On Sunday night, Top Gear returned with a bang - and then a splutter of engines. Since Clarkson, Hammond and May departed from the most widely watched factual TV show in the world, the rather large boots to fill were filled by Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc. Overall, many have been incredibly quick to judge and swear to never watch again - even though it is still early days, the very first impression was an impressive visual production but less than impressive start. 

I'm a Top Gear fan. Always have been and - touch wood - always will be.  It taught me so much about cars (or so I like to believe) and it pained me to see Jeremy Clarkson's behaviour last year get him booted off the show because things would never be the same again and a perfectly good show would be changed for good. But is the new stuff any good?

First things first...Top Gear should not be The Chris Evans Show. The guy has received non-stop media attention so without even realising it we're constantly drawn to whatever he's doing or saying, and it can feel like a show all about him. And it shouldn't be - the more attention placed on him, the more negative audience reactions, so it seems. Whereas Jeremy Clarkson's mahoosive ego was so mahoosive it worked but without crossing the line into The Jeremy Clarkson Show, Evans seems to be trying hard to assume that role and quite frankly I don't think his ego is big enough for that. It seems forced, and that's probably why all the first reviews have complained about him trying too hard to be Clarkson. And his voice! At times the announcements also sound a bit like a report from Economics News Editor Robert Peston (you'll know what I mean if you know him). Or the voiceover guy from The X Factor.

When he's not talking in a Clarkson-esque movie-trailer-man voice, Evans likes to run around like an excited puppy, waving his arms. That's cool because he's got the greatest job in the world and all...but watching it repeatedly throughout the hour does not make for fun viewing. It's also better suited to a Friday night entertainment show. I mean, the segment about "getting custody" over The Stig was a bit too loco and awkward. I kind of want future rival show The Grand Tour to have a tame racing driver called The Stag, with an exact replica with antlers on his helmet or something.



Evans and Stig are not alone in this re-launch: enter Matt LeBlanc. He may have been trying to shake off the 'Joey from Friends' stigma for the past decade and this may just be it. This, and Episodes, of course. His laidback nature translates wonderfully on-screen when he's more of a Driver On Camera rather than TV Presenter. The pre-recorded segments offer witty lines, American confusion at our British ways, and sarcasm that is able to rival Clarkson et al.'s finest moments. I don't think his studio participation is too bad either, and it's a nice contrast from Evans's excitable-ness.

However, for some reason, both make the scripts sound scripted. I know, I know, it's because it is a script. But there are probably ways to make it less scripty, ya'know? Also Chris Evans, unlike his Captain America namesake, is not a very good actor.

With Clarkson, Hammond and May it felt like three middle-aged best mates having the time of their lives, with unforced chemistry, hilarious natural banter and competitiveness. If we make those same comparisons here, it's not even worth comparing. That said (and I will keep saying it), it's only the first episode. Can someone maybe dig up Clarkson and Hammond's first ep from 2002?

Let's have a look at the bigger picture of the show; it is comprised of many little segments and challenges, with an overall similar format. We have lots of cars, lots of car testing, a revamped studio featuring a new walkway (perfect for Evans to run up and down it) but still with the audience participation, exotic locations such as Morocco, Stig laps, and fun segments such as having German driver Sabine Schmitz re-enacting Top Gun. Differences include having a rallycross car instead of the 'reasonably priced' one, and this also being a head-to-head featuring two guests with this week's being Gordon Ramsay and Jesse Eisenberg. These are good guests! It's not awful, and this is actually a clever change without changing too much. And it also means our leaderboard could get very interesting. (Clever BBC, you'll fill up that new board in half the time this way!)

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, and I've purposely tried to avoid the pre-show hype and news stories. I don't think I was expecting something so similar, but even with that tried-and-tested formula I have to say it's missing *something*: that secret ingredient or chemistry or sparkle. It's not the same as it used to be and I need to get over it. Perhaps if the show had been completely revamped and brought back with a different name, critics would stop dubbing it 'Flop Gear'. In its defense, I do think we just need to get used to this new era, because we love Top Gear and we don't want it to die. It's also important to note that the old era was not without criticism. Peaks and troughs, people. Surely the only way is up!?

In the closing credits, their "next week" name-drops almost made it feel like a talk show, which is dangerous territory. And then there was an advert for "Extra Gear", an accompanying show on BBC Three. I know Three has gone online now, but does Top Gear really need a spin-off and do I want to watch it? Hmmm not really.

A few good things though, as it is so easy to focus on the negative. Some of the close-up slow-mo shots of dirt being flung towards camera are pretty cool. We could watch this in 3D on a wide-screen TV. I learnt new things about cars. Matt LeBlanc was a surprisingly well-cast addition and could even 'save' many initial perceptions; keep the sarcasm flowing. Chris Evans will be less excitable as the weeks go on. It was still an entertaining show; all the reports of 'extreme boredom' may be slightly exaggerated for effect. After all, it's still a show I'd sit and watch with the family on a Sunday night. It didn't quite crash and burn, and I'm sure lots of people tuned in to see what all the fuss was about, but I'm not sure how many formerly-loyal viewers will be digging into their wallets to shell out for Amazon Prime after that. I've got mixed feelings at the end of that first hour; we are a critical audience eager to pounce on any shortcomings, but what people are saying should definitely be listened to (eg. less pointing at the camera please!). It does the job, it doesn't wow. It's a really tough ask for Evans and LeBlanc to bring back a show that had Clarkson-May-Hammond embedded in its DNA. I'll keep on watching, just as I hope they keep on learning.