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<DIV><FONT size=2>Is your first question serious? Yes, it is 'really
big', as in the most widely-watched factual motoring program in the world.
Whether you appreciate the humour is another matter. Some of it is
infantile, some boring, but some hysterically funny. Some of their
specials have been first rate.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Actors? Well, yes. As Clarkson has said "We have
received the award for best unscripted scripted television program
ever".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Clarkson is an arrogant idiot, he knows nothing about cars, he
is just good with words.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Hammond and May seem to be decent blokes and have many other
programs - usually serious and with a scientific bent - to their
names.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>5th Gear is very staid, I can't say I'm that interested in
whether one hot hatch goes round a track 1/10th second faster than
another. Watching two people having a conversation in a cafe (if they
still do that) is boring.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Wheeler Dealers is completely different in that it takes a
classic and 'restores' it for resale - but you probably know that. The
concept of them 'making a profit' when they don't take any labour costs
into account is laughable, but I watch it for the technical interest.
America may only get the ones that involve America, but the vast majority of
their output has been UK-based with some cars having been
obtained elsewhere in Europe. Maybe America isn't interested in
those.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Classic Car Rescue was appalling and by far the worst of the
lot. Every week a manufactured 'disaster', like cutting through the leaf
springs of an MGB, lifting it by the body, then shock-horror the axle falls
off.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Chasing Classic Cars is a rare 'all American' program we get
in the UK, mostly interesting, although watching auctions does nothing for
me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>There may be others but I'm not aware of them. I watched
American Chopper for years, sad that Senior couldn't cope with Junior's growing
design and construction expertise. Or with any of his offspring for
that matter. Also sad (but inevitable) that it was replaced by Fast
and Loud, although as Junior said "Load and Annoying" was more appropriate, I
had enough of them in the 'bike-offs'.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>PaulH.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
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<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25202>Just a few curious
questions </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25213>Is Top Gear a really big program in
England?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25309>Are the actors well thought
of?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN><FONT size=2
face=Arial></FONT><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25310>How about 5th Gear?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN><FONT size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN><FONT size=2
face=Arial></FONT><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25311>Wheeler Dealers</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25557>We have the show every Weds.
night.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25377>The actors attend a lot of US
shows.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25378>Is it just made for the US
market?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN><FONT size=2
face=Arial></FONT><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25411>I think the other one is Classic Car
Rescue</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25437>Based in the UK but one of the actors is
from Canada.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN><FONT size=2
face=Arial></FONT><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25470>Last: are there any shows in the UK that
are based in the US?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN
id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25499>I'm talking about car shows.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr id=yui_3_16_0_1_1423926871741_25138><SPAN><FONT size=2
face=Arial></FONT><BR></SPAN></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>