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View Poll Results: Will Top Gear USA be good and will it last?
I think it'll be a good show and will last 3 20.00%
I think it will stink and won't go more than a season or two 12 80.00%
Voters: 15. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 10-20-2010
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Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

Courtesy of Jalopnik



Amid the Lambos and Vipers, the trailer for the new American Top Gear shows off one of the last bits of information we wanted: the premiere date. Set your Tivos for Sunday, Novmeber 21st on History.
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Old 10-20-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

More Top Gear USA trailers:



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Old 10-20-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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Originally Posted by sydude View Post
Set your Tivos for Sunday, Novmeber 21st on History.
What time?
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Old 10-20-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

10:00 PM Eastern
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Old 10-21-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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10:00 PM Eastern
sorry - i just dont think this show is going to do well without the original 3 dudes - who are what make the show.
plus there isnt a stig :/
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Old 10-21-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

It's going to be a different show with different personalities. It will have to stand on it's own and develop it's own style. They're using the same shooting style cinematographically speaking and that is a good and smart way to connect it to the original without doing the same things content wise. I like the look of what's being shot... Just don't have enough info to know if the personalities are going to work.

My measure of it's success will be if I didn't know about the other show and found this one would I be engaged, informed and entertained? If yes, I'll keep watching, if not... bye bye.

The shows we are getting now from England are a year behind and The Stig's already been fired for writing a book about the show and being The Stig. Don't know how things will shape up without Stiggy but sure they'll muddle through.

The American version will never be the English version but I'm going to give them a chance to find their way before deciding. Way too early to vote.
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Old 10-21-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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Originally Posted by GregS
plus there isnt a stig :/
They're doing their own Stig, the same as the UK version. Same suit, same everything.
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Old 10-21-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

It would be stupid not to have a Stig. The brand has been established to the point that it doesn't matter who is in the suit as long as they can put the cars at their limit consistently. The mystery is a big part of the fun.

The one missing component in what I've seen in the promos is a strong point of view. Too much "gee whiz, I get to drive these super cars as fast as I want!" gushing instead of the brutally honest evaluation we see on the British show that then takes them to task for the way the cars do and don't work. That may be in there but they haven't yet shown it in the promos.

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They're doing their own Stig, the same as the UK version. Same suit, same everything.
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Old 10-21-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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They're doing their own Stig, the same as the UK version. Same suit, same everything.
ah
now i finally know where jason holehouse went
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Old 10-21-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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The one missing component in what I've seen in the promos is a strong point of view. Too much "gee whiz, I get to drive these super cars as fast as I want!" gushing instead of the brutally honest evaluation we see on the British show that then takes them to task for the way the cars do and don't work. That may be in there but they haven't yet shown it in the promos.
EXACTLY!! I hate the I got to drive this car 180 mph stuff. seriously - who cares.

made me actually stop the promo video

the lack of wit makes this painful to watch.
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Old 10-21-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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EXACTLY!! I hate the I got to drive this car 180 mph stuff. seriously - who cares.
made me actually stop the promo video
the lack of wit makes this painful to watch.
I think we have "Fuggin eh" vs "Jolly good"
Agree, stfu about yourself and your heartbeat, geez! Seems like they're going for a different demographic by lowering the bar...and I def see this as lowering the bar. Otherwise why reinvent the wheel, is the UK Top Gear ending? Based on these previews I don't think I'd watch it, rather watch reruns of the original.

This seems to be, like so much programming these days, a dumbing down of something with a more intelligent appeal. Stupid TV is, if nothing else profitable, but all the gorgeous cinematography in the world doesn't make up for bad content and characters, at least not to me...we shall see.
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Old 10-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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EXACTLY!! I hate the I got to drive this car 180 mph stuff. seriously - who cares.

made me actually stop the promo video

the lack of wit makes this painful to watch.
Amen, brother.

IF they had MHP, Lombardi and Earwood as the line-up, I'd watch.

Holehouse as The Stig???
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Old 10-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers



Now that could work!

Since Jason has a new gig he'd share Stig duties with Slonaker

Great casting Oldred.

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Amen, brother.

IF they had MHP, Lombardi and Earwood as the line-up, I'd watch.

Holehouse as The Stig???
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Old 10-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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Amen, brother.

IF they had MHP, Lombardi and Earwood as the line-up, I'd watch.

Holehouse as The Stig???
or how about nick nick, jorge and stevie D

heck we could just do a pickem for the cast for every episode!
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  #15  
Old 10-24-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

60 Minutes (CBS) is doing a piece on Top Gear at 7:00pm ET TONIGHT (Sunday, October 24th).
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Old 10-24-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

Thanks Cheeky... The piece was wonderful. They have it up on their web site plus an additional piece about the conception of the show. Explains indirectly why we're skeptical about the US version being a success.

Top Gear on 60 Minutes
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Old 10-24-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

I am going to reserve judgement until I see the show - my only problem will be that when I think of Top Gear I can pretty much only relate to the BBC version so this will have to very pretty special to hold my interest. Based on everyone's comments so far - I think it will be a little weak in terms of content and entertainment value.
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Old 10-25-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

great find!
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Old 10-25-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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I think we have "Fuggin eh" vs "Jolly good"
Agree, stfu about yourself and your heartbeat, geez! Seems like they're going for a different demographic by lowering the bar...
Was it P.T Barnum who said "You'll never go broke under estimating the taste of the American public"?

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Originally Posted by oldredracer View Post
IF they had MHP, Lombardi and Earwood as the line-up, I'd watch.

Holehouse as The Stig???
How in the world could you ever convince the public that they weren't ACTORS??? And what about Watts and Earwood jumping pickup trucks - or shooting jumping pickup trucks - "PULLLLLL" And Stevie Dee???

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or how about nick nick, jorge and stevie D

heck we could just do a pickem for the cast for every episode!
Amen. Enough characters for a mini-series.
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Old 11-16-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

Thanks DD, excellent bit

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Old 11-17-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

I just gave a friend a giant coffee mug emblazoned with the British flag and that saying.
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Old 11-20-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

From Jalopnik: 1st USA Top Gear a bit stiff but they get better...

After five long years, Top Gear's American cousin debuts Sunday on the History Channel. You'll probably watch it anyway - but in the words of a very successful car guy: Is it any good?

Before we answer that question, I should beg your indulgence in noting that, yes, there are Top Gear ads all over this site and its sister and brother sites as well. That's why Ray asked me to review the show, as I have a certain distance, and besides, I think Ray might have fallen into the fan zone on this one.

Anyway. It's stretching the capabilities of understatement to say that the domestic edition of Top Gear has a great deal of work cut out for it. The original BBC production is a bona-fide sensation, a hit with people who don't even like cars. At its best, it's pitch-perfect, with the casual banter between the hosts, the high production values, and the obvious love of everything automotive combining into something really magic. It's lightning in a bottle, and there's really nothing else like it. Except now, of course, the History Channel is trying to make something just like it. And judging from the three episodes we saw, they certainly have their work cut out for them.

The premiere is going to be a little strange for most viewers. There's a bit of a touring-company feel to the whole thing, a vague sense of wedding-band cover-version, especially at first. The hosts for the U. S. show - in case you're one of the four or five enthusiasts who didn't apply and therefore don't know who got your dream job - are comedian Adam Ferrara, drift champ and stunt driver Tanner Foust, and Speed Channel guy Rutledge Wood, and initially I found myself wondering if they'd ever met previously, let alone spoken to one another. There's a Stig, too, but he's introduced in such a hapless manner that you're left wondering if the other hosts even understand his function; they sort of tell you he doesn't talk, and that's about it. "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" is now "Star In A Small Car," which is a Suzuki SX4 Sportback, rustled around their very own airport track by Buzz Aldrin in its maiden voyage after a rather wooden interview. And in the weirdest deja vu moment, the very first segment features Foust and Wood in a Viper being chased around a small Georgia town by a Cobra attack helicopter, a supposedly awesome thing we've all seen before and that seemed to be less a real TV show and more the work of incredibly well-financed and well-connected Top Gear re-enactors.

The good news is that it gets better. First, as the show goes on, the chemistry between the hosts improves by leaps and bounds. Rutledge Wood turns out to be a naturally funny guy, in a conversational sort of way, and starts to ease into his part faster than the others. Tanner Foust, the bona-fide driver of the group, actually seems comfortable with the others giving him a hard time, which will be a valuable job skill for him on this show. And Ferrara, who has the fewest car-guy credentials in the group, seems content to just hang out and almost never overplays the New York/New Jersey card.

Just as important, the segments also get less stilted as the show goes on. When Foust takes the wheel of a Lancer Evo to race two skiers down a mountain, it starts out seeming a little too familiar: Didn't Richard Hammond do something like this? But soon, you're enjoying it on its own merits, and it becomes exactly the sort of thing you want from any Top Gear. The same goes for a segment when the hosts challenge Foust to teach a blind man how to drift and then square off against him in a series of car-control challenges; the idea is familiar, but the execution starts to take on its own personality, especially when they're smart enough to take the guide dog along.

The show finally starts coming into its own in the third episode's Whiskey Challenge, in which each host is given a thousand bucks to buy a car and then take on a series of tests designed to celebrate America's bootleggers, without whom we wouldn't have so much of our great American motoring tradition. Whatever. The important part is that we finally get to the part of Top Gear that's universally loved - crap cars and good times. While it's not without its flaws, it's pretty darn good. Yes, rustbuckets go flying thick and fast, and so do the obvious stereotype jokes, but that's OK. Suddenly, about the time they figure out how to have fun with a trunk full of raw white whiskey and an open campfire, this stops being someone's fairly good idea of what Top Gear is and becomes a pretty good show about guys messing around with cars. And by the time they throw a big ol' Fleetwood off a dirt ramp, you stop wondering if you could do a better job than these guys and start wishing you had these guys' jobs. You aren't quite wishing you were these guys yet, but all in good time.

So yes, watch this show. At least record the first episode, just so History Channel folks know you're paying attention. But by all means, by the third episode you should have the snack tray full and an hour free, because this show has a damn good chance of being, if not lightning in a bottle, then white lightning in a jar. Rougher, at least at first. But no less fun.
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Old 11-20-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

And from tomorrow's NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/au....html?_r=1&hpw
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Old 11-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

It was better than I thought it'd be. Rutledge didnt annoy me as much as he does on SPEED. The worst was probally the three's interaction with one another. Seemed about as badly scripted and delivered as Paul Tracy's crap on SPEED. I think once those guys get more comfortable and actually seem to banter more than read a script by someone trying to replicate the original "bantering script", it'll be much better. The best part was probally the old school Viper bringing back fond, smoke filled memories and spanking the outrageous, and outrageously expensive Lambo's on the test track. I give it a "worth to watch on Sunday night".
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Old 11-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

Agreed Roger... They aren't comfortable in their Top Gear personas yet but it's worth giving them some time to develop.

The analogy I've been stretching is when Brian Williams took over the anchor seat from Tom Brokaw he looked a bit like a kid who didn't quite fit his father's suit. He didn't have the comfort level, sophistication or depth of the man he was replacing. He has, over time, developed those qualities and full ownership of the job. There is nothing tougher than trying to start a new variation of an already established personality driven show. The chemistry has to develop and we won't know for a while if that can happen here.

Some Top Gear fans are predisposed to hate this because it can't be as clever and funny without the brilliant original British 3 stooges but I think that misses the point. Yes this version is pale by comparison to the finely tuned British version but it is already so much more entertaining than pretty much any other automotive TV offering over here. Not wanting it to succeed is pretty short sighted.

BTW... Until proven otherwise I'm going to believe that Jason Holehouse is The Stig.
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Old 11-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

Wuldn't it make sense that Tanner is the Stig?? Who knows, maybe it's just the persona and the mask, much like "Zorro" with revolvong drivers..
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Old 11-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

That would certainly be the most cost effective way to handle it... Not knowing is the best part.

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Wuldn't it make sense that Tanner is the Stig?? Who knows, maybe it's just the persona and the mask, much like "Zorro" with revolvong drivers..
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Old 11-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

DVR'd it, haven't watched yet. During recording I took a look, was during an interview with Buzz Aldrin (thanks Jimal ) and I have to say I thought it was pathetic...no, not judging the show by the few minutes I saw, but the few minutes I saw happened to perfectly live up to my low expectations, my fear of a dumbing down, they nailed it in this segment. Bad timing I guess? The interviewer was quite stupid and uninformed, at least that is the way he came across. Will watch, finger on the fast forward button
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Old 11-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

Ok. I just watched it. It was pretty good. But...a question.

Let's say, just for giggles, that Cheekychicka and I can sing. Given the choice and a libretto by Lerner and Lowe, would you rather hear us or Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews sing 'My Fair Lady'??

Best of show was the Viper beating the Lamborghini. Vive le USA.
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Old 11-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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...The analogy I've been stretching is when Brian Williams took over the anchor seat from Tom Brokaw...
I'm sorry Pat, but coming from the 'Vincenzo Bellini' school of announcing, is anybody ever going to say out lout that Brokaw had (has) a speech impediment????? With so many talented and less biased talking heads around he always reminded me of a cross between "Rudy' and 'Forest Gump'.
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Old 11-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

Wasn't referring to his vocal limitations or politics as much as his sense of comfort and ownership of the job. His struggle with the "R" sound has been lambasted for years on Saturday Night Live and other comedy shows so I don't think it was a secret to anyone.

Surprised you're attacking him after his honoring of vets in the "Greatest Generation". Wasn't making the choice based on politics. Chose him because he was a network anchor for decades whose successor needed some seat time to find his own rhythm in that job even though he'd been anchoring news shows for years himself.

You've been an instructor for years and are really good at what you do but if you were suddenly given a gig at a track you'd never been to for a driving school that had a different format than you were used to it might take you a while to get back to that same comfort level you're at now at LRP eh?

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I'm sorry Pat, but coming from the 'Vincenzo Bellini' school of announcing, is anybody ever going to say out lout that Brokaw had (has) a speech impediment????? With so many talented and less biased talking heads around he always reminded me of a cross between "Rudy' and 'Forest Gump'.
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Old 11-22-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

Alas, all three of the Brits are wonderful linguists and our 3 stooges can't possibly compete that way. They just need to find their own voices a bit more clearly. Both the writers and on screen talent are feeling each other out. Only time will tell if it works well enough to hold an audience.
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Ok. I just watched it. It was pretty good. But...a question.

Let's say, just for giggles, that Cheekychicka and I can sing. Given the choice and a libretto by Lerner and Lowe, would you rather hear us or Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews sing 'My Fair Lady'??

Best of show was the Viper beating the Lamborghini. Vive le USA.
Oh yeah. In real life, the bull dies.
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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Surprised you're attacking him...etc
Oh sure. Use eloquence & logic to defend your position. My knee-jerk reaction to Brokaw actually goes back to Pete Fornitale on WNEW-but never mind.
My point was more that Top Gear is already being done rather well in England. Why would I watch a copy when I can see the original?
Nothing personal, Cheeky.
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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Let's say, just for giggles, that Cheekychicka and I can sing. Given the choice and a libretto by Lerner and Lowe, would you rather hear us or Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews sing 'My Fair Lady'??
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Nothing personal, Cheeky.
No offense taken. I've had 5yrs of theatrical voice training.
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

No big whoop...
My only guess about why the Brits are permitting it is the franchise fee. No real hope of topping what they've got at home but when they back up a Brinks truck and start dumping bags of cash out for rights to use the name and format... Well, I'd certainly have a hard time saying no.

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Oh sure. Use eloquence & logic to defend your position. My knee-jerk reaction to Brokaw actually goes back to Pete Fornitale on WNEW-but never mind.
My point was more that Top Gear is already being done rather well in England. Why would I watch a copy when I can see the original?
Nothing personal, Cheeky.
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Last edited by dalyduo; 11-23-2010 at 12:25 PM.
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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...goes back to Pete Fornitale on WNEW.
Fornatale, dang son, take me back
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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No offense taken. I've had 5yrs of theatrical voice training.
You people are all remarkably overquailfied.
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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Fornatale, dang son, take me back
Hey. I worked with Scott Muni, Roscoe and The Night Bird. I don't even care how Pete Fornitally spells his name. So there.
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QUALIFICATIONS 1987: Davidson: "Sammy Swindell's car runs a normally aspirated stock-block engine with Pontiac heads. It was developed by John Buttera." Palmer: "Wow, yeah, he used to play the sax with Louis Prima." Davidson: "That was Sam Butera." Palmer: "Oh, yeah."
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

What were you doing at WNEW back then?
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Hey. I worked with Scott Muni, Roscoe and The Night Bird. I don't even care how Pete Fornitally spells his name. So there.
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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What were you doing at WNEW back then?
I wrote the songs that made the whole world sing. Well, I was the board op who let you hear them, anyway.

William B. to Zacherle. That's me.
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QUALIFICATIONS 1987: Davidson: "Sammy Swindell's car runs a normally aspirated stock-block engine with Pontiac heads. It was developed by John Buttera." Palmer: "Wow, yeah, he used to play the sax with Louis Prima." Davidson: "That was Sam Butera." Palmer: "Oh, yeah."
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

I'm old enough to know that must have been a cool gig.

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I wrote the songs that made the whole world sing. Well, I was the board op who let you hear them, anyway.

William B. to Zacherle. That's me.
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Old 11-23-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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Hey. I worked with Scott Muni, Roscoe and The Night Bird. I don't even care how Pete Fornitally spells his name. So there.
wired a bit tight ORR? I didn't even notice the typo...I remember all those folks, good stuff - LOL Zackerly
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Old 12-11-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

Getting back on topic for a moment...
I've viewed the first 3 episodes of Top Gear and I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would. Certainly more than anything else on American television about cars. (Can you say "Pinks" "Chop Cut Rebuild" "Gearz" "Barrett Jackson" "Two Guys Garage" etc. etc. etc.) The moonshine-transporting piece was actually funny with Tanner's spitting high-octane alcohol into the campfire and sleeping in the cars being in the right spirit of the show and that piece. We are starting to see their personalities emerge and that takes time. We'll see if they are able to maintain and elevate it as the original has but I'm still cautiously optimistic.
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Old 12-12-2010
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

HD Theater has some excellent motor programming, and as the name implies the image quality is usually amazing. Isle of Mann TT, Cafe Racer, World Rally, Chasing Classic Cars, Mecum & Christies auctions, many specials. Last night I watched a fabulous 2 hr show Mille Miglia: The Spirit of a Legend, and an hour long show about the Shel and Cobra Daytona Coupes, awesome. It is not all automotive, but what is has is what should be on Speed.

Still not fully up to speed on TG USA.
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Old 02-16-2011
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Re: Top Gear USA Premieres November 21st, Debuts New Trailers

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It's going to be a different show with different personalities. It will have to stand on it's own and develop it's own style. They're using the same shooting style cinematographically speaking and that is a good and smart way to connect it to the original without doing the same things content wise. I like the look of what's being shot... Just don't have enough info to know if the personalities are going to work.

My measure of it's success will be if I didn't know about the other show and found this one would I be engaged, informed and entertained? If yes, I'll keep watching, if not... bye bye.

The shows we are getting now from England are a year behind and The Stig's already been fired for writing a book about the show and being The Stig. Don't know how things will shape up without Stiggy but sure they'll muddle through.

The American version will never be the English version but I'm going to give them a chance to find their way before deciding. Way too early to vote.
Well, at least it's not original.

Admittedly, it was a little wierd being wished a Merry Christmas last week.
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