|
|
Post by amie8 on Mar 24, 2013 23:21:11 GMT
Ep.2 4th April 2/5. The Top Gear presenter and the team chase storms across the country as they attempt to take on the wrath of Mother Nature and actually catch a bolt of lightning. Plus, James enters the rock-paper-scissors world championships, creates a neighbourhood watch team made up entirely of cats and makes a bar of soap - which involves some dangerous chemistry and a trip to a coal mine.Hmm..I'm particularly looking forward to the neighbourhood watch item. Can this show get much madder?  |
|
|
|
Post by devil-may-care on Mar 24, 2013 23:49:02 GMT
This sounds fantastic!! ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by TheDaisy on Mar 25, 2013 8:59:42 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by xjsarah on Mar 25, 2013 21:35:14 GMT
Well, I know I'm looking forward to this new series. Perfect start to the Easter break. |
|
fallatyourfeet
Filthy Mayhemer
You'll never see the end of the road while you're travelling with me.
Posts: 779
|
Post by fallatyourfeet on Mar 25, 2013 22:08:45 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by dit on Mar 27, 2013 0:04:11 GMT
Has anyone picked up James doing any promotional stuff for this series? I've had a glance at the usual stuff (The One Show, Christian O'Connell on Absolute Radio. Chris Evans on Radio 2) and there's no sign. I haven't seen any newspaper or magazine interviews either. Seems unusual for him not to promote it at all.
|
|
|
|
Post by taliahrose on Mar 27, 2013 0:24:27 GMT
Has anyone picked up James doing any promotional stuff for this series? I've had a glance at the usual stuff (The One Show, Christian O'Connell on Absolute Radio. Chris Evans on Radio 2) and there's no sign. I haven't seen any newspaper or magazine interviews either. Seems unusual for him not to promote it at all. I actually asked James this very question on twitter on Monday but he hasn't replied unfortunately. He seems to prefer answering the more radom questions. Oh well..... |
|
melly
Filthy Mayhemer
Aber ja, nat?rlich Hans nass ist, er steht unter einem Wasserfall.
Posts: 644
|
Post by melly on Mar 28, 2013 11:20:02 GMT
Has anyone picked up James doing any promotional stuff for this series? I've had a glance at the usual stuff (The One Show, Christian O'Connell on Absolute Radio. Chris Evans on Radio 2) and there's no sign. I haven't seen any newspaper or magazine interviews either. Seems unusual for him not to promote it at all. I actually asked James this very question on twitter on Monday but he hasn't replied unfortunately. He seems to prefer answering the more radom questions. Oh well..... Well i'm glad you say that because i was thinking the same! |
|
|
|
Post by morganstarr89 on Mar 28, 2013 19:47:46 GMT
15 minutes to go!
Excited!
|
|
|
|
Post by ladylurker on Mar 28, 2013 20:11:11 GMT
15 minutes to go! Excited! Me too, but I have to hold back on the excitement until the downloads are up ...  |
|
|
|
Post by lindenchase on Mar 28, 2013 21:49:47 GMT
Loved the wine tasting and the Grand National. Didn't care much about the pizza oven. Still: solid and funny start of the new series. Good to see Oz make an appearance!! And it looks like Rory is now an official sidekick. He's on Twitter by the way: @rorybarker :-)
|
|
|
|
Post by adrianmay on Mar 29, 2013 5:49:33 GMT
That was fantastic! OK it was no Budgie No. 35 and Tommy the Cat but I smiled, laughed and cheered for James through the whole program. Every segment was fun and complete. Nicely edited to included both obviously scripted and slightly silly moments. James' "crew", Rory, Simmy (Simeon Oakley) , Oz etc. really have their own character in the segments they're involved in and it's fun to see them join James on his fatuous missions. I was worried, but this was just fun! My crush on James might be back. Disclaimer: The author of this post might be excessively enthusiastic due to muy muchas cervazas consumed prior to viewing..or it might be the James Effect. Oh, and what was up with that chick in white jeans walking pointlessly up and down the stairs?? |
|
|
|
Post by liverbird on Mar 29, 2013 9:33:40 GMT
I've just caught up with Manlab this morning... The Manlab Totty are annoying me. I thought it was a male domain. He'll have to rename it Personlab.
Did like the show. Please tell me he didn't sleep in that single bed. It was too small!
|
|
|
|
Post by jmsquared on Mar 29, 2013 9:48:47 GMT
That was properly funny. Rory and his wine. Hahahaha! I'm going to order papa smurf du pape (or whatever it was) in future! Strange James gyrations behind Clare Balding. Might have to rewatch that bit, just to clarify......... |
|
|
|
Post by lindenchase on Mar 29, 2013 11:14:25 GMT
James has mentioned several times he regrets the title "Man Lab", especially since there are several women involved with the show. That probably explains all the girls parading up and down. Rory by the way is on Twitter: @rorybarker. I had mentioned how much I enjoyed the show, and he replied with a Thank You. ;D |
|
|
|
Post by amie8 on Mar 29, 2013 11:56:56 GMT
Just catching my on-off-on wireless connection while it's in an "on" phase.
Good start to the series. Yes, I noticed the number of women in the background and I'm sure they're all legitimate members of the production team but, as a means to demonstrate the egalitarian nature of the show, it's a bit unsubtle. I bet the audience is predominantly female anyway.
I thought the Grand National bit was funny - the voiceover anyway - despite my loathing of the race itself. I also enjoyed the constant Rory insults "looks like a child's drawing of a man", "the world's least ambitious joyrider" etc. Good old Rory.
And, just to prove the show really is educational, who knew there was a World Championship in cement mixing until last night?
|
|
melly
Filthy Mayhemer
Aber ja, nat?rlich Hans nass ist, er steht unter einem Wasserfall.
Posts: 644
|
Post by melly on Mar 29, 2013 14:44:48 GMT
I haven't seen it yet,maybe in the weekend,when we have the time.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wyvern on Mar 29, 2013 14:58:59 GMT
Simply couldn't enjoy the Grand National segment, which I felt was too long (but that's probably because I don't like the event at all), so I went and made a cup of tea during the second part, but enjoyed the rest. However, I generally prefer the more 'practical' segments, like the pizza oven, so I hope there will be more of that to come.
To be absolutely honest, it didn't grab me like it usually does though - thinking about it, I normally watch these things a couple of times over, and I've lost count of the number of times I've watched the Christmas episode, but I've no desire at all to rewatch this. And - and this is an unusual criticism coming from me, as many of you will know - I didn't think there was enough James, or enough James/Sim interaction. Much as I like Rory, he seems to be turning into a Karl Pilkington figure, and the format seems to be going a bit 'Idiot Abroad' - which I don't dislike, but that's not really what I'm watching for. I don't know - didn't quite push my buttons like it used to.
|
|
|
|
Post by dit on Mar 29, 2013 20:19:45 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by FizzyLogician on Mar 29, 2013 20:33:53 GMT
The comments on that column were priceless:
A sensible one:
"Dear, dear, this is embarrassing. Anyone who thinks James May is 'meant' to be slow-witted and bumbling needs to do some research. What's wrong with admitting you know nothing about horses, when you do know about motoring, aviation, engineering, technology, music and poetry - to a level of expertise that no one gets from a 'quick trip to Google'? Could we have a competent, professional reviewer next?"
And one that cut straight to the point:
""I'd have a more intelligent read were I to sew a typewriter onto a lamb shank."
|
|
|
|
Post by adrianmay on Mar 29, 2013 20:47:15 GMT
Wow, what is that man's problem?! I'm not about to criticize a critic for having a strong opinion that's contrary to my own, everyone brings their own sensibilities to a performance or program they have viewed, but geeze that's just an angry man looking for a place to vent. I think he's taking a light bit of entertainment too seriously. Chill, dude. Now I have James as Winne the Pooh stuck in my head. Silly old bear. |
|
|
|
Post by crumbs on Mar 29, 2013 22:24:11 GMT
I enjoyed it in the most part - I did like the wine tasting part. The girls wandering about annoyed me too - where were the more generously sized and slightly older women? I am aware that it is a younger person's domain doing backstage stuff, having watched various programmes being recorded, but there are quite a few older staff around - always. Humph.
Bit grumpy this evening!
|
|
|
|
Post by liverbird on Mar 30, 2013 18:26:36 GMT
In true Scouse observation, all I can say about that reviewer is Kn*bhead!
Soz, if I offend anyone.
|
|
|
|
Post by amie8 on Mar 30, 2013 23:36:21 GMT
In true Scouse observation, all I can say about that reviewer is Kn*bhead! Soz, if I offend anyone. Hopefully, you'll offend him! |
|
|
|
Post by Vivienne on Mar 31, 2013 14:50:28 GMT
I watched it last night and thought it was great. I enjoyed it so much I was surprised it was over.We know he is a quick learner. How many horses die in that race? The pizza oven and the wine tasting especially were hilarious. That full belly laugh that James has is contagious. The women in the scenes didn't bother me, I was concentrating on him. I tend to block out the background at times.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wyvern on Mar 31, 2013 16:18:25 GMT
Vivienne, two horses died during the race (Synchronised, who James concentrated on quite a lot in the memory section, and According to Pete), and I think one horse died in another race at that meet (roughly average losses, based on the last 12 years). IIRC, fifteen of the 40 runners finished in total.
But I'm going to ask that we don't get into a discussion of the Grand National at this point; we did have a thread about this last year that got quite heated - though it's still available if you want to read it - and it is a polarising subject. I'd prefer that we didn't end up having to lock another thread!
|
|
|
|
Post by Vivienne on Mar 31, 2013 23:06:28 GMT
I'm not interested in the race and never heard of it until he was filming for it. So no more discussion from me.I'll not post my opinions here.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wyvern on Apr 1, 2013 1:59:19 GMT
I'm not interested in the race and never heard of it until he was filming for it. So no more discussion from me.I'll not post my opinions here. Fair enough - please don't think I was aiming that request specifically at you though - mostly just protecting my own sanity |
|
|
|
Post by jacqui on Apr 1, 2013 11:30:23 GMT
Finally got round to watching this - not enough hours or days in the universe for me at the moment  I thought it was good in places. The memory learning part of the National was interesting, it fascinates me, the process the guy went through with James was very clever, just wish I could remember it! The wine tasting was funny in places, good to see Oz and James back in the saddle (pun intended )! The best bit I thought was the exercise bike, what a fab idea, wish my gym had one - have you patented it guys??!! Could have done without the pizza oven bit and turned off within two bars of the sitar rendition on the Man Lab theme, that was just painful  1 down 4 to go, room for improvement I think but still a good watch. A bit less of Rory please - what is this after all, get Rory a job as a TV presenter or James May Man Lab - more of James and Simmy, I say! For the record James your hair is not stupid - we love it  |
|
|
|
Post by ladylurker on Apr 1, 2013 12:49:55 GMT
I liked this episode, almost surprised when it ended because it flew past so quickly. Wasn't bothered by the girls either, they seemed to just be going about their work to me. A bit more Simmy/James interaction would be nice, though. Wine bluffing was funny, Grand National interesting and funny, same for pizza oven.
Not very fond of the latest version of the Man Lab theme, though.
|
|
I love a man who can handle a gun 