Beat a dead horse

So I already know everyones feelings about top gear America, but honestly the history ads to hype it up aren't much help. Now I know British top gear struggled quite a bit in it's early seasons but come on they broke the ice, shouldn't we learn from there mistakes. Also I'm seeing that the us version is remaking challenges that the uk has already done. Is it that hard to think of new challenges? Come here I'm sure we can think of a couple, sorry I'm ranting but I mean come on if your trying to compete with clarksons wit bring your A game.

I don't have high hopes for it but I'll wait till it actually airs to make up my mind for sure. I heard an interview with one of the hosts on the radio the other day, and I was impressed with his enthusiasm for the show.

Having only lasted to the first commercial break in the American version of Coupling, and having seen the US TG trailer exactly once, I'm strongly considering not even watching it.

The overwhelming majority of people who are casual viewers have NEVER seen, or probably HEARD of Top Gear from the UK. We, of course, have, and make up a tiny audience. Tiny audiences do not pay bills. They have recognized NASCAR-"related" hosts. With that fan base sitting out there, History is trying to get some of them over to its version of Top Gear, and pay the bills....

Take a look at the first part of this thread. After a short while the haters come out. http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=828719

Are the hosts going to drive through Northern Ireland with pro-British slogans painted on their cars?

...and then whine unendingly about how dangerous the local morons are?

triumph5 wrote: They have recognized NASCAR-"related" hosts.

Funny you should say that. The other day I saw a full page print ad in some magazine for TG US. I looked at the picture and said, "There is Tanner Foust and two other guys. Who are those two other guys anyway?"

I guess I need to do some googling - my NASCAR-fu is not strong.

Duke wrote: ...and then whine unendingly about how dangerous the local morons are?

Yeah... if there's one think about TG that gets a bit tiresome, it's the neverending "fat American" jokes... especially if you watch a lot of BBCA programs and see a lot of fat Brits as well... I know it's part of their shtick and not to be taken seriously, but still... it's like a dead horse...

I'm curious to see if more of TGA is 'real' vs. parts of TG that appear a bit far-fetched and edited. Like part of me wonders if VW really let Hammond race one of their Dakar Touregs down a ski mtn or if they put one of their own pro drivers in there and the shots of him inside is just good editing... The one difference is TGA's "Stig" is an actual named cast member, given that Foust is an established and accomplished racing driver. On TG, I get the impression that "Captain Slow" is really the most skilled driver of the three hosts and his "slowness" is just an act for comic effect.

In reply to Ian F:

I think May is certainly the smoothest if not the fastest. Look at the endurance racing special for proof. I will give the TGA a season or two to get good. I mean many shows aren't that good their first season, TG, South Park, etc. However if it is basically an ad show for the auto makers I am not going to watch.

D_Howard wrote: ...Also I'm seeing that the us version is remaking challenges that the UK has already done. Is it that hard to think of new challenges? ....

I don't see that as an issue. I hear there is a magazine that runs the SAME challenge every year!!! People still seems to like it though.

Also, the challenges can be done with an entirely different pool of cars. Being in California, they should be able to come up with some interesting stuff.

Beating a dead horse? Maybe beating a horse before it's even born based on assumptions....

I've read comments on other boards from people who were actually at the taping OR were invited since TG America uses their stuff- all the comments I've read were quite positive- more than enough for me to tune in.

if it's not as good as TG UK, but is better than most of the other US car shows out there, who cares? It's still maybe more entertaining than Motorweek, or Speed's dumb drive shows, or many, many shows that are from the US.

And it may end up being better.

But it's quite impossible to tell a week before you've even seen the first episode.

I really want TGA to be good. I think a lot of people forget, the first 3 or so seasons of New TG to get good. It's going to be a learning process. I would like to see TGA do things like LeMons, Chump Car, BABE rally, and then more serious racing events like Thunder Hill.

All I know is I saw some show with that Foust asshat and Paul Tracy where the banter from Foust was so weak and cheesy that I wanted Tracy to throat punch him to death. That didn't happen - so I watched MotoGP on Tivo instead.

Foust asshat... at least it isn't Dave Mirra.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: All I know is I saw some show with that Foust asshat and Paul Tracy where the banter from Foust was so weak and cheesy that I wanted Tracy to throat punch him to death. That didn't happen - so I watched MotoGP on Tivo instead.

That may simply be because the banter is contrived and Tracy is just a better actor than Foust is. Hell, Tracy in some ways has made a career out of being a bad-boy character. "king Tracy" as he was apparently called by his fellow IndyCar racers...

Anybody ever watch TG Australia? First season was horrible. I think I got 1.5 episodes in before I deleted the rest. Just for the heck of it (filling TG void) I decided to check out season 2. Pretty good, even with the accents. They brought in a new host, and I am pretty sure the guy he replaced was the most annoying in the first season.

I think TG America will be good. Great as the original, not a chance, but good.

Ian F wrote:

Duke wrote: ...and then whine unendingly about how dangerous the local morons are?

Yeah... if there's one think about TG that gets a bit tiresome, it's the neverending "fat American" jokes... especially if you watch a lot of BBCA programs and see a lot of fat Brits as well... I know it's part of their shtick and not to be taken seriously, but still... it's like a dead horse...

Simple answer: start some running shtick about British dentistry.

Ian F wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: All I know is I saw some show with that Foust asshat and Paul Tracy where the banter from Foust was so weak and cheesy that I wanted Tracy to throat punch him to death. That didn't happen - so I watched MotoGP on Tivo instead.

That may simply be because the banter is contrived and Tracy is just a better actor than Foust is. Hell, Tracy in some ways has made a career out of being a bad-boy character. "king Tracy" as he was apparently called by his fellow IndyCar racers...

I think I'd like to throat punch Paul Tracy, the man's voice, mannerisms and attitude just pisses me off. Tommy Kendall is at least entertaining and genuinely seems to enjoy driving cars quickly and talking about them.

Salanis wrote:

Ian F wrote:

Duke wrote: ...and then whine unendingly about how dangerous the local morons are?

Yeah... if there's one think about TG that gets a bit tiresome, it's the neverending "fat American" jokes... especially if you watch a lot of BBCA programs and see a lot of fat Brits as well... I know it's part of their shtick and not to be taken seriously, but still... it's like a dead horse...

Simple answer: start some running shtick about British dentistry.

Hmm...maybe guest appearances by Austin Powers?

I'm iffy about it too but ill keep an open mind. But if it becomes about arse kissing sponsors I'm out. At least Sundays and Mondays will be a good TV night.

So, for fun, I googled "throat punch." Urban dictionary has an ad for, you guessed it, TGA.

I just set the DVR up to record it. We'll see.

Ian F wrote:

Duke wrote: ...and then whine unendingly about how dangerous the local morons are?

Yeah... if there's one think about TG that gets a bit tiresome, it's the neverending "fat American" jokes... especially if you watch a lot of BBCA programs and see a lot of fat Brits as well... I know it's part of their shtick and not to be taken seriously, but still... it's like a dead horse...

Agreed. My youtube video about clarkson summarized this. (I eventually had to disable comments because all the venom from fanboys)

Ian F wrote:

Salanis wrote:

Ian F wrote:

Duke wrote: ...and then whine unendingly about how dangerous the local morons are?

Yeah... if there's one think about TG that gets a bit tiresome, it's the neverending "fat American" jokes... especially if you watch a lot of BBCA programs and see a lot of fat Brits as well... I know it's part of their shtick and not to be taken seriously, but still... it's like a dead horse...

Simple answer: start some running shtick about British dentistry.

Hmm...maybe guest appearances by Austin Powers?

British dentistry, and their food. Stuff with names like "Bovril" and "Spotted Dick" (steamed fat with currents in it) just begs to be made fun of.

Ian F wrote: Yeah... if there's one think about TG that gets a bit tiresome, it's the neverending "fat American" jokes...

Or the "intentionally ignorant TV show host" schtick. Which, really, is the premise of the entire show, with some cars thrown in.