Australian version of Top Gear

rezakage

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World first for SBS with local version of Top Gear

Following a major deal with BBC Worldwide, SBS will build on its association with Top Gear ? a program that has aired on the network since 2005.

In a world first, SBS has secured the rights to make a local version of the show. It has also extended its commitment to the UK version for the life of the series.

Freehand Productions, BBC Worldwide?s Australasian partner, will produce the local version, which will transmit on SBS in 2008.

?This is fantastic news for SBS, for Top Gear fans and for Australian audiences,? SBS Director of Content, Matt Campbell said.

?Top Gear is a unique show and one of BBC Worldwide?s biggest global properties.
In making it, we won?t simply replicate the UK series with an Australian version of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond or James May. SBS plans to make a program that is uniquely and quintessentially Australian.?

?It is very exciting for us to have done this deal with SBS,? added Julie Dowding, BBC Worldwide Australasia?s Head of Sales. ?We are very proud that the first global deal for a local version of Top Gear has been done here in Australia.?

Top Gear is the BBC?s top-rating, high-octane mix of performance cars, adrenalin, comedy and celebrities. It test drives and brutally appraises the world?s most popular cars with startling honesty ? along with celebrity laps, irreverent wraps and breathtaking stunts and driving.

Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson said: ?I'm delighted that Top Gear is going to Australia. Maybe the first guest could be Jonny Wilkinson.?
source: http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/enews/top-gear-australia-191107.html

is there any australian here, please post your opinion
 
Hmmm
If it's like past Aussie automotive shows, then it won't even hold a candle to Top Gear.
I hope they continue airing British Top Gear.
 
is there any australian here, please post your opinion

Mate, there's oodles of us!!

This had better be good, and I think it will. SBS is a commercial station but no-where near to the extent of 7, 9 or 10 which means it won't have all that advertising bullshit that "The Car Show" had/has (is that thing still on??)

Goodie, can't wait!
 
Hmmm.

It'll be interesting, to say the least.
 
It really depends on who they use as the hosts of the show. The one that Channel 10 did recently (called "the Car Show" IIRC) was utter crap - the host (Michael Stahl) is actually a really good motoring journalist but he just came across as bland on the show. And does anyone else remember the "Speed Steerer"? FFS, that just made me want to puke.

So, yes, I'm looking forward to it but won't set my expectations too high.
 
It really depends on who they use as the hosts of the show. The one that Channel 10 did recently (called "the Car Show" IIRC) was utter crap - the host (Michael Stahl) is actually a really good motoring journalist but he just came across as bland on the show. And does anyone else remember the "Speed Steerer"? FFS, that just made me want to puke.

So, yes, I'm looking forward to it but won't set my expectations too high.

Isn't the Car Show on Channel 9 and it also features Glenn Ridge as a presenter ?
I think that god awful Steven Jacobs might've been on it.

Channel 10 had an awful one last year called Drive.It had some actress now on All Saints as a presenter.
 
Hmmm.

It'll be interesting, to say the least.

Thats all I can say, the most important part will be who to use as the presenters.

And hopefully its wouldn't just be fill of HSV vs FPV shootouts :p
 
Who can forget the Gem of a show hosted by James Morrison the Trumpeter. what were they thinking with that?

Maybe they can bring Peter Wherrett out of retirement for those old enough to remember Torque on ABC in the seventies. He certainly called a spade a spade!!

I reckon David Morley from the Car Show is not to bad as a presenter and would be good fit for Top Gear.

Cheers
Glenn
 
I hope it doesn't get wrapped around too much by advertising, that was the major flaw for most shows. The Car Show was pretty much all Yokohama, what ever oil they were advertising and Shannons.
 
I hope it's not shit... But at least we should give SBS a chance... and it says in a ninemsn article that
ninemsn said:
SBS, which has screened the program since 2005, has also extended its commitment to the UK version for the life of the series.
source

So even if it is crap... we will still get the original.
 
Should be interesting, The Car Show is a shocker.

I think it will be much more focused around the 'Average Persons' car. Small Toyota's, Suzuki's, as obviously, the budget wont be as big as the UK Version.

And yes, the hosts will play a massive part.

Should be interesting to see how this turns out
 
If the hosts try to make it exactly like Top Gear, it will fail. If they make it their own brand of Top Gear, it has a chance.

Nobody could replicate the chemistry that Jeremy, Richard and James have on Top Gear, but i'm not ruling out another decent show with the same concept, different style.
 
i cant see this working for 2 major reasons

1) The quality of the presenters just wont be as good no matter who they choose
2) They just wont have the same budget or access to cars and equiptment that bbc2 does
 
Being into cars, I'm looking forward to it. They are going to have to "go big" with the show if they want to use the TopGear name. Otherwise why not name it something else with less impossible expectations?

And they should really look towards more comedian-like-personalities for the hosts. I think that's why TopGear is so good, the boys aren't major gearheads, so they can discuss cars in a more real-world-feel kind of way.
 
I'm not sure what to feel about this, i sort of want this to happen but i also don't want it to happen. Im just trying to think who they could use as presenters and i havent been able to come up with any that stand out.

Its also going to be weird because of the car situation here in australia, we get cars later than europe (sometimes) and usually when we do they arent as common as they are in europe and i really dont want to see ford vs holden vs ford vs holden.. im sick of that -.-

I also agree with TomCats idea of a name change, that could help it out a bit and people wont expect as much.
 
Here in NZ we had this utter s**t show called "The AA Torque Show" hosted by this local comedian (and with puns that makes you cringe), this other random journalist nobody has ever heard of and they even copied the Power Lap, but with some random dude trying far too hard to be the Stig.

Australia do the best sport shows ("The Footy Show", the Channel 9 cricket coverage etc.) in the world so I hope with all the money in oz that they can make a decent version (?) of our beloved "Top Gear".

Do it right please, because it would be great to have a down under view on things.

"Go hard or go home"
 
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