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Returning: Top Gear Australia

The new-look Aussie Top Gear team face off against the UK hosts in "The Ashes Special."

Nine’s version of Top Gear Australia will air this month.

Steve Pizzati, who appeared in the series for SBS, is the sole returning host, now joined by Shane Jacobson (Kenny) and Ewen Page, editor of Top Gear Australia magazine.

The series is again produced by Freehand Australia.

It begins with a 90 minute special, “The Ashes Special,” in which the boys meet the UK host, and is followed by the season premiere of Survivor: Nicaragua.

The Top Gear Australia team, Shane Jacobson, Steve Pizzati and Ewen Page, travel to the UK to meet the original Top Gear hosts for more motoring and mucking about in Top Gear style. It will see the boys travel through the UK, New Zealand and Australia as they get up to their usual antics. Its Australia v England in our Top Gear Ashes Special, will our Aussie boys head back down under with their tails between their legs?

It airs 7:30pm Tuesday September 28th.

16 Responses

  1. It will be rubbish a poor man’s version of the UK show. They will pretty much copy the ideas of the UK show for the local show, but with a limited budget. When I last watched the OZ version it was a cheap rip off of the UK version. Also, I thought too have Top Gear the relevant network cant have particular car brands sponsoring it. Nine always has it sponsored by Kia or one of those other Korean car brands.

    I bet there is the Stig, the so called call wall, fastest lap time with a celebrity in the format. The BBC must be rubbing there hands with glee as a money spinner by on selling the rights to make a local version of TG. Jezza and the boys would be completely taking the micky out of the OZ version!

  2. @animal – I don’t like that SBS lost the right as much as the next fan but putting aside the extra ads Nine has done one thing SBS could never do and bring the full UK editions to local screen, okay I know a great part of one of the last series was cut for F1 rights issues but that is beyond Nine or SBSs control.

    I didn’t mind the local SBS version and think it would have gotten better with time. I’m looking forward to this version but I wounder will it always be 90 mins (60 without ads) or will it go back to about 45 mins in future weeks.

  3. This sounds like it could be good. I think too many people were unfairly harsh of the SBS version. It took the UK boys a few years to get it right, so as long as it shows some promise I’m prepared to give it a fair go.

  4. I’m happy to see Shane Jacobson get the gig, he’s shown he can be very funny and hopefully he’ll add some genuine unscripted humour to the show. I’m a bit surprised Steve Pizzati is still there, he seemed to try to hard in the previous version. Like the Ashes concept and meeting the main TG hosts, so will definately give this another try. With Survivor straight after, it could be an entertaining night.

  5. upset to see it being made by Freehand. ch7 sold DWTS from granada to Freehand 3 seasons ago and it has been done so unprofessionally, cheap, and slack ever since imo, and the ratings reflect it. probably one my least liked production companies. and their track record with this variety genre is not good. lets see if they can redeem themselves here.

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