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You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > America gets their own Top Gear [SPOILER] It's gonna suck [SPOILER]

America gets their own Top Gear [SPOILER] It's gonna suck [SPOILER]
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imitchellg5
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Aug 7, 2010, 06:11 PM
 
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Thoughts? It looks like it's basically gonna be an American version of the most British telley show ever. I sort of hope it's a disaster.
     
Face Ache
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Aug 7, 2010, 06:28 PM
 
The Australian version lasted two seasons. Two seasons of lame.
     
Paco500
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Aug 7, 2010, 07:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by imitchellg5 View Post
Thoughts? It looks like it's basically gonna be an American version of the most British telley show ever. I sort of hope it's a disaster.
Yes it looks like a disaster, but I would hardly call Top Gear the most British show ever. It's kind of unique, or at least it was until all the copycats showed up.

What, in your mind, makes it especially birtishey?
     
ghporter
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Aug 7, 2010, 10:42 PM
 
To me, Topgear is about Jeremy and the lads, who just happen to get together to have exploits with fabulous (and not so fabulous) cars. Put different people into the same setting, even in the same studio with the same writers, and you just won't have the same chemistry.

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Lateralus
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Aug 7, 2010, 11:02 PM
 
If I have one knock of the trailer for the American Top Gear, it's probably that the music used isn't hilariously epic as what's heard on BBC's.

Lay the same lame music from the American promo over a BBC TG promo, and it'd probably dilute its awesomeness equally.

As for cast chemistry, I agree that Jeremy, Richard and James are a once in a lifetime synergy of personalities. But... that didn't happen immediately. Watch the first few series of the show, particularly immediately after James came aboard, and the environment definitely wasn't as meant-to-be as it's morphed into.

I'm open minded. Particularly since I get the feeling that if this were going to be a direct attempt to clone the BBC version, The History Channel wouldn't be guiding it. I'm hoping it's somewhere in between BBC's and Mythbusters.
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imitchellg5  (op)
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Aug 7, 2010, 11:15 PM
 
Originally Posted by Paco500 View Post
Yes it looks like a disaster, but I would hardly call Top Gear the most British show ever. It's kind of unique, or at least it was until all the copycats showed up.

What, in your mind, makes it especially birtishey?
I should clarify. I don't think Top Gear is especially British as far as production values go and whatnot, but outside of Britain, besides Doctor Who, it's at the forefront of British telley.
     
imitchellg5  (op)
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Aug 7, 2010, 11:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by Lateralus View Post
As for cast chemistry, I agree that Jeremy, Richard and James are a once in a lifetime synergy of personalities. But... that didn't happen immediately. Watch the first few series of the show, particularly immediately after James came aboard, and the environment definitely wasn't as meant-to-be as it's morphed into.
True. Sometimes the early series feel downright awkward.
     
downinflames68
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Aug 8, 2010, 01:44 PM
 
I just don't see the point. Part of what makes Top Gear enjoyable is british humor. There was a quote about this that I found quite fitting.

"Thick people doing thick things is not funny. Clever people doing clever things is not funny. But clever people doing thick things really is funny."
     
ghporter
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Aug 8, 2010, 04:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by downinflames68 View Post
"Thick people doing thick things is not funny. Clever people doing clever things is not funny. But clever people doing thick things really is funny."
I think this quote hits the nail on the head. Brilliant and concise.

Even better, Jeremy, James and Richard aren't just clever, they're very smart and have a lot of real-world car experience, so they can do such very thick things as deciding just how to slice a car in half, or finding out whether or not they can make an Aston Martin float...and why it didn't when they tried...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Laminar
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Aug 8, 2010, 06:21 PM
 
Originally Posted by downinflames68 View Post
"Thick people doing thick things is not funny. Clever people doing clever things is not funny. But clever people doing thick things really is funny."
Didn't they have a segment where they tried to teach stodgy college professors how to do burnouts?
     
Phileas
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Aug 8, 2010, 08:49 PM
 
James May is the most intelligent of the bunch, a brilliant and accomplished journalist and all round geek. The Hamster is maybe not the sharpest tool in the box and Jeremy is five years old most of the time.
     
imitchellg5  (op)
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Aug 8, 2010, 10:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by Phileas View Post
James May is the most intelligent of the bunch, a brilliant and accomplished journalist and all round geek. The Hamster is maybe not the sharpest tool in the box and Jeremy is five years old most of the time.
It annoys me how, in the last three seasons especially, Jeremy's dumbed himself down. When you hear him speak elsewhere, he's quite a bright man who knows a lot about cars and technical things that are relegated to James on the show.
     
olePigeon
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Aug 9, 2010, 12:29 AM
 
American Stiggy is 500 lbs, everyone will beat his lap time.
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hayesk
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Aug 9, 2010, 03:15 PM
 
The commentary will also be ruined by advertising. BBC Top Gear is not beholden to advertisers - I would bet that American one will be. "Now it's time for the General Motors Cool Wall..."
     
olePigeon
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Aug 9, 2010, 04:50 PM
 
Would be funny if the BBC Top Gear made an American Top Gear title card to place on the seriously uncool part of the Cool Wall.
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Thorzdad
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Aug 9, 2010, 06:50 PM
 
When I first heard about a US version of Top Gear, I held very, very low hopes. After watching that trailer, I fear my hopes were far too high. It does nothing to make me want to watch the show.
     
Phileas
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Aug 9, 2010, 11:04 PM
 
Oh dear. It's all gone wrong.
     
downinflames68
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Aug 10, 2010, 12:23 AM
 
Oh cock.
     
Steve Bosell
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Aug 12, 2010, 07:07 PM
 
If Adam Carolla was still a part of it, I think it would have a chance, his Carcast is good...
     
imitchellg5  (op)
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Aug 12, 2010, 10:11 PM
 
Carolla is a neat dude who would have worked well here in my opinion.
     
Laminar
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Aug 12, 2010, 10:21 PM
 
Adam Carolla explains why he's not doing Top Gear USA — Autoblog

Apparently, Carolla has a pilot sitcom that he's currently taping for NBC, and the Peacock wouldn't let the funny man away long enough to join History's Top Gear USA. Sad for all, as reports from those who attended the taping of the NBC pilot almost universally praised Carolla's performance on the show.

Perhaps the most disappointed of all is Carolla himself, who openly dishes on the May 17 edition of his CarCast that he hopes his NBC sitcom is canceled so he can rejoin Top Gear
     
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Aug 22, 2010, 10:40 AM
 
Originally Posted by Lateralus View Post
As for cast chemistry, I agree that Jeremy, Richard and James are a once in a lifetime synergy of personalities. But... that didn't happen immediately. Watch the first few series of the show, particularly immediately after James came aboard, and the environment definitely wasn't as meant-to-be as it's morphed into.
What, the 1977-1978 episodes?

There was a similar cast chemistry between Clarkson and the others (Tiff, Quentin, Steve Berry) in the '90s eps. It's all about Jezza. Fit in around him and it works, don't fit in around him and it doesn't.
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
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CRASH HARDDRIVE
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Aug 24, 2010, 12:58 PM
 
****ing hell.

Yet another thing that when brought up, one has to specify, "No, no, no, the original! Not that sucks**t pile of crap US remake."

The only thing that ever broke that pattern was the US version of The Office.
     
Doofy
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Aug 24, 2010, 01:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE View Post
****ing hell.

Yet another thing that when brought up, one has to specify, "No, no, no, the original! Not that sucks**t pile of crap US remake."

The only thing that ever broke that pattern was the US version of The Office.
If it's any consolation, when we try to remake your stuff it always turns out badly too. They tried with "Married With Children" and it lasted about two eps before it got canned.
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hayesk
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Aug 24, 2010, 10:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE View Post
****ing hell.

Yet another thing that when brought up, one has to specify, "No, no, no, the original! Not that sucks**t pile of crap US remake."

The only thing that ever broke that pattern was the US version of The Office.
Uhm... it did? The US version was good - for a few seasons, but it's well past its prime. The UK version was better and knew when it was time to end.
     
imitchellg5  (op)
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Aug 25, 2010, 12:46 AM
 
The US version of The Office is still completely amazing.
     
   
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