The comments on here are
The comments on here are quite amusing, since noone has really addressed the point you made - namely that the early episodes of the British Top Gear were very weak. While I can't be bothered to go back and rewatch the episode you mentioned, I will admit that you're probably right; the fact that those early episodes are very rarely seen on Dave (a British channel where they regularly repeat episodes of Top Gear) indicates that they maybe aren't worth watching again. However, I think the newest episodes must be at least as awful. The jokes have become stale, the 'banter' predictable, and the challenges far too contrived. The recent India christmas special was, frankly, embarrassing, as it just involved the presenters basically p*ssing off the locals and going through the same old tired routines. This decline is to be expected, as it has happened to virtually every TV show out there. You can't make 18 seasons of a show about cars and not repeat yourself, and I'm pretty amazed that they've managed to stretch it as far as they have. I think it's time for Top Gear to be led outside and kindly put out of its misery with a double-barreled.