While I do think the new season is certainly much improved on the first season (I haven't seen the second), there is still a lot of missed potential.
I wouldn't call TGUK sophisticated, rather it is (usually) clever and treats the audience as intelligent. It appeals to a wide audience as the content is multi-layered.
TGA on the other hand, as has been noted here and on their blog, suffers from audience alienating "bogan-isation".
An example is Shane explaining he was going to use some 'boffiny satellite space thing' to measure his Corvette ZR1 0-100 times - why didn't he just get a VB swilling sheila named Shazza to call out, "one-fousan'n'wonnn... one-fousan'n'toooo... one-fousan'n'ummmm...."
As far as Quite Interesting information, I find the pre-episode posts on TGA's blog more informative than the show.
As Ewen regularly reads and responds to their blog, I started writing a comment - but after reading through previous comments with none of the coherent and thoughtful critiques addressed, thought I'd post it here instead:
For Race to the Sky, where was the brief history lesson? Its origin? Defining moments?
If host face footage is going to dominate these segments, why not use that opportunity to impart some knowledge? Sure Isle of Man may have fogged in, but grimacing faces can only stretch so far. Take a cue from TGUK: when they show us a face, that face tells us something interesting and/or humorous, all while the outside whizzes (or slides) past in the background.
So you're driving up a dangerous hill in NZ. Don't keep bleating that it's dangerous, we got that idea at the start of the segment: "It's dangerous... you'd have to be a crazy nutter to attempt it... certain death."
Show us stark images of those sheer one kilometre falls. Tell us how many lives have been claimed in pursuit of perfecting the peak. What about tales of impossible survival? You mentioned Possum Bourne in the pre-episode post, but nothing in the show.
And instead of sprouting lines like, "I wish you could be here experiencing this," why not act like we're in the car beside you?
Was the V8 Supercar noisy? Why not show us the neighbour's breakfast teacups rattling and local cats scuttling from the unholy howl as you fired it up? The toddler in the stroller with her fingers in her ears was cute.
Ever seen that Shell television commercial featuring the evolving line of Ferrari F1 cars driving on public roads? The NY cabbie and his coffee jump as the F1 car screams past; the Brazilian beach-goers snap their heads towards the sound of the screaming eight cylinders.
That's what we imagine a race car on city streets acts like, not 'Driving Miss Daisy' down the road at 40km/h. And just when you got on to Anzac Bridge and open it up, and it started sounding good, you were right back off it again, down into the slow streets of Ultimo.
And reverse parking outside the school isn't suspenseful - certainly not like Red Bull's NASCAR pit stop between traffic light changes in Times Square.
That's as far as I got. I was going to ask what was the point of the Corvette ZR1 segment. At the end Shane endorses it as "the best Corvette yet." Thanks mate, didn't know you knew your Corvettes in and out, but how do you buy one in Australia? What else should I be considering spending my $300,000 on? Not in a boring facts & figures Fifth Gear way, but an entertaining Top Gear way.
Again, I think they're doing an OK job, and I know it's not easy putting shows together... but there's still lots of room for improvement.