3/5th of the way through Season 1 of DRIVER REHAB the game changed. Gone were the miscues and lessons at the controlled course of Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. In came the mean streets of New York City (it began with Episode #7 - and yes, I can still hear her screams in my sleep). Thus the stakes were raised. Because now the drivers weren’t just running over cones or crashing into mannequin wizards. They had to showcase why their driving necessitated rehabilitation, then receive their training all over Manhattan. And if you’ve ever driven in the city you know it ain’t easy, no matter your level of confidence or experience. You screw up on your new training course then you’re gonna hear about it, and there will be consequences. The dude in this episode, who I swear looks like Marcus Mumford (he the Mumford of Mumford and Sons), gave us more than our fair share of brushes with disaster. And as you’ll see he has changed the way I’ll forever think of the word “freestyling”, with his horrific improvised driving maneuvers. Glad I’m here today to promote and blog about it. Stay focused my friends.
That’s right; the world’s most mechanically declined human being is hosting a show about cars. Well, not just cars. People who are not good at using cars. We call them bad drivers, I believe. And as I am coming to learn the world is full of them. So, where should bad drivers go? Beside the passenger seat, mass transit or a bicycle? They should go to “Driver Rehab”. Where world-class driving instructors attempt to break bad drivers of their hideous habits, and I tag along for the ride, supplying the quips, commentary and verbal navigation. The show is on the Car and DriverYouTube channel, part of YouTube’s new TV initiative. I understand that’s a lot of hyperlinks to click on, read about and process. It’s a Monday. You’re just looking for a video featuring a frog hilariously sitting on a bench as if he were a ponchy man. I understand. WELL, what it boils down to is…as TV and internet merge (interV?), Google is creating TV-like channels on the internet. So you can go and watch more original, niche programming from favorite celebs, media outlets, websites….whomever, whatever. And Car and Driver, the auto magazine, has one of YouTube’s 100 channels. And “Driver Rehab” is one of the shows. And I’m hosting it. And THAT is what makes time travel possible. Got it? Good.
So, when you get a chance subscribe to Car and Driver’s channel. Watch some shows, that seem like they were made for TV, even though they’re on the internet. But you might have Apple TV or a browser on your TV. Which means you’d turn on this channel and then watch internet programs on your TV, which would make them TV shows, really. Right? All I know is the people on our show stink at driving, and we have fun watching them try to get better. The real reason why I took this job wasn’t the money, or to host another program. No, it’s that I hope one day we’ll get my dad on the show. He is the worst driver ever. And if you’ve ever been in the car with him you know I’m not exaggerating, or just looking for a personal anecdote to end this blog entry on. He used to drive us home from Cape Cod while eating an ice cream cone, the newspaper splayed across the steering wheel, the Red Sox game on the radio, a smoke dangling from his lips. The very definition of a distracted, dangerous driver. And he’s only gone down hill from there. So this is kinda like a public service initiative from me. Please, it’s the least I could do.
Subscribe. Watch. Comment. Enjoy. Take in some of their opther shows (particularly my buddy Matty Blake’s show “Battle of the Beaters”). Oh, and make sure you look both ways when turning, keep an even foot on the accelerator and don’t be texting while driving. Unless it’s about our show…then it’s OK.
