It is a boys show, aimed at twelve year old boys of all ages. Though strangely enough for a long time the fastest “star in a reasonably priced car” was actually a girl* :eek:
*actually a dame, and the only person who did a faster lap in that car was the Stig.
Everything you folks have said about it are qualities that certainly add to its appeal, no doubt! But I think the brilliance comes from the writing staff. I especially enjoy listening to Jeremy’s reviews. The vocabulary itself often keeps me hanging there… waiting to see what he’s going to say next. And they obviously have a healthy production budget (as **Usram **mentioned). What a great show!
Not to hijack… but how “current” are the shows we get on BBCA Monday nights here in the US of A?
That’s one episode I’d like to see again.
Assuming si meant TGV (fast French train) rather than HGV (large truck), that episode is on the ‘Dave’ channel (it’s on Freeview) tomorrow. If you watch ‘Dave’ for a few weeks you can see every Top Gear episode ever made, I think 
:smack:
Yep - fast French Train, not slow goods vehicle.
Si
Jeremy’s a talented journo, and writes his own reviews. He also writes a very funny (extremely right wing) column for the Sunday Times every week - read the archive here.
From the BBCA site it looks like you are currently on series 9. Series 10 has just finished here.
And there are generally two series (seasons) per year, maybe 20 episodes a year in total, although British TV scheduling can be a bit erratic. Series 9 was first shown in early 2007.
I would agree with your assessment - I care not for cars, really, but the show is so hilarious and entertaining that I find myself caring. OTOH, there are lots of gearhead type guys here at my work who also love the show, for the car aspect, so they are delighted to find out that I watch as well and we have lots of fun conversations about “Oh, and remember the time when they…?!”
Awesome show. off to watch Top Gear segments on YouTube
They weren’t technically driving, they were sailing, so the drink-drive laws did not apply. 
I believe the issue was: in international waters, who would have jurisdiction?
I can still see Captain Slow, holding on for dear life, pants around his ankles, on the trailer hitch toilet seat.
Heh, that too. I think the fact that it was international territory means there is no jurisdiction. The Russians, Icelanders, and Danish are the only ones brave enough to run around up there attempting to stake a claim these days, but I doubt they care. I don’t think the Constable of Resolute is out patrolling the ice on a sledge either.
At first I thought you meant Top Gun, whose lasting appeal is clearly related to its applicability to online gaming.
Also the “Star in a Car” thing seems to really humanize the celebrities. The interviews seem more cheerful and candid after people have driven really fast on a track. It is fun to watch
I love Top Gear. I’m not a driver, and have next to no interest in cars, but I think what attracts me is that the show is about a bunch of car-nuts who don’t take themselves seriously and seemingly have no limits. It’s like watching a bunch of naughty lads who have been unleashed onto the world.
I think they’ve refined a clever and effective blend of ingredients; laddish irreverence, foolhardy optimism, self-deprecating humour, spectacular features, comic pathos in the form of the hapless guest driver, plus of course the range of interesting, quirky or impressive cars (and the impression that their reviews of them must be fair and unbiased, simply because they’re not afraid to say bad things).
Presented by a trio that can appear gang up two against one in any combination:
Clarkson and Hamster the lads vs May the unfashionable, awkward dork
Clarkson and May the wise and knowledgeable vs Hamster the naive boy
(OK, most commonly)Hamster and May the fair-minded underdogs vs Clarkson the brash, ignorant brute
It was not always thus - they’ve very cleverly tweaked it toward entertainment perfection over the years.
Well said, Mangetout. It’s not easy to explain the intangible and successful chemistry of the show, but you did a pretty good job there.
I like this aspect of Wikipedia:
Yes, compare it to the other show that has most most openly tried to copy Top Gear - the Gadget Show on Channel Five. This time it’s ostensibly about toys and electronic gizmos rather than cars, but it has the same format of three presenters larking about on stupid stunts and bantering with each other. And it’s not a bad show, really, but it does show that TG-style chemistry doesn’t just happen automatically. On the Gadget Show the James May figure, for example, really is a slightly awkward guy for whom easy banter doesn’t come naturally. That show is largely carried by the lead presenter, who can be funny but is not as likeable as Clarkson.
The other thing I meant to include is the underground feeling about it - the presentation, set, lighting and filming (steadicam with the presenters standing in a clearing in the middle of an apparently disorderly, milling crowd), the unscripted style and the appearance that the presenters are frequently skirting the law, broadcasting regulations and common decency - gives it a tension that makes it feel as if the police might raid at any moment and stop it all happening.