Top Gear Australia

[whiteballz]

Well, It wasn't the worst hour I've spent infront of the television, It was however far from the most enjoyable.

The commentary felt forced between the hosts, just for the sake of emulating clarkson and hammond regarding flappy paddle gear boxes, when I get the feeling both of the australian hosts prefer the H pattern gearbox.

I think once the hosts settle into a rythm with each other a truer more relaxed style will flow through the show, untill that point I'll not cry if I miss an episode.

It was a good show, faithful to the UK in terms of shots and style, but abit more originality. Did anyone else notice that our track seems tighter than the UK track?

Further to clutch monkeys and mine MSN convo he can fill you in on the rest of our thoughts...

[pimento]

Definately a tighter track, seems it'll favour the nimble cars a bit more than TGUK's power biased track. It'll be good to see how the boards end up comparing. As for the hosts, if you compare it to the first series of TGUK there's some pretty similar short-comings. It was definately a bit forced, but given that only one of them has had TV experience (and not much at that) it wasn't too bad. Once they settle into the groove they'll hopefully be a bit more polished about it.. should be good to see it evolve. They could also probably have done with having one segment fewer.. seemed a little rushed.

[clutch-monkey]

all the ground work is there imo; the camera work etc is quite good.

the only flaw is the hosts at the moment... which is a big goddamn flaw but hopefully they'll grow into it. they and the commentary are quite annoying but when they're isolation, for instance the 911 review, they're perfectly watchable. It's just the sort of forced dialogue between them.. eh i suppose TG UK season one had that fat man.
so my solution: moar reviews :D

probably walking a fine line of how much to take from top gear UK and how much to change yet keep it faithfull; i'm glad they knew not to copy the cool wall for example and the 'what were they thinking' wall is a pretty good alternative.

it's hard to sum up but for instance i was pessimistic about it being ford vs holden but when they showed the preview for next week... i'm actually looking foward to seeing that review. so that can only be positive :D

i think it will be entertaining to watch but not TG UK good (better than fifth gear though)

[pimento]

I reckon the Ford vs Holden review should benefit from being something they've been immersed in since forever. That and most of it will be spent sideways :D

[fpv_gtho]

Isnt the track supposed to be around Camden aerodrome?

I keep missing TG due to work.

[pimento]

The media launch was there, but the filming is at Bankstown Aerodrome. At least, that's where they told me to show up on the 8th...

[whiteballz]

pardon?

[IBrake4Rainbows]

The old dude bluntly annoys me - they're trying to set him up as a Clarkson IMHO, and the only problem is he has some form of motoring talent. And as such he lacks the incompetence and wit that makes Clarkson bearable, instead, he's a know-it all - the worst kind of Twit.

The short guy (didn't even get his name) was a non-entity. He was there but only ever got a rise when doing his best "Gangsta Rap". Weak.

And Warren....Well, He's the one to watch. I see him going either way, either lovably retarded, or just bluntly annoying, like that dickhead off fifth gear.

Star in a Reasonably priced car either didn't translate well from the track to the editing suite or just plain sucks. I don't know whether it's the track or the set up but somethings going to have to change because I was bored rigid watching Vince Colosimo (when is he a Celebrity? WHEN?) sort of moan around a track.

The overall set up annoyed me as well - if i wanted a blatant copy of the UK format, I'd be watching the UK version.

What were they thinking? about "What were they thinking?"

On the Plus Side:

The camera work was excellent. they made great use of the the scenery & there was some gorgeous action shots.

The Soft-Roader story had some genuinely interesting & exciting bits. Too bad the rest of the stories were non-events.

I'm glad to see they weren't forced into backing a particular brand or vehicle because of sponsorship or advertising requirements. thumbs up there.

He might be annoying but the old guy knows his stuff & knows how to relay information. His crosses to the ad breaks weren't shite either.

OVERALL: C+. I was bitterly disappointed because it just seemed so forced. The back slapping and guffawing may come in time, but the studio audience was a true tester - and they didn't warm to the presenters very much.

I hope, for the sake of motoring enthusiasts around Australia, that they do a better job next week.

[NSXType-R]

Great, I don't think Top Gear USA is going to be that wonderful. Besides, does anyone besides real car lovers in the USA know what Top Gear really is?

Okay, so when does the next season of Top Gear UK start? ;)

[john14]

Sadly, it looked like a bad Australian copy of the entertaining English Top Gear.

[pimento]

New TGUK will be in the third week in October.

Give the series some time, there's no point in writing it off completely.. same will go for TGUS. TGUK is something too unique to be emulated perfectly right off the bat, once the spin offs find their own identity and can go their own ways they may pick up. Or they'll forever stink and not last past two series... we'll see.

[f6fhellcat13]

TGUS won't develop with time, I'm pretty sure any show with Adam Corrola will just suck.

[Falcon500]

I do declare im not overly impressed by the whole thing. It has the same flaws as the uk series with even more drawbacks.

While I really like top gear even the UK one does have a habit of shitting me to tears (on occasion especially in car vs plane and other such silly rubbish) it still has 2 very likeable hosts (hamster and james) and clarkson is bearable and often entertaining when hes not being a racist bigot!

These guys are neither entertaining and as a first impression I think it will take some serious work to endear these guys to the viewing public.

[SlickHolden]

So we got Swearing Clarkson.. C+. Swearing seems forced, The 4wd down the hill was funny.
We got Capitan slow.. B-. Slow also, Bit here and there.
And Hamon Hamster.. F. This little midget shitted me, He was very nerves and talked 1 million miles an hour.
The Stig a Roo A+, He drive and didn't make a mistake talking:D.

Give them sometime to settle in, I hope they lift and become a good team..
But the hamster wanna be shits me already.

[tgpatrick]

I though Wazza was the best. Dunno but there's something about him I like. Probably his honesty. Charlie was abit nervous I thought, prolly trying to live up to Jeremy's attitude, but he was good, in his own way. Steve was just plain annoying and was trying too hard, he likes talking loud and yelling alot. The shark cage stunt was pointless. I think the boys need to get a few decent shows and car reviews under their belt before they do wacky stuff like that. Gotta earn some credibility first I think. I do like the fact that everything is in kilometres and Australian dollars. I'm willing to give the show a chance, these guys need some support especially with being in the shadow of their British counterparts. Won't be long before they decide to do a Simpson Desert challenge I'm sure.... ;)

[whiteballz]

TGpatrick, I think your on the money about the shark stunt, I found it trailed off after the joke about wearing a brown suit, the shots got all frantic, music was threatening, but then for some reason it just ended, I was like wtf?

That and what was the maybach review about? I dont know how many people care about headphones and calling home. The intro was longer than the review!

[Roentgen]

Uk tg!!! Yeya!!!!

[fisetdavid26]

I tried watching, but their typical Aussie accent really annoys me.

Wait... this is a thread full of Aussies.

*ducks for cover*

[whiteballz]

Its ok david, your french, we dont like you either.

[fisetdavid26]

Its ok david, your french, we dont like you either.
Hahaha, I deserved that!

Did make me genuinely laugh though.

[clutch-monkey]

i don't think it was the accent that made them annoying lol...
the hammond rip-off needs to f*ck off and die. speaking of which; why'd they have to try and replicate the UK hosts personality wise? would have been one area where they could safely depart from procedure... making their own mark so to speak

[f6fhellcat13]

I will watch this tommorow and give opinons. Doesnt soudn goo tho
EDIT: torrent finished earlier than i though it would. The JAmes MAy guy was ok at times, but aside form that i really didnt warm to the other presenters. Good on them for explointing Oz's ecological diversity, tho. Need a couple less challenges. Ford v Holden wil be interseting, and I like their choice of a resonably priced car better than UK's. The American version will be S-H-I-T unless they test a hella lotta old muscle cars.

[motorsportnerd]

The old guy, Charlie Cox, can drive pretty well. He raced a Ford Mondeo in the BTCC back in the mid-1990s - even had a huge shunt in one. Since then, I believe he has dabbled in sports car racing. He also commentated on the BTCC in, I think, 1998/99. I don't remember him shouting then. Probably because he wasn't in front of a live studio audience. Wish he'd stop shouting so much.
Warren Brown will be good - for some reason I like him.
The other guy - well, can't say I think much so far.

The show itself was about a B mark. I didn't like the editing in the hot laps and the track doesn't seem to flow. The humour does seem forced - but it was the first show so will take time for the hosts to gel there.
Overall, much better than any other Australian motoring show I've seen. But a long way short of TGUK. And that's where this show's problem lies - people compare it to TGUK and they shouldn't. Compare it to The Car Show or similar horrors and it stands up better.
And I noticed, the Stig is really short.

[Falcon500]

the Stig is really short.

id say hes max wilson or bargs lol their both unemployed atm lmao

[IBrake4Rainbows]

The biggest problem I have is the obvious personality matching they try and acheive.

Charlie Is the Alpha & as such tries to emulate Clarkson. He ends up sounding really raspy by the end of his speeches & lacks the wit & proper cynicism of Clarkson. His knowledge is both a blessing & a curse because while he's great at getting his point across no one likes a smart ass.

Mini-Me tries to be Charlie's foil but it just doesn't work because perosnality wise he doesn't have a leg to stand on. His best asset may very well be his Yoof appeal but I'm part of that generation & I just thought he was try hard.

I've seen Warren on TV before (as part of the "Moving Pictures" Segment on ABC's "Insiders" Sunday morning current affairs program), so I know he's got chops comedy wise. He was also probably the truest to his own personality but again (and especially) during the Maybach reel it was just so....forced.

I guess thats my biggest criticism of the program - TGUK has had nearly 11 seasons for these three blokes to learn each others nuances & react accordingly. However if you watch back to the first few seasons (and especially with James' introduction) you can see they didn't try to be all back-slappingly friendly straight off the bat. They worked at it & made the progression natural as they warmed to each other - thus making the connection believable.

It was just so fake on TGAU that it was almost unbearable to watch.

Also, more crazy S**t like Charlie Leaping a RAV V6 would be appreciated. that was the only genuinely entertaining or surprising thing of the night.

I want this program to succeed, I really do. But it's going to take a LOT of work.

[SlickHolden]

So noone likes the midget:p, He is a bit over the top with his actions head movement and voice, He's like a ice addict who has had more then one hit, He's jumping his excited and all he is chatting about is a paddle flips.
I was waiting to see a bulge of some type the way he was getting off on them paddle shifts.

[clutch-monkey]

Overall, much better than any other Australian motoring show I've seen. But a long way short of TGUK. And that's where this show's problem lies - people compare it to TGUK and they shouldn't. Compare it to The Car Show or similar horrors and it stands up better.
exactly right


And I noticed, the Stig is really short.
:cool:

The biggest problem I have is the obvious personality matching they try and acheive.
I guess thats my biggest criticism of the program - TGUK has had nearly 11 seasons for these three blokes to learn each others nuances & react accordingly. However if you watch back to the first few seasons (and especially with James' introduction) you can see they didn't try to be all back-slappingly friendly straight off the bat. They worked at it & made the progression natural as they warmed to each other - thus making the connection believable.

It was just so fake on TGAU that it was almost unbearable to watch.


this is the problem in calling it top gear imo. had it been called anything else it would have been fine

[f6fhellcat13]

exactly right

:cool:


this is the problem in calling it top gear imo. had it been called anything else it would have been fineIf they didn't call it top gear, everybody would say its a lame rip-off of top gear.As long as TGAUS isnt as epic as TGUK its a lose/lose.

[Blue Supra]

Didnt watch it, from sounds of things i wont bother till season 2 if there is one.

[nota]

I thought Charlie Cox made a reasonable go of it.

Warren's Great White Shark skit with the lime-green Moke was imo a piece of (uniquely aussie) brilliance

Absolutely hated the nerdy hampster clone, whatever his name is, Pizzani (?) or pissant more likely. Seemed like he threw the dreaded 'actually' word into every single phrase, not just sentence. So it was a veritable barrage of "Actually I actually think that I'm actually chronically overusing one word, actually."

The test track was badly depicted, hard to fathom.

Overall could be better, but thankfully could have been worse. Much worse

However it is a pity that TG-Oz looks destined towards a format of lightweight superficiality and doesn't appear to be anywhere near the calibre of the ABC's excellent old 'Torque' motoring program, for those that remember it, nor does it seem likely to approach it

[Matra et Alpine]

Watched the first two episodes thanks to the wonderweb :)

Have to say it was OK, coz after the comments here I was expecting it to suck.

OK, it has too much of a "copy of TG UK" about it and the one different part "what were the thinking" looks very VERY cheap production values :)

I can see me watching both UK and Aus.
Accents don't bother me -- as a Scot I've learned to acknowledge the value of a distinctive accent ( can get American ladies all moist when necessary :) )

Loved the total disregard for the utes !!

Track showed differeing levels of sand/dust on it which is going to make a difference in times -- jus tliek the damp track at TGO(riginal)

It also is an excellent insight into Aussie society.
TGO has in general nice looking babes in the audience with only the occasional rough one.
However, see attached ...... wow, no wonder you Aussies drink so much beer, gotta get REAL thick beer goggles on before mating, huh :)
At least the one arrowed green had the decency to hide behind the chair :)

PS: Is there an OZ equivalent of the TG audience applicaiton and what are it's "rules" ?
UK has "We also ask that groups of people coming to the recordings have a 50/50 male/female split. This is so we don't end up with a bunch of ugly male car geeks ruining everyone's Sunday night."
You guys need it much simpler "no mingers" :D :D :D

[clutch-monkey]

haven't had a chance to watch episode 2, heard the ford v holden was a cop out. i'll tune in for season 2..if they survive that long.

It also is an excellent insight into Aussie society.

um.. not really.


However, see attached ...... wow, no wonder you Aussies drink so much beer, gotta get REAL thick beer goggles on before mating, huh :)
At least the one arrowed green had the decency to hide behind the chair :)

PS: Is there an OZ equivalent of the TG audience applicaiton and what are it's "rules" ?
UK has "We also ask that groups of people coming to the recordings have a 50/50 male/female split. This is so we don't end up with a bunch of ugly male car geeks ruining everyone's Sunday night."
You guys need it much simpler "no mingers" :D :D :D

LOL
they need a shit filter, me thinks

[fisetdavid26]

I'm fairly positive the one on the far left is IB4R's mum.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

You've never seen my mums face.

much like I've never seen your sisters front. I only ever go from behind.

As for this weeks episode.....It was better. they loosened up and the Mining challenge was actually pretty decent - I thought it had the right combination of screw loose & interesting.

But I'm getting pretty sick of the blatant Ctrl C + Ctrl V presenters. Short-ass is simply loud and obnoxious - like a Chihuaha. only you can't really punt him into the next suburb....long story.....

Charlie is still loud & proud, but his interview skills need work. His interview with Steve Bisley was pretty difficult viewing.

As for the much lauded Ford Vs Holden? Superficial is a word that comes to mind.

They're afraid to be controversial and thats going to cost them dearly. Another peril of being on a Commercial network.

[Matra et Alpine]

I'm fairly positive the one on the far left is IB4R's mum.
I thought it was his dad, dressed up for the occasion :)

[IBrake4Rainbows]

You are mistaken.

Dad usually goes for the blonde wig :D

And He/She/It is missing the David Brent Mo my dad rocks, so no. Don't think it was him.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dd/David_Brent_111.jpg

[john14]

You guys need it much simpler "no mingers" :D :D :D

We have the highest percentage of good looking females in the world. We rule.

[2ndclasscitizen]

As for the much lauded Ford Vs Holden? Superficial is a word that comes to mind.

They're afraid to be controversial and thats going to cost them dearly. Another peril of being on a Commercial network.

But do they really need to pick a winner? I think what they were saying at the end, mixing and matching bits between the 2, was the most important point. Bike mags do that, they mostly just highlighting the good and bad points and letting people make up their own minds about which would they prefer based on those points.

Plus, in the end, what would picking a winner have achieved?

[IBrake4Rainbows]

It would have shown them to be something larrikinesque - You can't tell me there are honest red-blooded "Australian" car fans who don't have a side or preference on the issue.

Again Top Gear UK aren't afraid to rubber stamp one vehicle over another - and considering the blatant plagiarism going on (same people making the show, whatevs...)......

I just thought it was an absolute cop out of a story - While they could have moderately attempt to review the most quintessentially Australian aspect of the Motoring field and they choose to simply do some brake tests & skiddies. Hardly comprehensive & hardly worth watching.

I mean, the didn't even quote Prices. WTF.

[P4g4nite]

The second show was at least 40x better than the first, but the bar was pretty low. The moustachio'd cartoonist is painfully unfunny and I'm glad he was given a minimum of camera time.
The test track film needs a lot of work, I have no idea what it looks like or how a car is going.
As for the "What were they thinking?" board...What were they thinking?...let's punish the audience with 2 minutes of drollness.

I think it could be good, at least watchable.. provided SBS buys more than the 8 shows they've currently got.

[NSXType-R]

I watched the first episode finally, and to say the least, I'm not impressed. They really should develop their own humor instead of copying all of Top Gear UK's funny bits. They should make it lots of testing (like Top Gear's original format) and so they get used to each other and the show gains credibility, and then slowly move into the humor.

If this keeps going, Top Gear UK is going to be the only Top Gear I watch.

[Birdman]

Watched the second show and found it to be a lot better than the first. They still need to loosen up a bit since it still feels a little forced. I'm starting to like it and hopefully it will get the time it needs to mature.
The test track needs work camera wise. I can't figure out the shape of the circuit or the corners from the shots they have. That makes it hard to figure if a car is on for a fast lap or not.

[f6fhellcat13]

Mah internetz have been down for the past 2 days, so I'm downloading it now. I was looking forward to Ford v Holden and you guys ruined it... buzzkills.

[Falcon500]

Mah internetz have been down for the past 2 days, so I'm downloading it now. I was looking forward to Ford v Holden and you guys ruined it... buzzkills.

Well that ending is an anti-climax anyways :p

[clutch-monkey]

I just thought it was an absolute cop out of a story - While they could have moderately attempt to review the most quintessentially Australian aspect of the Motoring field and they choose to simply do some brake tests & skiddies. Hardly comprehensive & hardly worth watching.

absolutely, no real tests or challenges, and not even an opinion i.e. "they're both good but for these reasons i'd choose this one" etc etc. cop out.

[Falcon500]

absolutely, no real tests or challenges, and not even an opinion i.e. "they're both good but for these reasons i'd choose this one" etc etc. cop out.

They could of done it in more entertaining ways ie on a points scale and who would of thought they came out equil (rigged) at the end :eek: And they could of done it that way and still had the same ending only actually talked more about the cars strengths and weaknes':)

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Instead of an essentially pointless test (pretty to look at, but devoid of information) They could have made an event of it.

Instead, it ended up looking really really underdone.

[COBRAXR8]

It was the worst Top Gear i have ever seen,they tryed to hard to copy the pommie version. I will watch it again as i love all cars, but i wont rush, swear, or tape it. The pommie Top Gear is real good, hope the guys over here learn something from that show. The stig is a poor effort, could have picked anyone off the street.cheers

[f6fhellcat13]

I though it was quite good compared to the first episode, but teyr'e still trying to fit too much into one show.

[SlickHolden]

2 weeks of TGOZ:p.. Week 3 wasn't as bad as the first 2 i must say. Still midget shits me as he talks like he is on speed or ice!. Old man river had a better day this time, only just.
I think captain slow oz style is the pick of the 3 - even if he can't drive like the other two. He might not be as over the top but that thing on his face needs to run away.
His worst is "what were they thinking", Slow dance across the board.

[Matra et Alpine]

I'm getting to like "midget" as he is a real driver.
TG-UK has kind of lost that aspect of it, Clarkson just hoons aroudn and has little finesse, hamster is "learning" and James is the village-idiot with a Morris :)
The board is really REALLY cheesy and I guess is fun for that reason. Kind of "car crash in action".
Am actually looking forward to Ep4 :)

[f6fhellcat13]

they slowed down a bit and its better for it, if they can't fit as much into an episode as tguk, who cares?

[f6fhellcat13]

I'm getting to like "midget" as he is a real driver.
TG-UK has kind of lost that aspect of it
Some say, he... ... All we know is, he's called the Stig.
:)
All joking aside, I agree with you. During the 8C Competitzione test, a car I desperatly wanted to be perfect, Clarkson says, "And now; the handling" it angered when I saw the Alfa powersliding across my screen.
I think Clarkson does know more than he lets on, but it's still annoying that "handling" = drifting.

[Falcon500]

the problem is clrakson is as hamfisted with his driving as he is with everything else!

[NSXType-R]

But it's alright Clarkson sucks at driving, he's not a racing driver anyway.

If you're watching Top Gear for pure information, you're watching the wrong show.

I really wish that TG Australia could be more original. Copying the humor of the original show is too easy. They should start out as a legit car reviewing show and then learn the presenters' personalities and then work off from there.

[SlickHolden]

I know the midget can drive, And drive very well. But when he talks and moves his hands and head he must get dizzy:p.

[Matra et Alpine]

Valid point NSX, but I think we'll see them move away from the "traditional" TG look as they gain confidence and experience. Starting from a known succes is a good idea. Look at the US Office ... not aptch on the UK one but has moved away from the original into it's own style. AMerica woudl NEVER have bought into a show like the office if Brent's original version hadn't been a success adn they started by copying.
Best form of flattery :)

If by the end of the season they've not seperated out aspects of it which are different them we can review again :) For me, I see enough difference in the STYLE to make it different enough. Just like the real TG, they change things and try new things but 80% is the same :)

[f6fhellcat13]

I can't say I know how the TV indusrty works, but don't they film most of the tests and challenges before the season even starts? If I'm right, Season 2 should be a helluva lot better, if I'm wrong the show should be legitimalty good by the end of this run, like Matra said.

[2ndclasscitizen]

I can't say I know how the TV indusrty works, but don't they film most of the tests and challenges before the season even starts? If I'm right, Season 2 should be a helluva lot better, if I'm wrong the show should be legitimalty good by the end of this run, like Matra said.

Yes, most of the segments are filmed before the season actually starts on air. And they've already filmed all of the studio stuff as well (when TGUK does it during the week before the episode airs IIRC)

[IBrake4Rainbows]

This weeks episode had some lulz moments - I was a big fan of the Astra Lawn bowls, but mostly for the destruction aspect.

and the W427 was Automotive porn....but somehow the Studio audience aspect is lacking a hell of a lot of magic. Whether it's the Audience or the hosts, there is often painful silence where there is meant to be a laugh track......

[SlickHolden]

Yeah that was a good one. When he drove on it and it exploded as he got out it was perfect timing.

A little more on the W427 would have been nice, To be honest I'd like to hear the cars more.

[whiteballz]

It was enjoyable as far as australian TV goes.

I assume the astra's were going to be mothballed or something. Or would SBS's budget really go high enough to pay for all damages sustained in the filming of that segment?

[kingofthering]

Well...the Astras looked pretty undamaged; at least it was 10X less damage than Top Gear UK's car football.

They might not need to pay for any damages at all, considering Holden may consider it free advertising.

[whiteballz]

see them all bottom out on the ramp? haha. I laughed pretty good at the deformation of the bodywork.

But yes, no-one rolled their cars.

[f6fhellcat13]

But yes, no-one rolled their cars.

Would have been epic (and Hammond-like) if the short dude rolled one of the cabrios

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Anything that gets more astra convertibles off the road can only be a good thing.

[clutch-monkey]

and if the short guy incapacitated himself in the process...so be it.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

I noticed the other day.....

He's sponsored by Porsche right? or does driver training for them, or whatever.

Anyway, he brought up the whole GT-R vs Porsche thing. I was like "Epic conflict of interest".....

[clutch-monkey]

i thoguht he only does driver training with them because they can take abuse :D

[Falcon500]

Anything that gets more astra convertibles off the road can only be a good thing.

Why do you for some reason fancy the gayest car in holdens lineup?

Apprently hes a good little driver too although I still think grant denya will make a great replacement the hammond wannabe hesa better driver again and he wont jitter and fidget in front of the camera and say his annoying litle catch [hrase before each sentance!


Grant Denyer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Denyer) <<<<lets hear it people!

[2ndclasscitizen]

Denyer is contracted to 7. When I did work experience at Prime back in Wagga he was still there, nice bloke.

[whiteballz]

Didn't denyer recently suffer some kind of crash, whereby his spine was shortened due to the impact?

or something

[Falcon500]

Didn't denyer recently suffer some kind of crash, whereby his spine was shortened due to the impact?

or something

Yeah its on the wiki i put there he will apprently be 1cm shorter from the monster truck incident.

[whiteballz]

poor guy. He was short enough as it was.

[Falcon500]

Yeah his girlfriend danni minouge was taller then him and she is nto a tall girl by any means.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Grant Denyer would annoy me. he's too....cheery for a show like this.

And plus, he's laid up at the moment.

[Deckard]

To be fair to the Aus version of the show, they got given the 'formula' for the show from the UK series and they have to stick to it to the letter, as TG is a brand.

I was at the taping of the last show on Wednesday, not sure if they'll be a second series as the ratings have been halved every episode.

Steve Pizzati is far less annoying in person and Charlie Cox totally lacks any charisma in person.

[scottie300z]

Charlie Cox totally lacks any charisma in person.

or on the screen for that matter.

[Falcon500]

To be fair to the Aus version of the show, they got given the 'formula' for the show from the UK series and they have to stick to it to the letter, as TG is a brand.

I was at the taping of the last show on Wednesday, not sure if they'll be a second series as the ratings have been halved every episode.

Steve Pizzati is far less annoying in person and Charlie Cox totally lacks any charisma in person.

So they are not aloud to deviate?is it written in stone? how sad becasue if thats the case they might be able to do it very natrually only THEY ARE NOT ALOUD TOO, incredibly short sighted move if thats the case we shall take 3 individuals and make them try to be hamster,jeremy and may even though its very likly they cant.....and even worse they are getting stick and poor ratings for doing what they are told :(

"If" there will be a 2nd series it sounds like one of thems getting the boot ( cough charlie cox cough).

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Tonights show didn't suck for the first half....but Seriously? could they copy the formula any more?

A CAR BOAT?

They had me until then. after that it just became try hard.

Like I've said, if I wanted to watch a piss-weak version of the British version, I'd be watching the British version in the first place.

[whiteballz]

hell, even my girlfiriend picked the UK rippoff car/boat segment. you KNOW its bad when sarah notices shit like that

[clutch-monkey]

you people still watch this shit? :p

[IBrake4Rainbows]

I want to give it the benefit of the doubt.

And plus, hopefully it'll get so bad it reaches train wreck status. in which case it may very well be compelling viewing.

[clutch-monkey]

i gave it the benefit of the doubt, in the first two episodes. inexplicably they kept the same presenters though, so i stopped.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

it's a shocking oversight, I concur.

[Deckard]

So they are not aloud to deviate?is it written in stone? how sad becasue if thats the case they might be able to do it very natrually only THEY ARE NOT ALOUD TOO, incredibly short sighted move if thats the case we shall take 3 individuals and make them try to be hamster,jeremy and may even though its very likly they cant.....and even worse they are getting stick and poor ratings for doing what they are told :(

"If" there will be a 2nd series it sounds like one of thems getting the boot ( cough charlie cox cough).
Yeap, they are not allowed to deviate from it, I know someone who was involved at the very start of production for the show and he showed me the brief of what TGUK wanted for the Aus version and it had very clear guidelines.

Haven't seen last nights ep yet as I was busy but taped it and will watch it when I can.

[Matra et Alpine]

Still not too bad ... some of us remember the REAL lows of Top Gear, the Oz version isn't quite there yet.
Am still willing to give them time and watch it in spare moments.
Thought the BMW section was good journalism, information, consideration and driving it with some nice shots.
Not yet got round to finding the time to watch the boat bit ... am definitely now looking forward to it like watching NASCAR :)

Finally somebody realised they needed to give us the track map !!!

Too much straight, too nany tight corners/chicanes and not enough sweepers :(

[IBrake4Rainbows]

It's just a symptom of the airport they use, I think.

TGAU doesn't have the luxury of being able to have a disused runway at their disposal.....

[f6fhellcat13]

With TGUK S12 starting(havent watched the ep yet), will we see TGAU's veiwership tumbling? Even if they are on at different times?

[Cyco]

TGAU has had bottom of its time slot ratting all bar week one and viewer numbers dropping every week.

With the new series of TGUK started last night this puts (the non-downloaders) back to 2 series behind the UK for no good reason.

[f6fhellcat13]

(the non-downloaders

At them, I lol.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Tonights episode was again a mixed bag.

The GT-R story was beautiful visually. Utterly stunning and the first time I haven't minded how the GT-R looks. However yet again Short-Bus wrecks it with whinging, lightweight information, and to be honest, some pretty soft driving. Big deal, he hit 250kp/h, where was the excitement? it was mostly city driving around Kings Cross.

The STi story was a bit of a let down as well - again visually stunning, but the outcome could have been seen a mile away. AND it's pretty much a blatant copy of a copy of something Top Gear did ages ago.

Again Charlie fluffs an interview segment - you could tell he got on with Murphy more than Courtney and because of that it was a pretty one-sided affair. decent driving from the pair of them though, as you'd expect.

The Golf Story was probably the best of the night - Friendly competition, decent information and it had a purpose. not particularly well shot or anything like that, but it was entertaining and showed some sort of technical nous.

Overall, the show hasn't really moved beyond some of the surprisingly good stuff they had a few weeks back.....I'm still backing it though. Just get rid of Short-Ass. I'm the demographic he's supposed to appeal to...let me tell you, He doesn't. Not. Even. Nearly.

[clutch-monkey]

i actually watched tonights show. even with annoying faghat i liked the GTR review (and as you say actually liked how it looked there :confused: haxor!)
also liked the sti review, but again as you said, exception was the ending letdown.
sure henk would have appreciated the golf contest :D
still not great....
...but bear in mind i stopped watching after the first episode. so for me at least the improvement is really obvious and somewhat heartening

[IBrake4Rainbows]

The annoying thing is, Most reviews i see about the show think he doesn't suck.

They obviously don't watch it then.

[fpv_gtho]

I think its just different people seeing different things. I saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and felt like putting a bullet into Warren and Steve, but everyone here wanted to do that to Charlie...

[whiteballz]

Told you it was worth watching clutch :p

[clutch-monkey]

lol yeah you were right...this time :p
the little shit was not nearly as death worthy as before but wtf at warren's left hand

[f6fhellcat13]

now that tguk is on teh internetz, nobody cares about au so it's harder to find
i googlez

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Warren twitches....SO....hard. It's actually difficult to watch.

He's very stylised but I hope he'll loosen up & realise that just because theres a camera he doesn't need to be a dick.

Still. Urge to kill short ass.....rising.....

[Cyco]

Charlie Cox will not be returning for Series 2.

He will be replaced by James Morrison.

From FinalGear.

Santa has come early

[Rockefella]

Charlie Cox will not be returning for Series 2.

He will be replaced by James Morrison.

From FinalGear.

Santa has come early

Fifth gear you mean?

[Ferrer]

Fifth gear you mean?
He meant the info is from FinalGear.com :: There's Fifth Gear, There's Top Gear, And Then There Is Final Gear (http://www.finalgear.com)

[Rockefella]

Oh ok. I don't watch Fifth Gear and assumed the 'from' meant he was one of the hosts.

[clutch-monkey]

Charlie Cox will not be returning for Series 2.

He will be replaced by James Morrison.

From FinalGear.

Santa has come early

no idea who james morrison, but hooray for them not being shy with dumping cast members

[2ndclasscitizen]

I didn't know James Morrison was into cars, that's awesome! The dude can play.

[clutch-monkey]

wait are we talking about the trumpet player?
edit: ah yes, he's been in some rallies

[fpv_gtho]

I'd rather they dropped one of the other two personally, unless Charlie was the one who wanted out.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

James morrison apparently hosted a car show back in the early 90's, so he has experience.

Lets hope he has the personality to gel with the Doucheweasel & McDrawy.

Cox was right to jump ship - He was a snob about the whole thing & because of his apparent Alpha-Male status as main host he set the tone. Lets hope Morrison can actually string a sentence together.

[Matra et Alpine]

Am I the only one who liked Charlie ?
He's honest and rough-diamond.
Not really given a chance to make the role his own and avoid the "reading JC's lines" :)

[f6fhellcat13]

I think Charlie has just the right amount of gravel in his voice to make the voiceovers awesome, but seemed to lack any other redeeming features.
The short one is beyond help, but I think Warren, if he loosened up a bit, could be quite good because he is somewhat similar to the part he was cast for.

I think somebody said this earlier, but the crowd needs to loosen up as well. Telling a joke to complete silence will not help them become more natural feeling.

[clutch-monkey]

Am I the only one who liked Charlie ?
He's honest and rough-diamond.
Not really given a chance to make the role his own and avoid the "reading JC's lines" :)
you and FPV :p
i didn't minf him in the actual reviews. but as a host..eh

[fpv_gtho]

I dont know how much Morrison will be able to improve the show, or at least from the perspective of locals.

I cant imagine what those watching from outside the country think of Steve's over used Aussie mannerisms and Warrens general uptight character at times.

If Top Gear UK had similar issues i doubt i'd even notice, given my limited knowledge of British society.

[Matra et Alpine]

I think, fpv, we probably take the other two as you guys take the foppish James May and the over-excited hamster !!
They fit a stereotype that interests us -- ie NOT borign or too annoying (yet).
You guys on the other hand are possibly too used to the funny accents :)

[IBrake4Rainbows]

I like James May best because of his slight quirkyness. Something I sort of relate Warren's personality to.

Hammond is tolerable because while he's excitable and occasionally garish, he's also talented and has a decent script to work with. Steve has never been able to do anything but be whingy, and his scripts suck.

James Morrison is going to be an interesting character of sorts because Charlie was sort of the Alpha Male of the trio, and replacing him with the Laconic-stylings of a Jazz-Trumpetist will shift the dynamic hugely.

The biggest problem for the show was their attempt, as i've been able to do, to typecast the Australian cast in the exact mould of the UK show. If i wanted to see a carbon copy I'd go to the original and the best, k thx.

Hopefully they spend less time emulating and more time trying to make it their own. That way, it will at least be interesting.

[clutch-monkey]

or more time reviewing, less time assing about in the studio

[Deckard]

It's not just Cox who got the bullet, there's quite a few of the production staff where shown the door.
Let's hope this improves the show.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Oh please oh please oh please.

A direct copy of the UK show was NEVER the right idea.

[clutch-monkey]

new series is much improved so far (haven't finished first episode yet)

trumpet man is much better than cox
regrettably, short asshat is still there, but give it time
"what were they thinking" wall was lultastic (watch it and see what i mean LOL)
dropped the stupid stig intro's they tried to copy from TGUK in previous season

the EVO X vs 135i review was pretty good imo, interesting choice for a comparo (and what track is it that they are on?), even if it just boils down to '135i is faster in straight line but computers/awd in evo is faster around corners'

much better start imo, will watch following episodes.
this is completely opposite to my reaction for the first series. maybe lowered expectations also helped haha.

[fpv_gtho]

Oran Park. Shouldve been obvious with the bridge.

Still painfull with the other 2 idiots over stereotyping things.

[clutch-monkey]

i thought oran park was closed?

[fpv_gtho]

I think they've still got maybe a year until the bulldozers roll in. I'm not even sure if the developments have gotten planning approval. They've had their final V8 Supercar race though.

[charged]

yeah it may have an extra year so Ive been told... have to get there before its closed:( At least the murchi has a proper box in it....:)

[clutch-monkey]

maybe the financial crisis can save oran park...developers can't afford to go ahead with it anymore :D

[Cyco]

Far, far improved effort.

Very few occasions I wanted to scream at the tv, and even got a few good laughs.

Morrison has tried this before, but even with 1st show nerves showed he was 100 times better than Cox.

[pimento]

Much better than the last series.. and I reckon Steve and Wozz are improved too. Should be good to see how this series goes...

[2ndclasscitizen]

I think they've still got maybe a year until the bulldozers roll in. I'm not even sure if the developments have gotten planning approval. They've had their final V8 Supercar race though.


yeah it may have an extra year so Ive been told... have to get there before its closed:( At least the murchi has a proper box in it....:)


maybe the financial crisis can save oran park...developers can't afford to go ahead with it anymore :D

Oran Park is going going gooooooornne. The 'dozers are at the boundary fence. The swansong for the bikes in late November with a 6hr race. The owner's got no excuse not to build another track though, he got paid quite well for the land. Lets just say it starts 9, and ends with 00,000,000.

[cargirl1990]

my auto teacher showed me ( and my class ) the first Top Gear episode. VERY BORING. but on a lighter note, its coming on DVD and being shipped to Canada! the British one of course! thank goodness.

[f6fhellcat13]

I watched it and agree it was much better.
I guess not having their Clarkson figure helped them to go slightly away from the UK show, and in a good way. Warren seemed a lot more natural and the short one was, well, better... I really like James Morrison, he seems very natural which was noticeably missing from series one.
The only thing I didn't like was the race. The producers are not skilled enough to make the narration and action flow smoothly, as they can on TGUK.
All in all; an improved effort, and because I have no life I will continue downloading it.

[pimento]

The only thing I didn't like was the race. The producers are not skilled enough to make the narration and action flow smoothly, as they can on TGUK.

Nor do they have the budget for sweeping helicopter shots and whatnot. Still, I imagine the producers will gain skill along with the rest of them.. the first couple of TG UK had some pretty ropey sections also.

[charged]

Oran Park is going going gooooooornne. The 'dozers are at the boundary fence. The swansong for the bikes in late November with a 6hr race. The owner's got no excuse not to build another track though, he got paid quite well for the land. Lets just say it starts 9, and ends with 00,000,000.

Ah thats shit I want to race their before it closes:(may have to have enter the last round of the NSW state championship, 3 interstate race meets this year..... my bank balance will be hammered:(

I heard he wont have to eat home brand bake beans anymore butdidnt know it was that much:eek: hopefully he should be able to build a track with the money he has made, just have to make sure it has plenty of elevation changes :)

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Agreed it was a much improved effort - the Dynamics between James & Woz are much better than between him & Cox.

I still think Pizzati is the greatest thing wrong with the program. always have. He's trying to be the smarmy short guy who's sort of endearing, but he ends up coming off as a twit and I have a constant need to smack him in the face.

Give it 2 more episodes and James will have warmed up enough so producers can realise exactly HOW annoying the little man really is.

[clutch-monkey]

I still think Pizzati is the greatest thing wrong with the program. always have. He's trying to be the smarmy short guy who's sort of endearing, but he ends up coming off as a twit and I have a constant need to smack him in the face.


Backpfeifengesicht

The 10 Coolest Foreign Words The English Language Needs | Cracked.com (http://www.cracked.com/article_17251_10-coolest-foreign-words-english-language-needs.html)

[IBrake4Rainbows]

God bless the germans.

Coughing up in phlegm what I have to express in 30 words.

[pimento]

As mentioned previously, Top Gear Australia is changing channels (http://www.finalgear.com/news/2009/10/23/top-gear-australia-officially-moving-to-channel-nine/) down in Australia. As a part of that move, it was announced today that two of the hosts have been replaced.

The new hosts of the show will be Steve Pizzati who has previously hosted the show, actor Shane Jacobson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Jacobson), and Top Gear Australia editor-in-chief Ewen Page. You can read their full biographies on Top Gear Australia’s website (http://www.topgear.com/au/car-news/tgatv-hosts).

Well.. at least it's not Warney..

[IBrake4Rainbows]

So we've got the editor of a lad's magazine, a comedian and a pissant. Along with having to watch it on "the home of entertainment".

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=338269&stc=1&d=1277470764

What the HELL is wrong with just getting the British version?

[pimento]

I don't mind that we had our own version.. personally I think they were just about to get to a point that might have become something worth watching in the near future.... but now it's stuffed. Ho well, I'll just keep aquiring the UK ones. The TV versions are trimmed and had their music replaced with crap anyway....