Top Gear USA

[KFunk]

We can snub our noses at it all we want, since we're the kind of car nerds that have seen the UK version. It'll never be right to us, no matter how much they try.

But, the fact is that my mom and my two young male cousins love the show and think it's one of the best new shows on TV. They're not really car people, either. They've never seen the original one, and I don't think they're interested in it. They'd rather hear Americans talk, anyways.

It is more entertaining than most of the shows on american TV, sadly enough. It's extravagant and over the top in terms of money and adventure, while most of the competition on cable TV involves following someone around at their regular job and over-dramatizing the crap out of it.

Like it or not, it is more entertaining than the few lame car shows that are left on TV. This show will probably be around quite a while, as long as they manage to outweigh their budget that has to be much higher than the very cheap to produce reality shows.

[SteveJ]

while most of the competition on cable TV involves following someone around at their regular job and over-dramatizing the crap out of it.

I bet you people would watch if I did a reality cooking show of me making a mundane dinner when I get home from work. 22 and a half minutes of me putting some Ore-Ida fries on a cookie sheet into the oven, and then making some ham and cheese sandwiches on the stove.

Tomorrows episode: Campbells soup.

Bone Apeteet.

[Harv]

I think the biggest problem with US TG is that we have seen the UK shows.

The poster above is right in that if you had never seen the UK version the US TG would be good. Give em time. The chemistry can't happen over night.

I watched the show last night and even though it was a copy of a UK episode, it was a lot of fun to watch.

I'm starting to like Rutledge more.

John

[justinevert]

The best way I could describe the show would be to compare it to another US answer to an British export, namely The Beatles;

May I introduce to you: THE MONKEYS!!

Granted they were before the time to some people here on the site, but the is the only way I can describe them.

The tall fat guy, Micheal Nesbit (Trying to make him like Clarkson? - good luck with that)

Tanner Foust, Davey Jones (sorry Davey), let me guess Hammond?

Adam Jersey Boy, leaning toward Mickey Dolenz, - I would pick Capt. Slow in a paint drying contest

The first couple of episodes are painful to watch, the moonshine one was much better (I wonder if our chaps across the pond would have fair better with the corn liquor)

They need to tweak the cast a bit, someone who gives a damn about cars in the most primative manner (like me) and definitely spend some $$ on better writing. Half the fun on watch the good stuff is what Clarkson is going to say.

My .02 cents.

Justin

[SteveJ]

And music written by Neil Diamond and others.

Davey Jones's rise to American fame was why David Bowie changed his name.

And, I seem to recall Nesmith had some music released some 10-15 yeras ago that was good.

[Schweineback]

Top Gear USA: ambitious, but rubbish.

[tjones02]

Decent for a Tanner and who are they show.... Should have had Adam Carolla and Chris Titus with Tanner. It's better than I still expected, and I suspect that it'll get better over time. TGUK wasn't completely awesome the first season either. Let's hope these guys can hold onto this for a second and+++ season.

Watching this version of TGUS reminds me of Jay Leno's comments when asked if he would be interested in being a part of TGUS.......

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/jay-leno-turns-down-nbc-top-gear-offer-fears-network-will-ruin-it-6853.php

TGUS should have been picked up by PBS not NBC or the History channel because on network television you simply can't bash a car company for making a bad car and expect them to sponsor you the next week.... wait! PBS in the US has become sponsored by corporations in the past 10 or so years anyway. Ah, phooey.... and do you really think they think they are pulling one over our heads, it's a US 47 minute format, and feels that way compared to the UK full 60min....

[KFunk]

Rutledge actually is the key recognizable presenter for most of the real audience, and the others are just extras that need to grow on them.

That's because Rutledge has been slowly building up millions of fans via Nascar for years. He's usually the comic relief during otherwise boring Nascar races, during which much of the audience cares more about drama and fun than they do racing. He's just kind of a dumb/funny guy that tries real hard, and that's endearing to a whole lot more people than the car nerds such as us.