What "Top Gear" should be (Driven)

Member Name: rlcross

Product:	Driven
Date:	02/07/02 (666 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: subject matter well covered, good range of subject matter, good presenters

Disadvantages: could be an earlier slot

I used to be a "Top Gear" fan for a long time, but since it's slide into becoming the TV version of "Revs" et al I've now got "Driven" as a worthy replacement.

It covers a wide range of tastes, from mundane day-to-day shopping-trolley-with-wheels to the 200+mph supercars. I find the presenters, (Mike Brewer, Penny Mallory and Jason Plato), have the spark that the Jeremy Clarkson/Quentin Wilson/Tiff Needell Top Gear programs had, which makes for good "edutainment". It doesn't treat you like a three year old, or try and blind you with science.

Yes, they do have the power-sliding, tyre smokin' articles, but they're well balanced with sensible stories. Unlike Top Gear....
Two examples come to mind:
o Review of executive cars, Merc, BMW, Lexus - these got driven, (at speed), round an "assault course" to show acceleration, braking, handling, ride, etc. This was quite funny, watching JP trying to thread an S-class through a handling course!
o Review of hot hatches - yes, we had racing and handbrake turns. But they also showed a handling demo, based on avoiding cardboard boxes thrown out the back of a speeding lorry, and a simulated overtaking manoever - strange, but quite useful.

My wife isn't interested particularly in motoring, (except as a means to get from A to B), and even she finds this program interesting. And yes, they even cover motorbikes, (come back Steve Berry [Top Gear], all is forgiven).

Best of all, no sign of Vicky Butler-Henderson, who's 'laddishness' really grates.

Congratulations Channel 4!

Summary: