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+--- Thread: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? (/showthread.php?tid=9178)
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US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - Jeff - 11-22-2010
Did anyone bother with US Top Gear on History last night? It was pure rubbish.
![[Image: top-gear-us-cast-photo2.jpg]](http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/top-gear-us-cast-photo2.jpg)
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - Jake - 11-22-2010
I turned the TV on with an open mind and high hopes. By the first commercial break, I was sorely disappointed. I forced myself to sit through the whole thing thinking "maybe it'll get good after this part" and it never did.
The hosts have no chemistry. Tanner is the only one who seemed to know a thing about cars, and even then it just seemed like he was rattling off a spec sheet. On TG UK, all three hosts can provide insight (however random) about what they are driving and how the nuances make it or break it.
The Lambo comparison was really disappointing. "Oh man, he grabbed another gear too early. He just grabbed another gear. He's grabbing gears!" Fuck, say something else already. And then one of them, in an effort to be funny, complained that his Lambo didn't have a standard cupholder and the offered one was too expensive.
See, the Brits can make fun of things like that. Clarkson would say "Lamborghini offers extravagances such as a $650 cupholder, for the lazy Americans who need a place to store their Big Gulps while driving their supercar to the shopping centre." And he'd be right, because TG UK can make fun of any nation, any brand, etc and get away with it. Notice who sponsored TG USA last night? Mercedes. Guess which brand of car will never get a negative review on that show? Mercedes.
The TG UK hosts use cars as a means to talk about larger socioeconomic trends and/or issues, and that's part of the appeal to the non-car people. TG USA was like Motor Trend with a moving picture.
At least the new series of TG UK comes out soon.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - CaptainHenreh - 11-22-2010
I didn't watch it. I had kind of hoped that since they had three "normal dudes" it would be good, but all indications point to "Suck" at this point.
Ah well. The US needs a car show, but not Top Gear Lite.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - Jeff - 11-22-2010
I just could not believe they chose to test Lambos by what amounted to a drag race/speed test....I was like...WTF.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - Jake - 11-22-2010
Jeff Wrote:I just could not believe they chose to test Lambos by what amounted to a drag race/speed test....I was like...WTF.
Exactly. Speed means nothing unless you have to use the brakes and steering. I mean, they could have made the top speed bit interesting (see Captain Slow's Veyron SS clip) but it was two guys standing around commenting on perpetual short-shifts while the third is shown pressed back in his seat yelling "Oh shiiiiiiii" with each pull of the (+) flappy paddle.
Face. Palm.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - xvxax - 11-22-2010
Quick list of things that were forced/bad in TG USA last night, off the top of my head:
-Tanner's metaphor of "Its like the sound of sushi knives clanking to a.... Japanese Person"
-Actually, make that TG USA's blatant rip-off of heavy metraphor use, artsy shots (like graveyard), from Top Gear USA. Find your own style fellas.
-Very little explanation of car stats, etc. outside of metaphors like "it's like your uncle who comes to a wedding and makes things awkward" how the f does that describe what driving a Lamborghini Murcialago feels like?
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - D_Eclipse9916 - 11-22-2010
I didnt even bother watching it, after seeing Tanner's "acting and driving" in that supercar show on speed I know I would puke if he ended up on that show. He really pisses me off, if you guys are complaining about other stuff, it must have been REALLLY bad.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - SlimKlim - 11-22-2010
And for what its worth, they didn't even review a new car. Viper? Seen it. Superleggera? Seen it. SV-670. Seen it. Balboni. MOTHERFUCKINSEENIT.
A brand new show should bring us a car we haven't seen moving yet, how about a Hennesey Venom GT? The hosts were dull and uninteresting, barely talked about the cars, and the helicopter test was pointless, boring and overall proved nothing. Son, I am disappoint.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - caa337 - 11-22-2010
![[Image: son-i-am-disappoint.gif]](http://www.gymidiots.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/son-i-am-disappoint.gif)
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - TorinoCobra070 - 11-23-2010
I waited to watch it after I saw how everyone else reacted to it... on facebook.... anyway, I tried to go into it thinking of it as a completely separate show from Top Gear so I wouldn't be as disappointed. That worked for a little bit just because it was fun to watch the Viper slide around, but it didn't take long for it to go down hill. I thought the hosts didn't really have any chemistry, the interview was awkward, the helicopter challenge was kind of OK, and the Lamborghini comparison sucked the big one. I might watch another episode of it just because I really wanted this show to work out well.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - G.Irish - 11-23-2010
I'm going to watch tonight but keep in mind, the pilot episode of Top Gear UK wasn't very good either. I would give it a little bit of time to catch its stride.
I think the main thing they'll have to do is be comfortable with getting away from what Top Gear UK is and creating their own identity. For instance, TGUK doesn't really do tuner cars, that's something TGUSA could have some success with. Also, TGUK doesn't really have normal enthusiasts on the show. If TGUSA got enthusiasts involved that could help build a more personal connection with fans.
I'm also thinking they shouldn't be afraid to replace any of the hosts at this point. I'm still holding out for Jerry Seinfeld.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - xvxax - 11-23-2010
Also, why did they write down the cars Buz Aldrin owned on a piece of 3 ring notebook paper and have the host read off it during the interview? If talking about cars Buz had owned was a spur of the moment idea, they wouldn't have pictures of the cars in slideshow format on the projector/flat screen TV behind Buz. Dang guys, seriously?
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - ViPER1313 - 11-23-2010
I was not impressed, but the first few seasons of TG UK weren't spectacular either. It will take them some time to find their own style.
Also, I don't know if you noticed it or not, but TG USA is 17 minutes shorter per episode than the UK version due to all the commercials.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - SlimKlim - 11-23-2010
A writer on Jalopnik agreed with us about the first episode, but says as the season goes on they get a little more comfortable and the show starts to develop in its own ways. Some of the upcoming challenges look a lot more interesting than that ridiculous Viper thing. I'll watch the whole season, I don't have anything else to do at 10:00 on Sundays anyway, and maybe it will grow into a decent show.
I'd still be way better at it though.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - G.Irish - 11-23-2010
SlimKlim Wrote:I'll watch the whole season, I don't have anything else to do at 10:00 on Sundays anyway, and maybe it will grow into a decent show.That's a good point. What else am I going to watch in the off season.
I'd like the show to have a chance for at least a season or two. It would suck if it was one of those things that enthusiasts hate on the show so hard that they cancel it rather than improving it.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - ScottyB - 11-23-2010
i agree with the fact that top gear was initially awful to watch. it was almost like consumer reports - no style, chemistry, attitude, just bland talking heads spouting whatever spec sheet was in front of them. even when the current staff came into place with May, Hammond and Clarkson, they initially had no real rapport and it felt very forced. watch Top Gear Australia, that was terrible at first and frankly is still sub-par as well.
that said i agree this first US show was a big dissapointment. lots of cinematography car-porn interrupted with excited boyish jabbering. it feels like they're trying way too hard.
i think production probably came into the season with the idea of sandbagging a little so they don't throw down their best cards and then have nothing of interest after the first 2 or 3 episodes. i never liked the host lineup...they had a chance to get some great people on there and blew it. not to mention these hosts are pretty much not die-hard car guys (aside from doucheking foust) or "presenter types"...i think they will have to mature into that role. there could be potential if they're allowed to speak their minds like the UK crew does.
if TGUS survives this season i'll be alot more interested in next season and the improvements they'll hopefully make.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - NTIman - 11-23-2010
TG US has a huge expectation to live up to. Unfortunately, the show probably won't last long enough to develop into a show that people will watch. You can't expect them to just naturally have chemistry on their first show. A lot of the chemistry in Top Gear UK relies on running gags and inside jokes which have come to be during numerous seasons.
The US market also has different priorities. For instance, in the UK, handling is important for sure. Here, a lot of people just want to know how fast the car will go. Retarded, yes, but its the truth. If you don't believe me, take a ride around town and compare the number of M3s to Mustangs.
The problem is everyone wants Top Gear US to be like Top Gear UK without copying them in any way, and they want it to happen from the very first episode. Not going to happen. Ever.
The first episode was pretty awful for sure, but I'm willing to give it a full season (and maybe more, if it lasts) to decide how bad it really is.
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - mrbaggio - 11-23-2010
Could they come up with something other than using "the stig"? that was pretty weak.
The fat guy sucked. I don't think he said one insightful thing the entire episode
ferrara is a shitty comic and worse tv host.
car-news would be cool. why leave out that part of the UK show?
sweet interview with buzz. my god that was painful to watch
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - Tyler.M - 11-24-2010
I really didn't like it either... .all the comments about it being the pilot episode aside, I hated it more because it used the top gear formula but it really isn't top gear.
America needs a car show, but can in no way copy a British car show. It's completely different mindsets of driving and driving life. Copying a formula from a completely different automotive world is just an awful idea. Top Gear works because it is succinctly British and European, it really couldn't exist anywhere else.
Most Americans come from the Detroit days of big fat cars with huge engines that are only good at driving in straight lines. Driving around a track is pretty foreign to a lot of people... I mean drag strips and funny cars are much more popular here, whilst track races are more popular in Europe. To me, the only good part was testing the Lambo mile times and that's only because that was the best thing for the American audience.
Crash and burn
Re: US Top Gear - Did anyone watch this trash? - G.Irish - 11-24-2010
NTIman Wrote:The first episode was pretty awful for sure, but I'm willing to give it a full season (and maybe more, if it lasts) to decide how bad it really is.Exactly. I hope this doesn't turn into another case of hardcore fans complaining so much that it gets canceled and we go back to having zero car shows. Then it'll be another case of, "This is why we can't have nice things." Not to say History Channel is not at fault for making something that sucks in the first place but I figure people should at least give the show one season and give feedback for improvement rather than, "This sucks, I'm never gonna watch again"
Quote:Most Americans come from the Detroit days of big fat cars with huge engines that are only good at driving in straight lines. Driving around a track is pretty foreign to a lot of people... I mean drag strips and funny cars are much more popular here, whilst track races are more popular in Europe. To me, the only good part was testing the Lambo mile times and that's only because that was the best thing for the American audience.
Eh, I don't think that's the case for someone who would watch TGUSA. Anyone who has come to the show is someone who is interested in all aspects of performance. Someone who only cares about the strip wouldn't have watched TGUK and by extension wouldn't have bothered with TGUSA anyway. I think as long as they can make an exciting show that is funny and relevant I don't think anyone will much care that it's not focused on the drag strip and/or muscle cars.