NBC had planned to bring the popular BBC and BBC America car show Top Gear to us yanks. Instead, NBC has decided to cut its brake cables in the middle of a brilliant power slide. The official Top Gear blog announced that NBC won't air their US version of the show as a mid-season replacement in 2009.
This means the show and their hosts, Adam Carolla, Eric Stromer and Tanner Foust, are up to grabs for the highest bidder like a drug dealer's impounded Cadillac Escalade at a municipal car auction.
But the saddest news is just around the corner. The gearhead blog Jalopnik reported that the reasons NBC passed on the show were the production costs and the failure of their dismal Knight Rider remake. Well, I'm sure the cars on Top Gear won't talk, so what's the problem?
As weird as this sounds, this is the best thing that could have happened to Top Gear USA. It sucks that a show gets yanked before it has a chance to succeed because another show with a car in it fails. But it's an Oracle-like sign that the show wouldn't have made it, even if it did get on the air, for another equally stupid reason. If their willing to cancel a car show because another show with a "car" in it does poorly, where would it end?
It will also mean they will have much more freedom and room to work on a network who's entire bread and butter isn't car ads. Even if the hosts promised their car reviews, challenges and segments would be based only on their opinions, it's unlikely that NBC will zip their lips when the auto industry's Sword of Damocles swings oh so gently over their heads.
The auto industry also just scored a huge bailout that will only keep their factories afloat for the next three months tops. So maybe audiences won't care whether or not the new Mercedes McLaren is worth the $1,100,000 price tag when you're boiling your own shoes to make soup.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-20-2008 @ 4:20PM
Dave said...
Best news I've heard all day. The US version would have a been a travesty. The reason the UK version is so great is because of Hosts.
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12-21-2008 @ 10:57AM
Adam said...
Clarkson is funny, but Carolla is out of Clarkson's league, and I'd rather have Tanner Foust over Hamster any day. However, I think I'd take Capt. Slow over a guy from HGTV.
12-22-2008 @ 8:19AM
jason said...
Agreed. This show was going to be a disaster. I hate expensive performance cars, but I still watch Top Gear UK because I love the hosts.
12-20-2008 @ 5:56PM
Alex99 said...
If the show didn't involve Clarkson, Hammond and May, then I say don't even bother. It just would not have had the same vibe as Top Gear UK
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12-20-2008 @ 6:01PM
Alex99 said...
....oh, and don't forget The Stig!
12-21-2008 @ 12:09AM
kip said...
I concur. The Brits have the show down to a science. The STIG is the bomb
12-20-2008 @ 6:51PM
JimB said...
If you read the article linked to from this story, it sounds like BBC is saying Top Gear USA may not actually be dead... just dead as far as NBC is concerned.
Although I don't hold out a lot of hope for it, wherever it may appear in the future. The few episodes of the Australian version I saw were not bad... but they did not have any of the charm or wit of the original version. I have a hard time seeing any version that includes Adam Carolla being any better.
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12-20-2008 @ 7:19PM
Sam said...
HBO should pick it up and give it good funding. It could become one of their most popular shows. (Not kidding.)
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12-20-2008 @ 7:25PM
Brendan said...
If the US version is/was going to be anywhere near as bad as the Australian version then lets hope that it never actually makes it onto the air...
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12-20-2008 @ 10:16PM
Discosis said...
Tha's a bit harsh. Top Gear AU was good. Different to the UK one, but good nonetheless.
And its coming back for a second season soon. :)
12-20-2008 @ 7:43PM
MCW said...
It would work better on Speed Channel or something like that. Shows can be on there for years, and no one would know. It doesn't seem like they care what ratings they end up with on SpeedTV.
Though, I'd recommend "Wrecked" to people, it's on Speed Channel, and it's a cool show.
- http://UncoveredFilms.blogspot.com
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12-20-2008 @ 7:54PM
David said...
I think they should have hired Jay Leno, Tommy Kendall & Tim Allen. I'm sure they have a clue cars & hosting a TV Program with a live audience. Leno has Jay Leno's Garage on-line plus he works for the network(NBC), Kendall Has Test Drive on SpeedTV and Allen is car nut like Carolla but at least he's funny from the Home Improvement to Movies. The Australian version is awful, the hosts are not funny. The best thing the Top Gear Producers should do is just bring the Guys from the UK version over here! They only film twelve episodes a year anyway, can't that hard to film twelve more for the US ??????????
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12-21-2008 @ 8:31AM
Alex99 said...
I think there was a plan at one time for the UK crew to film shows for us in in the UK using American cars and guests, and perhaps the occasional segment (like the road trip through the south) shot over here, but it fell through.
12-21-2008 @ 12:54AM
Brent Schmidt said...
Seinfeld would've been a good mix with Tim and Leno...
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12-21-2008 @ 1:45AM
AutomagV said...
That would have been awesome.
12-21-2008 @ 1:24AM
ac said...
Ive really been enjoying Top Gear UK since stumbling across it channel surfing. I think unless you get the hosts from that version its not worth watching.
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12-21-2008 @ 2:26AM
Brent McKee said...
I agree to a point. The strength of the British "Top Gear" is the hosts, and the strength of the hosts is that Clarkson, Hammond and May are first and foremost automotive journalists. Carolla and the rest may be car guys but I don't think they'd be as good as the originals in terms of critiquing cars.
12-21-2008 @ 3:05AM
FDR said...
Look, anything that keeps Adam Corolla and Eric Stromer off my TV set is a good thing.
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12-21-2008 @ 7:05AM
Miketammen said...
Carolla is actually a car guy that is very knowlegeble dispite what you think about him from The Man Show. He is a super car fanatic. Honestly, what is bad about having a quality car show on air. If you don't like it, don't watch it.
SPEED should really pick this up. From what I've heard Carolla was a great host who could talk and drive as well as give honest opinions, which is actually what he is known for. Listen to his radio show, he is one of the most honest people in show business. Nobody who is a true car guy should be knocking this show.
My opinion is that the American car companies can't take the heat from this show, and NBC may be connected. Carolla will not hold back on his hate for the classic version on the American car.
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12-21-2008 @ 10:22AM
Bob911 said...
These guys will smoke tires and kick ass on challenges. Speed would be a much better choice. Tanner can drift a 57 Chev with the best of them. Talking cars and the Edsel are a thing of the past.
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