Top 10 Reasons Top Gear Is Can't-Miss TV Show
Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has been let go by the BBC following a history of troubling behavior. For the first time since its rebirth in 2002, the show is facing the biggest challenge ever. Here's why Top Gear is can't-miss TV, even if you aren't a car nut.
10. The storytelling method
New viewers to Top Gear shouldn't mistake it for a run-of-the-mill car show. Because it isn't one. The show aims to be informative, but does so with a unique blend of hyperbolic comedy, action, and drama that crosses the boundaries of age, gender, and culture.
9. 3 hosts have the greatest on-camera chemistry
One of the highlights of the show is the constant personality clash between the pedantic James May (nicknamed "Captain Slow" because he favors a non-thrashy driving style) and the bombastic Jeremy Clarkson.
8. Richard Hammond was nearly killed during filming
In 2006, Richard Hammond was nearly killed when the right-front tire of the Vampire jet car he was driving burst at nearly 300 mph, leading to a catastrophic crash.
Fortunately, Hammond, known on the show as "The Hamster" due to his diminutive stature, returned to show just three months later without missing a single episode.
7. Top Gear is able to be brutally honest
Unlike most American network shows, the BBC and Top Gear are funded by British taxpayers, which means the hosts can pretty much say or do whatever they want without fear of retribution from sponsors.
6. The Clarkson Effect
Jeremy Clarkson has long been a popular automotive journalist in the UK, but Top Gear has catapulted his influence into the stratosphere.
When MG Rover entered bankruptcy in 2005, many at the automaker's Longbridge factory blamed Clarkson's negative reviews for torpedoing the company's sales.
5. The Stig
One of Top Gear's most popular characters is the show's unofficial mascot and mysterious resident professional test driver. The BBC has gone to great lengths to keep the true identity of the Stig a secret.
4. Drive to the extreme
Instead of simply telling viewers whether a car is good or bad, the show will also subject vehicles to extreme real-world conditions. In 2007, Clarkson and May became the first people to drive to the North Pole.
3. The most beautiful cinematography
Top Gear's groundbreaking use of camera filters and cinematic wizardry has completely changed the way car shows are presented.
2. There are hilarious celebrity appearances
Nearly every episode features a segment called "A Star In a Reasonably Priced Car," in which a celebrity is asked to tackle the Top Gear test track in an underpowered economy car.
1. It even has a live stadium show
Top Gear's hosts have enhanced their rock-star status by going on a live stadium tour, complete with pyrotechnics, car stunts, and comedic gags. And the show has made its way through 24 counties.
