NBC to make US version of Top Gear called "Gear"

[cory8926]

That's it. This thread has OFFICIALLY hit rock bottom.

I knew that would wouldn't go over well... but... I still think there is something to it.

 

[TurnerGTX]

It?ll be Stig in a Stetson....

AN American version of Top Gear will motor ahead ? with home-grown presenters.

We told how BBC chiefs were hoping to take the show Stateside complete with Sun columnist Jeremy Clarkson, 47, and co-hosts James May, 45, and Richard Hammond, 38.

But Jeremy refused to move to the US.

Now NBC have picked it up and are hunting for their own presenters ? and a version of mystery driver The Stig.

Jeremy WILL be involved, and could vet the new frontmen.

He told TV Biz: ?With Top Gear you need to get the tone right.

"The producer and I know what that is so we will help them get it right.?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article691908.ece

If Jezza & the producers are involved in some way you can guarantee it won't be shite.8)

 

[OldSkoolGP]

I don't like the idea of calling it Gear. Come on, NBC, you know what you'e copying. Just call it Top Gear. I've been thinking about this while drinking since I read it, and I'm convinced there are no Americans I could see hosting a show like Top Gear, so in order to make the show it would have to be quite different from Top Gear. I can see 3potential problems:

1) In regards to advertising. Of course advertisers will play a vital role in what is reviewed and how it is reviewed on the show until it can stand on it's own feet, has a well established audience, and becomes a platform that advertisers fight to get air time during. If the producers of this show are smart, which they most likely aren't, they will say to the car companies, "Sorry, but you can't advertise on this show because we may not like your cars and we don't want you having a hissy fit when we come back and say it." It's a modern car show, they'll have no problem getting all the tech companies to line up and offer to sponsor the show. Any HDTV maker would be happy to have their TVs haning around the studio and so on. Either that, or they'll take money from the 3 or 4 highest paying car companies for ads and they'll rip on everyone else they didn't get money from.

2) Hosts. Again, I can't think of anyone good to host the show, and because of that I think the best people to host this show are people I've never heard of. Find people that are knowledgeable about cars, competent drivers, with differing personalities. You could hire me to be Jeremy. I'm the same height, body weight and shape, and I don't care what anyone thinks. DO NOT hire comedians or talk show hosts, and especially don't hire hournalists from American car magazines because wriiten and visual media are two wholly different things that don't cross over and just about all American car magazines suck. Csaba Csere can kiss my Csassere.

3) Duplicity. How much of Top Gear do you copy? Ideally all of it. But with only 44 minutes of time to do it it'll be quite hard. I guess I like the news more than SIARPC, and we have enough talk shows in this country already. The other problem I've not seen addressed is most Americans just don't get British humor and don't like car shows. I'm not sure how you're going to sell people on the idea that they should be watching Gear over American Idol, Survivor, 24, or any of the other BS shows on American TV. Granted, this site is primarily populated by Americans who love TG, but we are a niche market at best.

I don't know, I hope it works. I hope it's brilliant. If NBC is smart, and I know they aren't, they should reach out to us U.S fans of TG and get our input before they ever air the pilot. We know what we want to see out of it, but somehow I get the feeling that what we want will clash with what they think everyone else will want. Knowing now that Jeremy will be involved is somewhat reassuring.

 

[stiggie]

I've been thinking about this while drinking since I read it

:lol:


A lot of what you said is right. The bit about getting unknowns to host it is something I've been saying a lot since the Australian version was announced.

 

[watisdis]

The name of this thread should be changed to "Are you a lurker troll who wants to prejudge and bitch about something you've never seen and never be heard from again? Post here!"

 

[argatoga]

1) In regards to advertising. Of course advertisers will play a vital role in what is reviewed and how it is reviewed on the show until it can stand on it's own feet, has a well established audience, and becomes a platform that advertisers fight to get air time during. If the producers of this show are smart, which they most likely aren't, they will say to the car companies, "Sorry, but you can't advertise on this show because we may not like your cars and we don't want you having a hissy fit when we come back and say it." It's a modern car show, they'll have no problem getting all the tech companies to line up and offer to sponsor the show. Any HDTV maker would be happy to have their TVs haning around the studio and so on. Either that, or they'll take money from the 3 or 4 highest paying car companies for ads and they'll rip on everyone else they didn't get money from.

Just tell the car companies that before they buy the ad spots that their cars could be reviewed poorly. I bet they would still buy ad time.

2) Hosts. Again, I can't think of anyone good to host the show, and because of that I think the best people to host this show are people I've never heard of. Find people that are knowledgeable about cars, competent drivers, with differing personalities. You could hire me to be Jeremy. I'm the same height, body weight and shape, and I don't care what anyone thinks. DO NOT hire comedians or talk show hosts, and especially don't hire hournalists from American car magazines because wriiten and visual media are two wholly different things that don't cross over and just about all American car magazines suck. Csaba Csere can kiss my Csassere.

James May was a car magazine journalist and he turned out well. I don't see a problem with hiring a comedian, as long as he is knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

3) Duplicity. How much of Top Gear do you copy? Ideally all of it. But with only 44 minutes of time to do it it'll be quite hard. I guess I like the news more than SIARPC, and we have enough talk shows in this country already. The other problem I've not seen addressed is most Americans just don't get British humor and don't like car shows. I'm not sure how you're going to sell people on the idea that they should be watching Gear over American Idol, Survivor, 24, or any of the other BS shows on American TV. Granted, this site is primarily populated by Americans who love TG, but we are a niche market at best.

Just cut out a segment per show, being American will mean there will be more episodes so it will work itself out.

Will it work? We will find out, but I do agree that it depends on the presenters. Top Gear would not work without Clarkson, May, and Hammond.

 

[narin]

1. No females as presenters what-so-ever. I love girls, but I want my information from a testosterone filled man.

x2 i don't have any hate towards women but it doesn't feel like a good idea

I dont think i've ever been so angry/frustrated over a stupid internet forum in my entire life.

How can you all be so stupid as to already make up your mind about something you know absolutely nothing about?

i'm with you there, there seems to be a lot of fear. they did a good job with the office, i'm now addicted to the American version.

i think no matter what happens to the american version of top gear it'll still do good for the original version. iirc the original top gear has always had a problem pulling an american audience . with gear showing in the states it will attract more viewers to the brits top gear

 

[eurotrash]

The American office is toilet humor, Ricky Gervais is another level of funny when compared with Steve Carell. Most of the American car shows I've ever watched are just advertisements for a given manufacturer. On Speed Channel almost all of their shows are like that.

That test drive show with that ginger guy praising the entire dodge srt fleet before even driving half of the cars. Or that show Payback, where they give away cars but they're only ever GMs with American Racing Wheels on them. I mean, people have a right and a reason to be skeptical.

 

[Viper007Bond]

The American office is toilet humor, Ricky Gervais is another level of funny when compared with Steve Carell. Most of the American car shows I've ever watched are just advertisements for a given manufacturer. On Speed Channel almost all of their shows are like that.

Let's see Canada do better, especially you wannabe Frenchies!


I kid, I kid... kinda :O

 

[stiggie]

The name of this thread should be changed to "Are you a lurker troll who wants to prejudge and bitch about something you've never seen and never be heard from again? Post here!"

The same thing happened in the thread about TopGear Australia. People are just apprehensive because of what these new shows have to live up to.

 

[liquid_rockface]

There's already a Sky TV programme called Gear: http://www.electricsky.com/catalogue_detail.aspx?program=1351

I saw it on TV, it's quite cool, but completely unrelated to cars in particular or Top Gear, though I think that they reviewed that mad quadbike that Clarkson rode one episode and said would kill you. The Rage or something...

 

[Viper007Bond]

There's already a Sky TV programme called Gear: http://www.electricsky.com/catalogue_detail.aspx?program=1351

So? Heh. That's the UK.

 

[MattD1zzl3]

How long before we end up with TopGear: Azerbaijan and TopGear: Paraguay ?

Are you honestly comparing the finest nation on earth to a former soviet dirthole and a central american... i cant even think of anything interesting about paraguay to insult them :lol:.

 

[Adunaphel]

That's it. This thread has OFFICIALLY hit rock bottom.

Yet it continues to sink even deeper......

 

[MattD1zzl3]

Clarkson is involved, clarkson is involved, clarkson is involved.

How could it go wrong?

 

[Formula Stig]

NBC reality chief Craig Plestis said the network already is getting numerous inquiries from car companies that had heard rumblings about a U.S. remake.

?This is a favorite of all automobile companies as it shows their cars in such a great light,? he said.

This is why the show is going to suck. If Clarkson hates a Vauxhaul he'll tell us without fears of advertising being pulled. If they are honest in the American version and they say all our cars suck, which they pretty much do with few exceptions, advertisers will not only run away from the show, but the whole network.

Also lawyers will dumb down the action out of terror of litigation.

Hope it works but not very optimistic. At least we're not losing the original.

 

[Formula Stig]

I dont think i've ever been so angry/frustrated over a stupid internet forum in my entire life.

How can you all be so stupid as to already make up your mind about something you know absolutely nothing about?

Listen Dizzle,

Have you ever watched American TV objectively? In general it sucks. Not just a little bit, but the whole majority. They can even screw up sporting events by putting "half-time shows" in there to dumb us down and remove the excitement.

Explosions and glitter may still titillate you, bu our networks don't go much deeper than that.

Just wait for "A Very Special Episode of Gear." Or when the presenter goes to jump a shark.

 

[MattD1zzl3]

Look at other review shows, video game review shows for instance:

[youtube]vgD-Uoz0O08[/youtube]

Crib notes version: They gave a giant multimillion dollar blockbuster game (i've been hearing about it since 2004) a mediocre review, losing the company untold dollars. Now i dont follow the legal battles of the G4 network, but i didn't hear a damn thing about them being sued by whoever made that game, and they even have advertising from game companies!

This litigation stupidity is more idiotic stereotyping that is completely false. Nobody would sue someone over a bad review and get away with it unless they crossed the line into actual slander. And even then i suspect the courts wouldn't fall for the whining. You all just WANT this to fail because A) you fear new versions taking the limelight from the current one. or B) Good 'ol fashioned anti-american "racism". ("lol, they're stupid and fat and sue a lot. Yuk yuk yuk") If someone WAS bitchy enough to pull adveratising i dont think it would skew the reviews, because there is always someone else waiting in the wings to put an ad on your network. "Whats that GM? You're pulling your ads? Well i guess ford just got a juicy timeslot at a great price! Good luck with your lack of TV exposure."

Its like the bratty kid who would rather have his mom divorced and alone then accept new a step-parent because "thats not my father". STFU and wait until you see the show before you pass judgement. The same people who made the original are making this one, its going to be a copy of something very good, which makes me think that it will be on the good side as well.

 

[teeb]

Look at other review shows, video game review shows for instance:

[youtube]vgD-Uoz0O08[/youtube]

Crib notes version: They gave a giant multimillion dollar blockbuster game (i've been hearing about it since 2004) a mediocre review, losing the company untold dollars. Now i dont follow the legal battles of the G4 network, but i didn't hear a damn thing about them being sued by whoever made that game, and they even have advertising from game companies!

Your choice of video games as a comparison is ill-founded on two levels. One, there was the whole Gerstmanngate thing last month, when a writer from a popular website was allegedly fired because he gave a bad review to a large-budget game that had advertised all over the site.

Two, G4 has a fraction of the viewers that NBC does. Deal or no Deal on NBC gets from 10 to 15 million viewers. I don't know how many viewers a G4 major production - such as Attack of the Show - gets, but I bet it's not 10 million.

And, from wikipedia, "G4 has, in the past, boasted about its willingness to go beyond the traditional limits of advertising on the network. The willingness of the network to sell advertisements inside of program content as well as efforts in the past to sell coverage of products on shows to companies raises questions about the honesty of all content on G4."

 

[aitala]

I have not had a chance to read this whole thread but I have a suggestion for who might be a good choice for a US version of Top Gear (which I think is a horrible idea).

Its an odd choice, but I think Hugh Laurie would be an interesting choice. Yes, he's a Brit, but he know cars and motorbikes, has a great sense of humor, and would keep some of the show's quirkiness.

Might also be an interesting counterpart to an 'American Clarkson' type host...

Eric