Top Gear : USA Premieres Tonight

[Rockefella]

That's right, the knock off of Britain's/world's beloved show airs tonight at 10pm Eastern time in the states on the history channel. I'll definitely watch the premiere and will be prepared to cringe at the awkwardness and not laugh at the funny bits. Maybe they can win me over.. but it'll be tough.

[f6fhellcat13]

Same story with me. I really hope it isn't as bad a train wreck as the first few TG Australias, but my hopes aren't high.

[supracrazy410]

Agreed, I'll definitely watch it but I'm going to try to go in with the mindset of this being something completely different and do my best not to compare it with the original. As for awkwardness and the like, Tanner Foust has had an amazing ability to make anything he's been in before very corny. Sit back and wait now I guess...

[pimento]

The reports from the filming were pretty positive, so don't dismiss it too early. If it's anything like TGAU it'll take some time for them to really bed in, but they'll get there.

[roosterjuicer]

I am looking forward to this show simply because my take is "the more car shows, the better" but the thing that makes Top Gear good is the interaction between jeremy, cpt. slow, and richard "i whiten my teeth" hammond.

[f6fhellcat13]

The reports from the filming were pretty positive, so don't dismiss it too early. If it's anything like TGAU it'll take some time for them to really bed in, but they'll get there.

Definitely chemistry cannot happen overnight, but I think how long it takes to get there will be a big factor in the show's success. I have heard positive murmurings about the later episodes, but I'm not sure if that is just nationalistic optimism or the truth. Shaky first episodes can sometimes be forgiven, and are expected, but at a certain point something needs to go right.
I guess I'll be satisfied if it is merely a fun way to kill an hour on a Sunday night, expecting Clarkson & Co. can only lead to disappointment. I think the comparison of the colonials' versions will be far more telling than any comparison to the Limies.

Sort of in that vein, but not really; TGAU wasn't doing itself any favors when they sacked Morrison, but the new ones aren't awful. So I hope that the US version isn't static to the point of staying on a sinking ship, but isn't quite as trigger-happy with the offstage cane as you antipods.

[Kitdy]

I have heard positive murmurings about the later episodes, but I'm not sure if that is just nationalistic optimism or the truth.

Where did you hear that?

One thing that must be considered is the quality of the new Top Gear when it started.

I haven't seen any episodes with Jaswon Dawe, but I must say that a lot of the early episodes that I have seen aren't as good as the mid to late episodes.

Maybe TG:USA will need some time to succeed. Maybe it won't be given the time. Its not as though this is going to be on a big network; TG in Britain is on BBC2 which everyone has.

[f6fhellcat13]

It was on Jalopnik somewhere.
Dawe was too much in-line with the "old and informative" Top Gear, he did not fin in the falling over and catching fire mold of JC, RH, and May.

[RacingManiac]

Jalopnik ran a piece of it from the result of press screening of the first 3 eps. They basically said by 3rd ep the show found its own groove instead of trying purely to mimic the UK formula.

We'll see after a season, though its timeslot is somewhat difficult for me since it overlaps with The Walking Dead....probably DVR the TG...

[Kitdy]

It was on Jalopnik somewhere.
Dawe was too much in-line with the "old and informative" Top Gear, he did not fin in the falling over and catching fire mold of JC, RH, and May.

Jalopnik ran a piece of it from the result of press screening of the first 3 eps. They basically said by 3rd ep the show found its own groove instead of trying purely to mimic the UK formula.

We'll see after a season, though its timeslot is somewhat difficult for me since it overlaps with The Walking Dead....probably DVR the TG...

Walking Dead is doing really well I hear, and TG going up against it isn't a good sign. WD's season is over in 3 more episodes though.

Concerning Jalopnik, they gushed over TG:USA, and then magically the History Channel gave them sponsorship this weekend, so I think their credibility is suspect.

I remember maybe last year they reviewed the E55 AMG (a car I would not consider very "Jalop") and gave it a great review. Days later, M-B ads were all over the site. Hmm...

[Rockefella]

One thing I'm concerned about per the wiki about the show is the added focus on 'customization'. If they cater to jackasses and NOS then I'll never watch the thing.

[RacingManiac]

Walking Dead is doing really well I hear, and TG going up against it isn't a good sign. WD's season is over in 3 more episodes though.

Concerning Jalopnik, they gushed over TG:USA, and then magically the History Channel gave them sponsorship this weekend, so I think their credibility is suspect.

I remember maybe last year they reviewed the E55 AMG (a car I would not consider very "Jalop") and gave it a great review. Days later, M-B ads were all over the site. Hmm...

To be fair if you read the piece:
First Drive: Top Gear USA

The noted the issue you pointed out....

[Kitdy]

To be fair if you read the piece:
First Drive: Top Gear USA

The noted the issue you pointed out....

I read the first few sentences when they ran the article.

I still would doubt their impartiality.

I don't really see the harm of watching it for a few episodes though and making my own mind up. I don't usually give much credence to critics when it comes to TV shows, movies, music, etc.

[VOGUE_MAN]

I will definitely give it a go because, at the end of the day, I love cars.

The problem with Australia's Top Gear was;

a) They tried to fake the camaraderie between the presenters. This doesn't work, it has to evolve. Just watch season 2 forward of Top Gear UK to see how things changed as they all got to know each other.

And b) like almost everything Australian, the show was pitched to the most disgusting, poor, lower class type of human being they could find - which if you would believe Australia's media is a majority of the population.

My main hope for any version of Top Gear, is that they start moving back towards being a car program and not a variety show which sometimes talks about cars. The challenges were funny when it was one a season, but now that there's basically one an episode I do enjoy the program a lot less. I'll still it and every country's version, but it was a lot better when it began.

[RacingManiac]

I think part of the UK Top Gear's current appeal was that it is a variety show, with cars....It just made the show appeal to more people, more than just the car people....