Top Gear Australia episode 6 preview
October 28, 2008 by George Skentzos
The fifth episode of Top Gear Australia endured a further plummet in ratings this Monday despite a promising line-up of segments, with just 435,000 viewers tuning in to see their Hamilton Island antics.
Despite this, their ambitions are only increasing with the next episode promising an entertaining line-up as well as a highly anticipated ‘Star in a bog standard’ car.
The trio go on an epic 2,400km journey from the Simpson Desert to the North Queensland coast line in a follow-up to the Toorak tractor phenomenon.
With Charlie in the luxurious Lexus LX 570, Warren in a hi-tech Range Rover Vogue TDV8 and Steve driving the sporty Audi Q7, the team see if these so called four-wheel drives are any good off-road.
“I have been to a tonne of dinner parties where people have said “My 4WD is good enough to go to Kakadu if I wanted to”. Now everybody knows that they probably never will so we thought we would help with bragging rights for the next party,” said Steve Pizzati.
Along the way – just in case it’s too easy – they will come across a series of challenges as well as having to put up with each other.
Not only that, but their only form of luxury over the journey will be the cars themselves, with Cox, Warren and Pizzati having to camp out under the stars throughout their trip.
Charlie, not a fan of being one with nature, said, “When I was a kid about 12 years old on the family camping holidays I used to lie back at night and look back the stars and think to myself “When I grow up I am going to get really rich so I never have to go camping again”.”
Closer to civilisation, Charlie Cox takes the powerful Mercedes SL 63 AMG for a cruise, “A car this stylish can even make a mug like me look good, well not that bad anyway.”
But certainly a highly-anticipated segment – especially for a few members of the CarAdvice team, will be Australian jazz legend and car enthusiast James Morrison as the ‘Star in a bog standard car’.
James previously hosted his own Australia motoring show over a decade ago with ‘Behind the Wheel’ – you can catch the original pilot episode right here on CarAdvice.
Print it: 
I think I am getting used to them, I guess it takes time…
I have seen every episode of Australian Top Gear and I intend to watch all of them, I hope they will get used to this aswell just like the UK guys did.
Hey wouldn’t it be good if Clarkson, Hammond and May suddenly popped out of the audience and announced they were taking over for a while.
Meanwhile I’m getting to watch the series 12 in 5 days. Rumour abound they managed to completely block Londons streets with a tank. Ha Ha can’t wait.
TGA is getting better each week as they settle in. The Hamilton island show was great and I look forward to watching the rest. Keep it up boys it is getting there!
I watched EP #1 or #2 – I don’t remember but I did tune in the other night and during the segment where they took a tractor down to Melbourne city streets.
As soon as they backed that tractor into a parked car “by accident” my TV started smelling like cheese and proceeded to change the channel.
Why can’t TopGear Oz be on the community television stations? That way I’d never tune in by accident because my tv skips it!
Getting better each week. Ra if you don’t like it don’t watch it. The Toorak tractor segment was hilarious, yes the Saab was a gee-up but still funny. Dont take the whole show too seriously. What about the audi yacht? Not only did they not sink it with 3 blokes on board (unlike TGUK) but the thing was drivable afterwards.
LOL anti-spam word was Saab
I was at the recording for this episode and can say it promises to be good. Once you overlook and dis-associate TGOz to TGUK, you can appreciate it for what it is. From what I could see ‘instudio’, the presenters seemed to ‘mesh’ well and this can only lead to greater viewing and plenty of gags (althou some gags still seem forced and make you wince). Having the chance to personally hijack Steve & Warren and chat about the show, provided some great insight into how the show is growing and how they learn from show to show and actually take on board ‘feedback’ from viewers.
I will continue to tune in and give these boys a go!
My 2c
As I said last time, this show is for rednecks…. Shannon Noel cemented that thought.
Definitely getting better each week at this stage. Looks like they worded up the audience to laugh a little more, which actually made watching the show a little easier.
Was amazed by the audi-boat starting up again and driving away. I wish they’d shown more of the way they built it.
Shannon Noel done a hot lap in the wet and seems like a decent regular bloke despite his star status.
Extra detail on the 135i review was an improvement.
Nice tractor.LOL.
TGA is continually improving and its a good show. Now with Swift and shift afterwards sbs definately has a quality monday night lineup.
RA & Elitist if TGA is so bad what would you consider to be a good show ?
The problem with this show, isnt the actual programme its the channel its on and the lack of advertising! If it was on channel 7,9or10 with big budget advertising it would be a success no question…
I only saw a bit of the yacht car when looking for another show. Already been done. Confirms what I have seen. Give it up, this show is beyond hope.
Elitest, you actually think anyone from the country is redneck don’t you? Well get that stick out of your ar$e and realise that country people aren’t just hicks who like to do doughnuts in their bad paddocks all day, as Shannon Noll proved it only helped his driving being on dirt roads most of his life. And you probably dream of living on Sydney’s North Shore one day but I bet you’re actually from Mac Fields or Blacktown lol
If TGA was on 7,9 or 10 it would be a half hour show with half an hour of ads. At least on SBS there are only 3 or maybe 4 short ad breaks in the hour instead of 10 on the other channels.
I’ve been slamming the show from ep 1 however it is getting a lot better, this weeks ep was really good and as others have said you can see the hosts getting more comfortable.
It’s a pitty the first ep’s were really bad and many people now won’t come back. I imagine it can’t be a cheap show to make so this could be a big problem.
[1x01]933,000 – 13th Overall – 3rd in timeslot
[1x02]674,000 – 26th Overall – Last in timeslot
[1x03]668,000 – 24th Overall – Last in timeslot
[1x04]598,000 – 25th Overall – Last in Timeslot
[1x05]435,000 – 26th Overall – Last in timeslot
RATINGS PER EPISODE TGA….OH DEAR.
They are just trying to hard to be funny, and failing dismally. If it had a canned laughter track it could be a crap 90s Merrycan sitcom. What is up with Cox’s hair?
They need to drop the script and just wing it.
As a mate of mine said, TGUK is a funny show that happens to be about cars. TGA is a car show trying to be funny.
Jash
“TGUK is a funny show that happens to be about cars. TGA is a car show trying to be funny”
That is a great and accurate quote indeed…
C’mon BBC, if SBS don’t flush TGA down the dunny…
And to those of you who say “don’t watch it”, just remember, some of our taxpayers’ money is being poured into this copycat crap, so we have a right to have a spew about how crap it is!
Only a few more sleeps and new (proper) TG will be back on Channel BT! Yayyyyyy!!!
The Hamilton Island segment was dreadful. Doughnuts on another airfield – at least three times – tells us nothing about the car. The Aqua-Audi was such a rip-off of the UK show, but without the fun element of competition between the three. It was pathetic. As for backing the tractor into the Saab – was that some poor punter’s car? So how about saying “Sorry” on air and letting it be known that the person is having their car repaired and an alternative provided at the programmes’s expense? I actually like elements of the programme and want it to succeed, but please get over the puerile behaviour!! Remember that the UK lot earned the respect of their audience before trying silly challenges – and there is a point to the challenges. I don’t want to see three blokes I hardly know acting like pr#cks.
And by the way, when they commented on how few Aussies know how to go around a roundabout (which drives me nuts – it is not that hard!) I thought “Hurrah, they are going to explain” But they didn’t – they just made puerile comments. Come on, guys – think about it!!
Cheers.
I thought it was great, getting better and better, and this episode was quite funny. For all the haters on this forum who obviously dont love cars as much as the rest of us do, TURNNN ITTT OFF…or watch your favourite show Desperate Housewives…ewwwwww woooppppeeee…
hahah…
loved it…keep em coming TGA CARS CARS CARS………More POWERRRR….
MLCrisis Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
As for backing the tractor into the Saab – was that some poor punter’s car? So how about saying “Sorry” on air and letting it be known that the person is having their car repaired and an alternative provided at the programmes’s expense?
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The running over of the Saab was a stunt done purely for laughs, TGUK did the same thing in one of their supercar epps.
The review of the BMW 135 was the best yet and
while TGA is not up to UK standards its getting there and I am more than happy to spend an hour in front of the TV watching.
I tell you who would be a great celebrity for them to get…
Eric Bana…
He’s a somebody who actually loves cars and has had some interesting car stories.
i love the two shows that follow after TG AUS..
Gee I wonder why Sydney gets stereotyped soo much?
Yes, i will keep watching and keep supporting a good, ENTERTAINING, local car show with relavant information to us aussies.
At the end of the day if the ratings are poor, the show will be axed, regardless of what all our opinions are.
I’m warming up to the show, but I reckon I can only put up with it for 30 minutes. After 40 minutes I’m looking at what’s on the ABC.
I have to say though, the current episode is slightly more appealing.
SteveC
Whether we are proud country hicks, red necks, rev heads, dip sticks, North Shore socialites, Holden heads, Falcon freaks, Fast Four boys or Toyota Crown drivers, as SBS viewers we are all Australian. These differences that seem to cause feelings of unrest amongst this forum are what could, and should have made Australian Top Gear a great show. But for reasons known only to the upper echelon of the shows producers, it presents as a pale, insipid clone of the UK Show. The quest to find suitable local hosts was a good idea, but one is left with the feeling that this was simply a bit of spin designed to inspire interest in the show. The severe lack of charisma, chemistry and charm of the chosen presenters is one of the key flaws with this production. Whether contractual obligations from the UK owners have tied the hands of the local producers, we may never know, but what is clear is that the few, but significant advertisers who buy time during the local show will surely be placing their dollars with other networks. As my old convent headmistress used to say, the ratings are “dropping like a whores draws”, and as each week comes and goes, a new nail is added to the coffin. So, a note, if I may, to the producers who were responsible for this; NEVER underestimate the intelligence of the average SBS viewer.
Yours etc
Mrs B Smegma
The news that SBS is actually going ahead with series 2 is either a clever way to measure the public’s reaction or is an idiotic prank.
With the show languishing on the bottom of the ratings heap and 90% of all comments negative no production company in its right mind would commit to a second series.
Most potential advertisers are facing serious problems so supporting a second rate, heavily criticised show that fails to reach a large audience would be as illogical as continuing with the show in the first place.
The result will be a lack of commercial revenue and to make up the gap in the budget the taxpayer will have to come to the rescue.
If the show was critically acclaimed this would not be such a problem but it just isn’t.
SBS needs accept that the show simply hasn’t worked and get on with things. To stubbornly continue to produce a program because the decision makers don’t want to admit the show has failed is moronic and displays contempt for the very people who support the broadcaster: its audience.
this show could be really good, if they kept it normal and australian, all they do is talk them selves up about how chaotic and crazy they are, when really they don’t do anything, they either sit in a car or stand in the studio. they don’t have anything entertaining or funny to say. and they don’t even talk about the car, they just say how its crazy or it has understeer. if they did proper reviews of all sorts of cars and told us the technical and detail sides of it then i could actually watch it, but rite now its just awfull, maybe they’ll make the second season better.