Street Outlaws: Memphis

The original Street Outlaws (OKC) was initially hindered by a completely fabricated and needless plot device: running from the cops. Almost every episode in the first several seasons of "Street Outlaws" featured a heavily teased, mid-episode scene where someone was either being pulled over, or hiding from the police. Totally fake, as the show has always been filmed on closed streets.

Memphis Street Outlaws avoids that particular conceit, but fails in many other ways. The main character "JJ Da Boss" (played by Jon Day) is an unlikeable egocentric, prone to referring to himself in the 3rd person. During his camera monologues, his normally mild southern drawl becomes an unintended parody (think Foghorn Leghorn) "...well, you know me, bee-in' JJ Da-Baowww, ah wadn't gonna let no sleepin' dawgs lahhh" . His "JJ DaBoss" logo is plastered on all the windshields of the "MSO" group, which is antithetical to the notion of a family of team. On top of that, Day and most of his "crew" live in the middle of Arkansas, which makes the Memphis title even more of a joke.

The racing is supposed to be a truer depiction of grudge racing, but the "antics" and trash talking detract, as does the "arm drop" format. Many years ago, an arm drop start was normal for standing start street grudge racing. But that's because LED flashlights and frame-by-frame digital video playback had yet to be invented. The "chase is the race" is antithetical to competition, where the goal is to find the fastest person on that street at that time, not who can trick the other driver.

Hard pass on this one.

JJ da Boss makes this show so much better than the original Street Outlaws from OK City (and I love that show too). His authentic personality and the love he and his crew show for each other is not found on the OKC show.

I will never watch Memphis street outlaws again . It is without a doubt rigged races. A lot of the shows on discovery channel are staged or rigged. I'm done with watching the channel.

This show depicts a group of street racers who are marginal at best. The OKC Street Outlaws has destroyed this group of pretenders every time they race. Why should anyone watch a group who are not close to the talent of OKC ???

STREET OUTLAWS is traveling to the toughest and wildest streets in the South, as it heads to Memphis to spotlight JJ Da Boss and his team of family and friends who have been racing together for decades.