New Top Gear audience DROPS again – but Episode 3 was really rather good

The audience figures for the ‘new’ Top Gear with Evans and LeBlanc fell further in episode 3, but the show was the best to date.

The opening episode of ‘new’ Top Gear – that’s the one with Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans – saw viewing figures that weren’t brilliant but weren’t a disaster either, although the show was pretty weak.

That clearly turned off a fair few viewers, and the second episode saw a drop in audience numbers, even though the show was actually better.

Now, we’ve had the best new Top Gear so far, and the audience has fallen further still. Which is a bit of a shame for those who’ve turned off and not tuned back in after being disappointed by the first episodes. It’s also a bit of a shame for Evans and LeBlanc.

But the fault lies with the producers, leaving it until episode three to let most of the new, and rather able, presenters loose on the main show, delivering segments that were professional and very watchable.

Chris Harris in the Ferrari 250 TDF before playing with its modern equivalent – the Ferrari F12tdf – was a joy, arguably as good as anything old Top Gear ever did and certainly worthy of every second on screen.

Rory Reid’s analysis of the Ford Focus RS – as well as the Mercedes A45 AMG and Honda Civic Type R – was engagingly delivered, even if some of the similes were a bit tortured, from a man with enough knowledge and presenting skills (he can clearly drive and speak at the same time) to deliver another entertaining segment.

Matt LeBlanc also went hooning with Ken Block in his Mustang in London, which was entertaining and watchable and there was nothing wrong with the Audi R8 piece with Evans and Sabine Schmitz (the Star in a  RallyCross Car is still not engaging, though).

All in, a properly watchable Top Gear episode. Not Top Gear with Clarkson, Hammond and May, but new – and rather agreeable – Top Gear with Evans and LeBlanc and an able supporting cast.