# Top Gear Australia Major Fail **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 30, 2008, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829 "2008-09-30T10:58:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/1 "2008-09-30T10:58:04Z")
They’re not even funny while they’re getting it wrong. They are not Clarkson, May and Hammond so why even try? There is only one May and Hammond and FFS, no-one actually wants to be Clarkson, why would you even try and copy him anyway? And they shit on the Lightburn Zeta. And they shit on the Lightburn Zeta while showing a pic of the Zeta Sports. And they shit on the Zeta Sports for having being designed by the washing machine people when it was in fact designed by Giovanni Michelotti. James May would cry. I just want to stab them to death. ---
**Author:** ![chicken\_wire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@chicken\_wire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chicken_wire)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/2 "2008-09-30T11:16:46Z")
Missed it, unfortunately. Yes, it’s probably a bad idea to try cutting and pasting the concept with local ‘talent’. Talk about a hard act to follow. It is only the first outing though, and if they can let it develop it’s own flavour, and not just try to ape the original, it might eventually be OK. I predict it will suck less as time goes by, but will never live up to expectations and get axed before it can learn to stand on it’s own two feet. Now if I could just get it together to see the bloody show… Suggest a move to CS. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/3 "2008-09-30T11:27:39Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to The BBQ Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/4 "2008-09-30T11:47:54Z")
I missed it because hubby’s hospital ward don’t got no TVs (except in some mythical “patient lounge” which we haven’t been able to find yet). But I never held great hopes for it. I figured it would be a pale imitation. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/5 "2008-09-30T11:49:35Z")
You have to at least give them a chance. Consider the difficult position they’re in: If they’re too different people would complain; but if they’re too similar people would complain (and they are complaining). Give them a few episodes to get into their groove, find their comfort spots, and make their mark. They have the potential to mould it into something all their own, but it will take time. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/6 "2008-09-30T12:24:29Z")
This thread should be in CS. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/7 "2008-09-30T14:51:30Z")
Is the Oz auto market really that different? You’ve got Holden and Oz Ford, and everything else is more or less the same, right? It’s not like they ever test normal family cars, so they should just show the original. I’m deathly afraid that they might try an American Top Gear. With Grandmaster Flash, probably. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Wash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@Wash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wash)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/8 "2008-09-30T14:58:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m deathly afraid that they might try an American Top Gear. With Grandmaster Flash, probably. _shudder_ They’re already making one. Adam Corolla plays Jeremy Clarkson. ---
**Author:** ![Westrogothia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@Westrogothia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Westrogothia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/9 "2008-09-30T15:38:40Z")
> [@Wash](#): > > They’re already making one. Adam Corolla plays Jeremy Clarkson. F150s on trampolines? ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/10 "2008-09-30T15:48:08Z")
I’m sat here watching the first episode because of this thread. It’s like being in an alternate universe - same set, same titles, different blokes. The bloke playing May’s role. How on earth did they manage to find someone with more of an odd and vaguely creepy uncle vibe than James May? Seriously, the guy looks like he’s sent there to keep him off the streets when the kids are going home from school. The test track comes across on telly as being shit. Looks like a straight bit of runway with tires plonked on to steer around. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/11 "2008-09-30T15:51:50Z")
It’s downloading. I’ll report back. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/12 "2008-09-30T17:29:50Z")
It’s all very forced IMO. The spark between the hosts kust isn’t there, in fact they seem quite wooden. They’ve done the set etc. perfectly, a bit too perfect IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/13 "2008-09-30T18:19:35Z")
The challenge was quite good though, especially the first bit where the Clarkson-ish bloke went flying through the air. I didn’t really follow why they bothered doing the sharkproof moke thing, with it only lasting about four minutes. It came across as being very pointless filler. Did laugh at the No Sharks sticker stuck on the back, though. The only thing that actively annoyed me was the holding up photos of cars. It’s okay when they’re sticking things up on the various walls but not when doing it while chatting to the star the the reasonably priced car. The cameramen ain’t quick enough to focus in on the photos and you can’t see what the fuck the car is. And, y’know, there’s a telly right there. Put the piccies on that and cut to it in the edit. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/14 "2008-09-30T19:17:16Z")
> [@Wash](#): > > They’re already making one. Adam Corolla plays Jeremy Clarkson. Dear Lord, please tell me this is a joke. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/15 "2008-10-01T02:02:39Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Dear Lord, please tell me this is a joke. > :eek: It’s not. The first episode has actually been filmed, and the series is set to begin in March From what I’ve been able to gather online, those at the taping who saw the interaction of the US Top Gear hosts, and the filmed segments, say it actually holds its own against the UK version. Supposedly the on-set banter of the UK hosts is scripted, while for the US hosts it’s more improvisational. I’ve seen it described roughly as “US Top Gear is to the UK Top Gear as the US Office is to the UK Office”. A bit different, but still good. No doubt there will be cries of “It sucks compared to the UK version!” when it finally airs. It always happens that way. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/16 "2008-10-01T02:40:16Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Supposedly the on-set banter of the UK hosts is scripted I would guess more “prepared”. You can definitely tell when they’ve said something genuinely unexpected to the others, so the rest of what they say otherwise is, I think, anticipated. But I don’t think that necessarily means they are working from a script. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgonzola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e480ec/32.png) [@Gorgonzola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgonzola)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/17 "2008-10-01T05:28:36Z")
Why did anyone think there had to be an Australian version? ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/18 "2008-10-01T07:09:54Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > You have to at least give them a chance. Consider the difficult position they’re in: If they’re too different people would complain; but if they’re too similar people would complain (and they are complaining). > > Give them a few episodes to get into their groove, find their comfort spots, and make their mark. They have the potential to mould it into something all their own, but it will take time. Absolutely. The UK version needed time to find its feet too: just ask Jason Dawe. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/19 "2008-10-01T07:20:47Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I’ve seen it described roughly as “US Top Gear is to the UK Top Gear as the US Office is to the UK Office”. A bit different, but still good. Erm, no, it isn’t. The US version of _The Office_ completely misses the point of the UK one. In fact, US versions of _any_ UK TV comedy seem to completely miss the point. Can you imagine a US version of _The Mighty Boosh_? I’m shuddering just thinking about it. Having said that, the _Top Gear_ format could certainly work in the US, so I’ll be interested to see how it works out. As for _Top Gear Australia_: I’ve never heard of any of the hosts, and since we can’t make a decent local _anything_ in this country I’m not surprised to hear that the show is Made of Fail™. The UK version is brilliant, and there’s not real need for an Aussie version, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829/20 "2008-10-01T08:28:45Z")
I watched it, reminding myself throughout that the early episodes of the original series weren’t world-beaters either. For me, the slavish copying of the set and format pretty much killed it; how are the three hosts supposed to not be May/Hammond/Clarkson clones when they’re put in something that so closely mimics the original? It’s setting them up to fail. And a note to the camera team; I know the original show does some fun stuff with filters and stuff. They do it well. But, for fuck’s sake, can you quit it with the constant readjustment of focus? Foreground, background, foreground, background, you’re giving me a headache! Yeah, I’ll give it another few weeks - but I really don’t think the chemistry’s there. Even early on in the original, there was a strong hint of it, and it’s just not there now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-australia-major-fail/465829.md?page=2)