There’s been references to providing 500 channels but I would question just what they would fill this space up with. I have to pay for 125 channels now and only watch about 10 of them and even that is very sparingly.
There’s not much left when one weeds out commercials, infomercials, and countless shows where the producers attach a camera to everybody and everything they can.
I don’t watch Palin’s Alaska, Survivor, American Idol, or anything even vaguely similar in appearance. The public library has always been one of my best friends.
Right On ! I’ve Even Resisted Buying Cable & Dish Over The Years (While Raising Kids Who Read Inside And Play Outside).
I’m very thrifty, although I did pick up an indoor omni-directional Winegard Metro-Star antenna ($50 sale at Meijer online) (we watch some local stuff) and an HD receiver (old TV died) when the big switch to digital slammed us and now get six channels (2 are PBS) instead of four I’ve had for years and it’s free HD.
The savings over the years have gone into a family membership at our local golf course and the whole family has been exercising there for years. Golf and business careers are a good combination as my son will attest and my daughter is top varsity player at her H.S. I still suck at golf, but walk a couple miles most days in the season.
Not counting the repeated HD channels, I have about 200 that I pay for and MAYBE 3 or 4 I watch regularly. Science channel, History channel, BBC America, and Fox has 1 or 2 shows I like.
No News segment either, that’s probably because the USA version’s studio segments are taped monthes in advance whilst the UK versions’s studio segments are taped the Wednesday before the show is broadcast. I’m guessing the USA version is rushed because they have to fit commericals into the one hour time block and the UK version doesn’t
I’ve actually been seriously suggesting to my wife that we just drop the TV subscription entirely but so far she’s not in favor it it.
Other than TG about the only shows that I watch with any regularity are animated ones such as The Simpsons. I consider that one to be brilliantly written and probably one of the reasons I like the animated shows so much is that while I was in school I had aspirations of becoming an artist, even winning a couple of art contests along the way. After school reality set in that there is not much money in artwork unless one hits something just right and it kind of faded out for me.
I’ve sat down a few times over the years and tried to do landscapes and cartooning, my favorite areas, and just wind up with the visual equivalent of writers block. An idea hits me and by the time I drag any supplies out the idea is leaving town on the bus.
Have You Discovered How Many Over-The-Air Channels Are Now Available To You In Your Location ?
I live in a remote part of the middle of nowhere, but still this area went from 4 free channels to six and I’ve heard that HD over-the-air is actually better than other options in some cases. Our picture is great.
People in a little more urban or suburban location could have many more free channels available after the digital changeover.
There is a website where one can pinpoint their location and see all channels obtainable, their distances away, and the compass directions in degrees, and antenna type recommendations. I found it helpful when selecting an antenna. I’m just thinking that the wife might be more in favor if it turned out that a number of decent channels were available.
Last night, I watched the second installment of the US version of Top Gear.
While I am sure that The History Channel has already committed itself to carry the remaining episodes of Season 1, I seriously doubt that there will be a Season 2.
Not only do these guys have so little substance that they likely don’t cast a shadow, but I actually had a hard time staying awake while watching them! If you can do test drives of both V-8 and V-12 Aston-Martins and still fail to make the content interesting, there is something very much wrong.
Did the three “hosts” for this program have their personalities surgically removed?
This program is…not good.
Atleast the interview was half way decent this time around. Pretty sad that a “blind” man can out drive 2 sighted guys. And hilarious what the dog did on stage. I think the dog was just expressing everyone’s opinion of the show to the hosts.
That fat bearded guy is trying to out Clarkson Clarkson
The original debut episode drew about 1.9 million viewers. I see where the second episode drew about 1.275 million. That’s a devastating drop in numbers for one week. It will be interesting to see what the number is for the 3rd show.
CSA, if you are ever fortunate enough to see the show, I think you will like it. The main host, Jeremy Clarkson rails against Britain’s taxes and road usage fees, and he absolutely hates small economy cars. He ridicules these things an a really funny way.
I’m truely sorry to hear that the U.S. version is such a dud. I really enjoy the U.K. version.
Is cheap imitations all the creativity that the entertanment industry can muster now? Everything they do is an imitation of a U.K. show or a remake of something from years ago. Look at the movie list…it’s full of remakes of old stuff, most of the remakes being terrible. And TV…Miami Vice? Again? I expect the “A-Team” to be back and day now.
I’ve seen 2 segments so far: The helicopter/Viper segment was boring to me, but I liked the Lancer Evo race down the mountain with the skiers. They certainly paired the right driver for the conditions. Foust has a lot of experience on car shows, but I think he really did get his ya-yas out thrashing the Evo.
I tried to watch the latest installment of Top Gear on the History Channel last night, but I fell asleep about 20 minutes into the program. No problem, I later said to myself! Since the program is repeated at 2:00 AM, I will simply watch it in bed.
Unfortunately, it was a problem, as I again fell asleep while watching the show.
This essentially defines the problem with this production. The UK version manages to be consistently interesting.
The US version? Nope!
While the photography, production values, subject matter, format, etc are very similar to the successful UK program, the difference lies in the on-air hosts. While the UK guys deliver their lines eloquently and with expression, the three slugs hired for the US production have about the same amount of emotion as a robot as they read from the Teleprompter.
This program might have had a chance in the US market IF other people had been hired for the program.
With the three flat-line, emotionless dummies who they hired, the chances of success are nil.
Foust is not always that subdued. You should see him and Paul Tracy go at it on their racing show, Battle of the Supercars. Maybe I’m just excited because the CTS-V at an E63 AMG for lunch. The racing is fun and the trash talk adds to the show. Foust is far more subdued than Tracy, though. Tracy gets bleeped almost every time he opens his mouth.
I made it through about 15 minutes of Episode Three and had to turn it off. I’m in agreement with VDCdriver that the hosts are about as bland as they can be.
If the producers start deluging the program with B List celebrities or starts making changes with the hosts then you know they’re really worried and grasping.
While I’ve never watched but 1 episode of American Idol and a few bits of several other episodes (not out of choice) my feeling is that AI is on the way out with this likely being the last season.
They’re apparently doing the same thing by dragging in all types of co-hosts in a desperate attempt to salvage the show.
I found the moonshine challenges kinda funny. Watching that one guy General Lee that Caddy was pretty sweet. Too bad they took the car out of commission otherwise it might have won the whole thing.
haven’t’ watched last sunday’s episode with the Raptor truck yet
I watched the Raptor truck segment along with a bit more and found it to be pretty bland also.
The Cadillac (2nd episode?) segment I did not see but someone said while watching closely they noticed the Caddy’s key was in the OFF position and the shift lever was in PARK while the vehicle was supposedly moving.
This would mean the car was on a trailer and was being towed by a camera vehicle. Maybe someone could verify whether that’s true or not as I did not watch that part of the show.
