Cable is a great invention and most of us are blessed with having access to over 200 channels. I am still in awe of this as I grew up in Jamaica and never saw TV in my country till I was 9. When it came we had one channel and it was only on about 6 hours a day. With time it was on all day till midnight but we did not have any color just good old black and white. I know many in US in my age category remember only a few channels, no 24 hour coverage and color TV as a luxury.
Like cars, TV has changed so much. In Jamaica today, they have cable very similar to the US and tons of channels to watch. As a gear head and racer I naturally check out anything automotive. Over the years the auto content on TV has improved a great deal. Actually, there is so much auto content it is hard to figure out what to watch. Well I am here to help.
Before I dive in let me say that TV shows are very personal choices and you may hate mine. I just share as a service so that you know what to expect should you chose one of my favorite car shows.
I am not going to categorize the shows as that would be too complex and I won't recommend that many.
Without question my favorite car show is Top Gear. These British guys are hilarious and they test some sweet cars. Their track is complex and the Stig creates a neutral comparative tool. I like that they bring celebrities on to drive a "reasonably priced car" as we get to see which ones can drive, are real gear heads and just how much of their millions they spend on cars. The humor and banter is great and their trips and challenges are legendary. Sadly the US version of Top Gear is a flop in my opinion. They don't have the chemistry and sadly they chose the wrong guys to host it - sorry. (I am available if you want to fix it). Also there is an Aussie version but it is on rarely and I just have not become a fan.
Another show in the same vein as Top Gear is Fifth Gear. I like it because again there is sparring among the hosts, great driving, humor and Tiff is a cool lady. I see they are now one of the top ranked auto shows and I think they deserve it. While many of the cars are Euro they still provide good gear head entertainment.
There are tons of shows on "car builds". Actually I think there are too many. Yes, I know they all have their own twist but basically the plot is the same - get a wreck of some kind, restore it, enhance it and sometimes sell it or deliver it to a wealthy or highly deserving customer. Overhaulin with Chip Foose and team is pretty good but primarily because he is a great designer. The finished products are usually works of art. I just wish he would use less flames - so 70's. At SEMA last year I actually watched this team do a build at the show - quite cool.
Another favorite in this category is Wheeler Dealers. Another British show it is distinguished by the two guys who have distinct roles and again some humor. I actually feel sorry for the bloke who does all the repairs as he clearly has the tough job. I like it because he goes through literally everything he has to do and often shows us how. He looks like a surgeon always wearing his rubber gloves. Sadly they never really make much money but I guess that is not the actual point of the show.
I am not a fan of Pimp My Ride or Jesse's Monster Garage but Unique Whips and West Coast Customs can occasionally have an interesting build. I would look at what they are building before you commit to an hour with either. American Hot Rod is a classic and always fun to watch what they soup up next. After all carrying on Boyd Covingtons legacy is so important for us gear heads.
Next there is Counting Cars and Fast n Loud. These two take getting used to and frankly I only watch select episodes if there is a great car I like being restored or built. These are good filler shows.
Motorweek is a staple. Several cars are tested each week and the results are usually interesting. It is not entertaining but for real car fanatics we need the data. I wish they would do more real world testing but again I don't think that is their focus. I could do with a few less mini van tests too.
I love Chasing Cars and My Classic Car. Both are well done and very informative. The auction piece is usually fun to watch as we see what some of these pieces of auto history are worth. Both hosts are excellent and the shows are very well done. The cars are usually quite impressive and their history is what makes the show.
Then there are the auto auction shows. Barret Jackson and Mecum seem to be the most popular. I watch both as fillers primarily. You have to pick which ones are worth your time. If they are selling 1986 Mustang Convertibles for $9000 i tune out. Some of the charity specially build cars are fun to see as are the exotics and old muscle cars. Recently they have had more race cars with history and those have bee fun to review. If you have never been to a big auto auction, do yourself a favor and go. They can be quite exciting.
Finally, there are the racing shows. Gosh I love these. In order, I watch Formula One, Indy Car, American Le Mans Series, British Touring Cars, DTM, Australian V8 Supercars and occasionally NASCAR and off road racing. I skip the tractor pulls and monster trucks but I still watch a lot of motorcycle racing. I love both street and dirt bikes so there is lots to view.
So if you love cars don't miss out on the absolute plethora of great shows on TV. Let me know which are your favorites. Till next time keep the rubber on the road.
Like cars, TV has changed so much. In Jamaica today, they have cable very similar to the US and tons of channels to watch. As a gear head and racer I naturally check out anything automotive. Over the years the auto content on TV has improved a great deal. Actually, there is so much auto content it is hard to figure out what to watch. Well I am here to help.
Before I dive in let me say that TV shows are very personal choices and you may hate mine. I just share as a service so that you know what to expect should you chose one of my favorite car shows.
I am not going to categorize the shows as that would be too complex and I won't recommend that many.
Without question my favorite car show is Top Gear. These British guys are hilarious and they test some sweet cars. Their track is complex and the Stig creates a neutral comparative tool. I like that they bring celebrities on to drive a "reasonably priced car" as we get to see which ones can drive, are real gear heads and just how much of their millions they spend on cars. The humor and banter is great and their trips and challenges are legendary. Sadly the US version of Top Gear is a flop in my opinion. They don't have the chemistry and sadly they chose the wrong guys to host it - sorry. (I am available if you want to fix it). Also there is an Aussie version but it is on rarely and I just have not become a fan.
Another show in the same vein as Top Gear is Fifth Gear. I like it because again there is sparring among the hosts, great driving, humor and Tiff is a cool lady. I see they are now one of the top ranked auto shows and I think they deserve it. While many of the cars are Euro they still provide good gear head entertainment.
There are tons of shows on "car builds". Actually I think there are too many. Yes, I know they all have their own twist but basically the plot is the same - get a wreck of some kind, restore it, enhance it and sometimes sell it or deliver it to a wealthy or highly deserving customer. Overhaulin with Chip Foose and team is pretty good but primarily because he is a great designer. The finished products are usually works of art. I just wish he would use less flames - so 70's. At SEMA last year I actually watched this team do a build at the show - quite cool.
Another favorite in this category is Wheeler Dealers. Another British show it is distinguished by the two guys who have distinct roles and again some humor. I actually feel sorry for the bloke who does all the repairs as he clearly has the tough job. I like it because he goes through literally everything he has to do and often shows us how. He looks like a surgeon always wearing his rubber gloves. Sadly they never really make much money but I guess that is not the actual point of the show.
I am not a fan of Pimp My Ride or Jesse's Monster Garage but Unique Whips and West Coast Customs can occasionally have an interesting build. I would look at what they are building before you commit to an hour with either. American Hot Rod is a classic and always fun to watch what they soup up next. After all carrying on Boyd Covingtons legacy is so important for us gear heads.
Next there is Counting Cars and Fast n Loud. These two take getting used to and frankly I only watch select episodes if there is a great car I like being restored or built. These are good filler shows.
Motorweek is a staple. Several cars are tested each week and the results are usually interesting. It is not entertaining but for real car fanatics we need the data. I wish they would do more real world testing but again I don't think that is their focus. I could do with a few less mini van tests too.
I love Chasing Cars and My Classic Car. Both are well done and very informative. The auction piece is usually fun to watch as we see what some of these pieces of auto history are worth. Both hosts are excellent and the shows are very well done. The cars are usually quite impressive and their history is what makes the show.
Then there are the auto auction shows. Barret Jackson and Mecum seem to be the most popular. I watch both as fillers primarily. You have to pick which ones are worth your time. If they are selling 1986 Mustang Convertibles for $9000 i tune out. Some of the charity specially build cars are fun to see as are the exotics and old muscle cars. Recently they have had more race cars with history and those have bee fun to review. If you have never been to a big auto auction, do yourself a favor and go. They can be quite exciting.
Finally, there are the racing shows. Gosh I love these. In order, I watch Formula One, Indy Car, American Le Mans Series, British Touring Cars, DTM, Australian V8 Supercars and occasionally NASCAR and off road racing. I skip the tractor pulls and monster trucks but I still watch a lot of motorcycle racing. I love both street and dirt bikes so there is lots to view.
So if you love cars don't miss out on the absolute plethora of great shows on TV. Let me know which are your favorites. Till next time keep the rubber on the road.