The main difference between TGUK and TGA presenters

[actng]

jimmy carson once told conan o'brien... the secret to success in show biz is to make the show your own.

i can't help but feel TGA is a "scientifically" replicated version of the original... complete with an equation for replicating the Clarkson/May/Hammond formula...

[John0877]

dont you mean Johnny Carson ?

[Kiskaloo]

Originally Posted by actng

i can't help but feel TGA is a "scientifically" replicated version of the original... complete with an equation for replicating the Clarkson/May/Hammond formula...

But isn't that the main point of these ventures? To take what makes Top Gear the show it is and just localize it a bit for a "foreign" audience? Especially when the show has "Top Gear" in it's titles?

I admit the Russian version is growing on me faster then the Australian one did because I feel the Russians are more faithfully repeating the TGUK formula - to the point of downright copying it wholesale in certain areas (the "get together" at the test track in Episode 01 and the "cheap car challenge" in Episode 02).

[STIG_mata]

Now that James Morrison is on he will bring the right Aussie qualities to the show, hes got a good comfortable delivery, hes no glamour but he has presence and that easy going style thats more Australian rather than trying to emulate the rawness of the UK guys.
If we want to watch a UK style of TG show then there IS the UK show but I think James will make it less of a copy.
Im a fan of Morrisons music so Im already sold on him.

[actng]

Originally Posted by Kiskaloo

But isn't that the main point of these ventures? To take what makes Top Gear the show it is and just localize it a bit for a "foreign" audience? Especially when the show has "Top Gear" in it's titles?

I admit the Russian version is growing on me faster then the Australian one did because I feel the Russians are more faithfully repeating the TGUK formula - to the point of downright copying it wholesale in certain areas (the "get together" at the test track in Episode 01 and the "cheap car challenge" in Episode 02).

yes and no. i believe simon cowell was the factor in pop idol/american idol, without him, it would just be another "star search" type of show where you're heavily dependent on the performers. i believe part of idol's success lies with cowell's asinine comments.

with top gear, i find it is really clarkson/hammond/may that makes the show. i was talking about it with a friend not long ago... the three of them can do ANY show, even if it has nothing to do with cars, and it will be a hit.

so essentially, i'm one of those that are against bringing top gear overseas without some sort of disclaimer that it won't be as funny and entertaining without the three hosts.

unless they can find three people to replicate the chemistry the three of them have... and clearly, top gear australia wasn't able to capture that.

otherwise, fifth gear would be just as successful and we know it's not.

[actng]

Originally Posted by John0877

dont you mean Johnny Carson ?

yes i did, 6am daylight savings effect messed up my typing. good catch.

[Kiskaloo]

Originally Posted by actng

Snipped for brevity

Can't really argue with that.

[justsomeYank]

TGA hosts constantly overact their challenges lack any real answer or any real test for the cars. They always seem watered down versions of TGUK.

The TGUK hosts clearly are friends outside of work the seem very natural around one another and have a much better chemistry. They work well with each other, which I always found watching american car programs as one of the key components their missing is the ability to talk naturally in front of the camera

And yes all the TGA hosts are bizarre and strange looking. TGUK and TGR both seem to have normal looking people as hosts not bug eyed bald guys, overly skinny no chinned guys, or weird beard chuckle heads.

[Dsemaj]

Originally Posted by justsomeYank

TGA hosts constantly overact their challenges lack any real answer or any real test for the cars. They always seem watered down versions of TGUK.

The TGUK hosts clearly are friends outside of work the seem very natural around one another and have a much better chemistry. They work well with each other, which I always found watching american car programs as one of the key components their missing is the ability to talk naturally in front of the camera

And yes all the TGA hosts are bizarre and strange looking. TGUK and TGR both seem to have normal looking people as hosts not bug eyed bald guys, overly skinny no chinned guys, or weird beard chuckle heads.

I agree with you for the most part about the challenges. They've been missing the point, but I think it would be fair to say that it has been getting better. That said, you only get so much time to make an impression - they need to realise their faults, work on it or suffer the consequences. The cutthroat nature of television.

As it's been mentioned a few times around here, the TGA guys aren't being let off the leash and are being constricted to who ever is doing a horrible job at writing.

Oh, and we all look like that Australia. Besides, Clarkson, Hammond and May are hardly beauty queens...

[mk.]

Just started to watch the second series and I must admit that I'm not really fond of James Morrison. I don't like his jokes and his Mitsubishi EVO X review left me the feeling that he is probably a bit too reserved for that job. Anyway, I'll keep on watching the new episodes. Who knows, maybe his presenting style will grow on me.

[hbriz]

Give them all time, they will come good. Just look at regular Top Gear in series 1 & 2.

Another issue may be that they are trying not to offend anyone, especially car companies. SBS is a commercial network, and they need advertising revenue. They are probably affraid that if the presenters start giving cars bad reviews, which I don't think has happened at any point so far, they will lose sponsors. What would it look like if one of them just made a joke about, lets say, a Hyundai Sonata (which has happened on TGUK), and then just after that bloke on those Hyundai ads is telling us about their world class engineering and value. Motoring is just as much about the bad as the good, perhaps more so.

Every show is getting better though, and who knows, by series 4, it could be absolutely brilliant.