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Looper · 29-09-2008, 07:22 PM

Top Gear Australia started tonite.

The first spin-off franchise from the Clarkson and Co. show in the UK.

Curious affair. They have an identical set to the UK set with the hangar and same decor. They have a Stig. They have a Star in a bog-standard car (you would expect Vince Collosimo to be a cool customer but he seemed a bit nervous).

They had challenges, road tests, stunts, track tests, porsche 911, merc Maybach. There is no Cool Wall but instead a What Were They Thinking wall.

The main anchor is pretty good and holds the show together. The Hamster countertrpart is quite good. Not sure about the moustachioed village people guy.

It was all pretty good fun although a bit self-conscious at times of being in the shadow of the real show with the UK personalities being so well established. The pace was possibly even better than TG since they crammed lots of good short stuff into the hour without letting any boring stuff drag too long which sometimes happens on TG with the challenges.

Next week should be good. Ford versus Holden. The classic Aussie muscle car showdown. US franchise to follow soon.

ChiangMai noon · 29-09-2008, 07:29 PM

can download this and all things aussie at diwana.org

peterpan · 30-09-2008, 02:28 AM

its coming down the pipe now, be finished at 7 am, kids will have to walk to school.

peterpan · 02-10-2008, 01:58 PM

Bit of a disappointment for me, The Jeremy replacement is OK but the little guy that tries to impersonate the Hamster, no way! tries too hard, it all seems a bit contrived.
UK TG gives the impression a lot of it is spontaneous.

The OZ version is a pale imitation of it and without the humour.

I hope it improves, as it is now its hardly worth watching.

Marmite the Dog · 02-10-2008, 02:26 PM

^ Agreed. I watched about half of it before turning it off.

mrsquirrel · 06-10-2008, 06:58 AM

^^ And could they sound any more Australian, what did they do? Dig around retired racing drivers looking for the person with the strongest accent possible?

It's got potential, but they are going to have take the piss out of Abbos or something like that to get it going.

Looper · 06-10-2008, 08:46 PM

Tonites Ford vs. Holden showdown was bit of a cop-out as they declared no winner. Didn't want to risk losing half the audience I guess.

The feature on the Ford GT was good (I think Jeremy Clarskon actually owned one of those). I like how they actually fire the cars up in the hangar to burst the audience's eardrums. That Ford makes a gorgeous racket.

I think the show itself is likely to only ever appeal to the local audience. To anyone else it is going to look like an ocker 'tribute band' parody. I still think its quite good fun on balance and once it gets over its self-concious phase it will find a rythm.

Just watched episode 6 of TG11 (with the spitfires landing in Belgium to settle differences with the German (non-franchised) Top Gear wannabes).

Top stuff!

JoGeAr · 07-10-2008, 11:08 AM

Aussie Top Gear slumps in ratings

14:21 AEST Tue Oct 7 2008
ago

Top Gear Australia has had a massive slump in ratings.
By Katherine Field, National Entertainment Writer

Aussie 'Top Gear' leaves the garage

The second episode of motoring TV show Top Gear Australia has slumped in the ratings.
Producers had hoped to crack the one million viewer mark on Monday night, but instead only 674,000 tuned in, down more than 250,000 viewers from its premiere the week before.
Top Gear Australia finished last in its timeslot behind Border Security, The 7.30 Report and Australian Idol. It was the 26th most watched show of the night.
Did you watch the show? Tell us what you thought of it.
Hosted by Charlie Cox, Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati, Monday night's episode on SBS featured a Ford and Holden stand-off and guest appearance from actor Steve Bisley.
The best audiences were in Melbourne followed by Sydney.
There has been mixed opinions about Top Gear Australia, which is the first version outside the UK.
The SBS version has a distinct Australian flavour compared to the British version fronted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
SBS director of television Matt Campbell admitted he was disappointed but said it was not "a disaster", and there were many examples of TV shows that went down and up again.
"No one ever wants to see their second episode go backwards but I'm still confident about the series," Campbell told AAP.
"We have to bed it in, it's one of those things."
SBS were still also confident about a second series, he said.
Monday night also saw the debut of SBS's six-part new comedy Bogan Pride, which attracted 376,000 viewers.
Australian police drama City Homicide was the most popular program on Monday night, followed by The Force and Border Security - all on the Seven Network.
Ten's Australian Idol elimination, which is now only live in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, due to daylight saving, managed to draw in 964,000.

Aussie Top Gear slumps in ratings

mrsquirrel · 07-10-2008, 11:18 AM

Look at the state of the three presenters though.

They just look haggard and past it already.

peterpan · 07-10-2008, 12:54 PM

Watched E2, bit of an improvement on E1 but still fails to get my interest, its just not as entertaining as the original. Presenters trying to be funny be failing to pull it off in the Clarkson manner, who can forget his review of Korean cars ?

Marmite the Dog · 07-10-2008, 02:28 PM

I don't know why they are trying to make a direct copy of TG UK? Surely it would be better to have a bit more originality?

jandajoy · 07-10-2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

I don't know why they are trying to make a direct copy of TG UK? Surely it would be better to have a bit more originality?

Quite right. Bound to fail, given the TG UK formula. Come up with some thing original.

EmperorTud · 08-10-2008, 02:07 AM

This week: Ford vs Holden; Musclecar Showdown.

Next week: Holden vs Ford; Sedan Showdown.

Week after: Ford vs Holden; V8 Ute Showdown.

Repeat ad infinitum.

tuferguson · 20-10-2008, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

can download this and all things aussie at diwana.org

do you have to be in oz to register or have certain email accounts? It says "Sorry, you're not qualified to become a member of this site."

tuferguson · 20-10-2008, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Looper

Just watched episode 6 of TG11 (with the spitfires landing in Belgium to settle differences with the German (non-franchised) Top Gear wannabes).

Top stuff!

Sabine Schmitt

woof and again I say woof!

Looper · 20-10-2008, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuferguson

It says "Sorry, you're not qualified to become a member of this site."

I got that message when I forgot to tick the 'I agree to the rules' checkbox on thebox.biz

tonite:- HSV W427. That is a serious muscle car for (relatively) not much cash. At 500 Hp you are into lamborghini territory even if it does look like an imperial storm trooper on wheels.

EmperorTud · 21-10-2008, 10:55 AM

You are nowhere near 'Lamborgini territory' with a Holden. Doesn't matter how big or how powerful an engine you stick in it.

Horses for courses though, it's a beast in its own right.

Marmite the Dog · 21-10-2008, 11:37 AM

So, after they've reviewed that beastie, what's next?

I can't see TGA lasting for more than one series.

mrsquirrel · 21-10-2008, 11:40 AM

Haven't watched it after the first one.

Couldn't be bothered with it. The presenters voices are like nails on a blackboard.

AntRobertson · 22-10-2008, 08:39 PM

Just finished watching ep3. It definately seems to be getting better, the presenters seem more relaxed and into it. Still not a patch on the real thing though - anyone know when that's back on?

29-09-2008, 07:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
Looper Thailand Expat Last Online: Today 08:24 AM Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,885	Top Gear Australia Top Gear Australia started tonite. The first spin-off franchise from the Clarkson and Co. show in the UK. Curious affair. They have an identical set to the UK set with the hangar and same decor. They have a Stig. They have a Star in a bog-standard car (you would expect Vince Collosimo to be a cool customer but he seemed a bit nervous). They had challenges, road tests, stunts, track tests, porsche 911, merc Maybach. There is no Cool Wall but instead a What Were They Thinking wall. The main anchor is pretty good and holds the show together. The Hamster countertrpart is quite good. Not sure about the moustachioed village people guy. It was all pretty good fun although a bit self-conscious at times of being in the shadow of the real show with the UK personalities being so well established. The pace was possibly even better than TG since they crammed lots of good short stuff into the hour without letting any boring stuff drag too long which sometimes happens on TG with the challenges. Next week should be good. Ford versus Holden. The classic Aussie muscle car showdown. US franchise to follow soon.

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29-09-2008, 07:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
ChiangMai noon punk douche bag Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: o dan y bryn Posts: 28,056	can download this and all things aussie at diwana.org

30-09-2008, 02:28 AM	#3 (permalink)
peterpan Limp member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pleasantville Posts: 6,339	its coming down the pipe now, be finished at 7 am, kids will have to walk to school.

02-10-2008, 01:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
peterpan Limp member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pleasantville Posts: 6,339	Bit of a disappointment for me, The Jeremy replacement is OK but the little guy that tries to impersonate the Hamster, no way! tries too hard, it all seems a bit contrived. UK TG gives the impression a lot of it is spontaneous. The OZ version is a pale imitation of it and without the humour. I hope it improves, as it is now its hardly worth watching.

02-10-2008, 02:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
Marmite the Dog ผู้เชี่ยวชาญเปล่า Last Online: Today 05:20 PM Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Simian Islands Posts: 31,883	^ Agreed. I watched about half of it before turning it off.

06-10-2008, 06:58 AM	#6 (permalink)
mrsquirrel Jarvis fellates goats 4 $ Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a rather cold and dark place Posts: 12,431	^^ And could they sound any more Australian, what did they do? Dig around retired racing drivers looking for the person with the strongest accent possible? It's got potential, but they are going to have take the piss out of Abbos or something like that to get it going.

06-10-2008, 08:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
Looper Thailand Expat Last Online: Today 08:24 AM Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,885	Tonites Ford vs. Holden showdown was bit of a cop-out as they declared no winner. Didn't want to risk losing half the audience I guess. The feature on the Ford GT was good (I think Jeremy Clarskon actually owned one of those). I like how they actually fire the cars up in the hangar to burst the audience's eardrums. That Ford makes a gorgeous racket. I think the show itself is likely to only ever appeal to the local audience. To anyone else it is going to look like an ocker 'tribute band' parody. I still think its quite good fun on balance and once it gets over its self-concious phase it will find a rythm. Just watched episode 6 of TG11 (with the spitfires landing in Belgium to settle differences with the German (non-franchised) Top Gear wannabes). Top stuff!

07-10-2008, 11:08 AM	#8 (permalink)
JoGeAr Thailand Expat Last Online: Today 04:13 PM Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chonburi/Brisbane Posts: 2,447	Aussie Top Gear slumps in ratings 14:21 AEST Tue Oct 7 2008 ago Top Gear Australia has had a massive slump in ratings. By Katherine Field, National Entertainment Writer Aussie 'Top Gear' leaves the garage The second episode of motoring TV show Top Gear Australia has slumped in the ratings. Producers had hoped to crack the one million viewer mark on Monday night, but instead only 674,000 tuned in, down more than 250,000 viewers from its premiere the week before. Top Gear Australia finished last in its timeslot behind Border Security, The 7.30 Report and Australian Idol. It was the 26th most watched show of the night. Did you watch the show? Tell us what you thought of it. Hosted by Charlie Cox, Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati, Monday night's episode on SBS featured a Ford and Holden stand-off and guest appearance from actor Steve Bisley. The best audiences were in Melbourne followed by Sydney. There has been mixed opinions about Top Gear Australia, which is the first version outside the UK. The SBS version has a distinct Australian flavour compared to the British version fronted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. SBS director of television Matt Campbell admitted he was disappointed but said it was not "a disaster", and there were many examples of TV shows that went down and up again. "No one ever wants to see their second episode go backwards but I'm still confident about the series," Campbell told AAP. "We have to bed it in, it's one of those things." SBS were still also confident about a second series, he said. Monday night also saw the debut of SBS's six-part new comedy Bogan Pride, which attracted 376,000 viewers. Australian police drama City Homicide was the most popular program on Monday night, followed by The Force and Border Security - all on the Seven Network. Ten's Australian Idol elimination, which is now only live in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, due to daylight saving, managed to draw in 964,000. Aussie Top Gear slumps in ratings

07-10-2008, 11:18 AM	#9 (permalink)
mrsquirrel Jarvis fellates goats 4 $ Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a rather cold and dark place Posts: 12,431	Look at the state of the three presenters though. They just look haggard and past it already.

07-10-2008, 12:54 PM	#10 (permalink)
peterpan Limp member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pleasantville Posts: 6,339	Watched E2, bit of an improvement on E1 but still fails to get my interest, its just not as entertaining as the original. Presenters trying to be funny be failing to pull it off in the Clarkson manner, who can forget his review of Korean cars ?

07-10-2008, 02:28 PM	#11 (permalink)
Marmite the Dog ผู้เชี่ยวชาญเปล่า Last Online: Today 05:20 PM Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Simian Islands Posts: 31,883	I don't know why they are trying to make a direct copy of TG UK? Surely it would be better to have a bit more originality?

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

08-10-2008, 02:07 AM	#13 (permalink)
EmperorTud សុខសប្បាយ Last Online: 11-12-2009 10:23 PM Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: 75 clicks above the Do Lung bridge Posts: 6,694	This week: Ford vs Holden; Musclecar Showdown. Next week: Holden vs Ford; Sedan Showdown. Week after: Ford vs Holden; V8 Ute Showdown. Repeat ad infinitum.

21-10-2008, 10:55 AM	#17 (permalink)
EmperorTud សុខសប្បាយ Last Online: 11-12-2009 10:23 PM Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: 75 clicks above the Do Lung bridge Posts: 6,694	You are nowhere near 'Lamborgini territory' with a Holden. Doesn't matter how big or how powerful an engine you stick in it. Horses for courses though, it's a beast in its own right.

21-10-2008, 11:37 AM	#18 (permalink)
Marmite the Dog ผู้เชี่ยวชาญเปล่า Last Online: Today 05:20 PM Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Simian Islands Posts: 31,883	So, after they've reviewed that beastie, what's next? I can't see TGA lasting for more than one series.

21-10-2008, 11:40 AM	#19 (permalink)
mrsquirrel Jarvis fellates goats 4 $ Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a rather cold and dark place Posts: 12,431	Haven't watched it after the first one. Couldn't be bothered with it. The presenters voices are like nails on a blackboard.

22-10-2008, 08:39 PM	#20 (permalink)
AntRobertson Ich Bin Ein Auslander Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 14,464	Just finished watching ep3. It definately seems to be getting better, the presenters seem more relaxed and into it. Still not a patch on the real thing though - anyone know when that's back on?