The problem with TopGear Australia

[Icedvovo]

Originally Posted by Kiskaloo

I think production values have a good bit to do with TG, personally.

Just finished TGUK 13x03 and the cinematography during one of the segments shot in California really enhanced the presentation. Then you have the various specials (Polar, Africa, Vietnam, the second America) where the cinematography played a central role.

Then there was the Greatest Driving Road in Europe filming...

Sure, absolutely, I agree, but the stunning pictures are always secondary to the stories. Otherwise it's all just pretty pictures.

Clarkson made a recent comment on a possible 10% cut to their production budget. It went sometime like this..

"Instead of losing an expensive helicopter shot here and there throughout the series, we'll do nine episodes like we always do and shoot the last one on a handycam for a pound."

And I bet you that last episode will be beautifully conceived, painstakingly written and absolutely fantastic to watch. Because they would never skimp on the writing.

I've said it before; aside from the tape stock, the brainstorming and writing is the least expensive part of the production. But Australian producers aren't trained to see that.

Time will tell.

[salguod]

I am hoping that TGA does come back for a third series, but there is one thing which I never really understood about the way it was run.

When the TG US pilot was being filmed, Andy Wilman was there to help guide them through it. As far as I'm aware he was not there when series 1 of TGA was being filmed, so some of the guidance which he would have been able to give was not there. Even if he helped with 1 episode it would surely be better than it has been.

Also what has been previously said about copying TGuk's cocking about nature rings true. They should have started at what TopGear was then, not is now, gradually built up what they were doing, build view confidence, presenter confidence, do real world stuff and give the viewers someone they can relate to, just as most of us can with May, Hammond and Clarkson.

Too much was expected of it at the start. Maybe the timing was wrong for it, maybe selling the TopGear format should have been done earlier in it's life, before the UK one became an out and out entertainment show.

I do also think that the Au3 work well together, but they aren't allowed to achieve their full potential because they are pretty much being forced into doing something they were not meant to be.

Anyways, it looks like they are having fun. (pic from Pizzati's twitter)

[Icedvovo]

Originally Posted by salguod

Also what has been previously said about copying TGuk's cocking about nature rings true. They should have started at what TopGear was then, not is now, gradually built up what they were doing,

And they should have said all that on air at the beginning of the very first ep. I always expected them to lay out some TGA 'ground rules' and mission statements but they didn't.

[TopGearManiac]

So I m not a Aussie but I feel like I want to leave some positive feedback as the show is really not that bad.

First
Any top gear replica/sub show or another category, will never be the original top gear that everyone fall in love with. Nevertheless, thats not a bad thing!! I really dont mind that they dontt go to vietnam or cambodia to film their footage as there is plenty of beautiful scenery in Australia already. the 370z on that bride was just pure awesomeness. lol. anyway, my point ... TGA will always be in the shadow of clarkson and wilman as they created it. aka give the $$ to Australian producers to make it work.

Next.
I m loving this season. I see sooo much potential now. James is just magnificent, Steve isnt as annoying as before and speaks of some common sense and Warren is good as usual. U have to give them, that they worked on the show much more, then before and had listened to some criticism.

The only bad thing is the writing. Challenges are fun to watch but are pointless. Just like writing a script for a movie ... u have to have opening, middle, climax and the end. TGA just has the middle. They just jump into electric cars and go. ... thats not funny!! James dressed up as UN peace keeper is funny

I really hope they crack it for the third season as the presenters are really good but they cant hold the show on their own. car reviews are ok.

and I love your accents people!!! they are soooo cooool.

[Pedrocas]

I've just watched season 2 and here's what I think is the problem with TGA: the guys simply give up from the challenges when there's a problem with them every time! They don't just put everything they got into it. They simply give up. Also, some tests feels like they end up suddenly, like the one with the old and new off-roader. Also, what's with the kilowatts? It's break horse power! And please, stop with the Holden praise. It's like TGA is being paid by Holden and the guys have to say in every episode how great Holdens are.

[Reckoning]

Originally Posted by Pedrocas

Also, what's with the kilowatts? It's break horse power!

Well, considering it's Top Gear Australia, made for an Australian audience, they'd use the unit of power (for cars) most commonly used in Australia which is kilowatts.

[brembo]

Originally Posted by Reckoning

Well, considering it's Top Gear Australia, made for an Australian audience, they'd use the unit of power (for cars) most commonly used in Australia which is kilowatts.

What he said, we use metric down under. Although the way steve says it erks me

[the Interceptor]

In the metric world, the kW figure has kind of replaced the PS/hp officially. It's just that nobody else beside the Aussies uses it. Maybe noone told them.

Wiki:

PS

This unit (German: Pferdestärke = horse strength) is no longer a statutory unit, but is still commonly used in Europe, South America and Japan, especially by the automotive and motorcycle industry. It was adopted throughout continental Europe with designations equivalent to the English "horsepower", but mathematically different from the British unit. It is defined by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)[7] in Braunschweig as exactly:

1 PS = 75 kilopond-meters per second(75 kp·m/s)×(9.80665 N/kp) = 735.49875 N·m/s ≈ 735.5 N·m/s ≈ 735.5 W ≈ 0.7355 kW ≈ 0.98632 hp (SAE)

The PS was adopted by the Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) and then by the automotive industry throughout most of Europe, under varying names. In 1992, the PS was rendered obsolete by EEC directives, when it was replaced by the kilowatt as the official power measuring unit. It is still in use for commercial and advertising purposes, as many customers are not familiar with the use of kilowatts for engines.

[JCE]

Originally Posted by wikkedsnaab

Strangely enough, the only really big thing I think the show needs now to improve is just time for the presenters to settle into their own skins and make their mark. I'd want to see the hosts doing more their own writing.

QFT

Series 2 of TGAU is quite good for the most part. I was definately entertained throughout most of it. While parts of it where "meh" or boring I was still entertained for the MOST part--which is what matters. Yes the presenters need more time to "gel", yes the challenges need to get overhauled and actually have more flavor (*see cheap car challenges on TGUK), yes the car reviews need more substance and less fluff (*see GTHO Phase 3 review), yes the Stig power lap fiming needs a MAJOR overhaul (*see TGUK style lap filming) and most importantly they ditched the WWTT...in spectacular style. I like the changes so far to TGAU, it just needs TIME. Series 1 & 2 of TGUK had its growing pains, but Series 3 started getting really good.

Give it TIME people, trust me it could be worse--it could be this:

+ YouTube Video

:yuck:

[J708]

it will never beat top gear uk. thats for sure

[stiggie]

Nobody expects it to.

[STIG_mata]

I think thats under rating the AU guys, theres no reason why they cant do a better show than the UK. Theyre just getting started.

[freefall]

They're getting finished.

[invisiblecake]

Okay, so I've been reading though this thread, and it reminded me of something.

There was another show that came out of Australia about 10 years ago called Farscape. It was a sci-fi series, and one of my all time favorite shows.

Like the earlier seasons of Top Gear, it started out with a pretty decent budget, but if you look a the first couple seasons in comparison to the last couple, there is a severe shift in the quality of how the show LOOKED. But, also like Top Gear, the STORY was always what was most important to the show. Eventually it was canned, and the network got busy putting out a bunch of other shows that had the same level of LOOK, but had no story or characters that I cared about, so I quit watching them all together.

It's now a comic book series, and even though some of the art is horrible, the underlying story is still there, and the writing is still magnificent as always, so I'll continue to follow it until it ends for good.

I suppose that's how I feel about the UK vs. AU Top Gears. As everyone in here has said, the Aussie show can look as fancy as it wants to, but if the substance isn't there, I'm not gonna follow it. I have actually had episodes where I fall asleep in the middle of it because the content is boring and the reviews are completely uninteresting, and it will then take me sometimes 3 nights to get through the whole thing bit by bit. That's not good TV to me, even if it can be "entertaining" at times.

And yeah, if TGUK was filmed on a handycam, I'd still watch.

[pberrett]

Hi all

I think it is worth a third season but the subject matter needs to be improved a bit.

One important point first. There needs ot be a lot more subtle, understated visual humour going on in the background with the presenter apparently oblivious.

An example of thsi might be a series of visual cues, all illuding to the fact that we won the ashes (again)

Here are my ideas for new segments/stunts in a fothcoming series

1. Convert an ordinary car to run partly on hydrigen generated by electrolysis from water and demonstrate teh extra fuel economy that results

2. Steve Pizzati teaches how to drift a car safely

3. Review and lap test of a Goggomobile (using the shortest presenter as they will be unlikely to be able to reach the pedals - quite funny)

4. Put extended axles (by several feet either side) and truck tyres on a car with a V8 engine and paddlesteam it down the Murray visiting the towns along the way, their history etc finishing at the mouth of the Murray and making some comments about the ecological problems down there currently. With the truck tyres (including tubes) the car should float pretty well. If they are really brave they could tow along a caravan similarly fitted with extended axle and truck tyres.

5. Get some extra sponsorship and mount an expedition to be the first to drive to the South Pole, stopping off at the site of the Air New Zealand air crash, along the way.

6. Convert a car into a hovercraft and drive it across Port Phillip Bay from Geelong, down the Yarra River, to Melbourne, arriving at Moomba.

7. Work out a way to get above hovercraft up to some speed and drive it up and over the waterski slide at Moomba

8. Build a solar car and take part in the annual solar car race from Darwin

9. Launch a Robin Reliant several thousand feet into the air (at Woomera) and be the first to land it like a space shuttle. Only one difference to the UK version - succeed this time thus putting one over the Brits.

10. Get the Australian Airforce to take a car up in a Hercules or other big plane, drop it over the side and land it with a really big parachute. And then drive it away form the landing site...

11. Do some motoring specials where the presenters drive some sponsors cars around Bali, New Caledonia and New Zealand (including plenty of sheep jokes in the latter).

12. Review of the Triumph 2000 = Great car for the Captain slows of this world like myself.

Regards

Peter

[Paul_The_Aussie]

Originally Posted by Austere

I disagree.

It used to be top notch motoring journalism. I'm talking back in the days of Old Top Gear. From the 1990's and earlier.

<SNIP>

If they'd play their strengths and avoid their weaknesses the show would improve... I just hope it gets a chance.

I have to agree with your analysis Austere.

The last few seasons of TGUK have been entertaining but are no way near the standard they were say 4 seasons ago. While I do enjoy the activities and challenges, I do also like to see some decent car reviews. I don't care if they're supercars or your average shopping cart. A review here and there would certainly add to the substance of the show.

The last two or three episodes were a little boring, especially the one where they bought cars at the auction and drove them with a co-driver in a "rally." It was a waste of time. The ad creation was funny in parts but I thought it dragged on too long.

As for TGAU, well it has potential, the presenters need to move away from trying to be too much like their UK counterparts. Australia could provide the show with some interesting episodes such as entering into a Bathurst race, showing which vehicles are more versatile to our conditions here, etc. That's not to say they couldn't have a lot of fun too, there can be the races, i.e. from melbourne to perth, car vs train, etc.

I actually enjoyed the second season of TGAU and I hope they do a third season.

[GerFix]

Originally Posted by stiggie

For quite some time now - <snip> And while your at it, cover the walls of your production office with posters bearing these five little words-

THE CAR IS THE STAR!!!

I agree with stiggie .. and I'd + rep him if I could.

[stiggie]

Thanks GerFix.

[stuvik]

invisiblecake, I loved Farscape. Nice to hear it still lives in some small way.

Have to agree with stiggie: The car is the star!

After all IT'S A CAR SHOW!

While it may look like they're "cocking about" to TGA producers (as advertising implies), it's more a case of TG using extreme and funny ways to perform some real tests, to answer questions that may or may not be based in reality...ok, some of it is pure cocking about

The producers of TGAU fail to understand that they don't have to dumb down humour to make it "mainstream". They're scripting obvious jokes that hold your hand all the way along instead of letting your imagination fill in the gaps.

The first thing I'd get rid of is SIABSC. Completely. It's causing too much commotion and making studio heads believe that the show exists purely to promote stars in their other shows! Return the emphasis back to the cars instead of the celebs driving them.

Secondly, I'd queue up bigger challenges. The challenges so far have not had any real sense of danger. They've all been made very PC and very OH&S compliant. James Morrison has rally experience. Let him do a rally. Steve is an advanced driving instructor. Give him a chance to throw the cars about a bit more in reviews. Warren...will need to think about that. The point is that the hosts aren't being used to their raw potential to the point where you can sense the red tape everywhere.

The show also relies on the car companies willingness to hand over cars. The backlash from Holden over their Astras in the lawn bowls challenge set a precedent, forcing the show to water down challenges. Basically, the producers crumbled to the whinge of the car company instead of continuing to push the envelope, and the cars, to the limit. And it shows.

The more you force TG to be PC and OH&S compliant, the worse it'll become. Being PC for TG should be being able to take the mickey out of EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING - Equally

[Fleetfoot]

TGuk's last lot wasn't as good, a few decent episodes but the laughs are getting harder to get.
A few of my friends no longer watched it at all which surprised me but it's the same here at my house, "any fun stuff?" ..

Now you can all talk about the need to just have a car show but the "MONEY" is in the cocking about, it pays the bills as it attracts the audience.

TGau is supposed to go to Channel 9, while I wish them the best I have my doubts if anyone is going to be able to come up with a formula unique for us that will;
1- entertain enough viewers to make the show viable
2- work as a marketing tool..*
3- keep the show growing - move on from just the UK formula to make it our own

* but do we just want to push more people in to Commodores and Falcons, how many people own Lambos and Astons? etc etc.. so many questions