Hey Adam, Jay Leno called, he wants his denim back.

New season started in the UK Last night.

maybe its march 09

So the first episode has been filmed, and by all accounts it seems to be good, there are plenty of reviews of the filming on the interwebs.

Not sure yet when it will air.

New US site: http://www.topgear.com/us/

Any word on when this will air yet? It'll be kind of odd seeing a car show on American primetime, IMO. I wonder if NBC will keep it going if it's not well-received. This type of show can't be that expensive to produce.

My friend (a huge car nut) has been watching the new Aussie version, which is 4 episodes in already. He said it's not bad.

My guess is Jan/Feb timeframe as a) post football filler and b) mid-season filler.

I have not bothered to watch the AU version, but I've heard it's so-so and getting gradually better.

Looks like the US site is using the new UK site template.

Looks like NBC has passed on this. Being shopped around to cable.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/11/n...oing-to-cable/

This probably revolves around the recent spate of musical chairs over at the executive level of NBC.

As long as I have my original going strong I'm not overly bothered by this.

"Top Gear" on the Hitler Channel? Sure, why not?

Didn't know that the failure of "Knight Rider" was a factor in NBC passing. Got to love programming exec thinking: "Audiences didn't cotton to our unoriginal rehash of a cheesy '80s show, so therefore they don't want any show where cars are featured."

Well, I guess that was true of Jay Leno's primetime show.

I still think Leno made a huge mistake by not developing this as his show after NBC fired him. That being said, I will tune in the first season to see how this turns out.

Here's the trailer from the upfronts.

http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.co...railer-us.html

Looks okay. I like how they're taking some of the original ideas and putting an American twist on them. I didn't get a great sense of the presenters chemistry though. Seems like they won't be able to equal the original trio, but I'm afraid it won't even come close. They just seemed to get along. They need to capture some of that friendly "I hate you!".

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100901/...itain_top_gear

The stig revealed.

The Stig's ID is 'Top Gear' secret no more
Buzz up!153 votes ShareretweetEmailPrintBy JENNIFER QUINN, Associated Press Writer Jennifer Quinn, Associated Press Writer – Wed Sep 1, 12:01 pm ET
LONDON – The opaque visor of one of Britain's most famous helmets has been lifted.

The identity of The Stig, the always-anonymous test driver on the popular television show "Top Gear," has long been a closely guarded secret. On Wednesday, lawyers said the BBC had been refused an injunction blocking publication of a book revealing the identity of the character.

Shortly after, publishers HarperCollins said in a statement that a 33-year-old racing driver named Ben Collins "has a great story to tell about his seven years as The Stig, which will appeal to a wide audience beyond just motoring enthusiasts."

Calling it a "victory for freedom of speech," HarperCollins said the book will be published in Britain on Sept. 16.

The white-suited Stig is the second in the role; the first Stig, who wore a black suit and helmet, was Perry McCarthy. He left the show in 2003 after his identity was revealed.

The show has a long-standing policy of not commenting on The Stig's identity. A "Top Gear" spokeswoman said no decision has been made on whether the character will be back when the show returns.

"Top Gear" is one of the BBC's most successful programs, and is seen in more than 100 countries around the world. Alongside the show's three garrulous hosts, The Stig is an always-silent presence, fearlessly navigating the show's test track in glamorous cars.

Speculation over his identity is a favorite pastime for fans of the show, and the "Top Gear" website sells T-shirts proclaiming "I am The Stig," "I am not The Stig," and "I am The Stig's fat cousin," among others.

"The whole point of The Stig is the mystique — the bizarre characteristics he has, the wonderment created about what he might think, feel, do or look like," producer Andy Wilman said in a post on the show's website. "Kids adore the conceit, and I believe adults, although they know it's a man in a suit (or is it?) gladly buy into the whole conceit because they find it entertaining."

The Stig's Facebook page — which more than 2.5 million people "like" — says he was recently attacked by a goose, that his ears "are not where you would expect them to be," and that he thinks the movie "Star Wars" is a documentary.

The BBC said it sought the injunction — the hearing was held in private — because viewers like the mystery surrounding the driver's identity and it's "vital to protect the character of The Stig."

The broadcaster said that the judgment does not prevent them from taking the issue further in the courts.

'The BBC will not be deterred from protecting such information from attack no matter when or by whom it should arise," the broadcaster said in a statement.

Collins' website says he has raced on the Formula Three and NASCAR circuits, and drove James Bond's Aston Martin in the 2008 film "Quantum of Solace."

didn't they reveal that was the latest Stig last season?

Spoiler that! That was a huge deal last year on some sites and now it's back due to the legal case. Some people - myself included - would like that info kept secret!

It's not a big deal.

Personally I always hated the intro to the stig segments.

New sneak peek - I'm encouraged, but I'm still waiting to see how the 3 hosts gel together.

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Humm. It almost feels flat. Maybe it's the hosts or maybe it's the content - I can't tell. It's like they were reading from a script. When the original crew talk about a car and argue who's is best you can tell they genuinely believe what they're saying because they love cars. These, I'm not so sure.

I also would have liked to have seen pick your favorite previous Lambo. Maybe forcing a historical choice would have evoked more of that pride in your choice.

When does this air anyway?

Starts at the end of November according to one of the hosts, but no specific date has been announced yet.

It's a 2 minute clip. Heck, the current (1 hour) BBC Top Gear didn't start out too well - they had one host that focused solely on used cars, and he didn't quite fit in with Jeremy and Richard. James wasn't hired until Series 2, and it was the end of that series that the show finally gelled and started evolving into what people consider "classic" TG.

That was only for the one car as Ferrari would only allow him to drive it.

The host seems to lack something. Personality.

I don't think this show is going to last long. I'll still watch it and see what happens over time.

If I could pick 3 people to host the show, it would probably be Christopher Titus, Tim Allen and Mike Rowe.