[03x09] February 12th, 2013

[Stangace20]

each car was a basically a copy of the concept on each of the cars from the UK episode

 

[Ko1]

I guess I'll probably check back in a year or two to see if anything's changed... but for now, one less series for ye olde DVR.

In the mean time, check out Motortrend's YouTube channel. They produce shows like Roadkill (cheap car challenges), Hot Rod Unlimited (people doing cool stuff with old cars instead of just wrecking them), Wide Open Throttle (various stuff), Ignition (new car reviews), Epic Drives (road trips in new cars), and The Down Shift (auto related info). Also check out Mike Musto's Big Muscle on the Drive YouTube channel for cool custom cars.

 

[A.J.]

The past season of TG:US has been completely about cars...just mostly old ones. No interview fluff, or vamping about a children's tractor book for 20 minutes.

You totally hit the nail on the head there. I feel like a lot of us suffer "forbidden fruit syndrome" when it comes to Top Gear UK and even Top Gear Korea. Top Gear US is a better show for me personally because they have shown cars that I could be able to afford for the majority of the show's run.

 

[kikiokyo]

"Don't..Don't say anything" So lovable about Rutledge when that chair snapped. (Much like during the Police car challenges when putting on his helmet, rather put me to tears.)

 

[Kiskaloo]

The music is killing this show. Seriously, if they can't afford a good soundtrack like TGUK, just don't use one. The "Greatest Zydeco hits of 1981" are fucking TERRIBLE.

One advantage Top Gear UK has is the BBC owns a blanket license to rebroadcast music. So they can play whatever they want without having to negotiate with the rightsholders on permissions and royalties.

The History Channel doesn't have that advantage. Nor does BBC America, for that matter, and therefore when rebroadcast in the US the music is sometimes changed when it is not possible or financially reasonable to secure the same song as in the original UK broadcast.

All that being said, I do agree THC could try and get something better.


And I agree this was a great episode. When Tanner showed up with his rocket, I was worried they were going to slavishly mimic the TGUK episode, but they showed some variety and went their separate ways (if anything, Rut's idea is something I would expect from James May). And while NASCAR drivers are not as nuts as BTCC drivers, there was at least some bumping and rubbing.

 

[John001]

10/10 Loved it from beginning to end. I love how they have challenges all the time and don't waste (in my opinion) time on new car reviews. The challenges have always been my favorite parts of the UK series, and at this point I am enjoying the US series more than the UK series. The news is the second best part of the UK show IMHO, but I'd rather they just did challenges all the time.

And I could watch Tanner drift ridiculous vehicles all day long.

Probably my favorite TGUSA so far.

 

[Nuieve]

Episodes like these (which almost all of them are) makes TGUK look particularly stale.

 

[Lynxfx]

I love how they have challenges all the time and don't waste (in my opinion) time on new car reviews. The challenges have always been my favorite parts of the UK series, and at this point I am enjoying the US series more than the UK series.

I used to love the new car reviews on TG:UK but even those have become stale. I mean how is it possible to make a Pagani hypercar review boring? I didn't think it was possible but Hammond did it. They also seemed to have stopped testing cars out in the real world and just use the Top Gear track. I think we have just become too saturated with car reviews and now they all look the same. So I agree, keep the challenges going. That is where the entertainment is.

 

[Red Falcon]

Liked the UK original, and liked this one too


8/10

 

[wuud]

one of the best, probably the best TG USA episode. Took some good ideas from the oiriginal, combined it and made a really good episode out of it.

 

[jack_christie]

All I can say is they ought to consider removing the Top Gear branding so people don't mistake this for a show about cars.

I guess I'll probably check back in a year or two to see if anything's changed... but for now, one less series for ye olde DVR.

The aimless racing racing around the trailer park was pathetic.

Becoming more Jack Ass than Top Gear.

Difference between Nitro Circus and TGUSA is closing.

The prize for doing this show should be a round trip through Afghanistan via Iraq to Pakistan and then on to Chechnya.

 

[jasonof2000]

I really liked this episode. I was worried that the episode would slavishly copy the UK one as well but I'm glad they didn't since the US does not have the same issues with RV's as Europe does (since we can get tow vehicles that don't needlessly hold up traffic).
The ONLY thing I am disapointed about TG:US is that they are not utilizing the Stig very much.

All I can say is they ought to consider removing the Top Gear branding so people don't mistake this for a show about cars.

I guess I'll probably check back in a year or two to see if anything's changed... but for now, one less series for ye olde DVR.

Bye, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

I agree with this, if there is anything wrong with TG USA it's the post production team, whom have no originality what so ever. They're taste in music sucks, they're too lazy to do a creative colour grade and the editing of the show fails to bring the same kind of excitement that you get from Top Gear.
It's like Tanner, Adam and Rutledge showed up to make top gear then it was handed off to a bunch of people who were trying to make Dirty Jobs or something.

Go watch TG UK on BBCA. The music was changed for international use and it sucks there as well. The BBC has a general license with the record labels for UK use and that license is expensive. It does not surprise me a smaller network like the History Channel does not have one.

 

[OldSkoolGP]

All they do anymore is ruin old cars. Where are the Stig laps, car reviews, industry news, and tidbits like the Shelby tribute? I can't remember the last time I actually learned anything from this show

If case you forgot, they tried that the first two seasons, and hardly anyone watched. The typical American TV viewer has no taste for it because they don't care about cars. They want to be entertained. And the format that TG US is using now is purely entertainment. But for someone like me who loves cars, I still enjoy it. And if I want to learn something about a car or indutry news, there's this big world-wide thing called the internet I can leverage to get answers. The viewing figures don't lie, they're on the right track and I also thought it was the best TG US episode yet.

and they have no respect for cars

Did you not watch the Mexican trip episode where they all bought the cars they had in college? I enjoyed learning that Tanner Foust got his start in a '91 Eagle Talon. Just one example, but I can't entertain the idea that they don't respect cars. So they destroyed some rental cars, big deal. Who hasn't misused a rental car at least once? On most of the cheap car challenges, they have a personal connection to the cars, and that's more than I can say for the Top Gear UK team. They've never done a cheap car challenge with cars they owned earlier in life.

 

[oldworldron]

They took a subpar UK episode and made it very entertaining, what's not to like. I get why some people complain that TGUSA isn't about cars enough, but it's laughable that this is held against an US version of an UK concept that was even less informative and substantially less entertaining on top of that. In general it would be nice to balance it out with a bit more substantive stuff from time to time, but as far as single episodes go, this one's a winner.

 

[shellygrrl]

[The UK presenters have] never done a cheap car challenge with cars they owned earlier in life.

For the Middle East Special, Richard chose a Fiat Barchetta -- a car he once owned. The other two have not gone with a previously-owned car for any challenge, though.

Unless you're refering to the fact they haven't done a challenge where they're all required to choose a car they used to own? (In which case, you're right, they haven't. I'd still love to see them do their own My First Car challenge.)

 

[pepitko]

8/10 easily. This was a very good episode, so far I'm enjoying this new season of TGUS a lot. While it was a rehash of a TGUK episode, it was very well executed. Even better than the original UK episode, I would say. The funny thing is that the US version gets criticized for nearly everything, but it is the UK version that started to rely on penis jokes and other nonsense to keep itself entertaining. The US version just somehow feels more honest, you can see that the presenters are having fun.

 

[LogRus]

10/10 on this one! All I can say is: HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA.... ahem HAHHAHAHAH!

Truly enjoyed this episode! And I agree with many posts on here, TG US feels simply pure

 

[Iosis]

Good episode, had a lot of laughs

On a sidenote; was I the only one who thought the last challenge was extremely dangerous? I mean, Rut, in what was left of his car, no protection at all from the back, open windows, simple shirt. Adam with his building and no visible racingseat or whatever, only Tanner looked safe in his structurally sound car. Cue the professional drivers in their racing overalls...
I'm not a safety guy at all, but I had sweaty hands watching that bit...

 

[SpeakProperly]

Hi guys & gals. Sorry to barge in & bump the thread.

Top Gear UK, is great. Almost every episode is either an 8 or a 10, for me.

But here's my I'm even here.... Hammond, can you speak properly?

Watch this...

http://youtu.be/Yy0JmmcaHLE?t=46m32s

What track is that?! It's busting my brain balls, and I just can't stand how Hammond slurred the track name. Wtf?
"Rugged Pastorvare"?!
"Rugged Paster Layer"?!
"Rugged Paster Advert There"??

English. Speak it. It's a wonderful bastard language of 3+.