Top Gear America....coming to History?

[LynxFX]

It appears that the on again, off again, American copy of the UK's incredibly popular Top Gear may actually be on again. Jalopnik is reporting that the History Channel is preparing to give it a shot.

I love the Top Gear UK (although the past couple seasons have been hit and miss) and know many people who don't even like cars, but watch that show. I know it works mostly because of the chemistry between Clarkson, Hammond and May so this will really come down to who they cast. So far it looks like Adam Carolla is on the top list of hosts. No word on the other two.

Anyway I'm excited to see this finally happening. There is tons of potential and with the right hosts, good camera work, and interesting challenges it could be something special.

http://jalopnik.com/5472105/top-gear...istory-channel

So who do you think should host?

My vote would go to Adam Carolla, Tim Allen and Christopher Titus. Leno would be in there, but he is out considering the whole Tonight Show fiasco.

[PrivatePixel]

Originally Posted by LynxFX

So who do you think should host?

No one: conceptually, this idea should have been erased from the get-go.

I'm an avid fan of the original, and have no interest in a N. American adaptation. The last thing I want is a send-up of Motorweek on prime time. None of the hosts will be brutally honest, nor will they have scathing remarks because everyone panders to advertisers and the automotive industry to some degree.

[LynxFX]

I agree partly with that, but the more motor shows the better. Being on History instead of say Speed means that they probably won't be fully supported by car advertisers. So honesty can come out when reviewing cars. Carolla would be the loudest voice with his rants. He rips apart his own Aston Martin because of some of the lame stuff put on it when brought to the US. Plus who doesn't want to see them explore the US looking for the best driving road, or some crazy racing challenge across the states? They just need to find their own groove, and not copy Top Gear UK shot for shot.

[Polygon]

Carolla and Leno are the only two people I can think of that fit. All the other American presenters I can't think of do the same old lame Motor Week crap where it's just a brochure for the car. Sure, they do give countering opinions but they do it without really being critical and that's my only fear with an American version. I know Carolla and Leno would say exactly what they think about a car, but the show won't be at all interesting of they're being censored by the advertisers. Plus are we going to be seeing cool cars or are they just going to be reviewing boring cars Camry's?

That's why Top Gear Europe has freedom, no sponsors. The other half is that they all have such awesome chemistry. Something else that will be tough to emulate if you've seen the Russian and Australian versions.

[PrivatePixel]

Originally Posted by Polygon

Carolla and Leno are the only two people I can think of that fit. All the other American presenters I can't think of do the same old lame Motor Week crap where it's just a brochure for the car. Sure, they do give countering opinions but they do it without really being critical and that's my only fear with an American version. I know Carolla and Leno would say exactly what they think about a car, but the show won't be at all interesting of they're being censored by the advertisers. Plus are we going to be seeing cool cars or are they just going to be reviewing boring cars Camry's?

I like Leno, but I detest Carolla, so this proposed lineup would not work for me. My concern with Tim Allen and Christopher Titus is that, though they're gearheads, each has an affinity for hot rods and anything domestic, so there is the potential for bias in their commentaries. Beyond the stranglehold that advertisers impose on what can or can not be said, when you take the European offerings out of the equation, in my opinion, there aren't that many interesting cars worth driving in N. America.

That's why Top Gear Europe has freedom, no sponsors. The other half is that they all have such awesome chemistry.

It's the banter between the co-hosts on UK's Top Gear that keeps me tuning in. Also, there are no equivalents to English wit and humour: sometimes dry, other times licentious; there's a harmony between the subtle and obtuse with everything said.

[PrivatePixel]

From the BBC Top Gear blog:

Yes, it’s true. The History channel and BBC Worldwide announced today that work has begun on an American version of TopGear, with US presenters fronting the new show.

The first series of ten episodes will air on History next fall (an American-only season not dissimilar to ‘autumn’, we believe), though exact dates are yet to be finalised. It will be hosted by Tanner Foust, Adam Ferrara and Rutledge Wood.

Tanner Foust’s name should be familiar to TopGear faithful. He’s a renowned stunt driver (The Bourne Ultimatum, no less) and X-Games rally gold medallist who’s also done the business at Pikes Peak and in international ice racing championships. Not only that, he beat Jenson Button around Wembley Stadium during 2008’s Race of Champions. Rumours he learned everything he knows from Captain Slow remain unconfirmed.

Adam Ferrara (very difficult not to type ‘Ferrari’ there, force of habit) is a renowned petrolhead who ranks the Pagani Zonda F Roadster as his top car. Only, we may assume, because the Hyundai i10 1.2 hasn’t made it to US shores yet. He’s also a stand-up comedian and stars in firefighting drama series Rescue Me.

Rutledge Wood is a race analyst best known for reporting on NASCAR. Think Martin Brundle with a beard, but with no need for the words ‘right turn’ in his lexicon. We’re impressed that he owns a 1953 Plymouth Suburban, and even more impressed that it was given to him by The King himself, Richard Petty. That’s a good friend to have.

It hasn’t been decided yet if the show will air in the UK, but we’ll keep bringing you the details as soon as we can. Watch this space.

On the upside, Adam Carolla is out, and I liked Tanner during his stint with Supercars Exposed on SPEED, but the wildcards, Adam Ferrara and Rutledge Wood, give me pause (especially Rutledge and his NASCAR ties). I haven't seen the Australian broadcasts, and I'm not sure about this. It may depend on the preview trailer for the series.

[Foggy]

It shan't be as good, you can't beat Clarkson, Captain Slow, and the Hamster

[LynxFX]

Not happy about the hosts at all. Tanner is the only reasonable one because the guy can drive. I've seen pretty much every Supercars Exposed and he is a pretty stale host, but he can drive.

Adam Ferrara is horrible. Knows little about cars and is just unfunny. Adam Carolla not taking that slot is a big mistake. He is the only one who wouldn't care about sponsers and would speak his mind. If something is crap, he'll say it. Closest thing we would of had to a Clarkson.

Rutledge, never heard of. Watching a few videos of him, not impressed either. Mostly Nascar fail.

I had high hopes that they would at least get the hosts right and from there see where the show goes. They really needed at least one household name. They have zero. I'll still give it a shot, but expectations are at ground bottom.

[proxpilot]

it rather watch the UK version. cmon Top Gear with no Stig?? or are they going to use his fat American cousin???

[Bigdog]

Originally Posted by Foggy

It shan't be as good, you can't beat Clarkson, Captain Slow, and the Hamster

Agreed, i find myself constantly lmao every episode.

Just sucks my cable provider comcrap sucks and i only get BBC in standard def and of course the edit American version and a season behind. We are just ending season 13 next Monday.

As for the American version, it might as well be the Russian version as it wont be the same without the original cast. Only guy that would of made sense would of been Leno imo.

[Exist2Inspire]

Much like the argument I got in with my friend about this, Top Gear American simply wont work.

The reason why the UK version works is because, besides for the chemistry, is that there are no sponsors for the show. They are free to say anything about a car, and we've definitely seen them say horrible things. That, and the fact that I'd doubt we would see anything really exciting, like seeing a Ford Fiesta being chased in a mall by a Corvette, a host attempting to destroy a Toyota Heliux (I'm pretty sure the Tacoma will not survive hitting a tree).

Or how about what they say on TV? Jeremy: "Don't be such a cock", or when Jeremy asked the audience: "Name one thing that is better hard than soft". Things like that just won't fly with a) American Censors, b) American Audiences, and c) The sponsors.

Oh, let's not forget, as people have mentioned before, that Top Gear America will probably just be an giant car ad. I can see it now:

"On tonight's episode, we test out the new Chevy Aveo!"
"Tonight's episode is brought to you by Chevy: Like a Rock"
"Oh, what can I say about the Chevy Aveo? It's perfect! Not a single problem"

Ironically, The Aveo (under the euro name which I cant remember) was being driven by Hammond, and he said it was utter rubbish.

[PrivatePixel]

Originally Posted by Exist2Inspire

The reason why the UK version works is because, besides for the chemistry, is that there are no sponsors for the show.

Or how about what they say on TV? Jeremy: "Don't be such a cock", or when Jeremy asked the audience: "Name one thing that is better hard than soft". Things like that just won't fly with a) American Censors, b) American Audiences, and c) The sponsors.

Given how heavily edited the US broadcast of TopGear is on BBC America right now (for the obligatory commercials and time allotment considerations, as well as keeping the censors at bay), you're right on every point. I think there is some leeway with the language (Gordon Ramsay gets away with quite a bit on Kitchen Nightmares and The F Word), but my main concern is whether any of the hosts will have the cojones to criticize any vehicle freely and openly, with fear of reprimand by the show's producer and reprisal by current sponsors.

[LynxFX]

From the statements made by the producers, they'll have free reign to bash any car manufacturer they want. They aren't going to take car sponsorship according to them. They want honest reviews. None of the hosts really seem crass so I'm not sure how much they would bash anyone anyway.

Even if they were sponsors, it is a pretty weak argument these days. Letterman, Leno, Conan, Carolla, Stern, Kimmel, Fergison, and any other host going for laughs bashes sponsors and even their own network. Letterman practically made a living bashing GE. If you get the ratings, they won't care.

In the end, this is an entertainment show 1st, car enthusiast show 2nd, and car review show last. What they say about a car isn't as important as what they do with it.

[i-Dak]

I love the original British version. Clarkson, Hammond, and May...Oh and the Stig are what makes the show. The American version is going to be highly watered down; catering to sponsors. They won't be allowed to say a bad word about any car; especially the "green" ones. The show will more than likely be boring, because over here it's very un-P.C. to say anything negative about any product. They always have to put a positive spin on everything.

The difference is only two of the American Hosts may have knowledge of cars. Adam Ferrara is the one that more than likely don't really know a thing. With the original version all of them know cars. May is a huge math wizard and can figure things out in his head in an instant. Clarkson and Hammond are no slouches either. I can see the American version flopping because there probably wont have any chemestry.

If they do do this....They better have the test track and have guests do their time trials.

I recognize Ferrara now....He was on "King of Queens" the last few seasons as one of Doug's co-workers. He first appeared as an employee of a bigger competative company of IPS. He tricked Doug into being his friend, just to make fun of them. Then later appeared as a one of his co-workers.