Tag: Steve Pizzati

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Top Gear LIVE – A review

Top Gear LIVE - Sydney

Top Gear LIVE has now left Australian shores. Like many of the cars on show it was a whirlwind affair filled with action. That is a given, but was it actually any good? It was entertaining. Certainly. But I’m not so sure it was everything it could be.

The “show” kicked off with a series of live ads. Some were okay, some were woeful. In fact, the best ad of the night was the one celebrating the 25th anniversary of Virgin Atlantic which was playing on a video loop before the show began.

The show itself was hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and, from Top Gear Australia, Steve Pizzati. Jeremy and Richard entered the arena in a Lamborghini Gallardo and an Audi R8. A pretty impressive showing, and at some speed, given the indoor arena. Steve Pizzati followed suit shortly after, predictably, in a Holden ute. Surprisingly, the banter between the three worked quite well. Or at least, better than I expected. I was at the 5pm Saturday session, so the guys had a few shows behind them by this point.

We were told James May couldn’t make it because he got stuck at Oxford Street. An edited photo showing him at the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was put up on the big screen. That would have been okay if the gay jokes stopped there. But they didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a cheap joke like anyone else, but they went overboard on the homo jokes. Way overboard.

The first segment was a stunt driving team powered by Alfa Romeo 147s. There were four cars in total and the stunts performed in such a tight space were extraordinary. A great opening to the show, it must be said.

Like the TV show, there was a challenge for the presenters to take. Who could win a race in the smallest car they could build. Steve had a suitcase that folded out into a car. Hammond had a tricycle driven by power tools and Jeremy got around in a jet powered version of himself. You’ll never guess who won. Of course, it was Clarkson. The predictable humiliation for the losers followed. This included Steve Pizzati being asked to have a motorbike bounce on his arse. In terms of comedy value, it was one step away from Fatty Vautin in drag.

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Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia – Series 1, Episode 8

Top Gear Australia - Series 1, Episode 8

The final episode of Top Gear Australia Series 1 has just gone to air. Tonight’s episode started with a great concept, ‘The Ultimate Drive’. Pick your ideal car, and add some truly great driving roads. The lads headed to Tasmania, including a closed road run on a Targa Tasmania special stage. Charlie in a Porsche 911 Turbo, Warren behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB9, and, finally, Steve in a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. The footage was good enough, the cars were fantastic, but… it was an opportunity missed. Maybe it’s too harsh to compare the home grown effort against the British original. I’ve cautioned against it myself. But, eight shows in, it’s probably okay to do so. This, is how it should be done.

Claudia Karvan was the guest, and well, she’s a babe, so of course this segment went well. Mostly. If Charlie is deemed the best host for the job, I hope he brushes up on his technique during the off season.

Charlie took the new Jaguar XF for a fang. Looks like a nice car, and the piece, while not brilliant, was still pretty good.

We were also treated to another Ford v Holden comparo. This time Charlie and Steve pitted the entry level models against each other. Clearly stung by criticism of their first effort, this time they made a clear decision in the eternal Ford v Holden debate. They chose the Falcon. But, undoing all that good work, Charlie went on a poorly hashed rant about what good cars the local products are and that they are endangered species. That may well be true, but I’m not sure he needed to go to such lengths to make his point.

I can’t let the irony of the ‘What were they thinking?’ wall pass. Steve cooly posted a picture of Clarkson, Hammond and May and posed the question, ‘what were they thinking when they let us make their show’. Quite.

In closing, though, I would say the premiere season of Top Gear Australia has been, overall, both enjoyable and worthwhile. Yes, there are some flaws present, but I love the concept of the show, and I’ll continue to watch the show. The major flaws, for me, centre around the delivery of the three hosts. For the most part they’re quite good, and have improved, but their sometimes forced delivery has not really had all of its rough edges ironed out. Oddly enough, I think one of their best efforts was the first clip they filmed together, the Astra Lawn Bowls piece.

Series 2 has been commissioned, and there will no doubt be a thorough debriefing session now that Series 1 is complete. With any luck, they’ll work on the weaker points of the show, and return to our screens in the first half of 2009 with a new and improved Top Gear Australia. I look forward to finding out.

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Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia – Series 1, Episode 5

Top Gear Australia - Series 1, Episode 5

Monday night’s episode of Top Gear Australia was a bit of a hit and miss affair. The amphibious car challenge (pictured above) was quite good, if a little predictable. But, like previous TGA segments, it didn’t really forge a meaningful conclusion. Although, watching the car start up first go and drive out of the water was pretty cool.

Charlie’s test of the Audi R8 had all the right ingredients, but he, and the SBS crew didn’t quite get the mix right. Good, but not spectacular. Oh, I love watching a car doing donuts as much as the next person, but it really is time for Top Gear Australia to drop the fascination. Repeated power sliding, good. Repeated donuts, bad.

The Toorak Tractor gag was actually pretty good I thought. However, where Top Gear (Series 12 starts in a few days) almost stumbled into being irreverent with similar stunts, being forced from the outset doesn’t always come off every time for TGA. Still, I liked this clip, even if the Saab at the end was probably a set up.

As much as I am loathe to say it, Shannon Noll was the surprise packet in this episode of Top Gear Australia. “Yeah mate!” Can’t say I’m too keen on his music, but the kid can drive. And more power to him for that.

Steve’s BMW 135i review was not too bad. Mainly because the 135i is shaping up as being a truly modern classic. The camera work was well shot, and despite sneaking in a few faster public road sequences, the let’s-drive-slowly-and-not-upset-the-wowsers still doesn’t look as exciting as the cars deserve. I expect there’ll be a few complaints from said wowsers, too, at the 135i crossing double white lines at one stage.

After last week’s episode, this week’s was a minor disappointment. Sticklers continuing to compare the show, blow by blow, to the UK original will no doubt be very harsh in their criticism. Those willing to judge the show for the light entertainment it is intended to be, however, will still be looking forward to next week’s show.

More pics after the jump.

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Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia – Series 1, Episode 4

Top Gear Australia - Series 1, Episode 4

Another great step forward from the local Top Gear crew this week. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say tonight’s episode was comparable to Top Gear UK. Sure, the Australian version is not reaching the consistent highs each week, but they are getting there. As usual, there will be complaints from TV land, but I really enjoyed my hour on the couch in front of the telly.

The outback tracker challenge was well filmed and entertaining. The repartee, or lack thereof, between Warren and his aboriginal tracker ‘Diesel’ was well executed, while Charlie and Steve in the TRD Hilux worked together much better than they have in any of the previous challenges. Yes, Top Gear Australia is still very much a Top Gear by numbers affair, with many production and scripting cues taken from the UK parent, but the level of improvement with each episode so far is to be commended.

Jack Thompson (pictured above) was a breath of fresh air in the guest’s chair. No pandering to the audience with Jack. Mind, The Stig has done a pretty poor job teaching the guests steering wheel technique. Vince Colosimo in Episode 1 has been the worst to date, but Jack’s effort wasn’t too far behind.

Steve’s review of the Holden W427 was perhaps the weakest point in the show, however, as entertainment, his piece was bang on. Perhaps more technical detail could have been offered, but then, the same could be said of almost any recent Top Gear UK car review.

The closing set with the Holden Astra lawn bowls game was classic Top Gear sillyness. Daft, pointless and thoroughly watchable all at the same time. Can’t wait for episode 5. Interestingly, this film was the first one filmed by Warren, Steve and Charlie. SBS Executive Producer for Top Gear Australia, Denise Eriksen said, “The Lawn Bowls story has a bit of a special place in the heart of the presenters. It’s the first shoot they ever did — but it came out of the last of the casting sessions where the remaining Top Gear Australia hopeful presenters had gathered for a brainstorming session.

“Warren Brown was scribbling away — as he does — and then presented his drawing pad to the gobsmacked fellow presenters and the production team asking ‘wonder what it would be like to play lawn bowls with a Mini?’.” Obviously things were tweaked a bit to include the new Astra, but given my grandmother-in-law drives an Astra and is an avid lawn bowls player Top Gear‘s car selection was very apt.

More pics and the SBS press release below.

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Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia – Series 1, Episode 3

Top Gear Australia - Series 1, Episode 3

Much better episode this week. Comfortably the show’s best to date. Warren Brown, the glue holding the hosts together, posted an entertaining piece on the BMW X6. Steve Pizzati was confused by the Mercedes-Benz CLK AMG 63 Black Series—is it a GT, a track day special, or just something grey in between? On these two films, in particular, the production values were high, if following the proven Top Gear UK formula of shifting focus and interesting angles. Regardless of that, they were very well made pieces. Although, there is still room for improvement in filming The Stig’s track work.

Not so sure there should always be a “this week’s challenge”, but the $500 paddock basher effort was great Monday night’s viewing. If anything, the segment was a little light on, and one or two more tests for the lads could have easily been carried.

Over the three episodes the weakest segments have been the “Celebrity in a Bog Standard Car”. Sure, these are celebs we’re supposed to be interested in, but they need to stop performing to the crowd, relax a little, and enjoy a quiet chat with Charlie—both would benefit from that. Julia Zemiro, from SBS’s RockWiz program, was not so bad overall, but her constant playing up to the audience was just a bit try hard. She needn’t be like that, she has good on camera charisma—like the hosts’ early efforts, the stars just need to be a bit more natural.

A couple more pics and SBS’s press release after the jump.

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Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia – Series 1, Episode 2

Top Gear Australia - Series 1, Episode 2

The second episode of Top Gear Australia has just gone to air—have they improved on the promise shown in last week’s debut? Well, the episode got off to a very slow start. This, despite Charlie testing a right-hand drive Ford GT40 and then Charlie and Steve chucking a couple of Aussie supertaxis around Wakefield Park. Charlie is not so bad in a studio setting—although his waving arms may take some getting used to—but he’s still settling in to the on camera reviewer role. The Ford v Holden piece at Wakefield was the major letdown, however. The lads competed against each other in a straight out drag and also under braking, but the fact that no timed lap was included was incredibly lame. Not quite as lame as not having the balls to declare an outright winner and labelling “Ford and Holden are the winners here”. Oh dear.

That was enough to really test the patience of this viewer. Happily, though, things picked up, if you’ll pardon the pun, when the trio headed to Kalgoorlie to fang around a massive superpit in a few utes. Top Gear is more as much about entertainment as it is about fair dinkum car reviewing, and while last week’s challenge was a little forced at times, the chemistry in this week’s outing was a vast improvement. For me, it saved the episode, that’s for sure.

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Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia – Series 1, Episode 1

Top Gear Australia - Series 1, Episode 1

Top Gear Australia has arrived. It is clear, now, that the Top Gear format has been franchised, in the true sense of the word. Everything from the cast, the theme music, the set, right down to the seating positions of the presenters during the news segment pretty much matches the UK show frame for frame.

On the one hand, you can see why the producers have taken such a formulaic approach. After all, the original format has achieved enviable worldwide success. However, such was the degree of imitation that the viewer almost has a right to feel short changed. We’re only one episode in, granted, but it does seem as though the opportunity to give Top Gear Australia some genuine local flavour has been missed.

Conversely, by taking such a paint it by numbers approach Steve Pizzati, Charlie Cox and Warren Brown (pictured above) have been handed a great foundation from which to build. Indeed, take a look at the first two series of Top Gear UK and you’ll see the original trio needed time to settle in and build the camaraderie many enjoy today. For example, the first piece in the Australian format was a Surf-to-Snow Soft Roader Challenge. The challenge films rely heavily on the chemistry of the leading men and perhaps this was too bold an opening move as, at times, their mateship seemed a bit forced. This not to say the guys weren’t genuine, just that, the audience needs time to learn and familiarise itself with the characters. If my memory serves me correctly, the first challenge on the UK show was the £1500 Porsche Challenge, which aired in Series 5—ample time for Clarkson, Hammond and May to have established their individual niche.

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Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia launches this Monday

A quick reminder that Top Gear Australia premieres at 7:30pm tomorrow night on SBS. Thanks to AUSmotive reader Ali for sending in this clip.

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Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia teaser

Spotted on CarAdvice, here is a two and a half minute teaser for Top Gear Australia. The first episode will air nationally on SBS on Monday 29 September. If this teaser is anything to go by, I reckon the show will be a bloody good value.

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News Top Gear Australia

Sneak peek at Top Gear Australia launch

Top Gear Australia

Last week SBS launched Top Gear Australia to the country’s media. Unfortunately, I was busy that day and couldn’t make it, haha. You can catch a few highlights from this SBS video and read a few more details at CarAdvice. Don’t forget, there’s just over two weeks until Top Gear Australia makes its television premiere on Monday 29 September.

Source: autoblog

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News Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia to premiere on 29 September

TopGear logoLadies and gentlemen start your televisions! SBS has announced a premiere date for the Australian production of Top Gear—7:30pm Monday 29 September. Series 1 will run for 8 episodes.

Many fans of the original UK version of Top Gear remain skeptical about the merits of the Australian production. However, on paper at least, I think the Aussie cast looks very promising. Snippets I’ve read in the press also give me confidence with Executive Producer Andy Wilman acknowledging they have a hard road ahead of them to keep the spirit of the original show with the new efforts here and in the US. All signs to date indicate this production will be done, and done well.

From the SBS Top Gear website: Calling themselves “the ugliest men on television” the comical Australian larrikins have tested a diverse range of cars, talked, joked and sung their way through countless hours behind the wheel, have donned wool vests, top hats and goggles for stories—although not all in one outing, and have competed against each other in amusing, and sometimes bordering on the side of ridiculous, challenges. But most importantly, they have had a “darn good time”.

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Top Gear Australia

Top Gear Australia to start filming in July

Top Gear Australia’s new presenters—Charlie Cox, Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati—will be breaking the ice on set this July when filming of their debut eight-part series kicks off. In a recent interview with UK staple The Times, Matt Campbell, SBS head of content, claims the Aussies won’t be outdone when it comes to the type of stunts and races we’ve come to expect from the Top Gear UK crew.

“I think some of the sequences that we have in mind will make Clarkson, Hammond and May quite jealous,” he says. “They haven’t got the diverse range of terrain that we have in Australia to muck around in.”

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