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The new season's premiere episode is available on FinalGear.com

This isn't really new. It's basically been confirmed as Ben Collins for a few years now.

The show will be featured on 60 Minutes this Sunday. Here is a segment on them from the Australian counterpart.

American version starts up on Nov 21st, I think, on the History Channel.

Quick reminder the U.S. version premieres tonight on The History Channel.

According to some reviewer on Jalopnik, the show doesn't really come into its own until episode 3, but I'll be tuning in anyway. I would love to be proved wrong about my trepidations.

That's promising, considering the first show was okay. The hosts do have something of a chemistry, but it's not as fluid as on the UK show. One other difference is that it's clear that Adam is clearly not the expert the other two are, considering his trade has been as a comic and actor.

Well, I think it's unfair to expect the hosts to have the chemistry of the UK trio. Clarkson, May, and Hammond have been doing it for a decade now. And let's be honest, the first three-four seasons of the 2000s Top Gear are pretty boring.

Most of that I agree with (haven't seen enough of the first couple of seasons to agree with your assessment). On the FinalGear forums, someone mentioned that the New York Times gave it a good review, but had this to say:

"What the History show lacks is the original’s sharp-edge wit and critical bite. The American trio may be too nice for their own good. With the British hosts, it seems that if any one of them were hit by a Ferrari, the surviving two wouldn’t even bother scraping him off the windshield. And then they’d criticize the Ferrari for not handling well enough to avoid hitting him."

I expected that going in, but that quote sums the show's flaws perfectly. On the other hand, the potential it does have could overshadow those flaws. The commercial with one of the hosts in a four-door going 170 miles an hour piqued my interest.

I'm watching Oz And James Drink To Britain right now, which I highly suggest if you've seen some of May's outside programming. I don't even drink and am a bit fascinated by the process of brewing because of this show, not to mention very entertained.

I'll watch absolutely anything that James May hosts. He can make the history of swivel chairs interesting.

Oz Clarke is quite good too. As perfect a foil for James as Jeremy and Richard are.

Two new specials this month. A Christmas special, then a new adventure this time across the Middle East (I'm already biting my nails).

The Apocalypse Special was surprisingly boring. I couldn't get into it at all. Just not a very good premise and what they did with it wasn't worth watching.

For kaujot, who appears to be the only other fan besides me lol, the trailer for the two Christmas specials.

The premier episode of the latest season is airing in the UK right now.

New season premieres tomorrow.

I've kind of soured on them a bit. Mainly I'm tired of Clarkson, which I never ever thought would happen, but there you have it. I'm sure I'll watch all the episodes I've missed since January eventually, but there's a lot more I'd rather watch before I get to that point.

Last week's was good, this week's even better. And funnier.

I tried watching last week's and quit about halfway in. I just--I'm done with Jeremy Clarkson, and I think it's too bad that he's the dominant personality on the show.

I guess this thread's just a one-man show then lol.

I'll still be around. Thanks for the reminder about the new season btw!

I believe they have balanced their problem of reviews vs challenges quite nicely. I typically introduce people to Top Gear by the various challenges and then move into one of the more entertaining reviews (Peel, Carver, etc). They then slowly adapt to the personalities of the three (except for Kaujot) and enjoy every part of the show.

My main annoyance with the show is the prevalence of the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" bit. After the third iteration of this feature, I wish it would go away- and be replaced by the Cool Wall or even that awful Stunt Man section. All the guests basically become the same and Jeremy acts automatically. There's eventually some slight interesting details in the interview, but it all seems a wasted portion of (now) every episode.

That and the annoyance of the continual release of edited BBC America editions of the show on Dvd/Blu and strange compilations in the UK. Perhaps they will one day have a real release of the show.