Top Gear Russia

[MadOnion]

Hi guys. Sorry in advance for my English. Finally a great reason to start my first thread on FG forum. I'm an editor of russian fan blog about Top Gear. On saturday someone published in our LiveJournal community (in fact it's just a feed) higly interesting information about possibly forthcoming russian version of Top Gear show. I asked that guy if he understand the consequences of unveiling such closed content. He almost completly removed his post on that, leaving just basics. I saved his post and pictures beforehand. I wish he didn't sign NDA stuff )) I've decided to edit his images - I removed user interface of video-editing software spotted in his screenshots leaving just the interested fragments, hope it'll save his employment for some period )
Here is his translated post, original orthography saved:

Filming of russian version of Top Gear has began in Moscow.
Airing (possibly) on REN TV (in february).

Hosts - Nikolai Fomenko, Mikhail Petrovsky, ?????? (undefined now).
By the way, REN TV plans to show new series of BBC's TG

another user asks here about the source

It's internal information from production company that films all this stuff.
Only track filmings have started.
The track build on the place where one former trade fair used to be.
As for cars for various stars that attempt to set best time on the lap they use sports LADA Kalinas in red.
The Stig has been spotted on the shooting set (of course "not that Stig", but tracksuit, boots and gloves are white. Helmet is exactly the same as The Stig has.
Stars that appeared in track-runs are Yuri Grymov (films director), Masha Tsigal (fashion designer), Carina Cox ("Tutsi" music group), Demchenko (Olympic skeleton champion), Aleksey Mitrofanov (politician) and someone else.
Next shootings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Monday seems they film Alpina B-3 Turbo, some Lexus and Fiat.

And pictures from casting he attached.
Top Gear Magazine Russia issues visible on first two shots.











As for me, I'm absolutely, 100% sceptical about the idea of Russian Top Gear. I remember community doubts about non-UK TopGears, and I simply can't compare it with my worries, so strong they are. I hate our television, the only watchable thing is advertising Now you can start you favourite "In Soviet Russia..." jokes spiced with words like Top Bear.

[tone76]

Great news! The Dacia Sandero will not be Top Gear Russia’s Reasonably Priced Car!

[LeVeL]

Fomenko will be the host? LMAO

[Ramseus]

In Soviet Russia, car drives you!

[CrazyRussian540]

I really want to see this!!

[Hidden_Hunter]

Should be interesting, one of those guys looks like a KGB heavy

[hemoh]

In Soviet Russia, car drives you!

Yakov Smirnoff FTW....or at least for SIARPC!

[Khaki]

Wait, what? Are we sure this is real, it looks pretty fake to me.

[Shawn]

This could potentially be good, for two reasons. Either as a good car program, or more likely as a source of some laughter for us English viewers.

I like these hosts... except for Mikhail, he's a weird mix of Hammond and May? Fomenko will be the Clarkson character I'm guessing, because his laces are so rad!

[Viper007Bond]

Wait, what? Are we sure this is real, it looks pretty fake to me.

I have no clue which is why I'm staying outta this thread. For all I know these are a bunch of fans (which is likely the case) or at least fake mockups. After all we haven't heard anything from TG.com who I'm sure woulda said something by now.

Gonna file this under BS for now until I hear proof otherwise.

[freefall]

What next, Top Gear Polland? "This kitchen is the fastest kitchen ... IN THE WORLD!!1!. And we can build this house in.. well let's find out!"

It's all about money now, fuck off. It'd be better to kill the show after season 7 and let everyone keep good memories about it.

Edit: oh here's a hint, if someone actually dares to actually make the programme, you better call it "low range gear" [/irony]

[Aston Martin]

Top Gear Russia: where Polski Fiats are like Enzos.

[stiggie]

I have no clue which is why I'm staying outta this thread. For all I know these are a bunch of fans (which is likely the case) or at least fake mockups. After all we haven't heard anything from TG.com who I'm sure woulda said something by now.

Gonna file this under BS for now until I hear proof otherwise.

topgear.com have been very upfront with information about new versions of the show. I can't imagine that a Russian version could have made it to this stage without them mentioning it.

[fbc]

I have no clue which is why I'm staying outta this thread. For all I know these are a bunch of fans (which is likely the case) or at least fake mockups. After all we haven't heard anything from TG.com who I'm sure woulda said something by now.

Gonna file this under BS for now until I hear proof otherwise.

Agreed - it all just seems a bit too laughable too.

[tone76]

Agreed - it all just seems a bit too laughable too.

?

[NooDle]

This could potentially be good, for two reasons. Either as a good car program, or more likely as a source of some laughter for us English viewers.

Bingo

[MadOnion]

Yeah, I understand your suspects about the fakeness of all this. For some moment I thought it's a mock too. I think there won't be official announces in the short run — seems that production just begun, so there is no guarantee that it will even reach the pilot episode.

Our automotive market grows very fast. I read somewhere in the internetz that it's one of the largest auto-market in Europe now. And Russian representatives of foreign carmakers somehow want to promote their cars here, and because there is no a car programmes (or at least I can't remember good one, just some on the cable TV that no one watches), I think they were initiators of launching Russian TG show. And that is the main point why I think Russian TG is not a fake.

So, the possible insider wrote that Nikolai Fomenko and Mikhail Petrovsky are accepted as a presenters. Fomenko is a well known person in Russia - he is an actor, tv-host, motoracer and petrolhead. He will definitely take a role of Clarkson in this trio. Not the best choise, but ok. I never heard of Petrovsky. Quick googling shows that he is an auto-journalist and chief-editor of drive.ru web-site.

Insider says local show will take place on REN TV. Ohh, I totally dislike that channel, always zap it. But they collaborate with one guy whom I admire for russian version of Top Gear. So if someone in TG headquarter reads it - please take a good look for Vasily Strelnikov. Mmm, and maybe a Mikhail Shatz - at least it will be real funny )

About the bunch of SIRPC listed - that is another reason why I think it's not a fake. The main target of russian TV — boring closed-minded people, so stars always want to promote themsleves in stupid tv-shows, and Top Gear is another great platform to do that as they think.

Oh, I completely forgot. There is amateur youtube-based show Low Gear. Russian TG's production company should take a look on them too )

[MadOnion]

This could potentially be good, for two reasons. Either as a good car program, or more likely as a source of some laughter for us English viewers.

It's all coming to this now ) In this case they should invite Borat or launch Top Gear Kazakhstan. THAT il be the show ))

[stiggie]

Yeah, I understand your suspects about the fakeness of all this. For some moment I thought it's a mock too. I think there won't be official announces in the short run — seems that production just begun, so there is no guarantee that it will even reach the pilot episode.

TopGear Australia and TopGear America were announced as soon as the deal was made. In TopGear Australia's case, this was over half a year before filming began. Secondly, if this were real, they wouldn't be using the English TopGear logo, especially if they plan to show the original version as well.

[Viper007Bond]

?

Nah, we'll see where this goes.