Top Gear Australia

[leasaunce]

WOOO!! sore legs... after 4.5hrs standing up.

I got in for EP 7 of TOP GEAR. (they're filming the last ep for season 1 tomorrow).

So spoiler for ep7. WRX STI, VW GOLF, SKYLINE GTR, PORSCHE GT2 & Koenegg CCX (the only 1 in aust! it was like OMG!)

^my friend got a clip of it flooring it down the street

[leasaunce]

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=2nddl76L09k

[trdsaads]

Very nice!

The Koenigsegg looks bloody fantastic! Which one are you? We'll keep an eye out when it hits the screens!

[trdsaads]

Well, the first season of Top Gear Australia has come to and end. Although starting off shakey it came good as the episodes went on. All in all, it was a great season i think!

I at first was sceptical, but it got better as it went on!

WELL DONE TOP GEAR AUSTRALIA! See you next season!

[TRDYUS]

The last episode was pretty good, although it was the only one I've caught this season.

[spillige]

ive seen a couple of episodes falls way short of british version in terms of the boys jelling, humour etc they crack me up

[SV21]

Not incredibly against it but found myself tuning out after a short while....

The UK version is better but then they've had a lot more experience and time to perfect their presenting of the show i.e. more comfortable in themselves as presenters of the show.

Clarkson and Hammond are tough acts to follow.

[Cappuccino]

I didnt mind TGAUS it had some good and bad points, still better then any other car show we have tried to make in aus. It was the first season, TGUK was crap on its first season too.

[qkslvr]

Thank G*D the season is over. i couldn't stand it anymore. The normal British Top Gear will be back on Telly for the off season. They stayed true to the format of the Show but the really annoying thing is that the presenters try to copy the Brit presenters persona - makes it come off as very very fake. I'm sure it will get better as the presenters develop their own character, just like the Australia Idol presenters eventually developed their own personalities.

I don't mind the Jeremy Clarkson-wannabe, nor do i mind the Richard Hammond-wannabe, but i really really hate the James May/queer-eye-for-the-straight-guy/Dr Karl dude. he just annoys me for some reason.

[theDefiant1]

I also think it improved as the season went on, though in total i think i watched 3 episodes.

I am, however, eagerly anticipating the awe inspiring return on the original.

Screw TGAus for putting the Elan on the 'what were they thinking' list. Damn them.

[Leroy]

According to last weekend's Australian, the only reason that TGA came to be was that the original TG and the BBC threatened SBS to not renew the rights unless they could produce their own version of the show for the off-season.

Hopefully TGA has hurt the TG brand more than the revenue it generated - so they will have no choice other than to take it off air.

In which case, give me 5th gear for the off season.

PS - have tickets to see Clarkson and Hammond in february. \m/

Edited November 19, 2008 by Leroy

[Keisari]

IMO, it improved slightly as it went on (though the first piece they had on the first show was pretty good I thought), though I still found myself cringing at many of the 'jokes'. I knew that when I felt embarrassment coming on it was time to switch over. I still don't think that the dynamic is there between the three. But, neither was it there in the UK show until they got James May on.

Looking forward to the UK show.

[Tats]

*sigh*...... still more girlish crying coming from the crowd, sad to see really......

Agreed that Warren is totally not at home in front of a camera and Charlie can be a bit of a *****, but again, it's the best thing we've ever had. Anyone that doesn't recognise that may as well sell their TV coz obviously Australia could never produce anything worth watching

[DHC09]

I disagree with people saying TGA should be compared to TGUK's first season.

The show Top Gear and its presenters have all been evolving over many seasons to form what it is today.

TGA is riding off a proven and successful formula, so if anything the bar should be set much higher for TGA.

1. Why can't we get the awesome cinematography as with TGUK?! Surely we have some people with those skills or at very least ship some over from the UK and teach us a few tricks.

2. Sure the TGA presenters need some time to evolve themselves as TG hosts, but I think they are going about it the wrong way.

Clarkson, Hammond and May are a unique trio, and there’s no point trying to mimic that. If the TGA hosts just be their comfortable selves it just might work, rather than make a fool of themselves trying to act like Clarkson etc.

Also I hope TGA hosts will work on their humor, cause one of the reasons why people watch TGUK is cause they are funny and entertaining.

TGA jokes and humor too make me cringe, but I'm sure the producers see it too and will work on it for future eps/seasons.

Bottom line: It needs to be more Australian Top Gear, and NOT Top Gear filmed in Australia.

And that means finding Australia's best driving road (best TG episode IMO - S10 E1), and stop bloody making cars that morph into boats, it’s been done to death FFS (even for TGUK).

[marc2020]

I agree with that too, I think the producers are trying too hard to get the 3 presenters to be a clarkson/hammond/may trio rather than letting them do their own thing. I think if they were allowed to do that then it would be more interesting. The other reason the show lacks somewhat is the difference in budget, Top Gear UK, I mean think of the wanton destruction they cause.

[Keisari]

*sigh*...... still more girlish crying coming from the crowd, sad to see really......

I resent that. The question is whether one is entertained. There isn't a choice to watch just the Australian or just the UK version, it's a choice between watching it and not watching it at all. So, judging from the criticisms it is clear that there are many here that, although they are currently not, would LIKE to be entertained by the Australian version.

but again, it's the best thing we've ever had.

In terms of car franchises, perhaps. I don't really know. In terms of Australian film & TV generally, absolutely not.

Anyone that doesn't recognise that may as well sell their TV coz obviously Australia could never produce anything worth watching

Because obviously if people are critical of one single Australian TV show then all Australian productions must be equally difficult to watch for them. Further, if this is the case then it's quite obvious that they should abstract themselves from the entire medium of television.

[Tats]

All valid points. My argument is that people continually compare the infant Australian franchise to the worldwide BBC smash hit and hang **** on it, purely because it's not as good. I totally agree that they tried far too hard to copy the formula instead of adapting it to the local market (the only attempt they made to do that was chuck a few Holden v Ford arguments in) but to never give it a chance is unfair. If TGUK never existed and you watched the Aussie version in isolation, you would be entertained.

And yes I was talking purely in terms of Aussie car TV. Shows like Drive TV and The Car Show were utterly useless, unless you wanted to know what the ride quality of a Mitsubishi 380 was like at 49km/h while an attractive blonde struggled to commentate and drive at the same time. And they both stunk of advertising money - nobody was game to rubbish a bad car for fear of the maker pulling their ads and the show going bankrupt. I reckon Drive TV had a great formula but waaaaaaay too much sponsorship dollars ruining it.

And your last bit...... uhhh yeah, sure.

[Keisari]

All valid points. My argument is that people continually compare the infant Australian franchise to the worldwide BBC smash hit and hang **** on it, purely because it's not as good.

If TGUK never existed and you watched the Aussie version in isolation, you would be entertained.

So 100% of people who dislike the Australian series do so because they're all comparing apples and oranges? This is difficult to believe for several reasons. Firstly, it's the same franchise, so it's not apples and oranges. Criticising one with respect to the other is perfectly valid. Secondly, most sane people understand that the Australian series is in its infancy. TGUK in its first couple of series with Clarkson et al was pretty boring at times. Yet people aren't saying that they don't enjoy it because it's in its first season, they don't enjoy it because they're not entertained by it. Sure, give it some time to mature so they will be, but that does not mean that it is exempt from criticism! That brings me back to your claim that had TGUK not existed, we would be entertained. Firstly, this is pure speculation, and I find it highly unlikely. Secondly, you are implying that people are unable to be aware of their own desires. I don't like the jokes, for instance, on the Australian series, not because the ones on the UK series are much better but because the ones on Australian series make me CRINGE. I feel embarrassed by them sometimes. What does this have to do with the fact that I've seen the UK series?

And your last bit...... uhhh yeah, sure.

Naturally. I was making a sarcastic parody of what you said in the quoted post, which I thought was absurd.

Edited November 24, 2008 by Keisari

[SuperDave]

Australian Top Gear needs Ross Nobel.

[Keisari]

YES!!!!!

[trdsaads]

YES!!!!!

Ross Noble indeed! He'd make a great addition to the team!

[SuperDave]

The show would go for 3 hours, instead of 1, and no one would know what happened. A good mix!

[trdsaads]

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story...1-10229,00.html

[bozurolla]

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story...1-10229,00.html

Hahahhaha I think the Oz Top Gear team is under the illusion SBS had the unlimited BBC budget,Thats probably why we wont get to see too many top end cars in our side of Top gear ,coz they cant afford to pay for damages whilst filming..Too bad really i have been enjoying the Top gear Oz of late & hope the manufacturers & the SBS honchos dont close the boys from Oz down

[RME1]

Budget wise, I think TGA have completed an 'alright job'. Each episode has a budget of around $300,000. UK Top Gear have the backing of BBC. TGA have SBS.

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