TMR News and Features
Top Gear’s Australian arm has been in the works for a while now, and there’s been much speculation over just who would be charged with the mammoth task of replicating on screen the multi-award-winning formula that exists in the relationship between the BBC’s original Top Gear; Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May.
Last night, SBS revealed the final three.
After hours of interviews and no small amount of sleepless nights, Motorsport commentator Charlie Cox, cartoonist Warren Brown, and driving instructor Steve Pizzati were announced as the men who broke through a pack of more than 4000 applicants for the job.
SBS director of content Matt Campbell admitted that while it was a mission more challenging than most, the network is confident that they’ve landed on the perfect ingredients for a recipe alike but uniquely different to the original series.
“We have chosen three totally different and entertaining personalities who have a natural chemistry that works,” Campbell said.
Cox, a motorsport commentator for the BBC and winner of several motorsport titles, is famous for his one-liners, making him a perfect Clarkson clone for the Australian show. He is 47.
Brown has previously worked as a cartoonist for The Daily Telegraph, as well as a motoring columnist. Like James May and Clarkson, he shares a passion for classic and historic cars.
Pizzati, the youngest of the team in his 30s and obviously the Richard Hammond model, is an advanced driving trainer as well as being a steerer for Porsche Australia’s race team and a freelance motoring writer.
Campbell went on to say “We’re pretty pleased and we believe we’ve got it right. If we didn’t get this right, we couldn’t get the show right. And I think the Australian public will get that, and not say ‘He’s Clarkson, he’s Hammond or he’s May’.
“The world’s most entertaining car show’s popularity owes much to the relationship between its three presenters. In Charlie, Warren and Steve, Top Gear Australia now has its own team - three guys who possess the spirit of Top Gear whilst having their own distinct personalities.”
Well, I suppose we’ll have to see about that one. These boys have definitely got their work cut out for them; not just from the perspective that they’ve got big shoes to fill (or small ones, in the case of Hammond), but also because of the original Top Gear’s unique position.
As a government-funded show with a large budget, they’re rarely compelled to pander to auto manufacturers to maintain the flow of test cars to the show. They’ve been given the rare honour in motoring journalism of being able to be utterly honest and unabashedly straight to the point when it comes to their opinions of the cars they test, because they know there’s no danger of the supply suddenly running dry.
In Australia, this is less of an option. In an overall market of only 20 million—many less that actually watch TV and even less than that who are interested enough in cars to tune in to a show about them—support from the manufacturers is more or less a pre-requisite. Step out of line, and you’ll quickly find yourself producing a car show with no cars. Do SBS have the budget to overcome this problem, or are we set to see a show built around the idea that every car they drive “is just flat-out great and oh my what a top buy”?
We’ll see.
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Comment by Conquistador
29 May 2008
Thank god no glenn ridge.
What will they say about the camry?!
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by Hugo
29 May 2008
“The Camry is a large, safe and reliable four-door sedan.”
What else would you say about it, if you didn’t want to offend anyone?
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Comment by Mike Stevens
29 May 2008
Haha, I’m one of the few people who think the Camry is a pretty stylish car. It’s certainly not classy in the European way, but it’s got a fairly unique and good looking face in the Aus market.
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by Godspeed
29 May 2008
A lot of it is to do with expectations I suppose, and I’d be going in to watch Top Gear Oz with low expectations and hope that they’re exceeded.
Interesting point about the size of our market being the cause for the blatant pandering to manufacturers on Aussie car shows - I always wondered why this was the case and whether anyone else noticed, not to mention anyone watching who was actually interested in buying the car shown. “Oh, so the Dodge Nitro has NO bad points at all? It mustn’t as they didn’t mention any!”
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Comment by Tony O'Kane
29 May 2008
Second that Conquistador, I was praying to the voodoo gods themselves that Glenn Ridge wouldn’t get picked and thankfully all those goat sacrifices worked.
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by Mike Stevens
29 May 2008
*Please note that the practice of Goat Sacrifies and praying Voodoo Gods are not activities official sanctioned by The Motor Report
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Comment by Bavarian Missile
29 May 2008
hahaha…..you sure Mike?
I agree with Godspeed ,as long as you watch thinking it cant be worse than anything with Glen Ridge in it you wont be disappointed.
I thought Neil Crompton as the professor
Grant Denyer as Mr White Teeth himself but couldn’t come up with a replacement for Clarkson,he is a one of!
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Comment by Godspeed
29 May 2008
Yeah BM, good choices there, I think Neil is tops, he’s a great presenter (natural, not “forced”) and has the motorsport experience and knowledge to back it up.
Not sure what old Denyer has done in the way of cars but I guess he has on-screen presence and would be a good Hamster clone.
Is it just a coincidence that the Hammond clone they mention above, Pizzati, has links with Porsche too?
I reckon they need to make the first show an *absolute frigging cracker* to sell it to us. It will need to be 100% Australian; can’t be any sense of trying to copy TopGear UK or people will switch off in droves
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by Steane Klose
29 May 2008
*Please note that the practice of Goat Sacrifies and praying Voodoo Gods are not activities official sanctioned by The Motor Report
Now you tell me Mike…
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by 280zx
29 May 2008
Okay who’s up for some goat souvlaki i have some spare now :o)
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Comment by Buffy
29 May 2008
If this is a blatant rip off of the British version - it will fail dismally. I hope it doesn’t as I would love to see this version succeed.
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by Daniel McCoey
29 May 2008
Agree wholeheartedly Buffy.
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by Steane Klose
29 May 2008
I was dead against this Aussie show being a Top Gear junky but they may just pull it off - I think they have possible found the right people.
Big issue will be all of the bleeding heart aussies who have been brainwashed that speed kills complaining about the antics on the show and then the media jumping on board looking for a good story.
If it lacks the antics, the high powered drives the burnouts and nothing gets blown up then it will be a dud I suspect. It will be back to cardigan wearing softies with perfect hair boring the hell out us, like every Aussie TV car show before it.
Lets hope that SBS are prepared to go the whole way, give it hell and then stay the course.
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by Watto_F6
29 May 2008
My favorite bits of Top Gear are when Hammond, Clarkson and May have to buy three run down cars each for whatever challenge they have to face. Always a good laugh.
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Comment by Tony
29 May 2008
It’s not really a “blatant ripoff” if it’s made with their blessing, Buffy…
Cautiously optimistic on this one, hope it’s as fun but informative like the original. And most importantly doesn’t suck up to the companies, calling a spade a spade will be the real test!
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by Naughtyius Maximus
29 May 2008
HA HA HA HA HA HA…………MIKE STEVENS. If problems persist see your doctor and get a referral to a shrink. Camry is nice…..are you like 89yrs old! LMAO HEAPS
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Comment by Naughtyius Maximus
29 May 2008
John Bowe as professor, Michael Caton as Clarkson, Grant Denyer as the Hampster!
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Comment by wheelnut
29 May 2008
My thoughts exactly BM
Im glad that Gken Ridge didnt get a look in but Im also glad that they didn’t have a blonde bimbo like Lavinia Nixon whos only comment about the car would be “its a lovely colour” as they did on the Drive TV program a couple of years ago - if they want a womans perspective YOU would be a strong contender
As for the Stig it would have to be either “Mad Dog” Denyer or Leanne Tander could be The Stig-ette.
She has proven to be better/faster than most male racers including some V8 drivers
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by wheelnut
29 May 2008
Their first challenge could be where each of them has to buy a Toyota….any Toyota and [try to] give it some street cred.
Or buy a either Dodge Nitro; Chrysler 300C; Nissan Micra; or Ssangyong and make it look good
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Comment by Cupid Stunt
29 May 2008
Still havn’t sussed the Gravatar thing.
Oh yes the top gear. I’m sorta jealous of you folks having another car prog to go along side the real Top Gear. Do SBS stream on the internet?
Wonder if they’ll do the stig thing and the test track timing.
Funny - this weeks challeng for Brown, Cox, and Pizzati will be to convert a Camry into a decent family saloon and drive across Australia
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Comment by Watto_F6
29 May 2008
Haha, good idea there Wheelnut. Toyota with street cred? Tough challenge.
[Reply to this comment]
Comment by wheelnut
29 May 2008
For Test Tracks they could use: Wakefield Park; Winton; Catalina Park; Symmonds Plains or Canberra
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Comment by Steane Klose
30 May 2008
Cupid Stunt - your gravatar is working, I can see it - sometimes you need to clear out your browsers cache particularly if you use IE because it likes to hang onto the past.
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Comment by wheelnut
30 May 2008
There is a group in Britain demanding that BBC sack Jeremy Clarkson after he admitted to driving a Bugatti Veyron at close to 200mph [early in the morning] on a public country road - during an interview at a car show in Wales…. which means we could possibly have JC host the Ozi show.
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Comment by Watto_F6
30 May 2008
Same sort of idiots that got the PhaseIV canned?
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