My God you Brits are a bunch of whiney cry babies!!! Why don't you give the guy a chance. You watch, in 2 months you are all going to be raving about the show again, when the novelty of having a new host wears off. I think George is HOT, not to mention funny. If you don't like it, then DON'T WATCH!!! I know alot of people who aren't as shallow that like good T.V. when they see it, that will watch no matter who the host is. So, get a life!!!

-- Sue Crum (wscrum@zekes.com), January 05, 2001

Answers

Sue, I think you have got your knicker's in a little bit of a MAJOR twist baby. The reason for this is that George has only so far ever been seen once in the UK when he appeared as co-presenter with Robert and Cathy for the Trans-Atlantic challenge that you have not yet seen in the States. The main proportion of all the critic's are in fact Americans. I take it from all the sudden critism that the new Junkyard series has begun on your side of the pond hence all the critics on YOUR side.

If it makes you feel any better in fact we Brits don't actually mind George and felt that he was typical American and added to the show. What do the rest of you guys in the USA think ? ..... well the forum speaks for itself don't you think.

regards Volcano

-- Volcano (earthworks@callnetuk.com), January 05, 2001.

He's not a typical American, that's why we have a problem with him.

-- Jeff (nospam@no.spam.com), January 05, 2001.

I get the feeling that most (there are always exceptions) but most Americans like the British. Sure they can be pompus and snobby at times, but the Americans can be arrogant at times. But most Americans truly enjoy the Brits and think they are fun people. Yet on the flipside, I get the feeling that most British hold deep resentment and hatred towards the Americans on the whole. Maybe I just simply don't know because I don't talk to enough Brits, but this seems to be the situation.

-- Senile Joe (lrl@ou.edu), January 05, 2001.

Everyone we met from the production staff, to the directors, to the catering folks, to the wardrobe people, everyone involved with the show were just super, couldn't have been nicer even if the tried. Then we went into London, well let me tell you, we thought we were on another planet, absolutely everyone we met was nice as pie. We had such a great time we were sorry to here they were coming over here to film the next series.

JustJay

-- justjay-Captain-Three Rusty Juveniles (justjay@neo.rr.com), January 05, 2001.

I'm a yank and I like a lot of things about english culture. But George is bad not just because he's american, but because he has no talent. If they had put in an American with comedic talent, it would've produced better results.

-- Richard Manahan (rjcyclesk8@hotmail.com), January 05, 2001.

Talking about an American with comic talent, Tim Allen would have been a riot on JYW. I suppose he's too pricy and/or too busy but I would have liked to here him grunt out "More power!!!" Oh well, wishful thinking...

By the way, Sue Crum, if you want things to improve you don't stick your head in the sand and hope the problems go away. You do something about it. That's why people are so critical about George. Telling them to stop watching the show is counter-productive, if they all go the producers will be forced to cancel it. Letting them know how we feel shows that we care about the show but we must give them a chance and be open-minded enough to accept some changes.

From a non-Brit. Daniel Aubin, Québec, Canada

-- Daniel Aubin (d.aubin@globetrotter.net), January 05, 2001.

I don't think it's a matter of if George is a 'typical' American. Americans aren't, by design, 'typical'. I think that the general feeling of him as a host vs Robert, is that George has a "look at me" attitude while Robert was more about turning the focus on the teams and the task. I think I can learn to live with George but that dip he carries in his lip has got to go.

I also wonder if the problem with the US show is that there's not a whole lot of laughing and fun going on. With the Brother In Arms and nearly all of the other British teams there seemed to be a party atmosphere. It was all fun. It was a game. The Americans seem to be short tempered and hell-bent on winning.

-- Debbie in Washington (shop99er@prodigy.net), January 06, 2001.

Short tempered, Hell bent on winning, What show were you watching.

It is too bad that more of the fun and interaction with both the host and hostess, during our show didn't make the final cut. I really believe had you seen that none of you would be so upset with George.

JustJay

-- justjay-Captain-Three Rusty Juveniles (justjay@neo.rr.com), January 06, 2001.

Well it seems that a lot of humor got cut in the US edit. I have seen the US and the UK cuts of our shows, and all the season two shows. A lot more silly bits are left in the UK cuts. The contestants made as many of the jokes as the host did. The US shows in particular, left george as the source of the jokes. I know the team member made some jokes, including some specifically staged events. (I will let Jay tell you about the costume extras they brought)

Also this edit was done by the same brits that edited our episodes. They don't seem that interested in showing americans in a good light if our experiences with them are typical. I have talked to a number of the US teams, and they are neat people for the most part. (yes some are possessed of backup oversized egos, but most are just great people, and I am delighted to have a connection with them.)

The somewhat derogatory team names are our choices. Humor starts with laughing at yourselves... I hand out buisness cards with the team logo, with the comment "proves you know a card carrying nerd". (other choices we considered for our team were "Brute Force and Ignorance", and in honor of Crash's experience with Lucas car electrics "Dim, Flicker, Off" - the three positions of a Lucas headlight switch.)

I can see them wanting a US host. I even talked to the production team well in advance of the taping about it. I suggested "Click and Clack" (from the "Car Talk" radio show) if they couldn't use Robert. (they have the right level of sarcasm, are in my opinion, truly funny, and unlike the current hosts, will understand what the teams are up to. Robert is great, but he is a novelist and actor, not someone that understands machines. And Cathy is a scientist, but not one of the mechanistic fields) Some humor doesn't translate. It took some months of british travel before I got a bunch of the geographic jokes in Python, and I know there are some pop culture and political references that I didn't "get". The same is true with Robert, you think he is very funny, and you likely are missing 1/3 of the jokes...

-- Jeff - The NERDS (dp@the-nerds.org), January 06, 2001.

OK Jeff you started this, but it was fun.

When we showed up, first at the airport, for Nicoles benefit, then on fitting and training day, for Fiona and Nina and the rest of the staff, we were a mess. I had a cast on my right leg, Ray had a knee brace and one arm in a sling, and Tom had wrist restraints on both wrists. Then to top it off we all had Billybob teeth. If you haven't seen Billybob teeth they are false teeth made by a dentist that fit over you real teeth and are really ugly, all snaggly and stuff.

Well as you can imagine for a while it kinda went over like a fart in church, till we took out the teeth. Then the laughing started and they knew they were in trouble, cuz we were gonna have fun no matter what.

I have to go into the first night at the motel bar, where we met Richard, I can't say enough good things to enough people about Richard. He is the guy that makes sure you get the tools and stuff you can't live without, he just talks tooooooo fast.

I have most of this on tape, tee hee, just in case someone doesn't believe me.

JustJay

-- justjay-Captain-Three Rusty Juveniles (justjay@neo.rr.com), January 06, 2001.

The point isn't to have hosts that understand the mechanical aspects of what is going on. Having city slicker and girly girl types make it all the more enjoyable.

-- Crazy Joe (lrl@ou.edu), January 06, 2001.