[01x07] January 2nd, 2011

[biggie]

Really liked it, Car Salesman and Moonshine have been the best 2 segments to me.

Putting the Stig in that CRZ would have been embarassing for Honda.

 

[Tombha]

am i the only one annoyed with the bit at the end? the members jacket was clearly a prop.. it didnt even fit the poor SOB they found to wear it and "buy" the car. im sorry to say.. this show is just garbage. they cant think of anything original, just rehashing the british top gear and putting an "american" spin on it, like putting a fine wine into a big gulp cup, it doesnt work.

 

[KaptainPolka]

This episode wasn't bad, but i think they can do better

 

[biggie]

am i the only one annoyed with the bit at the end? the members jacket was clearly a prop.. it didnt even fit the poor SOB they found to wear it and "buy" the car. im sorry to say.. this show is just garbage. they cant think of anything original, just rehashing the british top gear and putting an "american" spin on it, like putting a fine wine into a big gulp cup, it doesnt work.

And you don't have to watch. If you don't see how UK is completely scripted as well, then you are blind. Its entertainment not a documentary.

Again this is the same producers and writers, they aren't going to branch out too much from what has worked, they are only trying to gain a new audience in the US. The Salesman piece was very good and something new (UK sold their cars, but only by placing ads and no piece on it).

 

[erick295]

The race seemed more staged than usual but I liked the used car challenge and it was good to see them do something original. But where was the Stig? Where was the power lap? Where was the car review? Everything Rutlidge said about the CR-Z can be found on Honda's site. Am I crazy or did he not even say how much it costs? I don't even think he said how big the engine is but maybe I just wasn't paying attention. The TG meat seems to have gone missing in some of these more recent episodes.

This show has plateaued for me, I keep thinking it has promise but it hasn't gotten any better since the second or third episode. I guess I'll have to wait until the second season (I hope there is one) before seeing any real improvement. This still feels an like a high school film project. These hosts are going to have to learn how to ad lib or at least read scripts more naturally.

I'll keep watching and hoping...

 

[chitownjeff]

I agree with everyone else, why have a car review and not take the car around the track? Maybe they did but ran out of time to show it on TV? I'm wondering if that's going to be constant issue - on Top Gear they would have shown the guys trying to work on the cars overnight to get a few easy laughs.

Overall I thought it was a very good episode, they are getting better which is the important thing.

 

[biggie]

I definately think the less amount of time for TGUS is hurting when everyone is use to TGUK, there is at least 25mins less on TGUS (40 mins vs 1hr 5mins, it seems).

Still believe that the CRZ lap would have been an embarassment to Honda if they'd shown it though. And still hate that an old version of a car can be so much better than a new one (CRX = fun, power, and great economy... and I hate Hondas).

 

[DubyaStep]

And you don't have to watch. If you don't see how UK is completely scripted as well, then you are blind. Its entertainment not a documentary.

Amen +1

This episode wasn't bad, but i think they can do better

well said.

 

[Tygur]

It seemed that they were going on tangents way too much with the car and not giving a shit about two mountain bikers racing through SF.

Odd, thats exactly why I did like it. I'd rather watch a Top Gear show for cars. Not mountain bikers/parachuters/skiers. And thats saying something this time around because I used to do downhill mountain biking.

The whole time, my friend kept saying "No way! My 90 CRX DX is faster than that thing."

Still say Tim Allen shoulda been a host.

 

[Perihelion]

The race in the CR-Z was a real let down. It felt really forced and scripted. The auction part was fun during the challenge but the live auction part at the end was pretty poor. That poor girl got offered up for a crap Lexus with a ruined paint job and was passed over. OUCH.

 

[GlobeTrttr]

I think that was effectively an audition by Tim Allen for a hosting position.

I think he fit in pretty well during the interview and would have all kinds of color commentary to contribute in a regular gig, from showcasing his own experience to connecting with co-hosts, guests, and others on the common theme: cars.

I don't know much about his journalism skill though. Jezza, Slow, and Hamster all have some sort of journalistic experience- from Clarkson & May's newspaper columns to Hammond's stint as a radio DJ and having attended what he refers to as "art college." It follows that the serious bits of TGUK are really, really good.

But seriously - If we can't have Leno, TGUSA would attract a stronger gearhead following with Tim on staff. Watch the 60 Minutes interview with Clarkson and Andy Wilman and you'll see how Tim fits their vision.

 

[Jupix]

Well, definitely the weakest ep of the season so far imho.

Actually fastforwarded through most of it, only watched the Honda review (not the race) and the used car bit.

I have to say Tanner is currently the best and most natural reviewer of the three. Adam is ok but Rut was almost painful to watch at times.

Rut absolutely raped that Lexus with that paintjob. It had to be a bad joke, it would've probably sold (and sold well) in its original paint. Tanner should've tried to fix that gearbox.

Ouch, the guy's joke on that girl. She was adorable. Hope the joke was in the script because otherwise I'm foreseeing a slight relationship problem :lol:
And for once the audience response didn't feel like it was glued on in post!

The dude who won the episode-concluding auction got a nice-looking set of rims pretty cheap. Unless of course that was in the script as well.

 

[Tang]

By far the best interview to date. I didn't even cringe once. I just wish they had gone on a bit more (Read, left in) talking about Mr. Allen's cars. That time factor again.

 

[bwkrupp]

I don't follow the production dates of things, but it would seem to me that most of the show is filmed before the first episode airs. So Why bash it when they havn't had a second series to fix things? And it seems to have improved to at least Series 3-5 of TGUK already. I suspect the lack of Stig Laps has more to do with manufacturers US corporate offices not allowing cars put round the track, yet. Personally, the show is fine the way it is, and hopefully gets better. But compared to 99% of the crap on the History Channel, its brilliant. Pawn Stars is the only show to present any kind of entertainment challenge on that channel, IMO. As for this episode, it was nice to see something original(ish), but keep in mind that TGUK has repeated itself endlessly to the point that their own cheap car challenges are utterly predictable. So "OMG they ripped off REAL Top Gear!" makes no sense, since thats what they do all the time on the original show anyways.

 

[Gyvon]

I suspect the lack of Stig Laps has more to do with manufacturers US corporate offices not allowing cars put round the track, yet.

I highly doubt that is the case. There have been more foreign cars shown going around the track (Lambo SL, Mercedes SLS AMG, V12 Vantage, Lotus Evora, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) than domestic (Dodge Viper, Hennesey F150 Velociraptor).

Why didn't they send the Honda around the track? I think the fact that the other cars could break 150 and the Honda probably couldn't break 90 even if you throw it off a cliff had something to do with it.

 

[jasonof2000]

I enjoyed the episode though as usual I skipped the interview.

 

[shellygrrl]

Everything Rutlidge said about the CR-Z can be found on Honda's site. Am I crazy or did he not even say how much it costs?

Yes, he did. Toward the beginning, before the race even started. "Prices start at around $19,000."

I don't know much about his journalism skill though. Jezza, Slow, and Hamster all have some sort of journalistic experience- from Clarkson & May's newspaper columns to Hammond's stint as a radio DJ and having attended what he refers to as "art college."

Richard did go to art college -- Harrogate College of Art and Technology. It was while there that he got started in local radio.

As for not putting the Honda around the track, I can name off several cars from the UK version that have been reviewed on telly but not taken for a lap, either.

 

[jsausley]

Not enough cocking about. Go back to the original TGUK formula - buy some crap cars, and give them crap budgets to turn them into interesting things. Like limousines, amphibious cars, police cars, vans or unlikely race cars (similar to the Britcar 24hr or the Renault vs Evo).

 

[SpikeGT]

IMHO Rutledge is a little bit gay It's like he wanted to hug a Velociraptor. At that moment I was thinking "dude, that's the most man's car, why do you ever want to hug it?", and so he did in that episode "oh, look at that! Look at this! It's got a green-turns-to-blue-lights on dashboard! Wow!". Seriously, be a man, dude...
but despite on this, damn I love that show!

 

[Karoug]

I quite liked this ep, except the honda review...