Top Gear on History Channel

Ok, I just saw a commercial for a new series on the History Channel. Top Gear.

It's not as awesome as you might think, though. It's a brand new series with American hosts. Now at least it has Adam Ferrara (the dude in the red shirt & driving the car at the end of the video below), who is a hilarious stand-up. However, why can we not just have the original version that has been on in England since time began? I've seen a couple of them and it is an awesome show.

To give a taste, here is the trailer:

One of the great things about Top Gear in the UK is that as it's on the BBC it doesn't rely on sponsors or advertisers, so it can give full, honest opinions about the cars it reviews - at least one car manufacturer has cancelled the UK launch of a vehicle due to Top Gear giving it a bad review. They once slated a Ferrari so much that some bigwig at Ferrari tried to pull all advertising from "whatever network Top Gear is on".

Will an American Top Gear be able to have that kind of freedom?

Absolutely not.

Which is another argument for the BBC version to be show here. Though it would have to be cut up to allow for commercials on cable and there wouldn't be swearing, so it'd be best on a channel like HBO that does that allows for that sort of stuff already. I might look into getting a premium package if I could watch that show regularly.

General Specific wrote:Absolutely not.

Which is another argument for the BBC version to be show here. Though it would have to be cut up to allow for commercials on cable and there wouldn't be swearing, so it'd be best on a channel like HBO that does that allows for that sort of stuff already. I might look into getting a premium package if I could watch that show regularly.

Isn't it on BBC America? I remember seeing a hacked-up version when I was there a couple of years ago.

Mountebank wrote:
Isn't it on BBC America? I remember seeing a hacked-up version when I was there a couple of years ago.

Yes, they do show it on BBC America.

Dammit! I need to call my cable company then.

I could not stop laughing...

When James May was lost by Harrods needed to keep going down that road he was on. He was on Brompton Road. Keep going west, and it becomes Cromwell Road. Turn left onto Earls Court Road, then follow that road until the t-junction at the end, keeping in the right hand lane. Turn right onto Old Brompton Road, and then right at the traffic lights onto Warwick Road. The Earls Court Exhibition centre is on the left hand side.

Simple. 5 minutes, 15 in heavy traffic.

And one moment that really wasn't funny at the time.

OK, I saw the premier and maybe my anger was unfounded. It was a fun show. They had a Dodge Viper racing around a rural Georgia town trying to evade a Cobra Attack Helicopter. Later, they had Buzz Aldrin (aka the second person to walk on the moon) on for a quick interview and to take a lap around their track in a Subaru. Finally, all 3 hosts chose their favorite Lamborghini and compared them with a standing mile run each.

I'll keep watching.

The key questions are:

1. Are they scathingly critical of cars they don't like?
2. Do the hosts seem to be friends, and not just co-workers?
3. Is there an American Stig (and not just Stig's American cousin)?

1) They haven't had any bad cars yet, just the Dodge Viper and the Lamborghinis. Though they were highly sarcastic about the "quality" of the Subaru they're using to get the celebrity runs in. Jury is still out on that one.

2) They do seem to have a rapport, but not quite there yet. They had no problems talking or making fun of each other. Promising on this point.

3) They introduced a Stig, who took the Viper and Ghini's around the track, of course. No info on him, but I do think it is an American Stig.

I'll just leave this here... http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=668

General Specific wrote:I'll just leave this here... http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=668

So true! LOL!