With around half an hour to go before episode two of Top Gear Australia screens on SBS, it is perhaps worth reflecting on the aftermath of last week’s inaugural episode. SBS has hailed it a success, with episode one attracting more viewers than Australian Idol. I guess that was to be expected given the profile of the Top Gear franchise, but surely the acid test will be how many viewers episode eight attracts?
However, despite SBS’s spin doctoring, the overwhelming consensus as expressed in the comments of last week’s article Top Gear Australia First Episode Done and Dusted, would suggest that many were disappointed. The ‘fake’ shark scene didn’t cut the mustard, it was hard to understand how the ’softroaders’ were expected to grip icey roads on standard tyres - and the hosts copped more than their fair share of criticism. A few even called for SBS to put an early end to it all.
Episode two will feature a Holden v Ford shootout, and a right-hand drive Ford GT. Steve Bisley will be the star in a reasonably-priced car.
So, when it’s done and dusted for a second time, drop in and let us know what you think. Was it better than episode one? Is there some chemistry developing between the hosts? Will you be tuning in for episode three?
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Bugger, forgot to watch it! Oh well, that’s probably nothing to cry about.
Hasn’t improved much. That idiot Cox referred to a dual-cab Navara as a King cab and the Holden v Ford was actually FPV v HSV - they are manufacturers in their own right. Top Gear should know that FFS.
May have potential if they ditch the arm waving Cox and worked with the other two and a new guy.
Actually it was better than last time, but they didn’t have to improve much. Ford, Nissan and Proton wouldn’t have been too happy though with the condition of their utes.
Yeah, a mild improvement. I agree, the weak link is Cox. Steve and Warren definitely have potential though. It does make me cringe how they treat brand new cars, not even TG UK abuse new cars like the Oz guys do.
Ford GT, not sure if Cox could drive his finger up his A***!
How come in FPV v HSV they both drove the Ford and not the Holden? And they were unable (or too gutless) to come to any conclusion. Total waste of time.
Did the script writer have a book of obscure Australianisms?
SBS for the record I’m done! I will be watching the ‘real’ Top Gear on Youtube next week!
Well, I gave them another chance, and they blew it!! Not that I expected any better than last week, but I thought it only fair to give them a chance. The way they treat brand new cars is appalling, they don’t seem to be happy unless they have scratched and dented them in some way! Cox must be the love child of the robot from Lost in Space - the way he waves his arms around all the time annoys the crap out of me - hang on, the robot from Lost in Space did that when he said “Warning, Warning” - maybe that is what Cox is doing so we won’t have to go through the pain of watching TGA again! I certainly know that I won’t be! I, too will be watching Youtube for my TG UK (the REAL Top Gear) fix. SBS, put the show out of it’s misery and bury it now, and save Australians even more embarrassment!!!
It was bad. Enough said.
Great episode this week (compared to last). Aside from not driving the HSV, and a news segment that was just glossed over, there wasn’t that much to dislike about this episode.
The hosts are showing a little more confidence, which is great. Keep in mind that between them, there’s not all that much media experience.
Ford GT40 review was a vast improvement on the Porsche one last week, the track segments were filmed much better too.
HSV vs FPV…. to the bloke up the top, the H and F in those manufacturer acronyms stand for Holden and Ford respectively, no reason why you wouldn’t call it Holden vs Ford.
Ute segment was good, i’d like to see them test out things more thoroughly in the challenges (load them up beyond the max and see how they drive), and more view of the carnage that resulted.
The hearse segment had me laughing hysterically, first time that’s happened on any top gear. Gotta love how they push the moral boundaries.
I really don’t want to see CC sweating like a pig though, that was just offputting.
I think that eventually this will be on par with TGUK, right now it’s about 75% there.
I think you’re all confusing Charlie Cox with Warren Brown…
I for one thought it was a great improvement on last week’s episode. You’ve gotta keep in mind that these guys are all new to this game and that it will take a while for them to truly settle into their roles. Yes, they’ve all got their own weaknesses (Brown’s arm waving, for example), but they’ve all got their own strengths too - just like the TG-UK presenters do.
My opinion? Well, in my mind TG-A is much like a fine bag of goon - it’ll only get better with age. Plus, you can use it as a pillow when you pass out.
Holden vs Ford - they should have had the cartoonist guy zoom in after the intro with an equivalently price euro - otherwise their claim that HSV/FPV represent the best bang for buck in class sounds hollow. And might have been nice to see it blown away in everything.
I thought the shark cage was passable last week, but didn’t even crack a smile at the hearse. Didn’t think it was over the line or anything, it just wasn’t funny.
Ute thing was a bit strange - of course they weren’t going to transport 220 tonne…Would have been more interesting if they’d just dumped the last load from the giant dump truck over the jumbuck.
Ford GT review was pretty good - but would still like an overhead view/diagram of the “track” the stig races round
Overall still needs improvement, but better than week one so some hope.
Mate. A show of this calibre should recognise that HSV and FPV are stand alone brands. You won’t find ‘Holden’ on any badges or plates on a HSV - because its a HSV. If they wanted to do a Holden v Ford comparison then the SS-V and XR6T would have been the way to go. They should get it right - they are Top Gear!!!!
Same with the Navara - it wasn’t a king cab - its a dual-cab. These guys are meant to know there cars aren’t they. Its Top Gear not Top Chef!!!
All Charlie Cox wants to do is wave his arms around and wreck new cars. They should have more respect and the manufacturers should be smart enough to demand their cars come back without body damage. Tyres, and mechanicals you expect a bit of issue with but there is no need to abuse the panel work. Cox isn’t funny at all, he has to wreck a new car to get a laugh, but I’m not sure that is even working for him.
This week was an improvement, there is no doubt about that but hell it has a long way to go.
Not sure if I’ll make it through to the end of the season with them. Warmed a lot more to Pizzati and Wazza, they can do the job okay.
Cox is an arm waving fool and I agree with some of the comments above, its not funny wrecking new cars. We bust our chops to buy a new car and this guy tries to extract a cheap laugh from us by wrecking them.
Car enthusiasts just don’t do that sort of thing SBS. Pick on an old heap, not a brand new car.
Have some respect Cox. At the moment the only Aussie word that suits you is WANKER.
For a cartoonist, he’s not very good at drawing cartoons.
Better than last week but stills needs a lot of spit and polish. How come in all the comparisons from both weeks, they never choose a winner or nominate the better car? What the hell is the point of reviewing them if you’re not gonna tell us which you think is better!!
The Ford GT piece was pretty good - much better photography than the Porsche piece from week one (as said above) but the hearse piece didn’t even raise a smirk. Just not funny at all IMO.
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Dear me - where do I start. I really hope he gets better as he is certainly the least watchable of the three. Stop trying to be the funny man - it’s not working for you at all. It comes out fake and scripted and some stuff is down right cringe worthy.
These guys and the show certainly has potential and this week was definitely better than last week. Hopefully by now these guys have read some or many of these blogs reviewing their show and are taking some of the stuff we are all saying on board. It would be very arrogant of them if they are not. Lets not forget that the first2-3 episodes were done and dusted by the time ep 1 was aired so we should cut them a little slack on the early episodes. Lets just see if in the later episodes they make some changes to make them more likeable.
Time will tell but I’m still with you boys.
Don’t let me down.
Better. I think they are still getting the chemistry right between the presenters. Hopefully after a few more shows it will become a bit more ‘natural’ between the presenters.
We all know it’s Top Gear Australia so we don’t need all these forced Aussie cliches.
The camera work was a bit better for the GT review but the camera work on the track is still very bad and what was the deal with the Smart as a hearse. (they a scraping the bottom of the barrel a bit too early in the series)
And a quick tip… review the cars, don’t trash them.
I will hang in there for a little while longer
i feel sorry for the GT40 owner watching stones being hurled from the camera car onto the front of his car.
as those comments mention previously, treat cars with respect. not funny just yet. bring back TGUK !!
it was more exciting watching the gale force wind outside my window !!
Give the guys a chance, what was TGUK like when they first started?
It was much better than last week, but I do agree that CC needs to tone it down (and maybe get a haircut). I’m sure the producers are reading all your comments and will take them on board for the later episodes.
I’ll hang in there as I hope they can make this a success
What everyone here needs to remember is that these blokes have a) Little media experience and b) a lot to live up to. Just watch the ‘vintage’ Top Gear episodes and you will see that it takes time to get a show so perfect that the UK one is.
The show is getting better and I think that people will need to give ‘em another go, let them settle in and just enjoy the show for what is. When James May started Top Gear, people questioned whether he was going to last out the season or not. Now you cannot imagine anyone else doing the job. The same applies here with these new hosts.
She’ll be ‘right mate.
I wasn’t able to watch the first episode, so didn’t know what to expect. While it was rather TGUK-y, it was still entertaining. They actually talked about what the HSV and FPVs felt like, while still having fun with them. And the mine race was hilarious (especially since we use (and abuse) jumbucks at work).
I look forward to the scrapyard car segment next week.
It is really hard to not make comparisons to the UK version. Let’s face it, Clarkson, Hammond and May have a chemistry that is hard to beat. They have had many years to perfect this, therefore, we Aussies do need to give these guys a chance. It is very obvious that they are trying desperately to find their feet. If they just simply ‘relax’ rather than try too hard, I think we will warm to them much better.
Charlie Cox’s arm waving is very annoying - I agree there! Aussie’s are famous for calling a Spade a Spade, however, TGA seem to be sitting on the fence rather than upsetting anyone.
The Ford GT test was ok, at least Charlie Cox gave it some stick, not like last week with the Porsche. He drove it like an 80 year old woman! too ginger on the throttle! That’s what Porsche’s are made for, they want to be driven hard and fast.
I don’t like the track they drive on!!! It is too skinny and not exciting at all. Who chose that for heaven’ sake? Get on out to Eastern Creek or Oran Park for some real excitement.
Finally, what’s the go with their version of The Stig? He needs some work. His driving is boring. He drives with a ginger foot as well! Surely the car manufacturers want TGA to show what their cars can and cannot do! If they are worried about a few scratches or possibly dents, then they are not worth having on the show.
As much as I LOVE Top Gear UK (and I cannot wait to see it on SBS again) we need to just wait a few more episodes and give these guys a chance to get the chissel out of their backsides and loosen up a little.
Who reckons Pizzati sounds like Frank Woodley???? Maybe Frank Woodley would be a good replacement (for some laughs)
Bring back the UK episodes, old or otherwise. Anything is better than watching those fools bumble about on the screen. It is painful to watch.
You know the funny thing is, you’re not being forced to watch it. Watch Idol or go outside and play some kind of sport if you hate it so much!
They were saying they would run them together, but it’s just like any other show - obviously it’s in the middle of seasons for TG UK!
Your comment is true, however, I would not want to watch Idol! Lord help us if that is all we have for TV options on Monday nights.
It is normal for people to comment on the show. They are healthy comments and the production team need to know what the viewing public want. If they are smart, they will take these comments on board. If they want their TGA to survive that is. Have a great day
385 million people watch the poms every week in a series that has been developed, crafted and honed for 20 years. The aussie version have the benefit of production quality and the recipe from the english experience. Now they just need time to make it ‘their own’.
Consider this: if you had 3 brand new unknowns replace clarkson & the boys in the english version - what would the consensus be? I imagaine the same reaction as what the aussie version is currently getting.
I think: Great program - let them now grow!
Yeah Charlie Cox is the weakest link but the other guys will settle in fine. It reminds me a lot of the really early Top Gear UK episodes, just give em time.
I think TGA was doomed to be a failure from the outset.
Top Gear UK is what it is because of the hosts. The appeal of the show has gone well beyond car enthusiasts because of them. They are individually naturally very funny and unique, and the chemistry between them is brilliant. It may have been going for 20 years or whatever, but it has really only become the international mega hit it is in this incarnation because of this. You simply can’t replicate that.
Having said that, I am still disappointed by the Australian effort. I don’t think they really get it. The shark thing for Ep 1 - that was completely and utterly pointless (and not funny in any way). TG-UK challenges always have a valid point. The point of this was what? To antagonise a shark? WTF?! The same could be said for the Smart Hearse. Not funny and without point. Personally I think Warren’s equally as weak as Charlie, who says the first thing which comes into his head at any time, which is usually not funny at all. Steve might be ok, once he stops trying so hard and laughing at every unfunny joke from Charlie and Warren.
I’d like more info about the cars too. They seem to skim over the details in an effort to pack more unfunny jokes in. Prices are often not mentioned. Engine specs and more about general practicality and interiors and overall quality would be good too.
So far TGA is not much better than the insipid Glenn Ridge and his lame-ass car show.
I can’t wait for the next series of TG-UK.
FIRST EPISODE WAS CRAP
SECOND EPISODE WAS ABSOLUTE CRAP
THEN AGAIN WHAT WOULD EXPECT FROM THE CHANNEL THAT RE-RUNS LIFE SUPPORT !!!!!!!!
I think it would be better, less embarrassing and probably cheaper for SBS to send the Oz cars to the UK for review.
Having glanced through the reviews, it sounds like my decision not to waste time watching any more episodes of such a badly presented programme was the right one
The comparison issue of the UK show and the Australian show is one very difficult hurdle for the TGA team to over come. It may be the reason the shows fails, if nothing else. To be objective and avoid halfwit comments I think we have to look at the show as an individual presentation.
And on that basis, the Australian show is really not so bad. The guys are doing a pretty reasonable job with all things considered. Ask anyone that has stood in front of a camera and they will tell you how hard it is to project the image you want the audience to read. Think about why the top line actors are paid so much for their “image projections” and are also able to draw an audience to see a movie with little prior knowledge of what the film is about. Performing for the camera is a very difficult and skilled task.
Minor things like Cox’s arm waving are really distractions from the real issues needing attendance. The real issue is with character development of each of the presenters. This is an area that only time will correct. I know of no other show or performance that I have watched or followed over time that has not had to deal with this. Considering this, all of the presenters are fairly sound in their early effort.
Some of the areas they I feel they need urgent development on are:
The airfield circuit is visually uninteresting and could do with a higher camera angle to “show off” the display more and heighten the driving performance. Currently it is too flat and non-distinct. The surface desperately needs cleaning as this is affecting the driving display
A bit more information being threaded into each segment to avoid the “skipping over it” approach being felt
More “wild stuff” that made the UK show a hit. Drop in some “reckless abandon” to make it more exciting
The speed of the shows delivery makes each segment presented feel like it is being “dispensed with’ due to the lack of upcoming content.
The “greatest shows on earth” start with a drum roll and followed by an explosion, so to speak. This is something that the UK group are utilising almost every time they “knock us off our feet”. Go back and look at your favourite segments of car testing. It usually starts with a driver exploding onto the screen with the car howling sideways with smoke billowing out from the wheels. Think circus act
A little less of “trying to perform for the camera” and a little more of “watching over their shoulder at a bunch of lads clowning around” would help somewhat I think. Same thing I said above about being a skilled actor for the camera
The stig needs development. His driving is not “wild and loose” enough to hold the viewers attention
More time for show development and more individual character development, telling everyone it was going to a”another” Top Gear was in some ways a mistake that would lead to likely failure
In summary. Go back and look at stuff like Glen Ridge’s “The Car Show”. It ran for some time and people watched it happily. They were not trying to compare it to anything. The show was dreadfully boring, but it lasted for quite some time.
There are many other adjustments required that would bore you if I detailed them here. The TGA show is basically a reasonable effort, given it’s impossible task of being as good as TG UK.
cheers
neil
they drove a tractor into Torrack and in the act of reversing it in to park ran into someone elses car, doing thousands of dollars of damage. They think that his is funny. lucky it wasn’t my car because I would have sued them.
Obviously it was a set up car. The whole segment was an exaggeration to represent ‘Toorak Tractors’ and how they really do not belong in a tight area like Toorak. Backing into the car was simply showing it is much harder to park in a 4WD in those circumstances than it is to park in your average car.