Tanner, Rutledge and Adam check the log book
“The first thing people ask is, ‘who’s the Jeremy, who’s the Hammond…,” admits Tanner Foust, professional racer, Hollywood stunt car driver and one of a trio of petrolheads that the BBC has chosen to front the long-mooted US version of Top Gear.
Foust and his co-horts, Rutledge Wood, a bearded trucks fanatic from Alabama and Adam Ferrara, stand-up comic and actor, have touched down in Brighton to promote their wares at BBC Showcase, the annual fair where 500 buyers for international broadcasters snap up the best shows on offer from BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial wing.
This year BBC One’s Sherlock is the week’s hot show, with the largest ever contingent of buyers from Central and Eastern Europe looking for classy drama to fill their channels.
Zen, the Italy-set detective drama starring Rufus Sewell axed by BBC One, attracted a number of buyers and looks lilkely to return, in an international co-production deal with another UK broadcaster possibly taking on the series.
Keeley Hawes is in town to introduce the revived Upstairs, Downstairs, whilst the BBC’s science and natural history hits, even more popular now with their HD visual sweep, are given a push by the presence of Professor Brian Cox and Bruce Parry.
Around £50 million of business will be concluded during the four-day event. With more content-hungry cable and satellite channels springing up across Europe and Asia, Showcase is moving to a purpose-built venue in Liverpool next year to accommodate more buyers.
But the best-selling brand on the BBC’s books remains Top Gear, which has an estimated 350 million viewers worldwide. Worldwide, which turned £145 million profit last year, is now seeking to roll-out Top Gear as an international format. There’s already Russian and Australian adaptations but the US show only launched last Autumn after a series of false starts.
I'm Clarkson, no, you're Hammond - Top Gear USA
Top Gear USA is aimed firmly at a nation in love with gas-guzzling vehicles, NASCAR racing and Raptor pick-up trucks. There’s a Stig and celebrity stunt challenges – but, as yet, no insulting of Mexicans or other national groups. It launched with two million viewers on the History channel and has been green-lit for a second series.
The three presenters josh easily in each other’s company. But despite being “casted” by the BBC, there’s no direct comparison to their UK counterparts. “There was no expectation to fill those roles,” says Foust, who out-raced Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button in a “race of champions”. “It would be impossible to fill those shoes. We all come from different parts of the US and we represent different car-loving interests.”
The trio were thrilled to receive an email from Clarkson giving the thumbs up after the UK team watched the first US show together. “We wanted to have their nod of approval. It’s like dating their sister,” says Wood. “It was like Yoda nodding at you,” adds Ferrara, who starred in the US drama series Rescue Me.
Ferrara stands by Clarkson’s right to offend viewers. “As a stand-up comic, if you’re trying to make someone laugh and no-one’s pissed off, then you’re not doing it right.” But Wood says of the “lazy Mexicans” slur: “We can say what we like about cars, that’s the Top Gear format. But I wouldn’t want to offend anyone in that sort of manner. My mom wouldn’t think that was funny.” “That’s how you gauge what’s funny?,” Ferrara asks his colleague.
Worldwide has already sold Top Gear USA to Australia (Nine Network), Iceland (Screen One), Israel (Ego), Italy (Discovery), Finland (MTV3), New Zealand (Prime), Norway (NRK3) and Sweden (Kanal 5). It could even find its way on to UK screens.
Celebrities including Kid Rock and Tim Allen took part in the first US series but it’s unclear whether the likes of Tom Cruise, who appeared in the BBC Two show, would get behind the wheel for a non-networked, cable channel show. But the US show makes use of greater landscape opportunities, like setting a trucks endurance challenge in Alaska.
When pushed the US presenters admit they do identify with their British cohorts. Tanner says: “I’ve always been a big fan of Richard Hammond, he just goes for the big challenges.” Ferrara says: “I like Clarkson, I like the music he likes and the fact he physically licked his Ford GT.” Rutledge admires James May because his humour is “so eccentric and peculiar”.
They don’t expect any trouble from their Stig. “He can’t read or write,” says Ferrara. “He or she just will not speak to me,” says Wood. And if Top Gear USA doesn’t screen in the UK, they’ll double park on Clarkson & Co’s lot. Wood says: “We’ll just start filming all of our shows over here right in your backyard.”
