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It's definitely interesting to watch the first couple seasons of the most recent iteration of Top Gear UK where there's maybe 25 or 30 audience members standing around in the studio. It took some time for them to get the momentum up but IMO it started clicking pretty well once they brought in May; though others seem to disagree with the notion that May worked well at first. If anything I'd say the chemistry and presentation has diminished somewhat because now it seems like theyr'e scripting the show around a conception of their chemistry rather than letting the chemistry just show through; it's as if the writers are asking themselves, "what would these characters say and do in this situation?" It doesn't feel as organic as it used to.
Meanwhile, I've found the American version to be unwatchable primarily because a) they're trying to copy the UK formula too closely right down to episode concepts; and b) these guys just aren't very entertaining as show presenters. On the first point, it reminds me of the American attempt at the Britcom "Coupling." The UK version was a huge hit and the US version was an absolute flop even though it replicated the UK version almost line-for-line. Some things just don't translate very well from UK to US without substantially "Americanizing" it -- see the success of "The Office" for instance.
Maybe Top Gear US will be able to find its own stride after a couple more years but I don't have high hopes it will still be around by then.
Clarkson also has a catch phrase or sorts. "(Something about something, dramatic pause)... in the world."
Then there's his other catch-phrase "how hard can it be?" Of course, the invariable answer is "much harder than an oaf like Clarkson could possibly conceive."
The UK verison has toooo many shows on cars you've never heard of,dont care about, could never afford, and are not even available over here. But they do kind of make it entertaining to watch. No vote either way.
I've been selectively watching Topgear UK on Netflix and I must say, the episode where they went to Florida, purchased the "best" cars for $1000, and drove to New Orleans was the best! I was in stitches when they had to write offensive things on their cars and were pelted with rocks from rednecks and had to run for their lives had me in stitches.
I've been selectively watching Topgear UK on Netflix and I must say, the episode where they went to Florida, purchased the "best" cars for $1000, and drove to New Orleans was the best! I was in stitches when they had to write offensive things on their cars and were pelted with rocks from rednecks and had to run for their lives had me in stitches.
That was a great episode, but do yourself a favor and find the 2 episodes where they built amphibious cars, they're great.
Don't watch the UK version if you ever plan to watch the US version. And if you plan to watch TG-US, I'm sure you could make other plans.
The wife (who is British) and I were talking about something similar last evening. She was telling me about watching her first Shakesphere in the US, when the actors came out and started talking she almost lost it as it was not right. It would be like watching a Western with a British cast. Some genres simply don't translate between us and the UK, despite our best intentions. And so it is with TG-US, TG is too British a show to work here with the hosts they came up with.
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That would be entertaining.
