Top Gear - U.S. Edition?

[TedN]

The popular BBC car show "Top Gear" is revving up a U.S. edition.

NBC has ordered a pilot for "Gear," which will be announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (January 19-27). Casting is under way for hosts. As with the BBC version, it will offer a mix of cars, humor and celebrities...

Full Story (http://ca.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idCAN1545067120080115)

Ted

[extramundane]

Can we start taking bets on how bad the US version will suck?

Mike Waltrip as the American Stig. :gomer:

[Gnam]

They tried two years ago, but it was the Discovery channel.


We wish we could give you comprehensive bios on each new host, but all we got are some vagaries about each lug from Top Gear that goes something like this: “Bruno, a professional drag racer with casual tales of crashing at 230mph; John, the super keen jock, blessed with quaint 'sir and m'am' good manners that only Americans can do; and Johnny, a former reality show winner with a nice line in weird humour.”

link (http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/19/meet-the-blokes-hosting-top-gear-in-the-u-s/)

I like the British version, but some things don't translate. I don't always know who the Star in the reasonably priced car is, and their concept of where things belong on the Wall of Cool is totally backwards. :shakehead

[Indy]

Can we start taking bets on how bad the US version will suck?

Mike Waltrip as the American Stig. :gomer:

Uh, Jesus, you are right. This will be awful.

[emjaya]

Can we start taking bets on how bad the US version will suck?

Mike Waltrip as the American Stig. :gomer:

They are doing a Australian version as well. It will suck as well.


... and their concept of where things belong on the Wall of Cool is totally backwards. :shakehead

No, that's just you. ;) :gomer:

[eiregosod]

They tried two years ago, but it was the Discovery channel.


I like the British version, but some things don't translate. I don't always know who the Star in the reasonably priced car is, and their concept of where things belong on the Wall of Cool is totally backwards. :shakehead

The wall of cool is completely biased. Anything British is cool, while anything German is uncool.

there'll be plenty of celebs who will show up to do the star in the reasonably priced car spiel.

[Methanolandbrats]

It's incredible how f'n stupid network execs are. No wonder broadcast TV is headed to extinction. How about you douchebags just license and air the British Show.......ya know, the one that does'nt suck.

[Dirk Diggler]

Can we start taking bets on how bad the US version will suck?

It will go beyond the limits of modern day suckometers.

Few guarantees in life. Death, taxes, and the US version of Top Gear will suck.

[TrueBrit]

It's incredible how f'n stupid network execs are. No wonder broadcast TV is headed to extinction. How about you douchebags just license and air the British Show.......ya know, the one that does'nt suck.

They do.

BBC America. Monday nights at 7.00

Great show:thumbup:

[Methanolandbrats]

They do.

BBC America. Monday nights at 7.00

Great show:thumbup: Not on my *****ty cable provider :mad:

[G.]

Tommy Kendall??

Might deflate some of the suck.

[eiregosod]

Tommy Kendall, Derek Daly, Jay Leno & Dr. Phil to be the hosts ;)

[extramundane]

Tommy Kendall??

Might deflate some of the suck.

Except that one mention of Dr. Kendallschlong will have the network censors and/or the EffCeeCee freaking out. :\

[RusH]

Yup, it will massively suck.

I saw it last night on BBC America though :D
Although it seems a little dated, they had Jenson Button together with a BAR Honda with old livery.

[Gnam]

It will go beyond the limits of modern day suckometers.

Few guarantees in life. Death, taxes, and the US version of Top Gear will suck.
Silver lining...maybe we'll get a UK tour episode. Picture a black London minicab painted with edgy slogans like,

"Lewis Hamilton drives like my granny."
"Vote Bush for PM."
"Right side drive isn't right."
"It's Zee not Zed, ininit."
"Got dentist?"
"Soccer is for French Dukes."
"Nelson was a gay buccaneer."
"Tea sucks."

then we can all chuckle as the British raise their eyebrows, clear their throats, maybe let loose with a "Frightfully sorry to disturb you old bean," before politely explaining why the statements are mistaken. :gomer:

[chop456]

Not on my *****ty cable provider :mad:
Charter or Time Warner, huh?

The dish shall set you free. :thumbup:

Praise the dish!

PRAISE IT! :mad:

[opinionated ow]

They are doing a Australian version as well. It will suck as well.



No, that's just you. ;) :gomer:

i don't know. i think if they find the right team it won't be too bad. but they can't use v8 supercab drivers. there is an impression of bias straight away if they do. i was thoinking John Carey (from Wheels), Chris Gilmour or Mat Sofi (from formula 3) and someone like Simon Evans (from ARC). If you wanted a female i'd suggest molly taylor, lauren gray or samy reid all of whom are particularly good with the media, have personality and can drive

[Cam]

i don't know. i think if they find the right team it won't be too bad. but they can't use v8 supercab drivers. there is an impression of bias straight away if they do. i was thoinking John Carey (from Wheels), Chris Gilmour or Mat Sofi (from formula 3) and someone like Simon Evans (from ARC). If you wanted a female i'd suggest molly taylor, lauren gray or samy reid all of whom are particularly good with the media, have personality and can drive

You are an idiot.. The Stig requires no personality. Just driving skillz. Who it be is still going to be one of lifes mysterys....


PS.... My vote is for Brundell.

[Methanolandbrats]

Charter or Time Warner, huh?

The dish shall set you free. :thumbup:

Praise the dish!

PRAISE IT! :mad:


Direct TV or The Dish, dish? I'm thinking of going Dish and DSL. Charter sucketh harder every month.

[opinionated ow]

You are an idiot.. The Stig requires no personality. Just driving skillz. Who it be is still going to be one of lifes mysterys....


PS.... My vote is for Brundell.

THE australian version is NOT using Clarkson, May and Hammond.

[emjaya]

i don't know. i think if they find the right team it won't be too bad. but they can't use v8 supercab drivers. there is an impression of bias straight away if they do. i was thoinking John Carey (from Wheels), Chris Gilmour or Mat Sofi (from formula 3) and someone like Simon Evans (from ARC). If you wanted a female i'd suggest molly taylor, lauren gray or samy reid all of whom are particularly good with the media, have personality and can drive

No, it will be a sad shadow of the British version, no matter what idiots they get to host it.

How is an Australian show going to match things such as a race from Italy with a truffle, a race from Dubbo with a meatpie. :rolleyes:

It will suck.

[chop456]

Direct TV or The Dish, dish? I'm thinking of going Dish and DSL. Charter sucketh harder every month.

I have Dish Network. Most people have DirecTV and like it better. Check both out. :thumbup:

[chop456]

PS.... My vote is for Brundell.

Is that the love child of Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell? :D

[Elmo T]

meh...

Like most of the good BBC shows - it will lose it's edge when the US execs get their hands on it. :rolleyes:

I can see TK making it suck less, but he won't have the mass appeal they will want (cough - look to NASCAR - cough). Will their test track be an oval?

[Methanolandbrats]

Look at the crap on Network TV. Nothing but mindless celebrity worship. Have Posh Spice host it, go for rides with Brittany, Paris, Tom Cruise, follow Brad and Angelina to the carwash........then you'd have a winner with brain dead American audiences.

[Spicoli]

I have Dish Network. Most people have DirecTV and like it better. Check both out. :thumbup:

more HD on DISH - and cheaper.

:justboughtit:

[Warlock!]

The British version would tank here after 5 episodes as it poo-poohs Detroit Iron at every opportunity, as well as everything else American.

[KLang]

more HD on DISH - and cheaper.

:justboughtit:


Actually Direct is ahead at the moment but Dish will catch up later this year. Dish seems to have the better DVR hardware now. I'm happy with Dish. :thumbup:

[Gnam]

No, it will be a sad shadow of the British version, no matter what idiots they get to host it.
How about Lord Humungus, the feral kid, and the Gyro captain? :p

[nrc]

I have Dish Network. Most people have DirecTV and like it better. Check both out. :thumbup:

DirecTV is jacking up their prices for the second time in three months - third time in two years. There is no more satellite TV just cable from the sky.

[WickerBill]

Look at the crap on Network TV. Nothing but mindless celebrity worship. Have Posh Spice host it, go for rides with Brittany, Paris, Tom Cruise, follow Brad and Angelina to the carwash........then you'd have a winner with brain dead American audiences.

Or we could follow Brett Favre around in his SUV and worship at his feet every time he gets out of it. Now THERE'S a TV show the country could get behind.

:yuck:

[dando]

DirecTV is jacking up their prices for the second time in three months - third time in two years. There is no more satellite TV just cable from the sky.

I'd love to see their subscriber acquisition co$t. I saw an ad last night @ the local pub offering $50 to the current customer and $50 to a referred firend. Plus, I'm getting spammed weekly with mail offers to come back. DTV is the new AOL. :irked:

-Kevin

[Methanolandbrats]

Or we could follow Brett Favre around in his SUV and worship at his feet every time he gets out of it. Now THERE'S a TV show the country could get behind.

:yuck: You are the True Brit of football fans :p .........check the record books. :D

[WickerBill]

You are the True Brit of football fans :p .........check the record books. :D

Is he coming back next year to make sure that interception record is never even approached in the future?

[Cam]

Is that the love child of Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell? :D

Pedantic bastard! Brundle of course. I think the intent was clear. :gomer:

[Methanolandbrats]

Is he coming back next year to make sure that interception record is never even approached in the future?
You convinced me. All those yards, TDs, completions, MVP awards, the Super Bowl, respect of the entire league including players whose job it is to kill him, etc.......don't mean anything. :D

[RHR_Fan]

Cripes why are they doing this? I just got into the original Top Gear and try to catch it whenever I can. The only successful show I can think of that the US has taken from Britain has been The Office. I think American Idol was Pop Idol in Britain, but AI sucks now.

~Nicole

[G.]

Cripes why are they doing this? I just got into the original Top Gear and try to catch it whenever I can. The only successful show I can think of that the US has taken from Britain has been The Office. I think American Idol was Pop Idol in Britain, but AI sucks now.

~Nicole

I wish we could get the Brit "Cracker" back.

[eiregosod]

Cripes why are they doing this? I just got into the original Top Gear and try to catch it whenever I can. The only successful show I can think of that the US has taken from Britain has been The Office. I think American Idol was Pop Idol in Britain, but AI sucks now.

~Nicole

Dancing with the Stars was a big hit too ;)

[oddlycalm]

It will go beyond the limits of modern day suckometers. Good point. :thumbup: I'll make sure I dust off my old analogue suckometer and bring it up from the basement before watching....:gomer:

oc

[RHR_Fan]

Dancing with the Stars was a big hit too ;)

:gomer:

[Andrew Longman]

Cripes why are they doing this? I just got into the original Top Gear and try to catch it whenever I can. The only successful show I can think of that the US has taken from Britain has been The Office. I think American Idol was Pop Idol in Britain, but AI sucks now.

~Nicole

Actually there are a number of successful US shows based on British shows

All in the Family, Threes Company, Welcome Back Kotter, Sanford and Son, Robot Wars, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Weakest Link, Airline, Trading Spaces, Cracker, more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_TV_shows_remade_for_the_American_m arket

[Gnam]

rumors:
1. Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld to host
2. filmed outside LA
3. No car mag scribblers need apply
4. March 4, 11pm

Star in a reasonably priced hybrid. :D

[extramundane]

rumors:
1. Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld to host


Pass.

[nrc]

rumors:
1. Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld to host


"So have you heard about these new hybrid SUVs? What's the deal with that?"

Do not want. Neither guy is edgy enough. Besides, I can't imagine a show like this could afford them unless they decided to do it just for kicks.

[Gnam]

Update:
1. Adam Carolla to host
2. scribbler Dan Neil from LA Times

Umbrella girls on trampolines? ;)

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=125007

[TrueBrit]

You might want to watch the one tonight...I caught the sneak-peek this w/end...Bloody funny!

[extramundane]

Update:
1. Adam Carolla to host

:shakehead

[TrueBrit]

:shakehead

X2:thumdown:

[Gnam]

NBC pulls handbrake. 'US Top Gear' spins out. Story (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/a/2008/04/07/DDR0100NCB.DTL)


The column amounted to Leno worrying out loud that NBC would ruin the gem that is "Top Gear." He confirmed that NBC approached him to host (another rumor had Leno joining Jerry Seinfeld, a fellow car nut) but claimed he would never attempt to fill Clarkson's shoes.

"I like the show just the way it is," Leno wrote. "Jeremy and the guys are extremely talented, so maybe it would be an idea to do a show similar to 'Top Gear' but not with the same name, because I think it would be impossible to re-create or live up to the standards of the British show."

[extramundane]

If the show does go forward on these shores, it doesn't take a genius to see the biggest problem: American automakers (no doubt the show's advertisers) flipping out over the kind of comments and criticisms that Clarkson routinely gets away with on the original.

I think (hope) that's the key thing that will keep it from getting made (because god knows the fact that it would be a pale imitation of the original hasn't stopped NBC before). 30 seconds of some Clarkson-style brutal honesty about the utterly crap handling of, say, a new Impala and GM will yank their ads in a heartbeat.

[extramundane]

Hosts announced (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/16/top-gear-usa-hosts-announced/).

Television and radio comedian Adam Carolla, champion rally and drift racer Tanner Foust, and TV construction guru Eric Stromer, will lead NBC's pilot of the international smash hit series "Top Gear." The production will begin later this week.

I'll still pass.

[Methanolandbrats]

Hosts announced (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/16/top-gear-usa-hosts-announced/).


I'll still pass. The only tools are not in the toolbox. :yuck:

[cameraman]

Wow. Quite the object lesson in converting "cool" to "abysmally suck".

http://jalopnik.com/tag/top-gear-usa/

[Gnam]

In season six of "Dancing with the Stars," Adam became the first ever contestant to complete a Paso Doble on a unicycle.
Helio for Stig! ;)

Danica was asked but wouldn't wear the helmet.

[grungex]

Danica was asked but wasn't good enough.

Fixxered. :tony:

[extramundane]

Besides, she doesn't have enough personality for the role.

[oddlycalm]

The only person I can think of offhand that could achieve the same effect that Jeremy Clarkson has is perhaps PJ O'Rourke, and only if he didn't have to bow to NBC's overlords at GE. I don't see anyone at a network owned by GE to be allowed to offend entire cultures or damage to the launch of a new car model.

oc

[G.]

Related question, why do we get only the same 12 or so episodes from 2006, repeated over and over? Where's the new stuff on BBCA?

[extramundane]

Related question, why do we get only the same 12 or so episodes from 2006, repeated over and over? Where's the new stuff on BBCA?

There was an episode in the last couple weeks with Lewis Hamilton discussing his coming up short of the drivers championship, so we've been getting something newer than 2006. I believe the next series is starting shortly, so we'll probably get it on BBCA in the fall or winter.

[Gnam]

They've been showing the Series 10 episodes pretty regularly. The most recent one to air in the US is the one where they drive all over Europe looking for the best road. That was from Dec. 2007.