How BBC’S Top Gear became the greatest car programme to air
By Zain Ullah
BBC’S Top Gear initially starred Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe in 2002. However, Dawe was replaced by James May due to things not working out. After his withdrawal Top Gear gained global success once the trio joined forces to create the most entertaining car programme of the decade.
In a number of different episodes and series they travelled the world to film specials in their cars. From the Sahara Desert in dune buggies to the North Pole in Toyota Hilux Jeeps.
Top Gear with the trio was one of the best loved British car programmes, watched by millions of people throughout the United Kingdom. In the year 2013, Top Gear broke the world record and managed to find itself in the Guinness World Record Book due to 350 million viewers watching the show from 250 countries. This put Top Gear as the number one British car programme. Clarkson, Hammond and May continued presenting till the year 2015.
Top Gear was different, the chemistry between the 3 presenters was something else. It was something no other car programme had. The jokes that Clarkson would make definitely put smiles on the faces of those watching. The pranks the three presenters played on each other during filming was also something that was never seen in the television car entertainment industry.
If you have watched Top Gear, you would also know that there was one person that remained anonymous throughout the programme. His name was ‘The Stig‘. Dressed in a white racing overall with a helmet to test drive cars on the racetrack to put on the leader board. All the fans who watched were always interested and wanted to know who this trained racing driver was. However, in episode 1 series 13, he was unmasked in an episode that was aired as all-time racing champion Michael Schumacher, but this was in fact a clever stunt in order to boost the new series to another level.
Top Gear would also bring celebrities into the filming studio to talk about cars and have a general chat. But the celebrities would first have to take a car around the track to get the best time to be ranked on the board. The car provided by the studio was a Chevrolet Lacetti which was retired and replaced with a Kia Ceed. Some celebrities that visited Top Gear included Rowan Atkinson, Tom Cruise and Will.i.am.
However, the same can’t be said anymore, after Hammon, May and Clarkson are no longer in the new Top Gear. The popularity has decreased as the chemistry between the new presenters is nothing compared to those of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond May.