Australia to get local Top Gear
November 19, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
We report this news with some reservations. SBS has announced it will produce a “quintessentially Australian” version of Top Gear destined for Aussie TVs starting next year.
This is the first time the BBC has given rights to produce Top Gear for another country, and while we are delighted that Australia is the first to get the green light, we have to ask, just how is it meant to work?
Top Gear has been on and off TV since the 80s but it has found a worldwide cult following in the last five or so years. Successfully replicating that formula will be hard without the shows biggest assets, its presenters.
SBS director of content Matt Campbell acknowledges our fears and has stated SBS will add Aussie flavour to the successful formula.
“In making it we won’t simply replicate the UK series with an Australian version of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond or James May, SBS plans to make a program that is uniquely and quintessentially Australian.” he said.
In another bit of good news SBS has confirmed it has secured the rights to the UK show for the life of the series. We’d imagine the Australian version will air directly after TopGear UK on SBS.
When informed, Top Gear’s main man Jeremy Clarkson said: “I’m delighted that Top Gear is going to Australia. Maybe the first guest could by Jonny Wilkinson.”.
Expect the show to air mid to late next year.
Print it: 
Hi “TheStigsKid”. I have applied for a position of side kick on the show and I thought I would just let you know that I look a little like Brad Pit. Especially if you stand 100 meters away in a sand storm.
No, no Hammond’s when I was there. Although they’re notifying all the presenter potentials in the next 2 weeks. P.S. I’m not allowed to speak about the show anymore. But on the show I might not be called the Stig.
Maybe “HELMET HEAD”??????
Today is the cut off day. Good luck to all applicants:)
Australian Top Gear will be hugely entertaining , we are car loving nation with a great “Muscle car culture”, bring it on baby. “Kick it in the guts Barry” quote from Steve Beasly as the goose in “Mad Max”.
Speaking as an Australian living in England (and hopefully never coming back), Oz just hasn’t got the talent to set this up properly. Top Gear is hugely popular precisely because a)it’s English, b)JC, RH and JM are brilliant presenters (JM has a great, dry sense of humour, watch his wine shows) and c)it’s English. Australia has an EXTREME drought of TV talent in comparison, the commercial stations rarely make anything in-house which is worth the paper they vomited the script up on (I know this’ll be SBS, which may help things but I doubt it), and Australia is too much of a car nut nation, which is another problem – England isn’t, which is why Top Gear UK works so well, nobody cares if the cars are worth buying. There is no way this is going to work, and you should give up on it being any good now.
You’re right there Danbot.
Reckon Alborz has put his name forward???
In agreement with Danbot!
I cant see the Australian version of Top Gear working at all. I don’t know what they’re going to come up with that hasn’t already been done in the original Top Gear, the presenters will be no where near as good as Clarkson and the gang!
First episode will be a drag race between ford and holden, then what??
I think we Aussies have suffered enough self imposed embarrassment over the years, please stop before its too late SBS!!!
I don’t know about Top Gear UK being rated only on its hosts. Just think of all the stunts they’ve done in cars – extra-long stretched limos, amphibious cars, driving to the North Pole. This is great stuff!
Sure, it’s hard to think of great local presenters who could substitute for Clarkson, May and Hammond, but the show could work if you look at the wacky side of motoring – Race Around Australia, cars with BBQs? Aussies are world-class swimmers, but what about Aussie cars – do they swim? Possibilities are endless.
Strange thought! How about a women as one of the three presenters in the Aussie Top Gear. Mid-40’s, represents a big part of the target audience. Someone who’s been in motor sport, spunky and knows a bit about cars.
Matilda, the waltzing kangaroo.
The Dynamic Three-o! Hum, well TOP Gear UK, didn’t start with Clarkson, Hammond and May. May came in later in the gig as the third wheel. There were two previous third wheels which May finally filled the spot. See the very first series, and Pilots. TOP Gear has been on and off air for 10 years. Eventually, Clarkson will retire, and hopefully Hammond will try harder NOT to become an earth mover with his head! Well, James May will just keep getting lost. Hum, I wonder on how he flies the Cessna? IFR. (I Follow Roads) Anyhow, The Dynamic Three-O will not last for ever, and for the TOP Gear UK Series to continue, New Blood will have to be introduced to the show. I agree with Matilda, that an extremely, articulate, talented, sporty, outspoken woman, with lots of enthusiasm for motor vehicles who doesn’t mind to get her hands dirty, and can juggle many spanners, should be in the Australian Team. Hum, my Dream Girl! Plus lets remember, there could be the possibility that who we start off with, May not be who we end up with. A lot depends on the viewers acceptance, and how the “Australian” Team bounce off each other on Air. Also look at the fact, the gig isn’t all fun and games, there is a ton of work involved, especially if there is a TOP Gear Australia Magazine, your not just a TV Presenter, your a journo as well. Clarkson works his arse off, and works long hours. What we see on TV is only 5% of the actual work that goes into the show!
Billy Holden
You know just thinking out loud, perhaps the TOP Gear Australian STIG, should be called ASTIG, Just in case you have the UK STIG, and the Aussie STIG on the same show, as they are mute, you can hear the accents! And perhaps if there is a USA STIG, call him/her USTIG! Perhaps have the race suits colour coded as well, White for the UK, Green and Gold for Australia, and Red, White and Blue for the Yanks. if you had a gaggle of STIG’s in one place, you would have STIG, ASTIG, and USTIG, everys body a STIG STIG! ;-) Billy Holden
Well the Stig’s american cousin is fat. So you can tell them apart lol. But as for the Australian Top Gear, i think it could work. In reality though what cars do we have here that haven’t already been put on the show in the UK?
Apart from the hand full of Holdens and Fords, it’s all the same! But i think hosting it on home land will make people watch it (ie me) and seeing local sights will be awesome!
Bring it on!
(But for now, even showing the new series of UK Top Gear will be enough!)
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