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El Bastardo · 11-21-2010, 11:48 PM

Anyone watch this thing?

I'm trying to be objective when watching this show but it just seems so sterile.

The show looks the same and sounds the same. The same gorgeous tracking shots. The same sound effects accenting the visuals at the right time. The same in-car confessionals from the same angles.

But it doesn't feel the same.

The hosts seem so uncomfortable. They look like they're reciting their lines instead of injecting personality into their presenting. I'm watching them take turns in a series of Lambos and frankly I'm bored. I can read stats on the internet. I can look at pictures of the car on a track.
If you've been hired to do this job, be excited about it. If you're driving a fucking supercar, be excited about it.

This is the first episode and I know they're working out the kinks but honestly, this is the second incarnation of this series. I don't know what was so horrible about the original pilot but I'm horrified to know that it came off blander than this.

Racer Tanner Foust seems to be doing the Jeremy Clarkson role here. Hes the one with the voiceovers and the most amount of dialogue. While he has some decent technical knowledge and is obviously track-experienced hes just a giant piece of cardboard. Hes wooden and flat and is probably the reason why the original Top Gear wanted their in-house racing driver to be mute. Hes just not a presenter.

Rutledge Wood adds nothing to this show from what I can see. Hes like a slimmer version of Kevin Smith and honestly, would you watch a car show with Silent Bob in it?
I dunno. Did they just need to fill out the cast or something?

Surprisingly Adam Ferrara is pretty decent in the role. For how little they let him speak he does try to add a little levity to the cast. If you were to match his enthusiasm to a TG classic member, he'd be Richard Hammond... almost.

I think we'll see a change-up in cast members come season 2 of this series (if they make it that far) and they'll drop Rutledge Wood as they did with Jason Dawe in the original and hopefully pick up someone with a little more charisma.

Anyhow, this was it's inaugural run. Maybe it'll get better. I've got lots more nitpicky complaints but really, having seen Top Gear Australia in it's early episodes, I'm waiting to see more before I really make a judgement call here.

11-21-2010, 11:48 PM	#2
El Bastardo Official Texas Ambassador Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,333 Thanked 5,671 Times in 1,324 Posts Failed 416 Times in 132 Posts	Anyone watch this thing? I'm trying to be objective when watching this show but it just seems so sterile. The show looks the same and sounds the same. The same gorgeous tracking shots. The same sound effects accenting the visuals at the right time. The same in-car confessionals from the same angles. But it doesn't feel the same. The hosts seem so uncomfortable. They look like they're reciting their lines instead of injecting personality into their presenting. I'm watching them take turns in a series of Lambos and frankly I'm bored. I can read stats on the internet. I can look at pictures of the car on a track. If you've been hired to do this job, be excited about it. If you're driving a fucking supercar, be excited about it. This is the first episode and I know they're working out the kinks but honestly, this is the second incarnation of this series. I don't know what was so horrible about the original pilot but I'm horrified to know that it came off blander than this. Racer Tanner Foust seems to be doing the Jeremy Clarkson role here. Hes the one with the voiceovers and the most amount of dialogue. While he has some decent technical knowledge and is obviously track-experienced hes just a giant piece of cardboard. Hes wooden and flat and is probably the reason why the original Top Gear wanted their in-house racing driver to be mute. Hes just not a presenter. Rutledge Wood adds nothing to this show from what I can see. Hes like a slimmer version of Kevin Smith and honestly, would you watch a car show with Silent Bob in it? I dunno. Did they just need to fill out the cast or something? Surprisingly Adam Ferrara is pretty decent in the role. For how little they let him speak he does try to add a little levity to the cast. If you were to match his enthusiasm to a TG classic member, he'd be Richard Hammond... almost. I think we'll see a change-up in cast members come season 2 of this series (if they make it that far) and they'll drop Rutledge Wood as they did with Jason Dawe in the original and hopefully pick up someone with a little more charisma. Anyhow, this was it's inaugural run. Maybe it'll get better. I've got lots more nitpicky complaints but really, having seen Top Gear Australia in it's early episodes, I'm waiting to see more before I really make a judgement call here.