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The highest compliment I can pay this show is that it reminds me of that time in my youth I was absolutely obsessed with cars. It's like seeing my childhood fantasies played out, with the part of me played by 3 very funny Englishmen.

Any other fans?

One of my absolute favorite tv shows. It's responsible for my return to loving cars and everything about them.

I watched the South American journey from this past season last night, and was quite bowled over at how gruesome a challenge it was on every possible level to the three guys. Moreover, that everyone survived it.

They were filming some stuff at the Icelandic volcano just a few hours before it erupted.

The South American special isn't one of my favorites. The African Desert is one you really should seek out. Some incredible stuff.

Wow, that'll make for an interesting episode next season. I'll keep your advice in mind. I'm new to the show, and I know that I have the good fortune that it's been on for quite awhile now.

This was showing on late night Shanghai TV last year.
I would turn on the teevee to pop in a movie, and would end up watching the show most of the time.
I really have little or no interest in cars, but still found it very entertaining. Somehow I always got a kick out of the 20+ year old supercars they would purchase in run-down condition and then proceed to abuse. Good show.

Has this been on American Tv?
I mentioned it to my father and he was unaware of it, and he spends innumerable hours flicking around the dial, and he loves cars.

BBC America.

Download it or find some place to stream it online. BBC America cuts about 20 minutes out of each show.

Well, I was disappointed Top Gear left Shanghai late night TV (replaced by Don't Forget the Lyrics!), but I caught a fair number of shows.

Pops is not that computer savvy, and I don't think his NJ Cablevision has BBC America (actually, I didn't know there was such a thing, so I'll check the listings, as it might well be there). My father loves cars (worked on the fringes of the industry for years) and would enjoy the show. I was surprised how engaging I found Top Gear, since my interest in cars is pretty low.

The History Channel in the US is going to be running a US version. But it's going to have Adam Carolla and one of the toothy carpenters from Trading Spaces as two of the three hosts, so...

Carolla has said that he won't be co-hosting due to a commitment to the sitcom he's working on for NBC. Bit of a pity since Adam would be the perfect American counterpart to Jeremy.

Corolla is being replaced by Adam Ferrara, a comedian and apparent car-nut. I'm worried, though, because it's one thing to be a car-nut; it's quite another to review cars for a living, which is what all three of the british hosts (Clarkson, Hammond, and May) did before hosting Top Gear. The only person they've got that's even connected with the car industry is Tanner Foust, a driver, and from what I've read he's terrible on camera.

I really want it to succeed. If I keep my expectations low enough—they're quite low already—maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised when/if it airs.

Didn't NBC plan an American Top Gear a while back? .. and since when did the History Channel stop with the WW2 secrets/battles/get traumatized again? I suppose most other countries have their special version of the program now.

Regardless, nothing can replace the original show. I just wish that the BBC would either broadcast the entire episode without commercials or at least stop taking all of the clips down from youtube. I have to turn to Chinese subtitled versions to get the newest episodes-on youku. At least all of the Top Ground Gear Force special is still available.

Whoops, you guys are right. I got my Carollas and Ferraras mixed up. But given the nature of the thread, not as bad as getting my Corollas and Ferraris mixed up.

NBC dropped the show after ordering a pilot because of high costs and because the failure of the Knight Rider remake made them skittish of car shows.

FinalGear.com has links to each episode of each series contained in a certain file protocol.

Reading about Clarkson's politics make me wonder what would have happened if Limbaugh got the dream job of working at ESPN Olbermann has mentioned on his show a few times. Reading about how some Brits feel about him make him out to be the equivalent of him or *insert Fox News liberal Punching bag of the day* here in the States.

He's not nearly as much of an asshole as we've got here in the States, and, unlike Limbaugh/Hannity/Beck/Coulter/etc, he's actually funny.

The thing that really separates him from that bunch, is he is not above playing the fool on television. And from what I gathered watching the episode when the three presenters drove from Miami to New Orleans*, his views on America wouldn't be that out of step with someone like Bill Maher. On top of which, he has a much better taste in music.

* That episode has the funniest use of the Lawrence Of Arabia music I've ever seen.

Very well said. I don't agree with a lot of his politics, but he's still someone that I'd like to spend time with. I absolutely cannot emphasize how much the opposite is true for everyone else I mentioned.

What's on the front of the shirt? Just the logo, or what?

No idea.

It looks like the "I am the Stig" shirt

New season starts June 27th. Presumably the next day is the American premiere.

...or not. Does anyone know when the BBC America premiere will be?