It's Friday and it's going to be a slow one at that. So I'd figure I'd start a thread for those looking to post non-sense...

I'm a big fan of Top Gear USA. The season got off to a slow start last year, but within four or so episodes Rutledge Wood, Tanner Foust and Adam Ferrara found a groove and actually started to entertain their audience. I have always found Ferrara to be a funny guy, but by the end of the season Rutledge Wood was just knocking it out of the park. The three hosts have chemistry and charm (juvenile charm...just up my ally) and are welcomed into my home every Sunday evening. The photography and cinematography are simply outstanding too.

OK, now on to The Car Show. Like TGUSA, it seems to be off to a slow start. Adam Carolla is truly a funny man and knows cars. Matt Farah also appears to be the real deal with car knowledge. However Dan Neil is a pompous boor and John Salley clearly isn't a car guy. The show is disjointed, stiff and worse, the hosts are devoid of any chemistry. The show can be salvaged. The producers need to:

1) Stop trying to be Top Gear

2) Ditch Dan Neil and John Salley

3) Find a way to entertain the audience.

There both ok but but there not Top Gear. Why do these guys think thay can do a better Top Gear, it's not going to happen, ever. The problem is nobody in Hollywood can put together an original idea. Remake this remake that, copy, copy, copy.

It always takes a while to develop camaraderie. You can't fake that unless you have professional actors with a plot, script, and a good director. Give them time. The Car Show is clumsy right now for sure. It needs to simmer. I would still rather watch it, than watch Nascar anything. Besides, I'm totally sick of all the hot-rod-custom-pressure-cooker-build shows. Top Gear USA is on the right track.

Top Gear is okay, I think Tanner carries the show. The Car Show will come around because Adam Corolla is so danm funny. Adam is carrying that show. What I think they need to do is go out and interview everyday car guys, correspond from car guy events and interrview guys who run car guy shops. I think with Adam asking the questions and interviewing it would be funny. I watch his car casts, the ones he does with Les at Classic Datsun are so funny. Adam's rant about the seat position of his Datsun Roadster was classic. I hope the Car Show films Adam when he takes his Datsun Roadster to Monterery. I hope the Car Show starts to jell and stays on.

Car Show by far IMHO. I've even forgiven Matt Farah for his dumb Ferrari GTO/Datsun mistake of a couple years ago (as if that matters) :-)

Car Show for me.....so far. Top Gear America is too contrived and poorly executed - very little chemistry between the hosts. I realize that the BBC's version of Top Gear is also contrived, but it's far more entertaining and the hosts more likable.

Dennis

Gary, well put. The Car Show has potential but has a LONG way to go to meet it. Not really sure what John Salley brings to the table, but Dan Neil is a dousche that they need to ditch quickly. Even the logo doesn't work... what the heck car is that supposed to be? I do like the fact that Adam is a Nissan/Datsun guy and has brought some of that to the show.

While everyone will continue to say that Top Gear UK is better than Top Gear USA (which in most cases I agree) the fact of the matter is that while it's a great automotive show... it just doesn't apply that much to the US. TGUSA has been great so far about bringing the truck element to the show. This would be completely out of place on the UK show where my Frontier with 2" of lift is considered a big vehicle. I'm excited about the HD truck test on the next episode. Truly American.

My .02 cents.

I can't stand Dan Neil and Matt Farah, and Salley has no reason for being on the show at all. Adam is great and I've been a casual fan since Love Lines, but the show doesn't flow and it tends to be either confusing, boring, or annoying. TGUSA is still way behind TGUK, but the last two episodes were miles ahead of TCS. I took TCS out of my DVR after Brock was on and they had him racing slot cars. WTF was that?!!

I've only seen episode 1 of the the car show since they don't put them online until 30 day after they air. So I can't comment on it much.

That being said I often find the US Top Gear to be more fun than the UK one. The UK Top Gear makes me chuckle sometimes and drool occasionally over the cars but the US one makes me laugh out loud several times on most episodes.

The first season wasn't very good at all and I just gave the 2nd season a try because I'll watch most things with cars (even motorweek). They improved so much over the early episodes, they now play well off each other and seem to be having fun.

They also appear to have gotten a much much larger budget this year. The early episodes had a lot of what appeared to be just 1 camera shoots. Now they get lots of good and multiple angles and in-car cameras and cameras on the cars and some real production value.

The UK Top Gear seems to get a pass and is always assumed to be great. There have been great episodes of it and there have been just awful ones. I honestly think it may have just about run its course and they are running out of stunts to do that are really good.

I've got season after season of UK Top Gear on Netflix and the latest season on Amazon VOD and I'll always choose US Top Gear over those

Trevor

www.240z.me <- my Z Site