RoadWarriorFromLP

It looks as if the plan to create an American version of Top Gear has been euthanized.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/us-top-gear-is-toast/

Also, if you look at NBC's upcoming prime-time lineup, you will note that Top Gear is nowhere to be found on it.

This is probably a blessing. I can't imagine that it could afford to be as biting or entertaining as the original, with all of the advertising dollars spent by automakers.

(That, and the name doesn't really translate, anyway. Separated by a common language, and all that.)

geeandtee

Thank God for that!
It would've have been one of the most misguided programmes ever.
The main reason the original Top Gear works so well, is more to do with the writing and the presenters, rather than cars.

Nigs

With all the money sunk into the line up each season can you really expect a TV presenter to have the "nuts" to say "this #### Ford is crap" when they are paying 25% of the advertisment for the show.

They would be looking for a new job on Monday!

I'd love the honesty but money seems to win on the screen, big or small.

looselips

Top Gear USA was resurrected..... looks like Adam Corolla's stint on Dancing With the Stars helped him get a new show!

http://jalopnik.com/5016771/top-gear...-coming-to-nbc

dgsyd1

There was an interesting post on another message board I frequent, which basically says that Top Gear is a show that could only be made by the BBC, because any commercial broadcaster wouldn't let the presenters bad mouth certain cars for fear of losing advertising. Basically echoing what Nigs said a few posts back.

Roland Hulme

I have a huge crush on vicky butler henderson.

RoadWarriorFromLP

I agree with that. Ironically enough, it seems that NBC wasn't motivated to cancel Top Gear, so much as it was to avoid hiring Dan Neil, who was released from his contract to do the program.

Neil is the automotive writer for the LA Times. He is known for being blunt in his reviews. His negative assessment of the Pontiac G6 prompted GM to pull its $10 million advertising account from the paper.

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Con...id=oid%3A24120
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4426107.stm

Thankfully, the paper backed up Neil and GM eventually relented, but it shows the willingness of these advertisers to respond in this way to negative reviews.

I honestly don't get the plans for this US show. Most Americans don't know what Top Gear is, and those few who do are not going to want some emasculated toothless version of it. If it's like every other US TV show about cars, it will be so middle-of-the-road and unwilling to offend anyone that it will end up being more sterile than a hospital waiting room. I doubt it will last more than a season.

Optimus Prime

Totally agree. A bit like sitting in the barbers chair slagging of hairdressers as Sweeny Todd crops your locks.

pejpm1

When I got my cable package I was really pleased to see that it came with BBC America....however that pleasure was short lived when I realised that all it shows it Top ****ing Gear every ****ing day!

HoosierDaddy

To be fair it is 2 hours on Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues. There are still 3 days in the week where it is TG-free

ededed

Howdy all - Top Gear every day? Sounds like UK Gold on Sky. We are about to move to the US - can someone confirm if we'll be able to get the Premiership football (not egg-chasing), SKY / BBC news, and (God help me) Eastenders? Any idea what the best package / supplier is, and what it will cost?

And Vicky Butler-Henderson. Oh yes. Although she's on 5th gear, not top gear :-(

elfman

1. Yes: two or three live games per weekend plus highlights on Fox Soccer Channel, which is usually an add-on to basic cable TV packages.

2. The above-mentioned FSC shows Sky sports news for an hour every evening.

3. Yes, BBC world news is shown on BBC America, which is another cable channel here, sometimes part of the basic cable package. sometimes not. Don't get too excited about BBC America - most of what they show is the crap BBC stuff (Cash in the Attic marathons) and a lot of their content isn't even BBC stuff to start with. BBC world news is also shown on some of the PBS channels here (which incidentally also show a fair number of classic British sitcoms).

Bob

eastenders, on some PBS channels...best bet, torrent it from uknova or couchtripper...and sport, there's a few p2p online streaming sites...

basementwaj

although, this story is dated may 15th and the official TG website ran a story on June 16th saying that it was a go (the pilot at least).
So it may not be quite dead yet

RoadWarriorFromLP

Yes, the OP is out of date. Top Gear is back, apparently.

That's what I was alluding to in #7. It looks as if their goal was to fire Dan Neil, and they just postponed putting the show into the lineup until they had found his replacement.

Too bad, because Neil is a car guy who is witty and has the courage to be critical. The fact that they fired him does not bode well for the US version of the show.