View Full Version : Top Gear on the 101
I just recorded BBC America's Top Gear rebroadcast on the 101 in hd and it fills the entire 60 minutes without commercials. It looked to me what they have done is not rebroadcast a single show but cobble together episodes from several shows to fill the hour. It was interesting to see it in hd.
flapperdink
12-04-09, 08:42 AM
thanks for the info. hopefully they'll replay it...i'll have to check it out.
wilbur_the_goose
12-04-09, 08:52 AM
It's a teaser for BBC America HD, which will hopefully arive after D12 is operational.
terryfoster
12-04-09, 08:58 AM
Couple things.
First, the source material is not HD. The first series Top Gear shot in HD is the series currently being broadcast on the BBC (Series 14). There is an older Polar Special that was shot in HD, but I haven't seen that on the 101.
Second, they take an episode that's been cut down for time on BBC America and then slap on some "bonus content" (from a different episode) to fill the hour, instead of airing the full episode.
I was surprised to see these on the 101 and thought they might have been the full episodes, but was disappointed to see they're still the cut versions.
Yes, but still better then 4:3 and not stretch-o-vision. I also love seeing the BBC America HD logo. It's gotta be coming soon with D12!
jefbal99
12-04-09, 05:10 PM
Yes, but still better then 4:3 and not stretch-o-vision. I also love seeing the BBC America HD logo. It's gotta be coming soon with D12!
I agree, with having rights to show the content, i would imagine that an agreement is in place for full carriage
Tom Servo
12-05-09, 01:30 AM
For the record, I believe the polar special did air recently on The 101. It looked noticeably crisper than the other episodes. Also, I think that perhaps they managed to show a real Top Gear episode or two unedited, in addition to the cobbled-together specials.
I just wish BBC America would show the entire episode and just make the program 1.5 hours or something to fit the commercials in. I've taken to alternative means to see the show as it airs in the UK and the flow (and PQ!) is much better. I enjoy the "news" segments and even the interviews with celebrities I've never heard of.
All in all it's a much better production than the chopped and hacked monstrosity we get on BBC-A.
Edit add: Correction, I meant the winter olympics special. Sorry for the confusion.
Well Tom Servo, I am going NetFlix on Top Gear also. Just pulled several series into my Que, some are not released yet but are saved. So now, like other BBC-A shows, I wait for them to appear on NetFlix to watch.
For the record, I believe the polar special did air recently on The 101. It looked noticeably crisper than the other episodes. Also, I think that perhaps they managed to show a real Top Gear episode or two unedited, in addition to the cobbled-together specials.
I just wish BBC America would show the entire episode and just make the program 1.5 hours or something to fit the commercials in. I've taken to alternative means to see the show as it airs in the UK and the flow (and PQ!) is much better. I enjoy the "news" segments and even the interviews with celebrities I've never heard of.
All in all it's a much better production than the chopped and hacked monstrosity we get on BBC-A.
Not sure if they ever did this with Top Gear but they used to run things for the full running time back in the day before it was Americanized by Discovery.
Bob Coxner
12-05-09, 10:05 AM
Top Gear UK is one hour with no commercials.
You can get authorized torrents of all episodes, right up to the most recent, at: http://www.finalgear.com/shows/topgear/ They're currently in Season 14, episode 3, aired November 29th (in the UK). For teasers:
Season 14, Episode 2 — Originally aired on November 22nd, 2009
* Jeremy, Richard and James attempt to save the planet by building their own electric car, and then put their latest “green” creation through the rigors of the new car testing process
* Jeremy pits the Corvette ZR1’s muscle against the finesse of Audi’s R8 V10
* SIARPC: actor Michael Sheen
Season 14, Episode 3 — Originally aired on November 29th, 2009
* James explores a new way to get a caravan to it’s destination and Richard drives the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni
* Jeremy and Richard drive all of Lancia’s great cars
* Jeremy drives a Lancia Stratos kit car and the Stig takes it somewhat around the track
* SIARPC: Radio 2 breakfast host-elect Chris Evans
SIARPC = Star in A Reasonably Priced Car
You have to see their "green car" to believe it! http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/23/top-gear-lads-build-the-hammerhead-eagle-i-thrust-an-er-ev-to-a/
Knowing that they are 1 hour without commericals in the original form lets me know if the shows on the DVD's are the originals.
wilbur_the_goose
12-05-09, 04:34 PM
I saw the polar show, and it was definitely HD.
Running the Mini down the ski-jump was unforgettable!
i am pretty sure that wasn't the polar show, but the winter Olympics show. But, yes, still one of my favs.
IIRC, the polar show is an attempted expedition to the north pole.
i am pretty sure that wasn't the polar show, but the winter Olympics show. But, yes, still one of my favs.
IIRC, the polar show is an attempted expedition to the north pole.
Correct ;)
Both specials were shot in HD.
Tom Servo
12-05-09, 06:54 PM
NetFlix? Wazzat? :p
I did mean the winter olympics show, not the polar show with the truck. My mistake.
As for the Final Gear website, that's a good resource but the torrent service they used in the past took off all their episodes. So I don't know how "authorized" it really is.
Bob Coxner
12-06-09, 09:36 AM
NetFlix? Wazzat? :p
I did mean the winter olympics show, not the polar show with the truck. My mistake.
As for the Final Gear website, that's a good resource but the torrent service they used in the past took off all their episodes. So I don't know how "authorized" it really is.
I don't mean authorized in the sense that Top Gear itself is producing the torrents. However, they are fully aware of the site and have never made any request for it to take down the torrents over the years. At least not to my knowledge.
It's similar to the situation with www.uknova.com It maintains torrents for thousands of UK tv shows but is very careful to only store those that are not available on DVD and takes down any file if the copyright holder requests it. Not exactly "authorized" but far from being a pirate site. For that matter, the Top Gear torrents are also available on UKNova.
DarkAudit
12-07-09, 08:08 AM
Not sure if they ever did this with Top Gear but they used to run things for the full running time back in the day before it was Americanized by Discovery.
BBC America has been a partnership with Discovery from the very beginning. Anything prior to that you may have seen uncut was likely on your local PBS station.
BBC America has been a partnership with Discovery from the very beginning. Anything prior to that you may have seen uncut was likely on your local PBS station.
I am well aware of what channel I am watching at any given time and I can tell you with 100% certainty that they used to run some shows on BBC America for 40 minutes maybe 8-10 years ago. They also used to run shows with original UK narration as well, but in the last few years they have replaced the narrators with American narrators and even ran the stupid ads to tell you to turn on the closed cationing to understand the dialog on non-narrated programming.
Discovery may have always been a part of it, but BBCA has definitely changed for the worse over the years.
As for the Final Gear website, that's a good resource but the torrent service they used in the past took off all their episodes. So I don't know how "authorized" it really is.
The Torrent site was Mininova and it got shut down as it was hosting lots of truly illegal torrents as well. They flushed the system of anything that could even maybe be questionable (no open source license). Final Gear switched trackers and has episodes back up again.
I can say that the BBC has somewhat acknowledge their existence in the past and seems to not really care as it is building the brand in other parts of the world. Considering they do not release top gear on DVD or have it available in any other form, it is the only way to get it in other areas of the world like the USA in its proper form.
The BBC has shown no restraint in shutting down torrents/distribution they did not like in the past, so I have a feeling that the fact that it still exists and has never really be threatened harshly proves that the BBC is ok with final gear's existence.
liverpool
12-07-09, 10:12 AM
Last nights top gear s14 e4 sunday 6th dec was 1 hour long with no commercials
hilmar2k
12-07-09, 10:14 AM
Last nights top gear s14 e4 sunday 6th dec was 1 hour long with no commercials
Was that the episode with the amphibious cars?
liverpool
12-07-09, 10:35 AM
Was that the episode with the amphibious cars?
Jeremy Clarkson travels to Belfast to conduct an extremely thorough test of the Renaultsport Twingo 133 involving a tunnel, a ferry and the actor Ross Kemp.
Meanwhile, Richard Hammond investigates ways to speed up your next summer holiday through the crucible of motorsport as he invents the brand new sport of airport vehicle racing.
At the other end of the intellectual spectrum, James May tests the new Vauxhall Insignia VXR in the company of Margaret Calvert, the lady responsible for inspired design philosophy behind the familiar British road sign.
Finally, Jeremy is on and off the track in the BMW X5M, Audi Q7 V12 and the latest version of the supercharged Range Rover
hilmar2k
12-07-09, 10:37 AM
Jeremy Clarkson travels to Belfast to conduct an extremely thorough test of the Renaultsport Twingo 133 involving a tunnel, a ferry and the actor Ross Kemp.
Meanwhile, Richard Hammond investigates ways to speed up your next summer holiday through the crucible of motorsport as he invents the brand new sport of airport vehicle racing.
At the other end of the intellectual spectrum, James May tests the new Vauxhall Insignia VXR in the company of Margaret Calvert, the lady responsible for inspired design philosophy behind the familiar British road sign.
Finally, Jeremy is on and off the track in the BMW X5M, Audi Q7 V12 and the latest version of the supercharged Range Rover
Guess not.
Well, whatever episode had the amphibious cars was one of the funniest things I have ever seen on TV.
liverpool
12-07-09, 10:45 AM
Guess not.
Well, whatever episode had the amphibious cars was one of the funniest things I have ever seen on TV.
Top Gear Season 10 Episode 2
Bob Coxner
12-08-09, 09:38 AM
BTW, for those who are always complaining about BBC and HD, you can get HD episodes of the current season of Top Gear at www.uknova.com Search on "Top Gear" under "Torrents".
Bob Coxner
12-08-09, 10:11 AM
My favorite episode was Season 2, Episode 6, with the trailer, or "caravan" in UK English, fire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAgptNEZ7vg
My other favorite was "How to Kill a Toyota Truck" They dragged that out over 3 episodes. You will not believe the hell they put that truck through.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uc4Ksz3nHM
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfZDtC9kjVk
Those who prefer the amphibious cars, you have to specify which ones. They've done at least two very different such challenges. One was done on a lake, on the other they tried to cross the English Channel by car.
Here's the lake version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl3bsL7Nbnk
English Channel version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTVPPTV-bQM
I'm still interested in how much their budget is for these stunts that they do
The best one was their Shuttle attempt trying to turn a reliant robin into a reuse able space vehicle. if only that last explosive bolt hadn't malfunctioned
dreadlk
12-08-09, 05:44 PM
I'm still interested in how much their budget is for these stunts that they do
The best one was their Shuttle attempt trying to turn a reliant robin into a reuse able space vehicle. if only ..........
I have that one on my DVR, I shown it to so many people and there jaws just drop. If that had ever been done by say the Mythbusters or some other American show it would have been on the news for days.
BTW You should have used a SPOILER on that last part.
coolyman
12-19-09, 08:28 PM
It's a teaser for BBC America HD, which will hopefully arive after D12 is operational.
Teaser?! I call it false advertising! I just saw an ad on the History Channel for Doctor Who on BBC America HD and at the bottom is says "Channel 264", which is a lie! :mad:
How can they advertise it as though it's currently avialable? Or am I the only person not getting BBC America HD?
hilmar2k
12-20-09, 09:09 AM
Teaser?! I call it false advertising! I just saw an ad on the History Channel for Doctor Who on BBC America HD and at the bottom is says "Channel 264", which is a lie! :mad:
How can they advertise it as though it's currently avialable? Or am I the only person not getting BBC America HD?
Yeah, it is certainly borderline false advertising.
Now that I have gotten some of the dvd's from NetFlix, I am finding they are just the American cut without commercials, not the full 60 minute BBC original version. So I guess if I am going to watch the original versions, I have to use a mirror site that has them on it which I have already done for the final episode of season 13.
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