History Channel, Please Cancel Top Gear
Unfortunately real Top Gear fans keep having to endure more of what I would called garbage TV, Top Gear US. It's disappointing that the History Channel has not canceled Top Gear yet and I plead with you History channel, can you please cancel Top Gear?
For most gearheads Top Gear isn't just a show, it's an obsession. For those that love the show, and I mean the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) original version, there is no better television show on the planet.
For those that are not familiar, Top Gear features three British auto journalists, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. The show is comprised of car reviews, putting stars in a reasonable priced car or on a racetrack, and generally crazy antics in moving vehicles or vehicles with wheels of some sort.
If you were to ask anyone gearhead (or petrolhead as they say in England) about Top Gear, more than likely you will hear, “Top Gear is the greatest show EVER!” I concur!
Fans, like myself, of the one and only good and original Top Gear on the BBC, feel the History channel needs to stop. Please, please CANCEL Top Gear USA! We don't like it, we don't want it, and we really, really hate it. We rather have you re-run episodes of the original on the History channel.
Sure, Top Gear USA might be doing good business for the History channel. There is no doubting that. I am sure all of the History channel execs are pleased with their Nielsen ratings.
The thing is, for anyone who has brain that actually functions and that has seen the original Top Gear UK, why would you want to watch Top Gear USA? It lacks, the originality and chutzpah of the BBC version with the three awful American hosts, Adam Ferrara, Tanner Foust and Rutledge Wood.
Tanner Foust, a professional drift car driver, has little in the way of natural camera ability. Most of the time it feels like he is reading from a script, which I am fairly sure he did not write himself. Rutledge Wood, is the fun loving pudgy one out of the bunch. Somehow he just doesn't work either and it also seems like he reads from scripts which he clearly did not write himself.
Adam Ferrara, while I don't want to admit it… is actually quite good. (I might be biased, since I firmly believe all people named “Adam” are cool.) He is quick on his feet and is able to carry himself on camera well. No doubt working as a stand-up comic and actor, gives him an edge over the other two hosts. However, he can't carry the show for the other two and the three lack chemistry.
Top Gear USA just feels like a rehashed version of the original, which is not as good. Most of the episodes give the feeling of Deja-Vu of the BBC original.
I hate to say this, but we Americans have a serious problem of taking good British TV shows, and completely ruining them. Anyone ever heard of The Office? Now Julian Fellowes is creating an American “Downton Abbey” which I am fairly sure will not live up to standards of the original British Downton Abbey.
Besides Top Gear UK has been able to get some pretty impressive American stars on the show. This includes Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Andy Garcia, and even Slash from Guns N' Roses.
Even with History channel's success with Top Gear USA, I highly doubt it will continue to grow. Being among the coveted young demographic that History is so keen on, I realized something… most 20-30 year-olds, don't have cable.
Young people are used to watching TV and movies over the internet on services like Netflix, Hulu, and if necessary ripping shows they like. On top of that cable subscriptions have declined during this horrendous economy. Most young people are part of a generation of CableNevers meaning we have never subscribed to cable.
You can watch Top Gear USA episodes via History channels website. However, even with high speed internet and fast computers, I can say this with certainty, History channel's online video player doesn't work.
Due to History channel's lack of artistic sensibilities, I have deiced that I must boycott watching the channel. (This won't be hard for me to do, since I am a CableNever.)
What are your thoughts about Top Gear UK and Top Gear US? Do you despise it like I do or think History should make more episodes?
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Totally agree. The UK show is WAY better and much more entertaining and informative. The US show has its moments, but is mostly too scripted and really asinine.
The three UK hosts were journalists before, so they write a lot the script. (At least I assume they do.) I think if they got ride of Tanner Foust and Rutledge Wood the show would be waaay better. I have only seen episodes from the 1st and 2nd seasons. I don’t really care to watch anymore more though and I am totally fine not having the History Channel!
I’ve seen some of all of them, since we have History Channel and I sometimes see the show come on. Tanner isn’t too bad, really, although he’s mainly a one trick pony (need someone to drift your car.. put him in it) on the air. For a guy with such amazing talents behind the wheel, he really gets pigeonholed on Top Gear USA. Rutledge definitely needs to go.
I will say that the newer episodes do have much less of the scripted feel from the three guys, mainly because I think they’re getting used to memorizing lines and/or reading off cue cards and doing so naturally instead of in a robotic way. The show has some imagination and good ideas, but they rarely come off well.
Aaron if you have parental controls with your cable subscription you need to block Top Gear US. It will give you eye cancer! 🙂
lol We have basic, non-digital cable (30-odd channels). It comes with our Internet access. lmao Otherwise, we’d not have any type of TV service. I tend to catch shows like Top Gear because I like to turn on the TV while cooking and that’s the type of thing that’s airing when I’m making mid-day prep foods.
I had looked into bundling internet, phone, and cable but it just doesn’t make sense. I really only have time to watch 1-2 TV shows everyday and I prefer spending that time not watching commercials with Netflix or the DVDs we own.
We have a little TV in the kitchen and use it when we clean and cook too, but it is on an antenna. I usually watch the News or PBS. I can even pick-up DC stations with our Terk HDTV Antenna. I was even able to hookup the basement CRT to an antenna upstairs attached to another CRT using a coaxial splitter and the existing coaxial lines in the wall. With the digital switch-over you can pick-up full HD broadcasts OTA too, which is why A/V enthusiasts recommend antennas.
See if you can pick-up any OTA signals easily using TVFool and then post the results to the TVFool forum or another A/V forum where they can give you advice about antenna setups.
Our cable company includes cable TV with all Internet packages. We don’t actually have a land line phone at all and they don’t offer one either. Our choices for high speed Internet are: cable, DSL, 3G or satellite. lol
That’s nice. As they say “If it’s free, it’s for for me!”
American Top Gear is the BEST!!!!! If you like the UK Top Gear so much movie to England and watch it with their bad accents and crappy European cars.
Are white people just stupid and crazy?
I really hope TG USA gets the maul. I hate it with a passion. All three of those guys are shit, not one of them could produce a written review worth reading, and have no journalism accolades like the UK guys do, and lack that elloquent humor of the UK version. I’m going to say it, they’re no-tallent fuckheads that make me ashamed to be an American. I’ll watch Piers Morgan before I watch another episode of TG USA.
The truth does hurt! The reality is that Top Gear UK is the best and always will be.
Piers Morgan is pretty bad too though. I believe he lost 70% of the audience for that time slot. Surprised CNN hasn’t kicked him off network. I guess that’s why CNN has terrible ratings.
Thanks for commenting Rick.
They are terrible the UK version is the best I bought a 1992 Range Rover after the brazil episode lol the US hosts suck so much like they’re reading from a TelePrompTer and act they don’t want to be here lol maybe they’re as embarrassed as we are Cancel this garbage BBCAMERICA channel is my go to I would rather watch a Kristen Stewart biography while being raped by a wolverine than watch an entire episode of those rip off douches
Those are strong words my friend, but can’t say I disagree with you.
If you don’t like the US version, just don’t watch it. It is that simple. Clearly History channel has enough people who like it and watch it on a regular basis to keep renewing it for more seasons. I have to say that the first season was pretty awful, but since they have worked out some kinks and gotten rid of that stupid “Star in a Reasonably priced car” segment (it doesnt work on shows built around commercials) it has gotten a lot better. In fact, I enjoyed most of season 3. It is just a top gear tuned towards a more American audience and built to work on American networks.
I too love Top Gear UK far more, but Top Gear USA definitely has a place and is a fun watch more often then not. It isn’t like people who watch the UK version would watch reruns it on History channel anyways, they already downloaded it from TPB each sunday it aired…or watched it on BBC America. My biggest complain about Top Gear USA is that it is on the *HISTORY* Channel.
I don’t watch Top Gear US. It gave me eye cancer!
QQ, top gear usa is successful enough that an average of 1.7 million people watch it. So the least you can do is keep your whiny “resist to change” comments to yourself.
I will write any articles I want on my own site or publications. FYI you are the one making a “comment” on this site. 😀
The viewing audience of Top Gear BBC is much largely by the way. Over 300+ million global audience if I remember correctly.
The problem is simple. Sometimes it’s ok to let someone else who isn’t American to be great. We like the show because its not American. We get to actually see the cars of our dreams in the environments that they have been designed to conquer. Not in the slow lane of a traffic jam being driven by that too old to walk fast blasters who can’t shift gears. It fun because its British, its good because its smart and not smothered in pc American cheese. It’s awesome because we get to see the world from a different perspective, one that is more concerned about cars and the people that love them, not cars and how they make us spend our life savings for a little more than the other guy at the light. Behold… It’s the best because its pure. God bless America, however save the queen too.
The commentary is awful, and horribly unfunny…just….no…
On top of that, when the do “challenges” to find the best whatever car for whatever: whatever car tanner Faust is driving will “win” because he has racing experience, and the other two are completely useless at driving anything. At least in the uk version, not a one of them is any good at anything they do, which makes for some hilarious antics (remember the amphibious vehicles?)
The commentary and the way the hosts talk in the US version of Top Gear seems very unnatural. Like I said before it seems like they are all handed scripts to read since I guess they can’t write it themselves.
I totally agree, Top Gear USA is just awful and needs to be cancelled immediately. I too feel like they are reading from scripts. When they say:
“Big star in a small car” i want to yell at my TV “reasonably priced car!!!”
And it’s TAME RACING DRIVER!!
I hate the show, and I will never watch it again!
I love top gear on history. Do not cancel it please it is one of my favorite shows ever
I believe you mean the BBC version? 🙂
I agree that the american version is not quite as good as the brittish but I don’t feel it is that bad. They need to replace tanner but Rutledge and Ferrara work well together, they just need a third that fits better. I also think that the American version can expose a part of American viewers to the British version. After all that’s how I found out about the British show( I hate to admit that).
Ohhh man, well at least that you know about Top Gear UK now.
Tanner Faust is the only star on the show. So as long as he’s interested, they’re going to keep him. The biggest problem I have with the US version is that they all seem scripted. I just saw another episode (well, most of it) the other day and noticed that nothing’s changed despite their having been on the air two or three years now.
Tanner Fourst a star? I seriously doubt if stopped a random person on the street they would know who he is. I do find it odd that the production company has decided to keep him on the show. This is the problem with American TV and media. Executives assume just because you are good at racing you will be good on a show about cars, but we now that isn’t true.
Rutledge Wood and Adam Ferrara are clearly better TV hosts. I think Adam is the best honestly and wouldn’t mind if they got rid of Wood and Foust.
Wow! The show hasn’t gotten better in the couple years it has been on TV. The episodes I watched definitely seemed scripted. Are NBC and CNN producers running the show? 🙂
Adam Ferraras been in the comedy scene for years and actually he’s been on a few TV shows and movies as well.
Yes I am aware that Adam Ferrara has more TV experience and has done acting before. It shows as he is the best out of the 3 Top Gear USA hosts by far.
I am British, so I won’t comment on the USA version’s content. But I feel it is a damn shame the the USA has tried to rip this fantastic programme off. Top gear has been around for 20 years. What made the Americans think they could rival it? Having said that, I’m glad to read the the American people are not siding with the latest British rip off for the sake of patriotism. As my USA counterparts are saying, end this disgrace of a rip off now.
We seem to rip off a lot of British TV shows. It is in our nature Dave so it is really not that surprising. I thought the show would get better with time but it hasn’t.
I guess it’s hard for any US producer to make an original show nowadays. At least we will have “The Sopranos” and “The Wire.”
I think you are being sorely mistaken with tou view on top gear usa, and i like that top gear more than the uk version, which is not as good in my eyes
You either are crazy Bill or you work for the History channel.
Or im not you and i have different views
I do like the uk version as well, i just prefer the us version
It’s ok, I know a lot of people from the History channel and Top Gear US have seen my post and don’t like it.
I respect your like of top gear uk, i like it too, but when i heard of the new top gear usa season i was very happy
he has a right to his opinion adam . i dont mind the us version … i like cars and its abouts CARS . who cares if its badly scripted, its a car show . ive been watching top gear uk since the 90s and to be honest the us version its 10 times better than top gear australia .so be greatful for that at least
If you’re ever watched motor trend or /Drive on you tube they are the sort people you need real gear heads not actors they need to replace the gellopes and the audience seem like there told when to laugh it seems unnautral
Why does it need to be cancelled? I get that you don’t like the show but alot of people do myself included so why should we not get to watch it because others do like it? Is History the only channel you have? Is your DVR broken and only plays Top Gear USA? It seems a bit childish to me, TG USA is not a threat to the UK version so what’s the harm in letting ppl watch it if we want? Thanks for your thoughts and I hope you have a great year, and get your DVR repaired!!!! Also maybe lay off the hater-aid…..
I wouldn’t waste space or energy to have Top Gear US on a DVR. Most likely if it was on a DVR it would break it. Is your DVR broken from Top Gear US? 🙂
I love the “US” Top Gear way better.. Its funny and seems to have more modern cars without some weird foreign accents.. Older guys that think there funny and know how to drive and are being cool.. LOL That’s me I like the US Version way better and I don’t waste the space on my DVR on the British version yet have a little trouble even watching it.. HISTORY WHATS WRONG? THIS IS AMERICA… I’m disappointed.
More modern cars? Can you point out where the original Top Gear doesn’t showcase new cars?
The accent thing is a ridiculous statement. British people would say we have “weird foreign accents.” Eddie Izzard believes Brits talk right. 🙂
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure the the US version was created by some sort of blessing/act by the BBC hosts, and that they have their hand somehow in the US version as well. See this article with a quote from Jeremy Clarkson…
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I for one love the US version. It too brought me to see the BBC one which is OK. I also have to disagree about Wood and Faust, I feels they both are great together. Wood also has has a journalism background as he does a lot of reporting for Fox Sports and NASCAR.
Yes, BBC has licensed the rights to the show’s format all over the world. It’s a pretty common practice since the the production company and producers that originally made the show give input and advice. For Top Gear USA I believe the BBC even a production team from the UK and they use a BBC subsidiary.
Honestly the BBC wouldn’t be the news organization they are without Top Gear. It is a huge cash cow for them and funds many of the shows that aren’t big revenue generators.
Glad to hear the American version of Top Gear brought you to the British version, although I love the original. I still believe Adam Ferrara is the best host and if they replaced Rutledge Wood and Tanner Foust… Top Gear US would be a much better show.
I’m well aware of Wood’s background. Do people seriously think I watch NASCAR?
http://www.adamsautoadvice.com/2014/03/14-reasons-minorities-will-never-like-watch-nascar/
i just don’t watch..simple..Adam is NO Jeremy,try as he might