Tomorrow is going to be like Christmas, St-Jean Baptiste (drinking day in Quebec for the uninitiated), Guy Fawkes Day and Halloween all rolled into one for me because one of my favorite shows on television is coming back for a brand new season of motoring and mayhem.
Yes, it’s “Top Gear“, which used to be a dreary sort of straight laced show about cars and is now something much much more. On the surface it sort of sounds like Mythbusters or Monster Garage or something, just a bunch of blokes going goofy with cars or other mechanical things, but it’s not. There’s a unique, no other way to put it… British chemistry and rapport between the hosts that I really dig. Jeremy Clarkson (the tall one), Richard Hammond (the short one) and James May (the other one) really are just three guys having fun in front of the cameras, and some of the stuff they come up with is amazing.
Look at the following uh… “test”, for example. As a car nut I can assure you that it’s 90% real. No fakery. Toyota trucks REALLY can do that. That’s why they (the old one’s especially) are so f*****g awesome:
Here are the lads trying to make Boats out of cars.
Here is host Jeremy Clarkson road testing a Bentley Arnage as it deserves to be.
Here are the three hosts visiting America: Part 1 and Part 2
Note: All the above links go directly to the official BBC Worldwide Youtube page. I had originally direct linked them, but apparently the BBC doesn’t allow that. Sort of how they frown on that whole “success” thing. Anyway, don’t let that stop you, and go check it out directly. It’s some funny stuff.
Now, there’s going to be an American Top Gear hosted by Adam Carolla, Tanner Foust, and Eric Stromer. I was afraid they’d get three male models, but maybe this is worse because this is giving me hope.
Personally, I’ll keep an open mind, but I dread that it’ll be crap or as Jeremy Clarkson would say “Rubbish”. Primarily because it can’t be like the UK version where they’re cuttingly honest about bad cars. If a car’s junk, the British hosts aren’t shy about saying so; but with American channels utterly terrified about offending sponsors we’ll basically just have one of those “every car is great” lovefests. Total Bullshit. Jay Leno had been approached to be on the show; and whatever you may think of him, he’d have been a good choice, but he refused for that very same reason. He wouldn’t have been able to be honest about what he thought of such-and-such a car and if it’s going to be 100% bullshit why bother frankly?
Still, Carolla’s a funny f**k and the other guys seem okay. I’ll give it a chance, but just one…
In any case, who cares what you Yanks do? The British show is what counts and I’ve got a big stiffie while I wait for it to come on. If it plays on of the BBC cable channels in your area, I totally reccomend you watch it. Awesome show.
Oh, good heavens, yes – This is truly one of the all time pinnacles of television (including, of course, BBC’s ‘The Office’). It is poetry, wit and opinionated rantings, disguised as a car show.
It sometimes appears that BBC are the only people in the world that should be allowed behind a TV camera.
The S11E01 part, when Clarkson tried to stop The Stig with his “Police Car”, almost killed me with laughter!
What I especially like is that it’s a car show that people who don’t even like cars can enjoy. It IS like crack isn’t it?
Actually, Jeremy would probably say “Crap” as well..
BTW, best Top Gear ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN0LQJLabqA
The British version of “Top Gear” is great, while I was in the U.K. there wasn’t much else to watch but “Top Gear” and a few other comedy shows and i must admit T.G. is much like crack to me now.