Top Gear America on the History Channel

[rakkvet]

So I've watched 3 episodes of this new show and have 1 unwatched on the DVR. On it's own it is not a horrible show; but, in my opinion as Top Gear they missed the boat completely.

The BBC show is about cars. What makes it a great show is how ridiculous these older guys behave around the cars and toward each other. That's funny stuff. The chemistry of James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond is great.

The chemistry between the guys on the American show is pathetic. The Rutledge guy is the only one I would keep. I would fire the other 2 guys or at least have the guy from New York just do crazy stuff and not hardly talk. Tanner Foust is like cardboard. He's gotta go. I would replace him with Stacey David from Gearz or even the Junkman from YouTube.

Just my $.02. I love car shows but am really dissapointed by this one.

Tim

[jpegs13]

The show is doomed. It's horrible.

[efini]

Give it some time before comparing it to the UK's Top Gear. They've had over a decade to build chemistry, US TG has had a couple months. Check out the earlier UK TG's and you'll find it wasn't so great back then either...

[LegacyGT]

The show is doomed. It's horrible.

You can't just duplicate that sort of success. There is no way they will find a 'US' Clarkson - he makes that show what it is.

[ryanbabz71]

Parts of the show are very good and others arent soo good. They seem to be getting better as they go. They just need some time to gel it seems like. They also dont seem like "car" guys. My favorite part has been the Raptor so far this yr.

[THE DETAIL DEN]

This show is stinks accept for the cars and trucks and the guy from RESCUE ME that show on fx keep him and bring over THE CREW FROM TOP GEAR UK FOR A FEW SHOWS.

[reality33]

I want to like the show, I really do.

I dont compare it to the UK show, because IMHO its perfect.

The issues I have with the US show is:

1) It feels completely scripted.
2) The bloody laugh track in the studio scenes.
3) The production levels are not up to par. (Why did they not use the same team as the UK show, they have had 15 seasons to find out what works so well)
4) The hosts. Im not comparing them to the 3 on UK, but I wish they would at least mesh some and have some character. I really just feel they could of done some better picking with them. I own all the seasons of the UK top gear, and on the first episode, while they are not who they are now (especially since James was not on it yet), it was no where near as stiff and lifeless feeling.

I was not expecting UK top gear going into this, but I did not feel it was going to be this bad either.

Really a shame.

[Flash Gordon]

The fat guys a toolbag

[zliegen]

Give it some time before comparing it to the UK's Top Gear. They've had over a decade to build chemistry, US TG has had a couple months. Check out the earlier UK TG's and you'll find it wasn't so great back then either...

I agree. Come on guys give the US Top Gear show a shot for a little bit.
The UK Top gear was terrible in the first season as well. I really love cars and learning more about them and this is, as I see it, America's last chance at a decent car show. If this show flops in the first season, who knows when there will be another attempt, so PLEASE lets give it a chance! Its better than 99% of the crap they show on the history channel at least, aliens and big foot most of the time haha.

[Setec Astronomy]

Ha ha, I was going to start a thread about how lame this show is, but you beat me to it. And one of the things I was going to say was:

1) It feels completely scripted.

As someone else said, they don't seem like car guys...but there they are driving some supercar and reading a script that some car guy wrote...lame.

I've only ever seen little bits here and there of the BBC show, but this one isn't even as entertaining as that Motor Week show on PBS that has hosts as exciting as Al Gore.