Top Gear America Debuts On BBC America Tonight!

With an all-new cast and crew, Top Gear America is all set to make its big debut tonight. Will it be better than Top Gear USA, is the big question.

It has got a new team of hosts with the familiar and extremely-likeable face of actor William Fichtner leading the show. You’ve seen him in big box office blockbusters like Armageddon and The Dark Knight. Then there is Antron Brown who has shred more tires than many have as a drag racer. Supporting these two is Tom Ford with his wealth of auto journalism experience. So Top Gear America looks promising from that intro. But will it be better than its predecessor? We’ll find out soon as the new show is all set to make its debut tonight on BBC America.

They are also throwing in a version of the Stig. Of course, they will. This is still Top Gear after all and whichever side of the ocean you’re in, the show must have the mysterious man (or creature) in the white suit and helmet to drive the test cars to the edge and beyond.

The History Channel version of the show, which got cancelled was helmed by Adam Ferrara, Tanner Foust, and Rutledge Wood. The adaptation with Fichtner, Brown and Ford may work out well in the show’s favor, provided the three men develop a strong camaraderie.

Just look at how the total lack of it led to the critical and commercial failure of BBC Top Gear when it was relaunched after Clarkson, Hammond and May left. The Chris Evans-led series was a debacle and the lackluster onscreen chemistry was one of the major reasons for the show failing to maintain its audience.

If they get the production values and the cast’s chemistry right, Top Gear America will be a runaway hit for BBC America.

However, the British version of the show did course-correction in the following season. Chris Evans left for the good and the remaining hosts – Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid – are doing a great job in keeping the show entertaining and fun to watch.

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In a recent post on Topgear, host Tom Ford speaks about how the Top Gear America has achieved that rapport which a car show of its kind needs.

"What I didn’t expect was the laughter, and the camaraderie. You throw three strangers together, and you’re asking for trouble trying to make them friends. And to be honest the three of us couldn’t be any more different. But it worked. It really, honestly worked.Ok, so we needed to figure each other out a little at first, but Bill is perhaps one of the most generous-spirited humans I’ve ever met, and is more than capable of tacking the mickey out of himself. Which surprised the hell out of me – I don’t know quite what I expected from a Hollywood actor, but sarcastic, self-deprecating, funny and warm probably wasn’t it. And as for Antron, well, for a man who does something so utterly insane for a living, he’s just so real. Hopelessly optimistic, gloriously silly, warm and friendly. He has time for any and every single human. And he makes me laugh like a drain."

The rebooted version of the show has the goods to garner and maintain a strong following. Or that’s what we think after watching the trailers and clips.

Hopefully, Top Gear America will receive a warm welcome on its rebooted outing. Everyone loves a good car show and since the new avatar focuses on American cars and car culture, there will be an entirely-different flavor from its British counterpart.

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Here’s one more reminder on the telecast timings before we wrap up the post. The new Top Gear America will air at 8 pm, June 30, Sunday on BBC America.