No More TGA until the end of the year

Richmondgal

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Herald Sun said:
TOP Gear Australia has been dropped from the Channel Nine schedule.

The show will go to air as scheduled on Tuesday, but the remaining three episodes in the series will be shelved until later in the year owing to poor ratings.

The move comes after dismal ratings for the Aussie version of the hit UK car series.

Earlier this week Top Gear Australia had a measly 439,000 viewers nationally.

Top Gear Australia is hosted by Shane Jacobson, Ewen Page and Steve Pizzati.

This is the second time Top Gear Australia has failed. The series was first screened on SBS but went to Nine when they bought the rights to the UK version at the end of 2009.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/enterta...ntil-end-of-year/story-e6frf9ho-1226133285474

So much for an Australian Version...
 
Nine, apparently, is not only the network that's effectively killed the show, but also the number of episodes it took to do it (not counting the Ashes special).
 
I challenge anyone to be surprised by this. The show is a disgrace. It really annoys me that the Yanks have managed to do quite a reasonable version but I find our version just bloody cringeworthy.

Awful TV show and frankly, got what it deserved.
 
It's a pity they just can't let the series run. Here's some of what may or may not go straight to DVD:

  • After the "rhino scare" in the UK, can a Peel P50 be made to outrun a rhino? Starts with slipstreaming antics, stupid Shane acting trying to come up with a plan, ends violently after being pushed out of a helicopter.
  • Unimpressed with reports that Google's automated car clocked up 300,000 km of driverless driving, TGA make their own - putting the driver back into driverless cars. Shane tries to impress a driving instructor in a Subaru Liberty wagon with Steve and Ewen operating boot-mounted controls.
  • Thinking Australia lacks a decent "stunt car" movie, the boys enroll in stunt school and make their own epic, "The Dorks of Hazzard" with Commodores dressed in General Lee, Mad Max Interceptor, and Starsky & Hutch Gran Torino inspired paint schemes.
  • HSV Grange and Jaguar XJ Supersport as hen's night limos - which impresses the girls more?
  • Holden HSV Grange vs Renault Clio Sport.
  • Peter Brock tribute.
  • V8 Hill's hoist.
  • V8 trike - Pilbara Brumby
  • And as TVR-191 spotted, some sort of dune-buggy challenge with customised Ford pickup, a BMW E36 Compact, and Fiat X1/9.
 
The death of Aussie Top Gear rests with channel Nine, and Nine alone. Back in the SBS days, the only shows that rated higher than Aussie TG on that station were UK Top Gear, the Soccer World Cup, and the Tour De France.

Changing the hosts again ment that they had to start building the chemistry from scratch, a third time. We didn't get Aussie seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4. We got seasons 1, 1B, 1C (part I), and 1C (part II). While he is a great actor and comedian, putting Shane Jacobson into Top Gear just seemed completely nonsensical.

The Ashes Special showed what great promise the show had. I don't think any of the following episodes managed to quite live up to that high standard.

Such a shame. I've always felt that an Aussie version had great potential. There were hints of that during the SBS days. They just needed to find their rhythm, and chemistry. Nine just wanted a flagship ratings winner. Buying the UK version gave them that, the Aussie version was just part of a package deal that they had no intention of giving a fair go.
 
Hooray and good riddance. I cut the show an enormous amount of slack when it first aired, in the hope that it would develop into something good. It didn't. Instead of trying to be itself, it floundered about trying to copy Top Gear on a tiny fraction of the budget.

This isn't channel nines fault though. It is the fault of BBC Worldwide. They chose (or at least sanctioned) the appointment of Freehand Productions to produce the show (both on SBS and channel nine). They also sold Top Gear to the highest bidder (channel nine) and packaged up Top Gear Australia with it. If the show had stayed at SBS, it probably could have survived, as they tolerate much lower ratings, but expecting such a weak program to survive on a commercial channel was ill-informed and frankly ludicrous.
 
Hmm, I'm not surprised. Disappointed yes, but not surprised. At least we'll have the reruns...
 
It is the fault of BBC Worldwide. They chose (or at least sanctioned) the appointment of Freehand Productions to produce the show

BBC Worldwide are part owners of Freehand Productions.
 
I challenge anyone to be surprised by this. The show is a disgrace. It really annoys me that the Yanks have managed to do quite a reasonable version but I find our version just bloody cringeworthy.

Awful TV show and frankly, got what it deserved.

Actually, I enjoy the Australian version much better than the American one. I find the hosts to be FAR more entertaining and "real" than our fake USA Hollywood counterparts. It's a shame though about this version, I quite liked it and was hoping it to stay on so I could at least have more TopGear to watch until the UK version comes out.

Even though it was a complete "copy" of TopGear, at least it worked (or at least I thought it worked). I live with roommates who are as religiously dedicated to TopGear as I am, and even they like the Australian version much better than the American.
 
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Shame, some much potential in an Ozzie show
 
That is depressing.

I JUST got into the Australia version. Thought it was even better than the US one. Granted TG|US season 2 is a great improvement. But TG|A already had more chemistry with their host. Now, I haven't watched the previous seasons, and from what AussieMike said it sounds like a cluster with hosts.

-John
 
the Yanks have managed to do quite a reasonable version but I find our version just bloody cringeworthy.

Awful TV show and frankly, got what it deserved.

Very true sir,

I've been quite impressed by the US version. It's taken the good points from the UK version but they've come up with a alternative show. It's got similar themes but there's a distinct American flavour to it. I hope they don't over playout the roadtrips in clunkers theme because that seems to be the main focus of the show but then again, that's one of the main things I liked about Top Gear.

On the other hand the Aussie version just fails in all regards. Just cancel it already. It doesn't work, it's not funny, it's badly made and me and a few mates could probably film a better episode using handicams.
 
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Strange to see the only ones happy with top Gear Australia's demise are Australians themselves =/

I for one, am saddened by this. The more Top Gear, the better. No matter if it's Top gear Australia, America, UK or whatever. As long as I can get my weekly dose of car crazyness I'm happy.
 
Im sad it is going away, but they never found the formula to get the show up the ground. They had the same sections, the same anti-american jokes and the silliness but instead of being spontaneous they always seemed like a very bad comedy sketch. Farewell TG Australia, we will miss the show that could have been but never was.
 
Wow. No surprise. Dump all the good things out (presenters, challenges, reviews...) and they're shocked they're not getting the ratings. They have NO idea how to manage a successful brand or show. Look at what's happening to Underbelly! Good riddens Nien! Thanks for fucking up our biggest chance for an Aussie car show!
 
9:30PM timeslot. Gun. Foot. Trigger.

Let it be said, as much as Ewen would like to bag us 'Ultras'; we didn't kill it. The budget, the producers, the programmers and ultimately the ratings killed TGA.

We were just the messengers.
 
umm....is what i changed the channel to just now a new episode of top gear australia????

i thought they bumped it, did i miss some news?

edit: no i didnt miss anything, apart from the fact i cant read properly :p

edit2: and they just showed a preview for next weeks episode?? actually looks alright
 
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