The U.S. Version Just Doesn't Appeal To Me

Top Gear USA Is Back And Here’s Why You Should Embrace It

The biggest problem with Top Gear USA is that people refuse to separate it from Top Gear UK. When you do that, you see it’s actually good fun

It was designed to appeal to a broader U.S. audience

When Top Gear relaunched in the UK in 2002, it already had the benefit of more than two decades of established history on television. Despite Top Gear’s global success, the only established Top Gear audience in the U.S. was a relatively small number of petrolheads. For Top Gear USA to survive it had to reach new viewers while keeping the traditional Top Gear fans interested.

Could the producers have done better on that last bit? Possibly, but I also believe they faced a no-win scenario with the fans no matter how good the show was. Again, it comes back to the viewers holding the new TG USA to the same standards it took TG UK nearly a decade to build.

It’s a motoring show about having fun with cars

I hate to be Captain Obvious here, but it’s not like our televisions are burning up with all kinds of motoring programs in the States. Never mind that it’s a legitimately entertaining car program done by guys who do actually know and love cars. It’s not Top Gear UK - it has a different feel with different presenters that focus on different cars. That doesn’t make it better or worse, just different. Once you realise that, you understand very quickly just what kind of great, silly, enjoyable fun this show is.

Complete list (CarThrottle.com)