Top Gear Australia

Some of you know you know that I ended up getting tickets to see the filming of Top Gear Australia. I have to say, it was fun... for the first two hours.



While the email I received stated that the filming should take about two and a half hours. We were there from 5:30 pm till 10 pm. The first hour or so was fun. It was interesting to see how the show was made. It was interesting to see how the various parts or segments were all scattered out of order and filmed based on convenience. It made sense.

While I've never really been a huge fan of Top Gear Australia, the worst part about it is behind us thanks to Charlie Cox leaving the show. His annoying, constipated voice would make me cringe and change the channel. But really, I put up with it because I absolutely love the entire Top Gear franchise. I have every episode of the original UK version of the show since 1989. I also have every episode of the Australian show and the Russian series as well.

I have a couple of STIG shirts and I even contemplated auditioning for the show when it was announced that auditions were open for the Australian series.

However, after tonight's visit to the filming studio. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as I would have thought. Obviously, filming isn't easy. Especially if you happen to suck at your job and have to do take after take, all the while the crowd pleaser tells you that it's the last time, every time. That got a bit annoying after 3 hours. It appeared that the entire crowd was getting a little restless. People were rubbing their lower backs, leaning against cars, and breaking off into their own conversations rather than watching the "magic" take place for the silver screen.

Regardless of all the hold ups, the repeated laughter at the same joke over and over again until the take is perfect for the producer and director, I will still stay a fan of the show and after watching Episode one on TV last night, I can say that series 2 of Top Gear Australia is looking at being a great show. Though to be totally fair, I think anything without that annoying git, Charlie are going to be an improvement. Sucked in to the UK who got him back, as he returned to Australia just to do Top Gear on SBS. This is an argumentative point in itself. While he is an Australian, he wasn't in Australia and he already had a gig on UK TV.

So, why discount another Aussie talent for an import? Especially when considering that the audition requests went out to average Aussie's who want to have a hand at being a good television host on a great show.

It turns out that average Aussie never had a chance. Which makes me dirty about the whole thing. Still, I love the show..... the UK version that is. While the Aussie version has improved a great deal, it still has a long way to go, and to be fair, I'd imagine that the UK version wouldn't be too much different in the filming process, so I can't discount the Aussie team for the technical process of making a TV show. Then again, you can tell the pros from the amateurs. Greig Pickhaver was the Star in a bog standard car, and he did it all in one take. BOOM! In and out. I think there was only one occasion where the boys on the Top Gear team made it through one take.

It was an experience I'm glad I had but much like my white water kayaking trip I did last year in the Bulahdelah ranges, it was great fun though I'll probably never ever do it again. On both occasions I walked away from the event with sore knees and wanting my bed.