Top Gear

Top Gear America Closes Out A Mediocre First Season

The revamped 2017 version of Top Gear America closed out its first season last week with a bit of hope for fans of the show. The eight episode season, featuring William Fichtner, Tom “Wookie” Ford, and Antron Brown, was fraught with disappointment for its fans. The first six episodes can best be described as a train wreck; “C” level guests, awkward silences during track times, inexplicable host assignments, the lack of proper use of British Stig, the curt nature of Bill Fichtner, and the lack of character development of the hosts made for some cringe-worthy television watching.

Top Gear America Season Finale via BBC America

For serious fans of the show, the anger over the unceremonious firing of the previous hosts made the blood boil even hotter as the new hosts stumbled and bumbled their way through a lack-luster season. Here is our review of the show at the half-way point.

As you can read in the article, we were not that impressed by episodes one through four. It wasn’t any better for episodes five and six, which were utterly forgettable. It was as if the hosts and the entire production staff of Top Gear America had given up and accepted their fate with a failed show. But something must have happened that gave the show some hope, because in Episode 7 we finally got to see a glimpse, a light at the end of the tunnel if you will, of what the potential of the show could possibly become.

Xzibit on Episode 7 of Top Gear America via BBC America

Perhaps it was the guest that day for the show? Could it be that Xzibit, the host of the famed MTV show “Pimp my Ride” which aired from 2004 to 2007, gave the crew of Top Gear America the motivation they needed to breathe some life back into the show? Perhaps there was some behind the scenes counseling! Or did it just take seven episodes for the staff to finally get their act together?

Here is Xzibit in Episode 7 of Top Gear America:

Whatever it was that happened to motivate the staff of Top Gear America, we may never know. But, the relative success of Episode 7 continued into Episode 8, closing out the season with a ray of hope for the fans. Having the famous Pen Jillette appear on the season finale certainly didn’t hurt anything either, as his charisma could brighten even the dullest of shows, which it certainly did here.

Penn Jillette w/ Stig on Episode 8 Top Gear America via BBC America

Can Top Gear America continue its new-found mojo into a Season 2? Should it even get another season, or should the show just be put out of its misery and canceled?

So far there is no word from the BBC and what its plans are for the show. What do you think Nation? Should it get another season? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Keep driving my friends!

My thanks to Larry for his help with this article.

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