Top Gear USA Season 2 discussion thread

[Titus]

So Season 2 kicked off last night with 3Bean's Miata hauling 500lbs of crap around Texas. I rather enjoyed the show, but I also gave Season 1 a higher grade than most of you. Thoughts?

[tailchaser]

It's grown on me... I'll watch it when Amanda gets back and let you know...

[jrj512]

I got bored watching them rustle cattle and turned it off for the night. I have not yet finished it.

[jeepinbanditrider]

I was disappointed to see the good running Miata get hacked to pieces lol but it was nice to see a NA on the TV for a change

What kind of wing window vents were those BTW?

[Titus]

I was disappointed to see the good running Miata get hacked to pieces lol but it was nice to see a NA on the TV for a change

What kind of wing window vents were those BTW?

There is a thread on CR.net from a guy in California that sold them the first of the 2 Miatas. He said it had 220k miles, no AC, no PS, and "cooling issues". He said he stripped all of the good parts off it other than the steering wheel and wing vents before selling it to them.

[sammm]

I got bored watching them rustle cattle

Thanks for ruining it for me! It's still on my Betamax.

[POS Racing]

Yea thanks at least I can clear that one off my DVR....

I'm just not impressed with TGUSA last season they just redid and reworked all the old skits that Jeremy, Captain Slow, and Hammond did in the past. It was like watching a bad reenactment.

But The Car Show looks like it may have potential I can almost watch and entire episode without loosing interest.

[trickyrix]

I tried watching TGUSA last night and couldn't get past the fact that I just hate the big dude. The show still feels like a super-cheap, poorly-cast, half-assed mimeograph of TGUK. I'm actually surprised they made it to season 2.

The Car Show is waaaaaay better.

[jeepinbanditrider]

Agreed the Car Show at least uses a different format than one ripped from the UK Top Gear.

[tailchaser]

Whereas it had started to win me over last season, Tanner has turned into a giant douchebag during the offseason.

[redmenace]

Thanks for the reminder, I need to go grab that. I will stick my neck out and say that I honestly enjoyed TG-USA more than recent TG-UK episodes. The UK personalities are still tops (May is way under-utilized), but there are too many bits that pander to British hillbillies. TG-USA feels like a low-budget reenactment of TG-UK, but in a good way.

[tailchaser]

Thanks for the reminder, I need to go grab that. I will stick my neck out and say that I honestly enjoyed TG-USA more than recent TG-UK episodes. The UK personalities are still tops (May is way under-utilized), but there are too many bits that pander to British hillbillies. TG-USA feels like a low-budget reenactment of TG-UK, but in a good way.

I must identify more with UK rednecks than US rednecks...

[sammm]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/25/t...ow-in-america/

[POS Racing]

I tried watching TGUSA last night and couldn't get past the fact that I just hate the big dude.

[Flyin96M]

I guess I missed it, but it sounds like I didn't miss much. I'll try to record it when it airs again, but I doubt I will ever watch that show live again as I want to fast forward through all the bs or 85% of the show. One thing the BBC has on the US show is that they don't give a crap about being P.C. which is one reason I really like that show.

[altiain]

My DVR records TGUSA, but I can honestly say I've watched perhaps a grand total of 15 minutes of it since it launched. The hosts are annoying and the bits are stale.

[MadMonkey]

I'm tired of crappy US versions of great shows/movies from the UK. It would be VERY hard for any TV presenters in the US to top the chemistry and experience that the TG trio has.

What really killed me was seeing Death at a Funeral... in a US theater... in 2007... a UK movie. And it was great, and hilarious.

Then in 2010, a new Death at a Funeral is released... in the US... with a US cast... REALLY?

The part that really killed me is that the same dwarf played the same part in both movies

[black roadster]

I agree with Titus. I like TG-USA. Last years episode in Alaska was different but still had a TG-UK feel because, um hello... It's Top Gear. It can't stray to far from the original. The hosts are growing on me except, interestingly, Tanner. He was a big douche canoe in the Texas episode. I like Rutledge. I think he is funny and likeable. Adam (The New Yorker) is even getting likeable. He always goes for the old American iron. Tanner seems to go with sports cars and cars with a sporting pedigree and Rutledge seems to choose something unexpected.

Yes you see some of the same antics because they are being influenced and likely directed by the original but I think we are seeing, as they get more comfortable, the show is getting better. The last few adventures were uniquely American. Alaska's big wilderness and Texas trucks. Nothing UK about that.

The Car Show doesn't impress me as much. Yes it is a different format but they are still doing crazy TG style stunts and the car reviews are just like TG too. I get the impression Adam Carolla got passed up for TG-USA and created his own show. I'm not impressed with two of The Car Show hosts either. The Wall Street Journal guy seems like a putz and doesn't come across as a gear head. He may know how to review cars but he isn't the type to work on them. And John Salley? WTF is an NBA star doing on a car show? Is he there as the token black dude to catch the African American demographic?

Matt, The Smoking Tire guy is a gear head. He fits well and Adam is just Adam. He comes across the same way on everything he does. He can be funny but can easily get annoying too.

For me TG-USA is currently edging out The Car Show.

[black roadster]

I'm tired of crappy US versions of great shows/movies from the UK.

One exception is The Office. The UK Office only lasted three seasons, and while entertaining I don't think it had the same success with character development and comedy as the US version. The Office (US) is about to enter it's eighth season. Sadly, with Steve Carell gone, I fear it has finally "jumped the shark".

[MadMonkey]

I'll agree there. The Office (US) is a great show (was?).

We dodged a bullet a few years ago when they wanted to make a US version of The Vicar of Dibley with Kirstie Alley