Top Gear America
Lizzyb forwarded me the news that Ace Rockola will be hosting the US version of Top Gear:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - NBC announced Monday morning what listeners to Adam Carolla’s radio show have known for a while: The comedian will host the broadcaster’s adaptation of the BBC’s “Top Gear.”
Carolla will join drift racer Tanner Foust and TV construction guru Eric Stromer as the show’s presenters. “Gear” targets auto enthusiasts and mixes racing, stunts, challenges and celebrity guests.
I’m very much not sure how I feel about this. Top Gear is — after Always Sunny, of course — the best show on television. (If you ignore Clarkson’s whole anti-environment thing, of course.) Why remake something that’s already that good? Aside from the whole not having to come up with an original idea bit, that is.
Well, either way, I’m going to watch it. At least once. (per-episode.)
June 18th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I’d heard that he was being considered after Leno wisely turned the offer down. Part of what makes Top Gear awesome is the dry wit and British humor that just doesn’t translate well when revamped for American audiences. I mean, look what they did to Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy movie, and The Office, among others.
I heard “The IT Crowd” is also coming to the US, and I’m sort of scared.
Sure, Clarkson’s an arse, and Capt. Slow can prattle on a bit. But it’s those two with the ever loveable Hamster that makes the show so funny. Have you ever watched older seasons of Top Gear? I mean the ones from five or ten years back? They’re just not so funny.
In short, I hope this isn’t going to be like Fifth Gear, or even worse…. I guess we’ll just have to see.
Also, the REAL Top Gear should be back on soon. Just an fyi…
June 19th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
[...] I read about this last week: they’re making Top Gear into an Americanized version. Corey seems only marginally worried about the choice of Adam Carolla as one of the hosts of the [...]