NBC Passes on American Top Gear for Fall
Much to the relief of those faithful to the original British show, NBC’s plans to create an American version of Top Gear seem to be dead for the time being. The network announced its plans for the new fall lineup and the pilot of U.S. Top Gear wasn’t among those said to have made the cut. This is no sad fact for those (including most of us here at WINDING ROAD) who believe that the magic of Gear lay largely in the chemistry of its bickering cast.
On a sadder note, the rather terrible remake of Knight Rider has been optioned for a second season. Maybe they’ll get it more right; they certainly couldn’t get it any more wrong, the second time around.
+ Autoblog: NBC passes on U.S. Top Gear for now
Comments
Scratch
On Top Gear: Thank God. Please Hollywood, don't screw up another perfectly good British TV show by "Americanizing" it.
On Knight Rider: You've got to be kidding me. Aren't there enough Ford commercials on TV already?
MGBYG
Whew...
Now, BBC, just bring them back on.
The Stig
About Top Gear - GOOD!!!!! Do it right or don't do it at all. For proof, see Knight Rider.
teflon
All we need is for the original Top Gear to be aired unedited by a major network. Why is that so hard to understand?
"Maybe they’ll get it more right; they certainly couldn’t get it any more wrong, the second time around..."
You're joking, right? How and why would it be optioned for a second season when it hasn't yet had a first? Also, it would be very easy to make the show even worse than it already is. NBC should have no trouble destroying an already terrible premise.
son in law
I agree with Seyth and the 4 comments above. You would think Speed would have the good sense to buy the rights to it but they are sucking on the NASCAR teat so hard it's bleeding.
Even when Top Gear disses us here in the US I don't mind because most of the time they are pretty much spot on.
Jeb
Oh thank god.
Brad
Thank goodness. There's no way the Top Gear concept could work on commercial television anyway. The sponsors wouldn't like the truth being told.
araknd
How about getting TG here just after it's aired in the UK? I love the show, but it's usually a season behind UK airing. :-(
Ducati Minor
Being I hate Top Gear and British comedy...
Jeff
No to Top Gear and yes to Knight Rider? It makes it perfectly clear why the Brits mock us. BTW, American TV can do a remake of a British show well, remember "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" w/ Drew Carey et all. It all depends on who does it.
Scratch
Jeff: Who's Line was dreadful compared to the British version.
Dane
America would have wrecked it...... It's a cultural show... About a small Island and it's cars... More then that...
It wouldn't work here in the USA, cause every bad car gets great reviews... Toyota Camry... May work well, but it is a bad car....
So so glad we aren't getting it... We can't make music let alone a translation of a great show....
mena
The Camry is an excellent car and serves it's purpose well. Get to point B from point A with some reliability and space for real adults.
Mark in Maine
Two countries separated by a common language - It's a show that plays well in Great Britain, in the rest of Europe, and in many other countries besides. Here, one either loves it or hates it, depending mostly on how well they get on with British humor, culture, and personalities. I think it's a great show - The presenters are interesting people, Clarkson defies description, but American programmers would be at a loss as to how it could be done successfully here. Can you imagine someone as irreverent and outspoken as Clarkson being on an American 'Top Gear' week after week without some group or other screaming about being insulted week after week? I can't. I don't think the manufacturers would enjoy that sort of exposure, either. I'm with everyone else who'd like to have each current British 'Top Gear' series shown here as soon as it's aired there.
Eljay
I'm so glad they passed on making a US-version of Top Gear. American remakes of anything English has a tendency to be disasterous.Two excellent examples of this being the Italian job and the English language...
Shiv
The only way something like BBC Top Gear would survive over here is if it were put on Showtime or HBO. Trying to put something like Top Gear on a station with advertising and it will be doomed to fail.
Post new comment