Automotive News, Media & Press - Discovery Shoots Top Gear US Pilot - Series May Follow

JC sporting a baseball cap? Hammond and May swapping high-fives? Certainly not! However...

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The Stig arrives in the States to show 'em what Top Gear is all about

January 18, 2006

The Top Gear telly programme has quietly become a global phenomenon. Recent figures suggested an extraordinary viewership, something in the region of one billion people across the globe.

This explains why Jeremy gets mobbed on the streets of Dubai, why Richard Hammond is swooned over by housewives in Auckland and why James May will shortly appear on a series of commemorative stamps in Luxembourg. Probably.

Only one country has been strangely resistant to the charms of three blokes cocking about in an old aircraft hangar - the United States of America. Until now.

Earlier this year, Discovery decided they wanted in on the Top Gear action, starting with 18 repackaged programmes using existing items from TG UK.

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A proper test track and sunshine... this can't be Top Gear


Accordingly, our plucky lads spent five days at the Top Gear base recording new studio links in a more, er, Yank-friendly way. Basically, getting Jeremy not to call them fat and stupid.

This, however, was a mere entree for Discovery's main plan: to make their own version of Top Gear on US soil. Their own studio, their own test track, even - since our boys were too busy and anyway James May doesn't like places that don't serve a decent cup of tea - their own presenters.

That's why last year a brand new TG USA production team assembled deep in the Mojave desert to create a pilot show for their version of Britain's favourite almost-Bafta-winning car programme.

And, like their idea of what constitutes a decent cup of coffee, the American take on Top Gear wasn't entirely the same as ours.

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'Shouting "Bring on the Stig" just sounds cooler in an American accent'

Instead of a shabby hangar and a track built around airfield taxiways, they got a pit garage and a proper circuit.

Instead of filling the studio with 200 grunting Subaru drivers, they did without an audience.

And instead of The Tall One, The Short One and The Other One, they hired three rather different American presenters: Bruno, a professional drag racer with casual tales of crashing at 230mph; John, the super keen jock, blessed with quaint 'sir and m'am' good manners that only Americans can do; and Johnny, a former reality show winner with a nice line in weird humour.

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Fortunately rain didn't interrupt proceedings... ever. It's the desert


Fortunately some reference points remained, including Star In A Reasonably Priced Car.

But, to set the power laps, there could be no substitute - the Stig was flown to the US and stunned everyone with his blistering pace as he hammered a CLS55, Charger SRT-8 and Mustang GT around the circuit.

After two days' shooting, the show that popped out the other end was something familiar and yet rather different.

For one thing, filming in sunshine gives the show a glossy feel a million miles from another drizzle-sodden canter down a runway in Surrey. And shouting 'Bring on the Stig' just sounds cooler in an American accent.

If Discovery likes the pilot show, a series will follow. Then the US can enjoy a weekly shot of Top Gear, just like the rest of the world.

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Atleast there will be some normal analyzing of cars. Rather than since the car was built in the USA its garbage like the regular Top Gear made it seem. Every american car they got they bashed on fuck that its not worth my time, if they don't like the C6.
-Joel

Atleast there will be some normal analyzing of cars. Rather than since the car was built in the USA its garbage like the regular Top Gear made it seem. Every american car they got they bashed on fuck that its not worth my time, if they don't like the C6.
-Joel

Are you joking? The hosts and their wit MAKE the show. Discovery will be lucky if they can even get half the entertainment and hard hitting opinions of the original.

Whatever, man. I agree you need to have strong opinions and wit that give a host a certain personality like on TG UK, but how can you even deny they don’t have an "anti-bias" towards US cars. Granted, the vast majority of ours car cant handle the Autobahn the way German cars do,(not talking about the American cars that have merit being on a show like that) but they TRASH some of our most outstanding vehicles. We're two DIFFERENT cultures, and I'm sure some American hosts would have some DIFFERENT things to say about American, Japanese, and European cars alike. I sure as hell hope a pure US version is successful.

EDIT: P.S. Does anyone know when the pilot will air?

I've got a bad feeling about this one. The studio audience of the BBC's TopGear gives it a certain charisma that may be lost.

And honestly I can't imagine an entertaining TopGear without Clarkson, May, and Hammond hosting it. They are great, and the current show is great.

If this turns out ANYTHING like Motortrend's asstastic show or any of the other useless 'car shows' they show in the US it will be a real shame.

Discovery has made some cool shows in the past therefore I will at least give them a chance, but *replace* Top Gear absolutely never. I'd rather have the repackaged Top Gear programs than a wannabe show.

I don't see the anti-American car bias that everyone else is talking about. They're biased against anything that isn't a Porsche. Hell, even Hammond went out and bought an old school lime green Charger (or was it a Challenger). Clarkson loved it too.

its entertaining, screw it if they rag on american cars. Those guys trip me out.

That show is going to suck balls, give me the unmolested Brit version, the hosts make that show.

It's a funny show! I agree it will be tough to recreate it without the same hosts.

IMO, they didn't "rip" on the C6, they talked alot of shit about us, making fun of "the colonies" but they admitted that C6 stackup pretty well with the 911 ;)

Are you joking? The hosts and their wit MAKE the show. Discovery will be lucky if they can even get half the entertainment and hard hitting opinions of the original.

Ditto.

Yes, they make fun of Americans and our cars. But they do the same to the French, the Germans, the Japanese, and everyone else. That's what makes the show. Note that they still have a great deal of respect for the capabilities of the American cars - Vette, Monaro (basically a GTO) and 300C for example. If I can't see Jeremy Clarkson, it's just not even worth watching. I'll see if I can buy DVDs of the real BBC Top Gear rather than watch Discovery's dumbed down version for free on cable.

Wait - my wife just told me that we can get BBC on digital cable! She loves the real Top Gear too :) Yes I am very lucky.

Instead of Jeremy making jokes about the US being fat and stupid we will end up with Top Gear hosted by people who are fat and stupid.

Maybe if Jay Leno, Dan Neil (the witty LA Time critic who raised GM's ire over his thoughts on the G6) and someone from MPH magazine were hosting it instead...

I think they have tried recreating a 'Brit' show before and it failed. But I will definitely give it a chance if I get a chance to see it on Discovery.

Also, I would like to see a previous showing of "Top Gear" even if it may spoil my first impression of an American copy.

I think they have tried recreating a 'Brit' show before and it failed. But I will definitely give it a chance if I get a chance to see it on Discovery.
It failed because it was on at a bad time and they took out all the humoUr.

For Example, they actually Bleeped out the name of the Volvo when they were playing car Darts because Dsicovery didn't want to piss off Volvo (Ford) as an Advertiser.

They removed every critical negative thing JEremy said about a car, thus cutting the show's length...and charm.

They removed every critical thing Jeremy said about the United States, because as a whole we Americans can't stand up to some honest criticism (witness the reaction of the C6 review on CorvetteForum).

Also, I would like to see a previous showing of "Top Gear" even if it may spoil my first impression of an American copy.
Blah... the American versions were sad bastardizations of the original.


Here is the thing. Watch any American car show and it's not "Car and Driver TV" it's "Infomercial TV". Our Media tries so hard to not piss off Advertisers while giving the illusion of unbiased reporting that you end up with stale card board. Meanwhile Top Gear calls a spad a spade. Is the Corvette a great car? Hell yes? Did it deserve to be criticised for the rear suspension, cheap interior and spotty build quality on the body panels? Of course! I love my Trans Am but it has faults, every car does.

FWIW one of their favorite cars is actually the Vauxhal Monaro (Pontiac GTO). They just simply gush over the car every time they drive it, and don't forget too that Jeremy Clarkston owns, not a Ferrari or Aston Martin but a Ford GT.

PS to all of you that think Top Gear is America Bashers, watch this review of the M5. They were ten times as hard on the M5 as the Corvette.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5363968757069908445&q=top%20gear

At least they didn't call the Corvette Ugly ;)

Top Gear is equal opportunity Haters...gotta love em.

Top Gear is equal opportunity Haters...gotta love em.
Thats why i do. Ill admit at first i hated him, but now i love him.

If it was hosted by say, Jay Leno, Tim Allen and Dan Neil (who drew GM's ire for his witty LA Times G6 review) then it would be something.

Or maybe if they plucked three writers from MPH Magazine...

For any that are interested in viewing the BBC's Top Gear episodes check out www.finalgear.com. They have a downloads section with the last few seasons all up on bittorrent, the full episodes.

If it was hosted by say, Jay Leno, Tim Allen and Dan Neil (who drew GM's ire for his witty LA Times G6 review) then it would be something.

Or maybe if they plucked three writers from MPH Magazine...Yea I had about given up on the American print media until I saw that magazine.... sort of a cross between MAxim and EVO..

Why is it assumed that Americans need to be spoon fed their own version of a show? Or that we can do it better? I much rather see the original show or movie instead of Hollywood crapping it up and dumb-ing it down for us. There's no original ideas in Hollywood anymore. Has anyone else noticed the rediculous number of remakes lately?

King Kong, Bad News Bears, When a Stranger Calls, Miami Vice, The Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poseiden (Poseiden Adventure), Mr & Mrs Smith (Prizzis Honor), Tristan & Isolde, Cheaper By The Dozen, Guess Who, Herbie, The Fog, War of the Worlds, Amityville Horror, The Pink Panther, Ocean's 11 & 12, The Longest Yard, Annapolis (looks like An Officer and A Gentleman).....then there is the comic book and TV shows. :rolleyes:

WTF? I guess they have to make money somehow.

WTF? I guess they have to make money somehow.
No, the WANT TO make money somehow.

Why is it assumed that Americans need to be spoon fed their own version of a show? Or that we can do it better? I much rather see the original show or movie instead of Hollywood crapping it up and dumb-ing it down for us.

I agree. They did the same thing with BBC's The Office and it pissed me off. Top Gear is perfect as it is and has a big following here due to the internet, I think Discovery is really wasting money shooting a US flavor fo this market when they should just be airing it as is with no edits.

I agree. They did the same thing with BBC's The Office and it pissed me off. Top Gear is perfect as it is and has a big following here due to the internet, I think Discovery is really wasting money shooting a US flavor fo this market when they should just be airing it as is with no edits.
I dont know i think the office is hilarious. But as far as the top gear goes im pretty sure the people on this board, and fans of the original aren't the "target" audience.

Are you joking? The hosts and their wit MAKE the show. Discovery will be lucky if they can even get half the entertainment and hard hitting opinions of the original.


Word. Some people can't take a joke, I think they are hysterical. Does the original show still air on the Discovery Channel? I've seen it listed on Discovery Science, but I dont get that channel. :confused:

If you like the show, try reading the mag, you can get it at Barnes & Noble, it's alot like the show, some of the articles are pretty damn funny

Word. Some people can't take a joke, I think they are hysterical. Does the original show still air on the Discovery Channel? I've seen it listed on Discovery Science, but I dont get that channel. :confused:

It was but they edited all the reviews to make them shorter and the hosts reshot some of the scenes.