NBC Banishes Top Gear U.S. to Cable to Die

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Topgear.com/us/blog reports that NBC has decided not to add the U.S. version of the British car show to their prime time line-up. Well, to any part of their lineup. “We have a scoop on the much-anticipated U.S. version of ‘Top Gear’: BBC has decided to take the show to cable, where presenters’ funny mouths, from which often spill foul words, will be more at home. There are no hard feelings and NBC will be sharing custody of ‘Top Gear’ dog. A number of cable networks were delighted with the news… watch this space.” Yeah right. NBC killed it– I mean the BBC “moved it” to cable because of swear words which, as everyone knows, can’t be deleted or bleeped and would cause NBC’s twenty-four prime time viewers to change channels. And the presenters couldn’t be happier with all this. In any case, given Top Gear US’s phenomenal, NBC-funded budget, we’re looking at one of two possibilities. First, Top Gear US will air on cable, and then die. Second, it will air on cable, and then live– as a MUCH smaller-budget program. And then die. Meanwhile, the mess is so bad, the Top Gear blog is distancing itself from the wreckage. “This gives us an opportunity to clear up some of the confusion regarding why TopGear.com is here. Lots of people, judging from comments and discussions in the forums, think we’re the support website for an American ‘Top Gear’ television show. We’re not. Heck, we couldn’t even discuss a pilot that was allegedly filmed at some point last summer somewhere much warmer than the frigid climes that surround our office in New York.” If you think it’s cold now

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Anonymous Anonymous on Dec 12, 2008

    Remember, "Family Guy" originally died on the Fox vine only to blossom on cable (and DVD sales),return to the network a few years later, bigger and better and then rake in the dough with spin-offs and syndication. Giggity giggity, Giggity goo.

  • Greg Locock Greg Locock on Dec 12, 2008

    "IMHO nothing from the BBC that gets transplanted and “adapted” to the US market is ever as good as the original…" The Office (US) is an extremely funny program in its own right, with a different thrust to the original, but that is fine. Luckily you guys won't get to see Top Gear Australia, unless you accidentally type "epic fail" into You Tube's search feature. Don't.

  • Demetri Demetri on Dec 12, 2008

    "The Office (US) is an extremely funny program in its own right, with a different thrust to the original, but that is fine." The UK version could be downright depressing at times. Also, it was hard to relate to some of the inter-office stuff that that went on that seemed more European. I recall a lot of open sexual stuff that would never go down in a US office, at least not without a sexual harassment lawsuit.

  • B.C. B.C. on Dec 13, 2008
    Tanner Faust killed the show for me. ANYONE but him. I've nodded off while watching his Supercars Unleashed show ...
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