NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear? - Jalopnik Comments

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

BushAutoBlog — Sat, 17 May 2008 00:38:49 EDT

I was really hoping TopGear would make it's way across the pond for the fellow gear heads here in America. I heard that the US networks did not like the types of reviews that the British hosts gave the cars. Basically, they can't hold good sponsors if they have a host pointing out all of the problems that the cars may have. But, that's the whole point to the show, an entertaining yet candid test of the cars featured. That's US corporate television for ya, just make money and forget if the content is actually any good.

As for Jay Leno, I heard he publicly denied any association with a US TopGear. However, now that it's known that Jay will no longer host the tonight's show, perhaps he has something else in the works as far as a car themed program. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

[bushautoblog.com]

BushAutoBlog

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

b33g33 — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:36:28 EDT

The prospect of NEVER having to see Jimmy Kimmel lurching around an airstrip in a Chevy Tahoe while surrounded by girls on trampolines has given the rest of the day a warm, peachy glow.

b33g33

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

eyeboy — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:40:21 EDT

or more specifically...

[tvunderground.org.ru]

eyeboy

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

eyeboy — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:39:00 EDT

@stevecmh:

www.tvunderground.org.ru

i beleive someone realised that adam carrolla was the host, that preview clip i saw made me throw up in my mouth a little.

eyeboy

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

domino — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:39:05 EDT

@Stoatmaster:

please excuse my ignorance. i assumed there was a whole range of gag-inducing yellow paint, to attract specific varities of whores and golddiggers.

domino

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Stoatmaster — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:46:31 EDT

@dominetta_vitali:

But we know what shade of yellow...

Stoatmaster

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Stoatmaster — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:45:47 EDT

@smoke~: I once paid the UK license fee. All it did was allow the BBC to flaunt its unabashed political bias and Euro-Marxist social agenda.

*******

Smoke, old bean, I do hope that you're being wilfully provocative.

The fee allowed the production of Top Gear, and any number of other shows that don't have to turn a profit. Which is vaguley on topic, 'cos it's why the the thing won't really translate very easily.

Taking your off-topic bit even further off, your political/social bias stuff is just tedious right-wing paranoia. The Beeb has conservatives, radicals, and couldn't-give-a-tossers all under the same roof. Just fancy.

Now, back to the cars...

Stoatmaster

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

domino — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:42:19 EDT

i was not looking forward to an american bastardization of "top gear" that would have to be dumbed down for the masses and controlled by advertisers.

the majority of americans don't even know what a top gear is, or what a gear is. the masses only care about cupholders, whether their obese kids can sit in the backseat watching disney movies, or what shade of yellow pulls the most ass.

domino

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

stevecmh — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:58:05 EDT

why cant we just get the british version

stevecmh

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

SpeedWagon - Needs COTD bailout. — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:02:49 EDT

No Jay Leno, No show...

SpeedWagon - Needs COTD bailout.

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

GTBruiser — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:27:12 EDT

@Novaload: Man, Auto Trader ad was kind of spooky!

GTBruiser

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

944turb0 — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:21:44 EDT

I hope so. Torrents and crappy BBC America recut of the original is all I need.

944turb0

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

wonkydonky — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:28:51 EDT

@dolo54: -after rubbing it on his head first for a little more styling 'product' action.

wonkydonky

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

JoeWoodsprite — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:12:28 EDT

The pissing off sponsors thing is way overblown. They can easily avoid that by skipping most of the car tests. If the road test doesn't end up completely glowing, don't broadcast that test. Instead, do a road test of a M1A1 Tank, Oscar Meyer Weeniemobile or similar. Focus most of the show on the kinds of outrageous tests that really get people to watch the show in the first place. Best $500 car to go racing in could be a weekly segment all by itself. Drag races of home-built electric vehicles, best $3000 non-truck 1960's vehicle to drive from Seattle to Fairbanks Alaska, or even a James Bond vehicle comparison test. The ideas for car based entertainment are endless.

JoeWoodsprite

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

TriShield — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:42:02 EDT

What NBC was trying to make wasn't Top Gear, it was a shameful, dumbed-down ripoff. One that would have never held a candle to the real thing.

Thank God it's dead and I hope it stays that way.

As Clarkson wrote in his Callaway Corvette review his show is watched as-is by the entire world but somehow Americans have to screw with it for it to be acceptable. That's sad.

I hope that another network besides Discovery and BBC America gives the original Top Gear the primetime spot it deserves in the US.

TriShield

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

joeaverage — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:26:51 EDT

NBC will screw it up - I just know it. And once again we'll get another big commercial for the big 2.8.

I think I'll stick with the Brit versions of TopGear and FifthGear.

Are there anymore imported TV shows I ought to be looking for? Anyhting from South Africa or Australia?

joeaverage

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

smokyburnout — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:12:33 EDT

@wonko: the link within your link is a bit more credible...
[www.nbc.com]

smokyburnout

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

wonko — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:08:23 EDT

Apparentyly it is still on based on this site quoting NBC:

[www.thefutoncritic.com]

wonko

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

SweetZombieJesus — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:59:38 EDT

I don't want to write it off until we at least see it first.

It could be a mid-season replacement. It could be slated to appear on one of NBC/Universal's subnetworks like Sci-Fi, Universal HD, etc.

SweetZombieJesus

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

EMPM, Esq. — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:46:06 EDT

@Blue387: Ken Burns presents Top Gear? Ken Burns skeeves me out more than Adam Carolla.

EMPM, Esq.

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Blue387 — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:41:06 EDT

What if this were on PBS?

Blue387

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

dolo54 — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:20:37 EDT

@GameBreaker: yeah I Tivo Top Gear as well. They don't really need an American version. And Adam Corolla skeeves me out. He constantly looks like he just ate a huge greasy hamburger or something. Kinda like that Jared guy.

dolo54

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Brian B — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:12:32 EDT

I will be disappointed if this show is ultimately stillborn. While I'm sure it has a much better chance of sucking than not, it would be better to give it a chance - let it live or die on it's own merits. As others have noted, we have enough craptastic programming out there. Even a so-so offering featuring cars would be a huge improvement.

Brian B

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

PBRMEASAP — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:09:54 EDT

I cannot tell you how happy I am that this show isn't going to be made. There is NO WAY IN HELL that we can make a show as good as the original. For all the reasons stated above.

PBRMEASAP

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Kelly — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:49:39 EDT

While I know this means fewer automobiles on the television screen, I couldn't be happier to see 'Merican "Top Gear" fail before being made.

Kelly

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Evil-Jeremy — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:46:23 EDT

Thank goodness.

I could not have handled NBC ruining Top Gear.

Evil-Jeremy

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

bigfatflip — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:37:57 EDT

It's the kind of anticipation you feel watching a car wreck about to happen and the disappointment few seconds later after the driver luckily and blindly swerve to safety.

bigfatflip

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

lascauxcaveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:35:04 EDT

From my TV industry days, let me see if I can remember how this works:

In a nutshell,

1) A producer/production company gets an idea for a show from a writer/producer/potential cast member, and writes up a treatment for it, along with a couple sample episodes in storyboard form.

2) It gets shopped around networks to pay a development fee to get the rights, they bring on more writers/producers to try and flesh it out, get potential on-air talent (stars) interested in it. Things get fleshed out, stars sign on, or not.

3) A sample episode gets made, focus grouped, re-staffed, re-shot, re-edited, rehashed, re-debated. Step 3 gets repeated as often as necessary.

4) Network finally says "Go with it" and orders 26 episodes; some or most of these get made.

5) Show gets on the air, gets ignored/finds an audience/becomes a bit hit.

Lots and lots of shows get as far as step 2 as many as a dozen times before ever getting to step 5, if at all. Top Gear USA isn't dead. It's just at step 1 and 2 for the foreseeable future.

lascauxcaveman

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

TPSreports — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:31:33 EDT

This is the same bunch whose Dateline NBC program rigged explosives to GM trucks to make crashes are fires more spectacular in the early 1990s, and then denied it.

I'd love to see some Americanized radical comical version of Top Gear come out with an episode and lampoon that bit of pathetic "news" history. Further drive a stake through the heart of the alphabets. David Letterman was right when he repeatedly said GE SUCKS.

TPSreports

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

K5ING — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:24:43 EDT

The only reason the "Three Stooges" (Clarkson, Hammond and May) aren't doing it themselves is because they didn't want to spend so much time in the USA.

If I were producing it, I would ship US-available cars over to the UK and let Clarkson and crew test them over there. The show would have two slightly different versions. Both shows would have the same challenges and comedy, but while the UK show would feature cars for them, the US version would feature tests and reviews for cars we get over here in the US. It would increase the workload for them by around 50%, but you would wind up getting two seperate shows that would fly on both sides of the pond.

K5ING

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Tomsk the red-nosed reindeer — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:23:57 EDT

Good news: (Maybe) no sullying of the Top Gear brand.
Bad news: A new car show (maybe) stillborn.

Tomsk the red-nosed reindeer

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

IamZardoz — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:21:04 EDT

No need to copy that offal of a brit show. If NBC had any brains they would just have a regular type car show with Jay Leno similar to the Jay Leno's Garage thing on the net. He knows his stuff about cars, likes to drive em and can be funny or serious without much trouble. I think a show like that in prime time would be better for NBC than some other crappy murder show, lawyer show, doctor show or sitcom.

IamZardoz

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

CEman — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:16:02 EDT

@Dr.Danger's got it all:
Okay. Thanks for the clarification.

I am still not sure how a story on Top Gear became a 'green bashing' exercise.

CEman

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

NovaloadMissesPolar — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:51:43 EDT

And as for Rocky Mountain whatever day, I'd much rather see Coors than that distracting giant guy and the jumping cars. I hate those kinds of ads.

NovaloadMissesPolar

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

RoninianHoon — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:51:20 EDT

Make the show, just don't call it "Top Gear". For the oblivious reasons that it already taken. Lets see if they can produce something original with out copying someone else's hard work

RoninianHoon

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

smokeydog001 — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:51:11 EDT

@Ash78:

"I would gladly pay an annual TV license fee if it meant freedom from corporate sponsor bias. And shorter commercial breaks."

I once paid the UK license fee. All it did was allow the BBC to flaunt its unabashed political bias and Euro-Marxist social agenda.

smokeydog001

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

NovaloadMissesPolar — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:49:20 EDT

@BoomhauerTX: I think you hit the nail right on the head. A network in the US won't insult the big ad revenue. Which is really sad and no fun at all. Even that dork show on PBS whose name escapes me (Motorweek?) pretty much never met a car they didn't like. And I know they haven't hooned any.

NovaloadMissesPolar

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

drewheyman — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:44:11 EDT

@Gerard Drewpardieu: MotorWeek bashes cars in their long term tests, its just more subtle. Just see how much they've driven one and how many months they've had it.

Ones they like get about 2k or more per month. The least i've ever seen was the convertable Mitsu Spider (or whatever they call it now) with less than 5k in 8 months, and some Audi, with just a bit more than that.

Compare that to the Mini, VeraCruz, Suburban, X5, each of which were close to 40k in 12 months.

drewheyman

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Dr.Danger, I run the Death Star — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:43:44 EDT

@CEman: I think I was going for more of a "Professor Farnsworth" on that one.

Im usualy only half-serious. Cause its only the internet.

Dr.Danger, I run the Death Star

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Vroomtrap — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:37:10 EDT

@bobdobbs: That could be true, but Top Gear has set a bar which is very high. Any American attempt to recreate it would be put up against the same scrutiny as the original show. The combination of political incorrectness, American/Australian cut downs, blatant contradictory feelings in 1 breath, off color jokes and just pure adjective abuse probably couldn't be recreated properly in the US. I would rather just watch the real thing and spend the rest of my time actually being productive instead of getting brainwashed with crap on TV.

Vroomtrap

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

BingleBangleBungle — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:30:42 EDT

it's far easier to get back to business as usual at NBC. Look for the news division to start setting pickups on fire again soon.

But seriously, I'm conflicted about this because I think that there is a better than average chance that US Top Gear would really suck.

BingleBangleBungle

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

bobdobbs — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:29:37 EDT

What's with all the negativity? ANY crappy show about cars is better than 1 minute of Two and a Half Men.

bobdobbs

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

P161911 — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:21:29 EDT

@CyricTheMad: Can't wait for the "After Market" accessory of the week segment. This is according to the nbc website. It is listed as a Alternate Series, so probably a mid-season repalcement.

P161911

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

CyricTheMad — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:16:22 EDT

Woah woah woah. This page is only the fall lineup. Top Gear is likely to be a mid-season replacement. It is still listed in their Primetime '08/'09 listings [www.nbc.com]

CyricTheMad

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

AlfaCharger — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:13:13 EDT

I was looking forward to the Merican Top Gear (I called it "D"). Just think of Adam test driving the new G8 and saying.

"The plastics on the interior are shinny and hard, forcing you to wear sunglasses and making you look cool."
(Followed by a Pontiac commercial.)

The next segment would be Sam Memollo, demonstrating on the Dyno how the Tornado increases power AND saves fuel. (Followed by a Tornado commercial.)

Then we would have "A Celebrity in a SUV" section where Adam interviews someone famous then sends them out to try to Parallel park an Explorer.

Ah,It would have been good times!

AlfaCharger

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

cyclopticgaze — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:12:54 EDT

Mercy killing is not always murder.

cyclopticgaze

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

EMPM, Esq. — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:12:39 EDT

That's to bad, I would have loved to see it no matter how craptastic it was.

In the same vien, the host combo that I would like to see if they do make the show is as follows:
Jay Leno - I'm not a huge fan of his comedy, but he's very passionate about cars, which I appreciate and respect;
Rob Dyrdek - he's pretty fearless, really like cars, and would add a little youthful exuberance to the show;
Jesse James - knows a lot about every kind of vehicle and is pretty entertaining to watch.

EMPM, Esq.

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Drew draws fire from Ben Wojd...wodjyj...woldj...Ben. — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:11:29 EDT

NBC is run by morans, for morans, so I think this is better for everyone. I'm pretty sure we'll see some kind of awful version come out eventually though, probably hosted by "Wolf" from American Gladiators, that guy who plays the new "I'm not gay" Michael Knight, and a Ford PR guy.

They call it "Automatic Transmission", because no Americans know what gears are anymore (much less what "Top Gear" does) and it'll be phoned in. Literally. It'll just be their voices superimposed over b-roll of Tauruses driving on leaf-strewn backroads in Michigan.

Oh wait, that's MotorWeek.

Drew draws fire from Ben Wojd...wodjyj...woldj...Ben.

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

GameBreaker — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:09:59 EDT

@dolo54:
More like an Atom bomb. I will stick with BBC America for my Top Gear fix. Why the hell would I want Adam Corrola or some other lame knockoff of Clarkson, Hammond, and Captain Slow?

GameBreaker

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Viper007Bond — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:07:00 EDT

A) This is over a month old.

B) It's probably incorrect. Read this post: [www.finalgear.com]

Viper007Bond

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

solsticedrifter27 — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:04:38 EDT

no one could replace the team of Clarkson, Hammond, and May

p.s. there's no good american driver's to attempt to be the Stig

solsticedrifter27

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

P161911 — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:02:14 EDT

@nadmonk: Just call it: D, but with a circle around it.

P161911

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Sloop_John_B — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:02:01 EDT

The cancellation of any motoring programming does suck. However, I was fearful of the butchering that was about to happen in the name of "Top-Gear". Hopefully, somebody realizes the amount of viewers who would watch and do watch Top Gear on BBCA and the web. I'm doing my best to DVR every episode, even though I delete them, just so they count on somebody's spread sheet as being watched.

Sloop_John_B

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

CEman — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:01:24 EDT

@Dr.Danger's got it all:
Me thinks many of them do. They include people like Bill Gates and many others who have an income that is probably more that every poster here combined. You sound like some idiot from the sixties.
Try sticking to talking about cars and leave the stupid put downs to the politico's eh?

CEman

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Number_Six — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:00:55 EDT

It would have sucked anyway: "This week we're in Dover, Delaware to test twenty-three new model crossover utility vehicles in the real world."

Number_Six

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Tanshanomi — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:00:41 EDT

@diskreet:
Jay already does a car show. It's just on the web.

Tanshanomi

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Bumblebee — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:00:22 EDT

[www.nytimes.com]

Bumblebee

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Bumblebee — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:59:49 EDT

Another possibility is that NBC is waiting for Leno to be available. He's not leaving his show until Jan. 2010.

Bumblebee

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Tanshanomi — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:58:08 EDT

@piththeelder: Webisodes -- JalopGear! I love it!

Tanshanomi

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

nadmonk — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:57:17 EDT

Given the nature of most domestics, perhaps "Fourth automatic gear with overdrive"? Or "Slushbox Bonanza"?

Better yet "Top NVH"!

nadmonk

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

diskreet — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:55:49 EDT

From the start, we all wanted Leno. I'm glad that this show might not come to be now.

diskreet

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

HDC — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:54:19 EDT

Here's a sad thought. Maybe it's not dead and just slated as a midseason replacement. Good god, I hope not.

HDC

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

karmakid — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:54:15 EDT

I'm delighted and yet saden...

karmakid

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

piththeelder — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:51:20 EDT

I agree HBO would be a much better medium or maybe webisodes VIA Jalopnik perhaps??

In any event I am glad to not have the show butchered by NBC. At least they should have called it something different, like Mediocre Gear or something.

piththeelder

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Feds — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:48:06 EDT

Best news I got all day.

Feds

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Dr.Danger, I run the Death Star — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:47:58 EDT

@Ash78: That is typical crap that all the corporations have been giving to the "green movement".

Stupid dirty hippies....

need to get a job.

Dr.Danger, I run the Death Star

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

jword2001 — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:47:28 EDT

thank goodness!, I think it would be worth a try with the guys from dream car garage.

jword2001

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

dylanseals — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:47:20 EDT

Thank God.

dylanseals

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

nadmonk — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:47:04 EDT

They had to clear the time slot for the "Kitten and Puppy Beating Hour" and "Seinfeld II"

nadmonk

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

deckard97 — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:42:58 EDT

I show had a risk of not being 'green' enough and perhaps politically incorrect, with hoons encouraging the trashing cars and all that very cool stuff. Yea whatever. I guess they will have to come up with yet another cop/doctor/lawyer show. Great...

deckard97

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

bzr — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:37:41 EDT

And in other news..."Cold Activation Day" just kinda rolls off the tongue, n'est-ce pas?

bzr

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Bumblebee — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:37:31 EDT

The compromises NBC would have had to make to their automotive advertisers would have (and still might!) turn this show into a mortifiying caricature of the real deal.

Look how much trouble R&T and C&D and the rest have in giving you a straightforward review. For all their reputed "call it like we see it" attitude, the only time I ever saw C&D refer to a car as "lousy" was when reviewing the Qualve Mangusta. Brave souls, them C&D guys (they also make fun of NJ, and you better believe I'm holding that grudge).

It's also for this reason that I'm glad to see Coors sponsoring Jalop.

Bumblebee

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

The Name's Ash78, Housewares — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:36:35 EDT

I would gladly pay an annual TV license fee if it meant freedom from corporate sponsor bias. And shorter commercial breaks.

The Name's Ash78, Housewares

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

smalleyxb122 — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:32:50 EDT

I suppose it's better for all involved that it was kept on the ground rather than going down in flames.

We knew NBC would kill it, but this is more humane than killing it by removing the objectivity and turning it into an infomercial for whatever car they happen to be "testing" that day.

Today's episode of Top Gear US, where they test the newest offering from Hyundai is brought to you by Hyundai

smalleyxb122

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

bzr — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:30:30 EDT

@Ash78: I heard about that - Bill Nye the Science Guy is supposedly involved, according to the lecture he gave our school a few weeks ago. (I got my book signed by him!) I didn't know they would have actually featured cars, nay, trucks, nay, trucks built by the great Satan that is GM on there. Especially considering his tired shtick of how much better the Prius is compared to the Suburban, which made me the only uncomfortable one in the audience amidst an entire auditorium of screaming cheers.

bzr

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

The Name's Ash78, Housewares — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:29:26 EDT

Maybe someone failed to fellate Mark Burnett and/or Simon Cowell to produce it. Everyone knows those are the go-to guys for converting Brit shows to the US. Midas touch.

The Name's Ash78, Housewares

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

BoomhauerTX — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:28:23 EDT

I think NBC didn't have the cajones to put on a show in which reviewers actively attack the faults of vehicles, incurring the wrath of their advertisers by calling the new Kia Ranchero "Rubbish".

The only place TopGear could work as a US show would be on HBO where they can call the crap cars crap instead of sugar coating car reviews.

BoomhauerTX

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

bzr — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:28:15 EDT

Well, damn. Even if it pales in comparison I was still interested in seeing it. At least it had pretty impressive credentials, being produced by Jeremy Clarkson (supposedly) and being bankrolled by Jay Leno (even more supposedly).

Sure, it probably would have sucked, corporate sponsorship, litigious society, blah blah blah, but the British version would still be around for our viewing pleasure.

bzr

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

The Name's Ash78, Housewares — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:26:44 EDT

I look at some of the other shows on TV and this news just makes me sick.

Speaking of sick, Discovery recently previewed a new sister channel called Green Life or Hippie Crap or something. The entire "pilot" episode consisted of a handful of all-GM people doing a head-to-head between the Yukon Hybrid and the Silverado P/U. They tested handling and off-road capabilities....but they NEVER once mentioned the relative fuel savings in the hybrid. Not once. "Hey, this thing drives pretty good!" It was laid on so thick, only a complete idiot wouldn't have seen it was just an informercial. And this is a new show on this network.

The Name's Ash78, Housewares

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

Paul Y. can't think of a better, shorter handle — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:23:27 EDT

Hooray!

Paul Y. can't think of a better, shorter handle

NBC Kills U.S. Top Gear?

dolo54 — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:23:03 EDT

whew... dodged that bullet.

dolo54