was barely used and to be honest, they don’t need him. I think they’re keeping him around for next series but I don’t know why. He doesn’t add anything significant to the show.

I like Sabine Schmitz a lot. She broke out for Top Gear fans a few years ago when she whipped a transit van around the Nurburgring at astonishing speed. All her segments were good this year and I think she’s a smart addition to the formula.

I found Chris Harris on YouTube last year and he’s a perfect fit for the show. I think everyone agrees to that. He arguably had the best two segments of the series. He’s so good BBC America is giving him airtime starting tomorrow, July 11th. I’ve never heard of Rory Reid before, but I like him too. Great personality, a great speaker, and his pieces were all well done.

Matt LeBlanc is going to be the new anchor of the show. He’s got charm that brings people in, keeps you engaged and he’s a pro on camera. He always looks really relaxed and just wants to have a good time. His segment with the Porsche 911 R shows his enthusiasm that Top Gear thrives on.

Chris Evans tried his hardest which might have been his undoing. Too much from him felt forced, like he was desperate to keep this giant bird in the air by himself. Behind the scenes, he was an alleged diva that rubbed everyone the wrong way. With ratings down and people digging LeBlanc, the decision to let him go was easy, I think.

The production values remained top notch. Rory’s Ford Mustang segment is a real knockout. Of the six episodes, 3 and 6 are the stand out episodes that capture the most of what makes Top Gear great.

They still need to mess with the formula though to make it more their own. Ditch the celebrity segment. In an attempt to make that part different, they have 2 celebrities come out, talk about their first and their favorite car they’ve owned and then a race around a new route around the Top Gear track. The only part worth watching is the driving. Unbelievably boring segment that has to go. It’s like 15 minutes too, so it’s a slog to get back to what everyone really wants to see.

For Series 24, I’d like to see some more creative segments be thought up. Get some next gen Top Gear thinking and get the four presenters I like  out there to have fun together.

Clarkson, May, Hammond have been busy making The Grand Tour for Amazon which is coming…soon? No premiere date has been given yet but I’m going to guess the middle of September. It’s all eyes on them now to see what they can do without the BBC. A legion of fans are waiting so the pressure is on.