Category:Top Gear

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Top Gear is a long running British motoring programme currently hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. While listed as a host in the credits, The Stig is mainly the unbiased and tame mystery driver used to test out cars featured on the show.

The present format is one hour long and combines car reviews, silly stunts, and challenges. The show is well know for its Power Lap Times done by The Stig and Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, where a star is sent out on the track to post a time in an economy car.

The programme originated at BBC Pebble Mill in the 1970s for the newly arrived channel - BBC2. Among its many presenters over the years were Angela Rippon and Noel Edmonds. By the late 1980s and early 1990s it had become one of BBC2's most popular programmes with over 5 million viewers. It was then presented by William Woollard with contributions from Tiff Needell, Chris Goffey, Sue Baker, Frank Page, Tony Mason, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Quentin Willson and many others including Jeremy Clarkson.

In the 1990s the programme suffered an audience decline and it was decided to end it. After an outcry the decision was reversed but the production team was fired and the programme moved from Birmingham to London. Some of the original team moved to Channel five to make the new motoring programme Fifth Gear