I HATE the USA edited Top Gear... HATE IT!!!

[Scott]

I cannot beleive they hacked the show up soooo damn bad! There was no need to do so, it was perfect in it's original form. I can do money conversions and figure out that petrol means gas... this crap SUCKS!

They cut out the news, which is always entertaining and they cut out the start in a reasonably priced car... who cares if you know who the people are (and I did know 75% of them anyway) that was fun to watch!

Thanks to Discovery for trying, but DAMMIT why did they have to mess with it?

 

[Militant-Grunt]

You gotta remember that the BBC has exactly an hour for the show. No commercials or anything because the BBC is gov't owned... But here there are seperatve tv companies, one of them being discovery, they need commercials to make money, hence the cut up show.

 

[roundhead]

You gotta remember that the BBC has exactly an hour for the show. No commercials or anything because the BBC is gov't owned... But here there are seperatve tv companies, one of them being discovery, they need commercials to make money, hence the cut up show.

i thought that's why we pay a cable tv subscription?

 

[Cruzz563]

I would think so too, you pay your cable or satellite provider, in any given country, why can't they remove commercials for cable/sat only channels?

 

[Viper8]

I agree it's not as good as the UK version, but at least they're airing it here in the U.S. so it's a step in the right direction.

It would be great if Clarkson would invite some more American stars to the Top Gear studio so they could have the "star in a reasonably priced car" segment... I think that would help boost other people's interest in the show.

Also, I agree with you (Ssnapier) that the news segment is very entertaining. I hope they alter the format soon because I don't think the way they have it now will draw in a lot of viewers, which may end Top Gear in America.

Come on Discovery Channel!!! We're happy you're airing Top Gear, but it's lost it's character.

 

[Scott]

yeah, I understand the need for commercials but they are not even using segments frrom the same shows! I will still try to watch it when i can, but the UK version will continue to magically appear on my laptop because it is VASTLY superior...

 

[jeffy777]

Atleast it's on in America in some form, better than nothing

 

[hokiethang]

I would think so too, you pay your cable or satellite provider, in any given country, why can't they remove commercials for cable/sat only channels?

It would make sense, thats why HBO and Discovery HD are usually premium channels. Do you realize how much cable/sat companies would have to raise rates for networks like discovery and comedy central to go commercial free? We would be paying $170 cable/satellite bills, for 100 channels, with only 20 non-commercials channels.

 

[TARDIS]

Come on Discovery Channel!!! We're happy you're airing Top Gear, but it's lost it's character.

Speaking as another US "gear-head", I have to disagree with some of your points. I too prefer my dose of the un-adulterated version of TG (or Fifth Gear on SPEED), and I think the way Discovery are timing their commercials is rubbish, but I also realize the market we are in and some of the issues with exporting programs like TG.

Face it - We were never going to get minute by minute copies of what was aired in the UK because:

1) News segments always make the cutting room floor because they are dated. (who wants to see the "new" 911 from two years ago* or what some constable said three years ago about speeding or the latest Seat)

2) The contests are time-sensitive and aren't really exportable (do you want them to run them all again to see if the answers are any different?)

3) as previously mentioned, there aren't enough stars known in the US on "Stars in a reasonably priced car" to run that contest here (I can count only a handful - Jamie Oliver, Christian Slater, Simon Cowell, and the Harry Potter author)

4) some of the cars aren't available here (esp the econoboxes), so from Discovery's POV, why show them? (the one showcasing the hosts' mothers being the exception of course)

Note that the Discovery ads showcase the "fast guys in exotic cars" aspect - we are getting a "Best of" version of the show repackaged with the formula used in the butchered episodes on BBC World. "Showcase the guys in exotic cars from makes we all know, and throw in the odd Micra or Bowler for variety"

As one person said earlier, we probably wouldn't be so up in arms if we didn't have access to the "UK/original spec" version of the show. Yes, the new "links" sound rather stilted, but they are still trying to introduce the show to us, so some explaining is required (although if Hammond spends the third show in a row explaining the history of the TG set and track, I may change my mind on that. )

All and all I think it's a nice taster, and a way to get my father, who got me hooked on a A-H Bugeye Sprite in my youth, hooked on the show as well. Saying that, I will be "somewhere" Sunday night looking for my "UK spec" version of the show.

(*) Yes, I do realize the new 911 of two years ago looks like the 911 of 3 & 4 years ago, as well as what they look like now - bad example. :?

 

[jeffy777]

^^ good points and great first post

 

[aseac]

I would like to add that the music choice in TG has changed. Music of TG in UK is much more appropriate in my view. US version has added some crappy music. The experience is not the same.

Also, there were a show from BBC called "The Office" It was very good in my opinion. When US made it - sucks. Another show Iron Chef (best cooking show in my opinion) was also remade - the show was so bad that it aired for 3 weeks. I think, that remaking a show is bad idea in the first place. For Top Gear, then can strip away star in a reasonable priced car and add ads (dont u hate them?) to make it available. Indeed, the cars that TG has on the shows might not be available in the US, still the show will be entertaining. I live in US and I love the show. Even though some cars are not available.

 

[TARDIS]

I would like to add that the music choice in TG has changed. Music of TG in UK is much more appropriate in my view. US version has added some crappy music. The experience is not the same.

Agreed, but in this case it's likely because they (Discovery) couldn't get clearance to use the music in the US. Since it looks like you watch Food Network, the same thing happened to "The Naked Chef", the music used when it aired in the UK was all BritPop, when it arrived in the US, the music changed to trance/dance.

Also, there were a show from BBC called "The Office" It was very good in my opinion. When US made it - sucks. Another show Iron Chef (best cooking show in my opinion) was also remade - the show was so bad that it aired for 3 weeks.

Yes, UPN's Iron Chef USA was an abomination. Iron Chef America (which is in it's second "series") however, is actually quite good and tries to stay true to the original while being somewhat different. You might want to try it out.

I think, that remaking a show is bad idea in the first place.

Yes, NBC's version of "Coupling" was soulless...

Indeed, the cars that TG has on the shows might not be available in the US, still the show will be entertaining. I live in US and I love the show. Even though some cars are not available.

True, as I find the thrashing of Vauxhall's and MG's fun and entertaining too, I was just trying to offer what might have been going thru Discovery's heads when they were coming up with TG:America.

 

[///M]

I actually prefer this. I could care less what the American audience sees, the show gets a big enough audience in Europe. The whole thing is going to go to shit once they start fine-tuning it for a more sensitive, less attentive North American audience. You really don't get to see the presenters go on and on about how good or bad a car is because we in North America want those quick jolts, quick camera changes, which are basically cheap thrills.

I'm going to give someone hell if they change one thing in the news segment. That's the highlite of every show for me. No matter how crappy some segments can be, the news bit is always good.

 

[Chupacabras]

it would seem that most north american car shows are more in tune with a motley crue video than the semi-artistic and interesting way top gear presents a car. I showed some of my slightly more redneck friends top gear the other day and theyre addicted now :lol:

 

[janstett]

You gotta remember that the BBC has exactly an hour for the show. No commercials or anything because the BBC is gov't owned... But here there are seperatve tv companies, one of them being discovery, they need commercials to make money, hence the cut up show.

Discovery HD doesn't run commercials.

 

[fleshbox]

I think that discovery and the bbc are way underestimating the US audioences ability to enjoy something that is not specifically about them. The first clip I ever saw from TG was the koenigsegg bit, and I fell in love with the show from that point on (no it didn't have anything to do with the fact that I also fell in love with the koenigsegg that day as well, lol)

Too often people think "oh, british television, that means dry, boring, margaret thatcher speeches..."


I can see dropping the news, and contests, though I LOVE the star in a reasonably priced car segments, I could care less if I have heard of them, it's still funny and entertaining seeing them driving.

I think what it ultimately comes down to is that Discovery thinks that this version will be more palatable to the American audience, but had I never heard of TG before there is no reason I would flip over to catch the american version. It is a very poor quality show overall. The video and audio quality on the studio segments is FAR beneath that of most shows on the air today and it has obviously been hacked to death if you pay any attention to things like that.

 

[Roman]

At least, in the united States, you get TopGear on Discovery...

I looked up the schedule from Discovery.com and looked at the one for Discovery channel in my cable box and found they put some other show on in that time slot here in Canada.

The rest of the schedule is pretty much the same.

 

[justin syder]

I'd still rather have them as they are shown in UK but on dvds. They should make dvd sets of each series and playable worldwide.

I would gladly pay for those.

 

[Scott]

I'd still rather have them as they are shown in UK but on dvds. They should make dvd sets of each series and playable worldwide.

I would gladly pay for those.

amen!!

 

[Ximian]

I saw it today and it was absolutely useless. They actually censored the word "cock" when it was referring to a rooster and then when James said it on that race. They also censored a few other words that I didn't even know what they were.

Top Gear is two shows in one; it's a talk show and a car review show. The reason most people watch it is because of the talk show portion even though they are initially attracted by the car reviews. If they cut out the one bit that keeps the audience tuning in each Sunday night, why bother?

Basically, if they don't show the uncut UK version, they shouldn't bother showing anything at all.