FYI Channel 9 took over the rights to create Top Gear Australia from SBS. We attended a new Channel 9 Top Gear Australia filming session to find out if the new host Shane ‘Kenny’ Jacobson can resurrect Top Gear Australia.
When not writing film scores, composing or being patron of several youth orchestras, James Morrison relaxes in some fairly unconventional ways for a musician – competing in triathlons, abseiling, flying his private plane or driving in a rally championship. His love of cars is well known, as he was host of the national TV program “Behind the Wheel”.
Series 1 Top Gear Australia
The initial word from people who were in the studio audience for filming was that it was disappointing to see an exact copy of UK Top Gear with no obvious Australia specific features.
The Stig wears the same white race gear and helmet, lap times, couches centre stage, a celebrity interviewed after driving a reasonably priced car – nothing at all separated Top Gear Australia from the original BBC version apart from different presenters.
The comments by viewers on this blog post are mostly unhappy. I’m surprised people were so violently against the show. I thought it wasn’t fabulous but was OK. Remember people that you’re comparing Top Gear Australia with a $200000/$300000 per episode budget to Top Gear UK which has a practically unlimited budget because BBC resells it around the world and makes millions of pounds in profit.
Thanks to Tasmanian readers of this site Leigh Murphy & Steve O. who sent in photos of the Top Gear Australia team driving a Lamborghini, Porsche & Aston Martin in Tasmania.
Top Gear Australia Presenters
BBC motorsport commentator Charlie Cox, cartoonist Warren Brown and advanced driving instructor, freelance motoring journalist and race driver for Porsche Australia Steve Pizzati initially won the highly sought-after job to host Australian Top Gear. Cox left at the end of series 1 and was replaced by James Morrison.
Allegedly the Aussie Stig is (are) Rally Driver Neal Bates and Rick Bates. They use both brothers in the show.
I’d never heard of Steve Pizatti but Warren Brown is a great choice, I loved his work in the ABC TV series Peking to Paris where they recreated the original race 100 years ago with 5 cars identical to the originals, ready to re-create motoring history.
Have a look at the video below of Warren Brown reviewing a BMW to see what the show is like…
Australia is the first country in the world to secure the rights to make a local version of the much loved show. “This is fantastic news for SBS, for Top Gear fans and for Australian audiences,” SBS director of content Matt Campbell said of the show that has become one of the BBC’s biggest worldwide hits.
Applications for Top Gear Australia presenters closed in February 2008. Expecting a few hundred applications SBS TV was shocked to receive over 4000. Advertisers have expressed extraordinary interest in the program and celebrities are already lining up to be apart of the shows “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” segment.
On the application cut-off date SBS said in a press release that they:
would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who got out their video cameras, and of course those of you who helped your friend or family member to apply, for your overwhelming and extremely entertaining applications.
The length entrants went to were extraordinary and applications, almost 4,000 of them, were funny, clever, imaginative and as requested, quintessentially Australian. Who knew the country had such an extraordinary pool of unearthed talent and we look forward to casting the new hosts of Top Gear Australia.
Top Gear’s manic and breathtaking test driving and brutal appraisals of the world’s most popular cars have made the show’s presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond and The Stig TV legends.
You can buy Top Gear Gifts: DVDs, Books, T-shirts and more online
The Australian version has local hosts and won’t simply replicate the original UK Top Gear series broadcast on the BBC. SBS plans to make a program that is uniquely and quintessentially Australian,” said Matt Campbell (SBS Director of Television and Online Content).
SBS has screened Top Gear since 2005 and will broadcast the series as long as the BBC keep making it.
Top Gear Australia Magazine
An Australian version of the car lover’s magazine Top Gear was launched in June 2008with a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign by ACP who hoped it will sell up to 70,000 copies a month and reach a wider audience than their other motoring magazine, “Wheels”. The monthly magazine is targeted at males aged 25-49 and costs $7.95 from a news agent.
Content is claimed to be: “Motoring news and reviews written in an entertaining, witty, irreverent style that only Top Gear can do!” Lets see if it matches the marketing hyperbole
When Can I Watch Top Gear Australia?
Top Gear Australia is broadcast on SBS TV Monday nights at 730pm.
Is Top Gear Australia worth spending $10 million on? SBS management has argued the expensive licensing fee for Top Gear Australia will in turn attract increased revenue to be channeled into Australian drama production.
That’s really cool info, but I really doubt they can match the UK hosts, who make a super team together.
I would love to see an episode of Top Gear testing the efficiecy and carbon emissions of different bio-fuels. Now that oil is fast depleting and our planet is sick, Top Gear can test out bio-fuels. I work for a company that will donate industrial hempseed oil (no THC, no funny stuff). Henry Ford, the founder of the American Ford company, grew hemp crops, produced bio-fuel from the oil and built a car from hemp plastic (stronger and lighter than steel). A diesel Mercedes car travelled across America on hemp bio-fuel – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Am3yUDt3M – Ford hemp car – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rgDyEO_8cI&feature=related – Hemp is a very efficient carbon seqestering plant.
I’ve long been a fan of TopGear, but I’m not sure you could have a successful show without (future PM?) Jeremy Clarkson — time will tell if they can find an equally charismatic host (duo or trio) who can duel their views (like David and Margaret), with real passion and genuine perspective. There’s already been American and even a UK ripoff of Top Gear (you only have to see one of those to realise how horribly pear-shaped things could go here).
Add to that the fact that 90% of our blind-bogan audience cannot imagine anything beyond a Conformmodore or a Falcon. Assuming car makers allow an Aussie show to drive cars that cost more than most houses (against tanks/helicopters/etc), one has to hope that the demographic here is a little more open-minded than just ‘Ozv6s’.
It’s an experiment for sure, and it all hinges on the choice of hosts. Everything else will come together if they are chosen correctly. I, for one, am approaching the show with optimism and will reserve further judgement until such time the hosts are announced.
Re Kristo’s comment about the narrow-mindedness of the Australian audience, I believe the success of the British Top Gear series which has only ever featured one Commodore in it’s entire existence flies well and truly in the face of your argument.
Top gear has always been my favourite car review show. Although the jokes could be a little bit tasteless sometimes.
SBS wasting money? Are you for real? I mean out sourcing production and reducing the size of the sports division; it’s all in an effort to be more efficient. Why else would they get rid of brilliant minds like Craig Collie that brought them their highest rating locally produced show “PIZZA” if they were not into cost cutting!
$10 million dollars to secure the rights for Top Gear Australia, thats got to be a smart move, I mean it would want to rate well or someone is going to be jobless!!!!!!!!!
Let’s hope another locally produced show doesn’t smoke it in the ratings game, or that $10 million is sure going to look like a waste of money.
It’s a shame that we are going to do a copy cat show that has already cost in excess of $10 million even before we start shooting when there have been so many locally developed shows shelved that would have cost less than $500,000 to make with having to fork out $10 million for the rights. Now that you have spent $10 million, how much will be left for the actual production of the show? 50 cents?
Gonzo
Hello.
The idea of Top Gear in a country that is heavily associated with cars of all kinds and makes is a fantastic idea.
I live in Australia, and this country is one of the hardest country’s to sell a car to. Seeing that Australia is a multicultural nation, our interests in vehicles is greatly diversified among the brands. And a lot of the time a car is not just sold on best interest but on price. With that said, good luck to the team that is chosen to represent Australia in our version of Top Gear!
I have no doubt that it will blits the Australian market as the UK Top Gear is already doing well in our nation.
Later
Ev
I have to say I am both wary and stoked at the idea of an Australian Top Gear. The show will have a lot to live up to and you know that purists are going to pan it regardless – they will pan it if it’s not exactly like Top Gear Britain and pan it again if it is not different enough. I want to keep an open mind to it, and, provided the casting is done well (which, I am glad to see, looks like going toward unknowns).
I was interested in your comment about the money being better spent on the likes of Newstopia, because I think that Top Gear Aus could easily be made in such a fashion. And why not get Shaun Micallef to host – his wit and deprecating humour are exactly what is needed.
My biggest fear for the show is the issue of sponsorship – my hope is really that the liscence states that regardless of sponsorship, the show should remain impartail. We have all seen the terrible “The Car Show” on Ch9 – let’s pray that this does not happen to our show!
the new top gear australia should be good but they have to have good cars on the show and some great challenges
I love Top Gear and I would love to see them filming some of the episodes, which capital city will the studio be in and how do I get my hands on some tickets. I am willing to travel.
Top Gear Australia have started filming at Camden Airport in South Western Sydney. They were testing a New Evo and a BMW! Can’t wait for this!
howdy .bought the first aussie issue ,good reading on page 93 with jc behind the wheel of a commadore, bottom right corner of the page reads:
“more riveting than watching your wedding video…again”
Catch this episode of Top Gear on SBS july 14. so ? what happened to it?? .show was good but a bit of home grown talent as was advertised in the above aussie issue would have been good to see.
regards
I think No. 2 has missed the point of Top Gear.
Where are the new guys going to get Australian cars from? The Monaro (The Stigs favourite food) been done heaps of times on the Brit show but now is out of production. What’s that leave, the Magna, nope that’s gone, a hybrid Toyota (smirk) y.e.a.h… Another holden, they don’t like Vauxhals, a Ford then?
I don’t know, I love the show, sincerly, the Polar Challenge was the.best.TV.ever … and on so many levels, but I think the Aus version is going to find things a little hard going. Even the imported new cars we get are old compared to Europe. If SBS runs both shows, I fear the Aus version will not survive.
G,day all,
Does anyone know if/how we can obtain tickets to the Top Gear Australia show or if they are having a studio audience ?
Cheers,
Stephen
shooting has not yet started. contractors have not even been chosen yet, nor has a studio been decided on. shooting is still supposed to commence late this year, somewhere near Sydney.
Cant wait for the Australian Series to start!
good luck, we can only try but as usual we will show the pommies how to do it.
Looking forward to helping The Top Gear Crew on the West Coast of Tassie Thursday .
HI,
Love the original but an Australian Top Gear has got to be better. The Aussie sence of humour should be able to take the Clarkson formular of dry witt much further in the comedic world!! Australai has such a wide variety of good and sH@t cars that there should be plenty of material to work from and what about all the wonderful scenery like the Cairn to Daintree road. and if you are ever up Central Queensland way you must check out the Mount Morgan range road – more corners in that short stretch anything else in the country, bumpy as last time I tried it on my byke. With the abundance of 4×4’S a show or two on them would fit in I’m sure. I love the supercare stuff but most of us can only dream so keep the show down to earth please. I have just checked out the presenter DVDs and the choices look OK, lets see how they play of each other? Looking forward to watching the first episode!!!
Was good to see the top gear crew at the reece dam on the west coast of tassie , a bit cold 1st up , but the lambo , porche & aston martin where good to watch go threw there paces , poor cars had stone chips on there front end . Lambo sounded the best of course . Looking forward to see when it comes on TV .
Cheers
Can’t wait to see the Australian version. Top Gear is now a tradition in our household. Expecting to see great challenges involving getting to weekend sports, BBQing, awesome road trips through each secular state, dust and something involving a blue heeler just as a starter. What colour will the Aussie Stig be we wonder and will (it) wear shorts????
i don’t think TopGear Australia will be able to match the work of the UK series TopGear just due to the hosts they have on the show in the UK. they make a great team. What i would love to see is TopGear UK and TopGear Australia working together in some form, now that would be entertaining.
Stunt to launch Top Gear Australia (youtube video)
I can see this being a total flop, if its to be an ausie version they need to be testing cars that are on our aussie roads and do stupid things with ea falcons and vn commodore etc? Guaranteed to be a fizzer!
20 mins into the Aussie Top Gear and I can take no more. Utter crap. You lost me in the opening when 3 band new cars worth more than $120 grand drove through salt water for no reason.
Worst presenters ever trying to be one of the original presenters and sorry to say fail dismally. Wrecked Top gear for me totally. Couldn’t we have found any better presenter and own version of the Stig. Worst remake of a classic show!!!
Have just watched the first 21 minutes of Top Gear Australia’s first episode and my worst fears are realised! The entire reason Top Gear works is the chemistry between the 3 presenters themselves. You only need to watch the first season before James May replaced whoever the fat bloke was to realise that. It ain’t a McDonald’s franchise. Creating an exact knockoff of the original is like Toyota trying to market the Lexcen as a new car not a Commodore – that experiment failed miserably as well. I’m glad they onlty commissioned 8 episodes.
Can someone please tell me when the PROPER Top Gear returns to SBS??
the new top gear australia is boring, the hosts are… not sure if they are trying too hard or trying to be like the uk guys but, just doesn’t work for me. It would have been better if SBS spent the money flying the UK boys out here to make a few episodes. Turning Top gear australia off now
I just turned off the first episode of Top Gear Australia in the frst 15 mins. We had an opportunity to not look like the yokels from the colonies and all we have done is flog their theme tune, set and jokes. Don’t SBS get that we also watch the original and we don’t want to see re-hashes of what the UK presenters say? The specific example being referring to the new Lamborghini as “pornography”. The sand dunes started well but I turned off as soon as Charlie used the term “poofteenth” in the porsche story. What a joke. I know the accountants need to make it a profitable cross sell to the mother country but why pander to their stereotypes about aussies? Clean it up and quick SBS!
i,m halfway thru the first episode, not very good so far, lets pray it’s like the english version ( starts of pretty crapy and warms up to be my favourite show) really it can only get better, it cant get worse, maybe try a Aussy stick ie a yobo in thongs, anything to give it a spark, bit of a laugh, cause at the moment its flat line dead, loose the trying to be host, if your not funny dont try to be.
10 million GONE… someone better start looking for work…. its S^&T compared to the UK version!
I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. 50% of the reason I watch Top Gear is the report the UK presenters offer. These guys are SOOOOOOOO far off the mark as to be ridiculous. How dare you SBS, I used to love your channel, now I am worried, how dare you fill the TG UK gap with an cheap local replacement. At least ask the new show to stand on its own merits by showing it at a different time. I have now watched the first 40 mins of the first show. I shall NOT be watching another one. And I suspect for this I shall not be watching as much SBS anymore either. A big mistake!!
I don’t want to sound mean, but from what I’ve seen so far, it’s pathetic. I know that they can’t copy the original, but as a show in itself, it’s lacking the “spark” that all good media have.
What a complete load of rubbish the Australian Top Gear Show is , It is a complete copy of the British show, Cant they think of doing something dfferant, Everything is the same , the hosts are trying to be funny , and sorry they NOT!!!! very very disapointing, None of us in this house will be watching it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, Bring on Border Security and The Force ,
Why do Australians have to take a great show like Top Gear, try to copy it, put dickheads in as commentators and try to pass it off as something great. SBS should be ashamed of what they have done with a great show. I would not waste another minute watching this crap.
The Australian copy of Top Gear is a disgrace my wife and I managed to watch a whole 30 minutes of this crap before turning over to Australian Idol (for Gods sake). If you are going to try and copy a top program find people with personalities. Also don’t copy ‘the Stig’ thing get one of the V8 boys to do it, you have managed to compare a Ferrari to a Lada.
Hurry back Clarkson and Co.
Tomorrows headlines – TOP GEAR MURDERED!
Sadly we regret of the passing of an interesting show that died last night. Causes are believed to be a severe case of overacting and try hard commentators attempting to copy the motherlands proven format.
Witnesses, me, couldn’t believe their eyes as they saw before them a very poor attempt of humor and aussie wit.
Fortunately it was aired on SBS where the least number of people would have witnessed this monumental disaster! (nothing against SBS)
DW – A lost follower!
I watched the new episode of Top Gear Australia today. My god! I thought when they were advertising for presenters they stated in the application “We are not looking for another Top Gear UK team”. Well i think who ever was picking them needs a good kick in the you know whats. Another Top Gear UK is exactly what they got. They have a Johny Fahnem look alike a Hammond and a cross between Humphry B Bear and Sadham Housain. They are all trying so hard to look and sound Australian that they no longer come across as Australian. If i didn’t know better i would think they were a couple of British tossers that did not know the difference between the gear stick and the blinker stalk. Come on top gear get your shit together. This is Australian Top Gear get some guys that are real Aussies that know and love cars and that don’t come across as having such a firm grip they have cut the blood off to their brain.
It strikes me as odd to this day that Top Gear Australia was ever produced. I recall writing to Jeremy Clarkson, BBC and co just a few years ago and suggesting Top Gear be produced in Australia. I suggested Managing the production and recruitment of cast and crew in Australia only to be advised by some “BBC body” that it was uneconomical, too costly to run, would be too unpopular and they never envisaged it would ever likely to be put to air in Australia. Ummmmm ! Whose idea was it??? I bet Jeremy Clarkson can not even recall my correspondence, but I can because, I’ve kept copies… There’s a lot to be said for Top Geared originals! Perhaps Jeremy Clarkson & Co. and the BBC / SBS might think it all over one day?
Sorry to tell you guys that you got it wrong , we owned a Mitsubishi Legnum back in NZ, they are imported from Japan with that name already .
They are also imported here from Japan with that name .
Just watching Top Gear Australia who is that wanker trying to impersonate Clarkson. The other two guys are great. Names that come to mind for whats his name are &%$$#@((* loose him please the show has no credibility with a Clarkson wanna be.
Saltwaterdaze.
Im watching it now.
Its an exact clone of the UK version… Except the hosts.
Sure I’ll give them an A for effort but nothing compared to UK’s hosts.
Does anyone know if SBS will still be playing the UK version?
I’ve just finished watching the first episode, and what a lot of crap !
Charlie Cox is an absolute wanker, the epitome of a pretentious Australian. Warren Brown is probably going to be okay, obviously cast in the James May role, and Steve Pizzati as Hammond is going to take some getting used to. The “reasonably priced car” is an import – a bloody Proton, instea of something Australian, and it’s called “a bog standard car” in a blatant attempt to feed into Aussie slang.
And Vince Colosimo ? Please – I thought it was supposed to be a “STAR in a reasonably priced car”, not some dickhead from the telly who can barely act.
The vibe between the guys doesn’t quite gel. Cox – put you flaming hands down mate – you look as stupid as you sound. Perhaps work out where the camera is.
AND PISS OFF THE STIG – just a little bit of originality would have been nice. Perhaps our own tame driver “Barry”, or “Bruce” or something. Pinching The Stig from the UK is blatant and DUMB – you guys need to accept that we aren’t a nation of dickheads and ythat a little bit of originality would have been nice.
Final summation – woeful. Sorry to Warren & Steve, but the mix is all wrong and the show is trying too hard to be the original Top Gear. You’ve attempted to take something that works naturally and recreate it – patently without much success. I doubt very much that I’ll tune in next week.
Man that was painful, I agree with the studio audience. They should have tried something different.
So far from what ive seen the top gear australia is just a cheap rip off of the real thing. Why start off with german cars that most of us everyday aussie people will never be able to afford let alone the european market. for example a 1 million dollar merc. now for the hosts, trying to be funny isnt funny. long story short the show is crap long live brit top gear.
Well, after watching the first Australian episode of Top Gear is…………
What utter rubbish! To say that I was bitterly disappointed is a gross understatement. Nothing is original — even the slavish aping of the UK characters. Poor acting, poor driving, poor discussions. I have no idea who the “well known Australian racing drivers” that Charles and Stephen are meant to be.
The smaller one (Stephen?) would have to be one of the most annoying hosts I have ever witnessed.
Nope — a total waste of a good show. SBS has lost one family of avid Top Gear viewers……
I just finished watching the new Tog Gear Australia and it was ……… THE WORST SHOW I’VE EVER SEEN!!! Do we have to copy and then destroy every well made and entertaining show that comes from overseas? What a waste of time and money it is for SBS. I sure hope the soap dodgers from the UK don’t see it. It’s bad enough losing the Rugby and cricket to them, and now this. Shame shame shame SBS.
Sorry but I have had to turn it off. The yobbos presenting the show are so under the impression that they are as good as the UK guys. Never will they be anywhere near their level of legend points. They are so Aussie wanker and are not at all funny. And what is with the blonde bloke who is under the impression that he is Jeremy Clarkson’s Aussie alter ego? He is duller that the proverbial and the other two, well frankly I am over wasting my typing time on them. To finish I say please bring back the poms. Or I will be forced, with what I expect to be a substantial number of usually regular viewers, to switch it off every monday night.
The familiar format & set was comforting, good to see the Stig.
The three presenters need to tweak their performances a little. There was too much of the hands waving in the air by one of them and moving about in his chair during a tight shot makes the camera work too hard. Someone else needs to loosen his undies a bit and the other guy needs a shave.
I hope we still get to see the UK show, even though the episodes are years out of date, it is still more entertaining.
How could Australia take an absolute superb English motoring show, and turn it into a show that is so unwatchable. We believe a group of 8 to 10 year old children could make a more professional show. Your show host is so bland and has the most annoying voice, with no sense of humor. The Cartoonest should stick to cartoons which he is very good at, not motoring shows. As the young guy if his driving on TV is anything to go by, God help anyone he is instructing. We now know what not to watch on Monday evenings.
Top Gear Australia first edition was the biggest piece of tripe I have ever seen. You have lost me fella’s.
Our whole family are Top Gear UK fanatical fans and have watched it religiously.
Uunfortunately Top Gear Australia is a very very poor imitation. We found that the show’s host was far less than funny, in fact we all thought the show lacked the humour that we love in the UK show. You would have been better off to do something original with a host that had personality and some comedy ability. Good bye Top Geat Australia… we look forward to seeing the UK version back on ASAP.
I intend to cc my comments to Top Gear UK
A very sad family of TOP Gear UK
Just saw the first ep of Top Gear Aus and its terrible. I cant remember the names of presenters so lets call them Blonde, Goatee and Bloke. Blonde’s voice grated within 5 minutes, Goatee looks a bit scary, and bloke just faded into the background. They’re all pretending to be british (painful). And they killed a moke.
The UK version works because of its slick production, with great images shot in scenic landscapes backed by good music.
Please allow the boys to show their personalities, give the Australian stig a name, don’t copy Clarksons intro to the stig, give Blonde some voice coaching and remove that creepy porn mo.
One word. Disappointing.
what a load of crap!! please bring back the uk top gear. Stop wasting our monet on this version
Well the jury is out with me having just seen the premier of Top Gear Australia. I saw a copy of Britian’s Top Gear with Australian hosts with a hint of Australia thrown in. I must admit I enjoyed the program but the next few weeks will make or break this franchise. Fingers crossed that our own version breaks out into something uniquely Australian but still retaining that origional Top Gear heritage.
That was really awful.
Truly a car-wreck of an experience.
The worst thing is the direct imitation of the original format.
I really felt sad when I realised that ‘our’ tame race driver was
called ‘The Stig’
Only the very essence of the UK show should have been used as inspiration
with a completely original and genuine Aussie angle.
The debut was every single worst fear realised.
All I can say is BAD! There was nothing uniquely Australian about it at all. The hosts were absolutely shocking (Who are they??). Change the foramt of the program or bring back the UK series.
What a shocker. SBS please take it off the TV. We are going to be a laughing stock when the UK gets a look. These guys were not funny. The blond lead was as shallow as a puddle, imagine having dinner with him!!! The others were nice guys but not a patch on any of the Top Gear or dare I say it Fifth Gear presenters. Now for the cars, softroaders for your debut (I don’t think so). They only got there hands on the Maybach because no one wants to buy it. My Grandmother could drive faster then Aussie Stig. Honestly is this the best they could do? Get them off, incinerate all the promo material and pretend it never happened.
‘ow are you mate – I’m not so good. I’ve just watched TGA and frankly ,I’m embarrassed to be Australian – a bunch of sheilas coulda done better.
It has been said before that if you do not understand what it is you are trying to imitate then you are doomed to failure – never has this point been better illustrated. The presenters were as authentic as the shark segment, I’m sure I wasn’t the only viewer hoping for a fatality.
How much will it cost to ensure that this programme is never seen outside of Australia – I’m sure if we pass the hat around we could raise quite a few bob.
You’ve taken a Monaro and turned it into a Lada. Yes, they both have four wheels, an engine and will get you from A to B but that is where the similarity ends. One is a fine piece of engineering – one is just rubbish.
(apologies to the Lada owners out there, they aren’t really as bad as TGA)
Surely there is someone at SBS running on enough cylinders to realise that the contemptuous dumbing down of this programme for an Aus. audience will backfire and that ratings are going to stall if you do not bring back the UK version.
Top Gear is supposed to be funny, this show isn’t. The presenters do not connect as a team. Hammond, May and Clarkson have been presenting for years and their experience shows. They have a certain flair. These guys are a bit too Okker. Bring back the other show so we have something good to watch.
Shocking show. I felt embarrassed for those presenters. To think SBS has talked this show up for weeks. I cut short a night at the pub to watch this and not happy now.
I enjoyed Top Gear Australia’s first episode. It was comforting too have the similarities between this and the UK version of Top Gear. If they hadn’t copied the UK version of the show then It would have just become another car show and THAT would have been worse. It’s nice too see the Aussie scenery and seeing the places that I would like to visit in the future as well as some of the places I have been too before. I like the Top gear test track, it was well thought out with high speed sections and the slower chicane. I believe the is a rapport between the three presenters and I believe that the Australian version of Top Gear has all the elements to be a truly great show.
Really disappointing!!!!!! Too big shoes to fill. Why not just leave it to the pro’s?! The Hammond wannabe has a really annoying voice.
And who ever thought of this show has no imagination and stole every single detail off the original show. So I for one will NOT be wasting my time watching this rubbish.
SO THERE!!!!!
SBS is soooo PC it mkes me cringe. They don’t have the guts to hire someone with even a hint of Clarkson’s honesty or wit. The gormless bogans hired as presenters are embarrassing.
This vapid shadow of the great UK show just confirms my dislike of the SBS mentality. Stop wasting my money on this rubbish.
I can’t wait until series 12 of the real thing.. which are available for download within 24hrs of it airing in the UK. What’s that? Still watching 3yr old episodes on S-Bloody-S??
they have crashed two cars already one was a lambo that was only worth a million and the other some nice audi. Wanted a farrari but were told no after what they have done crashing. Guys are tools and cant drive for the life of them. No wonder they crashed exspensive cars.
As a family we love Top Gear UK and watch it unfailingly.It’s witty, highly amusing and informative regardless of whether you have an interest in cars or not.
Why did you bother SBS? Top Gear Australia is appalling. It was incredibly boring, and the presenters were lacklustre. The program had about as much spark as a wet firework. We gave it a go but lost interest very quickly.
You cannot recreate the rapport between Clarkson, May and Hammond. Top Gear Australia made us cringe.
You can’t always take an superb program from another country, folow the same format, make it Australian AND make it work.
Please bring back Top Gear UK.
After watching the first show of Top Gear Australia I was annoyed with the whole show. Not only is the set and line up an exact copy of the UK’s, there are 3 guys pretending to be cool who did not present a thorough report on any of the cars shown in tonights show. The segments were of poor quality and really gave little info on the cars ability etc. Where did you get these guys from and who is responsible for employing them? surely there were more appopriate, qualified and good-looking guys that were interviewed. I have to say that Top Gear UK is still a winner.
Unutterable crap. In the name of everything decent SBS please ditch this unwatchable rubbish and shoot the poor half-wit who authorized the money for it.
Please, please, please bin this painful, ill-conceived excrement and simply spend the money on buying the real thing. How could you donkeys be SO stupid SBS?
OK. I have just read 60 negative feedbacks, but you should all recall the U.K. episode when Clarkson and gang decided to go caravaning, what absolute dickheads -damaged the van, held up traffic turning it on a narrow road, then burnt it and the peoples caravan next to them went up in flames also in the caravan park, thats when I said to myself what am watching these bloody imbiciles for??
So this first aussie production honestly was not as bad as that one for stupidy. Yes I am disappointed in our first show and I agree I didn’t want to see the stig copied. Bankstown air strip lacked pazas pissey little circut. too slow. I lived in tasmania for 17 years and owned a car rental firm there, the car demo there was not impressive on the road that they chose, Tassie has some fantastic roads and car race tracks that they could have utilised, been there done that with the Jaguar car club in 1988 bi-centenary with in excess of 300 cars competing on road and track.I would have liked the 3 presenters to NOT have looked so daggy. I thought a top flight car dealer with carisma from the auctions that handle every exotic make and model of car might be the presenter, thats why I didnt apply, backed up by a top racing car driver that we all know for expert tips. and a funny man that never gets anything right and plays pranks. As a member of the european car club we have all the super cars but I still watched the pommie show religeously. All I can say is clean up the presenters whom I have never heard of- and I look foreward to seeing the rest of the series on decent tracks and decent roads;- Cairns porsche turbo
It’s been nearly 2 hours since the first Top Gear Australia episode finished and I’m still in a state of disbelief. How can they make a show like this; that blatantly tries too hard to copy a well presented, well produced show with 3 likeable presenters. We get 3 loud, over bearing hosts (especially the Glen Wheatley lookalike)who are pretending they’ve been doing this for years- hey it’s the first time you tools have been on camera together!! It was embarrassing watching this show. How could SBS put this clone on and try and pass it off as entertainment? And who said Vince Colosimo was a star,he came across as a real wanker.
All we need now is some angry Pom to have recorded this crap and send it to England; we’ll the laughing stock of all of them-we’ll never live it down. THEY”LL make us a Republic before we know it!!
I cringed watching this show. A total waste of time and money. A total embarrassment for everyone.
Comment by Tom
What about trying to sell australian cars? they’re crap and wouldn’t stand up against euro cars however, why not let aussies see how poo holden and ford are?
seriously, how many aussies drive in snow ROFL!!
Well, there has to be one…and I thought it was GREAT ! You’ve got to remember that this is their FIRST episode. There were some very funny moments and I have to say that the “What were they thinking” wall is a great idea. In saying that, because it’s the first, it was a bit hard to get excited about lap times when there were none on the board to begin with….so, it was good to see them throwing plenty of cars at the test track for more times ! Good idea. Looking forward to the next 7 episodes ! I hope the cheque is in the mail 😉
Oh Well, at least Top Gear UK will be back soon. So excited about watching bogan presenters (a CARTOONIST!!!!!) thrash ford and holdens(original!!) round a track just like Nascar……yawn.
Australia has its own stuff, why is it trying to copy the Poms?
Clarkson et al are not copyable, so why do we have idiots trying to copy them? BOGANS!!!
Well, what a complete flop!
The presenters are just totally horrible, the mr cox one is a complete tool, talking over vince colosomo while he is TRYING to talk, if you ask him a question let him answer, not just rabble on about 251ci engines….
The other 2 are just idiots, no personalities whatsoever, and all 3 are trying too hard to be aussie.
And what is with the stig and his driving abilities? is it so bad in aussie tv that they HAD to calm him down and not show ANY wheelspin or sliding through corners?
Bad form SBS, youve ruined what could have been a good show with the right presenters. SHAME SHAME SHAME!!!
Well, trying to be constuctive instead of just “it’s crap, where’s clarkson”.
The hosts.
Generally ok, of course they are not C/H/M but who cares. The chemistry is getting there, however the short scruffy one should shut up for five minutes, he really does start to grate a little.
The stories.
Soft roaders, ok, but the “challenges” were just two races. Bit more variety needed there.
Lambo. Very nice, but give it to the Stig.
Maybach. Blinked and missed it, what was that about.
Porsche 911. Ok, but its interesting that in the footage, charlie seemed to be driving it so slowly. Is this some PC crap that we’re not allowed to see cars driving a little fast on australian roads?
Moke. Just plain silly. As far as a could see, the shark didn’t even touch it.
Stig’s Lap. Didn’t really get an idea of what the course was like, it looks short, slow, twisty.
Star in a cheap car. It’s a ahem “star” in a cheap car. enough said really. Had to laugh that it was a Proton, probably have the Malaysian embassy issuing a diplomatic protest.
Overall. Not too bad, will watch again. but could have trimmed one story out and fleshed out the others.
I, along with a s**tload of others on this site, was appalled by the show. I love and follow the Top Gear,so much that I seriously could not believe how this god-awful Australian adaptation was allowed to be aired. Were there no test-screening opportunities?
Since it’s been 9 or so months since Australia has had the rights to the franchise, I thought that they could have done so much better.
I don’t compare apples with oranges… but this was apples and rotten apples.
If I want to see how a 4wd handles itself from a beach to a snowfield, I would do it myself. I have no idea why you would want to feed a shark a car, that made no sense what-so-ever.
The presenters were boring and non-entertaining drones/clones who seriously need to have their own personality rather than take on an alter-ego. The okker accents were bad enough that I watched the second half of the show on mute.
SBS you have failed miserably.
Pointless and tedious replica of an original and witty idea.
I twitched uncomfortably when the Clarkson copy started to pay-out on the Porsche and the Hammond immitator argued for it, both assuming the role of the originals. It was Australian Idol for us when The Stig was introduced.
So long and farewell.
I persevered watching the first episode in the hope that some spark of talent or originality might emerge, but to no avail.
Possibly the most misjudged piece of television I’ve ever seen. What on earth made SBS consider such a stupid idea as cloning Top Gear in the first place?
Somehow, nobody responsible for the show seems to have understood the basic premise that Top Gear IS NOT A PROGRAM ABOUT CARS!!! It is a comedy program with three well matched, talented and witty personalities, who concentrate their humour on the THEME of cars.
You cannot clone humour, only the outer trappings of stage design and program format, and that’s just what we saw tonight – a witless, pointless waste of time, energy and money.
Heads deserve to roll.
Sorry to say, but this show is pathetic. Is it supposed to be a challenge to attach a cage to a mini moke and then let a shark swim around it? I was hoping the presenter would be eaten, as it would be one less person out of a job after this crappy show gets the axe. Was the camera man shaking around like an epileptic at a disco to make the shark more scary?? How anti-climactic the whole launch was, these three imbeciles look like they have been recruited from the nearest pub, and not a good pub at that. They know nothing about cars, and one made the comment ‘ people should write in with ways Waren Brown could “off” himself.’ Hilarious!! I have a suggestion, see if he can outrun a steamroller!!!
I’m surprised at the almost universal dislike of the new show from the posters above. I watched it and thought it was fairly good and expect it to get better with experience. Unlike some, I understood that this was going to be Top Gear in Oz, so I expected the show to look like Top Gear and follow its format. I suspect that people’s expectations were too high, and demanded too much too soon.
I didn’t come with a high expectation that the Australians were going to show the British what’s what when it comes to making a car show. The camera work and editing were as slick as the British show, and since this was the first show it’s not surprising that the hosts haven’t found their groove yet; the same problem can be seen in the early episodes of the British Top Gear. There is potential there, and we’ll see how well they bond over time.
That’s the mistake: people want to compare this first episode to what the British show has already firmly established. I really do expect the rough edges to sort out over time. If the Australian audience hadn’t already seen the original they would likely give this a pretty good review.
As for what could be better: the shark cage Moke story was rather lame, as nothing could disguise that the sharks weren’t interested in the Moke, even though a lot of fast cutting and editing was done to try and disguise this. Honestly, this story would have been better not aired.
The other main matter (for me) is the deliberate over-Australianising of things, from over-played accents to turns of phrase to even yobbo behaviour. We all know it’s Australian, it sounds Australian, it looks Australian, there is no need to ham it up. I want a natural, relaxed, sure Australian presentation, not a stereotype over-the-top Australian presentation. If this had been an American production, I would be horrified if the production would stress a loud-mouth, red-neck orientation. The Australian presentation needs to be toned down so as not to be cringe inducing.
These are my only real complaints. Otherwise I thought it was a good show and I’m be watching it again.
“OMG” Flop Gear Autralia.
“Let me show you how the new Porsche 911 twin clutch gearbox works, Ill just draw a picture in the dirt with my stick” (Next week they might let him use crayons)
Bloody hell what sort of lame ass let this go to air?
And what was the point of the Moke and the Sharks…..if it was supposed to be funny, it fell way short…..More like “WTF”
Where was the information on the vehicles, “Here is a car..its white…WHHOOOOOO!
I have seen a lot of locally produced DVD’s of car shows/events that make TGA look like a amature production…Talk about lame presenters…
Even Cruisin on C31 may be Hot Rod orientated but It gives you a heck of a lot of information.
All I can say is “TGA Goodbye”
Cheers
Mark
Firstly concept, you have done well with the set and format hasn’t changed (Good or bad who knows). However get rid of that blonde guy, seriously who is he? I have never been so annoyed at listening to anyone since that girl that sang at the Sydney Olympics.
I feel that your first episode should have been Australian and used Australian cars, not over priced imports that 2% of the population would even concider driving let alone buying.
Think about changing the way you film the track as it appears slow and void of excitment, I did not feel as though I was there at the track as you do with the UK version.
Lastly, the guys need to be themselves. Stop being TGUK and be TGA…
I will give in another 2 episodes and see….. Hope your taking in all this feedback to make it better then TGUK…
Good luck I think your going to need it, and don’t embarrass Australia. We have Rudd for that…
after 5 minutes my Husband went off to walk the dog – I stayed a little longer but when they unveiled the Stig I gave up – a very very pale comparison of something very special – please bring back the original before we all turn off for good!
Painful to watch, i too turned over.
They classic Dynamic of the UK team just cant be replicated here in Oz, we have an affinity with the UK teams comedic stylings, It was just aweful to see it so poorly and obviously scripted to the hilt, the live audience wasnt impressed either.
Softroaders? geezus!! not for the pilot. And who the hell is vince colossomo? Ford vs Holden? oh yeah us ozzies would love that!
Kill it SBS. cant wait to see the Japanese rip off…. im sure its gunna be a winner also.
$200,000 per episode budget for each Australian episode? Where did the money go? The presenters are utter rubbish. The main guy with the blonde heair was slouching in his chair looking as bored as ever during the interview with Collosimo. And a bunch of sotf roaders in the snow was utterly boring. There are a couple of young guys from Sydney that make a show called Mighty Car Mods that you can find on youtube and on iTunes for free. They make the show on no budget and are funnier, and more watch-able then this crap.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q83leOI_R-s
That was painful, second rate Australian humor.
What the hell was the Mini Moke thing about.
How about next week three men in a Moke, with out the cage.
Is there a spare Jet car with a dicky front tyre for Steve to test, I’d like that.
Bring back the Poms
I logged on this morning to catch up on the comments and am glad I was not the only one who thought Cox was a Cock. This is a bloke you would even avoid having a free beer with on a hot day he is such a wanker. Someone at SBS tell him to shut up and show him the door.
What a shame….Monday night @ 7.30 used to be a “drop everything Top Gear’s on event”. What were the producers of this Aussie ripoff thinking. Why would you try to imitate possibly the best combination of presenters I have ever seen. Where did they get that blonde headed dude from, please send him back to wherever in the hell it was. Do something original SBS, you will never match the Poms at this one.
Hopefully the person responsible for this debacle, is the same person who brought ads to SBS. Sack Them!
I’m one the the millions of female fans of UK Top Gear. Don’t care about the cars. Adore the hosts for their wit, banter, mutual piss-taking. The chemistry they have can’t be reproduced – and as we all know, that’s what makes the show one of the best on tv – ever! The filming is brilliant, the original concepts for the challenges are a delight and very clever and funny. The producers are geniuses. The stars-in-cars are terrific. The cars are an added bonus for those who are interested in such things. Let’s face it – you haven’t been able to find the right talent in Oz to make this work. It’s lame and cringe-making and completely lack-lustre. And please don’t think you can save it by bringing in a Blue Heeler or a Kelpie as the “Top Gear Dog” – even that won’t be as adorable as the original. Quit while you’re ahead boys. This is embarrassing.
I am a great fan of UK Top Gear.
Australia No. 1 episode, very disappointing. Driving along the beach in the water is just not on as far as I am concerned. I don’t believe cars should be damaged in this way, just for a show off effect.
I don’t expect a top knotch from Australia on a limited budget, but I object to being yelled at by the presenters. The dialogue was childish and not very entertaining. The Aussia delivery, and language were not nice to listen to. (mostly from Steve? the shortest one). It had no professionalism and just seemed like a few blokes doing not rehearsed scenes.
I hope the show becomes more informative and not just a car destroying show. Saw no sense in the Moke section.
Is the UK version still being shown here? I love it.
Oh dear. 4000 applicants and this is the best SBS can come up with? Warren has potential but the other two….On the upside the production and filming is resonable but the humour seems false and the audience didn’t quite know if they should laugh or cry. I was doing the latter. Perhaps it will improve as the series goes along. Remember the UK series has had 7 or 8 seasons to tweek and perfect their show. In the chase for ratings don’t let the show turn into a Holden v Ford thing… I think that been done enough.
I did not beleive that the presenters worked well as a team. They were all over each other and don’t have the same dynamism as the UK team. Also please tone down the ockerisms as this is a turnoff for most Aussies who pick a phoney a mile away. Blondie’s plagerism of Clarkeson’s introduction of the Stig was pathetic. I look forward to a significant improvement in the presenters in future episodes. I enjoyed the stories and the superb landscape shots of our fabulous country, beaches, snowlands and Tassie wilderness.
Watch the first 20 minutes…could stand no more. This was without a doubt the biggest load of tripe Australia has ever produced (and thats saying something). Bring back the UK version. I WILL NOT BE WATCHING AGAIN!
From fanatical veiwer to channel surfer in 10 minutes….Only I didnt bother going back to SBS. It was bad enough – but still good veiwing – putting up with reruns of the old series for the past few weeks.
Thank god for Youtube.
Some say i never blush………..
I did last night
What Crap.
Sorry SBS but you let Margaret and David go and bombed out with a new version of the Movie show and it looks like you have done it again with TGA. Enough has been said about the presenters but what I’d like to know is , How do the drivers and film crew manage to make the cars look so slow?????? You lost me when you started the show with a report on bloody 4 wheel drives!
Don’t stress too much – SBS has said previously that it will continue to broadcast the UK version.
And all the haters – watch TG UK’s first episode of season 1… it also was clunky and it took a while for them to find the right combination of presenters. I’m prepared to give TG Aus a few eps to figure it out as well.
Must agree with the comments about the moke segment – yawn. They tried too hard to add Australian danger to it. And yes, they tried too hard to ensure “Australianisms” were used in the dialogue – it came off as unnatural and forced. If they’re so keen to stick to the UK format, then stick to it. We all know the segment as a star in a reasonably priced car – just call it that!
I had to laugh at the comments about the Police hummer though – that was gold.
Finally, when in the studio the presenters were more “shouty” than the UK guys – I don’t want to be shouted at, just talk.
There’s potential there – just needs some improvement.
I agree with many people. It’s too early to judge. I’ve been watching series one and the audience also fails to laugh at an jokes, and there are also awkward silences there too. It could go either way. It took British Top Gear until series 2 to get things propely underway in a form common to today’s style.
The presenters need to go !!! im curious did sbs approch Sam Newman for the lead presenter roll ? think he would have been perfect, even I could have done a better job.
I can’t believe SBS could get it so wrong – why clone the great UK show using three strangers who just don’t display any chemistry? Why use the same set? Why the same program segments? Why Stig? The initial program had a pathetic comparison of off-roaders and a pathetic road test of Porsche (nice scenery though. I am a car fanatic and watch every motoring program on cable as well as free-to-air, but this was a real struggle. Telling the audience that naming the Mitsubishi Starion was a result of the Japanese being unable to pronounce their “ls” and that Pajero meant wanker in Spanish was about ten years too late for any true car fan, but then maybe Top Gear Australia is targetted at an audience that wouldn’t know how to top up the oil.
Extremely disappointed in first show. Sorry … but it really doesn’t work … all that was missing was the ‘toss another prawn on the barbie and “Oi Oi Oi”. Embarassing in the extreme.
I can see a string of new car suppliers and possible cars to be donated for the show being hurriedly driven away at speed after starting up the Lambo and reving the clackers out of a cold engine … talk about “What were you thinking?”
And I mean honestly … mini-mokes as shark cages? (My shark is bigger than your catfish?) Ego-driven hair-stylists trying to pass off and ageing mullet-styled, pinch-faced presenters who look like they’d rather be out the back dragging on a ciggie?
Please
Stop
NOW!
I came, I watched, I left.
10 minutes and I happily watched as my wife changed to a “Sex and the City” re-run. Say no more.
I have to say I was dissappointed, but I didn’t expect much. However, you do have to give the show time to gel, these guys haven’t had the time the TGUK hosts have to get to know each other! However, you see from the first episode with May, that there is something there! I didn’t see that last night. Blonde dude…..OMG he just annoyed me. I have never seen Clarkson take that little interest in someone, who was he anyhow, but that isn’t the point. If he isn’t interested, why should we, as the viewer be?
Two pointless stories and when was the last time TGUK gave you the BHP’s on cars as the only comparison…….nothing about the cost, usability, anything? And then to wreck them in the sea? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? And that moke……WHAT???? Sorry……if the show has to be a complete rip of the UK one, which it may, you don’t know what contract SBS has with the BBC, get some decent ideas and a decent test track!
With the 4000 videos you saw, surely there were better ideas than this! Where is the trying to drive a big bus down the ocean road? Driving a moke accross the nullabore? But Wait……
The one good idea they ruined with a pin board and some printed pictures off the internet! I’m sorry how difficult would it have been to make the “what were they thinking” board velcro or magnetic…..so the presenter doesn’t have to hold the picture up in shot…….SORRY TGA…I wanted so much to like you……..I will watch again….but it may be for pain rather than pleasure!
Just like to say i did like the show but the three small 4wds were not reveiwed at all they were just thrashed! Fair enough we do like to see actice driving like that but please is this not supposed to be a show that reveiws the vehicals. EG swap cars give, like’s and dislikes on the diffenant cars let us veiwers know a bit more about them. If we want to see cars racing and being crashed we will just watch the V8 super cars. It was an ok start but please pick up on why people watch these shows If you are just going to copy Topgear UK then please do it well Reveiw Reveiw Reveiw. Dont just thrash!
Top Gear Australia, what can I say this tripe of three wankers trying to be more than just useless copy cats that endanger their own lives (jumping off sand dunes) wrecking works of art (red lining a Lamborghini at start up) and that’s when I switched it off. This series has ruined it for me, I didn’t mind watching repeated cut down and out of sequence UK top gear as they have talent, whit and most of all the ability to drive what they talk about. Please please take this embarrassing shit off the TV and return back to Top Gear the original and the best UK until then I will not watch SBS again.
The expectations were always going to be very high.
It was disappointing, but I don’t think it’s any worse than early Season 1 UK. They had that fat co-host who was useless.
But there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
Warren seems most at ease but just lacks the off beat humour of James.
Steve is trying too hard, he was shouting most of the time in the studio but in the filmed segments he was ok. He just needs to relax.
Charlie is trying to model Clarkson, but he Lacks the charisma and his age shows because he speaks relatively slowly, but lacks the profoundness that Jeremy has when he speaks.
They didn’t cover the test track. We don’t know the layout. It doesn’t seem to be a full oval. One of them should have at least given us a rundown.
Either way it must be a poor design because the Stig was slow. The track didn’t seem to allow any sense of speed. Either that or they weren’t filming the fast parts.
They should pick an Aussie rock anthem for the start, not rehash the UK music.
The Star in a reasonably priced car segment was painful. Charlie lacks the interview skills and it seemed like Vince was conducting the interview. He was a boring driver. The in-car cam didn’t catch anything funny. The car choice was bizarre. A Proton? I didn’t even know they still exist.
As for the cameras….The general production values seemed pretty good given the budget.
But spend some money on a steady-cam. The camera was shaking when Charlie walked along the studio.
There were some decent moments. Charlie jumping the dune and Warren ripping the underside of his soft roader were funny. Driving in the snow was pretty good too.
Like all others I think I too had hoped that the Topgear Australia would be excellent. While I don’t think they nailed it in the first episode, I somehow doubt that Topgear UK did either. I seem to remember the fatbloke who was pretty boring and when Captain Slow first joined that he wasn’t as relaxed in front of the cameras as he is now. So perhaps all that have criticised this 1st episode need to sit back a little and give it a chance.
For me Warren was an absolute natural in front of the camera, relaxed, his jokes/one liners perfectly fine. I do agree the little bloke with wispy beard (Hampster) was painful and seemed to be muffing his lines. Similarly Charlie Cox was a little over the top, especially with his commententary over the Stigs laps.
As to the softroaders well not my sort of thing and personally I would have rather had a decent dose of Supercars exploding onto the track for the first episode. Who cares if we can’t afford them, do you honestly think it is any different in the UK. Nope. I just hope they don’t do too much of the bogan Aussie crap image stuff, and especially the crapadore/chook tests since this would make me cringe.
I agree I think the bonding between the team is staged but what do you expect. Hopefully it will improve.
I like having the Stig, star in reasonably priced car etc. I actually also found the moke story funny, who cares if they killed a moke, and frankly UK Topgear has also done plenty of similar types of stories.
Good scenary, like the filming in Tassie on the Sidling/Weldbourough Targa stages was excellent. Ditto the camera work around the fishing boats.
The thing I didn’t like was the track, too narrow, too many chicanes and I want to see the cars being tested going fast. The camera angles used didn’t show this. Hopefully this will get better.
I for one will be watching next week.
What a dissapointment! I so look forward to Top Gear on Monday nights and to have my fav show replaced by that crap insults my intelligence. With the talent and pride we have in our country I think SBS could have come up with something better. The quicker SBS axes this show and brings back the original the better.
That 1st episode was disappointing, too much voice over and yabbering and not enough good camera work, where were the great camera angles, colours and aerial footage from the UK series? Fingers crossed it gets better in episode 2.
I have just read through most (not all 96) of the mostly negative comments. I think the person (at comment 81) had the right balance. If you watch the first episodes of TGUK it was nowhere near as slick as the latter series, in every department, even the crowd was thin as this was a wholly new concept (you can tell the BBC were not quite sure) remember, the original TG was more like your typical Fifth Gear type ‘Car Review’ show and nothing more, so the whole concept had a nervous begining.
Clearly the UK team are now very experienced (Clarkson foremost, but Hammond has been around the traps too) so its no good comparing S1-E1 of TGA with S9-E10 of TGUK.
Yes it was dissapointing that so much detail had been copied, but the format and set felt familiar. The hosts will settle in (if Charlie stops shouting) and it should be fun.
A lot of comments ask for less imports and more aussie cars, but lets face it there are only 2 and they are doing that next week, Good! get it over and done with, otherwise TGA will look like every issue of Wheels Mag. Just like Britain, the vast majority of cars are imported, so these are the ones they will talk about, and whats wrong with doing expensive cars? TGUK does this all the time, plus they are fantastic to see in action (yes I agree the track was lame, straight-straight-waterfilled barrier-straight-two waterfilled barriers-straight-and across the line. Sounds like any Sydney motorway).
I am holding out a polite hope that this will succeed.
Hey, Top Gear Oz producers, if you are reading this… Get off the cocaine and slow down a little.
This was the first episode, slow down a little and let us grow into the show. You hit the ground running and your audience just had no idea what you were all on about and couldn’t keep up.
What you *should* have done was:
Introduce the presenters one by one. Have one of them talk about the set, the show layout and other stuff – maybe a studio car review or two and let us get familiar with them.
Second presenter takes for a walk of the track. Tells us what it is, tells us what corners are where and gets us familiar with it. Introduce Stiggo and talk us through a lap as Stiggo goes around it. Get a lap time for the ‘bog standard car with racing seats and rollcages’. Some decent camera angles would be nice as well. As it was, it was as exciting as a Coles carpark.
Maybe then a segment by the third presenter with some Aussie cars around the track and on the road.
Back to the studio where two guest drivers (maybe a pro and a celeb) lay down lap times. You have Stiggo’s time to give some reference.
At the end of the show, we have been introduced to the hosts, the track, have a few laptime on the board and a taste of things to come.
BTW, do we actually get to see the damage done to the grey lambo in the images above?
Hmmmm, where do I start! I feel sorry for the presenters, “Steve” was good and has potential but Warren is just damn annoying, and Charlie, well, he may grow on me, but so may a wart!
We were all told they were not looking to imitate the UK hosts yet clearly they have, plus EVERY other aspect of the show. Oh, except ONE element, entertainment!
The sinking of a Moke was a completely pointless exercise. On episode 2 perhaps wee can see the Moke in a tumble dryer!! Poor Moke……
The “Soft Roader” dribble was just an excuse to abuse and mistreat cars that will someday be purchased buy somebody.
Lesson No.1 – NEVER PURCHASE AN “EXECUTIVE DRIVEN VEHICLE”….
Congrats though on delaying the inevitable “Holden v Ford” banter until week 2.
Unfortunately, it really was a no win situation. As has been said many times above, the UK show has honed its skills over many years, has a much larger veiwing audience and therefore a much larger budget.
I will watch again, I hope the interaction betweeen the hosts improves and I do wish the hosts the best of luck.
The “what were they thinking?” wall could use some tweaking, perhaps the budget will allow ‘blu-tak’ to be used instead of a pin to hold the pics in future episodes! Better still, use an old beer fridge and invest in some magnets……. a real Aussie way!!! HAHA
Also, the Maybach story was an utter waste of time too! The intro to the story was longer than the story itself!
Why, SBS, why?????
It was as if someone had taken Clarkson, Hammond and May out of the studio for the night and plonked in three complete idiots in their place as some sort of lame parody… I was ashamed that the show copied absolutely everything – including the set and the Stig – so that it was a copy; a replica; a simulacrum. There was no real comedy, no camaraderie, nothing insightful or amusing.
It was pathetic.
Ian Dicko boffin in TG?..It seems to be like the first season of the original UK Topgear…things didn’t really work out for a couple of seasons & it has finally settled on the contrasting & outrageous theme it so works for the show…to imitation may be flattering but differenciation could be the key to the aussie version’s success for its backers.
top gear australia was absolutely terrible. It was too much like the original eg. the stig …. the presenters are horrible … they are almost clone like to the originals, They got it WRONG !!! they tried to make it exactly like Top Gear … destined to fail. Even the camera work was poor! Where ever did they get those three stooges …. The English will die with laughter when they see TGA … I’m so embarrassed. They should have made it uniquely Australian Top Gear … they blew it big time! I hate it!
Can some one please terminate that fetus before it grows and becomes more of a growth blocking other brillant programming ….
Please don’t bother showing any further episodes ..
Camera work = FAIL
Hosts = EPIC FAIL (mainly the junior version of fog horn leg horn and John Farham)
How dare sbs make a show and even try to fill the proper top gear shoes .. Sure it wasn’t supposed to be the same .. but its a knock off .. how about show the uk show on a different day or something .. ???
For the record a 253 was never and will never be anything other than an poor excuse for a boat anchor ..
Re Top Gear Australia.
Utter Crap ! Won’t be switching on again…. Dreadful.
Why reinvent the wheel? What on earth were SBS thinking?
Blimey, I keep hitting F5 and the list gets longer and longer!
Warren the cartoonist…keep
The other two…reconsider….and stress on the replacements to speak at a slower rate and be conscious of raising the pitch of their voice…OK, maybe nerves for this episode, but Warren has had TV experience and it shows…so some coaching would be of great value…!
Production values, one of the effects that the UK gig uses very effectively is colour filtering to achieve mood or atmosphere and even wetting the track for effect….so if you are going to use this in the Oz version, a “bit” of blue grad filter top right and top left in screen is pretty weak and as every photographer knows, shoot early morning or early evening, it is more pleasant to watch and comes over better than the hard Aussie sunlight and sets a nice atmosphere for the production…most school age kids can do a lot better with a basic video editor..!
A golden opportunity to lay a NEW AUSSIE set of filming values.
Ease off the mirroring of the UK show…pull some of the content, too much means a mashup….maybe show some of the audition tapes SBS received for the show…the funny ones that is…The Age newspaper reported that some 4000 people auditioned for the three positions…if you Google this “how many people auditioned for top gear australia” you can see a large selection of peoples submissions…maybe we as the viewing public should vote for who we think should get the jobs.
SBS, you have a great chance to be creative with Aussie wit and humour…lay off the “mate” and “crikeys” or exagerated ockerisms and set a style and format that we can be proud of…”imitation is the greatest form of flattery, BUT only if done well”
Comment by Dark Orange (#113) has nailed it. Brilliant suggestion. I do hope the producers do just that!
You can build a Toyota MR2 Ferrari 360 Replica and park it in Australia….. while it looks like a Ferrari…. is still not a Ferrari 360!!!
You can make Top Gear Australia…. while it looks (a lot) like Top Gear IT IS NOT Top Gear.
The stories went nowhere, the presenters tried hard (too hard), there was no chemistry and the result was lame.
My question is WHY??
Hey Mr/Ms Dark Oranage, Post 113…….EXACTLY!
TGA was done like it was episode 215 not episode 1!
Who are we, why are we here and what can we do! Not a difficult format!
This is a new show, not episode 215.1 from TGUK……come on SBS look at your audience…….we all watch TGUK, we all have expectations but we also understand the constraits of budget and time! Slow down, save your money and get your audience back!
HERE HERE post 113!
Get rid of it im 11 years old and the new aussie topgear is absoulutely junk!!!!!
When i watch the uk topgear i am always stimulated, this one i fell asleep halfway my mum woke me up because i was snoring then i just woke up and turned the stupid thing off.
I highly!!!!!!! recommend that you should either scrap the australian one or put the uk one on a different night.Please save all topgear fans by putting the original one the one that gave topgear a headstart, without clankson,hammond and james topgear would be nothing.(worse than the aussie one)
commment 113 by Dark Orange was totaly right i was suprised to see the exact same set as uk top gear the first road test should have been between aussie cars (like i dont know mabey COMMODORE AND FALCON) and why cant u get a differnet stig and name him stigo.
sbs beter make some changes or no one will watch. i guess ill watch for a couple more weeks hoping it gets beter (still beter than australian idol)
Perhaps the only positive by-product from last night’s airing of what can only be described as a complete disaster was reading and laughing along to these comments. I found more humour in the words of these disgruntled viewers than any of the comments expressed by the presenters in the show. Maybe SBS can begin interviewing some of the respondents from this site and replace the cringe worthy morons they employed. The moke segment made absolutely no sense, Warren deserves a labotomy after that effort.
What a shocking reproduction of the world’s most entertaining and successful mortoring programe, SBS should return to what it know’s, soccer and subtitled euro porn!
Thanks SBS at least i dont need to tape Australina Story anymore. What a bunch of plonkers. The original works as a result of the unique relationships. Not an old blonde hack trying to be Clarkson. Axe it early save the money and put on teh original. Didnt you learn from “The Office” being syndicated in the US?
SBS spent 10million Dollars on the licencing of this program that they hoped would performe beautifully. Instead they are left with the biggest lemon of all time!
It is insulting to all that have an IQ and to those that know Australians are capable of more than a limp cardboard cut out that completly ignores the basis of the UK success – Intellegent reparte!
SBS needs to leave the keys in this show, park it in an undesirable neighbourhood, hope some one is foolish enough to steal it, patriotic enough to burn it and then claim it on the insurance.
215 episodes???? If TGA gets that far, I will force feed my MINI to the reluctant sharks!!!
The “bog standard car” was far from bog standard….I have thoroughly checked the Proton website this morning and am unable to find a Satria with racing seat, harness and rollcage. They aint even on the options list!!!! Surely Aussie B grade celebs’ insurance policies allow them to travel in STANDARD cars…Stupid Australian rules and reg’s.
The stretched Hummer doing the ‘lap’ was THE only humourous element of the show.
The inclusion of adverts was a welcome relief. It gave time to reflect on what was poor.
Thankfully SouthPark was on after TGA, at least that gave me something to laugh at…
Why doesn’t SBS also remake “Inspector REX”???
‘Alf’ from ‘Home and Away’ and old ‘Bouncer’ from ‘Neighbours’ can be the all new and improved crime fighting duo, solving mysteries and wooing the ladies on the streets of Adelaide!!!
Seeing as though TGA has done the ‘Moke eating Shark’ story in Ep1, perhaps a future story could involve a Korean Crapbox and a wild dog…called “A Dingo stole my Daewoo”
It looked like Top Gear, it sounded like Top Gear, it’s a franchise of Top Gear.
Unfortunately it did not get off to a flying start, it looked like a very low budget amatuer version of the UK.
Their track is pitiful, surely the could have found something better than an airstrip with a few oversized cones on it, they couldn’t even afford a decent board for their ‘What where they thinking wall’ they had to use thumb tacks.
On first impressions, keep the cartoonist (captain slow), give the driving instructor a razor and keep him away from caffeine (more like a squirrel than a hamster) and the jury is out on the other, good in the field, shocking in the studio.
Their big scoop was getting the new Lambo before the UK, big deal, they could have gone down to a dealership and done what they did, the UK would have driven the wheels off it.
Hopefully SBS made the first episode and done some intense market research to get feedback before they made the rest, otherwise it’s going to be a long 8 weeks.
$10 million to make a car show and still stuff it up. “UNBELIEVABLE” who is responsible for spending this type of money? Actually who gave sbs the money to produce such a novice copy of TG UK? I had to ask myself is this for real? and who are the presenters, i have never heard of them. Well if anyones had a good laugh about TG Australia i think it would be clarkson, hammond and james and the BBC all the way to the bank in their S500 black mercs. Bring back TG UK i will NOT BE WATCHING THE AUSSIE VERSION unless it has decent presenters. Maybe give hamish and andy go, now that would be a good laugh and the boys would have alot of fun playing with the cars.
I didn’t think it was as bad as some people have said. You have to remember that it is supposed to be a Top Gear format (drives, challenges, star in a reasonably priced car, the stig, etc.) so the people complaining about it being a clone need to understand that.
The hosts… well, I didn’t mine Warren Brown (moustache guy). The little guy with the beard had an annoying voice and seemed like he tried to hard to be funny. Charlie Cox (Clarkson wannabe) sounded like he needed to clear his throat throughout the whole thing. I didn’t like him as the ‘main host’ and he came off like an elitist jerk.
Things that just didn’t make sense: the Maybach and the moke-shark thing, both were absolutely pointless. What the hell is the point of watching someone being escorted in a Maybach? The only thing he showed us was that it had headphones in the door for the passenger – whoopdie doo! And the thing with the shark, did it even attack the car?
I thought the fast lap in the stretch Hummer was humourous, and maybe a few of the one-liners but overall I was disappointed with the first episode. And the most boring part next week: Holden vs. Ford.
I’m not finished …. for all the idiots who say you can’t compare it to TGUK … WE DID’NT … the producers did! … the people who produced TGA are not TOP GEAR enthusiasts, they have no understanding at all of a show like TOP GEAR … they must be a production team been given an assignment to make an aussie version of TOP GEAR. …I still hate it!
ps. I’m still stomping around the backyard spitting chips!
Our version has has something original “What were they thinking”. Its ironic. May be the faces of the SBS produces who thought this was worthy of air time should go on wall.
Look on the bright side, Monday evenings are free again for a while.
Well – having followed a similar thread on another car enthusiast’s forum, a poster there passed on the link to here.
The consensus is that at least we still have repeats of TGUK on DVD and available for download.
I’d prefer to watch the forced drying of wall paint with a hairdryer than the forced rubbish that is TGA. Seriously – could John Farnham have screamed any louder at the STIG’s lap? Or at everything else for that matter???
Trying to entice a Great White to eat a Moke? That was just dumb.
Soft roaders? Hmmm – gonna rush right out and get one of those now….. NOT!!!!
The Maybach intro was pretty much a direct ripoff of Hammond’s similar piece in the early TGUK seasons – even almost right down to the description of the car’s likely buyers.
Revving the Lambo at cold??? Blasphemous. If I was a car company representative I’d be loathe to even give them a picture of a luxury sports car, let alone put them behind the wheel after that little stunt. Sure – start it up, let it warm, and then let it growl. Instead it screamed in pain at being abused!!!!!
As one US presidential candidate said recently – you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig. GTA looks to me like a bloody big pig. The only way I like pig is cooked properly – this one was waaaaaaaayyyy overdone.
I can’t say that I watched much of the Top Gear Australia show, but even so I feel compelled to comment on it.
In brief, what I saw I absolutely hated. Why did the producers decide to completely rip off the UK version 100%. Sure I understand that it’s fully licensed etc, but really what’s the point of trying to copy it 100% – even down to the open floor plan studio, “funny” chairs when interviewing the celebrity (which, by the way, makes sense if they’re car seats as in the UK version, not so much when lounge seats), the selection of the presenters (guess who’s the Clarkson clone) and even the Stig! Now is this really the Stig – as in the person that’s been driving for the UK show? Or are you just lying to your audience? Sure, there’s every chance that there are more than one Stigs’ in the UK show but even if this is the case it’s one thing to be lied to by a show that we’re endeared to and is known for it’s jocular pranks and has provided us with plenty of belly laughs over the years, and another thing to be lied to by an upstart of a carbon copy that is asking us to take it seriously.
I remember the original Top Gear – the sensible and boring version when Clarkson was just another of several car reviewers, reviewing everyday cars in a more journalistic, less sensationalistic and humour focused fashion. My understanding is that Clarkson instigated the new style Top Gear and I don’t think there was any magic formula that was created. I think the current UK Top Gear works simply because of the freedom it has, and the fact that at the time (10 years ago?) it was taking a new and bold direction. The presenters had a new, punk style and were empowered to express their personalities, whatever they may be. If you ask the Aussie counterparts to copy the UK guys, they will not have any freedom and you will have a wooden, stifled, shadow of the UK version.
The cartoonist guy is good though – a genuine human being. Can’t say I saw any of the Hammond ripoff guy.
Was just CRAP! Hope like hell we still get the UK Version here Australia!!!
Not happy jan.
Firstly, the whole thing is trying too hard to be a copy of TG GB. Bad idea. take the format but copy it loosely and australianize it. Come up with your own witty ideas and direction and not another wannabe clone.
Secondly, cars ain’t “things”. It sounds shocking when a car reviewer refers to a car as a “thing”, especially when its a $500 kay plus lambo.
ands what’s with copying the stig right down to the white helmet and suit? There is only one stig!!!!!
Oh yeah
In regards to the celebrity lap in the bog standard car, I personally was wondering what track it would be on, and if that too would be a replica of the UK track, but all I saw was shots of the car (both inside and out) whilst it was going in a straight line. There was no talk of Gambon, there was no going wide on the last exit, or flatout through the chicane, it really was a very pointless exercise.
I’m not a racer, but I am a racing fan, as I would imagine a fair percentage of Top Gear fans would be, and I don’t want to watch some dick that failed to connect with the audience or cock of a presenter (during the celebrity interview) drive in a straight line. And what was the point of the prolonged reading of the timed result. Being the first result it was just a number – no one knows if it was good or bad, or indifferent. So just read the number would you. And of course the car was far from bog standard. I’m not a Proton expert but I know that the 15 year old Satria has plenty of oomph. You might as well have had a Subaru Impreza.
Wether it’s cocaine or petrol that the producers have been sniffing, they ought to be sacked. They are clearly shit at their jobs.
I feel let down. It was poor, poor, poor.
Warren seemed to be the only one who knew how to present. The other two talk too much and have all the charisma of a warm Fosters. Hope they’ll settle in, but at the moment all three just do not make interesting TV together.
I don’t understand the test track (who designed it, why, what does it test -agility or straight line speed), it’s shot poorly anyhow (who editied that crap), and as a result TGUK’s strongest suit (the track segments) are now just boring. Couldn’t they have made the design of the track the first story of the show, that way we could have undersood what we were seeing? Maybe as the series progresses this will get better.
Hitting the rev-limited on the lambo? Too odvious!
I thought the shark-caged moke had potential but they didn’t quite pull it off.
That was bad. Poor acting. The jokes were not funny. The audience were not involved and they looked embarrassed to be there. I applied to be in the audience and was willing to drive 1800km return from Toowoomba. Not now. How long do you think it will take for the Car Companies in this country to stop supplying you with cars to damage. Rental cars are treated with more respect. No cars to test, no show. Your test track looks like a two-lane service road with witches hats for chicanes. Disgraceful. maybe your show should be based at a Race track. Your test of the Porsche was embarrassing. TV ads have cars driving faster. This is not Drive Time. Maybe your hosts could read up on the vehicles they are testing before the show. Try reading Wheels or Motor. I will watch again next Monday. But I hope it improves a lot. Please bring back the UK re-runs.
This was never going to work. I fully expected it to be absolutely excremental and it exceeded my expectations. I don’t have a problem with them using the exact same format as the UK show, but what they failed to realise was the only thing that makes that show great is the wit, humour and chemistry of the three presenters, which cannot be reproduced. Also, as hare-brained as some of the stunts the UK guys do are, at least they have a point or purpose – the “soft roader” test didn’t really have one and the shark thing definitely didn’t. A 4WD test week 1, Holden Vs Ford week 2…How predictable and boring can you get? this is going the way of every other single car show in Australia that fails miserably because it focuses too much on technical detail and does not have enough genuine humour. I felt sorry for the 3 poor suckers who got the job – big shoes to fill and they were just trying too hard. sorry guys.
Obviously a cleverly designed plan to sell more BBC Top Gear Videos (oops the ABC have those don’t they)
If the original is going to be followed so closely in format then so must the quality. Very little real information on any of the cars ie: engine capacity,Kw,torque,price and no I wouldn’t be interested in seeing the interiors. Why in comparing 3 soft roaders would you not make them all 2.4 litre variants?, why test in full 4WD environments? and why not make a comment or determination on the best buy at the end? I cant wait for the family sedan comparison Nissan Maxima 3.5, Ford Falcon 4.0 and Holden Commodore 5.0.
Less verbal manure and more information please, these blokes will take a while to build any sort of banter and they may not have another series to work at it.
Snnnnnnnzzzzzzz
I pray that last night’s episode was just a case of “first night jitters”. I have been a Top Gear fan for many years and the Australian version is a real dissapointment. Lets hope subsequent episodes have some more spunk!
The same format as the uk but the guy who thinks he is Jeremy looked like he was out of the eighties with that stupid long blonde hair waving his hands around all the time, all he needed was to present whilst wearing budgie smugglers. The short guy looked like he needed a good wash and groom and as for the other guy he has a face for radio not TV.
It was so so boring after just a few minutes.
I’m delighted that so many TG purists have the same thought. I think the silence from the studio audience at every joke attempt saids it all. They should have realised that if the audience wanted to watch a good episode of TG, they would get access to the UK version. TGA should have never intend to replace the original. What SBS should have done was to make a show fittingly different so that it could be sold back to the UK. Give them something new to experience. Mirroring everything from the UK show and trying so hard to add AUS flavours, turned out to be something that resembled a freak of nature (US Kath and Kim).
In particular the hosts! No chemistry! It was like they met for the first time last night! What would have been good was to introduce a hot Aussie Shiela who knows about cars! Maybe then the challenges would give the male hosts a chance to impress her (or get beaten). A bit of love interests should do well to help the chemistry.
Cars should be relevant to the culture of this country. Where were the souped up wog mobile, modified suicidals utes, or the Asian hoons Japanese imports? Car that goes fast and doesn’t cost a kidney to buy!
Come one SBS, it was embarassing.
AUST TOP GEAR, WHAT IS LEFT TO SAY AFTER ALL THAT HAS COME BEFORE!!!!!! SHOCKING VERY BAD TASTE. WHY IS IS SET THE SAME AS UK VERSION AND NOT IN OUR OWN AUSSIE STYLE. I”M SURE WE COULD HAVE COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER. I AM A VERY BIG FAN OF THE UK VERSION AND I CANNOT WAIT FOR IT TO COME BACK. SHAME AUSTRALIA SHAME !!!!!!!!
Well what more can I say that hasn’t been said above? I really wanted to like this show although I confess to gut trepidation which as usual was justified. What Were They Thinking indeed. Maybe if one had never watched UK Top Gear one might think … yeah OK ish …but to just mindlessly duplicate everything and have the presenters as analogues of Clarkson, Hammond & May …. stuff me TV execs are supposed to be experts at their game aren’t they? And an ersatz Stig with a lame adaptation of Clarkson’s intro? Driving brand new vehicles in the surf? sacrificing a MOke in what seemed to be excellent nick? To be fair I’ll give it one more chance next week
Wow – just read all these comments, & all I can say is what a pack of whingers !! OK, I agree the 1st episode wasn’t perfect, but gee, cut them a bit of slack for their 1st attempt.
It appears a lot of the so called Top Gear Fans don’t know their Top Gear history either….I recall 2 episodes where the TGUK have tested cars (VXR, Jag, 300C & 911, Jag,M6) at Pendine Sands in Wales driving through the water…..no complaints there, but we drive 3 Soft Roaders on the beach & people go off ???? & the “Bog Standard Car – AKA Reasonably Priced Car in TGUK also has a Roll Cage / Racing Seat Harness – & off course they need it for Insurance Reasons….choice of the Proton though….hmmmm. Those that have seen Season 1 of TGUK know it was not the highly polished show it is now….
Improvements ?? Of Course. How about showing us the layout of the Test Track & the Stig doing a hot lap with time etc. How about actually doing a “comparison & review” of the cars with a winner instead of the weak sand & snow effort of the Soft Roaders. Also agree with the Maybach comment – what was that ??
OK, so 1st effort was a B+ for effort, C for execution – but lets not write it off just yet….
After the first ten minutes I turned my attention to writing to the SBS.
The episode was dreadful and the series should be stopped as soon as possible. For those who excuse the torid mess as a valiant first effort – implying it might improve – I remind you that a pig wearing lipstick is still a pig.
Being a very big fan of Top Gear UK, it was with high hopes that I sat down and watched Top Gear Australia last night.
I have to say, it was absolute crap!
The key merit of Top gear UK is three blokes talking crap about CARS, Top Gear Australia had three blokes just talking CRAP FULL STOP.
The paper said they were to review the new Lamborghini, and it didn’t even get road tested! The presenters were excited because they got to turn it on. Wow – fun stuff…
The challenge was crap, and we were told nothing of any interest about any of the three cars, and the whole process had no structure. The UK show has a competition between the three presenters as if they are on the spot- its as if the Australian team made it up themselves on the spot and it was very lame. Also, whats the point in a ‘CHALLENGE’ when all the cars were brand spanking new? It was a test of the cars not the cars and the presenters skill, which is what the challenges are supposed to be about.
Reviewing the Porsche was fine, but I challenge you to watch it again and write down five things of interest that the presenter told us about it. He did not bag it or praise it, he pretty much read the specifications from the owners manual…
Half the point of having a reasonably priced car is for us to know what it is. Instead the guest (who incidentally took over the show from your presenter… not good) raced an unknown car around an unknown track, exciting? I think not. TELL US WHATS GOING ON! Viewers watch the UK show because of Clarkson and the cars (and incidentally the other two presenters are also great on the UK show), in Australia you have taken away Clarkson AND the cars! I’d rather read The Age Drive section, its more enthralling than the tool with long blonde hair who reads owners manuals and the bogan who talks shit all the time. The Brown haired guy who looked like the host for Peking to Paris (by the way, if that was him you should have told us) was the only one worth keeping, and even then he is a far cry from James May or Hammond.
Finally, Your Stig raced cars we would have liked to have had reviewed instead of your crap challenge
I think, to regain any credibility (if possible, actually maybe that can be your next ‘challenge’ on the show, ‘Regain the credibility you shat all over with Episode 1’) you should use the exact same show from the UK and Photoshop Australia into the title.
My advice to you is,
If you are going to bother having a Top Gear Australia that is almost exactly the same as Top gear UK, then DO IT PROPERLY, AND DON’T MISS HALF OF THE SHOWS OBJECTIVES. Otherwise, don’t copy – you are setting yourself up for failure because you simply cannot compete with the BBCs version.
Actually, my refined advise is: DON’T BOTHER WASTING ANY MORE MONEY ON THIS CRAP SHOW!!! You are RUINING a brilliant thing. I turned it off halfway out of sheer embarrassment and boredom, and I wont be watching again until the new UK series is on
Crap, crud, bollocks, shite, …
When is the UK (not the poor, pathetic imitation) version returning? The Oz show was an embarassment, with crappy presenters, and a poor (understatement) track and a chubby ‘the Stig’ … wake-up – you can’t replace Clarkson, Hammond, and May … they are brilliant !
Who’s that little fart trying to be Hammond … the acting, the fake laughing/twitching …
c’mon; what trash.
They are not funny, not cool (‘warm fart’ side of the board please) … wake-up and fire the
moron that thought of this waste of time.
The original UK version wasn’t broke, it was and is excellent, bring it back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cutting the show slack would have been okay if this was a new style of show,but lets be truthfull it was supposed to be the Australian version of an already very successfull show. Lets be truthfull SBS and the presenters blew it in a bloody big way thers should be no second show, lets watch more repeats of the original at least they were entertaining.
Well what can one say about the show, I like many others watched (20mins)
that was enough & tuned out. The show works so well in the UK because the hosts have a great rapport with each other,where did they get our hosts from to present Top Gear Australia.I think the show is doomed. Bring back UK version.
Unbelievable rubbish.
Chuck ’em all in an ex-UK Top Gear caravan and blow it the concept up !
You cannot be serious; this must be a sick joke? Please tell me it’s a
clever marketing ploy … as you’ll bring back the original version
next week.
Crap …. I’m p’d off at this rubbish.
Sorry to have to comment again but I thought it might be of interest that I was just over at the Sydney Morning Herald website there there ws a link to a poll “Which is the better – UK Top Gear or Australian Top Gear” – the results? – about 2,200 to Oz, 1,500 to UK. Credibility gap anyone? I bet SBS staff will have sore fingers by end of today doing their multiple voting – 🙂
Why is Top Gear UK the most popular TV show in the world? Because it’s not really a car show – it’s a comedy and action and appeals to so many demographics. Why will Top Gear Australia hopefully not be recommissioned after 8 episodes? Because it’s not funny, the action seems to be just about driving fast up and down hills, and appeals only to men with beards. If you want any more proof, I counted 1 woman in the studio audience – Top Gear UK is 50-50. And next week – the Ford/Holden debate. Snore! You won’t be getting this viewer back until the next UK series starts.
I’d also recommend you send your comments to:
comments@sbs.com.au
Perhaps someone will take notice, remove the trash from last night, and
at return the original Top Gear.
… or try !
formalcomplaints@sbs.com.au
as a Top Gear UK fan, I reckon there were more Australian (Top gear) casualties in the one hour screening of Top Gear Australia … than the whole of the Gallipoli campaign …. no offence intended to the ANZACS
I feel embarrassed, humiliated and depressed.
… comment 152 must be on LSD ….
The presenters try to hard to be the same as the poms, they should just be Aussies.
What’s with the ear pieces, are they being instructed what to say from a script?
The UK version seems to be ad-lib apart from a basic script/idea.
The run through the ocean seemed to have no purpose other than to do it and the same goes for the race through the sand dunes just to see if a V6 can beat a Four Cylinder.
Give the Stig a miss, paint his helmet RED and call him BLUEY.
I could go on for longer but this will have to do for my 2Bobs worth.
GIVEYOUAFEWWEEKSMORETOIMPROVE
The producers need to be shot! Who picked those ridiculous hosts and decided the first every show would nto feature (in any detail) an Australian car? First and last time I watch it…
Poor ol’ SBS must be run off its feet today in the “complaints dept.”
Perhaps next Monday at 7:30 SBS can run a 1hr special of “Backchat” on the complaints received about TGA….
Ok SBS if you are not seeing the trend in the comments here, the person who said above that they need to get off the cocaine, is absolutely right.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring back the originals and get rid of the yobbo knobs who are trying too hard to be the originals.
We were never even told where they found them, how they have any knowledge of cars and motoring and where the hell the sprang from.
Truly I don’t even care now, but SBS if you play it again, Top Gear fans all over Australia will have no choice other than to change to Aussie Idol or read a book on Monday nights.
We may even have to start watching the REAL Top Gear on youtube or get mates in the UK to tape it and send it over to keep us going.
GET REAL SBS, wake up and smell the stench of crap tv!
I feel the same as most posters….SBS has really missed the mark. The presenters act like they have known each other for ages and are really annoying. The Moke thing…WTF!!! Why a big opening with Ford GT Vs Holden GTS was not made…. They should have paid the millions to the BBC team to make a couple of shows here rather than duplicate the UK show. SBS this show is embarrassing, for me as an Aussie and for you as a broadcaster. I still can not believe how bad it was…..not funny….lifeless…..star in bog standard car…..What Star??? He was a boring wanker…Star of what??? Bring back Mythbuster reruns…
This is what I sent to SBS:
To Whom it May Concern,
As a car enthusiast living in Australia, I wanted to provide feedback on your first episide of Australian Top Gear.
Bad Things:
Initial Cars reviewed appeared to have no relevance to the average Australian motorist (apart from the three 4 wheel drives)…. A motorist that does not normally order a Porsche, a Maybach, or a Lamborghini! Where was a review say of the top FPV car Vs the HSV Commodore? Things that can acutally be afforded by the average Australian Motorist….
Cars were sent out on to the Top Gear track…. Where is the track? What configuration is it in? Is it flat, hilly, rough, smooth??
Your lead presenter, the ex race car driver…what a pillick! Obviously been reading his own press releases…..and the other two…. Well what can I say….
The biggest star you could get for your very first episode of a “Star in a Reaonably Priced Car” was Vince Colosimo?????? What the……
“What were they thinking” wall… did you not do a dry run and discover that one pin was not going to be enough hold the picture nice and flat and level???
No audience interaction that I could see…..mind you, I didn’t make it to then end….I switched over hoping I could still catch the end of Neighbours!
Good Things:
Studio looked good and was well decorated. Cinemaphotography on the stories was good.
Overall:
Very, Very, disappointing………..wont be watching it again.
I usually applaud SBS with its excellent programming however SBS you have totally missed the mark with this pale imitation of the BBC’s Top Gear.
The presenters are like chattering schoolgirls, and keep talking over each other so you can’t concentrate on the original person who is trying to speak.
It would have been better to create a unique AUSTRALIAN TG then viewers wouldn’t have a comparison (the BBC Top Gear is 10,000 % more professional.
Why have you got a cartoonist on the show? ….he is awful !!!
Sorry SBS …not this time – can it, and save your(our) money.
I also absolutely hated the show last night, and have been trying to find a forum to vent my annoyance.
I think the biggest problem was that the producers have tried to focus on the banter between the hosts at the expense of anything to do with the cars. The guys in England actually have something useful to say, and you always feel like even though the might be messing around, they do actually know a lot about cars and have something interesting to tell you. Somehow whoever is running this thing thinks that if you get 3 guys together who do stupid things in cars that this is the same thing. IT’s NOT!!
And then the reviews!! What the hell was the review of the Maybach?? He reviewed the headphones and that was it! Not even that! The presenters showed absolutely no passion for what they were doing, it might as well have been the Price is Right or something. I mean, the GTR went out and beat the M3 by about 3 seconds, and there was hardly a mention. The whole thing was just bizarre.
You know, this reminded me of Episode I of Star Wars. Everything was there, but somehow it still was not the real thing. At least there was no Jar Jar Binks I suppose. That’s about the only positive thing I can say.
God I hated it.
I thought the top gear australia was terrible the hosts where second rate to UK version I wont be watching it again… bring back the UK version the hosts made the show!!!!!
Hey guys, don’t be so harsh, we only present the show….
Steve did not think up that crappy ‘silence of the lamb-orghini’ joke. The producers had to twist his arm and pay him a bonus to say it!
Due to budget restaints, I unfortunately had to explain a complex gearbox with a stick scratched into gravel. NOT MY IDEA. Next week I will describe the workings of a hybrid vehicle with an “Etch’a’Sketcha”.
Also next week Warren will have to decide wheteher to shave off that stupid moustache of his with the assistance of a “Magic 8 Ball”.
Please don’t dismiss the show yet. Remember when ‘Nudge’ got replaced on ‘Hey Dad’? The whole nation thought it would implode! But, all worked out fine and the program went from strength to strength……it only turned sour when the short fat kid came along!
Remember, we all have mouths to feed, I go through a LOT of hair conditioner each week to keep my flowing locks so silky smooth, Warren spends a small fortune on textas and Steve, well he just blows all his cash on booze and ladies. Don’t send us to the dole queue just yet!
I guess everyone has said it over and over enough.
I’m and always have been a car nut, over the years have tried to watch as many car shows as possible, owned a few interesting cars, raced cars when sponsorship was not allowed on the side of the vehicles, in all that time I have never ever, watched and been sooooo bored by bad acting, poor story lines (A moke being eaten by a shark, are you completely stupid?)
A Proton with a roll cage! Now I know you are not serious.
Can the lot and start over again, find some decent presenters and TRY and find a real Star to put in a car.
PLEASE, get your act together.
Some goof from the ratings department reported that TGA was a success.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24425336-12377,00.html
OMG….They announced that Jack Thompsom will be on a future episode as the star…Why not call the segment B grade wannabee or Forgotten old fat guy in a pathetic car….Of course the ratings were high for such a hyped show with a big following of the original…lets see next week….
who ever wrote comment 173 .. You and the rest of the show need to be taken out the back and flogged … alot .. and hard .. bring back the proper show .. no more of this mong cut and shut .. .
Against my better judgement I tuned into TGA last night and was viindicated. The very reason TGUK works is that Clarkson, Hamster and May are articulate, amusing and have a great rapport. Our first mistake was trying to mirrior the TGUK3, what a mess!! Our 2nd mistake was our 3 wise monkeys who clearly hadn’t met each other before the episode aired and therefore required eatpieces in order to be “spontaneous” – please please please bring back TGUK at the Monday 7.30pm timeslot and banish this rubbish to the dark side of TV viewing until its 8 episodes are done.
we lasted almost ten minutes then discovered sbs have have found a new way to convert gold into SNOT! will not be watching again as we do not have big enough snotrags
Nothing I can add as it is very apparent how shambolic that show is.
Serious lack of well written and funny script is the main underlying reason for the failure.
Feeding the moke to sharks is moronic and insulting to the spectators intelligence. Did we need such a polluting and unfunny stunt to be engaged?
As boring as it is we have to hold our breath for the next episode where there will be a comparison between Holden and Ford something apparently never been attempted before in the land of OZ. WHOOHOO.
It is not the money folks it is talent, knowledge and wit or in your case the total lack of it.
This is a total failure, SBS stop wasting taxpayer’s money and revert to the real thing.
… re. post 173
Sorry, take it back … we suck harder than a super-charged dyson powered
by all of China’s nuclear power and dams combined.
Dole queue – please 1 bullet for the three of us would be appreciated.
Too harsh … nah, the butt of the gun will do.
Top Gear Australia is a joke please help us. We don’t deserve this torture!! Please get it off our screens soon. The presenters are the biggest joke, who does the lead presenter think he is. I think he’s a total tosser. Bring back Clarkson a Co.
I can honestly say it was the only time I was ever sad to watch a segment on a beautiful Porsche. The guy driving was the problem, totally full of himself, O and no talent to back it up.
Get off you sad dick’s. Leave it to the pros!!!
This is crap I watched this last night in Australia (that’s were I live)and the reviews were garbage on the porche car. The challenge was completely crap driving up and down a sand dune. What really lost it was when Warren Brown went under water in this little green car and he had to get sharks into the car. How pointless. Also they kept saying how better they are the the UK presenters. Charlie cox Kept saying that he is better than Jeremy Clarkson. THE STING Driving was shit!!!!!!!!!!!!! had trouble controlling the Mercedes Benz and the Porsche turbo.
Rate 0/10 Don’t bother watch it.
Charlie = Fail!
Steve = Fail!
Warren = Might work with the right people but needs to be himself (Peking to Paris style!)
.. sadly overall = Fail Gear!
OK. I AM ENGLISH, I HAVE WATCHED TOP GEAR IN THE UK AND OTHER PLACES AROUND THE WORLD FOR YEARS. YES THERE IS A BIT OF CHEMISTRY GOING ON.. AND THEY HAVE BEEN AT IT FOR QUITE SOME TIME AS I SAID BEFORE, BUT LETS NOT GIVE UP ON TGA.. I REALY WANT TO SEE TOPICS THAT DEAL WITH AUSSIE CARS & NEWS, ITS GREAT WATCHING CLARKSON MAY AND THE HAMPSTER DOING ALL SORTS OF CHALENGES ETC.AND GIVING US NEWS THAT WOULD ONLY BENIFIT A POM,, THE FORMAT MAY BE THE SAME, IT HAS TO BE, ITS LIKE ANY FRANCHISE ( GO INTO ANY MACCAS ANY WHERE IN THE WORLD ) IT WORKS… YOUR PRESENTERS REALY NEED TO CALM DOWN, AND HAVE SOME FUN..THEY SEEMED TO BE SHOUTING OVER EACH OTHER, AND DRIBBLING SHITE !!!!!
I WILL BE WATHCHING NEXT WEEK, I MEAN IT CAN ONLY GET BETTER RITE !
WE SHOULDN’T GIVE UP ON IT ..IT ‘COULD’ BE THE BEST AUSSIE CAR PROG, LETS GIVE IT A CHANCE
MARTIN D
re. post 175
Why not let the fine dollar-conscious writers at The Australian know how much BS is appreciated: letters@theaustralian.com.au
… or, do you want a 2nd season of this crap? How much did ya get paid Kath?
By Katherine Field | September 30, 2008
A SECOND series of motoring TV show Top Gear Australia is already in the pipeline after its premiere won over audiences.
About 933,000 viewers around the country watched the debut last night, giving SBS its highest ratings for a locally produced television program ever.
SBS head of TV Matt Campbell admitted he was disappointed not to crack the one million mark, but was still happy with the figures, which were higher than any season premiere of the British original.
“It was always going to be a tough call but to come in better than the UK series is quite an achievement,” Mr Campbell said.
A second series is now being planned, he said.
“We’re in discussions now. We’d like to roll on, obviously, from a production perspective,” Mr Campbell said.
“It’s been a big challenge. Series two will be a much better series. It always is because you learn so much in the first one.”
Last night’s episode featured a guest appearance from Australian actor Vince Colosimo and new cars tested such as the Lotus Elise, Nissan GTR, Porsche 911 PDK.
Despite the fact the series came third in its timeslot behind Seven’s Border Security and Nine’s US hit Two And a Half Men, media experts applauded it as a success, especially after it beat Australian Idol on Ten.
Leading media buyer Harold Mitchell said “it’s got a very strong and large following which will continue” while Vincent O’Donnell from Melbourne’s RMIT University said the figures were “really encouraging”.
O’Donnell said its success would lay with whether hosts Warren Brown, Charlie Cox and Steve Pizzati could keep differentiating themselves from the British hosts – as well as win over females.
“The test of the Australian program will be, will it repeat the success of the British program of getting a large female demographic, because in this case, Australian automotive advertisers are going to love it,” O’Donnell said.
Campbell said he hoped to crack the one million mark next week with it’s Ford vs Holden stand-off and guest appearance from actor Steve Bisley.
“If that doesn’t bring in the petrol heads, then there’s something wrong,” he said.
He also announced actor Jack Thompson would guest star later in the series.
The Australian version is the first outside Britain.
… some good news at least, a reply from: comments@sbs.com.au
” Thanks for the comments.
FYI, a new UK 6-part series of UK Top Gear (series 11) will follow directly after the Australian series on Monday 24 November at 7.30pm. “
Ok, it wasn’t what we all expected, neither was the Brit show when it first hit T.V. I’ll give it a chance over the coming weeks, lets hope it gets a little better. I hope they do a piece on Aussie Muscle cars (the 70’s type, not the new crap) in the near future, that should pull some ratings for sure. Maybe show us everyday vehicles that people may be interested in buying, might be good. Really though, how many cars can they show in Australia anyway? Europe has so many in comparison. Perhaps they should make some changes, rename the stig for starters, and maybe give it an Australian feel instead of directly copying something that is so natural with the Brit show. Fingers crossed it gets better.
It wasn’t shit, but it wasn’t good. Hopefully it will pick up in the future.
what were they thinking! i think a picture of every one involved in the show should go up on that board.
very poor.
I just watched TGA (recorded from Monday). After the build up I thought it was going to be good. Twas crap.
Top Gear is about cars not some has-beens stroking their egos.
You dont need a big budget to entertain. No cop outs, no excuses. You will need to start again if you want to fix this thing. It needs to be more than a copy of the British show. Want help to fix it… email me. BTW I have 30 years media under the belt.
yes the ratings would have started great but next week will be a differant story
As a big Top Gear Fan I was disappointed in the Australian version. From all the hipe I expected a bit more polish. Warren was fair but the other two were not up to scratch and I felt embarrased by some of the comments of the lead presenter. The “Stig” well what can I say this was a big mistake. Why not have a more Australian approach. Perhaps SBS could invite one of the UK crew over to anchor the show. In fairness it was the first show but if it does not improve next week I probably wont bother watching again.
Well, all I can say is ………….WTF was that garbage. I don’t mind it being a spin off of the UK version, after all I expected it to be, but do they realy expect me to keep watching if those three clowns are going to carry on presenting the show in that manner. Was the list of applicants realy that short that SBS had to settle for an ex pat, a sawn off fuzz ball & a fat version of freddie mercury. For christ sake Charlie stop waving your arms around so much or you will take off, besides it’s anoying. If Mr Pizzati seems like he’s on something, what with his over exuberants maybe he has ADDA & as far as Warren goes no wonder you’re a cartoonist. I’ve been involved in motorracing to some extent & all I can say is there is plenty of people out there with the ability to drive & they have some real personalities, unlike the ones that invaded my lounge room last night. My eyes are still bleeding.
Original it was not why should it copy the uk show .
No matter the budget I suppose it took less thought to copy than be a aussie version of top gear australia.
Words fail to describe this attempt at a television show – I have never experienced such a cringe factor in my years of television viewing. All I can suggest to SBS is cut your losses now and get rid of it to save any further embarrassment.
Re comment 186
Where they watching the same program we were?. watch next weeks ratings I bet there is no comment after that and Please God no second series. Roll on the return of TGUK.
My wife and I are disappointed…. To use the almost the same script i.e. “this car is fit for a drug lord or a ruler of a small South American country….dictator etc “…….. I heard the same words from Jeremy Clarkson in one of the previous seasons….then the STIG…..”Some say” ….SBS — You can do better than this!
Stop pretending that you are Jeremy Clarkson, James May or Richard Hammond and more importantly stop pretending that you are great buddies. There is no chemistry and more importantly it cannot be replicated as seen on the UK Top Gear. Get some original presenters with real personalities… The reason Top Gear UK has so much appeal because there is genuine friendship, personalities and great cars presented in clever ways. First it is the people; – then it is the product in Entertainment!
You can replicate IDOL, So You Think You Can Dance & Big Brother but…… The UK trio is one of a kind as ii was the FAB 5 in Queer Eye for The Straight Guy. (The Aussie version flopped!) . Be ORIGINAL. I welcome the concept of Australian Top Gear ….but with Australian flavor i.e. you could have got better results with one of the guys from FAT PIZZA and Andrew Denton and a Physics Professor from a university — Ramsay Gordon would have been great too — Damn he is not Asutralian!. Mr. Charlie Cox does nothing for me on TV …
i really do hope they the guys from TGA don’t read all of these, yes i agree with most that last night was disappointing but we all have to remember that TGB is now up to series 11 making series 12 i think currently and that the TGB team has had all 11 series to become what they are today, yes it will be incredibly hard to match and even more hard to bet. TGA has a lot of growing to do. it is better to start on number one then on ten and let every on down as it advances. starting at one means that there is a lot of growth to do, meaning it will only get better from here. (i hope i’m right)
I’ll give it a few weeks – maybe it will improve.
I wish the blonde bloke wouldn’t shout! And he needs a haircut. Long hair on someone as old as him looks pathetic (was it also dyed?)
Oh, that designer stubble on the Hammond Jnr! I noticed that seemed de rigueur on the advertising blokes on the ABC programme THE GRUEN TRANSFER. I reckon it just looks scruffy.
I feel sorry for whoever buys those three demonstrator soft-roaders. All that salt water. What a cliched segment, driving through the water on the beach.
…and what a waste of a Moke.
The general consensus of opinion on the fora I frequent reflects all of the above posts.
Top Gear Australia
Well to pinch a part of their show “WHAT WERE THEY THINKING” Commentators humor and interaction seemed forced and fake with no chemistry between presenters.The segments other than 4×4 test were irrelevant and what was the bit with putting a mini moke in the water totally stupid !
Why do people keep saying the “hold on the UK series wasn’t successful in the first few weeks”, don’t we learn by mistakes and know not to repeat them, if so why didn’t we put on a bloody good show with presenters that are plausible and not bad on the eyes (as my wife says) and complete crap. Lets hope SBS realize that 900,000 or so people tuning in on the first night doesn’t mean it was a success it means that it is a popular show and people were looking. Lets hope they read these comments and scrap this Oz series now and just show the Uk one.
Woeful, woeful television. The 3 presenters are boring, the driving skills are shite, camera work would have been better if you let a 10 year old do the filming and it is an insult to the UK Stig that the Aussie “Stig” is using his name. Don’t SBS understand that Top Gear UK is such a great show because of the presenters, not just the format. They also have a vast knowledge of motor cars and have unbelievable driving skills.
As for the build up of the big Aussie V8 Showdown – woo hoo – don’t we have that every year……I think they call it Mt Panorama, Bathurst.
It is going to be a very long 8 weeks for SBS.
The show might as well have been Top Gear UK with an Australia voice over… Sure it’s suppose to be entertainment, but a few things
1) If you plan to have cars loaned to you for the show, treat it with respect. Hitting the red line with a cold engine is NOT what you want to do if you plan to have manufacturers provide to you a car to put on stage in the future. Whether it’s a $1,000 car or a $10m car, you give it the respect it deserves as it is not your property. They are loaned to you in good faith to the benefit of your show.
2) If you plan to smash a car, I hope SBS can afford to buy the cars outright. Driving into sea water is the best way to turn a car into a write off. Smashing the front after a hard landing will bend/crack the chassis. The long term cost of these cars if it is resold to some poor soul will cost the manufacturers a lot in warranty claims.
3) Don’t bother with re-creating the soccer game with the cars and expect manufacturers to give you cars. It’s not all that entertaining.
4) If we are the nation of smart people, surely you can come up with something that’s new and refreshing. The show is as classy as a Chinese copy.
5) Get you facts on the cars straight before talking about it. Whoever was researching the RAV4 obviously didn’t notice the 4×4 lock button to the left of the audio system. Maybe a case of RTFM… or spelt out.. Read The Fxxxing Manual…
A joke, agree with comments 196/197, words fail me!
A very disappointing and confused programme. What should have originally been an Australian version of Top Gear has turned out as Top Gear with Australian hosts, trying to be the UK hosts. You can’t judge it as an Australian production and yet it is impossible to judge as a remake. It also gets to be annoying when they over-australianise some things in an attempt to cover up what is basically a poorly remade UK version.
It’s really annoying to see that each presenter has been chosen with their UK counterpart in mind, and it makes me cringe when I hear jokes lifted straight from the UK version poorly scripted into the studio as well as badly disguised references slipped in to reinforce their UK characters (Charlie/Clarkson and his technology reference). They’ve even told us that they’ve got the same Stig on the track. Couldn’t they have at least gone to the effort to even make the opening titles slightly different to those in the UK? I even noticed in the background they’ve got a car up on a slant as the UK version has the indestructible Hilux. They’ve almost replicated the studio exactly.
Advice – Stop trying to imitate the UK Top Gear. Let the presenters real personalities control the show and we’ll see a greater chemistry between them which will lead to a better show to watch.
And no more bloody sharks.
To follow up on my 113 post, (thanks for the positive comments, by the way) It may even have been a good idea to have each of the presenters do a lap of the track in the ‘modified bog standard car’. This would allow us viewers to get an idea of the their ability to review cars. Anyone can talk the talk, but we’d like to see who can actually walk the walk.
Then we know if they are worth paying attention to their opinions on flappy paddle gearchanges.
But, it’s all a moot point. The first episode has been and gone and the damage has been done. I can only hope the presenters grow on us.
I for one will give it a go next week, and now that my standards have been sufficiently lowered, I may not be as disappointed.
Did the producers NOT watch the show before they aired it. Totally cringeworthy!
Bogan and ocker humour can be occasionally funny. It’s never funny when Yuppies try to use it!
Go back to your day jobs.
One thing needs to happen here:
ALL 3 HOSTS
DIE
IN A HIGH SPEED CRASH
then the show has a chance.
I agree, it was rubbish. They should have been original instead of being clones. They could never be as good as the three UK presenters and they really ned to come up with their own identities if it is to succeed.
If you want to watch the latest episodes of top gear and fifth gear you can download them from http://www.finalgear.com
Australia generally gets the episodes 1 year after they are aired in the UK.
A few things I would like to point out;
I have always watched Top Gear and remember the original series. I also watched the first series of the New Top Gear when it was shown on SBS recently.
The first series of TGUK wasn’t the same as it is now, agreed. BUT it was watchable. The guy whose name no-one can remember, didn’t gel with the team, but he did give some interesting information. Where to get GBP3000 off a new Focus, was a lot more interesting than dipping a Moke in the sea!
I couldn’t watch this episode of TGA. It was painful!
TGUK has been around for 12 years and no-one from SBS is going to call them for advice? Hum……I don’t think so……….
There was no excuse for that show! And why is no-one surprised that a complete nobody was picked…..I know for sure that there are better people who are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, interesting and understand the TG concept then those three!
Tell us something interesting, useful, or even funny! And don’t hide behind scripts, autocues and clever camera angles…..that weren’t that great anyhow!
Save the $10,000 it would have cost to drop a moke into the sea and spend some time on the Lambo…..like show us what was inside…..”well it was based on an aircraft” …..sorry I think it may have been indended to look stealthy…..but you showed that how?
Get with it SBS/TGA
New Australian Top Gear Show lacked charisma, Australian presenters trying to be UK counterparts and failing miserably.
What a pity! All the good intentions have come to nothing. All three presenters lack that special something which would have helped to make the programme entertaining to non car lovers. T.G.A. appeared to appeal to only one sad sub class of viewers and was lacking any intelligence, flair, genuine rather than contrived humour or charisma in the presenters. I doubt if I will watch another episode.
Hmmm, this whole saga reminds me so much of “The Simpsons” episode where “Poochy – the Rockin’Dog” is introduced to the “Itchy and Scratchy Show”
Ahhhahahahaha
I am certainly looking forward to the ‘ground breaking’ television of watching a ‘Ford V Holden’ battle. Edge of the seat stuff there, NO DOUBT. I or one will be busting out the popcorn for that!!!
If this week was anything to go by though, it will be totally frivolous garbage that is completely inconclusive. As decisiveness can step on toes, and those toes are the ones buying advertising time.
Oh dear! Ghastly! This clone of Top Gear UK without any of the intelligence, wit, character, or style of the original was so bad it was embarrassing to watch. We fast forwarded in case it got better – it didn’t – so turned off. Please, please take it off and bury it in a deep hole – it made me ashamed to admit I was Australian.
Oh dear! Ghastly! This clone of Top Gear UK without any of the intelligence, wit, character, or style of the original was so bad it was embarrassing to watch. We fast forwarded in case it got better – it didn’t – so turned off. Please, please take it off and bury it in a deep hole – it made me ashamed to admit I was Australian.
Comment by Frances — October 1, 2008
I hate to be the 208th person to have a go at T G A but it really was abysmal and I’m sure it won’t last its planned course. The advertisers will be reading these comments and leaving in droves – what’s the use in advertising when only 6 people in the whole of Australia are watching. They, the advertisers, must have been wincing when the programme was being aired for the first time and wondering what they had spent all that money for!
Kinda crap and a little dull.
We all know why SBS was showing old eps of the UK version – they knew the aust version was going to look cheap (remember survivor australia) against the UK 2007/2008 top gear and suffer in comparison. How stupid so they think we are?
Honestly the best they can come up with for the first ep was mincing round on sand dunes and getting stuck in the snow – UK vers is good cause there is that danger element to it? That segment in the shark cage was utterly pointless and dull. The “track” – if you can call it that – was a complete joke and the best they can come up with is some C grade actor (who next, lemme guess..toni pearen, shannon knowles, tom williams,some tosser from sunrise, any total Z grade celeb can apply lol).
It was a bit bogan and yob as well – seriously, “grouse” – i didnt know it was 1987. The whole point of the UK vesr is that it INST a bunch of yobs.
Cringe – Next week – ford vs holden – again, it keep forgetting its 1987. How bout audi vs renault and bring it into the 21st century.
What a way to waste money. If you want a Top Gear Australia then make it AUSTRALIAN instead of a poor copy of the UK version. The three commentators were obviously selected for their look alike status to the UK and there was an unpleasant even forced rapport between them – it was just too painful to watch. And although I am not a car expert – if I am watching a show about cars then I would like the commentary to be informative. Those guys were just embarrasssing.
I agree – spend the money on Newstopia or a show like the C-word on TVS (Channel 31) which is light, informative and apealing to a wide audience.
Sham on you SBS. Can’t wait for the series to end.
Having similar negative feelings about the TGA show as listed above, I now feel genuine pity for the chosen presenters who were obviously in poor hands in terms of show concept, and production. If at all, the premise for doing TGA should have been: What does TG UK NOT do that we can do exceedingly well…hmmm…perhaps can the idea then…
OK the first OZ show was very bad, in fact it was CRAP. Why change the UK winning format. If the OZ show is to stay I can see many more people leveing/not watching the show. Please bring back UK TOP GEAR I will not be watching any more of the OZ show.
reply to post 186 ….. the only reason the ratings were so high is because we are all TGUK fans in expectation of something great … an Aussie Top Gear show … but they could’nt have got it more wrong! …even the second shows ratings won’t give an accurate rating because most will be TGUK Australian fans hoping for a miracle …. which we know won’t come. I fear as Top Gear fans we are destined to a slow and painful death until our hope for a good TGA is snuffed out.
refer to 173 … these 3 blokes are’nt worried about the quality of the show, they are just worried about their jobs
Sorry SBS but the Aussie clone was not in Top Gear, more like neutral, with the selected hosts running off at the mouth with less than believable rapport and automotive knowledge.
Sure, if you turned the sound down, it looked like the UK version, but with the volume up, I winced from start to finish.
See if a shark will eat a Moke, spare me, how about we see if a Shark will eat a host……now I’d watch that!!!
I’ve watched and been on the C-Word, I’ll take Dieter any day…….
Seriously, did anyone think this and the Magazine clone would ever be anything other than terrible?
ACP has taken a brilliant magazine brand, dumbed it down and turned it into an unwitty poorly written, badly researched and fact checked MOTOR or CAR magazine, using TG fonts and Design layouts,and now SBS has completed the insult to Australians intelligence by filming this unadulterated pile of steaming feaces…seriously the horror!
Who the hell is that annoying Gonzoesque dwarf with the most annoyinmg voice in the world> yep Cox is just another gobby wanker lacking any intellect, wit, charisma or talent…actually a stereotypical Porsche driver! And the other prats only clian to fame is that he looks like Boysey from Only fools and Horses.
Please burn the other seven eps and show some UK repeats.. and lets pretend this never happend
CB
Hi Neerav, thanks for sharing your thoughts on Top Gear.
I will have to agree with the majority here – I think SBS have missed the mark. These guys just don’t fill the boots of TG hosts. Having said that, it was always going to be a tough ask and I wish them all the best for the rest of the series.
Very disappointing. Having bought the Aussie rights what choice but to repeat the UK version. Plenty of other shows do it successfully. But in this case, using ocker presenters who appeared not to have a brain between them with lousy scripts – and they could not stop talking – was just asking for trouble. The reason that the UK version is so popular is that it treats everyone as intelligent, the presenters, the public… do they think that dumbing this down will make it MORE popular here? I would rather watch repeats of repeats of Jeremy anytime. Drop this show, it’s embarrassingly too far from the mark. I hope Jeremy wasn’t watching 🙁
Ok now i am not one to usually voice my opinion, well digitally anyways.
I am an avid TGUK viewer massive fan of the show watch it religiously and i found TGA totally and utterly appalling.
WTF were they smoking up there in SBS boardroom to let this atrocity be aired? did they not do a test screen first? (that would seem logical seeing as the have a pretty damn substantial budget per episode)
As for the 4000 applicants for the job and we end up with these three twits? Did they run out of time for interviews and go meh fudge it these where the first three videos sent in so go with em!
What’s with the porno mustache??? I could not stop staring and believing that they let that guy on TV with it.
As for people saying look at the first seasons of TGUK i have and i like them sure they are different to what they are now but i still liked them 1 million % better then TGA ep 1.
Ok so they did end up axing the fat dude cant recall his name but at least they gave us facts on cars that they reviewed!!!
You can never recreate the wit and chemistry of May, Hammond and Clarkson.
Ok onto the episode,
Three soft offroaders,
so are they all the same engine capacity, cylinders? mm NO!
any specs? who cares!
what are they like to drive? dunno we trashed em in dunes!
Where are the specs? what car was the best one? who won?
Or was this just a stunt to see who can demolish a brand new car and let some poor schmuck buy slightly chassis bent off-roader? honestly come on that’s just sad.
Lambo world exclusive
Just rev the shit outta it from cold and hit the rev limiter!
(i was cringing so hard i wouldn’t even dream of doing that to a padock basher)
Moke shark cage
WTF was the point of that? get a perfectly good moke, looked in top notch too I’d hate to be the owner of that and sell it to these guys to find they dropped it in the ocean.
I was waiting for the host to get eaten but to my disappointment he survived.
Porsche
Well about the only half decent review of the whole show, but yeah he never told us whether he actually liked it or not?
Vince Colosomo
Enough said, loved him in “Chopper” but he totally took over the segment lol
The Stig!
Ok fair enough we need a stig but don’t introduce him exactly like the uk version, gezz and call him something aussie like “the bazz”
What where they thinking board!
What were they thinking? How about not using thumbtacks so we can see the picture??
The track
What was it? Where is it? What’s the layout? How come it looks so slow?
GTR top of the tables.. ah hem they forgot to mention that the gtr they used is well….. FAR from stock. Barely a stock item on it!!! The HALTEC car FFS does 11sec quarters but they conveniently forget to mention that.
Now I for one cant wait for the comparison of the super taxis ford v holden next week, and if u cant hint the sarcasm in my voice well I u need to go and get ur head examed.
I thought they where gona get that crap over and done with in episode 1 but I have to sit through another one before they actually review some real cars.
Over all I am hoping that the producers of TGA take notice of all the bad feedback on pretty much every forum in aus and do something about it!
They can never replace the UK guys but for the love of cars don’t dumb it down to some bog ordinary okka aussie holden v ford bullshit with second rate okka jokes thrown in, they are just sad and a total insult to 99.9 % of the Australian public who have watched the UK version and have over time (11 seasons) come to love the magic of the Uk guys!
TopGear-Australia was so bad it made me cringe and I had to email SBS and let them know and would encourage others to do the same. All my mates love TopGear-UK and think TopGear-Australia was crap.
Presenter Charlie Cox hosting was as wooden as tree and Warren Brown was a painfully unfunny Herman Munster with a mustache. As for Steve Pizzati he does not know whether to a comedian or serious auto journalist. Also someone tell Steve to wear some decent clothes, have a shave, and comb his hair becuase he looked like a wino from the gutter. I can’t believe these three duds were the choice from 4,000 applicants to host the show.
As much as I was hoping for a great new show I was sadly disappointed and will not be tuning-in again unless the show changes radically. I would rather watch repeats of TopGear-UK or wait until Season 11 screens. Apologies for the harsh criicism SBS but best to be honest so you can fix it or cancel it and hold on to your loyal TopGear-UK viewers.
I must say! after seeing TopGear Australia I was disapointed…Sure always fun to see cool and fast cars, but what the show could do without are the presenters. Compared to Clarkson, May and Hammond those Aussie bunch had as much purpose being there as a latex clad midget at a chrismas party! the Aussie show was utterly stripped of the athmosphere and humor of the Original series! And the Test track seemed to be borrowed from a hotweels set, I recon it takes me longer to walk from my livingroom to the toilet..and my place isn’t that large. In my opinion the show could be much better if the three australian parakeets called presenters stopped mimmicing the original crew and did their own thing…or better yet…find a better suited threesome…Australia must have heeps of better qualified group of guys that can deliver, if not then i fear a trip to the supermarket to buy some humor and charisma is the thing to do…if you didn’t know that this is possible…it’s next to the toothpaste!.
Upon watching the new topgear, my thoughts that it might have been rubbish have been founded.
The stupid staged humor, the idiotic presenters (all of who are pretty much carbon copies of the UK presenters except with a personality removal), the opportunity for SBS to put their own spin on the show seems lost.
Like the office, the rip off version sucks, like Kath and Kim the rip off version will suck and like topgear the rip off version most defiantly sucks!!
After hearing about this yesterday from someone that was there…….
Hey TGA are doing something with a tractor on Toorak Rd…..
Oh…I Bet it has some kind of connitation to the Toorak tractor……oh how imaginative…..and wait didn’t TGUK do something pretty coll with tractors a couple of seasons ago?
anyhow…news from the Herald Sun……
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24433262-5006022,00.html
Why will no-one say that it is a crap show in public…..are all newspaper reporters in Australia on the SBS payroll?
for those of you, myself included who wanted to see the track
http://jalopnik.com/5057533/the-stig-breaks-in-top-gear-australias-test-track
Doesn’t look too bad…..not that you got any sense of anything from the show!
I really wish that they hadn’t filmed this. The test track is at Camden Airport in Sydney on one of the taxi ways.
The presenters where… Horid, there’s no other word for it. They had zero chemistry and Cox is… a giant COCK. He gets too over powering with his voice, has no skill at prompting the crowd and basically is the worst. Not to mention Cartoon boy, who looks like an out of work 70’s porn star. Seriously, why is he allowed out of his cell to do this show?
This whole forum plus the thousands of others out there is not just first episode gitters and “teething” problems, it’s because the show is shit. They’ve copied the TGUK everything and put it in Australia, put three copy presenters and some stereotypical “Aussie” words that no one’s ever heard or said since the ’90’s and thought it was wonderful.
No SBS, no.
What a disgrace. As soon as that ferret-faced Steve Pizzati opened his mouth I started cringing and I didn’t stop until the end of the show. I had to make myself watch it… but never again. Revving the guts out of the Lambo. was so pathetic and disrespectful. What possessed that idiot to do that? Did he think it would impress the viewers? Great Maybach review too … those headphones were so unique.
I agree with the sentiment that it took Top Gear(the REAL Top Gear,) a while to get into stride but they were starting from scratch and they weren’t trying to imitate anyone … unlike these 3 yobbos. They didn’t appear nervous, just cocky and stupid. 4000 applicants and they were the best? Or were they already picked? I won’t be watching next week, having to watch the idiocy (of Pizzati in particular) once was enough. I’ll wait for the REAL Top Gear to return.
WHAT A LOAD OF BOLLOCKS
I really HATED it and thought what a waste of time
Try hard presenters were a joke and NOT FUNNY
LOve Top Gear UK will not wtch TOP GEAR AUSTRALIA AGAIN
Wow, so harsh! I actually thought for a first episode there were a couple of positives. I thought Wazza’s cartoon was a bit unique, and the shark cage…..
Disappointed that the guys thought they had to have the same personalities as Jeremy, Hamster and May, but really hoping that their true personalities will shine through as they feel more comfortable. There is a lot of hype, and HUGE shoes to fill. Lets give these guys a chance to make their own mark.
One concern though, are our guys going to get the chance to test drive the cars? The Merc and the Lamborghini ones were concerning. Does our Stig (really need to change that name to Hoon or something much more aussie) get the chance to try these cars out?
And, Vince tried too hard……
SBS ATG just couldn’t help themselves could they? Why drag out the old unoriginal Ford vs. Holden debate in a vein hope for ratings for episode #2 lets embarrass ourselves further as Australians and have a yobbo fest all that is missing is Austentatious as the star in the reasonably priced car. I am bored already. How low will SBS let the show go before it dies a painful death? What a disaster this show is turning out to be. Go-Anna.
Watched a few minutes in bitter disappointment. Has nobody at SBS seen the godawful Paris to Peking. Warren Brown is a grade A tosser who laughs at his own unfunny jokes. The other two have the personalities of sea slugs, although the small one is a sea slug on speed. Top Gear? Fifth Wheel more likely. Couldn’t they find any real Aussie blokes rather than these pale imitations of revheads?
I cringed throughout the show.
Will give it another viewing but most likely will find something different to do at this timeslot.
If Qantas starts playing Top Gear Australia on its flights instead of the UK version, I’m going to stop flying Qantas!
An SBS lemon…like the P76.
Now there’s a thought Mr Producer.
Al
We had a straw poll here among the 40 guys and 2 girls who work in a mixture of blue and white collar roles.
All of us watched the first show with anticipation.
Not 1 said they enjoyed the show. That is a 100% failure rate.
None of us will be watching further episodes. The long blonde haired 1980’s throw back presenter is too aggressive toward the other guys. He is a real tosser. He has no personality and is so nervous that he is always raising his voice. He took delight is driving more madly, badly and more pointlessly reckless than the other guys and then thought he was god’s gift to ante-deluvian drivers who have made a post mid life crisis return to something or other. TGA has tried all together too hard to get proxies for Jeremy, James and the Hamster. You should be developing a show with its own style and personalities. Look how badly the British ‘Office’ and ‘Kath and Kim’ have been translated. And to introduce a useless Stig with the “some say” I just cringed…
I guess none of the comments here can be acted on as the next few episodes are already in the can – dunny can.
I fear it will be a massive flop, I know none of us here will be watching the next ones.
I’m a girl, I love the real Top Gear, but the Aussie version is a disappointment. I knew they’d stuff it. It seemed more like Tool Time – all that guffawing and arfing – real blokes don’t carry on like that, or at least the ones I know don’t, so what was it all for? It made the presenters look and sound like idiots. I expected them to start sctatching their crotches, belching and farting as part of their caricature ‘Aussie blokes’ act, thank God they didn’t.
Now I’m regretting not sending a tape in!!!
Some good suggestions on here though….like just grab a V8 Supercar driver & they can do the Stigs role.
I too was dissapointed by the Aust Top Gear. It was simply an Australian version of the BBC one. Every little bit was the same, including many of the lines, such as finishing with “and on that bombshell…”. While SGS deny it, the three presenters are completly type cast and Clarkson, Hammond and May.
The only funny thing was them trashing the soft roaders on the dunes….
To quote Oscar Wilde, I expected little and was not disappointed.
If 4,00 people applied to be presenters, surely there must have been at least 100 who would have been better than these three. Poor Charlie Cox needs to understand that Jeremy Clarkson earns about $6 million a year from his writing and media appearances because he has talent and that trying to do a pale imitation of Clarkson unfortunately shows that Charlie doesn’t have even a modicum of that talent. Same goes for the May and Hammond imitators.
The show should not be excused from being awful on the basis of it being the first episode. The producers had the opportunity to learn how to do it from all the previous TGUK episodes. Clearly they failed miserably.
Yeah . . . it was a bit disappointing. Then again, I find the original a bit that way as well. What I hadn’t expected, though, was the virtual photocopy of the original, right down to ‘casting’. How tragic. And to kill a Moke! Disgraceful. Even Clarkson — with his recent ephinany regarding classic vehicles — would baulk at that one. Collosomo demonstrated what a near-forgotten, B grade celebrity, has-been tosser really looks like (and he can’t drive for s*** either).
I had reached the point with TG that if I missed an episode (for whatever reason) I was only slightly miffed. I could not possibly care less if I missed one of the Australian ones. (sigh) Bring back Torque, SBS, if you really want to do a local motoring show.
I think the most appalling thing of all, is the blatant spin coming out of the newspapers regarding the pitiful attempt by SBS to make a go of a winning formula and failing dismally. Yes, almost a million viewers tuned in to watch TGA, but how many viewers were there after 15 mins, 30 mins? These statistics are available to the newspapers if the journos had the integriy to check and file a proper story… not the rubbish that SBS management feeds them. OK, so the channel has decided to have a much larger audience reach by showing commercially viable shows such as Top Gear, South Park, Shameless, those other two idiots that do the experiments… the name eludes me at the moment… all well and good… but 10 million dollars would go a long way to fulfilling the SBS CHARTER and showing programs with foreign content which go a long way towards abolishing ignorance of other cultures… I know for a fact that if the programming department were a little more astute they could lure the new viewers into watching some of the incredible foreign films SBS shows… although, of late, these seem to have all but disappeared… and except for Inspector Rex and maybe another one or two shows, there is absolutely no foreign content on SBS until very late at night… Of course, one could conceivably subscribe to World Movies on Foxtel… oh, silly me! Pan TV, who own World Movies are in partnership with SBS, or somehow connected? So why would SBS show foreign movies free to air, when they can get money for them? But I ramble…. TGA is shite and not worth the $10 million SBS paid… and if SBS’s justification is that it created jobs for Aussies or some such crap… I’m thinking more along the lines of kick-back….
Top Gear Australia, nowhere near as entertaining and enjoyable as Top Gear UK. It was really disappointing. Tried to jam too much into first show. Not enough detail given on the cars tested. Guys were trying too hard, understandably I guess being first show, but they blew it. Better than alot of other Aussie car shows, but still pretty bad. Segments lacked real conclusions, i.e. the soft roaders. I smiled twice in TGA 1, but I laugh most of the way through the UK shows. Get Andy Willman to have more input and it may help to get the standard up.
I am prepared to give the show a go, as if they can get it right it would be a good counterpoint to the UK show. BUT please never take the UK show off SBS, it is too good to lose.
Pedro
WELL WELL i have just spent the last hour looking through these reviews it seems to drum up 100% of veiwers thoughts i didnt read 1 that was positive. i have to agree it was shocking. NO cred. shocking choice of team [whos the little guy?] id bet the stig is cox.
PLEASE as a long time viewer of TG loose it and just keep playing the uk show. dont wast
any more money on it. if you want a auto show sbs start a fresh, yes make it quirkie but Ausie based, maybe not just inc cars eg bikes and boats .
Scotty HP
SBS should have used their bogus presenter search to find some actual, fresh, funny presenters, not these dusty media hacks. The Archille’s Heel of TG UK was the presenters’ lack of technical knowledge… SBS should, and I’m sure could, have found unknowns who are funny and knowledgeable. Instead, we have people with no real strengths.
Very dissapointed …. mainly the choice of presenters who were obviously trying too hard to copy the original show . A much better show could have been hosted by Mike Whittney , Ben Dark & Mark Larkham .Or Neil Crompton , Bill Woods & Vanesa Amorossi ( yes , a woman )…..anyone would be better than Larry , Curly & Moe that got the job.
I am surprised I actually sat through the entire show. I watched them destroy four cars. New cars and surf what a great mix and submersing a moke – what inspired TV – not. One of the reasons I watch Top Gear is for information and what did we get? An outline of the new Porsche gearbox scratched in the ground with a stick – WOW! The presenters left me cold from the start and became more annoying with each segment. No, I could not do a better job but we must have some car people out there with some on screen presence. I will not watch any further episodes. I have never complained about a TV program before but this was just the worst load of rubbish I have seen. Nice of SBS to try but shoot it now and put a lot of people out of their misery. And I couldn’t believe the next day ABC radio Sydney was saying how good it was – Please!!!
The Australian version of top gear a crap. There is NO question about it.
The fundamentals or This Boys with cars.
The show is about CARS, the love of cars and everything about them! The host are the ones that deliver the content that sells the idea of supp’ed up cars going fast and having fun whilst doing it.
The programme fails is not the visuals, it is the CONTENT and the delivery of the content. You cannot copy personalities so why the hell are you trying to copy it!!! You cannot try to copy Jeremy, Hamster and the lord of SLOW. It is just ridiculous to even try!! It is even dumber to put guys on TG that doesn’t even have a car!! In the end you are trying to sell to the public the idea of the car you are drive is great so you car sponsors will give you money or continue giving you decent cars to test!! Is the executive producer just ignorant of this???
Get better host that has better characters and passion towards cars so they can delivery the content to promote the cars. i wouldm’t trust any of their advice!! their advice was a load of crap, their personalities was just so average. It is just bad bad BAD! and for Christ sake, clean them up! they dont sell expensive cars with crappy facial hair.
It wasn’t the greatest show, but it was only the first episode! It takes time for a team to gel. I have this AND the UK version. You cannot have too much Topgear….
I LOVED the first episode of Tog Gear Australia! That part where he was calling the doctor about his rash was excellent…hang on that was Two and a Half Men. Charlie had a rash on his balls and according to my mates that’s what watching Top Gear Australia was like – irritating and very uncomfortable.
I agree with Bruce in 253, the first show was watchable.
All the people crying about the show being the same as the UK
would have complained if it wasn’t.
Cant please some people
”MUST BE POMS”
By the posts about TGA to date…I suppose nobody cares that much….but the Aussie Stig is (are) Neal and Rick Bates. They use both brothers in the show.
I will probably watch tonight….there is not much else on??
Why is it that SBS doesn’t feel capable of producing an original Aussie version of Top Gear? Everything about this show was a sad, feeble pastiche. The 3 “blokes” desperately trying to emulate the UK cast never had a hope of coming close. It could have been worked if only someone had had the guts to step out of the shadow of the Poms. Top Gear is so good, a good copy was never going to be achievable… so why try. Either forget it and give us more of the Clarkson shows – or have the courage and the creativity to produce a truly different, Australian Top Gear. This is just a mockery – and a waste or $10mill.
Now can we get the original back asap?
John Wesley Harding
GET IT OFF!
Possibly the worst Australian production ever. Hugely disappointing, completely lacked that iconic Aussie humour that was promised, and left me cringing to the point where I actually got annoyed with a TV program!
WHY have you taken off Top Gear UK????
I thought you would have had both the Aussie one as well as our favourite.
PLEASE bring back the UK show as well
utter crap waste of time…….dnt desrve a program like top gear….
I didn’t believe it could get worse. WRONG.
Sorry SBS you have wasted your money and lost this car enthusiast till TGUK returns.
Couldn’t watch it any more, turned off at 8pm, I even drive an XR6 Turbo, thank God I can drive it better than those clowns.
One word describes Top Gear Australia…Shit. Loved the ad breaks though could we make them go for a bit longer or a better idea: burn what was made of Top Gear Australia (Also the presenters) and bring back the only version worth watching the English version.
Sorry guys, actually enjoyed this one. 1st episode was crap but they gelled better this time and I hope it only gets better. Still loved the pommy one heaps better. Remember that this is entertainment, i am sure a lot of people can drive better than these guys, were you at the audition? Cheers.
Where do I start!
It’s got nothing to do with budget and everything to do with *.#! presenters.
Is this the best we can come up with?
I,m embarrased to watch it, the world stopped when I watched the U.K Top Gear.
I only watched the second episode to check if the first one was a figment of my imagination!
Whats with the top gear audience, did they hand pick the most over-weight and unattractive people in Australia! This show is disgraceful, why did they bother?
I agree – the Aussie version is crap. The presenter’s might be ok if they stop trying so hard to be cool and funny, they come across as completely false. And WHAT is with all the ‘cool’ lingo? I’m afraid they lost me the minute one of them said ‘That car is grouse!’ – you have got to be kidding!
I thought episode one was dreadful – 1/10.
I am totally suprised, episode two was heaps better, I even watched it to the end – 7/10
Well, I think Warren summed it up tonight when there were on their way to the cemetary, Rigor Mortis has set in. Their pathetic humour, no attempt to actually critque the cars other than going for a “Fang”. The German Car show on Bris31 with Subtitles is far more entertaining viewing than Top Gear Australia Manages to be. I’ll give it one more week, but thats it. It’s sad that the most exciting part of a car show is when they turned a Smart into a hearse.
TGAU Episode 2
This probably wasn’t quite as dreadful as Episode 1, but it was still utter crap. How long before car manufacturers refuse to supply cars to Top Gear just so the presenters can dunk them in water, crash them in dunes or smash them with rocks?
They can’t even get basic critical information correct. Steve McQueen in a GT40 in Lemans in 1966??!!! Try 1971 in a Porsche (road car) or Porsche/Lola (racing car).
Oh yes — the three speed gear box in the Charger? Blame Government rules that mandated a minimum percentage of australian content in cars. Unfortunately the only gearbox built in Australia available to Chrylser at the time had three speeds.
The filming is still shonky, the acting woeful and the driving pathetic. There is more to driving than continual burnouts. Cox would be better off conducting an orchestra with all the arm waving……
Please, please, please SBS — bring back TGUK.
Finally caught an episode tonight, watched it and spent the entire time wondering if i turned on some bad comedy sketch that was doing a parody on the real thing. Terrible, hosted by a bunch of try hards who don’t seem to know much about cars. Would have thought the Top Gear franchise would have been more careful on quality control so its name doesn’t get tarnished.
Well, second episode of Top Gear Australia. Same as the first … Falcon vs Commodore? Yesterday’s motoring (well, last centuries actually)! Who cares? Unsophisticated, clumsy humour for the knuckle walkers in your redneck of the woods. Come back Jeremy, Richard and James!
What i love about some of these comment’s is that a lot of people say im not watching it again or its total crap …why dont you just give it a chance.
well you sure cant please everyone !
it wasnt relly that bad but i agree it does need a lot of improvement but im happy to give it a chance …
one thing about the episode tonight holden Vs Ford why compare a V8 and a turbo six ????
Why not have them both V8’S wouldnt that make more sense ??? and more evenly matched !
the show is utter crap,very disappointed
You know, tonight I watched TGA by myself. The rest of the family are so not interested in this awful show after having endured TGA first episode last week. This is the same family with young children boy and girls and mum who love the UK version and have watched it since it’s inception almost without fail. I’m a petrol head and love good cars of all types local and from abroad and despite my severe disapointment at last weeks show, I thought I’d watch this weeks show given the station promo that 2 great Aust cars in the F6 & R8 were to go head to head. What a SHAM!
Contrived, Poorly filmed and Narration to make you cringe. I was hoping to see these 2 great local cars pushed to their limits. These cars are exceptional value and are great all round drives. A fast skillful drive through a closed bit of mountain road is what we should have seen. Instead, what we got was a drifting contest, with scene after scene of these cars going through the same corner all crossed up in tyre smoke. What an insult to the cars and to us the viewers. SBS,listen to what almost everyone here is saying. Cut your losses and get this awful show off the air quickly.
Andre.
SBS should pull this crap off the tele, I’d rather watch repeats of Top Gear UK then this garbage. Or not watch it at all which is what I chose tonight. Judging by the comments I didn’t miss anything in episode 2, I’ll wait until November 24 for the real Top Gear.
Hmm, a job well done, I think. It’s difficult to fill another’s shoes, but none were supposed to be filled. The original call for presenters was quite plain about who they wanted and what they didn’t. I feel that the only real reason for the public call was for free ideas that if successful, the originator of the idea couldn’t expect any kickback as they’d freely given thier ideas away. However, so far as I’m concerned, as these blokes are not QUINTESSENTIALLY Australian in their presentation, the ideas were procured by false means. To me, this means more than anything else with the show. However, having said that and as I know TG OS and TG UK are totally fantasy and almost fully scripted, right down to the laughs, hic-ups and disasters, I totally enjoyed the show. Thanks fellas for doing your best and I reckon another season should see you well on your way to developing your own characters, if you’re allowed.
Hi guys im a huge fan of topgear uk and was happy to hear it was coming to oz, however who are these clowns they seem to have no chemistry what so ever think someone like Dave Hughes ,Hamish and Andy (92.9fm Perth)or anyone with a comedy backgroud i realise there not race drivers but there comedic value is definately needed friends of mine watched the uk topgear and dont have any interest in cars what so ever they watch it for the entertainment value i struggle to get through an ozzie episode. Please rescue topgear oz from certain death and get rid of those clowns they dont do Jerremy Richard and James any justice, Handy as an ashtray on a motorbike you might say.
Well No2 was a bad as No1.
Ok if you are going to compare two cars Ford/Holden It would be nice to get some useful data like HP, What the transmition is like, Diff ratio, fuel consumption, price, handling,
All I saw was two tossers acting like 17 year olds in their parents cars.
I can see the Car makers not letting these turkeys anywhere near their cars in future.
And as far as the right hand drive GT goes that was converted in Melbourne by Mustang Motorsport, and not produced out the factory as stated on the show.
And its not the first RHD GT40 you could get one in 1967
A more serious effort to produce a GT40 road car saw the introduction of the MkIII in 1967. Ford had won outright at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans the previous year, results that led directly to a development programme for a more refined street version. Ford contracted John Wyer Automotive to build the cars in both left and right-hand drive (JWA having taken over the Ford Advanced Vehicles operation in Slough), the MkIII’s differing from the MkI’s that were still being built both visually and mechanically. Rubber bushings were used for the suspension mounts whilst the spring, shock and roll rates were also softened.
Get your facts right…You are dipsticks TGA.
Imitation is usually the highest form of flattery – not this time!!!!
The shows are an embarrassment. Apart from the amateurish overacting by the presenters, the abuse of expensive new vehicles is nothing short of criminal.
There was more harm done in the first episode to the reputation of 4WD owners who already receive enough bad press. No genuine 4WD owner would drive his vehicle through salt water and thrash it over sand dunes as the idiots did in this show. This is my first complaint ever about a TV program – I usually give new shows a fair go.
Well we watched episode 2 in the hope that it would improve but sadly not so and boredom set in rapidly.
As huge fans of Top Gear UK, we were really concerned if Top Gear Australia would work and it really isn’t looking as though it’s going to.
This really needs to go back to the table for a rethink..or be removed.
Charlie Cox talks like a plate of beans negotiating it’s way through a cow’s digestive system. All 3 preseters are appauling and treat cars with no respect. There are bits of lemon peel floating down the Yarra that would make better presenters than those 3 idiots.
The 2nd episode started badly, tailed off in the middle, and the less said about the end, the better. And sadly, my family and I watched the 2nd episode through to it’s bitter end. No more, it had it’s chance.
A Note to SBS.
Jeremy, Richard and James are Top Gear. You can not buy or replicate that type of interaction and rapport, you would be mad to try.
You could put them in a cardboard box and light it up and they would come up with a witty reason for their demise.
What you have here is a hamster cage with a big hole in it! Mainly Jeremy and Richard! Oh and the real STIG. (And the track is Rubbish as well.)
Charlie Cox was as sweaty as a sumo wrestler’s armpit in a sauna, and a couple of hundred times more pompous, as for the Stig he looks like a rally driver to me? The real Stig has slower hand movements more like an F1 driver or similar.
Saying it wasn’t the greatest show is like pointing your finger at a pile of steaming dung.
And why not as the stink and shear pointlessness of it are astounding.
I can just feel the shame cloud descending on Australia like the steaming patter of a farm yard scene.
At some stage in history, an explorer must have said at some time “Oh No the waters up to me knees d’ya think we should abandon ship!” Maybe Titanic or some other maritime disaster.
Steve Pizzati is obviously the Hamster clone and I see promise there if this farce is to continue.
Charlie Cox: The less said the better here.
Warren Brown: I think is supposed to offer the Mario element, as he does not resemble Richard May in any way shape or form.
If this was a painting it would be the most obvious fake and most uncelebrated picture in the gallery, sadly enough if it were a Bat, it would be a ding bat.
You really don’t get it do you guy’s?
In closing
Please put some old repeats on, anything will do as long as it’s the real Top Gear.
Please don’t inflict this rottern barrel of trout on the nation another six times for God sake!
Please Note
Charlie Cox mentions woman should not drive their husbands GT 40, hmm sure that went down well, great work guys. NOT!
My Wish
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May and most of all Stig (and I mean the real one,) FOR GOD SAKE HELP US!!! This is utter rubbish, please!
Please
People.
In the mean time, try to deal with this travesty or what so ever it is!
It’s not Top Gear because it’s rubbish.
Just a copy of the Top Gear studio filled with tragic copies of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
Thank You.
Please get the UK version on soon.
Thanks in advance.
A Top Gear Fan.
Oh dear , more of the same. I am sure the presentors had fun last night, but I didn’t. I just wasn’t included in their fun, and never felt involved. Even the missus was disappointed. I think it is the presentors and how they can’t share with the audience. Also a completely pointless and overcomplicated challenge. Sorry SBS but you have lost us till the UK version returns
WOW I am shocked…..
Firstly to Mr “Bruce” in post 255….Yes I am a POM and YES I hated last weeks episode of TGA. But no I wasn’t comparing it to TGUK, I just thought the content was rubbish, there was no point to most of the show and the presenters tried too hard!
However, I did sit down to watch the show last night and was greatly surprised. I agree the show still has a long way to go. But it is getting better and if they improve by the same amount next week and the week after and the week after that they may be getting close to the quality of TGUK by the end of the series!
Last nights show was watchable. So what if they did Holden V Ford, it lacked polish, and an outright winner and did pander to the manufacturers a bit. But it was a least a bit interesting! I can’t see them coming out and saying all Holdens are rubbish in the way that Clarkson does about Vauxall’s!
Manufacturer’s lending cars…looks like quite a few of the cars they use are privately owned!
Enjoyed the story on the Utes! Again needed some work but it was definately getting there! Loved the Stig in the big Tipper…dunno just tickled me!
Charlie was a lot more engaging with the guest.
Even the Ford GT was interesting…if a little out of date!
Only thing i didn’t really get was the Hurse thing…but 1 million times better than the Moke with the shark!
Overall Rating Encouraging Improvment, 6/10
Whether we like it or not, I’m sure the show will continue. I agree and so do so many people I talk to, say it is utter rubbish. Maybe they should have listened to te public and chose some more well known presenters. The three they picked are trying too hard to mimic the UK guys and they are coming off as loosers, just be yourselves.
Maybe with time the show will improve?, I hope so, otherwise OZ will be a laughing stock around the world. After those first two shows, the only way to go is up. Please improve this painfull show.
PS: The Maybach presentation was a joke, who would pay $1,000,000 for a pair of plug in headphones, that’s all I got out of that episode. What about the rest of the car?, how about less fanfare with armored trucks and police and more on the car.
wow they did it again, trashed 3 perfectly good cars with no result what is the point
I just wanted to comment on the 2nd episode, but first I thought I’d better warm up my keyboard 3rbf3ihfv3bcvg939fh3obcig3fcob32bfc323o
ho ho, Now I will comment on the presenters, but first, I should warm up my keyboard again
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that was great! but I haven’t commented on the camera work yet, so I better warm up my keyboard
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Now I wonder if I can get the same punchline out a forth time, but first……..we’re you bored too?
Get off you 3 drop kicks, you are ruining the words top gear. nice road test on the ford vs holden NOT! Any wanker can smoke tyres. Pick up a wheels magazine and see what road tests are about. eg engine specs, lap times, 1/4mile times, options.Please get off sbs and put jeremy and the boys back on. You blokes have no style whatsoever.
Reportedly 13 million dollars to buy the rights and produce this show. Get rid of SBS management and board for such appalling programing and waste of money. What happened, If there’s 6 billion stories out there why can’t they be original.
I a agree with Rohan. SBS should pull this off. It is nothing like TopGear UK. SBS need to cut their loses as TopGear Australia will never be able to replace the real TopGear.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING
Well I thought you couldn’t F#%& it up twice, WRONG. If you can’t do anything original don’t do it, the guy isn’t the Stig for Gods sake. I thought I would give the show a second chance you lost me at that stupid wall. I will just wait now for the UK show, I wont bother watching anymore of this puril crap. 🙁
Dear me……..
I watched the first one, it was lame and embarrassing…………terribly scripted, idiotic stunts……….with such an incredibly rich car/racing history in this country I cannot believe the rubbish they presenting………….the host are flat, not funny, just idiotic, the sooner they can this pathetic show the better………..its just embarrasing
To add a constructive note………..this is what the nongs running SBS should do……get a good presenter, doesnt have to know a lot about cars, just a good guy…..then go out and get some of the amazing motoring guys and girls we have here to test cars…not trash them, get Black Jack in a Brabham…………get the past Bathurst winners ( most in a collection in Qld) and take them for a lap of Bathurst…..take cars we can relate to , give them to good drivers…….not these pathetic loons, and show us the best roads in Australia………..there are some amazing collections of classics on Austrlia, do a vintage section……..and for gods sake get your facts right…….cars are a from of transport, a lifestyle, and something to be appreciated, your lack of respect, even for the humble moke, is the most dreadful aspect of this awful parody….
I though episode 2 was an improvement on episode 1. The SMART herse was funny, the challenge at the gold mine worked for me, the review of Ford GT was well done, and Steve Bisley was an inspired choice as guest. Even the shots at the track had improved.
OK its not on a par with TGUK, but if last week’s episode deserved a D, this one got a B from me.
I think my 9 year old son summed up TGA perfectly. I told him he could watch Episode 2 last night. He asked if was the Australian one. I told him it was, and he said..” dont worry I have homework to do….”
This is from a kid who would rather watch SBS News than do homework!
I endured the second episode and my opinion has firmed. The show is crap and the question remains ….WHY, SBS….WHY?
What were they thinking?
What were they thinking attempting to demonstrate an extremely high powered sports vehicle on a small aerodrome with narrow taxiways and short runways which cannot possibly allow demonstration of the cars full potential?
What were they thinking that lots of tyre warming, burnouts and the same slide shown several times is entertaining or demonstates a cars potential?
What were they really thinking pitting Holden versus Ford using a V6 (albeit turbocharged) against a V8?
Can they not grasp the simple fact Holden via Ford is about thundering, gut wrenching, ar$e shattering V8s??
(watch Bathurst next weekend?
Record Top Gear Aus Off!
SBS bring back UKTG.
ps>> put the UK team in the Aussie cars with their vast experience testing/comparing vehicles and lets see how good our vehicles are?
Well, I am amazed how much better episode 2 was over episode 1. MUCH BETTER.
Firstly though, POST-268, great point about the Steve McQueen/GT40 rant. Very funny!
POST-277. A 1967 Ford GT40, is a ‘GT40’ not a ‘GT’, so therefore the Ford ‘GT’ that was shown IS the first RHD example. Its like comparing a ’60’s mini to a 2008 MINI! I do agree though that it is NOT a factory RHD car.
POST-281, what the hell are you on???? I am sure it’s illegal though!
Anyhoo, Ep2 was SO much better than Ep1. Sure it still had flaws, but i was amazed at the level of improvement from Ep1.
Steve I think is the best guy on the show,he may be the least professional but he is genuinely enthusiastic, he CAN drive and he has a sense of humour. Professionalism can be learnt and gained over time, enthusiasm and a passion for the role cannot. I am confused why people here are criticising his looks/voice. Who gives a shit? It is not a fashion show last I looked!!!
Charlie on the hand is damn annoying, BUT still better than the first week. With all that arm waving constantly through the show, I’m surprised he does not take off! PLUS, during the interview, he interupted significantly on at least 11 occasions. He is just not the most likable guy!
Warren, well he just annoys me. Admittedly, he is the most professional on the show, but that does not make him good for the show. I do fear that the ‘time filler’ cartoon relief will become a weekly ‘feature’….
The three presenters definitely did a better job this week. They appeared far more relaxed and presented a far better show.
More importantly, the stories had SOME point…. Yeah the Ford V Holden thing was inconclusive, but who seriously thought otherwise???? Whether you like Fords or Holdens or not, they are part of the Aussie car culture. I don’t drive one and would never want one BUT for Christs sake people stop moaning about them doing Ford/Holden stories!!!!
The ute story was actually quite entertaining. Sure it is a little distressing seeing 3 utes get trashed, but I guess the budget must cover these things. AGAIN, never buy an “executive driven” vehicle!!!
The smart for2 hearse story was reasonably funny too! Not the greatest thing ever to go to air but compared to the ‘MOKE’ story….BRILLIANT.
If the show can continue to improve at this rate, then I seriously think the show deserves a second season.
Good to see it stepping in the right direction! Good luck!
I tried to watch the program again last night… and I realised why, as a female viewer, it doesn’t appeal to me… NO EYE CANDY!!!!!!!! The three presenters are most unappealing! Not only are they physically unattractive, but they lack that cheeky suaveness and sense of irreverence that most women love and can relate to and is inherent in the Aussie male. I like cars and I don’t mind learning stuff (that’s my technical term…) but it has to be presented in nice packaging… whether that be charisma or nice wrapping paper… either/or… it doesn’t matter… but something please! I’m afraid these three have neither/nor…
I’m one of those people who never comment on blogs… however I find myself compeled to find some outlet to comment on this pathetic attempt to reproduce Top Gear UK.
This show is truely embarrassing stuff, I hope the UK blogs don’t get a hold of this as we will be a complete laughing stock.
Watched the first show, try hards Charlie and Steve ruined that with Warren escaping resonably unscathed, but last nights effort with the Smart car was truely dreadful.
After years of seeing the Aussie Commodore/Monaro on TGUK, a lot of people were waiting to see an FPV go head to head with an HSV and what did we get?
A drag and a brake test. wow.
And what did we learn from those? The Clubby was faster to street speeds if you jump the gun by almost a second but the Ford wins over-all. The Clubby will brake better if it’s doing a slightly slower speed (Watch the footage, the clubby was going slower)
NO lap times, no real discussion about the cars, no full review, no pros & cons of each car, nothing on the interior or styling…. may as well have put the two engines on a dyno and see which one puts out more…. or just go to the Ford and Holden website and download the specs.
The hurse was utterly embarrasing to watch. The Ford GT was ok, and after making such a fanfare about a Holden V Ford episode, they left Holden out in the cold with the ute test. Bad choise sons. Should have left that for another episode when you weren’t doing Holden V Ford.
Er..Umm…the reason TGUK works so well is because of 3 people with PERSONALITIES.
This is why TGA does NOT work.
Top Gear last night was GREAT. The Aston Martin DB9 racing the train was epic stuff … thank God for DVDs because I couldn’t stomach another week of the Aus. rubbish. Going by the comments here, I missed nothing and avoided the agony of watching those 3 dipsticks making idiots of themselves for the second week running. Please let it end.
NEWS JUST IN: The second episode of Top Gear Australia dropped almost a third of viewers from its record-breaking debut last week.
Overall, the program ranked 26th in last night’s prime time ratings, pulling an average audience of 674,000 nationally. This compared with last Monday’s
launch episode which ranked 13th after an average of 933,000 viewers tuned in to watch the program on SBS, setting a new record for a locally-produced program on the network
The Seven Network took out the first five spots last night, with City Homicide once again drawing the biggest audience with an average of 1,701,000 viewers.
….WELL THAT JUST ABOUT SAYS IT ALL DOESNT IT. BEATEN BY CITY HOMICIDE BY A FACTOR OF AMOST 2.5! WITH ANY LUCK THIS TURKEY WILL DISSAPEAR BY EPISODE 4.
and just one last word from the blond f*ckw#t on opening his commodaore bonnet “now thats aussie muscle”. oh really, looks just like a chevy lc3 lump to me idiot.
make it stop…please make it stop…
CB
Is it true Charlie Cox’s middle name is “sucks” If it is not it should be. Get off you morons.
Show two: I didn’t know who Steve Bisley was until last night he would have made a great host for the show listening to him and about his background. SBS if you ever do this again can you encourage him to apply for the job. He has a lot of credibility for the show you make next about cars.
It was always the Yanks who took a good British show and stuffed up. Now it seems that SBS is doing like wise. What garbage!!! The so called Ocker ‘commentators’ are crass. Arfing and whoohooing at and over each other so that there is just a wall of irritating drivel. Haven’t they got volume switches? The little squirt with the beard needs be be got rid of asap, likewise the ageing wrinkly with the dyed blonde hair. Sorry chaps,you have lost me and l will wait for the UK version to come back – PLEASE MAKE IT SOON??
GRRRR sat through another episode … Since when does any one give a toss about drifting in a V6 ford? Really who cares if it can drift? How can you compare a V6 to a V8. (And were they driving automatics?). Where did they find these guys? In a cheese sandwich factory?
The show was crap, the presenters make me want to turn off. Next week I won’t bother turning on.
A Great Aussie once said…
“Your a pack of a****oles”
“I thought I could expect better from Australian motorsport fans”
The comments I am reading here are unbeleivable.
How could you please this lot?
It is not like TGUK..
Its too much like TGUK..
Why dont they do Holden V Ford…
Please dont do Holden V Ford…
How could they make everyone happy?
Criticism is one thing, but the comments here are anything but constructive, and are not helping the chance of it improving. Just saying take it off air, and bring back TGUK are naive at best(TGUK has only so many episodes)and malicious at worst(I sense hidden vested interest).
What motoring shows do you watch, because I will take any one that is on TV.
I dont always like the presenters, but then,,ITS A SHOW ABOUT CARS!!!
Well 296 you do have a point about the GT and the GT40, but its in name only, the 1966 Ford GT was reffered to as the GT40 (Its like Tomato Tomarto)
And though the new production car and the original race car both carry the Ford GT name, they share few similarities. The new Ford GT Supercar is more than 18 inches longer and stands nearly 4 inches taller. The new lines draw upon and refine the best features of Ford GT history and express the car’s identity through modern proportion and surface development.
I must also point out the HP rating given on TGA is way out..8oohp sure..
here is the proper specs.
Engine Ford Modular 90º V8
Engine Location Mid , longitudinally mounted
Configuration Aluminum block and heads
Displacement 5.409 liter / 330.1 cu in
Bore / Stroke 90.2 mm (3.6 in) / 105.8 mm (4.2 in)
Compression ratio 8.4:1
Valvetrain 4 valves / cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed Sequential multi-port fuel injection
Aspiration Eaton roots-type supercharger
Weight 1538 kilo / 3390.7 lbs
Length / Width / Height 4643 mm (182.8 in) / 1953 mm (76.9 in) / 1125 mm (44.3 in)
Wheelbase / Track (fr/r) 2710 mm (106.7 in) / 1599 mm (63 in) / 1618 mm (63.7 in)
Power 410 KW / 550 bhp @ 6500 rpm
Torque 678 Nm / 500 ft lbs @ 3750 rpm
BHP/Liter 102 bhp / liter
Power to weight ratio 0.36 bhp / kg
Top Speed 330 km/h / 205 mph
0-60 mph Acceleration 3.3 s
Cheers
Is this the producer or something. Shut up will you. The show is rubbish. Rubbish means of poor quality just in case 307 does not understand. Keep your hair on anyway big feller!!
When did ford make a V6 in their falcon as some fools here are refering to ?????
its a turbo chraged straight 6 and they are complaining about the show and dont know anything about cars themselves!
well i think the show is improving after seeing it filmed last night.
I think it’s a bit miuch to expect the same from it as the UK one ….after only a few episodes go back and watch the first UK one then come back and comment .
Re 310.
I did watch the first show and every subsequent show screened, yes originally it wasn’t great. Though that is not the point, its like a car manufacturer improving on their last model you don’t start from the Ford Model T everytime you fine tune from your last successfull model.So why make a copy of a successfull show without learning from the show that got it right and just try to fine tune it to your own market.
I don’t give a stuff about the personalities, but the filming is amateurish, the scripting pathetic and technical aspects either non-existant, or worse wrong. What were they thinking? – again with the ’70s info – are they afraid of offending the spondors or something? And that hearse… just embarassing. My English relatives think it is hilarious. I can’t bring myself to watching another episode, I’ll be joining the rush for the door.
POST-310….yes, I was waiting for someone to pick up on that! HAHAHA
POST-307….You never will please all the people, all the time! People just tend to be sooks!
I seriously thought the show improved significantly from episode 1. There was NO denying Ep1 was complete CRAP but PLEASE people, recognise that the show did improve. Presenters ‘presented’ better, stories had some point and provided a degree of info’ and footage of test track etc was much improved. Sure it has a way to go to be on par with the much loved TGUK, lets at least give it a fair go.
What does surprise and concern me here is the alarming number of people that could not spell properly to save their life. Sure there are the odd ‘typo’ as people mash the keyboard in anger but there seems to be a LOT of ‘Aussies’ here that English appears to be their second language!!! LEARN TO SPELL PEOPLE, your criticisms are hard to take seriously when you write like 7 year olds!!!!
What a dissapointment. This looks like Top Gear have simply replaced three great UK hosts with 3 unknown and very boring Australians who fall way short of entertaining. I hope Top Gear UK comes back or on cable…..as I won’t be watching this Australian version.
To put it in a nutshell what I think most people are worried about is:
A. This will continue indefinitely.
B. It will give the poms just another reason to take the pis# out of Ozzies.
C. To copy the format of the UK show was doomed from the start.
D. The money wasted on this futile (at best) show.
E. The Stig (what a laugh!) Maybe this is the producer’s grandad or something.
F. The test track is absolute rubbish!
G. Charlie Cox (Pompous ass) trying to copy Clarkson.
H. Charlie Cox was as sweaty as a sumo wrestler’s armpit in a sauna.
I. Steve Pizzati (Hamster wannabe) Total Wally.
J. A Proton (Yeah right)
K. Cox explained a complex gearbox with a stick scratching into gravel (Hmmmm) you idiots.
L. As for the cool wall (Ha ha ha ha!!) I’m not laughing because it was funny.
M. A pig wearing lipstick is still a pig.
N. The jokes were not funny.
O. Your test of the Porsche was embarrassing.
P. Trying to entice a Great White to eat a Moke? (Are you for real)
Q. Maybe next week you could turn the Falcon and Commodore into a chicken coup and see which one can produce the most eggs. (Don’t forget to make sure the chickens are female.)
R. Another suggestion to recoup some of the money spent on this farce (You could put each presenter in a cage and let us throw rotten fruit and tomatoes at them) I’d pay to do that, can we start in Brizzy. Oh and maybe the producer.
S. Get Cox a less sweaty appearance. (Dip him in something.)
T. Stop filming now. Save yourself the grief.
U. 7.30 Monday’s on SBS. Watch Australia’s most try hard program and Top Gear UK copy, Top Gear Australia.
V. See how we wasted millions of dollars on a bizarre and ill conceived program that looks just like the show you love but is kind of Rubbish and cringe worthy.
W. Get your cardboard cut outs of your favorite presenter for your dart board. (Please send me Charlie Cox)
X. Can we have a segment measuring the total sweat produced by Cox during the making of one show? I suggest a large container, you could call it “How sweaty is this pompous toss*r”
Y. The segment I would love to see is the TGUK presenters watching the first two episodes of this dribble. There comments would be priceless and would more than make up for the disappointment. Please Please Please!!
Z. If a freak accident could happen permanently damaging all the footage of this series rendering it impossible to go any further. And the return to even repeats of the TGUK show. (Even the early ones)
I could keep going. In short TGA could suck a tennis ball through a hose pipe it is so bad. Please save us from the rest of it. Bury it deep, burn it or better still put it in a caravan and blow it up. Other than that I will leave to you. I’m sure you could wreck it, just like you have wrecked TGA. Keep your eye on the ratings and watch them fall and fall and fall. I will not watch again.
The only way to get this utter rubbish off is to not watch. Please help.
Like everyone I was really looking forward to Top Gear Australia.
It’s average. The original UK Top Gear was also fairly average before James May joined and they started doing the challenges – so I’m hoping it will improve.
SBS should have paid for Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond and The Stig do a few episodes and eased us into the Aussie presenters.
2 shows and already we have had swearing, sexism, pom bashing! I can’t think of any other word but appalling to describe the presenters, the content and the scripting. I watched 2 shows just in the faint hope it would improve – no more, bring back the real thing!
its all been said,this is awefull.Im speechless to find the right words without just swearing all the time.
To the Australian Public: Please re-read comment No. 39 previously published by my company.
The overwhelming public opinion on this FAN SITE is: Top Gear Australia is Rubbish and Rubbished… Well! deservingly so!. I do hope the editor of this FAN SITE collates the volumes of negative feedback and forwards it all directly to SBS TV and, hopefully onwards to Mr. Jeremmy Clarkson et. al. What a wasteful shame that so much promise was squandered…. and so much money too ! I agree with you all … Bring back Top Gear U.K. all is forgiven Jeremmy, please come back !
Hello, I wanted to write in and say how much I enjoy the new ‘Top Gear Australia’! The unique aspects of Australian motoring, combined with unique Australian humour and the road testing of Australia’s TOP road going vehicles is something that this nation has been waiting for in huge anticipation! Well done SBS, you managed to take a great program and make t it better!…
Unfortunately I can’t; the show is dismal and should never have made it past scrutiny!
Although highly anticipated, the first show was a dismal attempt at the original and an embarrassment to the people watching.
The original series sporting Clarkson and crew is something very special and never missed a beat. The Australian version is cheap, poorly scripted with stunts that are not relevant and the presenters seemed flat and not very Australian in attitude, humour and approach!
I think they tried too hard to be like the original, instead of making it Australian. This was supposed to be a first of many episodes to come, but a lame stunt of a moke underwater, a drive-off in sub standard 4WD’s (ie. cheap) and nothing of value. The Only high end sports car was only started in the studio and pushed to the rev limiter without idle time. This would have hurt even the most basic of motorist. Why have a Lamborghini and not have it driven & road tested here in Australia??? Please, do your outmost to have the original back on Australian television and dismiss this less then credible attempt.
It is embarrassing!
Kindest regards,
Jens
I pretty much agree with most of what has been said on this forum. Top Gear is Jeremy Clarkson, the Hamster, and Captain Slow. The show works because of their personalities, abilities, and how they interact on the show. I’m a great fan of Top Gear, and have been watching it for as long as I can remember – either on TV, or buying videos of older shows. It is one of the few shows I take the time to watch.
I was not looking froward to the Australian version – worried that they would try to copy the original. This is exactly what has happened, and it really is woeful.
Although for me it is mainly the presenters that are the problem (Charlie Cox really does come across as a complete tosser), the content isn’t much better. I haven’t learned anything from the two shows I’ve seen. woeful, woeful, woeful.
I’ll still record the Australian version in the hope that I see something interesting. My love of cars will keep me watching, but only just. I look forward to Jeremy, James and Richard returning to our screens.
Is there any chance of the orgignal UK version coming back on TV? Top gear was the only show i watched all week. i only watch the current Australian version trying to convince myself that it might be okay. (so remember to minus that 1 extra rating from the ratings next monday.) As an true aussie i belive we can do better than this, least dont rip of the UK version…:( -Eyl
Well as a Brit who is honoured to call Australia Home, I was dissapointed by the new show.
I looked forward to an evolution of the format to produce a genuine Oz experience being critical of the cars on our roads, doing challenges in our environment.
But the presenters… Warren is the best, but the other two… The Gerbil and the Sweaty Cardboard Windmill. The dialogue is just toe curling, along with their forced “friendship”. The Brit boys are rude to each other, the Oz 2 pack just love themselves and Warren looks embarrassed.
To fix it:
1: Fire the producer. He made Big Brother for crying out loud. Hire someone who understands how to make television.
2: Fire Cox. Nuff said.
3: Fire the Gerbil.
4: Hire some real presenters… how about a woman for a change? Some of them like cars I hear. That would break the mold, and take the program away from the UK version.
5: Hire a scriptwriter. Preferably one with talent.
6: Hire some researchers who actually know how to do their research and dont rely on Wikipedia.
7: Actually make some comment about the cars.
8: Send the fake Stig back to the UK and have a local boy in green and gold.
Finally nail a sign over the producers office that says:
Top Gear is about cars, presented in an entertaining manner… but never forget… its about CARS, not the loons driving them.
No actually… nail it to his head.
I am sorry SBS. You tried to do the right thing, would have had most of Australia’s motor enthusiasts supporting you, but were clearly ill advised. TGUK was a hard act to follow so you were up against it from the start.
Where is the subtle humour, why are there so many inane Australianisms, where is the teeth in the commentry? Straight six Falcon turbo VS Holden V8? Why not Straight six Falcon Turbo Vs V8 Falcon? That would have been interesting and would not upset the sensitive manufacturers. And please, no childish burnouts: we are adults watching this show and are interested in more that just smoking tyres.
More descriptions of the car – comfort, gear change, etc. Take DW’s Automotor and Sport TV as a model for tests.
I could go on but what’s the point?
Dear Producer
I am a fan of Top Gear and was eagerly looking forward to the Australian version.
Whilst I understand that if “aint broke don’t change it” and there is some validity in this, but the formula could have been Australian Specific along the lines of Stig’s long lost cousin and formidable challenger from Down Under for his job with with Top Gear UK (add a little rivallry here the English never hesitate the opportunity to call us Anitpodeans).
Also I am sorry but the presenters are right pratts the only one I feel who has any presence and by this I mean connectivity with the viewing audiance is the guy who is supposed to be James May. The other two forget it, the main presenter, Jeremy Clarkson’s wannabe, looks like an advert for Vidal Sasson who struts around preening himself and the little guy Richard Hammond’s wannabe comes across as a smart arse know it all. This guy is the worst of all and makes me cringe. Ultimatley, they are all trying too hard and it’s just not working.
Change presenters QUICK and you may be able to resurrect something, or just can it and put Top Gear UK back on.
Michelle
I’ve seen a couple of shows now. Still crap.
There is a challenge on you tube to build a reveres trike that is street legal & goes together like a macarno set. this would be real challenge
Could this be done on Top gear Australia & test some of the ones that are currently in production over seas like the T-Rex, blackjack, Grinnall Scorpion, Zap Alias plug-in 3 wheeler & Malone Skunk.
The engineer report cost could be recouped by selling the plans as there seems to be a lot of interest in it
Has SBS commented at all about any of the feedback they must have received by now???
Would love to hear what they have to say!?!
Jens
Forget Top Gear UK and accept Top Gear Australia as a new informative motoring programme. Do not compare accept this as a pilot of a new show.
Everybody has different tastes in entertainment, this is reflected in comments received, though most people appear to dislike the show for different reasons. Personally I hated the show, for me I give the following reasons. It is set as an informative show on cars, which includes some comic relief.
Information on cars is dubious
Driving is very amateur(see Cox’s crash on his demo tape)
The 3 presenters show no signs of working as a team
They have no charisma or comradery, very dull personalities
If SBS are trying to mirror the UK Top Gear version it should show the same reflection, not distorted like looking in the “House of Mirrors at a fairground
Do not write the show off, just improve the format.
Three new presenters who work well together, try them first. These three are bad
Get better information on cars being reviewed, allow presenters to give an honest opinion.
Dump the “Stig” and choose a similar name like “Austig”
I have watched the new Top Gear Australia, it is bad, and unlike other persons who have watched and found improvment in the second show, I found it just as unwatchable. You do not need “ocker” accents Which can be quite grating on the ears to present this show, just 3 people who can present themselves with charisma, character and pleasant personalities.
If you can change all this I may start watching again, I am afraid last week was my last until those grating presenters are replaced,
Good luck, you need it.
i have an idea for a new car on the “what were they thinking” board which is the chrysler pt cruiser convertible.
At http://www.mavetju.org/weblog/html/00259.html I have written my full opinion about Top Gear Australia, and the most relevant parts are:
So, how does Top Gear Australia run? First, if people think it will be the same the original Top Gear, then they must stop dreaming. Three different presenters, three different characters, three different ways of thinking and three different attitudes towards life. It will never be same as the original Top Gear.
So far only two episodes have aired, and since everybody and their dog has given their, often negative because of the reason in the previous paragraph, opinion about it I was going to give mine, hopefully positive, about it.
The presenters are Charlie Cox, Steve Pizzati and Warren Brown. Of the three of them, I only knew Warren Brown from the recreation of the 1907 Peking to Paris race in which they used the same cars or kind of cars as the original contestants and of the appearance of his cartoons now and then on the ABC or SBS.
Charlie Cox tries to be the main guy, but is missing the charisma Jeremy Clarkson has. Steve Pizzati has the hyperactive and please-approve-of-this,-Charlie approach and Warren Cox is the hacker of the three, so far he has come up (oh well, presented) with the car converted into a shark cage and the Smart Funeral car.
The style of the show is the same as the original Top Gear, with reviews plus the Stig, celebrities and challenges. Instead of the Cool-Wall there is the “What Were They Thinking?” section.
So what is the initial verdict? Quite some people I spoke were negative about it, but I blame that mostly on expectation: If they expected one-on-one copies of the characters of Clarkson, Hammond and May, they had woken up with a cold shower. The scenery in the shots so far are okay, hopefully they will show all parts of Australia (desert, rainforest, mountains, coastal roads, wetlands etc). The two car challenges (Sand and Snow in one day and Utes at the gold mining pits) and two hacking challenges (Shark Cage and Smart Funeral car) were surely with the same chaos and quality of the original Top Gear. The run-around-the-track is still boring and I haven’t recognized any of the celebrities yet (but I blame that fully on myself and not on the show 🙂
I will keep watching this show through the first season and hope that it will give me the same laughs and warm feelings of the original Top Gear!
I’ve managed to get through two episodes of top gear australia primarily because I was waiting for the ICONIC moment. That’s right when we find out which of the HSV GTS and the FPV F6 is the best performance car that is australian made and you guys stuffed it. Can you see that you had the opportunity to have the biggest ICONIC moment in the Ford/Holden in the history of motoring in australia and what you showed was a load of wank. I will watch one more and if it has started to become austarlian instead of a pale imitation of Top Gear UK I will still watch it. You need to get Charlie and Steve to go and get two new presenters to get it real because at the moment it is a load of wank.
Mike Albany WA
I am just plain embarrassed to watch this show at the moment and think, that it may be seen outside of Australia. Do we, (Australians), all talk like these clowns portray?
I have read all the posts here, and it seems that all I had said to my wife within the first 15 minutes of the first episode have been completely confirmed in here, with the exceptions of those who seem more concerned with the spelling of some of the comments here!
A small budget can create some difficulties, but to exacerbate it with inadequate and offensive presentation, that uses colloquial Australian slang, eg; grouse, sheila and poofteenth as the norm is nothing short of an insult. We had it better when “Kingswood Country” was aired.
Of the two episodes and the shorts for the third episode, these guys have done nothing but damage, crash or destroy a number of cars, with no outcomes of any significance. Steve and Charlie look like they are dressed to out mincing and collaborate to cause some form of mishap to Warren, who, always seems to get lost. I can see a pattern emerging here 🙁
We may be lucky and SBS will maybe consider a change of hosts as a band aid effect to plug some enormous holes in this rapidly sinking ship. Can’t say the rats have already left, they are still presenting it.
Whilst I would like to vote with my feet (so to speak), I keep trying to give it another chance in the hope that it will improve, although the watching times are getting less and less.
I found this link, from what seems to be a US site about our show. Too late for my first line.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/07/top-gear-australia-already-in-trouble-after-two-episodes/
I will watch the next episode, in hope, but I fear I will be disappointed again.
I eagerly await the return of the original show and hope that this farcical attempt to copy it ends soon.
IF IT AIN”T BROKE, DON”T FIX IT
The researchers and/or script writers for this show need to be more accurate. In the first episode when Steve P was driving the Nissan X Trail, he stated it had a Constantly Variable Transmission and questioned how it can be both Constant and Variable. This is incorrect and more accurately a Continuously Variable Transmission. Constant and Continuous are two different things. If he was trying to be funny with this line then it didn’t work for him. Try hard scripted jokes badly presented will never work.
come on guys Top gear Australia is fantastic & at least now we can have top gear for 12 months of the year instead of 6 ! I have a feeling these new guys are going to eclipse Jeremy & his boys!
lets see ! I think the script however should be a little less “british” replication & more ozzie.
A freind of mine mentioned also that they should have beautiful girls at the front in the Audience like they do in the UK to generate more interest, I tend to agree as well from a marketing perspective more reason to watch ! The same friend also mentioned that the Blond hair Jeremy replacement is trying to be too much like Jeremy, I dont think so, i think he ads class & style. One more thing, the Circuit Track is a bit Vague??? the names for the track are too simple, please name them after famous people instead of “bus stop” . A track like Gambon is by far more appealing. Also the camera views of the track are not very good, more thought required here, also a defining Turn (like Gambon) just before the end is more exciting. One more thing on visuals, you will notice that in the filming of top gear UK they use a dark clouded shade in the film, please do the same, it adds more effect & class to the show.
“come on guys Top gear Australia is fantastic & at least now we can have top gear for 12 months of the year instead of 6”, (Post 335)
some one shoot me please! Well maybe not, but 12 months of this, I’ll get pay TV and watch their adverts instead. Still going to give it a bit more time, but my old boss said once, “They have set a low standard, and failed to achieve it”.
As for TOP GEAR AUSTRALIA, thank god I know which button is the off sitch.
Gazza.
Is Peter Piggot (reply 335) a member of the crew? He must be the only person on the many sites to which I subscribe who had had a good word for the show.
Hi guys! Sorry, really disappointed with the show – it just doesn’t work! We cannot recreate the personalities of the UK presenters (and the Stig!!) – at best, our boys need to be themselves – individual.
Please just give us more reruns from the UK – my prefered option.
Governments spend thousand of dollars, police use large amounts of resources to curb the scurge of hoon drivers and driving and what do we get presented to us as a poor excuse for a motoring show two half wit fools spinning wheels, doing burn-outs and laughing at what they were calling ‘warming the the tyres’ not just once but repeatedly This from two middle aged men that should take a little responsibility and present an imformative motoring show. It seems to me that the presenters are trying to glamourise stupidity behind the wheel and on our roads SBS and producers will have to take a good look at the product that they producing and ask themselves some serious questions Thank You
Its a disgrace to the show….absolute b.. sh**…sorry for the language,,,,,,but not impressisve at all…… i mean wat if TATA takes over jaguar u cant criticise TATA’s of making vehicles like they put up on the show a Truck which was made back in the 80s…. and this week they paint a junk yard car yellow with taxi logos on it he goes i;m drving a force india…i mean wat the hell is sbs thinking and i think they shud be doin something abt this….peace out..
This show makes me ashamed to be Austalian. Lame jokes, terrible scripts and presenters that are more akward than the new yellow wiggle. Kill the show, asap. Re-runs will provide SBS with more advertising money.
Just quietly, why? why was this show even entertained as a concept? I, I’m sure like most Australians would’ve loved tonight to be tucked away giggling to Jeremy Clarkson calling every car rubbish and screaming at every other one for MORE POWER. Instead i sit on my couch bored and emabarressed at this cheap imitation, caught between their pathetic attempts to be original, and trying to keep to the same gimmicks that made Top Gear the most watched motor show on television EVER. I would have much rather watched James May review the 4WD BMW, I dont care if he drove on English roads, and given an very british judgement on the car, it was funny, TGA is not funny. If it aint broke, dont fix it! not, if it aint broke, break it
Absolute crap!!!!! Get this s**t off. These guys are just dying on screen trying to emulate Clarkson & May…….. get them off now!!!!!!!! Please god! I have not talked to one person, not one, who doesn’t think it’s a travesty.
I have watched 3 shows now, this last one on the 13th of Oct was pathetic SBS equivalent to the US Cath & KIm ? , very embarrassing for SBS
Fisrt show i sat through it. Didn’t do anything for me. Taped the second show,watched the road test and ff the rest of it. Third show I found myself doing other things. Always looked forward to watching U.K. Top Gear even if they were reruns. Australian Top Gear is not interesting.
I didn’t bother to watch tonight. I watched Border Security instead.
I have just watched my first episode of TGA and am disapponted with the very lame effort. Unfortunately I think the show is pathetic,dull, boring and not very imformative. I thought at first it might have been made by the BBC and was an intentional act of making australia look stupid. I have been a TG viewer for years and was looking forward to an Aussie version. Regardless of its content it is basically crap. Also the presenters are all wrong, their fakeness shines though loud and clear. The writers of this show should be all fired as most of the cliches and jokes are nothing but offensive and insulting to anyone that calls themself an australian. I cannot believe that any professional writer or producer would put this sort of crap to the viewing public and expect to still have a job at the end of it.Congratulations SBS you have made all Aussies look like idiots with your 3 stooges that are supposed to represent aussie motoring interests. We buried the yobbo years ago pity SBS isn’t up with the times…
Cheers………
Well, after three episodes all I can do is agree with the 346 comments above (except for the few simple minded people who somehow liked the s**t).
I was one of the 4000, and it’s not sour grapes, but I’m sure there were better presenters than the Three Stooges they selected.
The could have visited the Deniliquin Ute Muster and interviewed a handful of “Real Aussie Blokes” and made a better selection.
TGA, do a quick rethink, re interview “Real Aussie Car Lovers” and try again.
Just say that the first presenters were eaten by sharks during a car test. We’d all believe that.
Mike.
Have your heard that the real deal, Clarkson and Hammond are coming to Australia for Top Gear Live, a live theatre show at Acer Arena in Feb? tickets are on sale from 16 Oct on ticketek.com.au Bring on the boys!!
Must agree with most of the above – the shows pretty much rehashed, badly presented crap. Very disappointed. Now got to find something else to watch on monday night (goes looking for dvd’s or the real top gear).
Unfortunately I watched this weeks episode not to be entertained but to work out why the show is so bad.
(1)The not so quirky sayings like “East German weight lifter on steriods” is not needed, its a car show not a comedy.
(2) Why road test vehicles that 85% of the general population will never be able to afford.
(3) Why do the presenters have earpieces while in the studio? is this incase they forget their lame ass jokes.
(4) Cox is like a deer cought in the headlghts of a car. Was he hired just because of his media connections? (chief executive of the worldwide broadcasting division of the Daily Mail group).
(5) You see those lame infomercials they have on the Morning show and 9am for dusters and vacume cleaners, thats what the whole show comes across as, badly scripted badly rehersed drible.
(6) Get some presenters who have a talent for tv and sack the producer.
And to all thase people who said “give them a chance” I have done that, looks like I will be watching border security like 347.
Episode 3 and the last 2 were so boring WE ACTUALLY FORGOT it was on. (NEVER happened with Top Gear UK). Turned over halfway through hoping it had improved. It hadn’t. Dismal.
The only light spot was Julia.
It is so fake, forced and just basically stupid it made us cringe.
We won’t bother next week…it’ll be more fun to watch the weather forecast.
so far TG Aust sucks. it’s unimaginative, the lead dude smug and one dimensional, and the show: formulaic in the worst sense. you could have broken the rules and gone for a bit of invention. instead we’re watching what should be rehearsals. or, better: outtakes.
there’s so much that could have been done: even just winging the first episodes with some great driving and some brilliant cars instead of the obvious stereotypical shite these first shows are serving up: 4WD’s on slippery snow slopes… wow. that’s riveting. oh look somebody’s slid off the track! such giggles. ohh the entertainment! why not put them in a mudfest in some deserted quarry and make the guys have to do a ballet round a course while towing a tinny with a mannequin in it. (so they can’t fang it and have to opt for slow speed control). if the mannequin falls out – you lose. we see who can drive; and learn which cars have control and driveability in extreme terrain – wet, muddy, steep inclines, mixed surfaces, etc etc… (or who loses it and trashes their tinny and dummy).
seriously, it’s not budget it’s lacking.
Well yet again the “Sweaty Windmill” (Charlie Cox has killed this iconic show.) If he were the Stig I suggest his introduction should probably go something like this. Some say he is the sweatiest most pompous Glen Wheatley lookalike on the planet. Some say his windmill presenting style was designed to shoe away fly’s (because he really does stink) anyway they call him the fake Stig!!
Where do I start, maybe dig me a hole or beam me up Scotty, not because of the comparison to either of these iconic show’s or truly great screen performers but the total lack of any talent what so ever!
I would like to give credit this week to the SBS Top Gear make up department for keeping Charlie’s huge sweat glands under control. Thank God for small mercies.
This episode set new levels of pointlessness, although I will say Warren gave an average road test of a car that quite frankly just about no one would buy anyway. Still thanks for pointing out the obvious anyway.
Steve Pizzati another unconvincing Hamster impression. What did you think when you drove the Mercedes, and to be honest who really cares. You are a Wally.
Steve is the sort of guy your daughter announces she is getting married to, and you think, oh my God he’s that really bad Top Gear Presenter. (Oh the shame.)
The moment that I rated as the pinnacle of Australian Top Gear is the star in the reasonably priced car mentioned that the Stig (Fake Stig) continuously tried to hit on her.
Guy’s you really should be proud of yourselves, I mean stinking up one of the best car show’s of all time, what a triumph.
Charlie please give us a break, what was that rubbish about pfters or some other sh+t, the complaints were directly to you because you are rubbish.
Yes you “Sweaty Windmill” you. They hated your performance. I’m sure you have the tape, have a look at it, it’s not top secret, although some wish it was. (Me included.)
Hope to see the ratings take another dive. But most of all to see the real Top Gear back on soon.
I weakened again in the faint hope that it (episode 3) may have improved….WRONG…I have a great idea for a gaggle of new presenters….just pick anybody from any of the local pubs..they can’t be any worse & they will work for beer, that way you can probably afford to spend a few more $$$$$$$$$$$’s on paddock bashers etc.
Couldn’t be bothered watching we along with tens of thousands of others did the only sensible thing…WATCHED ANOTHER CHANNEL.
Firstly to britvinia in #340. Are you serious?? Your crying about them spinning the wheels and getting sideways on a race track and yet you call yourself a car lover?? What is this world comming to, your all a bunch of whingers.
But other then that i agree the show sucks. The presenters are terrible and the main good things we have here land and scenery arent really used. I thought that paddock bashing bit would of been heaps better instead they did a few boring laps and went home. Wow.
I still thing TGA is a poor copy of the UK version but. I actually thought the reviews this week were better, and Steve had stopped shouting at least in his segment.
However the show seemed really slow this week… Really slow, and the interview with Julia the pedestrian went on way too long, the “backyard” race was dull and staged with Warren being beaten up by the other two. It was so obvious it was the laugh at Warren comedy moment.
As for Charlie Cox… Just take him away and drop him in a caged Mini Moke in the ocean… please. Is he operated by supermarionation?
Im with #357 couldn’t be bothered to watch it.
..although did flick across for a nano second only to hear that dwarf nasal twat Pizata gonzoing on about some Benz he was trying to control, and looking like he was driving his dads car for the first time..
Mondays used to be a highlight, now the wifes got a legitimate claim to the remote control…I just cant argue ATG is better than Idol!( and I loath Idol).
CB
I waited with anticipation for the first edition of TGA and what a disapointment. Why oh why try to emulate the BBC and years of success built upon British homour and wit. Here was the perfect opertunity to stamp an ozzy slant on the motor industry and the producers failed.. I thought I would give it a second chance, but no, I was right, its crap. Roll on the next 6 weeks when the slot can be filled with even more drivil like Friends. On the other hand some of the acting ( not much) in friends is better than TGA!
Well I can honestly say I didn’t bother to watch. I did turn over for 5 seconds and saw that blonde twat waving his hands around again so I went back to idol – and that is SAD. There is now nothing to watch on a Monday especially as Boston Legal has finished.
(Episode 3) Old shitbox camry runs a 13.5 second quarter mile? It would’t run that time if you pushed it off a cliff!
…apart from that the show not great but improving…
Can you sack the guys and bring in Luffy, he is at least original.
Also can they stop telling us how bad these cars are, really, I could sell my house and still not afford one but i do like watching them punished on a track.
If I could afford one I am not going to watch a show that bags my car.
Look its supposed to be TOP GEAR so show us the top gear, run it ragged and put it away, to coin on old saying, SIT DOWN SHUT UP AND DRIVE.
How come I can watch a show like “Kennys World” and be entertained, have a laugh and actually learn something and then feel disappointed that its over till next week?
How come I can watch a show like “TGA” and be Bored not laugh and dont learn anything I didnt already know. (Big Rev Head lol) and cant wait to change stations?
Dear Top Gear Australia… What the hell is going on? You get given an opportunity to make potentially the most successful show in Australia and you stuff it up. Come on… the formula is already there, so you have no excuses – good hosts, good lines, and good camera work (which you actually DO have! 🙂 ). Sure, I am one of the 4000 you knocked back as a potential host, but you should have read my application a little harder and at least taken me on as a consultant to get it right. I am one of the rare Australians who has watched Top Gear UK for 10yrs and know how it works and why it works so well. And this is what you are doing wrong…
1. An ex-BBC Motorsport presenter to host an Australian show… Not a good move – this is an AUSTRALIAN show.
2. Porsche Racing Driver as 2IC… 5th Gear use ex-racing drivers (VBH, Needell, and Plato) and it took them years to get chemistry (and still struggle with it).
3. Introducing the Stig… Cox sounds like an old woman rambling on for ages – there is no snap to it, no humor. Boring.
4. You cannot test all these different cars with the result always being ‘It does not know what it wants to be’! (soft roaders, MB Black, X6) Your hosts need to be much sharper with their criticism.
5. It is almost as if they are afraid to REALLY bad mouth a car on TGA… TGUK never hold back, even with Porsche, Ferrari, etc.
5. Challenges have to go for longer with more variety within. Stop setting up incidents (like the Camry door being conveniently open to run into)… just destroys credibility.
6. Your in-car camera shots are appauling – I did better in my audition with a hand held.
7. You allow an expert Porsche and Audi Race driver to drive a high performance car like the MB Black and he does not turn off the ESP from the beginning – again no credibility.
8. None of the presenters are talking from their ‘gut’ but rather sound like they are reading lines, trying too hard to be funny and witty.
9. Starting up a high performance car in the studio and reving the guts out of it cold is the biggest sin – any TRUE car enthusiast with even limited mechanical knowledge knows this.
10. The camera angles on the the track are really bad and the track layout itself is not very difficult when the Proton (driven by a novice) can get around so quick compared to a high performance car driven by the stig.
Sure, I am no Seasoned presenter or journalist, and the only racing I have done is a few laps with Porsche in Germany, but as one of the longest standing fans of TG in Australia, you should sit up and listen.
Taking on Top Gear in Australia was always going to be a challenge, especially when most of your viewers here have high expectations based on the TGUK. Many of the negative remarks above are rather pointless, as it would have been impossible for you to get it right the first time. But now after three episodes EVERYONE I speak to are saying that they are no longer interested.
You also stuffed up by saying both on your potential host applications and above (I quote) “The Australian version has local hosts and won’t simply replicate the original UK Top Gear series broadcast on the BBC. SBS plans to make a program that is uniquely and quintessentially Australian,” said Matt Campbell (SBS Director of Television and Online Content).” – so why does the set look EXACTLY the same as TGUK and you have tried to clone the hosts from TGUK??? The idea of a female host would have been fantastic, and maybe kept me watching… Remember – this is Australia we are talking about – guys like watching girls, and girls who like cars like watching girls who can drive and like cars (that power girl thing).
So please take this criticism as constructive, as I would love to see TGA improve and last as long as TGUK has. You are already behind the 8 Ball, so you better find some magic somewhere… good luck.
Andrew.
@ 366 – Do you think that perhaps you weren’t selected as a host due to your tendency to be an arrogant know-it-all?
I’ve still only seen the first episode, just checked in here to see if the reviews had improved – I guess not.
I’m pretty confident that the show is doomed. We’ve all listed the numerous and glaring issues with the show and there’s simply too many for them to be “ironed out” during the course of the first season.
I think it would be best for all concerned if SBS did the right thing and cancelled the show. Either cancel it or completely re-do it. But to completely re-do it will require original ideas and effective production to implement them. So best to cancel it.
I did try; really, I did. But I can’t watch this garbage anymore. I will not watch TG Australia again. I will wait ’til TGUK comes back.
I should say ‘three strikes and you’re out!!’, but the reality is we will endure/avoid the next 5 episodes. The real test for the decision makers at SBS will be if they approve another season of this misguided, tiresome rubbish.
I so wanted to like TGA….. now we will just have to apologise to the UK for stuffing a great formula.
Just makes me want to watch the REAL Top Gear even more!
Ok, first thing, TG UK was never a car show. It was always about enterainment as it pertained to it’s audience. I was also one of the 4000 (might have to start a club or something), but while I realise that Freehand actually lied to us, saying they wanted presenter who weren’t like the UK fellas, it’s still an enteraining show and it’s no more fake than the UK one. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to tell people how fake it is when they rave about a challenge or stunt or something on TG UK. It’s all fake and scripted and totally rehearsed. If you don’t want to watch a show like that, turn ya telly off cause there’s no such show on telly – even so called reality tv’s very fake.
C’mon, let’s be real Aussies, how we were decades ago before so many other cultures came in and ruined our way of life – let’s give these blokes a fair go and give ’em a chance. I can still remember Aussies doing that, all stopped in recent years, but try it, see how it feels and quit whining because it’s not what you wanted. It’s a D-Grade show, sure, but it’s a start and it’s better than anything anyone on here could have done… or else prove me wrong – start a show of your own and do it better than the others. Seriously, in Oz there’s not much to improve on…
1) Torque from the seventies. Hosted by a drunk who lost his license so often that each series took twice as long as it should have
2) The Car Show. Ok, the host is genuinely into cars, but he’s as animated and inspiring as a true Phlegmatic
3) Speedweek. Uhm, anyone ever seen that show? Seriously, anyone?
4) RPM, yeah, again, anyone know what’s on it? I’ve tried to watch it, can’t stand it.
5) Test Drive. The ’08 season was the first time I’d seen it. I was so thrilled to actually get to watch a car show all about test driving. Uhm, yeah, got to see a cupla cars do 1 lap around an obsure track sumwhere in the country, but the rest of it was like most of the other shows – one long commercial.
6) TG OZ. Ok, back to the point. Can anyone do better? In the future I hope to, but can anyone else?
If not, enjoy the show or don’t watch it. Plenty of other stuff to watch.
I felt so disappointed when I watched the first episode. Australia has had some pretty spectacular examples of ingenuity and unfortunately Australian Top Gear is not one of them. I am a big fan of Top Gear UK however I was hoping that our version would be unique and entertaining too.
SBS you need to take a rethink on this series and not get stuck into the generic franchising of TV shows.
Top Gear Australia is dead, long live Top Gear!
Got to agree with 366. get rid of the sweaty windmill, he has no charisma, and get a woman presenter on board. theres got to be a few around.
Off all the people trying to come on and do a lap in a reasonably priced car why did they get someone who couldnt drive a manual and why was her time only a few seconds off Vince colosimo. Vince should be ashamed coming on with a trophy.
I too have lost my remote to my other half 🙁
please come back uktopgear
I just spent a hour on YouTube looking at other peoples audition tapes. And some of them were better than TGA. So I have to ask why TGA ended up with the three Stooges?
Hey it really is a dud but you’ll need to give it a heart transplant or should I say 3 heart transplants. I think everybody above missed the salient points.
1. You needed an anchor with credibility to start the show in this country, say Jim Richards, Dick Johnson etc
2. The other two are just not in the hunt and never will be
3. Cut the screaming, words coming out at 1000km/hr particularly from the little guy
4. The stunts are just so weak everybody can see where they’re headed and go off for a drink and maybe, only maybe come back later
5. The track work needs a cherry picker to give some perspective to the track. With every camera at eye level you just have no concept of the track layout or movement of the cars during the ‘lap’
6. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING is a good section but unfortunately that goes to the core of the producers in selecting the three presenters
7. The British show is centered on comedy, the chance of any comedy coming from the current three presenters is zilch as they have absolutely no aura or appeal in their personalities
I could go on, but realise that nobody will probably read this anyway
Myself and my wife, who are both die hard Top Gear UK fans have watched the new Australian Top Gear with cautious curiosity from September 29th. And like so many other comments, it has been like watching a horrific accident infront of you. You know it’s bad but you have to keep watching…and there were fatalities!!!! I still can’t believe they have put three masks on the UK guys, given them Aussie accents and dumped them in Sydney!!! Should have started off from a fresh page and cast their own shadows, not followed in the shoes (and bodies) of others!!!! Very dissapointed fans x 2
Strike three, their OUT!! Well that’s my formula anyway. I too, really tried to get into the third episode and for a moment, I thought they were actually reviewing a car. Nah, I was wrong!
The staged door bash of the camry, well pathetic comes to mind, I mean who would sit in their car and wait as long as he did saying, “This is gunna hurt”, for the inevitable impact. Not even close to funny! Fortunately, I answered the phone and got to do a survey, which took up 30 minutes of my time. Hell I even had a laugh or two with the interviewer on the survey.
I did have an idea to while away the Monday evenings though, go out, purchase this and you can fill in the lost hour on Monday nights with far more entertainment and meaning than the drivel you are being tortured with :)until the return of the true TG.
http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/Product/369263/TOP_GEAR_ULTIMATE_CAR_CHALLENGE
Or as my alternative now, search “You Tube”, for anything Top Gear related.
Good luck to you who have the staying power, hoping something will get better, I shall watch this blog for more news.
As per their own segment…….”What Were They Thinking!!!!!”
I am watching my first episode of top gear australia and am trying to give it a go while grinding my teeth and the awefull jokes of the three dissapointing hosts. Of course Australia Top gear would never be able to live up to the Uk version but I thought it would be alot better than this.
AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!
Bloody Charlie Cox! I’m experiencing road rage and I’m not even driving!
I WANT TO DRIVE OVER HIM AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!!!!!! IN A TANK!
Please someone get him away from my TV!
This is the last time I will watch top gear australia. I find the show boring and the comedy factor is 0%. I gave it my best shot, but no more. Very disappointed. Please, please, bring back Top Gear UK.
As a big fan of top gear I was really looking forward to top gear Australia, but I’ve given it a go twice now and thats about all I can take. The chemistry between the hosts of the UK version is something that can’t really be duplicated and in the end, even if you’re not a car buff you still have to admit the show is quite entertaining. The Aus. version seems to labour along like a school nerd who’ll do anything to be like the cool kids to the point of embarassment. Sorry to say, I think I’ll leave my 7:30 slot open for something more entertaining – like watching a bag of ice melt.
I don’t like AUSTRALIA TOP GEAR bring back the England one it is much better than Australia one and better English language.
Margaret
Just sat through show four. I am losing the will to live. The segment where brand new Astras were smashed into each other was disgusting. What a pointless and mindless display of vandalism.
The GPS vs tracker was so contrived. They must all have been in sight of each other during the entire silly stunt. The tracker could only have walked a few hundred meters at the pace the horse was being led.
Total rubbish.
Take it off.
This week, I didn’t even bother looking at it. Last week, I flicked over a couple of times during commercial TV ad breaks. TGUK was a “don’t miss” show. TGA is a “don’t watch” show.
Yes, we know TGUK is scripted entertainment but it is entertaining. TGA is not entertaining.
Is there ever an episode where they dont crash into something?
Astra’s – Each Other
Very Expensive Commodore – Track Markers on Dirt
TRD Hilux – Bottomed out on the sills.
Tonights Worlds Fastest Commodore would’ve been a great opportunity to discuss why the brakes/suspension/engine etc were different. Put some details in there. Warren got the closest describing the Astra, but there was nothing in relation to the Hilux or Commodore.
But instead we get more donuts and not much else.
Thank god for Time Slip recording so I can skip the star in the eccono car.
Bring on Top Gear UK in November.
watched 3 shows…enough is enough.
sorry Charlie you just don’t make it as the front man.
i liked it tonight Jack thompson was cool!
well it didnt take long, last night we got to see Top Gear Aus – presented by HOLDEN????? WOW how good a 4 year old astra is, lets go play bowls in a astra, oh and how much we love commodores, boring, biased and bland.
I still just want to say that I think its typical of Australians to be apathetic & highly critical,
I think it makes sense to give criticism but also to maybe throw some useful ideas across as well.
Overall I’m not surprised by everyone’s comments TYPICAL AUSTRALIA & I’m Australian !
& no I have nothing to do with the shows production either.
what can I say, Top Gear Australia sucks arse. The ripped up the Kimberleys in the last episode, damaged about 9 Astra’s playing their stupid lawn bowls game, have the lousiest one liners, have a Stig who has no neck so looks silly compared to the UK version. Please just cut the loses and put the money to the UK show.
Top Gear Australia wins second series
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/10/top-gear-australia-wins-second-series.html
SBS you Suck! A second series of this utter rubbish. Episode 3 was yet again pointless and rubbish. Cox sucked again. No more time for this utter C#rap. Get off you Wa#kers!!!
Two things- People that watch top gear love cars, please stop destroying them. And the older host of the show is just an idiot that does nothing but wreck everything he touches. The Rav4 in the first episode is a classic example. Show some respect for the cars you are given.
Just watched 3rd TopGear Oz SBS show and I could not wait for it to finish. I thought it could not get worse and it did. All they had to do was test fast cars, be themselves and not try to be funny. Maybe the shows producer is to blame for the stupid stories and attempts at humour. If they are the best hosts SBS can find then there should not be a second season. I can’t wait for the season to end (I think 5 to go) but I don’t think I want to watch it anymore (3 is enough).
An interesting thing happened to me today.
We had been selected for the TGA audience and followed the instructions to the letter, but failed to be properly registered by their system.
Has this happened to anyone else?
It ended up with us not able to go, being blamed that it was our fault for not chasing them about it, and then having an offer to go and see next season being filmed in the studio.
The really interesting thing was, that in the end none of us were really bothered and we turned down the offer of seeing next season. If it was TGUK we would have bitten their arm off.
I think that says it all really.
Jeez what a pack of whingers on this site.
I think the TGA boys have really settled down.
Doing doughnuts in a TRD Hilux looks great.
Smashing up Astras great fun.
Hope they do a 2nd series
Why is everybody aiming vitriol at SBS? Freehand Productions (which is 25% owned by BBC Worldwide) is the production company behind the local franchise. And being a franchise, head office (BBC) is pulling the strings.
Think back a few years. TGUK was not an overnight success. James May’s first appearance was more cringeworthy than Steve Pizzati.
I have to agree with majority opinion that the show is a trainwreck. Yet I continue to watch (or, better yet, record, so I can can zap through the most painful bits). Maybe I’m hoping against hope for improvement; maybe I’m just curious as to how bad it can get.
I concur with Brad @ 396 that James May’s first appearance on TGUK was less than stellar but I’d put that down to nerves. It didn’t take him long to settle in and come out of his shell.
For everyone who’s calling for changes of presenters, format etc – I’m pretty sure that most or all of the first series was shot, edited and in the can before the premiere went to air, so we’re stuck with it until series two. I’m basing that on a comment that Warren Brown made in the opening sequence of the first episode:
“Why is it, every episode of Top Gear, I nearly get killed?”
395 & 396: Are you watching the same show? Or do you have a vested interest in the show??
Doing doughnuts in a TRD Hilux looks great.
Great thought, but that all they do, Doughnuts that is.
“James May’s first appearance was more cringe worthy than Steve Pizzati.”
I doubt it?
This show is Rubbish. Unfortunately we are going to be inflicted with a second series.
More Pompous Sweaty Windmill and his two totally unfunny side kicks. More trying to copy the UK show. More expense to SBS making this lemon.
More Charlie Cox was as sweaty as a sumo wrestler’s armpit in a sauna, and a couple of hundred times more pompous.
More saying it wasn’t the greatest show, is like pointing your finger at a pile of steaming dung. And why not as the stink and shear pointlessness of it are astounding.
More I can just feel the shame cloud descending on Australia like the steaming patter of a farm yard scene.
More if this was a painting it would be the most obvious fake and most uncelebrated picture in the gallery, sadly enough if it were a Bat, it would be a ding bat.
More please don’t inflict this rotten barrel of trout on the nation another six times for God sake! Let alone another series!
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/10/top-gear-australia-wins-second-series.html
A. More this will continue indefinitely.
B. It will give the poms just another reason to take the pis# out of Ozzies.
C. To copy the format of the UK show was doomed from the start.
D. The money wasted on this futile (at best) show.
E. The Stig (what a laugh!) Maybe this is the producer’s grandad or something.
F. The test track is absolute rubbish!
G. Charlie Cox (Pompous ass) trying to copy Clarkson.
H. Charlie Cox was as sweaty as a sumo wrestler’s armpit in a sauna.
I. Steve Pizzati (Hamster wannabe) Total Wally.
J. A Proton (Yeah right)
K. Cox explained a complex gearbox with a stick scratching into gravel (Hmmmm) you idiots.
L. As for the cool wall (Ha ha ha ha!!) I’m not laughing because it was funny.
M. A pig wearing lipstick is still a pig.
N. The jokes were not funny.
O. Your test of the Porsche was embarrassing.
P. Trying to entice a Great White to eat a Moke? (Are you for real)
Q. Maybe next week you could turn the Falcon and Commodore into a chicken coup and see which one can produce the most eggs. (Don’t forget to make sure the chickens are female.)
R. Another suggestion to recoup some of the money spent on this farce (You could put each presenter in a cage and let us throw rotten fruit and tomatoes at them) I’d pay to do that, can we start in Brizzy. Oh and maybe the producer.
S. Get Cox a less sweaty appearance. (Dip him in something.)
T. Stop filming now. Save yourself the grief.
U. 7.30 Monday’s on SBS. Watch Australia’s most try hard program and Top Gear UK copy, Top Gear Australia.
V. See how we wasted millions of dollars on a bizarre and ill conceived program that looks just like the show you love but is kind of Rubbish and cringe worthy.
W. Get your cardboard cut outs of your favorite presenter for your dart board. (Please send me Charlie Cox)
X. Can we have a segment measuring the total sweat produced by Cox during the making of one show? I suggest a large container, you could call it “How sweaty is this pompous toss*r”
Y. The segment I would love to see is the TGUK presenters watching the first two episodes of this dribble. There comments would be priceless and would more than make up for the disappointment. Please Please Please!!
Z. If a freak accident could happen permanently damaging all the footage of this series rendering it impossible to go any further. And the return to even repeats of the TGUK show. (Even the early ones)
I could keep going. In short TGA could suck a tennis ball through a hose pipe it is so bad. Please save us from the rest of it. Bury it deep, burn it or better still put it in a caravan and blow it up. Other than that I will leave to you.
I’m sure you could wreck it, just like you have wrecked TGA. Keep your eye on the ratings and watch them fall and fall and fall.
The only way to get this utter rubbish off is to not watch. Please help.
At some stage in history, an explorer must have said at some time “Oh No the waters up to me knees d’ya think we should abandon ship!” Maybe Titanic or some other maritime disaster.
Freehand and SBS, thumbs down, at best one out of five. At best.
Give us a break! Bring back Top Gear, even repeats.
Plenty of commentary but TGA cannot be expected to be at the same level as TGUK. All we can hope for is that they are aware of and improve the show’s faults in the next season.
It will only be an average show and it can always be taped so the boring bits (and ads, goddamn you SBS) can be fast forwarded through.
well I reckon these guys read these blogs & will do it better ! so websites like this are great!
fantastic a 2nd episode !! I reckon it takes real guts for these 3 guys to do what they do,
as specially here in OZ, the land that has hatred for white collar & tall poppy.
Good on them, I place a challenge for those that do criticise without suggestion to send a video to You tube & do it better than them !?
how’s that for a contest? then we can be critical of you, if you don’t mind. who’s up for it?
Yes it’s bad, it’s very very bad, just as I expected. As others here have noted, it was pure folly to copy the TGUK format and expect it to work. Ill conceived from the beginning, a waste of time and money and an embarrassment to everyone – including the viewers, or what remains of them. I’m ashamed on behalf of Australia!
Last episode’s Astra lawn bowls was an utter joke. Did anyone notice how staged it was – near the end they were just steering the cars as close as they could. The probably just drove then straight up. And then of course, they smashed into the other cars – oh ha ha, so funny! Crashing cars in such a mindless, gratuitous way is just stupid beyond belief – especially for a car show! Damage gets done to cars in TGUK, sure, but there is always a point to it, a context, in that show. I always thought TGA would be bad but I never expected such a train wreck. I saw the first episode and sat there cringing, so traumatised that I couldn’t watch the next two weeks. I tried again last Monday – but it’s still as bad. SBS what were you thinking! This is just so depressing – and they’re doing a second series! Has the world gone mad! Something has to be done at the highest levels – John Howard slagged off Big Brother when he was PM – please Mr Rudd, tell SBS to remove this trash from our TVs in the national interest!
Well here’s the SBS press release confirming series two.
PR is PR I suppose and having blagged SBS for 10 million they’re hardly going to say, you’ve made a complete pigs ear of it youi aussie twats!
Howver with this PR verbiage and the upcomming stage show, it would be understandable to think perpaps Clarkson et al, have really sold out and are ringing the last few $$$$ out of it before they move on.
Top Gear Australia gets 2nd Series
SYDNEY: SBS has given Top Gear Australia the green light for a second series, despite viewer criticism and a drop off in ratings.
Despite harsh comments from Australian audiences on various blogs citing a lack of chemistry between the hosts, UK host-with-the-most Jeremy Clarkson has praised the Aussie version, even giving the new hosts the thumbs up.
“Massive congratulations from the Top Gear boys in England on your Australian version,” Clarkson said in a statement released by SBS. “We’re loving it, even though your funny accents make you hard to understand. And Warren the cartoonist – his face underwater was an absolute peach.”
After the premiere episode attracted an audience of just under a million, weeks two and three have seen viewer numbers drop to the high 600,000s.
By SBS standards this is still a solid audience, although numbers are about a third behind what the original UK series was pulling in.
The first Australian series still has a further five episodes to screen, but viewers won’t have to wait long for the second series, which could be on air as early as 2009.
Matt Campbell, director of television & online at SBS, said Clarkson’s comments reinforced the general consensus at SBS that the series is a winner.
“We’ve received the blessing from the godfather of the brand. The praise from the Top Gear UK mother ship gives SBS and the Freehand Production team added enthusiasm as we continue to work on Series One and begin pre-production for Series Two.”
CB
#396 “James May’s first appearance was more cringeworthy than Steve Pizzati”.
I have to disagree with this comment. James May was nervous yes, but he sure as heck didn’t come across like an obnoxious know-it-all like Pizzati. James May never made me want to turn Top Gear off, but Pizzati sure did … and I did. I will never watch the stomach-churning Australian version again. I’ll wait for the REAL Top Gear.
Of course top gear uk (including Jeremy) will praise the aussie version because it is a direct copy. If they don’t they are slagging off their own series.
My only comment about Jeremy Clarkson’s praise is “Jeremy, what were you thinking”!
WE WANT TO SHOUT OUR SUPPORT FOR TOP GEAR AUST!!!
Sure, my wife and I LOVE TGUK and the dynamics between the hosts!
Unfortunately the first Aussie show was a bit cringeworthy BUT they seem to be hitting their straps now. Blimey, how long has the British show been running? Give ’em a fair go…
Besides, the local show is shot every bit as well as the UK version and this has the best production values of ANY Aussie car show I’ve ever seen. It was great to get a peek at GM’s Lang Lang proving ground and where else will most of us ever have the chance to see a W427 being put through its paces if it wasn’t for TG OZ. The Astra bowls was funny and anyone who criticises what they did obviously hasn’t watched the UK show ie: Yaris football, Konkers, Caravan trip etc.
Thanks SBS for having the guts to produce the show.
Charlie, Steve & Waz you’re getting better each week.
The sweatiest presenter on TV. The Bathurst drivers who have just jumped out of their car after 30 odd laps have less sweat on them. The best thing about episode 3 was that I fell asleep….just after the washed out B grade celeb in the pointless car segment…Please SBS, take a look at what 7 did with the American Kath and Kim series and just get rid of this crap…or at least put it on after South Park as I woke up half way thru ‘Chef’s Gone’.
While watching some paint drying the other day, I thought to myself, “this is better than TGA”.
At least I can work later on Monday nights as a must-watch 7:30 time slot is now freed up.
This show is dead, but just doesn’t know it yet. Sad.
…unless the producers can pull a rabit out of the hat.
listen there is always a possibility that they could get rid of a presenter & bring a new one on
like they did in the uk ! maybe if they did get rid of Cox do you think it would help??
opinions please?? im sure they will be open to suggestion, i thought Cox was ok but it
appears that no one one wants him on anymore? maybe a re audition? the other 2 are ok i reckon.
let us know your thoughts.
I have to agree with Comment 406 a bit, TGUK have also broken various cars with no real point. Astra bowls was a direct copy of Yaris Football (havent TGUK done this twice?) so all the comments about it being a “car show watched by car lovers, so dont smash up cars” are a bit harsh. I didn’t notice the commodore hit anything on the track, but if that is the case, tyre eating Zonda anyone? I know the Stig was pushing it without a tail fin, but these things happen.
As for the “brought to you by Holden” comment, I am hoping that TGA doesnt stick to aussie cars too much (Commodore and Falcon are the only two) as with the UK, we dont build any cars here anymore, but TGUK dont worry about that and review anything you can buy there. German, Japanese, even the Monaro.
Re 409
Bring back ‘Skippy’ a kangaroo could probably do a better job. A second series????? torture is ilegal in this country. The program should go the way of American Kath & Kim.
What utter cr*p! Top Gear Australia make us look like gormless yobbos! BRING BACK TOP GEAR UK. I cannot believe you spent money on this rubbish. Won’t be watching again.
dead men driving
sorry – more burning rubber and corny cringe jokes than in all the TG episodes.
talk about dumbed down, well no, don’t talk about it, these clowns have done it.
The automotive version of the US Kath & Kim.
What idiots let these blokes anywhere my tax $ and a TV camera?
They shouldn’t have jobs.
sigh
woof
Wot a load of un digested crud,
Please SBS give us want we need and want, the real stig and the real crew.
Somewhere in this universe thare is a place for charlie cox, probably a small dark wet hole at the edge.
Wooden presenting, wooden dialogue, wooden show….
Let it sink just like the audi should have!
The Bugman
Just watched TGA – embarrassingly bad. Tried hard for laughs, I felt uncomfortable and embarrassed for them in the interviews and chats.
Please. Please. Kill the show.
ok just saw the last episode…
1) improvement on the track filming I thought it was better well done !
2) charlie cox doing donuts in the r8 ok yes that’s cool but ahh a little boring, I also
get the sensation that mr Cox doesn’t put much feeling into what he’s actually talking about..
if you want to be like Clarkson you have to FEEEL what you are saying not just make statements
that sound like you really couldn’t give a shit.. its all about FEEEL Cox. watch some Bruce Lee movies, you may learn something.
3)the young chap driving a BMW 135.. ahh christ now i see what people are saying, its like having a ferret recommend a classy restaurant jesus christ get him off now.! or don’t put him in expensive cars you will just destroy & lower the class of your badge BMW.
4) tractor through the city was good but Mr ferret destroyed the ambiance. in some cases its great having the ferret but in 70% of cases its not.
5) sailing an Audi… its already been done please look for originality this scene had absolutely
no substance what so ever, please if you need some originality ill throw you some ideas but dont copy the UK series unless you are into self sabotage.
6) the only guy that should stay is the cartoonist because he has feel, understanding & actually looks like he believes what he’s talking about.
cheers Pete Mr positive but only just at this point.
what can you say that hasn’t already been said it just keeps getting worse and worse I watched just fleetingly but the hand waving made me dizzy If production have to persist with these three presenters please give them a hand on how to be presenters Ive had my 2 cents worth and now Iam going to take my own advice and change the bloody channel
#418 britvinia..I did the same…..Changed the channel to Border Patrol pretty quickly…..Cox just doesn’t look believable and why bother testing a car on an Island that has nowhere to drive other than an airstrip. What are they thinking? I gave it a good chance but now they are half way thru the series, what benefit will a few changes do? They obviously are not reading the criticism, which does contain a lot of valid points, or maybe the fact they prerecord in advance has stuffed them by locking in too much ‘Cringe’. The What were they thinking segment doesn’t even let you see the photos clearly….and they look like they were printed on standard office paper using a $99 printer that is running out of ink in draft mode.
Probably the worst thing is that I have blonde hair and I am due for a haircut……Being called a dick in the street and Cox is a Cock….and is your name Charlie…..has been a real hassle for the last month…..now I wear dark glasses and a hat….!
You are still stuffing up an iconic show. The Ozzie Stig thing is second hand at best.
Another test using a brilliant car, sad thing is Charlie Cox just does donuts yet again.
The ferret this week was as annoying as a mozzie in your bedroom at 2am.
The cartoonist reminds me of Tim Wonnacott of Antiques Roadshow and Bargain Hunt fame.
I think he could grow on you, hopefully not like fungus.
As for Charlie well he was not sweating as much thank God.
The show still sucks Charlie.
And Pizzati please try to stop looking like a “Ferret”. (If possible anyway!)
The cartoonist guy showed a skerrick of talent and if you have any sense at all you will give him a much bigger role in future productions.
This aside another below average show.
The pompous windmill strikes again featuring the “Ferret” and the cartoonist with a bit of talent.
At last someone that can actually drive in the reasonably priced car segment. On the downside Charlie Cox was as boring as bat sh#t in the interview.
If I had an R8 for the day I’m pretty sure I could easily come up with a better road test.
As for the boat thing “it’s been done before by TGUK” We watched it remember.
Nice try guy’s but I’m looking forward to the Top Gear UK show coming back soon.
An Audi made into a boat with sails, isn’t that exactly what James May did with a Triumph Herald in TGUK? I’m sure it was all good TV exposure for Audi at their yacht race and that’s fair enough for them, but was there a point to any of this? It’s a shame it didn’t sink with all three aboard. The chemistry between the three just isn’t there and I don’t think ever will be. Together they just come across as three slightly weird characters you really wouldn’t to hang out with. You can see they make scripted jokes amongst themselves, and it’s only after you realise, oh that was supposed to funny, because you realise that you didn’t laugh the first time. Because there’s no chemistry, it’s all just staged, and the Toorak tractor thing was just lame and an embarrassment. The idea was ok but they did nothing with it apart from squash the old Saab, which was supposed to be funny, I think, except that you knew something like that was going to happen as soon as the two idiots decided to park the tractor. It would have been good if the Saab (i’m sure it was there own car) belonged to some big bloke and he came out of the cafe and then belted the two of them, I’d watch that! It would be good if they could think of a stunt that either hasn’t already been done by TGUK, or was at least funny/interesting. Nothing they’ve done so far is, I think the cartoonist is the least annoying of the three, and he probably knows less about cars than the other two. Their reviews are not good, Cox really didn’t tell us much about the Audi except how great it was, and watching him pretending to be interested in sliding the car, or was he trying to match Clarkson for enthusiasm? It was painful to watch. The short guy’s BMW piece was better, but it still didn’t really tell us much. And the way they filmed it reminded me of the Car Show, he’s talking about how fast it is, how it’s right up the M3’s arse but it looks like the cars are doing 60 kays, and they probably were. And they kept showing the same footage of the cars on the road in the bush, going slowly, repeatedly over and over again. At least that’s something we won’t have to worry about in the future – repeats of TGA. I doubt SBS would have the gall to run this crap as a re-run. But then they’re doing a second series. I still can’t believe that. hope the Kiwis don’t get TGA, we’ll be a laughing stock with them.
In an earlier post I made comment on the test of true stupidity would be SBS commissioning another series…. SBS you are truly STUPID.
With these 8 episopdes in the can….surely someone at SBS has the sense to realise TGA is a waste of taxpayers money. To go around again is an astounding decision???
I have watched all the TGA I am ever going to watch…… I can’t stand the cringe of embarrassment I get watching this pap.
Like most fans, I looked forward to an Oz Top Gear.
I wasn’t impressed by the first episode. Okay…teething problems. Give it a go again. Episode two … hmmm…I’ll wait a bit longer … maybe it’ll get better…
But we’re now up to episode 5 … and I’m still waiting.
I tolerated the look-alike studio set, I tolerated the pathetic attempt to replicate the polished banter of Jezza, Hampster and Captain Slow. I even tolerated the celeb in the reasonably priced car. I have even managed to tolerate (with teeth well and truly gritted) what seems to have been a claim that The Stig is a local creation.
But this latest episode ….
I can put up with someone who obviously enjoys driving doing perhaps a couple of donuts, mixed in with some some proper driving. But whatsisface went too far.
To see that beautiful R8 doing nothing but spinning in smoky circles: good grief! Any dickhead can do donuts! Which I fear has been proven by this episode.
I wanted to see some proper driving and hear worthwhile comments about the car.
And then they capped it off with that bloody sailing Audi!!!
Like I said … I’m still waiting … for a genuinely Australian Top Gear.
(Maybe I should send a dirty email to the Beeb for giving these fools the licence!)
The yobbos and the ockers must be in heaven watching this thing. Or is that a that thing?
The show is a disaster! It is not a disaster because SBS doesn’t have the money to create something better, but because of the presenters are, well, not the right ones.
Charlie Cox: Sounds like someone put an umbrella up there, opens it, and then pulls it out over a period of one hour. We suffer as much as he does! Every Monday.
Warren Brown: Great cartoonist, but the size of his intellect is inversely proportional to the size of the tractor he drove over that car the other day. Can you come up with something better than destroying another car?
Steve Pizzati: Or is that Steve This-Thing-That-Thing Pizzati. Would love to have $10 every time he says this thing or that thing.
SBS, please don’t spend any more of our taxes on this rubbish.
Now where is Bert Newton when you need him??
After being immensly put out by the first episode i thought i’d watch it again last monday to see if it had improved. Nope. I could stand all of 15 minutes of that short man ‘reviewing’ a BMW and then him and beardo driving a tractor around melbourne or wherever they were before flicking.
Ahh, the good old days of Top Gear UK, where i could watch even the parts i didnt understand and be entertained, or at least feel like i was learning something.
Oh well, all i can do is hang out for the next UK series and hope SBS isnt planning on making season 2.
Cheers…
Good news for SBS, all the viewers polled last Monday thought that the show was great.
Bad news for SBS, poll shows that only 3 people out of 1000 surveyed were actually watching and they thought it was on mental health problems.
I have a conspiracy theory… hows this…that the British directors of Top gear Uk knew that the OZ version wouldn’t be as good, & they purposely sabotaged the shows outside UK to make the UK look superior !! its all about ego when your old and at the top, im sure top gear senior management are loving every ones comments here, so to is Clarkson. Infact I reckon they though lets get some losers on the show to show by contrast how much better the UK is, mother homeland. Well I reckon if
the show had foundations of real Australian Directors, we would blitz you guys. Having said all this
i feel humble now that we in OZ get the last laugh cause we figured you out!
I realy dont see the point of the show. Is it to inform and educate the public on new vehicles on the market? If it is the sale of these vehicles must be droppng in Australia.
“What were they thinking” I dont see the point of rubishing cars that were made 20 or more years ago. They picked on the Lightburn Zeta the other week, funny how it is very similar to their sponsors Goggomobile Dart. (The little green convertable in the add).
Charley Cox comes across like a very amature interviewer, the segways and throw too’s are very poorly done.
Unlike England the aussie male loves his shed and his cars/bikes.
Why wasn’t the show centered around three mates sitting in a 40 x 20 shed with toolboxes and parts on shelves like most of us have. Dont have a studio audience.
The show just isn’t done the Aussie way and it shows. Just for the hell of it I bought the magazine the other day, even that put me off…”ADDS everywhere”
Peter Wherrett where are you?
Give the show to Channel 10, or let 10 come up with an alternative. The F1/Moto GP presenters would do the job – throw in Bill and a V8 driver or two, Rusty anyone
I have to say i enjoyed Peter Wherrett even though he did where a hat to cover his bald head
, (larry David wouldnt approve im sure), but at leass the man was real.
he was at times a little boring but at least didnt “try ” to be funny.
I agree with most of the preceding 1100 comments. If Matt Campbell, director of television & online at SBS, thinks that Jeremy Clarkson’s comments that the series is a “winner” are more important than the overwhelmingly negative feedback from SBS viewers, then HE’S the problem.
Just for the record, my own switch-off moment came when these idiots took that wonderful Audi supercar to an island with NO ROADS and proceeded to abuse it with endless circle work. What utter stupidity!
Steve’s short and inane piece on Australia’s fastest supercar deprived us of a proper look at this beast, and Warren’s inability to ride a horse is pretty un-Australian and embarrassing. The track and Stig Mk2 are also pathetic.
Hopefully Matt Campbell will get his marching orders when the advertisers start pulling out…..
How embarrassing. Who are these people? It has all been said before,however …make it stop…..courage can get you so far, but then pride and common sense must kick in this is rubbish. Imitation is supposed to be the finest form of flattery…..this should be illegal
Hear hear!
i reckon the Australian top gear is better than the UK version.It has a lot more content Australians can identify with,and the presenters have to be given a bit of time to be known to the viewers.
I have heard a rumour that Top Gear Australia is going to burn a Purvis Eureka…..I find this disturbing owing to the fact I own two of them and the Eureka owners of Australia are trying our best to preserve Eurekas because they are so rare……If this is the case, can we please burn something else…..there are so few Eurekas left, we need to restore them not incinerate them…….
For what’s it worth, the Aussie version of Top Gear is (in my opinion) the best example of wasted money/ resources!
Why would anyone pollute the airwaves with this sort of things when the “original” is miles better … and PLEASE, don’t call it Aussie original! I know we’re better than this!
This show is remarkable for all the wrong reasons: lack of witt and spontaneity (among other!).
Please make it stop. Somebody breathe some sense into SBS!
This show is terrible!!! I have been a fan of the UK version for many years and the Aussie one is pathetic. The hosts are completely devoid of wit and have seemly no knowledge about cars at all. For example in the episode airing now, traveling across the outback – all we have seen is that guys demonstrating their lack of knowledge about the vehicles and their inability to review the cars. Maybe on a car review show it might be a good idea to talk about the cars rather than sitting around talking crap.
I hope this show gets axed… it is embarrassing to all the Aussie’s who could be on the show, Aussie’s with more than three combined brain cells and who are capable of reviewing a car beyond saying ‘it looks like a fridge’ !!!!
It’s 8.20pm on Monday 3rd November 2008, and I’ve just switched Top Gear off early – again – as I have with earlier shows. I come back each Monday night hoping that the program has improved, but alas, ’tain’t so. Machinegun speech, bad audio, pathetic script, and very little in the way of entertainment. Yeah, we know Australia’s big, we don’t have to be told.
Get a life SBS, you’re losing your grip. Will I come back next week? Doubt it.
Fred
Castlemaine
Why am I punishing myself watching this? Every so often they start a segment and you think “Eh up! This looks interesting!” Then they stuff it up.
The drive across from Alice Springs Segment one… interesting actual comments on the cars… segment two… um same as segment one without any comment on the cars…Booring… Segment three… to coin a phrase “What were they thinking?”… reversing into furry toys. Completely and utterly pointless.
It made me want to swear… ok I will! “Charlie Cox” there I’ve done it.
I’m really looking forward to next week in order to watch another beautifully filmed waste of time on mute so I dont have to hear the sweaty windmill.
WELL Bloody Well!! am i surprised ! much, much better !!
1) James Morrison fantastic, best interviewee yet, his comments were brilliant over his circuit.
maybe you should copy his technique ???
2) Charlie Cox in the Merc, his best so far !!! comments were excellent , brilliant through the tunnel brilliant filming excellent, Cox needs to still look at the camera more & make a few more funny faces. He has the James Bond look keep that one going guys!, each character will slot in somewhere, even Hypo Man, who appears now less hypo which is good !
3) Testing of 4wds , the best so far, thought squashing the frog & neck brace was very funny.
4) Didn’t like knocking the Elan, im a member of the Lotus club & that car is one of
my favourite even if it is a Jap copy, admittedly the Elise R is my faiv but knocking any of lotus vehicles I don’t like, I guess I am bias.
5) 4wd conclusion good The range rover is by far better than most 4wds from my own tests
6) these guys are finding their chemistry now with each other.
Overall the filming & choice of music has doubled in quality WELL BLOODY DONE GUYS!!!! Keep going we can beat the POMS & eclipse them!
Just finished watching Nov 3rd’s episode. It was a struggle to stay focused, again. One Mercedes wow!
What was the point of the trip across the outback? Have these guys any passion for all things 4 wheeled that we can find as viewers? They’re passionate about annoying each other yes but that’s not why we watch Top Gear.
Did they push any buttons inside the cars, adjust seats, discovery is the fun any new car – Anythings more interesting than a rubber snake under a car- he could have at least put it in his sleeping bag…
Top Gear should be 75% cool, not 90% Wiggles.
The conclusion to the 5 day trip was the Range Rover was the best because it was better!? Do they actually know why we love cars, why we want them, hate them, drive them? I wouldn’t buy a four wheel drive but that doesn’t matter, we need to know why it’s good, bad, annoying, you can watch people drive across Australia every weekend on travel shows, we want to know why we should choose these cars to drive across Australia, why mine is better that the his & why we want a car we can’t afford. Are you affraid to critisie anything?
Ask yourself ‘What’s Top Gears really about’ It’s about the cars we can’t afford, how they feel & make us feel if we were ever to get the chance to drive them.
These 3 Blocks driving around is not entertainment, Roy & the other guy on ABC driving around is but they know it’s not a car show.
Do the camera men/women ever walk down the race track as there maybe some intersting camera angle down the other end!!! One of the most important parts of the show is ‘The Stig’ giving the cars the once over. We want to see braking points, corners, action, the feeling he’s really ‘driving’ the car, sacrifice a few camera people if you have to for that one good shot, please…
I rest my case.
I would dearly love to see this show succeed, but there seems little chance as the basics are stuffed.
The blurb says it is directed at the 25 to 49 age demographic, but the cut scenes, focus pulls and other juvenile video tricks are aimed at the 10 to 14 age.
Sadly, I am outside your target demographic as a Baby Boomer, but my generation is the only one which has 1. the money, 2. the inclination and 3. the literacy and numeracy to understand and apply the ‘information’ from Top Gear. Or a least what the original show gave
Sadly, Top Gear Australia gives no information. Just video tricks of car badges, tarmac and talking heads. Sadly the talking heads say nothing in their rehearsed excitement over nothing.
We are watching this programme to see cars lovingly caressed by the camera, not 1 second flash shots (and that is with daylight saving) of a tyre, followed by a flash of moss on a tree, then a badge. That is bullshit – show me the car!
What is its top speed, horsepower, fuel usage, time for 0-100? – You don’t know or don’t care. We do.
Donuts and smoking tyres as an indication of “extreme” power – I could do that in a Datsun 1200 or do you think we are all mindless twats. Eat the bloody donuts, they mean nothing! Play your cards right & you can get coloured and scented smoke from the tyres – I can’t imagine how much that would improve the ratings – not.
As for the Crap wall, I’ve no idea what is on it: There was an interesting looking orange coloured car with a strange grill, but I had a 1 second exposure then it was thrust to netherland. the next one I have no idea as the presenter had his hand all over it before it was also banished.
My suggestions are – and I want this show to succeed- Tell the: 1. Producers that the show is about CARS not people; 2. The camera persons that they are not in a competition for innovative ‘shots’- we want to see the cars. Repeat- Cars!. 3.The editors -that average goldfish can do 3 seconds of attention span. Pubescent teenagers are substantially less than that but your audience requires something more than might satisfy a bloody goldfish. 1 second flashes of irrelevant rubbish only produces frustration in anyone over 16. That does not help ratings even in your misapplied target group. 4. Editors – get off the booze or caffeine laced stimulus drinks – give a flow. 5. Presenters – ditch the ‘false excitement’ & prepared speeches and interact at a normal speed.6 and most importantly, tell the bloody truth instead of talking around anything which may be outside the car company handout. If the gearshift feels like a Paddle-Pop in a Pavlova – then say so! Then deny accountability (if necessary) by saying ‘in my opinion this is so, but others may love that’.
Also – all the cars look the same these days & many come from the same factories but with different badges and different prices and different warranties: Why not compare a few of them? ……Or aren’t you game.
Bite the bullet & save this show.
Regards, Rowan
Well guys, you have really excelled yourself this time. At least Warren was driving a bit of class, and have another yarn, to tell him about RangRovers. In 1993, after the MG Nationals in Adelaide, driving my 1963 MGB MK 1 Roadster, followed a 1946 MGTC out of Adelaide. 5 days later was in a place called Birdsville. Accomplied 7 other MG’s up the Birdsville Track, which included a MGTC, 2 X MGTF’s, 2 X MGA’s and 3 MGB’s. Until recently the pics where still on the wall of the Birdsville pub. Just proves that the Outback Obyssey, was just a walk in the park. On our trip, when stayed over night at Marree, and word came through that a Range Rover had rolled near Mungeranie. Leaving Marree after lunching at the Maree pub, just on dusk rolled into Mungeranie roadhouse, and after a couple of sherberts was off to the thermal springs, then pitched camp beside the roadhouse camping area. Next morning, saw a very new, rather battered RangeRover in the carpark, where it had been recovered to, the evening the before. The vehicle had encountered a tyre ruts, left by a roadtrain, following recent rain, and rolled end over end several times. Warren, this proves that MG’s make it, and RangRovers don’t, and your Outback Obyssey from Alice to Boula, was just a ride along Toorak Rd tram tracks. When comes to dust entering the drivers cab, we did the trip up the Birdsville, in soft top vehicles, and 2 of the T-Types, and both MGA’s did it hoods down. Hence dust not an issue
I gave constructive advice to this Top Gear programme, I wished it to succeed. My comments were deleted . They may not have ben brilliant, but they were worth comment.
So with that type of reaction to a perceived criticism, clearly my efforts and your efforts are completely wasted as another pointless attempt at informing those who should know of the truly parlous situation and what should be done to save this programme from the implosion of its own arrogance..
Whoops – I logged back in and my comment was there. It was not there when I looked previously. It was there, but then it was gone. I thought I had been unfairly edited. That is not the case. I therefore withdraw the above comments on editing of this forum unreservedly. I was wrong. There is no censorial arrogance, just my slow connect speed. Most people can probably identify with that.
434 comment by sav what sort of content are we suppose to identify with? bogans doing burnouts in falcodores? comon i think we are more matured than this this thing sux big time. luckily i have ALL TGUK episodes on dvd amd that’s what i watches last night instead SBS TGA rubbish just hope that the moron who miscarried this crap will gwt the marching orders
When we thought the show and its characters can’t stoop lower than dog s…, it happaned again last night! But, on this occasion, it was Warren, not the dog. Or was he leaving his self-portrait behind wrapped up in toilet paper in the middle of the desert? Very classy act indeed.
I wanted to express my feelings to SBS about this appalling garbage, but somehow I can’t work out how their feedback system works. Does anyone know?
Only two more shows left! Hope I’m correct.
Been watching and waiting and hoping. Still bad. Not a ute in sight. Please make it stop. Like a bad lampoon. We are not poms. Needs to be Aussified both people and content. Why the stig. Is Dick Johnson still alive?
How about a bullcatcher build project. Lets see the three little nerds catch a beasty bull in their own work.
Perhaps a razor back episode where we search through feral pig poo for traces of the presenters. Then like Doctor Who they appear in a different form after magically acquiring personality.
Ken
RIP – quickly and quietly, please. Aus media makers – get out and find out how it’s really done. Just because it’s Australian doesn’t make it good, or even relevant. Still 20 years behind the rest of the world.
TGA could be better.
– Keep Warren, dump the others.
– There’s only one STIG that the UK one so let’s have an Ozzie nickname. ie the Ferret, Wombat etc
– When you do a car report. We need more than it has a loud exhaust, and does dohnuts. Compare SBS report on the Merc AMG 63 to Jeremy’s indepth one.
We want more local show idea’s,:-
A Brissy to Melbourne race using 3 bombs you bought for $1000. A Car tugowar with a big rope from each of their towbars! An Orientering race trying to get from one place to another. Ie Sydney to Perth.
Race between a Ferrari and a Qantas Jumbo!
If you won’t get rid of Steve make him get a shave at least. He looks like a bum.
Where the hell does that cretinous clown think he’s heading with those totally unjustified, onerous, and misplaced comments regarding the good old Volksy Kombi? He’s obviously never owned one of the venerable beasties or he wouldn’t have been so adamant in his condemnation. Critisism I can handle, but ignorant ravings of a prejudiced ignoramus are unacceptable. If he thinks he’s emulating his Pommie counterpart, then perhaps he should view his own performance and realise what an idiot he is.
His little, unshaven, vociferous, squeakey-voiced mate should be taken out and put down.
And that windmilling, lanky-locked blonde ex-car/insurance/real estate salesman should try for federal politics – he has no future in the real world in a real job.
SBS, for Heaven’s sake, read, digest, and act upon the comments of your ever-diminishing viewers and get these yobbos OFF!
We tuned out in week 2 and were not looking forward to the long wait for this pap to end. But suffer no more Top Gear fans — the real thing is showing on BBC Knowledge Channel Friday nights — Channel 619 on Foxtel.
gotta say, verry disapointed with tga, i wanna give it a go and im hoping its just teething problems but unless things/people change tga is going to flop, i understand tga has a smaller budget than tguk, but lets face it, the test track is crap (runway with bollards) atleast hire out calder park or sandown, presenters are not suited for the top gear brand, dont perticluary mynd charly, definatly no clarkson but ill giv him a go, steve is ok, i guess, dunno bout warren, i fail to see why tga wuld hire a cartoonist to be a co-presenter, either way none of em are funny or good at reviewing cars, i can honestly say i culd do a better job. hope to see some good episodes soon….
top gear australia is terrible please bring back the english version.
I seen it but i don believe it.
OK wowo ! this is great ! its interesting but my thoughts have moved more to the composition of the show rather than the human talent which is good for you guys, the directors. However the Human talent is most definitely improving & the chemistry is locking in, WOOWWO !
1) Again filming overall has improved up 3 notches from the last episode, as specially shots in the car for lap times Well done !, if you play some rfactor you might get some more ideas but I think you do anyway.
2) great idea bringing 2nd and 3rd in at Bathurst. Murphy is highly Competitive well done here. I was trapped in the lap times, you got me ! I forgot about everything else.
3) the Skyline comparison between game & reality, im starting like like Mr hypo, much of what he says makes sense, I owned a wrx & I feel he can make some legit comments on these cars, keep him in the Jap cars only, he’s a rev head & good at it, highly technical , I think you have found his home. but keep him away from BMW & German cars.
4) even though the helicopter fight was a copy of the UK series at least you interviewed the pilot, they didn’t do this in UK which was stupid, pilots are interesting characters, but I guess im bias because I am one as well.
Ok funny face from Hypo man LOVED IT!! more of this please the characters are finding their way !
I have great believe the OZ show will be so much better than UK keep going love it !
cheers from Pete
Thank goodness SBS announced tonight that the English version of Top Gear will be on again on 24th november. I was able to watch only one and a half episodes of the Australian version – it was pitiful. I don`t know how they could have expected to get away with an exact copy. It might have been different had we not seen the English version.
SBS would do better running Speedweek between the English Top Gear series.
I was blown away by the volume of negative critisim on this blog, but the critisim itself does not suprise me – I agree Top Gear Australia is terrible! I’m a big fan of the UK show, as was excited at the thought of us getting our own version, but I’ve been really let down by the attempt to directly try and copy the UK format – it just does not work. I’d recommend having Tim Smith as a host, he is a great comedian and a serious car bloke. They need far more australian culture and have to dump the “copy cat format” if they want this show to suceed. Mr Editor, are all these comments going to be fed back to SBS (or the UK parent company)in an attempt for them to make some changes before the Australian version dies a horible death?
Didn’t bother to turn SBS on at 7.30 tonight, I’d had enough last week.. Comments about the episode verified my thoughts. Seems SBS hasn’t awoken to the crisis.
I have given TGA a good go, but have to say the cringe factor is just too much. I can’t recall the main presenter’s name but the whole “talking with the hands” thing is very irritating. As for the other two, the cartoonist is missing some much required brain cells, and the word “Yobbo” comes to mind for the try hard unshaven guy. Sorry to say, this show is just far to bad to be watched. Please bring back the original.
Please, please, please, please, please make it stop!!!!!
Donuts and reversing into fluffy toys, how is this relevant.
And what’s with the supposedly funny Stig intro’s, please, no more.
It’s just to painful, bring back the original!!!!
SBS have lost me as a viewer, atleast until this crud is gone!!!
As one of the remaining three viewers, may I suggest that SBS supply Steve “The Weasel” Pizatti with a booster seat?
Hi team, I watch your show as i did the uk one,apart from the show being good and interesting, i do have one comment i would like to say and an answer,you were testing on monday night 10,11,08 2 cars one on petrol the other on disel, do you have a legal exception about using hand held communication whilst driving, as i understand it, it is ilegal to do so.
But i do like the show
regards DAVID
Well, it’s still appalling!
Some people keep saying “give them time to settle in, because the UK version took a long time to settle in”, but that type of thinking is completely redundant because this is a DIRECT copy of a mature and proven version of an excellent show.
To SBS: Where’s the sense in wasting taxpayer money on such a poor counterfeit?
well i still like the OZ cause its getting better !
cheers
if you can do a you tube video of top gear let me know im holding a competition !
Sanity (comment 463) is 100% correct, and sanity is what’s missing from the three morons running/imitating the UK version of the show.
But, there is light at the end of the very long tunnel, and it will shine on TG viewers on 24 November.
I just hope that the people who created this rubbish at SBS read the comments above, and act accordingly, i.e. disappear without a trace.
1st entry of petes competition came in last night by karl Peskett . see it at the link
I believe that Top Gear UK has a big say in the Aussie version, maybe they wanted it to be a clone. The show is improving – the hosts are different, deal with it. A bit less negativity would nice. I’m sure lots of people would complain if it was different from the UK show, which has plenty of its own cringe moments.
As for what the hosts qualifications at least 2 of the Aussie guys have Motorsport backgrounds, I hadn’t heard of Steve but certainly we have heard of Charlie Cox from his racing and commentating in the UK.
Good luck
SH*T through the whole entire season. Top Gear UK is on BBC Knowledge on Foxtel (619)
Who really cares , stop bagging them out all the time just change channels if you dont like it don”t watch it . buy the UK version on DVD and watch it in your own time .
The budget is not the issue with the Australian Top Gear. The show is terrible because they have tried to make an identical show with Australians as clones of Jeremy, Richard and James. The UK show is such a success because of the personalities involved but trying to clone that chemistry is a mistake. They should have found 3 Aussie guys who work together in an ‘Aussie’ way and given it a personality of its own. As it’s stands it’s a disaster and a huge waste of SBS funds.
Thank You Car god, Finally that utter bollocks that was palmed off as TopGear Has finally finished, found it very hard to watch but some how found it difficult not to just incase I was missing out on something worth while. The Hosts just didn’t work, poor rip off versions of our beloved BBC trio, If SBS wanted it to work it needed to be made truly Aussie not a crap carbon copy with Aussie content. I know its easy to be negative but it was so hard to be positive, It really was that bad! please SBS don’t let them do a season 2 just replay old BBC episodes.
Dear top gear
what a great show but i can not watch it when steve comes on the screen i change channle. steve is the downfall of a great show, what a pitty. get rid of him and your raitings are bound to improve. this is a general coment from all my mates thanks sax.
These blokes suck do they even know any thing about the cars there showing
No more shows no more pointless crap about nothing these better australian car shows on comunnity tv stations ta mate
Hi Guys ,
Not going over any of the previous comments, good effort on your show but
a very hard act to follow from UK.
Being a petrol head myself I don’t want to be a hypocrit too much.
For the sake of our younger (and older) drivers , please try not to let law breaking offences going to air..
eg. crossing double lines , right hand lane clips without captions showing this is OS. using two way radios and phones while driving..
You may get some more upset viewers who are out of pocket as well..
cheers guys.
Didn’t watch – again – instead referred to comments of others who’re resilient enough to torture themselves with this crap and then comment afterwards. Again it appears I was justified in not watching, instead I downloaded a UK Topgear episode involving Jeremy, Richard and James doing silly things with trucks. Yeah, silly, but ENTERTAINING – a word that SBS hasn’t been able to inject into the Aussie version. It all boils down to three wankers trying to emulate their masters – and failing miserably.
Roll on TopGearUK
Who in SBS chose the stig?
This seems to be standard for Aussie television choosing someone based on price not ability.
If you wan’t a successful show hire someone who can drive.
I thought the last episode was an improvement. Maybe they are getting better at it. However, I would prefer to see “Fifth Gear” than TG-AUS in the TG-UK off season.
I know both those drivers
Can you please remind me the last time either one of them won a race?
All i could see was sloppy driving.
The feeling is the same all over the racing community
You need a driver with balls like the english Stig.
Top Gear Australia is a boring copy of the UK show.
The presenters are simply luke warm, unfunny, copys of the successful uk team.
After an extensive search looking for presenters last year they came up with these three a cartoonist, an old bloke who looks over tired and a annoying chirpy little bloke.
What a mess who ever put this together at SBS needs a new job.
I like the idea that i know what they are talking about in relation to Australian issues, but i would rather see Top Gear from 2003/4/5 repeats in the Top Gear UK off season
I tried to like it, I really tried but after 8 weeks I’d rather go to the dentist and have my teeth pulled. Whilst I have no problem with swearing on a day to day basis, it wrankled me something cronic and if I had to watch another holden vs ford….aaahhh…. The series was everything I feared it would be. Looking forward to TGUK next week and that little knot of excitement when I sit down at 7.30 to the intro knowing C/H/M are back.
Thank God that’s over…..
There ya go SBS, THAT’s the way it’s done – the Pommie way! Script, characters, cars, storyline – everything that makes great entertainment. Except of course the [CENSORED]! That’s NOT entertainment. I switched channels whilst that rubbish was on, but the remainder was SUPERB. Looking forward to next week’s episode.
just watched first show of original English top gear, thamk god there back, i couldnt stand any more Aussy series, back to funny, witty, i am happy again, dump the Aussy Top Gear tapes before someone repeats the series, I dare SBS to run that crap again!
Praise the lords of SBS! The one and only Top Gear,(UK), is back for now and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Brought a smile back to the dial.
MONDAY NIGHT IS ONCE AGAIN THE TV HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK.
WHAT A RELIEF!
THE WHOLE FAMILY WHETHER INTERESTED IN CARS OR NOT WERE GLUED TO THE T.V SET REGARDLES. UK TG JUST WORKS ON SO MANY LEVELS.INFORMATIVE, WITTY, FUNNY, THOUGHT PROVOKING, ENTERTAINING.
MIGHT I SUGGEST (SBS) YOU LOCK THE THREE AUSSIE STOOGES PLUS THEIR PRODUCTION COMPANY IN A SCREENING ROOM AND FORCE THEM TO WATCH THE REAL THING. THE DESIRED OUTCOME IS THAT REALISING THEIR TERRIBLE LACK OF TALENT THEY ALL RESIGN BEFORE STARTING SERIES TWO.
CB
Yay, the real Top Gear is back!
Thank you SBS for putting on the real deal and taking off that cheap painfull imitation.
Just goes to show that you cant beat the original…
What were those guys names on that other show again…errrrrrrr!!!!!!
See ive forgoten already….Weeeee!
Well guys, you have really excelled yourself this time. At least Warren was driving a bit of class, and have another yarn, to tell him about RangRovers. In 1993, after the MG Nationals in Adelaide, driving my 1963 MGB MK 1 Roadster, followed a 1946 MGTC out of Adelaide. 5 days later was in a place called Birdsville. Accomplied 7 other MG’s up the Birdsville Track, which included a MGTC, 2 X MGTF’s, 2 X MGA’s and 3 MGB’s. Until recently the pics where still on the wall of the Birdsville pub. Just proves that the Outback Obyssey, was just a walk in the park. On our trip, when stayed over night at Marree, and word came through that a Range Rover had rolled near Mungeranie. Leaving Marree after lunching at the Maree pub, just on dusk rolled into Mungeranie roadhouse, and after a couple of sherberts was off to the thermal springs, then pitched camp beside the roadhouse camping area. Next morning, saw a very new, rather battered RangeRover in the carpark, where it had been recovered to, the evening the before. The vehicle had encountered a tyre ruts, left by a roadtrain, following recent rain, and rolled end over end several times. Warren, this proves that MG’s make it, and RangRovers don’t, and your Outback Obyssey from Alice to Boula, was just a ride along Toorak Rd tram tracks. When comes to dust entering the drivers cab, we did the trip up the Birdsville, in soft top vehicles, and 2 of the T-Types, and both MGA’s did it hoods down. Hence dust not an issue .. I agree.
SO GLAD-UK Top Gear Back :):) Lets hope our version NEVER Returns !!!
YAY! The boys are back and, as expected, just brilliant. Top Gear UK: The best show on television. Not a ferret to be seen. Ratings anyone?
It is interesting to watch and enjoy TGUK. Ok they guys are looning about but they still tell you about the cars. Even the super car/petrol race said something intelligent aboout the cars and their technology.
Every moment we are being entertained and informed. Clarkson going through the different settings on the evo and lancer was brilliant. You can imagine the same with Clarlie the pratt in the car.
Charlie: “Ohh its got knobs that do sommat, but I know nothing about it so now watch me do donuts for 15 minutes! Now over to Steve!”
Steve: “Oh mate that thing, is a thing mate what a thing!” “Any comments on what thing is better? This thing or that thing?”
Charlie: “Eh? I’ve got no idea mate, I was doing donuts did ya see?!”
Warren: “WHAT WERE SBS THINKING?”
Lets hope SBS boot off Cox and the the Gerbil… at least Cox, and employ a producer who actually drives and likes cars, then the show may have a chance.
I tried to persevere with the guys… but nup, sorry, couldn’t hack it after about the 3rd show.
I basically just skipped over their antics and watched the car reviews. (gotta luv hard disk recorders!!)
So SBS, what’s the go for next season?
Here’s my two cents worth.
Production:
Well for one, sack the stage producer, because whoever instructs presenters to look at the crowd and not the camera should go back to live theatre.
Stop gawking at the crowd and look down the camera!
it’s hard enough for a show to take-root using new faces let alone with fundamental errors like this occurring.
I don’t mind the “cloning” of the UK show, it’s a formula that works so that makes sense.
“What were you thinking” needs far more research as it’s a bit shallow sometimes, but conceptionally great.
Link it with the crowd (i.e. “… anyone here ever owned one of these? … ” and watch it grow in popularity as people start to relate to the segment.
Advertisements. We all know SBS have them now so just go to them, we don’t need to be told every 8-14 minutes.
Presenters:
New presenters I’m afraid.
Presenters who know how, and most importantly are capable of capturing a TV audience.
The scripts were, well, too scripted. They did not flow as was evident when joined with weak presenters who spoke the script instead of delivering it.
Tone down the “Australiana” also, no one speaks like this in Australia, so it comes across more as unnatural and fake than anything else. The UK show has a massive audience here in Australia, shouldn’t that tell you something SBS?
Technically:
Have the cameras on the track quadrupled at least!
Who would ever storyboard a scene where the subject (being the car) is a tiny blip on the TV and is way off in the background? This is waste of time for everyone and shows a massive lack of preparation, foresight and no story-boarding here at all.
Be innovative and introduce new content that establishes the aussie show from the UK show.
How?
What about fitting the “bog standard car” with telemetry?
I know I can’t tell a good lap from a bad lap easily (mainly due to the poor camera efforts) so this would be a great add-on.
Also.
What about a “live map” on the screen as the celebrity is driving around the track? Then, show The Stig’s live map with telemetry when racing also, so the TV audience can literally see the difference! (speeds, gear changes, g-force etc).
People who like performance vehicles and therefore performance anything for that matter, tend to have a bit of technical nous, so don’t be afraid to include this type of information throughout the segments and reviews.
Not Even TGUK talk about track temperature when testing cars. This is something to talk about with the lap times ladder, especially when only split seconds separate first, second and third.
That’s enough, for now…
We are so glad that the UK version of Top Gear is back on! We thought the Aussie version would have an aussie feel to it, but it was a complete rip off of the UK Top Gear. We only watched 10min of the first episode…….what a shame!
I’d rather go to the dentist and have my teeth pulled. Whilst I have no problem with swearing on a day to day basis, it wrankled me something cronic and if I had to watch another holden vs ford….aaahhh…. The series was everything I feared it would be. i couldnt stand any more Aussy series, back to funny, witty, i am happy again, dump the Aussy Top Gear tapes before someone repeats the series, I dare SBS to run that crap again!
Just so you know, the new topgear.com/au site has launched. It looks great. Heaps of UK content plus plenty of Aussie stuff.
For all the reasons above I switched off early on.Very disappointing.But I guess what irked me the most was that I did not agree with most of the reviews and the Oz bias was so blatant.Whereas Top Gear UK has credibility for me and while I think there is too much “challenge” content for my liking I still watch.
If Top Gear OZ can get back their credibility I think they will get back their audience and then they should not try so hard to mimic the UK 3 because it doesn’t work they end up looking more like the 3 stooges.
It disappoints me to see so much negativity about the local TG…..You all sound like a bunch of yanks, not Aussies !
Yep, I agree it’s not the best and can/needs to be improved, but has anyone seen the very first season of TG-UK ? It was crap, and was close to being axed as well, but tweaking and perseverance paid off.
Some of the personal attacks and harsh words in the blogs above aren’t warranted, at least give sensible constructive feedback so the producers (not SBS…)can have a chance to fix it, this is Australia’s chance to have a good local car show…… TG-UK is the best show on TV and will always be hard to replicate, but I think we owe it to ourselves to give this a chance…… Oh, and all you people that complain about the format etc etc, blame BBC, since they are the ones that call the shots on the format that you see……..
I know I want to see a local program, that contains local places and cars that we can relate to, so how about supporting one more season and writing to the producers with positive, constructive feedback, instead of rambling on like a bunch of school kids above……………
BTW….. No I dont work for SBS or the producers, just a keen TG viewer who likes to see anything Aussie succeed and don’t mind giving people a fair go…
Great to hear that James Morrison is comming on board,I think he will add a little extra spice to what will become a great show as it matures. What I would like to see is a look at our aging muscle cars such as the GTHO phase 3 up against the HG 350 Monaro and the V8 charger. Prehaps I’m just of the older set but they are great Aussie Icons from the 70’s
Thanks Boyd
I think James Morrison will be a real win for the show. Also, after seeing the excessive tyre smoke from the Bentley a couple of weeks ago and wonton destruction of several buses on TGUK this week, I will have more patience with TGA.
The Australian TG hosts were aiming at the bogan audience and seemed to adopt the attitude that louder and cruder than the UK was better. I didnt have a problem with the stunts or the situations they put the cars in, just the hosts who grated like nails on a chalkboard.
The appeal of the UK TG was the irony of three posh boys who were completely hopeless at anything practical except destroying vehicles, and their enthusiasm was tempered down by the English reserve (Clarkson the exception but he got away with it by being rude and funny).
I thank all the producers of this show for realising a dead duck when they saw it – please never bring this back to life.
A huge UK TG fan
Oh, please god. no – please don’t tell me that SBS are going to make more of this banal trash?!? And for the love of everything holy; James Morrison?!?!? Pleeeeeeeese, just kill me!! Just stick with TGUK and stopping wasting your damned money on this puerile nonsense SBS!!!
Wow, Top Gear Australia spend $ 10 Million!! and that is to just to start the show. That’s a lot of money spend on bunch of amateurs hosting a very well respected show(The original T.G London). I think the production and marketing of the show is very well organized, but i am sorry to say the host are soo very boring and sometimes act really unprofessional(stupid), T.G Australia needs to do a lot of host replacements if they wanna stay in profit or just to break-even during this hard economic crisis.
someone said to me the other day that they are already going to do a THIRD series of Top Gear Australia! Please someone tell me this is not true! I have been enjoying the return of the original (the one and only) Top Gear on SBS, but was reminded of the shithouse Oz version when they had ad looking for studio audience members for the new series. Man there’s no way I’d be part of the studio audience for that, even if James Morrison should be an improvement over the sweaty Pommy guy, because what if my mates saw me there, Id feel ashamed! Seriously, TGA has to stop, it doesn’t work, it can’t work, it is just wrong and a total conterfeit and it is appalling to think that it is ‘our’ version of Top Gear. It is just so embarassing, no way would I be watching it is just torture. Please no third series!!!
I’d wish they’d stop with this whole TP country thing they are doing and just focus on the original UK. I’ve heard the Russian version is surprisingly worse than the Aussie one. Its said to actually make you appreciate TGA more and thats a tall order.
May i just say as a full blooded aussie chick with petrol in the viens, maybe all you fkn over-critical mongrels should give up and watch 20-1 with Bert fkn Newton instead. Give our blokes a go they’ve got big shoes to fill from the uk and i’m sure when the poms started out they were shit too. So shut your face flappers and GIVE EM A GO!!!!!!!!!
Hey anythings gotta be better than the fkn BILL!!!!!!!
Good Heavens and sod me sideways! Not another attempt at reviving a dead dog! Colin, comment 503, has put it in a nutshell. SBS, listen, read, and digest what the public (your viewers) are saying en mass. DON’T DO IT! YOU’RE WASTING YOUR MONEY! Comments re ‘give ’em a go, UKTG was crap in the beginning’ just don’t wash! Our Aussie version had all the good, bad and ugly to draw upon – and still died before conception. We’re a bloody island, remember? We don’t have the resources or the wonderful foreign cars that the Poms have, to thrash around the continent in. We’ve got Holdens and Falcons and all manner of Asian rubbish, but we DON’T HAVE EXOTIC CARS. Ergo, we don’t have the material to come within cooee of ULTG, so don’t bloody bother.
And who’s James Morrison when he’s home?
Oh, forgot to mention! Comment 507. If this is the result of having petrol in your veins, I’m glad there’s blood in mine
Jess: I fkn agree wholeheartedly. Watching moon-face on 20 to fkn 1 is a far better fkn idea. And I fkn agree fkn that fkn TGA is far fkn better than The fkn Bill. I would actually go so far as to suggest it is even better … oops, sorry … fkn better … than Home and fkn Away and fkn Neighbours.
Ok what have I ever done to you SBS?…You are going to put me through hell for another season..Thats it..Im downloading all my shows myself from now on…Bye Bye SBS!
Well, it’s on again, glad I had kids smart enough to get me the DVD sets for my birthday.
It’s comments like 507 made, that show what the first TGA was all about, crass, no idea, loud mouthed and vulgar.
I have watched the Poms in both the first series and prior to that a show called fifth gear and NO, they were not shit when they started out. They were not as smooth operators as they are now, but they were never like TGA.
James Morrison has my respect for his talent as a musician, so I am prepared to see how it goes, but we still have that unshaven badly dressed Hammond wanna be and the cartoonist!
507 clearly TGA is absolutley perfect for you, i would simply ask SBS just to refrain from using the Top Gear name and association for this locally produced show.
What are you thinking SBS, James Morrison! Great musician, granted. But also a big fat, bald,lisping twatty nerd (Who BTW recently traded his BMW 7 series for a Citroen C6 land yacht)are you bloody insane.
As if he wasnt bad enough on the short lived ‘behind the wheel’ what possible rationale can you have for putting him on TGA?
I have watched Top Gear from the Beginning. When it came to Australia i was so excited.
Firstly Steve Pizzati is definitely not a Driver. I know this for sure!!!
Then we have a cartoonist who drives like my Mother, (he is my fav, still a knob though)
Now we have a musician. I can hardly wait.
Such a shame, I guess what i am saying is the person who picked our new Top Gear Australia team should be shot!
Simon
sbs better take top gear australia off the air before the next season starts because the hosts are s*it and try to be funny but will never match the great comedy and sarcasm of hammond,clarkson and ctn. slow take it off the air
Enjoyed the latest TGUK, very polished, very professional, although wrecking three caravans seemed a bit childish (I would’ve liked one) Now we’ve got up until 1th May 2009 to get the gramaphone out, polish up the dartboard, tip the silverfish out of the Monopoly and generally get set for some family fun, ‘cos I’m not wasting my eyes, ears, sensibility, not to mention electricity by watching another series of TGA. The same nasty cartoonist, the same unshaven, scruffy weasel-faced alleged driver, and a fat musician to try and emulate the the fascinating UK team?? I don’t think so!
Goodbye SBS
As much as I love the Aussies, I’m not a huge fan of the Australian hosts. I think it is just another proof that the sequels are never as good as the original. *See Land Before Time.
When can we get a Top Gear US? There was one on the table but it was cancelled 🙁
P.S. How can I watch some of the Australia episodes from the US? Are they on youtube or anything like that?
Just watched s2 e1 pity they lost the only good presenter and got left with the idiots, glad they dropped that terrible idea WOT WERE THEY THINKING only good thing was James Morrison but he won’t be able to hold the show by himself when the others are Too loud and overbearing
the aussie version is has staged lame humor and it just doesn’t have the goods Im boycotting
Well done Aussie Top Gear. From the most annoying show on TV to very enjoyable. And all you had to do was get rid of that yelling, sweating idiot. Keep calm, be cool and keep it up!
Thank you for changes in s2 , better. by the way the STIG could loose some weight [had to give cox something to do ???
mmm improved from an F to a D/E
sorry, still too try hard
why on earth didn’t you take the concept and do a wholly Oz version, rather than a crap pastiche?
I feel sorry for everyone involved
the people who made the decision to fund this should have to give their salaries back
where does making a woeful imitation of a BBC motoring show fall in SBS’s charter by the way?
how on earth does this expand our viewing horizons?
my two robert’s worth
ww
TGA is still a giant FAIL.
First opportunity to watch Top Gear Australia (missed first series), and I could barely watch it! Pizzati’s Ozzie accent seems stretched to the max, and I felt like he was constantly shouting. He doesn’t seem to drive like he should, either.
The challenge was a good idea, but it was over-produced and just seemed too scripted.
It would be nice to have an Aussie “twist” to the program.
I think Morrison is a good choice and will watch next week’s episode with hope!
If you ever wanted to see a great Australian show about motoring ‘Bush Mechanics’ was the one: authentic, entertaining and chock-full of human interest. TGUK’s presenters are sophisticated, irreverent, original and therefore have sex appeal/charisma. Australians with such qualities shouldn’t be impossible to find. However, TGA’s presenters are folksy, blunt-witted, unspontaneous and have zero sex appeal. Poor James Morrison – he must be dying to get back to his trumpet. (By the way, comment 507 was hilarious)
Well, i was absolutely dreading Series 2, having despised every minute of Series 1.
What I can say is, this was a huge improvement. The boys at TGA & SBS clearly listening to some of the comments made on sites like this and taking some form of appropriate action.
The bearded Rat Boy is still fairly painful to listen to and much of the banter is just so stilted and cliche’d… wordsmiths they are not and clearly the script writers are not much cop either.
If for no other reason than $$$Budget$$$$ TGA will never be able to come even close to the current TG UK, but at least it’s watchable, reasonably entertaining and not nearly as annoying as the last series.
Like i said on the sbs feedback forum, which my post will be canned/dropped anyhow, this show will never work with its latte drinking, massively boring, script reading, out of touch no-balls hosts.
These guys probably pay to get their oil changes done!
The show will never be a hit because most real blokes will not and never relate to these clowns.
nuff said.
What was that about “massively boring”?
Cheers, with cinnamon.
Later.
Dude
I suppose at least they got rid of the cringe-making “wot were they thinking” segment. Excellent copy of production values and set but that just shows up how bad the presenters are. And what was Morrison thinking of by jumping onto this lame bandwagon. And if this garbage really does cost $10 million per series we could have had a whole year of erection-free and tampon-free SBS with no awful embarrassing degrading ads. WOT WERE THEY THINKING?
The first Aussie series of Top Gear was abysmal. I’m afraid Charlie leaving / being thrown out wasn’t the answer. You’re trying to imitate the original, and in this instance, it doesn’t come close to flattery. Look at the US version of Life on Mars, the producers had the sense to stop at series 1. It doesn’t matter how much rouge and lipstick you put on it, it’s still a pig. At least I get my 7.30 slot on Monday nights back until you start repeating the UK Top Gear.
I cringed after watching last week’s episode…it was simply boring. That ridiculous “challenge” was so lame…does anyone give a stuff who wins a race between and Lambo and a jet ski! Honestly, I could do a far better job than the poor bastards they’ve chosen to emulate May, Hammond And Clarkson (is SBS taking applications still..??). James Morrison is a slight improvement, but that annoying, self indulgent rat boy should not be long for this world. By the way…to the producers…it is ILLEGAL to drive and talk on a mobile or 2 way radio! Can’t you rig up a blue tooth comm. set up or something?
A pig wearing lipstick is still a pig. In short TGA could suck a tennis ball through a hose pipe it is so bad. Please save us from the rest of it. Bury it deep, burn it or better still put it in a caravan and blow it up. Other than that I will leave to you. I’m sure you could wreck it, just like you have wrecked TGA. Keep your eye on the ratings and watch them fall and fall and fall. I will not watch again. Thank god you got rid of that sweaty overbearing pompous windmill. Next you should axe pissani, the little rat guy with the annoying voice. Oh and 507 your all class love.
SBS I would like to appeal to your good sense. On Monday night you provide some great TV. As this entertainment is and will not to be of everyone’s taste and in the search of clarity I would like to single out Top Gear Australia.
You would be aware that during series one and well documented on this site a few loyal fans of the UK series were a little upset with the copycat and frankly comical content. Its direct script line was very badly converted to try and fit the Ozzie population.
The series may have rated reasonably well but really it was rubbish.
Thankfully you got a new host and listened to the viewers and obviously read the blogs (what where they thinking) very embarrassing for all involved and quite honestly made the cartoonist look like a Pratt.
Bet he was happy to see that one binned, and not before time.
Episode one of the new series showed a little improvement, but rock bottom is not hard to improve on. The new line up is much better, I mean any line up without Charlie has to be an improvement. Makes me wonder if he left or was he pushed?
It’s really time to get a life and either bin the show or find someone that can really make it happen, either a presenter or someone that can write a decent script.
This would take a genius, as making rat boy entertaining might require a personality transplant, not something as yet available on Medicare.
The concept of a Lamborghini racing a jet ski was stupid at best. Oh and the “I know a guy with a truck” was ridiculous, do you think we were born yesterday?
The show is failing because it is a horrible copy of the UK show, right down to the Stig speech.
Some say he lives in denial, some say he is trying to cash in on a brilliant UK series, but most of the people on this planet say it’s time for a decent test track. Please take note your test track is rubbish, even though you tried to make it look better in episode 1.
Have just looked at all the complementary comments on the official SBS website, interesting to see that nobody has a bad word to say. How quickly we forget.
Top gear Australia waste of time and money. The people on the hosts of no chemistry, knowledge, amusement value and have just tarnished to extremely succesful british top gear and left australians with nothing to be proud of. Ford and holden should of been kept away from this show at all cost hopefully there will not be another series and we as australians can put this nightmare behind us.
The first series was rubbish, and the second is, what’s the term, I know; still rubbish. Turfing out that Charlie fella was a good idea. So why didn’t they chuck out the other two? Who knows perhaps the show may actually be slightly watchable if it wasn’t for the most irritating, whiny, ugly hosts on Australian TV. Why not just get three XXXX Angels to host it? They have the same amount of presenting talent as the current bunch of idiots, and are much better looking.
That had to be the MOST UNENTERTAINING show in the history of television! Abbot and Costello in a Ford T? And Ratboy and his never-ending waving hands? What a complete, utter, and total disaster!! Thank goodness for the advertising breaks.
Season 2 had signs of improvement but they quickly faded away. Even if they had the same budget this show is always going to be compared to the UK classic so trying to make an exact copy is frustrating to watch. So the Stigs got an Aussie flag stitched into his jacket now, way to go guys!!! Why is he still called the Stig? There is only one “Stig” don’t they get it? When the UK presenters go elsewhere in the world they use different Stigs, American Stig, Stigs African Cousin etc so it’s funny. “Stigo” was a great idea as one of the presenters suggested on the first series. And maybe if everyone stopped trying to copy the untouchable then even the presenters would have a chance to losen up
Well another RUBBISH episode of Top Gear Australia, Yawn!!! Steve is like a yappy little dog trying to bite you on the ankles. The cartoonist is just about bearable, and I am still undecided on the trumpet player. Please captain thunder pants another way to copy the real Top Gears Captain slow?? The electric car challenge was about as entertaining as the yappy dog.
This show really has gone backwards again. I was quite encouraged to see a little improvement in EP 1 series 2, but back to square 1 guy’s. That was awful. The model T segment, who’s idea was that? My god how boring, actually worse than boring it was like epically rubbish. Get a grip! Stop wasting money producing such drivel and get the real deal back on soon. Please I’m begging you.
Maybe Clarkson is smarter than I thought, after all I bet the sales of his DVD’S have hit the roof. That is the only possible reason to continue the utter torture, isn’t it? Please put the yappy dog in the pound and find a decent presenter at least.
Maybe you could get a Jeremy Clarkson doll and get the cartoonist to sit it on his knee, then Clarkson could do the show over the phone. In short it’s that bad guy’s, drastic changes needed still. Oh and get the dog down to NSW and have him de-barked. Big improvement.
This makes me laugh, Australia Top Gear HAHAHAHAHHA !!
What a Joke.
Wow he really pushed the limits in those hot tarted up wanna be race cars, basically its a family car with a body kit, big wheels and stiff suspension. Pushed the limit!!
HAHHAAHA, my GF can drive harder than this twat!
Well, if I thought last weeks episode was a joke, last night’s pathetic effort was a BAD joke. I can’t believe that the producers would view this tripe and think… gees that’s going to make great television! I’m sure that Jeremy Clarkson would NOT be amused if he was to witness this huge degradation of the Top Gear product. The electric car disaster – NOT ENTERTAINING! The reversing “challenge”….what were THEY thinking! The T-Model drive was just boring, pointless and again, NOT ENTERTAINING.
Just test drive and report on some interesting local cars; tell us what they’re like to drive, do a proper and relevant vehicle comparison with some witty dialogue…can’t be that hard, can it?
Anyway, I suppose all episodes have been finished, so there’s not much that can be done now, other than – DO NOT DO A SERIES THREE…SBS, we’re NOT interested in this hopeless take on the superb UK version. Bring back the Pom’s!!!
well it confirmed!! Australia has tried to copy a perfectly good show such as top gear and turned it into a sh*t and boring programme.The English version of top gear sh*ts all ova the australian version.
At least there was good discussions,good challenges,good feedback from the crowd and really good cars and presented well the English version rocks. the australian tv presenters have tried to copy this and done nothing but f*cked it up!!! i refuse to watch this crap based on the fact that its australian and crap. put the English version back on.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaGGGHHH!!!!!! What a Pile of Cr*p TG Australia is!!!! Have you completely and utterly lost your minds, people at SBS?!?!?
Puerile, banal, facile and pointless do not go near describing this show. And James Morrison?!? Puleeease; you’re a great trumpet-player, stick to that.
This show is an abomination and I totally and utterly hate it.
Bring back TGUK!!!!!!!
I wonder if the execs at SBS ever look at these comments, or are they blinkered and read only those, no doubt filtered, on their own site?
SBS! ARE YOU GETTING THE MESSAGE??? Talk about flogging a dead horse………….bloody hell!
sorry,still rubbish
Top Gear Australia recent episode is the most tragic sh*t i have ever watched in my life. Ahn Do was f*cking woefull. I thought this was Top Gear AUSTRALIA. Please axe this show it is a disgrace. Please leave it to Captain Slow, Hammond and Jeremy. Please do us all a favor
James Morrison should be a hooker, he will obviously do anything for money. TGA is not just bad, it is hideous. I have apologised to friends in the UK, lest they see this steaming pile on their televisions. Steve and Warren are obviously convinced that Australian audiences cannot appreciate an intelligent discussion or an incisive comment. Some intelligent commentary would go a long way towards making this circle jerk look like a motoring program.
ok I am Bias because I went to the last Top Gear show at Bankstown (in the Audience) & I was on the show in the audience tonight behind tonight’s special guest on the left, Pete that’s me wow my claim to fame lol).. tonight’s show was much better actually & i think that Warren is falling into his right role their now (glad you put him in the Maserati), but you have missed one big thing…why have you not made James Morrison apart of the other sections in the show?? its only Warren & Steve doing the mechanics but where is James?? Top gear UK always have all 3 doing things together as its more fun with 3 … 2 simply destroys the chemistry of the show…. your on the right track now… if you cant have James through the whole show get someone else who has the time to be there.
This year is much better overall well done keep going but have 3 always throughout.
Said I wasn’t gonna watch it any more. Should have listened to myself. Turned it off! Crap to the nth degree
SBS, after a slight improvement in Ep 1, Series 2, the following Eps 2&3 have really fallen away into utter mediocrity again. TGA is just so damn boring and un-entertaining. Watching the low budget Australian versions of the challenges for example, last weeks electric car challenge and this weeks Ute.. yawn!
Compounded by the hosts complete lack of spontaneity and any degree of wit, these droning dullards, lack charm, charisma and credibility. If all three drove off a cliff tomorrow, nobody would give a toss…. get this rubbish off air and bring back the real thing PLEASE SBS.
As for 549, your illiterate ramblings befit the target audience of TGA,as for Bankstown, what an entirely suitable home for this bogan crap.
Well this is the last time I comment on this show.
How anyone could find those three even remotely interesting gets me. They laugh at their own jokes, sling off at old ads that in their day were cutting edge. They had a guest who sounded like he was yelling and for a comedian, was as funny as the Stig.
Is it a car show or a circus? I really have given up hope with this show, they do not inform the viewer on anything constructive, its all just juvenile crap.
I have a feeling someone is writting a script for them to follow and it shows. Its time to turn off TGA and I shall!
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING… (I thought you had got rid of that stupid idea)…I personaly think that putting Wazza in the Maserrati was the silliest thing you could of possibly done.. He doesnt seem to know his arse from his elbow about Real cars, and then they asked him to pick between the Maserrati and the Aston, WHY OH WHY WOULD YOU ASK HIM THAT ?? { LIKE HE WOULD KNOW THE DIFFERANCE }and dont start me on the UTE segment
Sorry boys gotta find me self somthing else to do on a monday night now, i realy wanted your show to work, we need the aussie news and views, I disagree with some of you blokes out there, theres an old saying” IF ITS NOT BROKEN, DONT FIX IT”
GIVE US A SHOUT WHEN THE NEXT POM SERIES STARTS..
Just tried to post this on the SBS TGA site:
Whoever moderates this “forum” MUST be filtering the REAL opinions on this abomination. TGA is purile, boring and pointless. The ute challenge was just dumb. Clarkson et al could carry this off but not the three “Aussie Blokes”. I’ll wait for TGUK to come back…until then…. au revoir.
Bet they won’t post this… They’ve lost me anyway….surely it won’t be financially feasible to produce a third series of this very 2nd rate crapola??
What is going on with this show…… i love the original topgear series…. But the aussie one is painful to watch……and the mistakes being made are obvious.
The interview with the swimmer involved way to much talking (about non car stuff)…… (we just wanna see how crap the celeb’s are at driving) keep it short sweat and get to the fast lap asap!! Ask em what their first car was…. allow a short story about their funniest experience in a car then move onto the fast lap please!……I care about cars not no name celeb’s new career goals…. short and sweet….unless they are a hot celeb, in which case it can drag out a little so we viewers can oggle a bit…..but we will get over that quick too…. short and sweet…..short and sweet.
Cramming people into a honda odyssey= Fail….(only funny bit about it was the kid that copped a knee in the throat when one guy jumped in on top of him….YAWN!)Stop trying to make every episode like the pommy topgear challenge episodes….I would prefer they did a fast lap in the Honda odyssey….then one in a Toyota tarago….each with a family of dummies in the car as they race…. and just compare the fuel economy at the end…
To much talk about “drift” …. why the heck would you try and drift things that are not going to drift ie- ice cream truck, limo, racing truck (which was clearly spin happy anyway)….If you must have some sort of drift segment at least drift cars that viewers actually want to see you try and drift….eg-nissan 370z,mazda mx5, new elfin thing……
The Kia soul review……HORRIBLE !… it goes,stops,has a 1.6 litre motor and is good for tight parking….. thats all i got….and the host thinks its an appliance. How about actually reviewing the car….instead of yabbering about how people just want an appliance….The car looked alright… but the hosts never said much about it……
Thrash/test drive (and i mean thrash)a 4×4 on the dirt every now and then too…
its a cars show….show us cars and show us them being driven !
Well it has finally descended into utter crap. with Steve “scream at the top of your voice” and Warren “I’ll bore your knickers off” totally killing the show. Now would be a good time for SBS to pull the pin, I won’t bother watching again
Well, what can I say? That was definitely SBS’s best effort so far. Still way down on the Pommie version, but – dare I say it! – I actually enjoyed watching it. There are still many negatives, ie Ratboy’s waving arms, and his and the cartoonist’s exceptionally loud voices (why do they do that?)but James is definitely the anchorman of the show, and doing a good job. So far! Waz’s (556) comments don’t really make sense. TGUK has had some horrendous bits in it, and to can the show willy-nilly was a bit rough. All fun and games children! Sure the limo and ice-cream van drift was silly. So what, it was good television. And the 600hp truck is designed to do exactly what it did – DRIFT! It wasn’t done well, but it was still FUN! And good on James’s dad having a bash at drifting. If I’m able to do that when my years are as advanced as his, then I’ll feel really good about it. Lethal’s segment was wonderful. What a lovely tele-natural young lady she is, and the camera shots of her during her lap were first class. All-in-all, a VAST improvement on all previous shows. And d’you know what? I’ll be watching next week as well.
Hang loose, don’t prejudge (I’ve been guilty) and if you’ve an axe to grind, leave it in the woodshed where it belongs.
Don’t let me down next week SBS
Fell asleeep after 10 minutes.. ’nuff said!
All I know is that we are missing out on the real top gear while the Australian trash is on. Why oh why have an Australian top gear? The reason for top gears success was not its name, it was the talent of the hosts and the writers and producers of the show. The Australian attempt is humiliating. James Morison??? Give me a break… SBS should be ashamed. If it aint broke, don’t fix it. Bring back Top gear… and burn that other trash!
HOW ABOUT A REAL AUSSIE UTE CHALLENGE AND COMPARISON ?
FORD XR8 VERSE HOLDEN SS ?
AND
FORD FPV UTE VERSE MALOO UTE ?
SBS let me down. That was CRAP!
Please mummy make it stop!
Tonights episode hit a new all time low, apart from the 370Z review the rest was utter crap. Who gives a toss about playing oil funnels, or mowing grass. And why is Warren still interviewing people? (isn’t that why Jame’s was brought in?) Warren doesn’t even listen to what the guests say he just butts in with his next scripted question. I just can’t understand why SBS could let this awesome concept for a show become such a bogan fest with tool hosts, and dodgy segments. Do yourselves a favour and download either BBC TopGear or 5th Gear and let this show go the way of the dodo.
I’ll repeat what I wrote last week – that was CRAP!
This season is very disappointing – Warren is killing the show and the other two
are passable but not great. Don’t think i’ll watch again until BBC Top Gear comes
back on.
Can someone explain to me why TG Australia is a good idea? Does it cost so much to buy the original that they have to consider an oz version? There’s no point to the oz version because TG is all about the three personalities in the show doing things with cars that everybody would love to do but could never afford to. btw top gear in the u.k didn’t start in its current format – it evolved. You can’t just start at the end point slavishly copying a show and hope it works.
Why not make an Australian Black Adder ripoff or Fawlty Towers? Yeah, that sounds like a great idea
As a Kiwi even I feel your pain Australia, this show is just embarrassing. I have taken it off my Tivo season pass list and wait for the UK version. I guess they dont want to anger the local car suppliers to much so everything is rather middle of the road.
Winge, winge winge.
Its the same show, just an Australian adaption with a smaller budget. Thier bogan hosts becuase majority of the males in this country(which is who it is marketed at) are bogans or wogans! The uk hosts know bugger all about cars and dont really tell u much at all. Only difference is british charm and a heap of cash. They are both shit shows. Its more about personalities than cars. Go watch a real car show like “5th gear” or “american hot rod” if you want to learn something, instead of wingeing about TGA
Whats with the aussie Stig? The Stig is supposed to be created equal to a higher being, he is the nearest thing to driving perfection, so why is the aussie stig such a try hard. Uk stig drives effortlessly takes clean lines he makes a car looks like its floating around the track and even looks better in his race suite. Come on TGA u might think u can fool us with a very bad rip off of the UK show but not THE STIG.
I encouraged my daughter Chelsea to make her application last year, which she did. I was surprised when she was totally overlooked, but quickly came to realize why, from episode 1, when it became obvious that there would never be room for a woman, no matter how interesting and diverse her capabilities, in a show which was only ever going to be a “try-hard wanna-be copycat” forum.
I’m a great fan of everything motoring, but have been increasingly finding myself losing interest in TGA.
As my aquaintances have been saying..”bring on Chelsea!”
This show is so wrong on so many levels. It will never be as good as the english version and it has nothing to do with budgets, the hosts are soo not funny and not even remotley interesting, the show is crap and extremely embarassing, what was sbs thinking, the “celebreties” they have on arent funny or interesting, just face it, every time Australia tries to make a copied version of an Amercian or UK show it fails on so many levels. SBS please axe this show it has to be one of the lamest shows on worldwide tv. Sad.
569 the aussie stig June 23, 2009 at 12:16 am
Get real, the UK stig is an act. Most of the driving is done by UK race driver Ben Collins he is in the credits as a “High performance driving consultant” anything special is done buy the appropriate driver i.e. Michael Schumarker – Ferrari FXX. The “Australian Stig” is that “flat out like Steve Irwin swimming with stingrays” twat Steve Pizzati. And he’s not good enoughto get a V8 stupercar ride.
That aside the big problems with TGA are; the lack of professional TV presenters and he blind adherance to the nanny state. Driving a 500kw Lambo to Portsea at 60km/h? pathetic! In the UK version they would have gone back roads flatout and made it interesting.
I think SBS should dump the Australin version and bring back the U.K. version. The Australia version is not even 1% as entertaining as the U.K. version and that has a lot to do with the poor choice of presenters who make it look likes a 1980’s car show! Thank goodnes you can catch the U.K. version on cable!
570 Terry Cornelius June 23, 2009 at 4:59 pm
That’s so sweet. I bet you believe Chelsea could win; Australia’s got talent, Dancing with the stars, So you think you can Dance, Sing, Knit! And the new reality sensation “Trust me. My daughter could be a brain surgeon”. You go girl!!!
Come on “Please!”, get off your chauvanistic arse and open your mind. I doubt you could match or get close to… Speedway (men’s not ladies) champion, wakeboard/waterski champion, profiscient barefooter, public speaking and debating champion, extensive overseas traveller, lapped Nurburgring in a Corvette, attendee World Speedway Motorcycle Championship (Denmark), 6 months shipbuilding in Denmark, crewed on a 120 foot yaght, 6 months teaching waterskiing in US, graduated Mechanical Engineer, Mastered Bio-Medical Engineer, drives an immaculate ’64 EH, the list goes on. I can see you have got good ideas though.
DEar James Morrison, I hate to shatter your child-hhood memories but the Ford Falcon GT HO NEVER came in the colour Blue! Your girl-friendsd Dad may have had the PHASE 2 which was released in a blue-white C’l’r Scheme! I know this because my FAther bougth a white version, (the Red hd sold-out! (Mind you, he only had it for 3 weeks before it was stolen from the family garage. (Maybe He should have bolted it ot the Floor!) Cheers!
P.S. Your a great addition to the Show!
This show is woeful, I assume those terrible hosts were chosen as they are expected not only to host the show, but write it, probably even produce this amateur crap. You could find better talent in any pub in the country. SBS have shown with shows like Pizza that you can do a great show on a low budget, since they have got money from advertising the quality has gone down.
Its embarrassing that anyone could consider this worthy of presenting as a form of entertainment. For once the adverts are the best part of the show as relief from the annoying hosts and pathetic jokes. I expected it to fall short of the original, but this falls short of everything else on TV possibly in all of history, the new host is a slight improvement but you need a massive change of the hosts and writing to make this even close to entertaining.
Total Camp. We have a property management firm in Alexandria Virginia and we watch cable during the “on duty” hours while we’re waiting for service calls. This show has nothing of the brit version’s spiciness….
If you’re going to do repeats, at least wait a few weeks between them.. The desert trek was done quite recently. Bloody disappointing SBS
Sorry to say we all gave it a GO then gave it AWAY We’ll stay with the original you cant make
an exact copy its like jason donovan doing mr Bean
Just heard channel nine are considering Doug Mulray / Shane Warne / James Morrison for the show. AWESOME NEWS!
If interest in being a Top Gear Australia presenter was so high, highlighting “an extraordinary pool of unearthed talent” how come the presenters who made it on to the screen are so bad? The problem is that they are car enthusiasts first and writers /presenters second. The UK show has it the other way round, bringing witty talented writers and presenters to the screen to talk about cars. The reality is that it’s much easier to learn about cars if you are already a witty writer/presenter than learn about witty writing and presenting if you are already a knowledgeable car enthusiastic. Top Gear Australia has it wrong. The show is flat and humorless and the presenters try to make up for it by by shouting at the camera to feign wit. Witless in the extreme!
I watched Top Gear Australia for the first time lastnight, what a lot of CRAP.. CRAP.. CRAP.. I turned the TV off after 12mins.
Why wouldn’t you use someone like “Mark Skaife” to run the show, at least he knows what he is talking about!!!
leave it to the poms, why watch this crap when i can watch top gear UK and have a laugh without thinking man these guys try way to hard, stupid of Aus to try and copy the poms.
Top Gear Australia is by far the worst show on TV at the moment,the reviews are rubbish and the guys hosting dont cut it.
I have tryed watching twice now and it keeps getting worse,sorry to be so negitive.
The Australian top gear was pretty disappointing. Didn’t like any of the characters.
Just seen this show in NZ (Aust version of Top Gear) What a bunch of dorks……did you scour the entire country to get the ugliest, oldest, baldest bunch or jabberwockeys you could find. Sorry guys but I cringe into the couch as I watch. Just ‘can’ it or try and find some more intelligent life from somewhere. Get rid of the short fat bald one, and the jabbering bearded one and get Wazza a tooth job then you could be onto a winner. No match for the poms i’m sorry to say.
Today maks the first shows of TG Live 2010 in Sydney, unlike last year, I’m not attending.
Very dissapointed.
I think SBS should be applauded for screening TGUK in the first place and then having the guts to create an Australian version with “Star guests” we actually know! As an import from the UK myself, I have watched TGUK evolve from a Pebble Mill production with such presenters as Noel Edmonds to what a global success it is today. Now the show has been hi-jacked/stolen by the big boys, what will happen to TGA?
I would rather be watching an improving TGA production than some of the brain dead reality TV that is now considered “Prime Viewing” Get cracking with Season 3 because even though some of the previous comments may appear totally negative, deep down, the car entusiasts, in this great country, would rather be watching TGA than MKR or Survivor Scrotumville!
Me, I’m of for a blast in my 30 year old RS2000……..life is good on the Sunshine Coast…..but always room for improvement I guess. Well done SBS, you have my total support.
I hate Top Gear Australia. Just cause Top Gear works in the UK, does not mean it will work in Australia. The 3 presenters don’t do any favours for the show either, none are good at acting or speaking. Who are they? Overall the show is just a big let down. Better presenters with more chrisma and enthusiam would help. No excuses, its a cock up.
why on earth would an australoan think he wold knoe more about cars than jeremy. also jeremy and richard and james speak better english
I wish i could be in Top Gear Australia to make it better and more entertaining, the UK is entertaining and factual about cars.
never watched before due to bad rap
gave it a go tonight and now I feel sick
bloody morons – give the production money to charity or something
Steve, cut out the over the top Australianisms and quotes, people don’t really speak like that any more it’s annoying.
The hosts are rubbish, their jokes are rubbish! Why try and imitate top gear uk in everyway. Its been done! Look at 5th gear, they do it completely differently, same type of show and it is a great program! Australians trying to be Clarkson and co = fail.
I accidently happened upon SBS2 this evening and found myself being crapped upon from a great height by those morons from Top Gear Australia. I FORCED myself to watch nearly two minutes, but my wife called the men in white coats when she saw the distress that I was suffering and I had to be sedated whilst in a straight jacket. I eventually surfaced from my extreme trauma and the medicos assure me that I’ll be able to look at television in a week or two, but under no circumstances am I to switch to SBS2. The mere thought of those idiotic clowns actually being in my lounge makes me……makes me……….AAAAgggggghhhhhh!!!……..
i want my 5minutes back sbs, that is the biggest load of garbage i have ever watched.well 5 minutes of it.. the english version has actual presenters on it people who know what they are doing, they tried to make a carbon copy with 3 same personalitied hosts! you failed dismally get this crap off tv there must be better use of air time! the hosts ruin it big time! bunch of talentless morons i bet they are journalists,, by the way how much did they pay the audience to attend?? and look at the audience no wonder people hate it!they are not australian car lovers not a single flanalette shirt the english got the rev heads on board first then made it for everyone… no rev head would be caught dead watching this…congrats you made a car show for granparents… this wont ever make commercial tv and im so relieved of that!
and it has nothing to do with budget!! speedweek gets higher ratings.. how about you hire actual decent people to host not journalists.. what makes the program is people trust what the hosts say they accept there expert opinions… aint nobody going to follow these guys and if they are experts australia is in real trouble..what a waste of money!! not one single holden or ford shirt or hat in the crowd the audience are not car lovers and we are not in europe so why do we test european cars like english do? there might be metrosexuals in victoria but your way out of touch with the rest of the country..reversing a tractor in a city isnt that illegal? why isnt he charged with neglegant driving??? i hope the victorian police were watching!!!
Why are your guys ( Sat 10/07/2010 ) Driving illegally in NEW? USING HAND HELD RADIOS while driving, Shows like yours should set an example ………
Jeez there’s some real complaints about these shows moving from the UK, for one I’d like to point out that if your going to pay somewhere around 10 million for the licencing to a show, it’d probably be very similar (or as close to exact as possible), you wouldn’t spend 10 million dollars on the name “Top Gear” and reinvent the wheel, this is TOP GEAR in Australia, I hope they get the format down though, I liked the similarity of it, and if the shows goes right, you’ll be able to watch the American version, and find out what they think of their cars, same with our version, the UK version being relevant to European cars, I liked the video above, it definately wasn’t UK top gear, But if I wanted to see the 3 guys from the original I’d watch the original, It’ll be great to see the guys get used to each other and see where they can take the show, Us Aussies have a different sense of humour to the english, though I think we get along with their humour very easily, this will be a huge opportunity for us to bring some Australia to the car world.
im english and a HUGE top gear fan,but i have to say that tgaustralia and tgamerica are both god aweful cringe worthy unnaceptable rip offs of the original. they should of gone down the 5th gear route(the other good english car show) and made it less daft and more informative, at least then its different and will undoubtably tap into the audience that maybe dont watch top gear because they find clarkson awefully loud, or james a bit boring..or even hammond a bit too small.. on another note,i know this has nothing to do with it, but i hope to god clarkson will one day be uk prime minister oh god how i would rofl and laugh and rofl !!! there would certainly be no more god damn speed cameras hiding behind walls on the back lanes of britain, the bastards!!!! thanks, mike the stokie the birthplace of wedgewood lol bothered!!
FYI guys. Will Channel Nine’s much hyped takeover of Top Gear Australia from its cash strapped SBS cousins capture an audience or send an already ailing show to its TV death?
Motoring correspondent Pranav Bhatt attended a Top Gear Australia filming session to find out if the new host Shane ‘Kenny’ Jacobson can resurrect Top Gear Australia.
more at http://www.bhatt.id.au/blog/can-channel-9-resurrect-top-gear-australia-studio-audience-review/
Top Gear Australia is utter crap. Completely devoid of originality or the casual larrikinism of the British version – which can largely be attributed to the fools they cast as the presenters – it is a huge disappointment and I will not continue to watch it.
I watched Top Gear last night, Sept 28th 2010.
Australia is wasting its time trying to compete with the UK Topgear. Its just like the US trying to take on the Kath and Kim. It won’t work. Give up. Stick to what you know.
The combination of polished British Top Gear humour and the bumbling don’t-know-what-to-do-with-their-hands Australian louts was so apparent in the latest Channel 9 offering that it made me feel embarrassed to be an Aussie. Continuous bad, BAD, photography made the program even worse.
Racingaround the TT road in pouring rain in two open cars was tantamount to idiocy, with no result as to times achieved, with the ferret-faced wanna-be racing driver babbling and spluttering like the clown he is. Very poor and not worth a second viewing. Goodbye Top Gear Aus, hello Top Gear UK
I hate when there are so many “country” versions of the same show. Honestly, the same show just different languages, sometimes even just different accents.
hey lowbrow. mate if you dis like the origonal top gear you should not watch it. go back to your hot rods. the uk boys have a great and interesting show. they learn more every show and so do we.
as for the aussie show. come on leave it to the real top gear lads.
they created this show, and now are more than likely quietly laughing at your poor efforts to be like them
I dont like saying this but the British team have Top Gear down pat,a wonderful funny show and just great tv,really enjoy it!
As for Aussie show,what can i say?,im a forth generation Aussie and i was so upset with the show i turned it off in twenty minutes,its crap!!!
Gosh…….a huge disappointment. After sitting through the first episode of Top Gear Australia I don’t think any country could follow the blueprint of Top Gear UK and make it interesting and humorous. There is a huge lack of personality with no showmanship. Lets retire gracefully and leave it to the UK boys.
Where are all the comments from the latest Aussie effort? I thought the “sail Lake Eyre” concept was a knockout idea, a great Aussie yarn used to good advantage. Still having trouble liking the “Hamster-pretender”, don’t know why he’s still there! Whether you liked the show or not, it certainly wasn’t the disaster that the early ones were. Looking forward to the next episode. Now if something could just be done about “Babble-Boy”….. maybe Chelsea? see 570
Can’t comment on the latest Aussie rendition, I stopped watching it three episodes ago because it was crap
Shane Jacobson has embarassed all australian car enthusiasts with his p!$$ weak driving ability; couldn’t drift a ZO6 on a wet skid pan (PANIC)… are you serious! TGAus has gone about it totally the wrong way, just because a guy is entertaining cleaning toilets doesn’t mean he can match showmanship with the original top gear crew… At least start with guys who know their cars but know and how to drive the wheels off them (what’s skaife up to?), in my opinion an ostrich could do a better job than Kenny.
I gotta say it might be different but I quite liked the ep I saw last night, and the lake eyre episode too +1 to Terry Cornelius – Seeing them hit the streets with a v8 supercar was pretty funny, and watching the stug throwing it round their track was pretty insane, I bet winterbottom was crapping himself. – (I get the feeling the “Stig” IS a v8 supercar driver, he went through the gears and drove that thing like he owned it)
Top Gear Australia IS SH*T GET IT OFF TV
Please read this very carefully.
Australia Top Gear will never be the same as the UK version. It doesn’t matter whether you change the hosts or not it WILL not work. Why won’t it work, because the hosts of the UK version are seriously humorous!!! You can not replicate this show. Get your own ideas and not steal them from someone else.
Please, please, please take this Australia Top Gear off the TV. It’s embarrassing.
To the producers of topgear Australia
I must apologise for what ever we the people of tv land have done as to offend you so greatly that you would bestow this utter crap upon us please accept my heartfelt apologies and stop it at once
PS if Shane calls one more person a pretzel could you give him a kick in the nuts for me thanking you in advance
is this lot of moaners all poms? Just approach it as a different show and you might find it is bloody good! Try watching the US version to see rubbish.
TOP GEAR AUSTRALIA – not as good as the UK one, even though Clarkson does annoy me when he does that air sucking noise while he is speaking. But they know how to entertain the audience.
The Australian version lacks the entertainment value, I dont think Shane Jacobson is the right host for the show, for a comedian he is too plain- Shane Warne would have been better after watching his show last night.
tim’s got the right idea, keep your mind open.
Bubs64… “air sucking noise”? Give us a break! And maybe you’re right about Shane Jacobson, I dunno, but I’d rather see the other two dumped first. And as for Warnie, you must be a cricket fan, ‘coz he does nothing for me. Your comment indicates he’s a comedian… I guess that’s your own little joke. To me he has no comedic appeal, and certainly no automotive credibility and as for his interviews, he’s too keen on talking about himself.
Re: 618 etc
Good one Mr Terry Cornelius!
Mate, I agree with all of your comments! Tell me, was there any explanation as to why they let a winner like young Chelsea get away?
Keep an eye on ’em mate.
Answer to Russ Parker… Isn’t it obvious, the show speaks for itself… no class.
I used to love the U.K show, but it has just gone to far now and really lost is sparkle, it is just 3 presenters (that have really let their ego’s get the better of them), sitting aound talking rubbish and not so much about cars, they really need to pull it back at get back on track and make it a car show again!
i love top gear UK, but top gear Aus is… well, no other way of saying this…shit. Three presenters that know nothing and stumble around the studio. I thought it would improve over the series, as did top gear UK, but nothing has changed, and i now utterly refuse to watch it. Top Gear AUS is embarrassing the whole australian population.
They say there is going to be a season 4. I am now angry and worried. Will they put on the new series of TG UK, or just replace it with a crap copy car show? What are they thinking? If they continue with this dreadful program, i’m gonna write a million complaints to channel 9.
GET RID OF THIS EMBARRASSING SHIT
TGA……..YOU SUCK!!!! I absolutely refuse to watch you so kindly please GIVE IT UP!!!! 99.999999% of your feedback agrees that you’re USELESS!!! So PLEASE channel 9 kick this crap off the TV Topgear UK I LOVE YOU I’d watch you all day
CHANNEL 9 GET RID OF THIS EMBARRASSING SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kindly spare us all 🙁
Now wait a minute “I Hate TGA”. Your comments indicate a total lack of thought, there is nothing constructive or intelligent on offer there. I defy you to say you didn’t like (even just a little?) the idea, the filming, the scenery, the skill involved and the drama, of the Laine Beechley surfboard speed attempt. I loved it, but would comment that the lame interaction of the TGA blokes reduced its appeal as a clip.
This show has good potential with the right presenters, but so far the charisma of the TGAUK team is sorely missing and “our” guys come across as “try-hard wanna-be’s”.
Dear Australian’ Top’Gear Team,
thank you for your efforts, people love to see expensive cars in the lovely romantic scenes and prominent engineering aspects of Europe.The 3 amigo’s are a bonus.
Australia has a different aspect a wider land that was flattened and twisted into flat boring Top Gear Australia segments that held no romance in the preserve of motoring.
This has been going on for too long in Australia, we lost the N.T. speed free roads, rough country roads of 110kph around Perth are now 4 laned motorways but restricted to 70kph with multi billion dollar expensive multinova ‘s whatever and put in bad areas!Why a cheap sign would do.The dumbing down of the aussie driver leaves me gob jawed and brain dead watching the speedo only.I dont even care when i drive now and bugger the other driver!Just like aussie T.V. shows.Top Gear U.K show they still care hurah sane people!enough ranting regards LandRoverPETER.
British Top Gear Rules.
It’s not really a car programme, its more like a daytime chat show for car nuts.
The ingredients and Chemistry are perfect. Clarkson the Oaf, Hammond the eye candy for the Chick and May the nerds fave.
The Aussie version is sadly lacking, which is a shame.
Could do better!!!
Yes the UK presenters are Brilliant and seriously funny. I first started to watch Top Gear early 2006 and found it to be the funniest show. I enjoy all their programs.
As for our saddddddddddd Aussie pretend Top Gear bunch, NO such luck.