[01x01] November 21st, 2010

[01x01] November 21st, 2010

  • 10

    Votes: 10 1.8%
  • 9

    Votes: 14 2.5%
  • 8

    Votes: 71 12.5%
  • 7

    Votes: 145 25.4%
  • 6

    Votes: 122 21.4%
  • 5

    Votes: 71 12.5%
  • 4

    Votes: 47 8.2%
  • 3

    Votes: 33 5.8%
  • 2

    Votes: 28 4.9%
  • 1

    Votes: 29 5.1%

  • Total voters
    570
A good first effort; matter of fact, I'd say us Yanks did better than the Aussies & Russians in their first crack shot at it; in comparison to our friends in the UK; you sense the hosts want it to be just as good, but, I fear, it's no where near now, & I'm not quite sure if it'll ever be....
 
Last edited:
Gave it a 5 because I am gauging it to the original.

Alright couple of complaints to start.
1. Vibrating cameras are so distracting. How does something like that happen in a similar show? Seems like someone from BBC Worldwide would have brought up that problem. Being a videographer, fixes like that are usually simple and easy to implement so hopefully that problem goes away soon.
2. Think the "this is awesome" line is best delivered without speaking. Give the audience some credit, what else would driving a mid engine super car at 170+mph feel like.
3. Is the Stig mythos coming in later episodes?

Overall it was just a little bit less than expected but alright. People need to get off their high horse about chemistry and music. Does anyone expect these guys to virtually act like best friends in the first show? First 5? First season? If you are, Top Gear USA might not be right for you. The music on the other hand was fine. Seriously, if you are expecting an amazing soundtrack on basic cable, you might want to switch the channel.

It nearly lived up to my expectations and got better as the show went on. The Lambo bit was very well done and enjoyable. Everything I've read has this show as the worst in the series, if so then this should be a good, not great (right now), show.

One last thing. As hard as it might be, this show has to be a compliment to the original and not a rehash. They need to do reviews and challenges that aren't just American versions. I realize this is impossible to do completely but it totally will alienate the crossovers because it just won't be as good, not right now at least.
 
It was OK. Hopefully it'll get better with time. I'm not really a fan of any of the hosts. They definitely don't have the chemistry that the UK hosts do, and they aren't very smooth or funny either. A lot of the lines seem quite canned. The rest of the show itself is alright, aside from the shaky in-car cameras.

I'd probably think it was better if this was the first time I'd ever been exposed to Top Gear, so the majority of viewers may like it more because they weren't constantly comparing it to the original Top Gear the whole time they're watching like I did.
 
Last edited:
I gave it a 7/10.

It got better as the episode went along. Lots of little issues with editing and scripting throughout, but I think there' s a lot of potential.

Viper part felt way too scripted, but showcased how well Foust can handle a car.

Interview was terrible. They interview an American hero by reading off what he's owned? Why not ask more questions about space, or funny astronaut+car questions.

The best bits of the Lambo part was when the three of them were talking. Rutledge making fun of Foust was really funny and showed a lot of potential.

Season 1 of TG:UK wasn't great, so I'm sure with time this could become very good (I hope it does!).

PS: Most posts in this thread (all from the US so far) seem very fair and provide constructive criticisms. I'm sure the producers/hosts are reading this. It'll be interesting to see what people from the other side of the pond think...
 
I will probably be in the minority here...but I kinda like Rutledge. He gave a little chuckle sometimes, so I think he may be an ok choice after all.

Commercials is what will hurt this. I know it would be hard, but I dont think they should have any automotive sponsors like Mercedes. Views might be skewed because of this.

Overall for a first episode, I wasn't too disappointed. I set the bar low for myself with this show in hopes to be proven wrong, and so far its better than I thought. Just fix the cameras!!!!

I dont usually comment on episodes like this, but maybe someone with the show will read these and build off of them. I'll try to hold off on further comments until the end of the season since a good bit of this one is already filmed.
 
Last edited:
Just remember...the first couple of seasons of UK TG were terrible while they tried to settle in.

Not really, at least in my opinion. The first few seasons had tons of memorable segments like the Zonda, Noble M12, Vanquish vs 575, Arnage, Lotus-Lada, Phantom, Bowler Wildcat, Koenigsegg, Phaeton, Cadillac Sixteen, Ford GT, BMW M-episode, Lamborghini episode, Hummer H1/H2 and best British car segments. Plus they had funny guests like Patrick Stewart, Cowell, Fry, Rich Hall, Johnny Vegas, Ross Kemp, Gordon Ramsay, Boris Johnson (especially Boris!), and Alan Davies.

The only real issue was the studio segments could have been planned a little better ahead of time, but other than that it was perfectly fine. Hell, I started watching from season 2 and I wouldn't have continued if it wasn't worth watching.
 
overall as far as the host are concerned, i like Rutledge the best. he seemed to b having the most fun. just a naturally funny guy. i got stuck watching NASCAR coverage one time at my uncles house and he was on there dressed as like captain america or something and i though wow, this guy is stupid and he thinks he is funny, well, i was wrong.

I have to disagree I thought Rutledge was the worst host on the show, and it was the fact that he tried to be funny and wasn't. In fact I thought he tried too hard to be funny and it had the opposite effect, while he may be having the most fun I don't think he has good chemistry. Ferrara was the best host that seemed more laid back and seemed more natural, the other two seemed like they were reading lines off a script...
 
If only Leno was there...

If only Leno was there...

Jay Leno wanted to do this show but was afraid the sponsors wouldn't allow him to be critical of their cars.

I guess the only rubbish on this show is going to be the show.
 
Clarkson just rolled over in his... umm bed.
 
In response to why a Cobra was used instead of an Apache (besides the obvious snake names); the AH-1Z Cobra is actually the USMC's current attack helicopter platform. Yes, the airframe design is older than the AH-64D Apache that the Army uses, but it is an aircraft that is currently in service, active, and blowing up caves in Afgahnistan.


Now, back to the show:

I rated a 7. I liked the show and will keep watching it. I think the hosts are stiff, but I think they will be able to find their stride and make this a hit. First episode of the season for TGUK is usually the low point of the season anyways, so I think as things pick up, we'll see if they truely shine. My hope is that our hosts and the producers don't fall into a trap of "we'll take 'xxx' challenge and just adapt it for the USA" and keep treading old ground. I think they could do better working the segments around the comercial breaks, or just see of they can do a longer intro before first break so they can get the main segment out of the way (think of how some 'news comentary' shows can go 20~30 minutes before having their first commercial break...something similar).

Well, here's to hoping they'll take off, and we'll eventually have a UK vs. USA challenge! (the Aussies can join in, too, if they're still around).

Edit: oh, and they need to flesh out the Big Star Small Car segment :p
 
Last edited:
Really? ummm...Viper vs COBRA not Viper vs Indian...think about it. remember the line "this is snake number 2"? that would make no sence with an Apache. i wonder why they didnt race against a newer version like that USS Nimitz...:idiot:


yea, sorry its not jezza, hamster and may who have been together for years with a world class production team.

totally agree.

Are you kidding me about the Cobra? It was just a note that these people were probably not being taken seriously enough by the Military or something. I dont know that you wanted to see Vietnam Era designs instead of the later, and still in service Apache doing those crazy things. Plus, Comparing an Aircraft carrier to a helicopter?

EDIT: I thank YF19 above me for clearing the use of helicopter up. I just didn't know enough about the U.S Armed Forces, admittedly.

I've watched the first episode of Top Gear at least twice now and i know that it was better than this. Even with Dawe's deals section. These guys just dont go well together, i know they are not friends and could even detect a slight trace of hostility with an absolute lack of warmth. They are doing a job, something they are not particularly gifted at. Take this for what it's worth from a stranger on an online forum, absolutely nothing.
 
Last edited:
what would be uber cool for a future BSSC segment, is if they got jezza as a guest... after they get comfortable on the show,because if he came on now, his personality would overtake the show. I also hope they do some coverage of speed events in america, like the maxton/ texas mile,hillclimbs, maybe the pro touring circuit, etc.... like some clips of the winners on a news segment. It has a lot of promise, lets hope it lasts several seasons and they move the commercials around so they dont kill the flow of the segments.
 
Jay Leno wanted to do this show but was afraid the sponsors wouldn't allow him to be critical of their cars.

I guess the only rubbish on this show is going to be the show.

i believe Leno said something about not wanting to mix his hobby with his job
 
i feel like the interview with buzz was too short, he accomplished alot and all it was "you went over 20,000mph, you own a bunch of cars." it didn't feel very personal at all. the shaky camera was extremely annoying. if captain slow can go 260+ in a bugatti and the camera is clear as day i'm sure a viper and lambo doing 120ish should be clearer than day as well. i came in with an open mind, but this is just too disappointing, i give it 2 seasons tops.
 
I just wonder how it would have been with Adam Carolla. He is funny.

I gave it a 5/10, generously. The cinematography was unacceptable, I hate to say it. To those who say "watch the first season of Top Gear," I say TG USA has a ton of people they can look to for advice. I sincerely hope that TG USA picks up, because I love the format of Top Gear... even if they did copy it.

Oh, and Tanner annoys me and seems like the kind of man that would drink Perrier instead of tap water. AKA not someone for the show.
 
all you guys saying it sucks need to go watch the first season of top gear again

Indeed, Rome wasn't built in a day. It took a host change and a season or two for everything to "gel" in terms of a dynamic between the presenters on TGUK, I'm pretty sure thing's will improve with time on TG USA. Overall, I thought it was a decent first episode, and I'll continue to watch, not only to see if/when it gets better, but also to prove that us American's are ready for a general format car program other than MotorWeek. (not hating...just saying..) :)
 
Last edited:
I would give the show some more time before giving the final verdict cause no matter how impartial I want to be, my brain keeps comparing it to the original UK version. All throughout the show, I kept asking myself "Am I having fun?" and sadly I wasn't. Some areas where it needs improvement:

1. The hosts need to relax a bit, everything they were doing seemed a bit forced and stiff. There is no instant chemistry so hopefully it will develop as the season progresses.
2. Producers take note: Shaky camera does not mean the car is going real fast, it means you couldn't film it well. Also this is not a music video, stop cutting every nano-second.
3. Some original ideas would be welcome. US has far more variety in terms of roads and terrain.

Maybe I'm being too critical but the show has a lot to live up to. Since I've never seen an episode of TG Australia, I'm not sure how it compares to that one.
 
Gave it a shot. I thought it was pretty bad. Even the camera work, music, etc. wasn't up to snuff with the UK version. The hosts have no chemistry and it felt really off. Oh well, I won't be watching again.
 
Top