driven (TV series)

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driven

The driven logo
Format Motoring
Starring Mike Brewer
Penny Mallory
Jason Plato
Jason Barlow
James May
Country of origin UK
No. of episodes 80
Production
Producer(s) IWC Media
Running time 24 minutes (approx.)
Broadcast
Original channel Channel 4
Picture format 720x576 (anamorphic 16:9)
Original run October 13, 1998 – December 15, 2002
Chronology
Related shows Top Gear, Fifth Gear
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
This article is about the British TV series. For the 2001 movie of the same name see Driven

driven was a motoring television programme launched by Channel 4 in 1998 as a rival to the successful and long-running BBC series Top Gear.

The style was similar to its rival, but with additional features such as the "driven 100", a road test of three cars in the same class, where each car would be given marks for qualities such as Practicality, Desirability and Cost of Ownership. The car with the highest total score would be the winner. The programme launched with the concept that the presenters should interact with each other rather than present items on their own, as was then the case on Top Gear. The first series also featured a "headquarters", a racing team truck, set on a former air force base at which cars were put through their paces. These concepts resurfaced in the re-born Top Gear soon after.

Originally presented by Mike Brewer, James May and Jason Barlow, subsequent series also featured the rally driver Penny Mallory and the racing driver Jason Plato. Jason Barlow left the show in order to join BBC's Top Gear. Not long after he joined it, Top Gear was temporarily axed, leaving driven briefly as the only motoring show on mainstream British TV. James May later went to the BBC too, joining the Top Gear team in the second series of its new format.

Following the creation of Fifth Gear and the revival of Top Gear, driven was cancelled by Channel 4 in 2002. Jason Plato would go on to present Fifth Gear, Mike Brewer presents ITV's Pulling Power and Penny Mallory can be seen on ITV4's Used Car Roadshow.

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