NBC to make US version of Top Gear called "Gear"

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If it does work out then i hope like hell they get the best hosts they can find, not just some weird racing drivers and half-baked college students. I don't care if there famous or not, but I sure as hell hope they actually try to find interesting people. If TopGear and Fifthgear is anything to go by then getting the best writers (Journalists) possible is probably the best idea for hosts.

It very well may end up a farce.
 
TopGearNorthAmerica said:
2. Why use a Stig for a tame racing driver? How about getting someone like Danica Patrick instead? All that's needed for a test driver, after all, is racing consistency.
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how about....uh....no. Boris Said? definitely.
3. I'd nominate the Dodge Avenger as Gear's "reasonably priced car." It has a unique cache in being NASCAR's platform for its Car of Tomorrow, despite being almost universally panned as rubbish to drive. (Which, after all, is the point of the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment, which is about the Star's ability, not the car.
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NASCAR switched back to the Charger for the COT.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/28/sticker-swap-dodge-switches-nascar-cot-from-avenger-to-charger/
 
TopGearNorthAmerica said:
1. If you're thinking Hollywood celebrities for hosting Gear, you're looking in the wrong media. Think about magazine columnists from Motor Trend, Road & Track, Car & Driver. (Heck, even Top Gear writers Jamie Kitman or Pat Devereux could qualify as hosts.)

Why? Columnists as co-presenters (a) could be break out stars, and (b) would be cheaper than established celebrities.
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That's what they'll hopefully do, find obscure people from the rags and bring them into the limelight. It worked for JC as well as James May, so it's best when they find writers we've never heard of. (I personally nominate Erza Dyer and John Phillips III for a start.)

TopGearNorthAmerica said:
2. Why use a Stig for a tame racing driver? How about getting someone like Danica Patrick instead? All that's needed for a test driver, after all, is racing consistency.
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They don't need to actually name specific people, but a Stig is essential to the format and essence of Top Gear. It's like doing The Office without Dwight Schrute.

TopGearNorthAmerica said:
3. I'd nominate the Dodge Avenger as Gear's "reasonably priced car." It has a unique cache in being NASCAR's platform for its Car of Tomorrow, despite being almost universally panned as rubbish to drive. (Which, after all, is the point of the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment, which is about the Star's ability, not the car.
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Only if they can make fun of it mercilessly. If they mention MyGIG or its "silky smooth V6" I'll set Jeff Immelt on fire.

TopGearNorthAmerica said:
6. And let there be crossovers with Australian and Brit Gear. Things like James May reviewing the upcoming Jaguar XF with a bigger engine -- while ferrying around members of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team, all with something to contribute.
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:?
 
At least I'll get to watch the full versions here without any problem. That is if I stay in this country...which is...unlikely. Anyway if I do stay, I hope they select presenters in the way SBS is. I would try out for it.
 
Why not put Top Gear on HBO? No censorship and no commercials, plus you don't have to worry about pissing off a car company.

They already have a "partnership" with the BBC with Extras, why not just import Top Gear over?
 
Prost264 said:
Why not put Top Gear on HBO?
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With the writer strike going on, they are in desperate need of ratings and viewers, plus HBO is for the "racey" stuff, not a "family" show.
 
Part of why I like Top Gear is that its got awesome production values, I'm wondering how much money a season this show is gunna get. iirc TG gets the largest budget of any BBC show..correct? And so long as the hosts of junkyard wars arent there I think I'll be ok.
 
NBC will screw it up...

NBC will screw it up...

Like every other US attempt to 'copy' a successful UK TV program it will suck!!!
The charm and appeal of the UK shows ( especially Top Gear) is the 'British-ness' of the program- the sense of humour, the off-kilter language ( as seen by US eyes) and brashness of it all...
The US networks underestimate the US viewer and will dumb it down and try to explain everything and the end result will be a tepid, uninspired, boring Fox TV reality show type program. The hosts will be character-less, bland and non-involving too... IMHO...
Bit torrent to the rescue...
 
wooflepoof said:
Part of why I like Top Gear is that its got awesome production values, I'm wondering how much money a season this show is gunna get. iirc TG gets the largest budget of any BBC show..correct? And so long as the hosts of junkyard wars arent there I think I'll be ok.
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I don't know what has the highest budget (my google-fu is failing me, but I think it's Doctor Who, probably. TG may well have the largest budget for BBC2).

But dear god the male Junkyard Wars host is annoying. I only have to watch him when Junkyard Wars and Scrapheap Challenge do one of those UK vs US specials, but he is intensely irritating. He just shouts ALL THE TIME LIKE THIS. Maybe I'm just used to Robert Llewellyn as the SHC host (who is great at the job), but still...
 
teeb said:
I have reservations over an American version, mainly due to problems mentioned a million times before - fear of lawsuits, carmakers throwing hissy fits, an inevitable pro-American car stance, and the lack of Morgans, for one.

Having said that, I wish the pilot (if it's really happening) the best of luck, and hope it gets made. A cheap knock off of Top Gear is better than no cheap knock off of Top Gear.


edit - waitaminute. Won't the writers' strike affect this?
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Ford Mustang FTW!
 
I Live in LA, Does anyone think there will be a way to get in on the First Filming to be in the audience?
 
i just thought of a GREAT host.....

Alex Roy. he's very knowledgable about cars. he's funny as shit. he's definitely got star power now.
 
thedguy said:
It's a known problem with the US car rags as it sits. Bash their vehicles and they won't advertise. NBC/ABC/CBS will ALL cave to advertising pressure. Especially when EVERY commercial break on NBC these days seems to include an ad from one of the companies.

They may be able to say they dislike a car, but there is NO way they could ever pull one of TG's Pacific Rim test sessions, where they never found a decent car.

The only way it could work is if they can pull the diversity of viewers like other shows, then they may be able to survive on beer, ladies speed stick, razors, and dick enlargement pills.

I just don't see that happening. Not at first anyway.
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I laughed out loud when I read that.
My opinion is it will be a VERY watered down version of the original. Besides one thing I like about TG is that they do what ever they please when in comes to their opinion, be it when doing the news or reviewing a car.
 
Eh...I dunno. I'll watch first couple of episodes, but Top Gear is just so quintessentially British. Copies just won't be the same.

Who would have ever thought the writer strike could possibly be a good thing?
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Well, actually, I did :p
 
<off topic>
teeb said:
But dear god the male Junkyard Wars host is annoying. I only have to watch him when Junkyard Wars and Scrapheap Challenge do one of those UK vs US specials, but he is intensely irritating. He just shouts ALL THE TIME LIKE THIS. Maybe I'm just used to Robert Llewellyn as the SHC host (who is great at the job), but still...
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Oh man I loved that show! I thought it was dead. Is there a finalgear-esque site for that? or should I just go randomly torrenting?
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As much as I'd love to have more Top Gear-class car shows on the TV, I'm afraid that the US isn't at all able to produce a show like TG. First off all, most of the dialogue, especially on the news, would be a whole long beep. If not for profanity, then for kicking some manufacturers ass (both legal and advertizing concerns would prohibit that). Also, TG enjoy British car culture and British cars. The american culture is quite different. The most popular motorsport is Nascar, where the cars are set up to drive to the left, all the time. Not very British at all. Further more, Top Gear mostly laugh at and make a point of how rubbish American cars are, then praise most european cars. US "Gear" can't praise american cars and then shit on european ones, simply because it isn't true at all.

The Stig-feature is no problem at all. The whole reason for "The Stig" beeing the way he is, is that he's easily replaceable. It can be just some random racedriver. For the winter olympics special, "The Stig" was a journalist (and pro driver) of a sweedish snowmobile-magazine. If a racedriver has a race or other activeties he needs to do, no problem, just stick another driver in the suit.


American Top Gear? Parhaps on HBO... But I seriously doubt they'll make it good enough for us europeans to enjoy.
 
God damn it. Look guys, all that lawsuit crap is just as bullshit as the "1 in 4 are obese", its all bullshit stereotyping. If you walked up to a judge and told him you wanted to sue a TV show for giving your car a bad review, he would tell you to get the fuck out and stop wasting his time. (By the way, coming down on people you've never met just makes you look like assholes)
 
Right first episode of 'Gear' - US version (copy?) of the Winter Olympics Special. That'd would have the best chance of working would it not?
 
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