Top Gear : USA Premieres Tonight
Just watched it. My take is it's not bad but it's not great.. It's watchable I guess. Wasn't expecting to be wowed in the premiere episode considering the framework had to be laid down as far as show structure and character development go.
The characters: Foust is good. He knows his stuff and can drive really well it seems. Polished in front of the camera but seems as if he's portraying a character and not being himself. Rutledge I liked because he doesn't play some contrived character mold, rather he just acts natural. Goofy and awkward fit the bill but he's got a good sense of humor and is likeable towards a national audience. The comedian (forgot his name) is still out on trial. He had some funny bits but I feel like the suits at History channel want to make him into the American clarkson by having him copy Clarksons style and idiosyncrasies. That interview with Buzz Aldrin was awful and overly awkward.. I think Foust should conduct the interviews but his sense of humor seems dry.
Overall camerawork was good, obviously not to the level of Top gear UK but those are some pretty hard shoes to fill. I'll attribute that to budget and the show's newness.. should improve as the show grows. The structure did seem clunky too, segues and transitions to and from bits came off forced and noticeable. Made me think for a second, this show almost seems like an amateur knockoff of top gear UK, but then again it is.
Besides all that though I think this show has a huge problem: Comedian and Rutledge seem like they know very little about cars. Sure, Clarkson and company lack the driving talent others may possess in Foust/5th gear but they know their shit when it comes to cars. I feel like the two apart from Foust liked cars as kids and think they're cool but don't know the difference between an exhaust pipe and a piston. Maybe this is so the show is less composed of tech jargon and engineering to cater to the lowest common denominator but such is a bad plan. The only people watching this show will be people interested in automobilia, at least for now. Can't see this show straddling the lines of society and being enjoyed by all the way TgUk has at this stage. You don't need MechEng PhD's or retired IndyCar drivers, just a relatable auto enthusiast with a sense of humor will do (that works well in front of a camera).
Although TG:US looks like it won't copy TG:UK verbatim, the guys seem as if they were casted to fit a mold and that's a recipe for disaster. Should have taken three car guys with tv experience, had them build chemistry, and then make the show. Send them to LeMans and Dakar off-camera and see how it goes, then make a show. I get the feeling these 3 don't mesh too well and wouldn't be really friendly in real life but time will tell. One of these hosts should get sacked and a knowledgeable car guy take his place.
Hope you guys get the gist of what I'm saying. It's late and phones aren't too forum friendly