What TGUS Presenter to Drop? [Part 2]

What TGUS Presenter to Drop? [Part 2]

  • Total voters
    322
I voted None. Looking forward to season 2, should be fun.
 
I voted none. Sure the hosts aren't perfect, bet I would much rather see them try and improve the skills that need improving.

Of the people that did vote to drop a host, it seems that the majority of them voted for Ferrara. I think that he has great potential, especilly after seeing his stand-up. Sure, I was a bit disappointed in his driving skills and knowledge but that can change. Maybe they could send him to skip barber or something like that, but not drop him.
 
So I finally got utorrent last night and watched the first two shows.

In brief, enjoyed them immensely, realise it's early days and they are still finding their feet, didn't expect them to be facsimiles of JC RH and JM, can't understand all the negativity and think things are fine as they are.

Voted: None.
 
MWF said:
In brief, enjoyed them immensely, realise it's early days and they are still finding their feet, didn't expect them to be facsimiles of JC RH and JM, can't understand all the negativity and think things are fine as they are.
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That's a pretty accurate summary of the show so far, and what most of us (non-trolls) think about it as well. The 3rd episode was arguably the best, so I encourage you to keep watching :).

My only slight reservation after viewing the entire season, is for a guy who's meant to be a comedian, Adam Ferrara wasn't particularly humorous. This of course doesn't mean he should be dropped, but with Tanner and Rutledge being far more knowledgable about cars, that was sort of his piece to bring to the table.

However, I understand he might not have had the chance to write a lot of his own material or script his own bits, so I look forward to what he can do in (fingers crossed) Season 2. Voted none.
 
Top Gear is scripted? :jawdrop:


Sorry, couldn't resist that one.
 
Well... perhaps the US one.

I certainly wouldn't expect that from Jeremy Clarkson and the Emmy Award winning "Best Non-scripted television entertainment show that wasn't made in America..." :p
 
I thought that the first poll was based on an erroneous assumption. It's clear now that Jason Dawe was dropped due to a reformatting of the show, when Clarkson and Wilman realized that they didn't have to hang on to all of the elements of Old Top Gear that they included in Season 1. So they reduced the focus on used cars (they didn't eliminate it entirely until some time in Season 3), then brought in someone who they felt could do what they wanted to do better than Dawe could, namely James (who'd already proven himself on Old Top Gear). There's no need for a change in format in TGUS, since they're already applying the Top Gear formula, therefore no need to replace anyone.

(And, of course, there's the Elephant In The Room of what would have happened with Jason Dawe had he stayed. He did a couple of road tests that were actually better than James' early ones. He might have turned out as well as James did. We'll never know.)

Why would Worldwide want to replace one of the hosts in the first place? I think they've learned their lesson quite well from the revolving door that is TGAUS. Both TGUS and TGAUS now have the same group of hosts: comic actor (Ferrara and Jacobson), racing driver (Foust and Pizzati), and car expert (Wood and Page). Both shows were showing signs that the hosts were clicking as of about the third episode. And both shows showed signs of improvement very quickly. It seems to be working. Why screw with it?

Conclusions: James May is Ringo. TGUS and TGAUS are essentially the same show, both with funny accents. And no one on any of the three shows need to be replaced.
 
Actually Clarkson and Wilman wanted May all along, but he wasn't sure about the whole new format and declined so Jason Dawe was brought in instead.

Once May saw the finished results of Season 1 he agreed to come on board.

That's as far as I am aware of events anyhoo.
 
MWF said:
Actually Clarkson and Wilman wanted May all along, but he wasn't sure about the whole new format and declined so Jason Dawe was brought in instead.

Once May saw the finished results of Season 1 he agreed to come on board.
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There's still the question of why the change happened. Given Season 2, when the format was still in flux, they could easily have stuck with Dawe. That evolution in format gave them the window to make the offer to James again. There's no arguing with results, though; the change worked. But it only worked because the format was still in flux. It isn't today. They seem to have figured out a host collection that works within the format, and those pieces aren't as interchangeable as they once were. It's now counter-productive to change hosts. The only logical answer to the poll is "no one".
 
i must say that Adam has to go but with that said, the lambo test was awsome when he was shifting gears and swearing after each one, that was real and genuine.
 
Well, it's official. No one's going anywhere!
 
Where's the button for "Flush 'em all and start over?"
 
I don't think any of them should go, their roles will be more defined in the following episodes. Many issues with the show are simply down to the fact that the concept is new to Americans. When the "new" format for TG UK was introduced in 2002, at least they had something to work from, the old format. Even the idea of using an old airfield, harks back to post-WW2 racing and development.

I do think given time, the show and the presenters will improve. What many people lack here, is perspective. They've had fifteen series to make TG UK great, TG US only has one. Ideas take time to develop.
 
I guess it's cos I'm a Brit, or something, but it's interesting to me that the order in which I like the presenters is the opposite of what those who wnat change have voted for. Tanner Faust is the weakest of the three to my mind, while Ferrara cracks me up. I takes all sorts I guess.

And at the risk of sounding like ahpadt but I realised tonight watching 3 and 4 why I enjoy it so much. They review cars, tell you something about them and have opinions but manage to keep things entertaining and exciting without feeling the need to kiss the manufacturers' arses.

Kind of reminds me of a show I used to watch here a few years ago. ;)
 
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I was split between Adam Ferrara and Rutledge Wood as for who to give the boot. I agree, if these three are given another season or two to get comfortable then maybe this could turn into a good series. But season one, let's be honest, was not that good. Period. It had its moments and was able to bring in stars that Americans actually know (compared to watching Top Gear UK, especially the older episodes, and not having a clue as to who in the hell half the people are), but Wood was not a good "#1 guy" or whatever you would like to call it, as he had very little skill when actually interviewing those stars, and none of the three displayed any charm or wit that made TGUK the success that it is. Ferrara is really not that funny, especially when you consider that his career is as a comedian and is the most questionable of the three hosts as to how he landed this gig. Foust, while an accomplished driver, again comes off as boring and reserved, which isn't what people want to see when watching Top Gear, but it's fixable by him loosening up.

The humor is forced, the chemistry is lacking, and the episodes are 42 minutes long compared to the full hour or more TGUK episodes are. I'll give them another season to redeem themselves - it looks like the History Channel will as well - but unless there is a big leap forward from season one to season two, there needs to be some serious discussions as to possible host changes, if not - dare I say it - cancelling the series altogether. Sorry to sound like one more Negative Nancy, because there were some moments throughout season one of TGUS that I enjoyed, but for my money, I'll still chose TGUK every day of the week.
 
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