It's not shocking that Jay Leno was the first guy NBC called to front their version of Top Gear. Leno's the biggest auto enthusiast in showbiz on this side of the pond, and like any good gearhead he loves the show's no-holds-barred, enthusiast approach. But Leno thinks that Top Gear won't work on American TV, and he penned a column for the Sunday Times of London where he says so– Jeremy Clarkson style. The American version of Top Gear was pitched to Leno by an unnamed honcho (who didn't know the name of the show) as ""Well, like, one week you build a car that flies and the next week you make a car that goes under water." Leno knows how Clarksonian slams go over on networks where the sponsor is king. "When Jeremy rips into some sponsor such as Ford or Chrysler, well, that's the last time they sponsor that show. Then what you have is 'the meeting' after the show, where they tell him to tone it down. That's just not what they do at Top Gear." Fearing a lethal combo of stunts, advertainment and a firm pair of editorial handcuffs, Leno passed on the job offer. "Cars are my hobby. Television is my job," says Jay. "For me, my great release from any sort of pressure is to go to my garage." And who can blame him? As great as Jay would be as an American Jeremy Clarkson, we would hate to see America's gearhead end his public love affair with the automobile over "that meeting." [Hit tip to QuasiMondo and AutoBlog for the link]
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My estimation of Leno just increased exponentially – but then you don’t get to his level without having very active grey matter hard at work between the ears.
Top Gear succeeds because it is created by a broadcaster that is public, and which receives its revenues through a license paid by viewers. The model would never work if the program was advertising based – just think of GM’s boycott of the LATimes not that long ago, because of one negative review.
Leno in The Times:
I said on The Tonight Show recently that the new Kia was available with a heated rear window, so if people needed to push it in winter they could keep their hands warm. Boy, the phones did not stop ringing. So imagine what Jeremy would have to put up with.
Yeah, he went up a couple points in my book, too. Especially with that Cosmo in the back.
Jay is smart enough not to bite the teat of the cash cow.
That said, he’d make a great host for any automotive show…
Wow. My opinion of Mr. Leno just improved. Significantly.
Way to go! Wish I had your problems, but way to go!
Of course it would work, if NBC gave the program some slack. If Michael Moore could do it, so could Jay Leno. But that means building a program not depending on advertising.
The “unnamed Honcho” should watch the Top Gear episodes where the trio drive from Miami to New Orleans, Post-Katrina. The scenes shot in Alabama would give the network exec a heart attack.
I can’t wait to see the host in the US version of the show drive a full sized US built pick up truck, look the camera in eye and declare it to be “rubbish”.
From the moment i got wind of an American-style Top Gear being in the works, it was doom to failure. Top Gear in Europe works because the show is not dependent on private sponsors and the hosts have their freedom to truly express how they feel about cars (kinda like TTAC eh?) Anyway, I respect Jay Leno even more now because he recognizes the shackles that would be in place if he were hosting, not to mention the bribery involved with saying a car is better than everything else. Ingvar, NBC can give the program as much slack as they want but as someone said earlier, if Ford was sponsoring the show and Leno rips a Ford product for some issue, Jay would get a call after the show telling him to either cut back or lose Ford sponsorship.
In our world of manufactured consent, Leno is totally on point. He could not be honest. Every car mag will point out the sometimes significant flaws of a car or truck ONLY when the new one comes out, then there will be a few paragraphs in the beginning about how ‘they never really got X right’. Watch Motorweek for how you need to be to survive. They talk in code and the truth will only be told while the car does the slalom. The gearhead will note the sidewalls being scrubbed off, and the audio will say “suspension is tuned for comfort”. You get the idea.
I must also point out that in any comparison test, the British car wins in CAR magazine, so it’s not just a New World thing.
Car makers, like much of the larger interests, wish the internet could be made to “just go away”, as they no longer control the information which potential buyers are exposed, not to mention recalls and recurrent problems that up until the internet, would only be know in the “warranty” department of an automaker.
Ted Koeppel did a really good bit on this on his last nightline.
How about PBS? Or HBO? Showtime? Any of the pay channels that would not need auto revenue. Just a thought…
So in spite of his YouTube audition, I guess Farago never got the call. Or did he?
Did RF ever hear back regarding his audition tape?
Top Gear wouldn’t work in the U.S. because most of the jokes are about America! Doesn’t make them less funny though.
Kudos to Leno. And I’ve seen him drive and talk about that Cosmo in the picture with some reverence – I like that Leno loves virtually all cars, and actually drives them.
As opposed to someone I met during Easter dinner who has a very large private collection (larger than Leno’s), but clearly has no love for cars and rarely drives any of them.
I’m still not watching the Tonight Show, mind you…but good for you, Jay.
they are also planing to make an australian top gear. it wont have as much problems with sponsers because it is on a partially public chanel. the problem is the presenters wont be as good, thats all there is, without clarckson may and hammond it wont be good, same problem in the us
Never heard back from TG. So my ethical integrity remains intact.
Good for Leno!
I was just watching BBC|America last night, savoring back-to-back Top Gear episodes.
America-bashing aside (most earned, but still somewhat rankling), it is for me the best coverage of cars going.
What if…
What if somehow such a program could exist here? What if reviewers could actually, um, review without the constraints of advertising revenue dictating editorial content?
What if a US auto television show could be fun, irreverent, unpredictable?
Just watch a sleepy, PR-regurgitating episode of MotorTrend TV and tell yourself, “This is it. This is as good as it gets for American car-nut viewers.” Sad, isn’t it.
So I really don’t get how what Leno said was “good,” other than he just stated an obvious, economic reality about corporate adver-sponsorship influence over American television content. Then threw up his hands.
What would have been truly good is if he’d been able to offer up some sort of solution. As jolo said, maybe a run on PBS?
Let your imaginations run wild….
Who would be “The Stig” in America? How about Tony Stewart — and instead of keeping him mute, let him actually “speak the truth” about his ride while he flogs cars through the course? “Understeering like a pig…why even put a steering wheel in something that won’t turn?”
What would serve as American road humor? Cannonball runs in the Weinermobile? Batmobile dragracing the Duke Boys’ Charger?
One can dream. So let’s start….
without clarckson may and hammond it wont be good, same problem in the us
Meh…
They’ve had different hosts over time and it worked fine back then too, but I agree the current team does a very good job and their personalities blend well together.
As for the American TopGear, it could work if it would be sponsored by outside (car)industry companies. If it would be very succesful you can sell any product in the commercial breaks. Still, they might have trouble getting cars, but then again, if most manufacturers supply them with cars the ones who don’t could easily be crushed in the show.
Btw…
I saw a very early episode of TG not to long ago about the Alfa 164/Lancia Thema/Saab 9000/Fiat Croma and it was an informercial just like at any other television car show. Over time JC just built up the credit to be able what he does now with the show.
I’d be more than surprised and happy if Top Gear USA was even half the show that Japan’s Best Motoring is.
Even Top Gear on BBC America stinks. What with the multiple commerical breaks wedged in at awkward spots.
Leave Top Gear to the BBC and we’ll just watch it on YouTube (until the BBC makes YouTube take them down).
Stein X Leikanger: Top Gear succeeds because it is created by a broadcaster that is public, and which receives its revenues through a license paid by viewers.
That model works only until the entity that ultimately controls the public broadcaster (i.e., the government) decides to start exercising some editorial control of its own.
For now, Clarkson is too popular to silence, and present management appears to realize what an asset they have in him and the show itself. But that could change quickly, especially if those in government decide that the program needs to tow the politically correct line and never stray from the message that “speed kills,” or “driving is bad,” or “no car should get less than 40 mpg,” etc.
Joberg-
I think I’ve seen bits from TopGear posted on YouTube by an account purporting to be the official representative of the BBC. I think I found that the Toyota Hilux destruction clips were posted under this account.
jolo :
April 1st, 2008 at 8:32 am
How about PBS? Or HBO? Showtime? Any of the pay channels that would not need auto revenue.
Exactly what I was thinking.
I’m nto terribly surprised at Mr. Leno’s response. I’ve watched dozens of his short videos at Jay’s Garage, and anybody who has that great of a collection of cars and so obviously loves them as cars (he actually drives them) obviously has his head screwed on straight.
I’m sure I’m one of the many here that counts Top Gear as one of my favorite shows.
Unless NBC suddenly has a brass balls transplant, the show is doomed to fail. The only way this show could possibly honor the original is if it was done on pay cable.
And then, the question becomes whether or not the budget needed to produce the show at the level of the BBC version is feasible, especially given the somewhat niche audience.
Good for Leno for acknowledging that the creative liberties that Top Gear takes that would be smothered here in the US.
However, I think his hesitation may also have played into his own business interests… even his website is sponsored by GM. Not that he couldn’t afford to front it on his own coin, but when you have the chance for free money, why wouldn’t you take advantage?
I think before we’d see TopGear in the USA with American hosts we’d see some Americanized version of FifthGear (which I also like).
The problem is that it would switch from million dollar sports cars to thirsty American vehicles like SUVs and muscle cars. Big deal.
While some of these kinds of cars is fine – part of the reason I like to watch TopGear (see FinalGear.com for the latest episodes) are the oddball world-market cars. I can get a big dose of American cars on any other American TV show.
Would the American version show us the new French cars? Would they show us the new Brit cars? Would they do the “challenges” around the world or would it be some sort of task to get across LA in under 3 hours without getting shot?
Who would host it if not Leno? I fear more of the Discovery Channel builder types – you know the chopper/hot rod guys? It might switch from the three Brit stereotypes to the American stereotype equivalents – tattooed, doo-rag wearing, bad-ass guys or the redneck stereotype or the downtown bass-thumping dude or the sport compact car type.
Yawn!
Nope, I can get big doses of those guys at the local auto parts store on Saturday morning and do.
The other problem is that with American hosts I’d realize just how dumbed down the show really is (just like the Brit version) and suddenly it wouldn’t be fun to watch anymore.
The Brit version is interesting not because the new Ferrari got reviewed. Not because they drove the new VW. It’s interesting to me b/c the people, places, cars, and challenges are so different from what I see on the other 60 channels of drivel that we get on our TV.
I watched “Invention Nation” for the 2nd time last night and it hit me how little useful information was really given to the audience.
Here is a guy that runs his house totally on solar and wind. We’ll show you the house exterior, the fact that there are batteries in a big wooden box and wow, isn’t that cool?
Last night: here is a guy that is building a truck that runs on batteries. We’ll help him complete it. Actually it was obvious that the guy had removed 5 batteries boefore they turned ont he cameras and had the hosts put them back into the truck, crimp three or four wires, and suddenly it was fully converted and ready for a trip to the hardware store. No mention of of any of the technical side of it.
Maybe this kind of show is for the kind of person who is challenged by replacing the batteries in their flashlight. I’d like watch the “advanced version please”…
Man, what a lightweight show… I’d hate to get an American version of TopGear that was equally lightweight. Once the entertainment value of odd-ball cars wore off it would quickly lose any value to me.
“Even Top Gear on BBC America stinks. What with the multiple commerical breaks..”
Don’t bother…get them all free via Isohunt (BitTorrent).
But that means building a program not depending on advertising.
The issue here is that the entire network is dependent on advertising, not just one program. Even if no manufacturer buys time during TG-USA, many of them would buy time for other prime time shows and then threaten to pull ads based on what was said during TG-USA.
“Robert Farago :
April 1st, 2008 at 10:10 am
Never heard back from TG. So my ethical integrity remains intact.”
I’m not surprised! You did an AWFUL english accent, then forgot what car you drove! Though, I did wet myself laughing when you fell off the car!
For those of you watching on Top Gear on You Tube or BBC America, get better quality downloads from finalgear.com
Previous comments are spot on. There is absolutely no way a US version of Top Gear would be anywhere nearly as authentic or as funny as the original UK version. The producers and TV stations would be far too concerned with advertising dollars and who they might offend. Although I had heard a rumour that the BBC may cancel it because of production costs. And that would be an awful shame.