Top Gear USA

[Jay481985]

Anyone else find it unwitty and very subpar to the original? Everytime they bring a British show to America they mess it up like Life on Mars.

[Myhamish]

Well, the UK Top Gear can't build a decent Space Shuttle like the good ole USA, but the Clarkson, Hammond & May buddy formula sure works.

Slainte, Hamish

[wuzzzer]

I'm a huge fan of Top Gear UK and have watched all 3 of the US episodes. I was very disappointed in the first two but I thought the third one was quite a bit better. Hopefully they'll improve as time goes on.

[sunburnwilly]

Love the original and like the new US version . I'll watch it as long as it's on the air , err cable .

[Jay481985]

That's the thing I think they miss out on key things that make top gear top gear. First they have a professional race car driver for one of the cast. The UK one has just three regular guys, well two are journalists but you would and could very well go to a pub and have a nice conversation with them. They do not capitalize on the stig at all..... Everytime i see the stig on the usa version I keep thinking of when they make fun of the usa in the uk version with the US Stig!

And they just don't have the wit that the uk version has, I am not sure how much bbc you guys watch but the first episode I was like, well this is Fifth Gear rebranded as Top Gear in American disguise.

[Tom Adams]

I'm with you Jay. After the first episode I thought, "Good grief - could they have made the US version any worse?" So I watched it a couple more times hoping that it would get better - sadly, it hasn't IMHO.

For me it's the three hosts. Don't know what it is, but they just don't seem to gel. And in some ways they're trying too hard to make it like the UK version. I believe they'd be more successful if they created a different version. I mean, the Stig is the Stig. It is a UK thing. I'm not saying they don't need a professional driver, but why try and copy an original concept. I just don't get it.

Oh - and I doubt they'll be brutally honest about when a car they test sux. I have yet to find any moto rag in the US that will call a spade a spade. They go just so far and then they pull the punch.

Tom

[Jay481985]

I remember that arguement as well. They won't be brutally honest because top gear us is ad based, having commercials. Top Gear UK is ran by the BBC which gives them money every year which is from a pool and thus ad free and less biased. On the UK version Jeremy berates Ferrari and their fans all the time. They make fun of Mercedes all the time and BMW. They hate the prius, they drop pianos on a certain european car all the time. They make fun of french cars badly. That won't happen on the usa version.

I think you are right if they created a different version. I think its sort of like having a regional food somewhere else. Like having southern bbq up where I am from, it can be good and delicious but it won't have the southern je ne sais quoi.

As for the professional driver, I am not debating the stig so much as that guy Tanner Foust Note he keeps winning every event and challenge?

[SSnyder]

bbc is like pbs and npr no adds no biased >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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[]

[Jay481985]

Of course they have their own spin, but at least you won't see them test a ford and then when they break to commercial watch a ford ad!

[Tom Adams]

LOL....... Jay, when you were mentioning their disses of certain cars it brought back the memory of an episode where they were testing the 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera GT. I don't remember exactly what they said, but it was something to the effect that Porsche claims to have changed the contour of every body panel. So what do you get for $12,000 more? A car that looks just like the previous model unless you can get a previous model to park next to you so you can see the subtle contour differences. Oh....and during testing one of the guys had the gear shifter knob come off and an A/C vent fall out. His comment was that for 90,000 pounds (UK) you'd think the Porsche Engineers could afford some Elmers glue. I about cr@pped laughing.

And yeah - I love the BMW remarks. "Never was there ever such a disconnect between the ability of a car and their drivers" PRICELESS!!

Tom

[Jay481985]

I loved when they tested the latest bmw m3 with the audi rs4 and merc c63. The BMW kept winning then Jeremy made the test the cock meter. I remember when the bmw passed by the machine that looks like a red light camera, the meter hit 11 and broke!

[seti]

bbc is like pbs and npr no adds no biased >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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I don't like top gear Usa. The BBC original version is awesome and hilarious. Top notch! This reminds me of iron chef. The Japanese version is so much better than the USA watered down version.

[Tom Adams]

I don't like top gear Usa. The BBC original version is awesome and hilarious. Top notch! This reminds me of iron chef. The Japanese version is so much better than the USA watered down version.

Yeah......well, I guess to each their own. However, you got to admit that at least you can eat what they cook on Iron Chef America. LOL...

Tom

[seti]

I don't like top gear Usa. The BBC original version is awesome and hilarious. Top notch! This reminds me of iron chef. The Japanese version is so much better than the USA watered down version.

Yeah......well, I guess to each their own. However, you got to admit that at least you can eat what they cook on Iron Chef America. LOL...

Tom

Yes but which has better entertainment value ? However I'm a huge Asian food fan in fact I'm going to Uchiko in Austin next weekend.

[Me Loves Khorns]

Have never seen the BBC one, but really like the USA one so far.

Paul

[Myhamish]

Last night, we watched the UK S15E07 episode. This is probably one of the best but most unusual Top Gear episodes ever.

The road trip portion begins with Clarkson, May and Hammond in the US South - Virginia and North Carolina with a Ferrari 358, Mercedes 'hohum', and a Porsche 911/GTS3. (After the last trip to the South, I never thought they'd show their faces in the US again). They cut back to the studio segment which is quite clever and duly notes the departure of the Stig, then the obligatory unknown UK star in a beater car, then back to the road trip.

In one of the most 'out there' video segments I've ever seen; (I won't give a spoiler) the Stig's betrayal is ritually commemorated. This segment contains the usual humour, fast cars, sardonic British wit or lack thereof as they generally don't speak well of North Americans or regard us with any respect. However, Clarkson, May and Hammond present a much deeper darker response to Stig's betrayal that goes well below the surface. This borders on the distubing and reveals much about their own personalities.

Back to the road trip, off to New York City, and back to the studio. A must see episode. It can be found on EZTV.

Slainte. Hamish

[Jay481985]

I watched S15E07 as well and I think its mislabled as they show brief clips of season 16. Anywho I think its on par with the Vietnam special, the Romanian special, the Chilean special or so. I thought as well they never come to America after they were nearly killed in Alabama..... or when they went to Bonnerville.

Atleast this time the stig did not reveal himself and wrote a book, its rather sad that a journalist revealed who he was and consequently was fired.

[fotomatt]

And that's the reason Top Gear USA fails for most of us. The UK version was already a popular show in the USA, so when you try to duplicate the formula here in the USA, it's just not going to work. It's like taking the cast of Seinfeld and one day replacing them with a new cast. Pretty awkward. Instead, they should have just done a spinoff of it if they wanted to import the show to the USA.

Shows that have been imported to the USA that have worked in the past have been so because they weren't already airing here for a long time.

ps - I know Seinfeld doesn't still air, but I don't watch TV shows that much and couldn't think of a current TV show to name, ha ha. But you get the point.

[Jay481985]

Wasn't Life On Mars only a few years apart?

I kinda do like Law And Order UK though, it is rather well played by each character except the detective with the smile.....

I dread the day when they try to make The IT Group for the US.

S16E01 was a pretty good episode that showcased of all the places the Middle East and Iraq! Its quite disturbing and I am glad that someone finally had the guts to show the questionable boarder practices that Israel does to its neighbors (They had to cross from Jordan into Israel as they do not allow you to cross from any other of its neighboring countries. Also Jeremy Clarkson had to use two passports (one clean) and one that was stamped from the other middle eastern countries that he went through because Israel will deny you entry if you entered any of those countries)

[Me Loves Khorns]

My boys and I have just starting watching. Have not missed any of the USA ones yets.

Watched some of the older BBC ones on Netflix. They are indeed much funnier! The British humor is better! They are more likely to say things just off the wall. They try some crazy crazy stuff. Like the homemade motor homes they made. Watched that last night. No way the US one would try driving those here, too much liability. I think that may drive some of the differences too.

And, so far, the BBC one has tested way cooler cars. They have had a huge head start obviously, but they test just amazing cars.

But, I still enjoy watching both. Great tv. Great humor. Great cars. Something we can all watch together too, which is rare and nice these days.

Paul