I've been lurking around these forums for quite some time now but I feel it's about time to chime in regarding TG USA's latest episode. First of all, I've been addicted to TG UK for as long as I can remember and have watched and re-watched enough episodes to keep me busy for weeks. While TG USA is
starting to come into it's own on certain aspects, she's still got a long way to go before they're on a level playing field.
First of all, one of the biggest things that is still bothering me between the two is the music and sound editing. There is absolutely no comparison. TG UK episodes are comprised of a large amount of songs all chopped up into bits faded in and faded out when appropriate all to add to the experience of the episode. Take, for example, the addition of two separate Massive Attack songs in the two most recent TGUK episodes. Both "Girl I Love You" and "Atlas Air" are deep electronic tracks with great bass and a dark feel. They were appropriately used to introduce the military demolition crew and the Lambo Avantador respectively. It just sets the tone for the segment. I feel like the TG US sound editor on the other hand is just saying "Well this is a great place for the song I heard on the way into work this morning, lets just slap 30 seconds of it on top of the Ferrari." It's flat, it's anti-climatic, and ultimately nowhere near TGUK. Putting the music aside, the voice-over for any of the hot laps are absolutely terrible and really lack a balance between the commentary and the vehicle noises. I feel like the vehicle noises need to take front stage and be merely supplemented by the commentary, not overridden.
The next glaring disappointment is the cinematography and video editing. It's much along the same lines with the music as it just doesn't add to the experience of the episode. It's hard to fault TGUS as the guys over in the UK have some of the most beautiful footage I've seen and I'm sure have a larger budget. Even still, the segment with the 458 and the ZR-1 didn't ever make me say "wow" because the car just looked that fast. We're talking about some of the faster cars in the world and I just didn't get that feeling from the footage. Add in some more half second blips of the ZR-1 tearing by at an insane speed differential, pop in a few passes of the camera car with the hammer down. It just needs something more to help the viewer perceive the car as fast. I will commend them for the section in the warehouse with the 458. I thoroughly enjoyed that bit and I think the parts with the 458 were just more enjoyable overall. I wouldn't be surprised if a good amount of this praise can be attributed to Tanner's driving.
Last and certainly not least is the presenters and their chemistry. Overall they're starting to get there. Things are getting better little by little. I enjoyed when Adam decided to extend a warm "F*ck You" to the rest of the world and there are some other parts where they're just f'ing around that is starting to get a good feel. Tray sliding was fantastic and definitely received a nice chuckle. However, other parts are still stiff. There were two, maybe three times where Adam referred to the ZR-1 as a "battering ram"... I see no reason for any of the presenters to call any of these vehicles by the same name more than once in an episode. Not to mention... Battering Ram??? Really? Perhaps that goes to the writing, I'm not certain how much of that they have pre-scripted but I guess they could have used an hour or so extra in the car with him firing off happy nicknames. That may be a specific example, but it's more of a blanket statement for the lack of creativity at times. I feel as if it needs some Clarkson flare tossed in similar to when he explained that "keeping up with the Audi (in the ZR-1) is like trying to win the Indy 500. While driving a lion, made out of teeth... and jelly." Sometimes it's those absurd references that literally cause me to burst out in laughter while watching. I think the outdoor studio has a better feel than the big grand stage they were going to with the indoor studio. The presenters at TGUK are just a few feet from the audience and I felt the TGUS outdoor stage helped the audience appear a bit more engaged.
Anyway, I could ramble on for quite a while about the similarities and differences but I figured I'd share a few of my opinions of the series thus far. Overall I'm still enjoying both shows a good bit and will continue to watch every week