It seems that every year or so a British TV outfit – usually the BBC – attempts to export one of its more popular wares to the USA. Next up in this conveyor belt of TV shows is Top Gear, one of the most cherished programmes on UK TV. And after many focus groups and a determined hunt for the ideal presenters, Top Gear USA is about to hit American screens – but one or two TV executives might be wishing the new show had breakdown cover.
The reason that many people have doubts about the new show’s success is that there will be no Clarkson, May or Hammond in the American version. Instead, a trio of virtual unknowns have been charged with making Top Gear USA a hit. No easy task, since the success of the British version is being driven by the unique humour and chemistry of the presenters.
The US presenters certainly have the credentials though. Adam Ferrara – a comedian and actor from New York – will form the comedy hub of the show. He is backed up by Tanner Foust, a seasoned stunt driver, and Southern-born Rutledge Wood, a Nascar obsessive – neither of whom will be strangers to the benefits of comprehensive breakdown cover.
While the British version of the show has built up a cult following through its broadcast on BBC America, it seems unlikely the UK version alone would have what it takes to please a wide American audience. The no-holds-barred and occasionally brutal derision poured upon some car brands in the UK version might not be possible in the US show. The show’s producers, The History Channel, will of course be funding the new venture through advertising – something that is very likely to lead to car brands getting a better review if they are also paying for ad breaks.
I will certainly be keen to see the new show, but I can’t help wondering if the laddish, irreverent feel of the UK original can be replicated in the American one, with such robust road blocks in its way. Shame you can’t take out breakdown cover on new TV shows.
Breakdown Cover from 
