Top Gear

[C44Antelope]

Well, I've seen it. I'll give it a few episodes before I judge too harshly.

 

[Warden]

US Top Gear made the news this side of the pond

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1331970/US-Top-Gear-Stig-leaves-fans-unimpressed.html

 

[Stearmen]

Jeremy Cobra Kill

One of the big problems is, if you were watching the Cobra gunship chasing Jeremy Clarkson, you would be rooting for the Cobra to get a kill! With the US version, I didn't care.

 

[Mercy]

I am not what one would consider a "car person", but as an avid watcher of Top Gear UK, I find them engaging, funny and fun. Watching Top Gear US I find the show skull poundingly bad...it was grim. No style what-so-ever.

 

[Mark G]

It was what I feared... over scripted and dead. My wife hates car shows but loves Top Gear UK. She refuses to watch one more episode of the US version.

When the Cobra was chasing the Viper you could see skid marks from previous runs.

 

[Shangas]

Not a car-person, but still a big follower of TGUK. Haven't seen the pilot episode of TGUS yet, but from everything I've read, and have been told by friends...I don't think I want to.

I made this prediction months ago - TGUS will not survive becuse it would not have any comedy. American and British comedy are too different. And from what my friend told me, the pilot TGUS episode had ZILCH comedy of either kind.

So I was right. It won't survive. Part of what makes TG GREAT is that it's funny. If it's not funny, it becomes...Fifth Gear (for those familiar with that show, you may know what I mean).

 

[JimWagner]

Now that I've seen the first episode of the American version of Top Gear I can say that it lived down to all my expectations.shakeshead

 

[DetroitFalcons]

I gave it about 10 minutes, and that was during two occasions.

Tanner can go back to "racing" Paul Tracy.

 

[CACooper]

Greetings,

Watched the US version last night. I'm a huge TGUK fan, so here's my take on the US version:

Photography was almost the same. The stunning visuals of TGUK were replicated closely.
The three hosts are, frankly, BORING. No chemistry, and as noted by another poster, NO humor. Just a lot of tire spinning with lots of bleeped expletives. I'm sorry, driving cars around vacant airports and desert locales just isn't interesting or exiciting anymore.

Riding scooters from Saigon to Hanoi is priceless. Driving to the North Pole is breathtaking. Driving across the middle of Africa in used beaters is insane!

The "Big Star - Little Car" segment with Buzz Aldrin sounded interesting, but was too short and, again, boring.
At least they have The Stig. But again, a scripted, lackluster intro. Kinda like they're just going through the motions.

The US show, honestly, is embarrassing. And what's with the shaky in-car cameras? Do the producers think an American audience likes this "exciting" effect? Gives me a headache.

Clarkson, May and Hammond stage outladish stunts and competitions that end up being sidesplittingly funny. I always look forward to next weeks exploits of "the boys". Clarkson's car reviews are classic. THAT is the magic formula. And magic like that is hard to copy, if not impossible.

None of this "magic" exists in the TGUS. Maybe it will by mid-season, let's hope.

In the meantime, I am anxiously awaiting TGUK season 16.

CACooper

 

[C44Antelope]

I'm still not holding my breath, but I'll give them a few episodes to get their feet under them. I've only seen a few of the UK originals, so my experience with it is limited. I know I really liked what little I saw on the orginal.

Even without bashing them too much I think it's fair to assess a couple things. As far as the chemistry goes, I think the producers are trying to put a little something in there for each stereotypically perceived region of "car guy". You got the California type drifter, the southern NASCAR fan and the New Yorker. Pretty short sighted, but we are talking TV producers. It's amazing that they haven't worked in some scantily clad women ala Bull Run.

I thought the blind drifter guy was a pretty well conceived stunt. Especially since the bind guy won. And the dog urinating on the Top Gear logo on stage shouldn't be over-looked by those that think this new version is sub-par.

Again, I think I'll give it a few more episodes before I give up on it entirely.

 

[Shangas]

Right.

I got the chance to see the pilot episode of TGUS today online.

Honestly I wasn't impressed.

Yes, it has the elements of the UK show...Big star, small car, the lap times, the automotive discussions, the crazy challenges...But I just wasn't interested in it.

Like others have said - What made and makes Top Gear great, is the chemistry and the humor and the comedy. The over-the-top stunts and the jokes and the insane and crazy challenges that they do. I saw none of that in the US version and that soured the taste for me considerably. I agree with CACooper, what makes TGUK great is the relationship and the pokey fun that the three presenters have with each other, and the amazing challenges and comedy that they have. Without it, a big chunk of the show goes missing.

I love the jokes in TGUK. I remember one episode of the UK version where the lads were doing lap-times. May headed off around the track and Hammy and Clarkson were waiting for him to finish. Hamster and Clarkie were waiting so long, they started making jokes about time. Hamster picks up a pebble from the side of the race-track and says they could measure the lap-time by the wind-erosion on the top of the stone.

I was in stitches from laughing so hard. Sure, it's not a great joke, it's not a big joke, but it's these small, comic moments that make the show great and make you feel like these guys really have a passion and love for what they do. The US version looked more like three guys testing cars for a consumer magazine, not three guys mucking around and having fun and larfs and discussing the merits of each other's automotive choices, or poking fun at something else or trying to turn their cars into boats...Clarkson gave us the 'American' unit of measure with that episode...

I dunno. I'll watch a second episode and see what happens, but my hopes aren't high. Every review of it that I've read has panned the US version, and I'm seriously beginning to see why.

 

[Warden]

Out of interest was the TGUK episode of the boys driving from Florida to New Orleans ever shown in the US?

If not, I am sure it is on YouTube somewhere.

Harry

 

[Yeps]

I did not like the new US show at all. Nice cars, dull hosts. I think it is targeted at rednecks (no offense, but I am not quite there with you.) I don't know how well it appeals to said market though.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Out of interest was the TGUK episode of the boys driving from Florida to New Orleans ever shown in the US?

If not, I am sure it is on YouTube somewhere.

Harry

I have seen that part online. It is epic as far as I am concerned.

"They shot their own welcome sign!"

 

[Warden]

Yep, thats the one, A classic bit of television

 

[Bruce Wayne]

[video=youtube;fuw81WAHbfM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuw81WAHbfM[/video]

 

[Zombie_61]

With regards to Top Gear US, I've read two comments on other forums that I'd like to repeat here.

First, it took Top Gear UK a while to "find it's legs". I've only been watching for a couple of years now but, as I understand it, the show wasn't immediately as popular as it has become. Top Gear US may simply need time to find it's own way...providing the show doesn't get cancelled, that is.

Second, Top Gear US would likely have been better received if Top Gear UK hadn't existed first; by comparison, however, it never stood a chance.

That said, I've seen the first two episodes of Top Gear US, and probably won't watch any more. If the show survives beyond it's trial period and begins to gain fans, I might give it a second chance. As it is now I find it dull and uninteresting, and I can think of better ways to spend my time.

 

[Dav]

Very much looking forward to TGUK on 26th December
http://transmission.blogs.topgear.com/2010/12/03/top-gear-over-christmas-more-details/