Gear idea on the rocks?

[AE86_Racer]

I was reading through this morning's San Francisco Chronicle and came across this:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DDR0100NCB.DTL

Not sure what to make of it, but it sounds like "Gear" may or may not make it to the small screen.

[manglecat]

IF that's true, thats such good news. I honestly couldn't imagine "Gear" working at all, i'm not sure if many people could..

[thedguy]

So because you " can't imagine 'gear' working at all" you think they shouldn't be bothered? Why not at least let them try it and see? Then again "The Office" produced for the US market had to be canceled in a week because of no viewers

I've been pretty damn negative about the show but I'm still willing to give it a chance. You sound as if no one before has been able to make any kind of a successful tv show that wasn't made on the BBC's budget with Jeremy clarkson

[seigi009]

I for one (and probably the only one), as an American, have been looking forward to Gear. I love Adam Carolla's sense of humor and would love to see the cars that they test in High Definition! I'm tired of having to wait 2 days for Top Gear to download (I got terrible bandwidth problems) and plug my laptop into my TV just to watch it.

[MattD1zzl3]

This guy does know top gear is completely 100 percent scripted right? Like there is actually a script and writers? Its just that he says "unscripted" like 30 times.

I dont care what anyone says anymore, gear is going to kick ass and nothing you anglo-snobs of any nationality can do can stop that.

[Viper007Bond]

Originally Posted by seigi009

I for one (and probably the only one), as an American, have been looking forward to Gear. I love Adam Carolla's sense of humor and would love to see the cars that they test in High Definition! I'm tired of having to wait 2 days for Top Gear to download (I got terrible bandwidth problems) and plug my laptop into my TV just to watch it.

You're not the only one. I have (had?) fairly high hopes for it. As I've said a thousand times before, no way it'd be as good as Top Gear UK, but it didn't to still be good.

[thedguy]

Originally Posted by MattD1zzl3

This guy does know top gear is completely 100 percent scripted right? Like there is actually a script and writers? Its just that he says "unscripted" like 30 times.

I dont care what anyone says anymore, gear is going to kick ass and nothing you anglo-snobs of any nationality can do can stop that.

From my understanding there is only a loose script, basically "argue with hammond here" or "say something insulting to germans while doing a power slide"

[AE86_Racer]

It seems like the Gear idea has been getting some bad press. First the Leno article and then a few follow ups(including this one).

Sure it wont be as fun as Top Gear, no one ever said it was going to be. Like Viper007Bond I too have had high hopes, maybe a little too high, for Gear. Id like to see what the finished product looks like first before I make any final judgments though.

[Prost264]

Can I neg rep NBC?

[t_simmers_jr]

The thing we all need to keep in mind is that Gear was to be used as a Reality-esque filler while the Writers' Strike was going on. It was intended to be an hour of TV filled by something moderately watchable for which they didn't need unionized writers. Now that the strike is over, and NBC slowly has new shows coming back to air, the need for a show like Gear in their line-up has been greatly reduced.

I'm quite sure the show was being used (in combination with many other pitches, on many other networks) as a ploy to put an impetus on the writers to reach an agreement. With the task now completed, we get new episodes of the shows that were already attracting an audience, not dice-rolling by the networks.

[Vette Boss]

I just wish people would stop speculating about Gear. You haven't seen it yet, don't just assume it will be terrible.

Give the show a fair chance. If it's rubbish, then we can flog it as much as we want.

[stiggie]

I thought the original announcement about Gear only said that they were going to produce a pilot. That probably means that a decision on whether to invest in making a whole series will be made after the pilot (which is after all, what pilot episodes are for).

NBC wouldn't put a show in their schedule before series production has even been green lighted.

[Viper007Bond]

Originally Posted by stiggie

I thought the original announcement about Gear only said that they were going to produce a pilot. That probably means that a decision on whether to invest in making a whole series will be made after the pilot (which is after all, what pilot episodes are for).

NBC wouldn't put a show in their schedule before series production has even been green lighted.

That's what I was thinking as well. They're still waiting to see how good the pilot is before they green light (or red light) it.

[jake_ny]

I hate to speculate, but an NBC version makes me nervous... I'd rather see a deal worked out with PBS to present UK episodes unedited as they are aired in the UK.

[AE86_Racer]

Originally Posted by jake_ny

I hate to speculate, but an NBC version makes me nervous... I'd rather see a deal worked out with PBS to present UK episodes unedited as they are aired in the UK.

A local station did that a few years ago for some anime (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and older British shows(Dr. Who). It seemed to have moderate success but I think they had to edit some of it.

[ViperVX]

I've read, that Jay Leno refused to take part in the whole thing, but maybe he agreed, but only after he retires from the Tonight Show in 09.

[alpha]

Leno refused to take part because the show will be rubbish.

Quote Leno:

"In my mind I can just see Jeremy lambasting Americans for what they did to his show. So I think: I've got to run away from this as quickly as I can."

"I like the show just the way it is. Jeremy and the guys are extremely talented, so maybe it would be an idea to do an American show similar to Top Gear but not with the same name, because I think it would be impossible to recreate or live up to the standards of the British show."

"I don't think you could be quite as freewheeling with your opinions as you can on the BBC, because sponsors pay for the programs. Sponsors would be unlikely to embrace any criticism,"

"Americans don't really see personalities like Jeremy on commercial television. They know that they have to be somewhat watered down. When Jeremy rips into some sponsor such as Ford or Chrysler, well, that's the last time they sponsor that show. Then what you have is 'the meeting' after the show, where they tell him to tone it down. That's just not what they do at Top Gear."

[dragonhead00]

Originally Posted by alpha

Leno refused to take part because the show will be rubbish.

Quote Leno:

"In my mind I can just see Jeremy lambasting Americans for what they did to his show. So I think: I've got to run away from this as quickly as I can."

"I like the show just the way it is. Jeremy and the guys are extremely talented, so maybe it would be an idea to do an American show similar to Top Gear but not with the same name, because I think it would be impossible to recreate or live up to the standards of the British show."

"I don't think you could be quite as freewheeling with your opinions as you can on the BBC, because sponsors pay for the programs. Sponsors would be unlikely to embrace any criticism,"

"Americans don't really see personalities like Jeremy on commercial television. They know that they have to be somewhat watered down. When Jeremy rips into some sponsor such as Ford or Chrysler, well, that's the last time they sponsor that show. Then what you have is 'the meeting' after the show, where they tell him to tone it down. That's just not what they do at Top Gear."

I completely agree. We don't need an American version to show us how good the original is. Leno is correct when he fears "Gear" would cater to sponsors. If a car sucks, say so. Although, I would watch "Gear" if a sort of back and forth between the British and American presenters were a part of the show. Jeremy beats up on us/our cars all the time (some of it warranted). Maybe some friendly payback. Besides, we already have a Top Gear-type show. We call it "Mythbusters".

Just give me unedited episodes of Top Gear or Fifth Gear on BBC America.

[Viper007Bond]

Adam just talked a ton more about Top Gear. I don't think it's canceled, just more likely NBC is seeing how the pilot will turn out.

[P5138]

Honestly, I hope Gear isn't completely cancelled; if only to satisfy my morbid curiosity. I'd be happy seeing the pilot and seeing what they do with it.

It would be a lark, if nothing else.