After viewing the pilot, I feel this is a very pleasant "car guy" type of show. I can only hope following episodes continue to evolve as the show continues. To get the elephant in the room out of the way first, no, this is not a show that will put Top Gear USA out of business, nor was it meant to be. Sure, it is true that Adam Carolla was the lead host on the original big budget NBC version of Top Gear, and would have remained in that roll on the History Channel's version, had there not been scheduling conflicts with his CBS pilot. But this was never a show, by any means meant to make up for that. That said, this is basically a low to mid budget car oriented show that is a little bumpy at times, but feels like it knows exactly what it is, rather than trying to reach for the stars.
One thing Carolla fans will notice right off the bat is Adam doing what he does so well (cracking wise). This is likely a good strategy since he has the #1 podcast in the world, not to mention a spin-off called CarCast...which is unsurprisingly not that different from this show. Along the same lines, the co-hosts have all been interviewed on his various shows in the past, Salley in particular having his own show on Adam's network for a while. So this is a proved formula, at least when speaking of his fan base.
One may notice the topic discussion format somewhat resembling The Metal Show, which is interesting considering their all too similar deadpan titles. Sports fans may also feel the four hosts are discussing topics in an almost ESPN-like fashion. Naturally, there is an obligatory exotic car test is done in the vein of UK Top Gear. But this time, you have Adam, once again, cracking wise to lighten up the uber-seriousness that is set up in the intro. This works quite well, making the segment feel as if it is actually a Top Gear parity rather than an actual test drive. This little "wink" lets the viewer know the show isn't taking itself too seriously. By the way, "24 Hours of Lemons", which has also been discussed previously on CarCast, is pure genius in concept.
In closing, I feel the show is perfect for what it is...a simple car show on a relatively obscure network. If you are a serious car guy, and particularly if you are interested in modern automobiles, you will be happy with what they have brought. Along the same lines, if you are one of the millions of die hard Carolla fans, you will want to tune in just to hear the comedic rantings of a this genius/madman. If you are both a car guy and a fan, you will be in Nirvana. But if neither of these apply to you, stick with Top Gear. In other words, for a select audience, this may be just the show you have been waiting for. Episode two should tell the tale.
One thing Carolla fans will notice right off the bat is Adam doing what he does so well (cracking wise). This is likely a good strategy since he has the #1 podcast in the world, not to mention a spin-off called CarCast...which is unsurprisingly not that different from this show. Along the same lines, the co-hosts have all been interviewed on his various shows in the past, Salley in particular having his own show on Adam's network for a while. So this is a proved formula, at least when speaking of his fan base.
One may notice the topic discussion format somewhat resembling The Metal Show, which is interesting considering their all too similar deadpan titles. Sports fans may also feel the four hosts are discussing topics in an almost ESPN-like fashion. Naturally, there is an obligatory exotic car test is done in the vein of UK Top Gear. But this time, you have Adam, once again, cracking wise to lighten up the uber-seriousness that is set up in the intro. This works quite well, making the segment feel as if it is actually a Top Gear parity rather than an actual test drive. This little "wink" lets the viewer know the show isn't taking itself too seriously. By the way, "24 Hours of Lemons", which has also been discussed previously on CarCast, is pure genius in concept.
In closing, I feel the show is perfect for what it is...a simple car show on a relatively obscure network. If you are a serious car guy, and particularly if you are interested in modern automobiles, you will be happy with what they have brought. Along the same lines, if you are one of the millions of die hard Carolla fans, you will want to tune in just to hear the comedic rantings of a this genius/madman. If you are both a car guy and a fan, you will be in Nirvana. But if neither of these apply to you, stick with Top Gear. In other words, for a select audience, this may be just the show you have been waiting for. Episode two should tell the tale.
