Great news Top Gear fans, It is coming to the History Channel

[alfredo]

Look for it on Sunday nights starting Nov 21.

http://www.history.com/shows/top-gear

[Tripmann]

1. YES! The only show I sit down to watch instead of recording.

[flvegan]

3. It's the US version, not the UK.

Just knowing Tanner Foust is a host makes me think it might really, really suck.

[Tripmann]

11. Thats not a problem. I'd watch paint dry if it was Ferrari red.

[MorningGlow]

2. Harumph. Zat ees not Top Gear.

Eet ees cheap Americain version.

ZEES ees Top Gear. Nussing else.



(Yeah, I'm a purist and no, I won't give the American version a chance. It's my prerogative as a diehard British Top Gear fan. :P )

[alfredo]

6. They each had to gain 40 lbs for the US version.

[MorningGlow]

9. And have their dry wit surgically removed. n/t

[alfredo]

32. More crashes, less word things.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. What the hell happened with those American Chopper guys. I tuned in to find dad and sons at war

hadn't watched for several years, tuned in to Sr. Vs. Jr. thinking it was fake reality drama - nope, they are seriously at war - lawsuits and everything. wow.

[alfredo]

7. It was inevitable.

[Posteritatis]

5. Nice to see History Channel's focusing on its implied purpose - oh, wait. (nt)

[Erose999]

36. Some of the new programming is good though... "Life after People" for example.

But I have noticed that they are going in a more "materialistic" direction with it. What with American Pickers, Pawn Stars, and that other show about restoration. Seems like they have a big block of their programming dedicated to buying/selling atrifacts.

And then they also have shows about "working folks" like dirty jobs, swamp people, Billy the exterminator, etc.

I miss A&E when it was more about the Arts and highbrow culture... now its Dog the Bounty Hunter, Hoarders, and Intervention. I feel like I need a shower just flipping past it when channel surfing, LOL

Seems like they should spin these programming blocks all off into separate networks. I am thinking A&E/ Discovery/TLC/History are all owned by the same corporation anyway, right?

[RZM]

8. I have nothing against 'Top Gear'

I've never seen it, though friends tell me it's good. But is it too much to ask to have actual history on the History Channel? Even the days of it being 'The Hitler Channel' are long gone. Now it seems to be split between the types of stuff you see on the cover of the 'Weekly World News' (Nostradamus, Bigfoot, asteroids etc.) and reality drivel. They should change its name to something else and get it over with already.

[kentauros]

16. "But is it too much to ask to have actual history on the History Channel?"

In today's television marketing schemes? Yes, yes it is. Everything is all about "diversifying" now and why you have a formerly "fair" science-fiction channel changing its name away from any semblance of that other than phonetically (SyFy) in order to broaden their audience. That is, dumb it down, waaaaay down.

At this point, they should probably all fore-go having named channels and just go to broadcast call letters. It'd probably be more descriptive anyway, like KRAP for the former History Channel ;)

[RZM]

20. I agree

They give people what they respond to. And apparently 'Ice Road Truckers' gets much higher ratings than any program about actual history. Also, I think they've also shunted the actual history to their sister channels, History International and Military History - much the same way MTV moved videos to MTV2, though I think now MTV2 is also now mostly reality drivel too, with the videos relegated to mtvU.

[kentauros]

21. If it's available on your system,

you might look for the "Documentary Channel". It's an interesting station, plenty of variety for documentaries, though I don't know if you'll find the political ones, like on say, FSTV or LINK-TV. The "educational" channels are your best bet for finding history programming.

Even on those sister channels, I don't watch very often because the present-day methods of presenting information rely too heavily on repeating what's already been said. NOVA or Frontline it ain't ;)

[One_Life_To_Give]

10. But will they drive across the Rural South with NASCAR Sucks

and Marriage Equality painted all over the cars?

I suspect the US version of this classic is going to suck. It's the people that make Top Gear special.

[MorningGlow]

15. My 7 YO finds

"Man love rules OK" to be patently hilarious. I'm not sure exactly how to explain to him what it means...
:rofl:

[fifthoffive]

25. Love that episode...

Even if it makes us look ridiculous, ignorant, and dangerous.

[meegbear]

12. HOORAY!! Another show that has nothing to do with history!!!

:woohoo:

[snooper2]

17. Just be glad it isn't about Hitler...

or ..


Hitler..


or..




maybe




Hitler

[GSLevel9]

23. lol... it's frequently nicknamed the "Hitler Channel" nt

[RZM]

47. Even those days are gone now

Now it's nothing but reality crap, prophecies, and cryptozoology.

[Ikonoklast]

45. When they give poor Hitler the day off, it's....

Nostradamus.


For weeks at a time.


Non-stop.

[Posteritatis]

24. Obligatory cracked.com link:

http://www.cracked.com/funny-5720-the-history-channel/

[alfredo]

33. They nailed it.

[Swamp Rat]

40. LOL!!

Excellent! :D

[Codeine]

13. If there is no Captain Slow, it ain't Top Gear.

[MorningGlow]

14. Here, here!

Or perhaps "hair, hair"? ;)

[flvegan]

18. You can't start a Top Gear thread with "Great news!" without mentioning the Dacia Sandero.

[MorningGlow]

19. ...Anyway...

:rofl:

[GSLevel9]

22. hell yes...

fun show and GREAT NETWORK! Love me some HIS-HD!

[JackintheGreen]

26. Dear Britain:

Please stop selling us perfectly nice things to ruin.

Yours very truly,
America

[Codeine]

30. You'd think after seeing how badly we butchered "Coupling"

they'd ask us to just stop.

[JVS]

27. Yay. More non-history

[NashVegas]

28. Oh Good Lord! Meet the US Answer to Clarkson / Hammond / May

Oh, they look so COOOL! Don't they look REALLY COOL!?

[alfredo]

34. Let's wait and see if they are any good before we bash them.

[name not needed]

44. Is that Rick Astley on the left?

[WinkyDink]

29. This show is crap.

I watch F1 race series, but this? Bleagh.

[Ezlivin]

31. I hope they don't stop airing the genuine Top Gear on BBC America

If they do I will be angry. That could very well lead to pouting.

[GreenPartyVoter]

37. I could have sworn the one I watched last night was the series finale. It kind of sounded that way

the signed off, but maybe I misheard them.

[alfredo]

38. My cable provider doesn't have BBC America.

[taterguy]

42. It's available on Netflix Instant View

[flvegan]

39. Both episodes last night were series finales.

Hour one was the Vietnam Special (finale for Series 12) and hour two was the "British Sports Car" episode (finale for the last series thusfar, Series 15). They are filming Series 16 now which should begin (in the UK) in January.

[MorningGlow]

41. British "series" = American "season"

The ones on BBC America are past seasons. The British crew is filming for the next series/season right now, and doing Top Gear Live which, alas, never comes to the States. :(

[GreenPartyVoter]

43. Ah! That clarifies things for me, thanks! :^D

[Stevenmarc]

35. I'll watch just to see how they they fuck it up by stripping out all the wit

[Xithras]

46. I've seen a few previews, and so far I'm underwhelmed.

The production quality seems lower, and the hosts have far less personality. The one preview I watched made it seem like they found three Captain Slow's as the hosts...they were all blabbering on about technical specs, and there was no FUN.

I'll give it a try, but I have a feeling that I'll be sticking with the original on BBCA.

On a related note, the British Stig got fired recently (seriously). It turns out that the real Stig is the British GT3 race driver Ben Collins, and he was fired when he revealed his identity. He's apparently been pushing the BBC for more money, and was finally pissed off enough to cash in by writing a book. BBC has already confirmed that his claim is true, and Clarkson said that he's off the show.