[02x08] June 29th, 2009

[Icedvovo]

Originally Posted by stuvik

Anyone notice the Super Cheap Auto ad blurring in one of the Bathurst shots?

Yes, but it was only on the 'locked-off' or static shots, where it was relatively easy to do. Obviously no budget or indeed a requirement to blur the moving shots.

The vagaries of legislation at work I guess.

[Wyvern]

An excellent end to a good, solid series.

Loved the themed feel, though I don't think it would work for every episode. The guys really have gelled over the series and everything had the cohesiveness the show lacked in the beginning. Really liked all the articles and the Plug In A Bog Standard Car wasn't annoying. Loved the GTHO, and even though the car doesn't have the same cultural impact here in the UK, it was very easy to learn to respect it. I really like Steve's reviews - he's come on such a long way. Nothing missed the mark for me.

And I loved the cuddly Stiggo!

Well done, guys - now let's hope SBS bring you back soon.

BTW, for those who Twitter, @SBS is online. If you've enjoyed TGA, let them know about it!

[Sik02Stang]

wasnt my fav episode, but, it was entertaining. i dont have time today to write a full review but i wanted to make sure i got something in here.

[Icedvovo]

Excuse me if this becomes a tad boring, but I kinda hope the producers read this and take note.

The underlying reason TGA is failing is due to our arse-about Australian film-making culture. Australia is a very 'Director-Centric' film culture - Directors make the most money and get all the accolades. Writers actually aren't very high in the film-making food chain here, and it shows.

TopGear UK on the other hand is traditionally a very 'Writer-Centric' production. It could be filmed on a handycam and still be entertaining. This is somewhat of an unusual concept for most Australian production companies. To give you an example, in the US, the script REVISION budget is more than total budget for most Australian feature films.

Unless the Aussie producers realise this and change the way they think about the way they create the show, it will always seem very 'thin' in content.

Another example - Flight of The Conchords (SBS Monday 9pm) Beautifully written, quite basically shot. They've done 2 seasons and everyone is pleading for a third, but they don't reckon they've got enough good material. Clever guys.

That's the difference with a well-written show, people will always want more.

/rant

For those interested, this is a good read. Apply it to the character journeys of Hammond, May and Clarkson and you'll see what I mean.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...-16947,00.html

[tone76]

Originally Posted by Icedvovo

Excuse me if this becomes a tad boring, but I kinda hope the producers read this and take note.

The underlying reason TGA is failing is due to our arse-about Australian film-making culture. Australia is a very 'Director-Centric' film culture - Directors make the most money and get all the accolades. Writers actually aren't very high in the film-making food chain here, and it shows.

This is a very important point, and arguably the thing I feel (felt?) most passionate about with TGA.

The thing is, there is more than enough writing talent between Brown, Pizzati and Morrison to let them do more of it themselves ... all it might need is a bit of polish. Again, I think this boils down to how Aussie TV producers expect the on-screen talent to be nothing but parrots. I think by doing this, Freehand has sold all presenters (even Charlie Cox) short.

Anyone that has seen the audition videos for Warren or Steve can see they are very funny, articulate guys. Anyone that has been to a taping of TGA knows what these guys can be like when the cameras are turned off and just how funny and interesting they are.

So, Freehand and SBS ... if TGA makes it to Series 3, PLEASE let the guys write their own stuff, and then email it all to the UK and get someone over there to polish the scripts. As a rule, professional Aussie TV 'writers' can't write ... mainly due to systemic issues in the Australian film and TV industry that act as a disincentive to writing well.

[lockstops]

Icedvovo and Tone76- I couldn't agree more!

In the last couple of months, I've dug up and read some of Warren's books and newspaper articles and I can say that what he says on TGA is highly unli kely to be written by him. He is VASTLY funnier and more articulate than that! I can't understand how someone that is obviously talented ends up saying some of the things he does? I think a similar thing can be said of at least Steve and perhaps James too. My trip to Sydney for 02x06 taping was a real revelation in this regard-Warren and Steve were not the way i'd imagined them. (I wasn't much of a Steve fan in series 1 I have to admit, but now I've really warmed to him and I'm loving his reviews.) Those 2 were incredibly relaxed and funny and if you just turned the cameras on in between takes, the show would improve immensely.
Further proof for me comes from a few of my colleagues that have done race track days with Steve through Porsche here in Adelaide. Last year they were really excited to hear he had gotten the gig at TGA and kept rambling on about how he'd be perfect, but even they reckon he's not the same on TV as in real life.
James I suspect is pretty close to his true character on the show as much more is known about him since he's been in the public eye for alot longer than the other 2.

Mind you, if this is what we get with those 2 fighting with 1 arm tied behind their back, I can't imagine how good it would be with them off the leash!

SBS, it's simple: LET THEM WRITE.

0.02c

[clarksons_hair]

Good show, good series, hope there's more...

Anybody know why Steve's been wearing "Deus" labeled shirts the last 3 or four shows? What is "Deus" (the shirt producers)?

[Icedvovo]

You have to feel for the production team in one way. Steve says on Twitter he really doesn't know when and IF they'll be back. Problem is, it's NOW, this far out from shooting when all the important pre-production and storyline development should be happening.

It's Catch22. They need to be off 'Death Row' to do some long-term story planning, but it's the 'shoot and run' production that's the real reason they're there in the first place.

Maybe SBS should commit to 2 seasons after a 6 month hiatus, and let them relax and get into it properly.

[QSanity]

A great way to round out Series 2. The porsche test was well put together, and he wasn't waiting to get stuck into it... "What do you get for $30k? This... a Porsche badge"

The in studio effort was really good in that it acknowledges the pit crew for V8 Supercars, and the GTHO was brilliant, especially with the whole should-I-shouldn't-I theme.

9/10, and here's to hoping series 3 comes soon!

[awdrifter]

The Porsche Cayenne diesel review was way to postive, just tell it like it is, it's a VW Toureg with a Porsche badge.

Lexus LS600h review, that was pretty good, the Lexus is about gadgest, James showed most of the cool ones.

Ford GTHO, I was hoping Steve would thrash it more, but I guess the owner probably would've complained.

Overall, not a bad series, but with the low ratings, I doubt there would be a season 3 too.

[Austere]

Originally Posted by awdrifter

The Porsche Cayenne diesel review was way to postive, just tell it like it is, it's a VW Toureg with a Porsche badge.

I agree. I touched on this subject in stiggies thread about 'What's wrong with Top Gear'. This kind of... pussyfooting... Is damaging the show.

There will always be a few cars that are universally hated by car folk like us. I think that a Diesel Porsche SUV is that type of car. But it goes a bit beyond that; I think we hate the kinds of people who buy that sort of car more than we hate the car itself.

If the presenters can't grow a pair of balls big enough to call a spade a spade we will never be able to fully trust them about anything. If we can't trust them we'll never be able to respect them. If we can't respect them we can never love them like we love James, Richard and Jeremy.

Eehhuw... I said the 'L' word.

I mean, I can see someone buying one of these things and not being a wanker. Imagine a guy who's a huge fan of Porsche. The kind of guy who has a Porsche jacket, Porsche baseball cap, Porsche posters in his garage... Maybe he even owns a few Porsche's. Let's say he knows exactly what the Cayenne Diesel is. Let's say he wants to buy an SUV to pull a trailer... The trailer that he uses to take his vintage 911 to the something or other. Let's also say that this guy has obscene amounts of money.

I can understand why he'd buy a Cayenne diesel to tow the trailer. He's supporting his favourite brand and even when he's not driving his Porsche's he can still drive a Porsche.

But we don't care about that kind of shit!!! We want to see this car get torn apart! Don't be politically correct! Paint everyone with the same brush! Stereotype!!

It worked for Top Gear...

[wikkedsnaab]

This one was a solid 8 - a thoroughly good episode. I even watched SIABSC without once feeling like cueing forward the video.

The Porsche Tour... Cayenne review was well written and put together; had all the gloss of a usual TGUK challenge-review. Yeah, it would have been nice to have Steve thoroughly rip into the diesel version as a horrendous blight on an already horrendous, pointless, stupid car, but that is one advantage TGUK will always have that no other car show in the world - well, certainly in Australia - can boast - it doesn't have to NOT offend sponsors.

The GTHO feature was very good. Not being a baby boomer myself I couldn't appreciate it as a religious experience, but I'm sure my father could. The intro did remind me more than a bit of May's "don't meet your heros" story on the Countach but Steve soon made it his own. Stig definitely drove the wheels off the thing - must have been nerve-wracking for the owner!

After a shaky first series which had me believing the Australian version was doomed, they've really pulled things around with the second series. Nuking Charlie Cox was a brilliant idea... James hasn't quite found his personality niche yet but given that this is basically his first proper TV presenter job I'm more than willing to give him another series to find his feet. Warren's still solid as ever and Steve has also really found his place too.

Here's hoping they can continue the good work for a third series.

[bootlegapparel]

I gave it a nine, great ep.

Out of curiosity, does anyone have the ratings? I've been to that oztam site but can't make any sense of it?
Maybe in graph form that shows the ratings over the series? Or even compared to the other channels at the same time?

[babylon]

Top Gear Australia SBS 510,000 - the lowest rating epsiode of season 2.



shame, it was also one of the best, next to episode 5.

[Icedvovo]

Originally Posted by babylon

Top Gear Australia SBS 510,000 - the lowest rating epsiode of season 2.



shame, it was also one of the best, next to episode 5.

It's next week's ratings that will be the real test.

Why bother to produce a lame duck Aussie version if even old UK versions rate better?

[Eyce]

Originally Posted by Icedvovo

Why bother to produce a lame duck Aussie version if even old UK versions rate better?

They've got to meet the Australian TV Content-to-International Programs ratio somehow.

[whitehornmatt]

It's next week's ratings that will be the real test.

For last night:
28 Top Gear SBS ONE 686,000 187,000 210,000 130,000 74,000 85,000