[01x06] November 3rd, 2008

[01x06] November 3rd, 2008


  • Total voters
    117
Ep1 7/10
Ep2 8/10
Ep3 7/10
Ep4 7/10
Ep5 7/10
Ep6 8/10

At least it's staying consistent with me. Forgot to get around to doing an Episode 5 review, but I can't stay away from doing one for Episode 6.

The things that bump it up to 8's for me are the car reviews, and the review of the CLK 63 was a review comparable to the one of the Ford GT in Episode 2. Not surprising that it got an 8/10 from me as well.

The challenge on this episode seemed to actually have a point as well. Luxury SUV's and testing whether they can actually go off-road or not. With land such as the Australian Outback, it was a perfect setting.

Overall, this was a good episode. I can only hope this is one of the key points they think about when they plan for Series 2.
 
Loved the Roadtrip - great filming, nice ideas, nice locations (maybe you aussies will get bored of your homecountry easily, I wont :)) ...

The news didn?t do much for me (I?m guessing with "kombi" they mean the VW T1 or T2, wich I LOVE ... so that rant about it was kind of a let down ... I mean, who doesn?t like the T1? That?s like :? ...).

The Star-thing I skipped ...

The SL63 ... Cox review didn?t have much in it that I could sign, I have a completly different opinion about that Car. I think if you look at the style of that film and how they did it, it would have suited a really exciting supercar ... but they did it with a pumped up merc for boring people. All that efford felt wasted, felt like they planed the review ... and then went to look for a car for it and all they could come up with was the SL ... wich didn?t fit.

I gave it a 6/10 in the vote ... wich I?d like to correct to a 7/10 (klicked wrong, noticed too late). Aussie TG is coming more and more together. The great roadtrip showed that this can work really good ...
 
cheerleader.gif
A CONCLUSION
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cha-cha-cha
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A CONCLUSION
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cha-ca-cha!!!
Was beginning to fear that it would never happen.

Track - last week was better.
Charlie - learning to shut up and let guests speak. Getting better (miles better than ep 1)
WWTT - sparingly is a good thing, don't need to overdose on it. How about a board for "Little Bit of Good" (the really nifty things in cars that are cool/handy/cute etc - can be the littlest thing), the GOD/DOG wall etc. Alternate between them.
Road Trip - gotta love them, and some practical information was good too. Room for improvement with the actual imparting of consumer information (got to satisfy the non-vehicle and vehicle savvy audience)
The Cocking About - They're into the rythm, doing well boys! (I want to take that siren to the next B&S)

Surely but steadily improving.

As an aside, I hope that there's some sort of apprenticeship scheme going with TGUK, where someone from TGAU goes over there and sees how the BTS (scripting etc) is structured.
 
Conclusion? There's still 2 episodes left in this series. Then you can bring out your Pom-Poms. :)
 
Just watched TGUK 1201.

OMG.

TGA is suddenly like supermarket American beer in comparison. Looks like beer, smells like beer. Weak as piss.

Watching TGA you forget how good TGUK is. I very nearly wet my pants during the Lambo film. I've laughed once during the entire series of TGA. And that was when Wazza backed one out.

TGA is clearly what Wazza left on the ground.

Mr Vovo...why exactly IS it that you want TGA to fail?...I mean, what's to be gained? Having an Oz version means having some proximity to the product, maybe even an influence over what goes on...something you'd NEVER get with TGUK. They'd never listen, you'd never be able to go and see the show being recorded, you'd never get to meet the presenters. You can bet your bottom that when JC, JM and RH come over next year that they will be supporting the Aus version...why can't you?
 
I'm so confused about the What Were They Thinking board.
"Elan is [some language] for beauty. What were they thinking!?"
I was like wtf, that makes no sense whatsoever.

Can someone explain if they get it!?

I think he said : "Elan is french for style" .

Which is absolutely wrong because in french, elan has two meanings
1) run-up, momentum ,...
2)moose
 
TG with their 12-01 made a show which is over the top cocking about and it was so much more fun to watch than every single second of TGau.
Most of that UK success is due to the characters, if not the whole lot.

They captured so many viewers by being something like 50/50 on cars/comedy.

Now we got TGau, they should know what to do as there's a wealth of clues to the past 11UK episodes (especialy since they started their 100 pound cars etc), but apart from Warren it's just boring.

Yeah, Warren took a dump. I didn't think it was that funny but he's willing to go that far.
Now there's the crux, would Cox do it? never. Steve? I doubt it, maybe now they see the show is flopping but it may be too late.

Warren does the siren and all Steve can do is lay there make some comment, why not have him sleep on top of the car and roll off or something, whatever, just do something with it rather then just laying there.

Do what this other guy said, take a day or two brainstorming and anyone being a "tough aussie" can leave the room as the proud "too good to lower myself to that kind of nonsense" attitude will make sure the show is doomed to flop (if it hasn't already)
 
Mr Vovo...why exactly IS it that you want TGA to fail?...I mean, what's to be gained? Having an Oz version means having some proximity to the product, maybe even an influence over what goes on...something you'd NEVER get with TGUK. They'd never listen, you'd never be able to go and see the show being recorded, you'd never get to meet the presenters. You can bet your bottom that when JC, JM and RH come over next year that they will be supporting the Aus version...why can't you?

Does he wan't it to fail? I don't see that in his post, although he is comparing the show to the UK edition which is a little unfair. I made my comments on it and I am free to do so, after all pple of Oz comment on the UK show. As I said I don't think it sucked I just thought it was not to good and some tuneing might sort it not least of which is the preneters abilty to work with each other, failing that new hosts.

Here is the thing the TG hosts will I agree support the show, but it is in there invested interests to do so, they are not the viewers, and neither am I thank god.
 
I gave it a 10.

SL63 review was great. They let us enjoy it's awesome sound and the scenery and camera work was spot on.

4x4 challenge was also really enjoyable. I love that sort of stuff. Seeing a expensive 4x4 being put through it's paces.

Star in a reasonably car wasn't great though :-(
 
Mr Vovo...why exactly IS it that you want TGA to fail?...I mean, what's to be gained?

Good question. I don't want it to fail, I want it to be better.

I know how the business works, and believe me, they aren't listening to us. They didn't listen to the producers of TGUK when they handed over the keys and whispered the secrets of their success.

They stubbornly did it their own way and it's not working. If it's going to be this lame every ep (no stories, wooden performances), then it's not worth the effort. It's just bringing down the entire nameplate.

If this is the best they can do then they really need to listen - or give up. It's an OKAY show, but it's certainly not worthy of the TopGear badge.

It's like Holden got license to build a Ferrari and ended up putting a Commodore engine and gearbox in it. Okay in individual context, but hopeless together.

Whether TGA fails or succeeds or fails is entirely in the hands of it's producers. But first they need to WANT to change, and I don't think that's going to happen. Do you?.
 
...although he is comparing the show to the UK edition which is a little unfair.

It's a popular view, but I reckon it's a cop-out. Not comparing suggests our show was handicapped in some way.

We have the skills and talent in this country to make a show equal to TGUK. There's absolutely no reason why TGA shouldn't be as good as TGUK. And budget is no excuse, because all the shortcomings they have are no-budget items - ideas, stories. They've got the 'look' working beautifully.

We should not be making excuses for TGA. It CAN and SHOULD be comparable to the original.

IMO
 
....Most of that UK success is due to the characters, if not the whole lot.....

....and anyone being a "tough aussie" can leave the room as the proud "too good to lower myself to that kind of nonsense" attitude will make sure the show is doomed to flop....


I totally agree Fleetfoot, I think thats where TGAU went wrong before Day 1 because they enshrined the opposite of the above in the casting of the AU show. ...

Charlie seems so stiff about projecting a mature controlled and knowledgeable persona, and yet his best efforts are like Death Knocking at your front door.
He is no substitute or similar personality for the bombastic bastard Clarkson. Unfortuneately.

If they didnt want to openly copy the UK show they at least should have chosen someone with a different personality, any type of personality would have done, just pick someone with a personality...

Obviously the self absorbed asshole style of host is already covered so ...

Maybe the Richard Branson-esque/smiley lunatic style ?

How about the bumbling fool, Some Mothers Do av em / George Bush style ?,

or possibly choose an Evil-Knevil dude who will be an absolute maniac when it comes to stunts and crazy ideas... ( they may not live long.... but it will be good for ratings)

or how about choosing someone who actually has a magnetic personality, you know , one of those guys who doesnt have a massive ego and everyone likes ?

But NAH, we got an ageing Dudley Doo-right as our leader,then Lurch and The Hairy Squirrel to back him up.



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https://pic.armedcats.net/a/an/anonymous/2008/11/06/Lurch.jpg


https://pic.armedcats.net/a/an/anonymous/2008/11/06/Baldrick.jpg




They captured so many viewers by being something like 50/50 on cars/comedy..... maybe now they see the show is flopping but it may be too late.

Do what this other guy said, take a day or two brainstorming (if it hasn't already)

I dont think the show is in any way doomed, but if its going to swim it will need a lot more to keep it afloat and that brainstorming idea is great. For such a seemingly AD-HOC style of show, it needs to start with a lot of loony ideas and then cull them down to a do-able list.
And then backtrack it all to make it seem all loony, like it was at the start of the process instead of so highly scripted.
The Au guys seem to start with UK copy-cat ideas and then suck the life out of them.

And if the show eventually sinks , it needs to make sure it isnt a very expensive flagship that ignored public feedback. Dont bother geting GrabbitAndRun Media Marketing to find out what your target audience wants, its all here for free !!

One thing they might like to consider is to set up a feedback area on this forum where rather than reading many forms of comment or abuse they might like to just have a VIEWERS LANE where the viewers can offer/park ideas for future shows.
They seem to have no idea, but we do, so its a good idea.

Its also a great idea because if they did it on the UK show first, we'd be the first to copy them.

So do it first and then they'll be following us.

Maybe they are not allowed to go outside the franchise agreement regulations and do anything original, but then what sort of publicly cashed up fools would agree to that ...?....


EDIT: I disgaree with Icedvovo, because I dont think that the AU show could, should or try to match or compare with the UK show ,because it should kick the UK versions arse every week !!

What are our production crew and 'alleged' on-screen talent missing ?
We can do a great Olympics, world wide serials, feature films, sports and cartoons but we OBVIOUSLY cant do a copy of 3 semi-skilled middle aged guys from England.

Sad really.

And God forbid we should ever do it better...
...talk about a "cultural cringe"....




 
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One thing they might like to consider is to set up a feedback area on this forum where rather than reading many forms of comment or abuse they might like to just have a VIEWERS LANE where the viewers can offer/park ideas for future shows.

Great idea!

I'd be happy to 'sign-over' a couple of ideas to make the show better.

:)
 
VOVO, they will get some great ideas, but its not 'what' they do... but more...
'how' they do it ....
and thats the problem..


you cant get sensible 'middle of the road' guys , to be entertaining to the masses. Because if they were truly entertaining to begin with , then they would have jobs being entertaining...

One of the AU guys wears a helmet for a living,( and commentating car races on the BBC doesnt count as being ENTERTAINING),
(so he is obviously the PERFECT host for a TV show),

one of the others owns a fire engine and writes, ( both great assets if youre 5 years old),

and the little guy does WHAT that would make him an 'entertainer', apart from being The Smaller 3rd Wheel ?

Shirley there are many thousands of truly original Australian men {who can talk and scratch their arses at the same time} who could blow these 3 cardboard fools away.

Now is the time to step up guys !!

It wont be me, but there must be thousands of Aussie guys who'd do a better job.
 
you cant get sensible 'middle of the road' guys , to be entertaining to the masses. Because if they were truly entertaining to begin with , then they would have jobs being entertaining...It wont be me, but there must be thousands of Aussie guys who'd do a better job.

If you haven't already, please find a copy of Peking to Paris, which was Warren's last TV project. It was brilliant. He's already a star entertainer in my mind. I even reckon P2P was a better 'watch' than TGA.
 
It wont be me, but there must be thousands of Aussie guys who'd do a better job.

I could always point you back to the TGA Audition Video Thread and suggest you take your pick from that lot ... :p
 
I could always point you back to the TGA Audition Video Thread and suggest you take your pick from that lot ... :p

Yes I've trawled through that pile but there must have been a few who were better than the 3 we've got now ?
Or are these 3 truly the best in all of Australia ??
 
Does anyone actually beleive that they were looking for hosts with those videos? Always smelt like marketting to me.
 
8/10. I really liked this challenge for some reason, mosltly because Warren is so damn funny with his hands in the "wrong place" on the steering wheel.

the super loud horn was nice also, as was him taking a shit.
I was amazed that the super expensive lexus had such trouble keeping the dust out!! The other 2 didn't seem to have these troubles.

The SL63 review was a bit meh, because yes we know it sounds and looks good, but we still don't know what it's like to drive. "Its got more squirt than the old SL55" isn't really anything I didn't know yet.

Getting a bit bored with the WWTT board, since their nominations are getting a bit far fetched... parking police? wtf?

News was too short to really give any consideration.
 
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