I know that I'm not the only person who has fallen in love with this show. I'm sure if I googled it, "Top Gear" fansites and accolades from major media outlets would come pouring out of the results. But I prefer to think that I'm the first person to sit down and watch a goofy, high-budget BBC car show. And it is goofy. And it high budget (the cars they get to test drive cost more than everything you will own, over the course of your lifetime). It is classic British wit, put in the mode of a talk show, a car show, and sometimes, a bit of Science. It's like Mythbusters, but the guys are cool, they get guest stars, and instead of busting Myths, they drive really fucking awesome cars.
So, nothing like Mythbusters, then.
One of my favorite bits about the show is the celebrity interview and lap. Simple enough--famous guest comes on, talks about their favorite cars, their least favorite cars, etc. And then, they get behind the wheel of a perfectly ordinary car, and drive it as fast as they can around a race track lap. The lads at Top Gear keep track of everybody's time (at last check, fucking Gordon Ramsey was at the top of the list). The celebrities get tips from the unknown racer (aka "The Stig") who also is used to put high performance cars through the same lap. Here's a sample of the show, with the utterly British Hugh Grant, who in this interview shows that in every movie he's ever been in where he is the charming, self-effacing Englishman isn't really acting all that hard. I find him delightful! I would have his babies, if it were at all biologically possible, and if he stopped fooling around with LA Whores and college co-eds. Which he won't, and he shouldn't.
Part 1:
Part 2:
5 comments:
I love this show too. And my brother in law came over and DVR'ed every episode, so I have lots to watch on Sunday mornings when there is not football (sniff!), the FA Cup is over (yeah MU!), hockey's at night and who cares about basketball until March anyway?
It's fantastic.
Yo u have to find the original uncut BBC editions. None of this BBC America shit. Also find the episode where they build amphibious vehicles. Classic.
Also that is supposed to be "you", not "yo, you". Just wanted to clear that up. I'm not one of those guys.
lbutler, you are still slumming around here? I haven't seen the amphibious show yet, but I've seen references to it.
My personal favorite of the ones I've watched is their trek from Miami to New Orleans. The $1000 cars designed to angrify Alabamanians was a particularly delightful stretch. Who but an Englishmen would paint, "Country and Western Music is Rubbish" on car?
Karah, are you unequivocally supporting the Red Devils? Hmpf. That team will become so instantly uncool the second Ryan Giggs retires and moves to the US to play in the MLS. Giggsy! (you know as a soccer fan, you should use our little blog search tool for "Great Goals"). We are soccer fans, too, and we've catalogued some good shit.
You know what else is cool?
In England, "fanny" means "vagina."
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