[01x05] October 27th, 2008

[01x05] October 27th, 2008


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Theyre using a "laugh track", a series of recorded audience laughs used to bolster lame comedy.
My wife and I noticed that the 'laughs' are identical in some segments.
Its most noticeable when the studio audience yukked it up repeatedly but the vision showed no-one moving, smiling or amused.
I didnt notice the laugh track on the previous episodes so they are certainly using some post-production add-ons to fill in the silence / dead air..

They also used a laugh track throughout all of season 10 of TGUK, so it's not just TGAU that's guilty of it. I'm not really bothered by it though.

I felt that this episode was a bit flat compared to previous ones. All the segments had great potential, but just didn't seem to come off all that well. They weren't necessarily bad, just a bit disappointing.

Cox still seems awkward in the studio segments. I'm not one of the ones calling for his immediate resignation, as I think he's got good potential (which shows during challenges, etc) but I hope he does eventually loosen up like the other two have.

6/10
 
Cox had been tolerable up till last night. I think it's like a ticking clock, once I started looking for the excessive hand gestures I noticed them all the time but it never bothered me in the other episodes.

There just doesn't seem to be any point to most of the segments. They should never have touched amphibious cars because TG did that so well (twice!) they were just setting themselves up to fail.
 
You know what, and this may seem odd at first, but I just watched the latest ep of Kenny's World, and I reckon KW is more in the spirit of TopGear than TopGear Australia.

The Kenny thing with the Russian astronaut G-force simulator looked and sounded like a TopGear film.

I reckon Kenny's World seems to 'get it' more than the TGA team do.

TGA is not funny. At all.




*Except for Warren.
 
Anyone else notice the improvement in the shooting of the Stig's lap? Much, much better than previous weeks.
 
^ Yeah, they're definitely improving the track shooting - it's still lacking a bit, but it's far, far better than it was initially.
 
Anyone else notice the improvement in the shooting of the Stig's lap? Much, much better than previous weeks.
Yeh, I actually noticed a big difference. Particularly with the BMW lap which was the most recent filmed.
 
Yeh, I actually noticed a big difference. Particularly with the BMW lap which was the most recent filmed.

It's good they also referenced the website, I honestly wouldn't have thought of looking on there... Seems they are listening to various feedback:)
 
I've also been pondering the 'soft' sponsorship opportunities based on 'incidental' exposure.

After this week's boat thing, plus the A8, plus the fact that they're in the SUV challenge next week, Audi is a walk-up to unofficially 'contribute to production costs'.

And I reckon Toyota is sneaking them in there. Two beautifully clean, beautifully black Klugers, beautifully framed in Toorak. If I was the Toyota PR bod I would have gotten my money's worth. Wink wink.

Don't put it past them. ;)

PS: No Toyota or Audi on the WWTT wall yet either. ;)

EDIT: Toyota Press Fleet or dealer demonstrators? Or am I just paranoid? ;)

http://img508.imageshack.**/img508/540/klugerswl6.jpg
 
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Yeah, it was obviously staged - but who cares, it's not like TG UK don't stage things. The Saab-crush gave me one of the few laughs from this episode.

i laughed at "there's the world, and than france" or whatever it was, that was really witty
 
just watched the 135i review on youtube

MORE information, fuck, they were close, they had a point, the 135i is better value, yes, but how about some statistics or information on how it drives, complaints, critique, still feels like a commercial
 
Toyota Press Fleet or dealer demonstrators? Or am I just paranoid? ;)

You're just paranoid. As SBS is still partially publically funded (like the BBC) it has very strict product placement rules. Also, their financial information is publically disclosed. Klugers are everywhere and in Toorak you'd expect them to be spotless. They've probably never even mounted a curb.
 
You're just paranoid. As SBS is still partially publically funded (like the BBC) it has very strict product placement rules. Also, their financial information is publically disclosed. Klugers are everywhere and in Toorak you'd expect them to be spotless. They've probably never even mounted a curb.
The BBC is not partially funded by advertising (unless I'm mistaken) and where are these product placement rules you are referring to?
Toyota had their name in the (axed) World Sports program so there might some existing relationship there.
 
The BBC is not partially funded by advertising (unless I'm mistaken)

I didn't say that the BBC was in any way funded by advertising. Please don't try to put words in my mouth, you will just end up looking foolish. What I said was that SBS (like the BBC) uses public money.

where are these product placement rules you are referring to?

In section 5 of SBS' Code of Practice.

It clearly states that "matter, for which SBS receives consideration in cash or in kind, which draws the attention of the public, or a segment thereof, to a product, service, person, organisation or line of conduct in a manner calculated to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, that product, service, person, organisation or line of conduct" is considered advertising. That would include any product placement for which SBS recieves money or benefit.

It says that advertising is restricted to 5 minutes per hour of commercial breaks.

The only other advertising allowed is "an announcement of not more than 10 seconds duration at the beginning and end of a program giving the name and business of the sponsor of the program." Toyota is not a sponsor of TopGear Australia.

Further-more "All decisions regarding commercial revenue are subject to the overriding principle that the integrity of the SBS Charter and SBS?s editorial independence are paramount and shall not be compromised in any way. As with all programming, SBS reserves the exclusive right to determine what is broadcast on SBS services."

and "Advertisements broadcast by SBS must not be presented as programming."

Being publically funded, all of SBS' budget statements, annual reports, guidelines, corporate plans, codes of practice, etc are available on their website.

Toyota had their name in the (axed) World Sports program so there might some existing relationship there.

I've never seen this World Sports programme you are referring to but Toyota were probably a sponsor of the show in which case it would have been disclosed at the start of each episode with a sponsorship announcement. They are not a sponsor of TopGear Australia.
 
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I've never seen this World Sports programme you are referring to but Toyota were probably a sponsor of the show in which case it would have been disclosed at the start of each episode with a sponsorship announcement. They are not a sponsor of TopGear Australia.

It was called Toyota World Sports.

It sucked.
 
Please don't try to put words in my mouth, you will just end up looking foolish.

Well what am I to infer from "As SBS is still partially publically funded (like the BBC)"

In section 5 of SBS' Code of Practice.

It clearly states that "matter, for which SBS receives consideration in cash or in kind, which draws the attention of the public, or a segment thereof, to a product, service, person, organisation or line of conduct in a manner calculated to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, that product, service, person, organisation or line of conduct" is considered advertising. That would include any product placement for which SBS recieves money or benefit.

It says that the only advertising allowed is 5 minutes per hour of commercial breaks.

The only other advertising allowed is "an announcement of not more than 10 seconds duration at the beginning and end of a program giving the name and business of the sponsor of the program." Toyota is not a sponsor of TopGear Australia.

Being publically funded, all of SBS' budget statements, annual reports, guidelines, corporate plans, codes of practice, etc are available on their website.

I don't consider that a definitive debunking that product placement does not take place on SBS. I imagine there would be plenty of loopholes in there. I don't particularly care about this product placement issue by the way. It's only the ad breaks I have a problem with (speaking of loopholes).

I've never seen this World Sports programme you are referring to

You don't remember Toyota World Sports with Les Murray? Not that it was exactly a popular program...
 
Well what am I to infer from "As SBS is still partially publically funded (like the BBC)"

That the BBC also uses public money.


I don't consider that a definitive debunking that product placement does not take place on SBS. I imagine there would be plenty of loopholes in there. I don't particularly care about this product placement issue by the way. It's only the ad breaks I have a problem with (speaking of loopholes).

Actually I have since edited my post with more information. Please go back and re-read it.


You don't remember Toyota World Sports with Les Murray? Not that it was exactly a popular program...

No I don't. I'm not interested in soccer or cycling, the only sports that SBS seems to be aware of.
 
Things that I felt were better:

- The car reviews, actually. I felt for the first time that both Charlie and Steve reached a conclusion about the things they were driving, and I've come away with some knowledge from that.
- The audience sounded a bit more like they actually wanted to be there this week
- The news was better than it's been
- They've acknowledged the fact that nobody knows what is up with the track, and given us a solution at least.

Things that I felt were pointless:
- SIARPC bored the crap out of me. Maybe it's because I'm not an Aussie, but I thought the guy was pointless and not entertaining.
- Amphibious cars. We didn't get to see it being built (having it built badly by the guys is surely the point of this segment?) and then they messed around, but not as well as the TGUK guys did, just making it a lame imitation of a classic. They really need to do something different and not imitate something that's already been done well, because it will inevitably be crap in comparison.
- I like the What Were They Thinking board in terms of the fact that it's their own spin on the tradition of TG car boards, but I think having it regularly *every* week is a bit overkill (after all the Cool Wall is what, twice a series or something, and other boards pop up and go down randomly in TG UK). So it's good, but it needs to be varied up.
- As pointless segments go, I thought the tractor one was a little too weird even though they were obviously making a valid point.

Overall, one of my least favourites.
 
I think it was a good watch. No boring scenes. Don't know why some still complain about presenters, they're fine imo. One thing I like about TGA is that it flows quickly and never gets boring like TGUK does (which sometimes makes me wanna turn off TV, like when they fixed the road, or plowed the field... and always horrible news section)

And yes, something is wrong with the "wwtt" board concept. It just feels too forced.

8/10
 
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