Top Gear (current format)
| Top Gear | |
|---|---|
The Top Gear logo |
|
| Genre | Motoring |
| Presented by | Jeremy Clarkson Richard Hammond James May (since 2003) The Stig Jason Dawe (2002) |
| Opening theme | "Jessica" |
| Composer(s) | Dickey Betts |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 12 |
| No. of episodes | 100 and 5 specials (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Andy Wilman |
| Location(s) | Dunsfold Park, Guildford, Surrey |
| Running time | 60 min. (approx.) |
| Production company(s) |
BBC |
| Distributor | BBC Worldwide |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC Two |
| Picture format | 576i, anamorphic 16:9 1080i (Polar Special 2007) |
| First shown in | 1977 – 2001 |
| Original run | 20 October 2002 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Top Gear |
| Related shows | Top Gear (US) Top Gear Australia Stars in Fast Cars Top Gear Winter Olympics Top Gear of the Pops Top Gear: Polar Special Top Ground Gear Force |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| Production website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Top Gear is a BAFTA, multi-NTA and International Emmy Award-winning BBC television series about motor vehicles, mainly cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style. The show is presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and The Stig, an anonymous test driver. The programme is estimated to have 385 million viewers worldwide.[1] In 2007 it was one of the most pirated television shows in the world.[2]
First run episodes are broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two. Top Gear is also shown on Dave, BBC America, and a number of other television channels around the world. The popularity of the show has led to the creation of two international versions, with local production teams and presenters, for Australia and the United States. Episodes of the Australian version premiered on 29 September 2008, while NBC is holding the American version for broadcast in February or March, 2009, as a possible mid-season replacement.[3] Recently, a Top Gear Russia has been announced, to be aired at the end of 2008 with new local presenters.[4]
The show has received considerable acclaim for its visual style and presentation, as well as criticism for its content and comments made by presenters. Columnist A. A. Gill described the show as "a triumph of the craft of programme-making, of the minute, obsessive, musical masonry of editing, the french polishing of colourwashing and grading."[5] Groups such as the Environmental Investigation Agency have accused the BBC of allowing the Top Gear team to cause damage to environmentally sensitive areas, such as the Makgadikgadi salt pan in Botswana.[6]
Contents |
History
- See also: Top Gear (original format)
Jeremy Clarkson, who helped the original series reach its peak in the 1990s, along with producer Andy Wilman, successfully pitched a new format for Top Gear to the BBC, reversing a previous decision to cancel the show in 2001. The new series was first broadcast in 2002. Top Gear's studio is located at Dunsfold Park, a privately-owned aerodrome[7] and business park[8] in Waverley, Surrey. Top Gear uses a temporary racing circuit which was designed for the show by Lotus and is laid out on parts of Dunsfold's runways and taxiways. A large hangar is used for studio recording with a standing audience who apply to the BBC for free tickets, albeit with an estimated 21-year waiting list.[9]
The new series format incorporates a number of major changes from the old show. The running time was extended to one hour and two new presenters were introduced: Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe, with James May replacing Dawe after the first series. The Stig, an anonymous masked racing driver, was introduced as the test driver. New segments were also added, including "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car", "The Cool Wall", "Car News", "Power Laps", and one-off features such as races, competitions and the frequent destruction of caravans.
In early 2006, the BBC had planned to move the filming site from Dunsfold to Enstone, Oxfordshire for filming of the eighth series of Top Gear, but the move was rejected by West Oxfordshire council due to noise and pollution concerns.[10] Filming of the series went ahead at Dunsfold in May despite not having a permit to do so,[11] with a revamped studio set, a new car for the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment, and the inclusion of one of Hammond's dogs, named "Top Gear Dog", in a few studio and film segments of that series.
On 20 September 2006, Richard Hammond was seriously injured while driving the Vampire turbojet-propelled drag-racing car at up to 314 miles per hour (505 km/h) for a feature in the show. The BBC indefinitely postponed the broadcast of Best of Top Gear and announced that production of the show would be delayed until Hammond had recovered. Both the BBC and the Health and Safety Executive carried out inquiries into the accident.[12] Filming resumed on 5 October 2006.[13] The ninth series began on 28 January 2007 and included footage of Hammond's crash.[14] The first show of the ninth series attracted higher ratings than the finale of Celebrity Big Brother[15] and the final episode of the series had 8 million viewers — BBC Two's highest ratings for a decade.
A special programme, Top Gear: Polar Special, was broadcast in the UK on 25 July 2007 and was the first episode to be shown in high-definition. It involved a race to the North Magnetic Pole[16] from Resolute, Nunavut, Canada, with James May and Jeremy Clarkson travelling in a 'polar modified' Toyota Hilux, and Richard Hammond on a dog-drawn sled — or, as they became known, "Team Dog". All three presenters had experienced explorers with them, and Clarkson and May became the first to reach the 1996 North Magnetic Pole by car, using the vehicle's satellite navigation. Since 1996, the North Magnetic Pole had moved approximately 100 miles (160 km). The recorded 1996 location is the target used by Polar Challenge and was used by the Top Gear team as their destination; the Geographic North Pole is approximately 800 miles (1,300 km) further north.
On 9 September 2007, Top Gear participated in the 2007 Britcar 24-hour race at Silverstone, where the hosts (including The Stig) drove a race-prepared, second-hand diesel BMW 330d to win 3rd in class and 39th overall. The car was allegedly fuelled using Bio-diesel refined from crops sown during a tractor review item in a previous series.
On 28 August, Britcar announced that Top Gear will return to the Britcar 24 Hours.
"The Top Gear BMW 330d is returning to the race, the Top Gear Technology Team will be running the car, this year they are running the same team of engineers, they are expected to do better this year, as the car has been totally rebuilt, after the 'Off' the car had in the night last year."
It is not known whether Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, or The Stig will participate as drivers. [17]
Also on 14 March 2008, BBC Worldwide announced that the Top Gear format would provide the basis for a live event that will visit fifteen countries. The Top Gear Live tour starts on 30 October 2008 in Earls Court, London, moving on to Birmingham in November then at least 15 other countries worldwide. Produced by former Top Gear producer Rowland French[18] the event promises to:
"bring the tv show format to life... featuring breath-taking stunts, amazing special effects and blockbusting driving sequences featuring some of the world’s best precision drivers".[19]
On 17 June 2008, in an interview on BBC Radio 1's The Chris Moyles Show, Hammond and May confirmed that in Series 11 there will be a new "occasional regular host".[20] The series' executive producer, Andy Wilman, has also revealed that future programmes will have less time devoted to big challenges:
"We've looked back at the last two or three runs and noticed that a programme can get swallowed up by one monster film — a bit like one of those Yes albums from the 70s where side one is just one track — so we're trying to calm down the prog-rock side. We'll inevitably still have big films, because it's the only way you can enjoy the three of them cocking about together, but they'll be shorter overall, and alongside we'll be inserting two- or three-minute punk songs."[21]
Broadcasts
For their initial broadcasts, new episodes of Top Gear are shown in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on Sunday evenings at 8:00 pm. Each show is an hour in length with no interruption for adverts.
Repeats of earlier series are currently shown on Dave and UKTV People, cut to 46 minutes to allow it to fit in an hour-long slot while leaving room for adverts. Since mid-October 2007 the channel Dave has begun showing new episodes of Top Gear only three weeks behind BBC Two. The new episodes are also shown in an edited 46-minute version. Top Gear has been broadcast in other countries either in its original format, in a re-edited version, or with specially shot segments in front of the UK audience. For example, Canvas, the Flemish public broadcaster, picked up the show after the success of the Top Gear: Polar Special programme. The BBC version of the programme is broadcast by RTE Two in Ireland.
The BBC also broadcasts edited Top Gear programmes on its international BBC World TV channel. Episodes are shortened to 30 minutes, often leaving dangling references and inconsistencies. Additionally, the original transmission order is sometimes not adhered to, so references to un-aired events are common. The only footage specially shot for the international version is for the end of each episode, when Clarkson bids his goodbye to BBC World viewers, instead of BBC viewers. BBC America also broadcasts repeats of Top Gear, with two episodes shown back-to-back, but with segments edited to allow for commercials.
Recently, BBC World has changed from showing edited versions of the current series to "best of" collections of the previous series. In both cases the BBC World edition mainly features the challenges and races from the normal episodes, with Clarkson's 'stronger' remarks removed. Interviews and "Car of the Year" are generally not shown.
Episodes
Charity specials
As of July 2008, Top Gear have produced three specials for Comic Relief. The first, titled Stars in Fast Cars, was broadcast on 5 February 2005, and starred Hammond and May as presenters, with Clarkson and five other British television personalities racing against each other. It spawned a short-lived series presented by Dougie Anderson.
The second was filmed for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day 2007 fund-raising event, and is titled Top Gear of the Pops. It mixed the show's typical format with music and appearances from artists Lethal Bizzle, Travis, Supergrass, and McFly who were challenged to write a song including the words "sofa", "administration" and "Hyundai", which they later recorded and included as a B-side to their single "The Heart Never Lies". It concluded with a performance by Clarkson, Hammond and May with Justin Hawkins of "Red Light Spells Danger" by Billy Ocean.
The third, titled Top Ground Gear Force, was broadcast on BBC Two at 10:00 pm on 14 March 2008 as part of Sport Relief. This programme, which borrowed the Ground Force format,[22] saw presenters 'Alan Clarkmarsh', 'Handy Hammond' and 'Jamesy Dimmock May' undertake a one-day makeover of Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave's garden, an attempt that failed spectacularly.
Segments
Races
The show regularly features long-distance (or, as Clarkson refers to them, "epic") races.[23][24] These typically feature Clarkson (or one of the other presenters) driving a car against other forms of transport. The challenges usually involve Hammond and May taking the same journey by combinations of plane, train or ferry.
A number of smaller scale 'novelty' races have also taken place that demonstrate various strengths and, more often, weaknesses of cars. These races involve one of the presenters, in a carefully chosen car, racing head-to-head against an athlete in conditions that favour the latter. The programme has also featured a variety of small races, typically lasting a couple of minutes, that pit two similar cars against each other, for example old vs. new.
Challenges
Early series featured novelty challenges and short stunt films, typically based on absurd premises, such as a bus jumping over motorcycles (as opposed to the more typical scenario of a motorcycle jumping over buses) or a nun driving a monster truck. No stunt films appeared between series seven and ten, but series eleven saw the introduction of segments with an anonymous stunt man (credited as "Top Gear Stunt Man") performing car jumps.
Starting with series five, many of the show's films were introduced with the tag-line, "How hard can it be?". These included films where the presenters attempted to build a convertible Renault Espace, being roadies for The Who, and participating in the Britcar 24-hour endurance race at Silverstone Circuit.
Starting with series four, one episode of each series has featured a film built around the premise of "Cheap cars", whereby the presenters are given a budget (typically around £1,500, but it has been between £100 and £10,000 depending on the type of car) to buy a used car conforming to certain criteria. Once purchased, the presenters compete against each other in a series of tests to establish who has bought the best car. The presenters have no prior knowledge of what the tests will be, although they generally involve a long journey to determine reliability, fuel economy, and a race track event to determine performance.
Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car
In each episode, a celebrity is interviewed by Clarkson. Then, Clarkson, the guest and the studio audience watch footage of the guest's fastest lap around the Top Gear test track. The times are recorded on a leader board. For the first seven series of Top Gear's current format, the car driven was a Suzuki Liana. At the beginning of the eighth series, the Liana was replaced by a Chevrolet Lacetti. Consequently, as the Lacetti is more powerful, the leader board was wiped clean. The format for setting a lap time was also changed: each celebrity is allowed five practice laps, then a final timed lap. No allowance is made for any errors on this final timed lap.
Ellen MacArthur set the fastest lap time of any celebrity in the Liana. As of July 2008 Jay Kay set the fastest lap time of any celebrity in the Chevrolet Lacetti in the final episode of series 11, knocking Simon Cowell off the top, a position which the latter had held for over two series.
There have been several mishaps in the past with this feature. Sir Michael Gambon went around the final corner of the track on two wheels, prompting Jeremy to rename the corner in Gambon's honour. Lionel Richie and Trevor Eve lost a wheel and David Soul destroyed the clutches of both the main car and the back-up car. Several celebrities have come off the track in practice, with Clarkson showing the footage to the audience.
There is a separate Formula One drivers' leader board. The Stig is top of this board, but the presenters consider Lewis Hamilton's time to be more impressive; despite being set on a very wet and oily track, Hamilton's time was only three tenths of a second slower than The Stig's, which was set in dry conditions. In the past Clarkson has told drivers that they may deduct four seconds for a wet lap in the Suzuki Liana, making Hamilton's lap even more impressive. All Formula One times, even those set after the seventh series, are set in the Suzuki Liana.
Power Laps
In the Power Laps segment, The Stig completes a lap around the Top Gear test track to gauge the performance of various cars.
The qualifications for the normal Power Lap Board is that the car being tested must be road-worthy, and be able to go over a speed bump[25] which is sometimes referred to as a 'sleeping policeman'. There is a separate unofficial board of times for non-production cars.
The most powerful production car ever featured on Top Gear, the 1,001 PS (987 hp/736 kW) Bugatti Veyron, was driven around the track by The Stig, coming fifth on the powerboard.
The car that recorded the fastest lap time on the Top Gear track was the Renault F1 car, at fifty nine seconds (0:59.00), although it was disqualified because the rules only include production cars able to get over speed bumps.
As of the Eleventh Series, the fastest road legal car that met the 'sleeping policeman' requirement was the Gumpert Apollo S in a time of 1:17.1. This is only 0.2 seconds faster than the former lap leader, the Ascari A10.
Without the 'sleeping policeman' requirement the fastest time around the track for a road legal car would be the Caparo T1. The Caparo posted a time of 1:10.6 despite its reliability problems.
The Cool Wall
Introduced in the sixth episode of series one,[26] Clarkson and Hammond decide which cars are cool and which are not by placing photographs of them on to various sections of a large board. The categories are, from left to right; "Seriously Uncool", "Uncool", "Cool", and "Sub Zero". According to Andy Wilman, the show's producer, any given car's coolness factor rested on various attributes that are not necessarily related to the quality of the car itself.[27] For example, Wilman suggests that "fashion cars" such as the Audi TT, PT Cruiser, Jaguar S-Type and Volkswagen Beetle are uncool because they "make a massive impact for five minutes and then look clichéd and vaguely ridiculous."[27] On the show, Clarkson has stated that cars were deemed cool by extent to which he believed they would impress actress Kristin Scott Thomas,[28] and later, BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce. Both have since been the celebrity guest for the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car feature; when Scott Thomas appeared on the show in series nine, many of her own judgments on which vehicles were "cool" and "uncool" were the opposite to the show's verdicts (her own set of wheels being a Honda Civic, previously dubbed "uncool"). Later, when Bruce came on in series 11, her preferred choice of transport - a Citroen Picasso - visibly horrified Clarkson.
In the first episode of series four, a separate fridge section, on a table to the right of the board, was introduced after Jeremy declared that the Aston Martin DB9 was too cool even to be classified as "Sub-Zero". It initially contained just the DB9, but was eventually joined by the Aston Martin V8 Vantage in the seventh series. At the other end of the scale, James May's car - the Fiat Panda - was placed several metres to the left of the "uncool" side, on a banner at the back of the hangar.
This was partly due to an acknowledged rule by the presenters that cars owned by themselves cannot be considered cool. In series nine, Clarkson was forced to place the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder in the Uncool section because he had just bought one. He then revealed that he had sold his Ford GT, allowing him to move the car back into the Sub-Zero section.
The humour of this section often lies in Clarkson and Hammond disagreeing over which section a car should be placed in, with Clarkson nearly always winning the argument — sometimes by placing the car at the very top of the wall, preventing the much shorter Hammond from being able to reach it. Hammond has occasionally had his revenge, such as when he ate the card on which a BMW M6 was featured, preventing it from being used, or during series six, after Clarkson had slipped two intervertebral discs and was unable to bend down, Hammond ended an argument by placing the car in question at the bottom of the board.
The Cool Wall was mostly destroyed in the fire that occurred in August 2007 (reported, tongue in cheek, by Jeremy Clarkson as having been started by their Five rivals Fifth Gear), prior to the beginning of the tenth series, and was subsequently not used in that entire series. A new Cool Wall was introduced in the second episode of series eleven.
Unusual reviews
A common theme on Top Gear is an approach to reviewing cars which combines standard road tests and opinions with an extremely unusual circumstance, or with a challenge to demonstrate a notable characteristic of the vehicle.
- Drive until you get bored / Test: enjoyable travel. Clarkson claimed that Jaguars "ease the burden of travel"[29] and devised a test for the Jaguar XJ to see how far he could drive one before he got bored. Series Two, Episode Four
- Lap of the M25 / Test: fuel economy. Clarkson drove a lap of the M25 in a diesel Volkswagen Lupo, while another driver used the petrol version to see which would achieve more miles per gallon. Clarkson was allowed to spend any money he saved over the petrol version on a gift at South Mimms services. He chose a small gold model of a cockerel, which made a reappearance in later series as 'The Golden Cock' - the award given to the presenter who'd made the most embarrassing mistake of the year. Series Three, Episode One
- Toyota Hilux destruction / Test: toughness. Clarkson and May used various methods in an attempt to destroy a Toyota Hilux, which included driving it into a tree which belonged to Churchill parish, Somerset. The villagers presumed that the damage had been accidental or vandalism had occurred until the Top Gear episode was broadcast. After the BBC was contacted, the director of Top Gear admitted guilt and the broadcaster paid compensation.[30] Other tests on the Hilux included leaving it out in the ocean, slamming it with a wrecking ball, setting the cabin on fire and finally having it hoisted to the roof of a tower-block that was subsequently blown up. The heavily damaged (but still driveable) Hilux now stands on a plinth in the Top Gear studio. Series Three, Episodes Five & Six
- Helicopter gunship evasion / Test: handling. Clarkson tried to avoid being caught in missile lock from an WAH-64D Apache attack helicopter while driving a Lotus Exige. Series Four, Episode One
- London to Edinburgh and back again on a single tank of fuel / Test: fuel economy. Clarkson attempted to drive a diesel Audi A8 800 miles (1,300 km) on a single tank of fuel. Series Four, Episode Four
- Minicab road testing / Test: toughness and practicality. Hammond and May worked as minicab drivers in order to subject a Renault Scenic and Ford C-MAX to a year's worth of hard abuse in one evening. Series Four, Episode Seven
- Off-road up a mountain / Test: off-road ability. Clarkson tried to drive a Land Rover Discovery from the beach to the top of Cnoc an Fhreiceadain in Scotland, completely off-road. It was heavily criticised by environmentalists for the damage done by the vehicle's tyres. This stunt was memorable in that Clarkson left the mountain by helicopter with the Discovery's keys in his pocket, so delaying its removal from the hill. Series Five, Episode Three
- 24 hours in a car / Test: comfort. Hammond and May spent 24 hours in a Smart Forfour to assess the marketing claim that the car is "designed like a lounge". Series Five, Episode Four
- Tank evasion / Test: off-road ability. Clarkson discovered whether a Challenger 2 tank could lock its main cannon on to a Range Rover Sport. Series Six, Episode One
- Car Football / Test: toughness and handling. Hammond and May, along with a selection of professional drivers, played a football match using Toyota Aygos. Series Six, Episode One
- Sniper evasion / Test: handling. Clarkson drove around a deserted village in a Mercedes SLK55 AMG and a Porsche Boxster S, trying to evade snipers of the Irish Guards. Series Six, Episode Five
- Road Test Russian Roulette / Test: random road testing. Hammond and May worked as ScooterMen[31] in order to road-test as many randomly-selected cars as possible, the catch being that they wouldn't know what they'd be road-testing and also had to do it in the presence of the cars' owners. Series Six, Episode Nine
- Car Ice Hockey / Test: toughness and handling. Hammond and May, along with a selection of professional drivers, played an ice hockey match using Suzuki Swifts, while Clarkson acted as referee. Winter Olympics Special
- Horse racing camera platform / Test: smooth ride. Clarkson reviewed the Citroën C6 and put it to work as a mobile camera platform covering a horse race. Series Eight, Episode Five
- Car Football 2 / Test: toughness and handling. Hammond and May, along with a selection of professional drivers, staged another football match using Toyota Aygos against a new contender, the Volkswagen Fox. Series Eight, Episode Five
- VIP chauffeur / Test: luxury. May conducted road tests in Japan of the Mitsuoka Orochi and Galue, and used the Galue to chauffeur a Sumo wrestler and his manager to a tournament as a way to test if the car is "Japan's Rolls-Royce".[32] Series Eleven, Episode Six
Significant cars
The programme will on occasion, sometimes to celebrate an anniversary, present short review films of non-contemporary cars to highlight why they are significant. These reviews are distinct from the various challenges involving old cars, because the subject matter is addressed in a more serious and factual manner. Reviews include:
| Car | Series & episode |
|---|---|
| Ford Escort RS1800 | Series One, Episode Two |
| Citroën DS | Series One, Episode Three |
| Bentley T2 | Series Two, Episode One |
| Rover P5 | Series Two, Episode Two |
| Jaguar Le Mans C-Type & Mark 2 | Series Two, Episode Four |
| Triumph TR6 | Series Two, Episode Five |
| GM HyWire | Series Two, Episode Nine |
| BMW M1, M3 & M5 | Series Three, Episode Two |
| Lamborghini Miura | Series Three, Episode Four |
| Lamborghini Countach | Series Three, Episode Four |
| Volkswagen Corrado VR6 & Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Cosworth |
Series Three, Episode Five |
| Aston Martin V8 Vantage | Series Three, Episode Six |
| Mercedes-Benz 280SL | Series Three, Episode Eight |
| Aston Martin Lagonda | Series Three, Episode Eight |
| Dodge Charger 440 R/T | Series Four, Episode Three |
| Jaguar XJS | Series Four, Episode Six |
| Rover V8 engine & Rover SD1 | Series Four, Episode Eight |
| Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing | Series Five, Episode Five |
| Maserati Biturbo & 250F | Series Six, Episode Two |
| Maserati Bora | Series Six, Episode Three |
| Aston Martin DB5 & Jaguar E-type | Series Six, Episode Five |
| British racing green & Vanwall F1 | Series Seven, Episode Two |
| Modern control layout Featuring: Benz Motorwagen, Royal Enfield quad bike, De Dion-Bouton, Ford Model T, Cadillac Type 53, Austin 7 |
Series Ten, Episode Eight |
Car of the Year
At the end of each autumn series the hosts present an award to their favourite car of the year, that they can all agree on. Winners have included:
| Year | Car |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Land Rover Range Rover |
| 2003 | Rolls-Royce Phantom |
| 2004 | Volkswagen Golf GTI |
| 2005 | Bugatti Veyron |
| 2006 | Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder |
| 2007 | Ford Mondeo or Subaru Legacy Outback |
Ownership survey
From 2003 to 2006, Top Gear conducted an annual survey which consults thousands of UK residents on their car-ownership satisfaction. The survey asks respondents to score cars on build quality, craftsmanship, driving experience, ownership costs, and customer care. While for legal reasons the survey is now conducted via the Top Gear magazine, the results are still used on the show. The survey, which used to be done in conjunction with J.D. Power, is now conducted by Experian. Based on these weighted criteria, the best and worst ranked cars from the survey are:
| Year | Best Ranked | Worst Ranked |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Jaguar XJ | Volkswagen Sharan |
| 2004 | Honda S2000 | Mercedes M-Class |
| 2005 | Honda S2000 | Peugeot 807 |
| 2006 | Honda S2000 | Peugeot 807 |
Ending credits
The programme occasionally alters the end credits to reflect its locale, replacing every first name in the credits with one reminiscent of the area. In the "Winter Olympics Special"[33] episode, filmed in Lillehammer, Norway; everybody was named Björn (except for Hammond, May and The Stig; who took the names Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid respectively), whilst in the "African Adventure Special"[34] all were called Archbishop Desmond. Furthermore, in the Polar Special all first names in the ending credits were replaced with Sir Ranulph, in reference to the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes. In Series 9, The America Challenge ending credits named Clarkson as 'Cletus Clarkson', Hammond as 'Earl Hammond, Jr.', May as 'Ellie May May', The Stig as 'Roscoe P. Stig' and replaced the first names of all other crew members with 'Billy Bob'.
Soundtrack
Top Gear has always used an adaptation of The Allman Brothers Band's instrumental hit "Jessica" as its theme song. Initially the show used part of the original Allmans' recording of the song, but later episodes of Top Gear use updated cover versions. For the original series run, the end credits music was "Out of the Blue", an instrumental from the 1976 Elton John album, Blue Moves.
During series 6, May hosted a segment showing nominations for the greatest song to drive to, the final list of ten was voted for by write-in nominations on the Top Gear website, the top five were then submitted for phone vote by viewers of the show. Songs in the top 10 were:
| Rank | Band | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Fleetwood Mac | "The Chain" |
| 9 | AC/DC | "Highway to Hell" |
| 8 | Led Zeppelin | "Immigrant Song" |
| 7 | Kenny Loggins | "Danger Zone" |
| 6 | Motörhead | "Ace of Spades" |
| 5 | Deep Purple | "Highway Star" |
| 4 | Steppenwolf | "Born to Be Wild" |
| 3 | Meat Loaf | "Bat Out of Hell" |
| 2 | Golden Earring | "Radar Love" |
| 1 | Queen | "Don't Stop Me Now" |
It included continual complaining from the presenters about the presence of "Bat Out of Hell" on the list (which was leading as of the selection of the top five) and its promotional segment included such visuals as cars being towed away and gridlocked streets. On the other hand, the equivalent "Don't Stop Me Now" segment was the exact opposite, featuring open roads and being described as "a joy" and "a song for life" in the voiceover.
In addition, pre-recorded film segments use a wide variety of background music clips. Along with classic and contemporary rock and occasionally dance tracks, excerpts from contemporary and classic film soundtracks are often used, including The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight and The Matrix as well as The Guns of Navarone and The Battle of Britain.
DVD and CD releases
Top Gear has released several collections of "driving songs" on CD. These releases started during the original series run in the 1990s.
| Name | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Top Gear - The Greatest Driving Album This Year! | 10 November 2003 | 2-CD package |
| Top Gear - The Ultimate Driving Experience | 14 November 2005 | Packaged as a 2-CD box set |
| Top Gear Anthems | 21 May 2007 | 2-CD package. The first four tracks are selections from the top driving songs as decided in series 6 |
| Top Gear - Seriously Cool Driving Music | 12 November 2007 | |
| Top Gear Anthems 2008 - Seriously Hot Driving Music | 2 June 2008 |
A number of DVDs have also been released.
| Name | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Top Gear - Back in the Fast Lane: Best of BBC Series 1 & 2 | 27 October 2003 | |
| Top Gear - Best of Series Three and Four | ||
| Top Gear - Revved Up | 6 June 2005 | Contains footage from series 3, 4, and 5 |
| Top Gear: Winter Olympics | 5 June 2006 | Same as original TV broadcast; contains additional footage and outtakes |
| Top Gear - Box Set | 18 December 2006 | Contains "Revved Up", "Winter Olympics", and "Best of Top Gear" (series 1 &2) |
| Top Gear - The Challenges | 21 May 2007 | Re-edited compilation of the Robin Reliant Space Shuttle, Amphibious Cars, Building a Limo, Building a Convertible, Parkour vs. Peugeot 207, Veyron Race from Alba, and Crap 70s Supercars segments. |
| Richard Hammond's BBC Top Gear Interactive Challenge | 12 November 2007 | Interactive DVD |
| Top Gear - The Great Adventures | 3 March 2008 | Contains Polar Special and American Special; the Polar Special contains additional footage, and the American Special has been re-edited |
| Top Gear: The Challenges 2 | 2 June 2008 | Contains Amphibious Cars: The Sequel, Bugatti Veyron vs. Eurofighter, Race Across London, Motorhome Racing, The Greatest Driving Road, Fiat 500 vs. BMX, The 24-hour race, and additional footage |
| Richard Hammond's Interactive Stunt Challenge | 14 November 2008 |
Awards and nominations
In November 2005, Top Gear won an International Emmy in the Non-Scripted Entertainment category.[35] In the episode where the presenters showed the award to the studio audience, Clarkson joked that he was unable to go to New York to receive the award since he was too busy writing the script for the show.
Top Gear has also been nominated in three consecutive years (2004–2006) for the British Academy Television Awards in the Best Feature category. Clarkson was also nominated in the best "Entertainment Performance" category in 2006.[36] In 2004 and 2005, Top Gear was also nominated for a National Television Award in the Most Popular Factual Programme category; it won the award in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Accepting the award in October 2007, Richard Hammond made the comment that they really deserved it this year, because he didn't have to crash to get some sympathy votes.[37]
Top Gear presenters have also announced on the show that they have won some slightly lower profile awards. In Series 10, Richard Hammond won the award for the "Best TV Haircut" and James May won the award for the worst, while James May also won an award for Heat magazine's "weirdest celebrity crush" revealed during the news. In series 11, the Stig won an award from the Scouts for Services to Instruction. After revealing that, the Stig was shown "attacking" the Scouts, and the presenters coming to the conclusion that he is either terrified of Scouts or was a Girl Guide.
Criticism
Top Gear has often been criticised for content inside programmes by the public and Ofcom. Most of these stem from comments from the presenting team, however, other aspects of the programme have been underlined as unsuitable. Top Gear is often criticised for not featuring enough "affordable" cars, prefering instead to feature expensive supercars. The programme occasionally acknowledges this criticism and turns it into a joke.
In July 2006 the BBC rejected a variety of complaints about the topics Top Gear chooses and the way they are covered by the presenting team. The BBC argued that their "provocative comments are an integral part of the programme and are not intended to be taken seriously." Regarding offensive remarks traded between presenters and members of the audience, the BBC said "this is part of the appeal of the show [and] we trust most viewers are familiar enough with the style and tone of the show not to take offence." The BBC pointed out that they would act if such statements and actions were carried out with any degree of seriousness or if the programme breached legal and safety requirements.[38]
Top Gear has also been criticised on many occasions for allegedly promoting irresponsible driving,[39] causing ecological damage,[6] and favouring performance over fuel efficiency and conservation.
Clarkson himself has been critical of the BBC over handling of the programme. In the February 2006 issue of Top Gear Magazine, Clarkson voiced his opinion that the BBC did not take Top Gear seriously. He has also commented his dislike of BBC bosses for choosing the length of the series and for often replacing the show with snooker (which Clarkson labelled as "drunk men playing billiards" at the end of episode two of series 10), despite Top Gear having considerably higher viewing figures.[40]
Allegations of racism
In 1998, Clarkson allegedly referred to those working on the BMW stand as "Nazis", although BMW said they would not be complaining.[41] In a later incident in a 13 November 2005 Top Gear episode, the German government was said to be displeased that Clarkson, while talking about a car design that might be "quintessentially German", made a mock Nazi salute, and made references to the Hitler regime and the German invasion of Poland.[42]
During the 13 November 2005 episode, a news segment featuring BMW's MINI Concept from the Tokyo Motor Show showcased a car that Hammond quoted as supposedly being "quintessentially British", the only added feature being an integrated tea set. Clarkson responded by mocking that they should build a car that is "quintessentially German". He suggested turn signals that displayed Hitler salutes, "a sat-nav that only goes to Poland" in reference to the Nazi invasion of Poland, and "ein fanbelt that will last a thousand years", a reference to Adolf Hitler's propaganda slogan of "the thousand-year Reich". These statements led to viewers' complaints reaching the BBC Board of Governors.[43] In July 2006, the BBC Governors’ Programme Complaints Committee rejected the protests:
- "...the Committee did not believe that, when looking at the audience as a whole, they would have felt that the comments were anything more than Jeremy Clarkson using outrageous behaviour to amuse his audience, and that the remarks would not have led to anyone entertaining new or different feelings or concerns about Germans or Germany..."[44]
In April 2007, Clarkson was criticised in the Malaysian parliament for having described one of their cars, the Perodua Kelisa, as the worst in the world, built in jungles by people who wear leaves for shoes. A Malaysian government minister refuted the claim, pointing out that no complaints had been received from UK customers who had bought the car.[45][46]
Allegations of homophobia
In December 2006, the BBC upheld complaints from four viewers after comments made by Jeremy Clarkson were considered to be derogatory references to homosexuality and had the potential to offend and should not have been broadcast. In a programme broadcast in July 2006, Clarkson had agreed with a member of the audience that a Daihatsu Copen was "a bit gay." He also described the vehicle as "ginger beer," taken to be rhyming slang for the term "queer." The BBC said there was "no editorial purpose" for the remarks and the "Top Gear team had been reminded of the importance of avoiding such comments about sexual orientation."[47]
International productions
United States
In April 2007, the BBC reported on a Sun story that Top Gear had been in talks about creating an American version. The current presenters would remain as hosts, but the show would focus on American cars and include American celebrities.[48] The Sun reported in July, however, that plans for an American version had been shelved, partly over Clarkson's misgivings about spending several months in the US, away from his family.[49]
In June, 2008 the NBC announced it ordered a pilot episode for an American version of Top Gear, to be produced by BBC America, and presented by television and radio host Adam Carolla, stunt driver Tanner Foust, and television carpenter Eric Stromer.[50] To date, NBC has not placed the program on its schedule, holding it as a spring/summer season replacement.[51]
Australia
On 19 November 2007, it was revealed that a localised Australian series of Top Gear would be produced by the Special Broadcasting Service network in conjunction with Freehand Productions, BBC Worldwide's Australasian partner. This announcement marks the first time a deal has been struck for a version of Top Gear to be produced exclusively for a foreign market. No indication has been given yet as to the exact makeup of the show, other than that it will have a distinct Australian style.[52] SBS ran a competition to find hosts for the show, and in May 2008, SBS Television confirmed that the presenters for the Australian programme were to be Charlie Cox, Warren Brown, Steve Pizzati and a local 'cousin' of The Stig.[53] Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson added, "I'm delighted that Top Gear is going to Australia. Maybe the first guest could be Jonny Wilkinson."[54]
The first series of Top Gear Australia premiered on 29 September 2008. A second series was announced the following day.
Russia
The Top Gear website officially confirmed on 14 October 2008 that a Russian edition of the programme is scheduled for production by the end of 2008. Initially, 15 episodes will be aired, but little else is known at this time.[55]
References
- ↑ "TV car show host wins online backing for British PM", Reuters (2008-01-01). Retrieved on 2008-01-02. "Top Gear is at number two"
- ↑ "Top Gear's chequered past". BBC (2006-09-21). Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
- ↑ "Breaking News - NBC Details New Beers Series, Midseason Options | TheFutonCritic.com". Futoncritic.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
- ↑ "Top Gear Russia news - Top Gear goes Russian - 2008 - BBC Top Gear". Topgear.com (14 October 2008 - 13:10). Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
- ↑ Gill, A. A. (2008-07-20). "Harley Street: another unimaginative medical drama". Arts & Entertainment. The Times Online. Retrieved on 2008-07-22.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Top Gear 'damaged African plains'". BBC World News (2007-07-08). Retrieved on 2008-07-22.
- ↑ Dunsfold Aerodrome (site disables browsers back button)
- ↑ Dunsfold Park
- ↑ "Top Gear fans face 21 year waiting list". Auto Trader (2008-07-15). Retrieved on 2008-07-20.
- ↑ Payne, Stewart (20 February 2006). "Villagers put the brake on Top Gear". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-07-19.
- ↑ "Community split over TV show's future". Surrey Advertiser (26 May 2006). Retrieved on 2008-07-19.
- ↑ Savage, Mark (2006-09-21). "Top Gear's Chequered Past", BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
- ↑ "Filming resumes on Top Gear show", BBC News (2006-10-05). Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
- ↑ "BBC airs Top Gear crash footage". Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- ↑ "Top Gear crash wins ratings clash", BBC News (2007-01-29). Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
- ↑ Top Gear Team in Hot Water Over Pole Race
- ↑ "Britcar: News". Britcar24hr.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-11-18.
- ↑ MPH Show 2008 Producers,[1]
- ↑ MPH Show 2008 featuring Top Gear Live [2]
- ↑ BBC Radio 1: Chris Moyles interview
- ↑ Radio Times 21–27 June 2008: Changing Gear
- ↑ "Top Garden Ground Gear Force". Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- ↑ Top Gear. BBC Two. 2004-05-09. No. 1, series 4. “Jeremy Clarkson: No train can be faster than cars, not possible okay? And to prove the point I organised an epic race.”
- ↑ Top Gear. BBC Two. 2007-11-11. No. 5, series 10. “Jeremy Clarkson: And now it is time for one of our epic races, you know the sort of thing where a Bugatti races across the Alps against a truffle, or a McLaren-Mercedes races a power boat to Oslo.”
- ↑ Top Gear Power Laps Top Gear Website Retrieved on 2006.11.13 ( In order to qualify for the power laps board, a car must be road legal and be a car. For this reason, the F1 car (0.59.0), Aston Martin DBR9 (1.08.6) and Sea Harrier (0.31.2) do not appear.
- ↑ "Episode Archive - Series 1 - Episode 6". BBC.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Wilman, Andy (19 March, 2006). "Anatomy of cool: how to pick cars with credibility". The Times Online. Retrieved on 2008-12-03.
- ↑ Anstead, Mark (10 June, 2007). "On the move: Kristin Scott Thomas". The Times Online. Retrieved on 2008-12-03.
- ↑ Top Gear Series 2 Episode 4 2003.06.01
- ↑ "BBC stumps up for tree stunt", BBC (2004-02-21). Retrieved on 2006-01-09.
- ↑ "ScooterMan". www.scooterman.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-26.
- ↑ Top Gear. BBC Two. 2008-07-27. No. 6, series 11. “James May: Alan Partridge once said that Lexus is Japan's Mercedes-Benz, in which case the Mitsuoka Galue could be, but this is only a hunch, Japan's Rolls-Royce.”
- ↑ "Series 7 - Episode 7". Top Gear Episode Archive. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ↑ "Series 10 - Episode 4". Top Gear Episode Archive. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ↑ bbc.co.uk (2005-11-23). "BBC picks up two International Emmy Awards". Press release. Retrieved on 2005-12-28.
- ↑ Bafta TV Awards 2006: The shortlist |accessdate = 2008-11-25.
- ↑ Awards for Top Gear. IMDb. Retrieved on 1 January 2006.
- ↑ ""Top Gear: 0 to offensive in 6.5 seconds"". Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- ↑ "'Petrolheads' under attack", BBC (2005-04-12). Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ↑ Clarkson, Jeremy (2006-02-01). "Clarkson's right on cue". Top Gear Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-07-12.
- ↑ "Clarkson in the doghouse", BBC News Online (1998-10-26). Retrieved on 2006-08-02.
- ↑ Hall, Alan (2005-12-15). "Germans up in arms over Clarkson's mocking Nazi salute", The Scotsman, Johnston Press. Retrieved on 2006-08-02. "Clarkson raised his arm Nazi-style as he spoke about the German company BMW's Mini. Then, mocking the 1939 invasion that triggered the Second World War, he said it would have a satellite navigation system "that only goes to Poland". Finally, in a reference to Adolf Hitler's boast that his Third Reich would last ten centuries, Clarkson said the fan belt would last for 1,000 years. The German government is said to be highly displeased: diplomats pointed out that, had Clarkson made the Nazi salute on German television, he could be facing six months behind bars as, joking or not, such behaviour is illegal under the country's post-war constitution."
- ↑ "Germans up in arms over Clarkson's mocking Nazi salute", The Scotsman. Retrieved on 2006-08-02.
- ↑ "BBC Complaints - Appeals to the Governors April to June 2006" (July 2006). Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
- ↑ "Malaysia lambasts Top Gear host", BBC News, bbc.co.uk (2007-04-04). Retrieved on 2007-04-23. "In one article, he said its name was like a disease and suggested it was built in jungles by people who wear leaves for shoes."
- ↑ McCusker, Eamonn (2005-11-09). "Clarkson:Heaven and Hell". DVD TImes. Retrieved on 2007-04-21.
- ↑ BBC (2006-12-18). ""BBC condemns Clarkson 'gay' jibe"". Retrieved on 2006-12-18.
- ↑ "BBC Top Gear in US TV deal talks". BBC News (2007-04-09). Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
- ↑ "The Sun It's Stop Gear for the States". The Sun. Retrieved on 2008-11-25.
- ↑ "START YOUR ENGINES! NBC'S 'TOP GEAR' BUCKLES UP ITS HOSTS FOR HIGH-OCTANE PILOT FROM BBC WORLDWIDE AMERICA BASED ON INTERNATIONAL HIT FRANCHISE". NBC (2008-06-16).
- ↑ Futon Critic Staff (2008-05-14). "NBC Details New Beers Series, Midseason Options", Futon Critic. Retrieved on 2008-11-30.
- ↑ "Car fans wanted for Aussie 'Top Gear'". NEWS.com.au (2007-11-19). Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
- ↑ "SBS wheels out its Top Gear team". theaustralian.news.com.au (2008-05-29). Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ↑ "Australia moves into top gear", The Sydney Morning Herald (2007-11-19). Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
- ↑ Top Gear goes Russia TopGear.com (2008-10-14)
External links
- Top Gear at BBC Online
- Top Gear at BBCAmerica
- Top Gear magazine UK website
- Top Gear magazine US and Canada website
- BBC News article on Top Gear's history (21 September 2006)
- List of Cars appearing on Top Gear courtesy of IMCDb
- Needcoffee.com post and BBC Worldwide America press release regarding the American version (15 January 2008)
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