Top gear is literally the most amazing car show ever to be made. It's a perfect mix of amazing cars, creativity, hilarious jokes, challenges, destruction and speed. I think it deserves a place on speed channel. It's probably not possible because of some bbc copyright or who knows what, but it's worth mentioning. If you haven't seen it, go watch it. You won't be disappointed. I think this is what speed needs. Top gear actually reviews cars, tells about their performance, and compares their lap times around their test track. I suppose there's motorweek, but its almost never on, and when it is, its on at 6 am. And top gear is better. lol
I agree with you is the best show for car reviewing with a mixture of humor, I was reading that is going to be an American version of Top Gear with Adam Carolla
START YOUR ENGINES!
NBC’S ‘TOP GEAR’ BUCKLES UP ITS HOSTS FOR HIGH-OCTANE PILOT FROM BBC WORLDWIDE AMERICA BASED ON INTERNATIONAL HIT FRANCHISE
BURBANK - June 16, 2008 - Television and radio comedian Adam Carolla, champion rally and drift racer Tanner Foust, and TV construction guru Eric Stromer, will lead NBC’s pilot of the international smash hit series “Top Gear.” The production will begin later this week.
Produced by BBC Worldwide America, the U.S. version of the hit franchise will mirror the UK show’s irreverent humor and camaraderie between the three presenters, epic races, outrageous stunts and challenges, unique celebrity guest participation and eccentric methods of testing cars.
“This franchise is a proven winner worldwide and the hosting team of Adam, Tanner and Eric that we have brought together for the U.S. version offers a perfect match of humor, insider know-how and priceless track experience,” said Craig Plestis, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming Development and Specials, NBC Entertainment. “We are going to create a high-powered show that, like the original, will keep viewers in every demographic clutching the edge of their seats.”
“These three guys will get to drive the world’s most amazing cars, go on incredible road trips and blow stuff up. It’s a dirty old job but someone has to do it…why didn’t I get the job?!” said Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, TV Sales and Content & Production, BBC Worldwide America.
Jeremy Clarkson, executive producer and host of the UK “Top Gear” said: “This is fantastic news - but how on earth you lot are going to do it on the wrong side of the road I’ve no idea.”
Adam Carolla:
Television and radio personality Adam Carolla is host of the daily, nationally-syndicated radio program “The Adam Carolla Show,” based out of Los Angeles’ KLSX 97.1/ FREE FM. With partners Jimmy Kimmel and Daniel Kellison, Carolla created Jackhole Industries where he produced and starred in two hit Comedy Central shows, “The Man Show” and “Crank Yankers.” Carolla also co-hosted the nationally-syndicated radio program “Loveline” with Dr. Drew Pinsky for 10 years, as well as its TV version on MTV. Carolla also recently wrote and starred in the independent, award-winning feature film, “The Hammer.” In season six of “Dancing with the Stars,” Adam became the first ever contestant to complete a Paso Doble on a unicycle. Carolla is an avid car collector and owns several classic collectible Lamborghinis, Maseratis, two Ferraris and an Audi S4.
Tanner Foust:
Tanner Foust is in high-demand as a stunt driver, with film credits including “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” and “The Dukes of Hazard.” Foust is a winning competitor in rally, drift, ice racing and time attack with multiple champion podium placements including the 2007 X Games Rally Champion and 2007 Formula Drift Pro Drift Champion. His varied race experience includes open wheel competition, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb (2002 - 2004), five Ice Racing championships and the 2005 PGT Rally Championship. He also holds class lap records at numerous U.S. road courses in Time Attack. In addition, Foust also hosted “Supercars Exposed” for the SPEED channel. Foust’s car of choice is a tricked-out M3.
Eric Stromer:
Eric Stromer, host of the HGTV show “Over Your Head,” started life in construction and remodeling houses after a short acting career as a soap opera hunk was abruptly ended by a Styrofoam boulder on the set of “Santa Barbara.” For 20 years he ran a successful building company before becoming the face of HGTV’s hit show. He’s a regular on Adam Carolla’s nationally-syndicated radio show giving out construction advice, and also appears on TLC’s “Clean Sweep,” NBC’s “Three Wishes” and is a special correspondent for “The Insider.” Stromer prefers his Camry hybrid.
About the Executive Producers:
The pilot of “Top Gear” will be executive produced by Tod Mesirow and Kevin Harris. Mesirow’s background includes producing credits on “Wired Science,” Discovery Channel’s “Smash Lab,” “Mythbusters,” and “Monster Garage.” He also executive produced Discovery Studio’s “Overhaulin’” for TLC. Harris’ credits include “The Apprentice” and “The Baby Borrowers” for NBC.
About Top Gear:
The series, which premiered in the UK in 1977, is consistently BBC TWO’s most-watched program in the UK. The UK version of “Top Gear” is broadcast globally in over 100 countries and has been airing on BBC America since 2007. The program has been the recipient of various awards including National Television Awards, BAFTAs, Broadcast Award, Royal Television Society Awards and an International Emmy Award. Top celebrity guests have included Hugh Grant, Simon Cowell, Ewan McGregor, Helen Mirren and Gordon Ramsay. In addition to the television show, the “Top Gear” brand has achieved global success. The self-titled magazine Top Gear continues to be both the best-selling car and men’s magazines in the UK. Internationally, Top Gear is the leading motoring media brand.
About BBC Worldwide America:
BBC Worldwide America (BBCWA) is part of BBC Worldwide - the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBCWA has headquarters in New York and Los Angeles and brings together all of BBC Worldwide’s businesses in the U.S. – including cable channel BBC America and a bi-coastal production division responsible for the smash hit “Dancing with the Stars,” which returns for its 7th season this Fall.
Top Gear is already on BBC America, which I doubt wants to give it up. If not, I would push Speed hard to get it... although I suspect that BBC's fee may be rather high.
I download the show after it airs in the UK, the ones on BBC America are always a season behind.
Now, w/ the American version of TG, IT WILL FAIL!!!
Why, because, what make TG, as we know it now, IS the CHEMISTRY and PERSONALITY between Jeremy, "Hampster", and James...it just works. Aside from that, the quality of production and cinimatography is second-to-none.
Top Gear in the UK appeals to EVERYONE, even if they don't like cars, because they are so #### funny.
When they do it HERE, MARK MY WORDS, IT WILL NOT GO MORE THAN HALF SEASON...
Adam only appeals to a small segment of their demographic. He's not my cup of tea (no pun here), but I do see his appeal, but not on a show like this.
The other reason is Tanner Faust. While he may be a good driver, etc., AN ANT HAS MORE PERSONALITY!!! This guy sucks!
There will be absolutely NO chemistry w/ these guys, which is what is suppose to "sell" the show.
We'll see if the proposed American version can re-create the brilliance of the original. The hosts' personalities are what drive the show, and it's quickly become one of my favorites. Even my wife, who's not into cars at all, thinks it's wildly entertaining.
My biggest worry about the American adaptation is sponsors. If car companies are sponsoring the show, how can it be trusted to give honest opinions about them?
NBC is run by lawyers and bean-counters, in that order. They are terrified of their own shadows, and anything even remotely resembling controversy makes them run directly towards the "cancel" button. Five bucks sez this project is d-o-o-m-e-d.
There was a thread on this topic not too long ago that featured a link to a very good interview with Leno. The reason he won't do it is he knows NBC won't let the show criticize ANY cars. He gave an anecdote where he made a joke about Kia during a Tonight Show monologue and got a flood of angry calls with the inevitable "coaching" from NBC management to "tone it down a bit".
BBC is publicly funded and is not dependent upon sponsor ads -- that's why the Top Gear guys can be so hilariously biting in their critiques. Can you really imagine an NBC show (let alone a SPEED show) where someone says that a particular model is "utter garbage"?
I also fear that all comparison tests will reveal -- as with Little League soccer -- that everyone is above average and deserves a medal just for showing up.
They had The Fifth Gear on for a while and they dropped the ball on that showing it in the afternoon. If I missed the say the F1 race on Sunday morning what makes you think I'll be able to catch it at noon on a weekday. SpeedTV has to get someone to set the programing schedule better than what it is. They have all the good things on in the afternoon or after midnight.
It's been said I don't know how many time by almost every person with a brain cell. Hell most join to post about how much they hate these two shows but SpeedTV keeps showing hour after hour of them and that's PINKS and Unique Whips.
As for any other show they come up with they build it up and up and up and what do they have at the end of the day??? About 6 to 8 episodes and then they end it's run. But that doesn't stop them for showing it over and over and even having a marathon.
I don't know why I keep flipping to SpeedTV in hopes of seeing racing or something entertaining like Dream Car Garage. They have just killed Two Wheel Tuesday.
Sorry so long winded but they will never even try to get the rights to show Top Gear either the real episodes or the watered down PC ones that you see on BBC America. If you want to see them than you need to get BBC Canada or just download them from the internet.
They had The Fifth Gear on for a while and they dropped the ball on that showing it in the afternoon. If I missed the say the F1 race on Sunday morning what makes you think I'll be able to catch it at noon on a weekday. SpeedTV has to get someone to set the programing schedule better than what it is. They have all the good things on in the afternoon or after midnight.
No, it had a pretty good slot, right after Windtunnel. Two back to back episodes. Nobody watched it.
Sorry so long winded but they will never even try to get the rights to show Top Gear either the real episodes or the watered down PC ones that you see on BBC America. If you want to see them than you need to get BBC Canada or just download them from the internet.
Oh god, please don't let them try this!! I can only imagine how horrible it's gonna be.... adam carolla as one of the hosts? I think any car enthusiast will roll in their graves.
The BBCa show has the perfect mix of personalities between, james, richard and jeremy. They compliment each other so well... and seriously who would be the "American" Stig?..... Ward Burton?!? lmao
