Top Gear (original format)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Top Gear (Original Format) | |
|---|---|
 The Top Gear 1996 Title Screen |
|
| Genre | Motoring and Motorsport |
| Starring | Angela Rippon William Woollard Noel Edmonds Steve Berry Chris Goffey Jeremy Clarkson Tiff Needell Quentin Wilson Michele Newman Vicki Butler-Henderson James May Tony Mason Jason Barlow Brendan Coogan Kate Humble |
| Opening theme | Jessica - Allman Brothers |
| Ending theme | Out Of The Blue (from Blue Moves) - Elton John |
| Country of origin | UK |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Jon Bentley |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC2 |
| Picture format | Originally PAL, later 720x576 (1998-2001 anamorphic 16:9, pre-1998 4:3) |
| Original run | 1977 – 2001 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Top Gear |
Top Gear in its original 30 minute format was a BBC television series about cars produced by BBC Birmingham. It consisted of 30-minute magazine format programmes presented by a number of people, including Angela Rippon, Noel Edmonds, William Woollard and most recently Jeremy Clarkson, and ran from 1977 to 2001. In 2002, the show was relaunched in a new one-hour studio-based format.
Contents |
[edit] History
Top Gear started in 1977 as a local programme made by BBC Birmingham (Pebble Mill) offered it to BBC2.[1][2] Other early presenters included Noel Edmonds and William Woollard, with contributions by Peter Burgess, Frank Page, Sue Baker, Tiff Needell, Tony Mason and Chris Goffey, father of Supergrass drummer, Danny Goffey. The programme was 30 minutes long. The show's theme music was "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers although remixed versions were used after 1999. For much of the original series' lifespan, Elton John's instrumental "Out Of The Blue" (from the Blue Moves album) played over the closing credits.
Originally, Top Gear was a magazine show reviewing new car models and other car-related issues such as road safety. Other features included classic car events and motorsport, the latter often rallying with Tony Mason, Roger Clark's co-driver. Between 1988 and 1991 the programme organised a competition each year to find a new rally driver with the prize being entry into that year's RAC Rally.[3] In 1987, former Formula One driver Tiff Needell joined the programme and following the arrival of then-Performance Car Magazine journalist Jeremy Clarkson in 1989, the programme saw a massive boost in its audience as it became a more humorous, controversial, and unashamedly more critical programme. William Woollard left the show in 1991 around the same time Quentin Willson, a former used car salesman, joined. The 1990s also saw the addition of a new female presenter, Michele Newman, who still appears on ITV's Pulling Power. Other presenters included Steve Berry, whose speciality was motorbikes, and racing driver Vicki Butler-Henderson, who joined in 1997.
Among the show's producers were Phil Franklin, Brian Strachan, Jon Bentley and Ken Pollock. Executive producers were Derek Smith, Dennis Adams and Tom Ross.
Despite enduring criticism that the show was overly macho, encouraged irresponsible driving behaviour,[4] and ignored the environment, under Clarkson's presentation the show pulled in huge audiences. It became hugely influential with motor manufacturers, since a critical word from the Top Gear team could have a severe negative effect on sales. One such example is the original Vauxhall Vectra about which Clarkson said: "I know it's the replacement for the Cavalier. I know. But I'm telling you it's just a box on wheels." However, even more critical statements have not affected sales of the Toyota Corolla, and extreme praise did not help the Renault Alpine GTA/A610.
[edit] Demise
Following Jeremy Clarkson's departure in 1999 the Top Gear audience fell from a peak of six million to under three million.[citation needed] Initially, James May took over Clarkson's spot, presenting reviews of the Rover 75 and Lexus IS200, for example. Following his departure, the programme was joint-presented by Quentin Willson and Kate Humble, who ran an ongoing test throughout the programme between reports. Brendan Coogan, who had joined in 1998 left the show a year later after being convicted of drunk driving.[5][6] In 2000, Jason Barlow joined from Channel 4's driven and took over presenting for the final 53 episodes.[7] However, low viewing figures resulted in the BBC's cancellation of the programme in 2001.
In 2001 Five launched Fifth Gear, a car show featuring many of the former Top Gear presenters including Tiff Needell, Quentin Willson and Vicki Butler-Henderson and with some of the Top Gear production team, directed by Jon Bentley. The name change was required as the BBC would not relinquish the rights to the name Top Gear. (the BBC were still publishing Top Gear magazine)[8] After the first series of Fifth Gear was completed, the BBC decided to relaunch Top Gear, but in a new studio-based format as opposed to the magazine format used until the cancellation. The show was again presented by Jeremy Clarkson, joined by Richard Hammond, and, from the second series of the current format, James May. The pre-cancellation show is referred to as "Old Top Gear" when mentioned on the new show due to the differences in style.
[edit] Spin-Offs and Competitors
Top Gear was a title sponsor of the 1987 and 1988 Formula 1 “Winter Series”, the 1990 and 1991 Historic Rally Championships and the 1992 and 1993 British Rally Championships.[9]
Due to the success of the main show, other motoring shows on the BBC also carried the Top Gear name including coverage of the British Motor Show, a show dedicated to motorsport presented by Tiff Needell, Top Gear Motorsport and the Lombard RAC Rally highlights show Top Gear Rally Report. In September 1993 a spin-off magazine, Top Gear Magazine, was launched, featuring articles and columns from the presenters and additional contributors. The magazine has become the UK's best selling car magazine (as of August 2006).
During the 1990s Top Gear had a radio spin off, the Top Gear Radio Show, presented by Steve Berry and available on BBC Radio Five Live.
Since the early 1990s, the annual Top Gear J. D. Power Top 100 survey has consulted thousands of UK residents on their car-ownership satisfaction. For legal reasons concerning the non-commercial nature of the BBC, the actual consultation is now restricted to the magazine format, although the results are still used on the show. The survey is now conducted by Experian.
The Top Gear Video Game was not associated with the BBC TV series and the BBC won a court case blocking its creators from obtaining a trademark for it.[10]
After Top Gear's success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of competing programmes were introduced, including Channel 4's driven, ITV's Pulling Power and BBC World's India's Wheels. Some of the presenters on Driven would go on to present Top Gear.
[edit] Car of the Year
Each year, Top Gear announced their Car of the Year. Winners have included:
- 1997 – Ford Puma 1.7
- 1998 – Ford Focus (mk1)
- 2000 – Fiat Multipla
- 2001 – Ford Mondeo
[edit] Car Survey
From 1994, the magazine conducted a customer satisfaction survey that was published every April to reveal how satisfying certain cars were to own. The results were announced on the program, though the full details were only included in the magazine.
The Toyota Corolla was winner of the first four surveys, with the Subaru Impreza winning the survey in 1998 and 1999, and the Subaru Legacy in 2000 and 2001.
The lowest-ranking cars in the surveys were the Vauxhall Frontera in 1994, Ford Escort in 1995, Lada Samara in 1996 and 1997, Vauxhall Vectra in 1998, Ford Galaxy in 1999 and Vauxhall Sintra in 2000 and 2001.
In 1998, Skoda was rated as the most satisfying brand of car in the survey and these findings made the headlines - just a few years earlier, the brand had been the butt of many jokes about the sub-standard design and quality of earlier cars. The Japanese marques - particularly Subaru, Toyota, Honda and Mazda - also received high ratings in Top Gear surveys. Similar praise went to the likes of BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Volvo. In contrast, many marques received heavy criticism in the surveys - particularly Lada, Fiat, Vauxhall, Peugeot and Alfa Romeo.
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ 21 Years of Top Gear, presented by Kate Humble, BBC2 2000
- ^ BBC:Top Gear's Chequered Past
- ^ Application to register the trademark Top Gear
- ^ bbc.co.uk: Top Gear too fast for MPs
- ^ ICM Presenters:Brendan Coogan
- ^ bbc.co.uk: Top Gear host quits after conviction
- ^ Emap Automotive Appoints Jason Barlow as Editor of CAR
- ^ bbc.co.uk: Top Gear Team Switch Lanes
- ^ Application to register the trademark Top Gear
- ^ Application to register the trademark Top Gear
[edit] External links
| Top Gear |
| Top Gear (1977 to 2001) - Top Gear (2002 to present) |
| Original format presenters |
|---|
| Jason Barlow - Steve Berry - Julia Bradbury - Jeremy Clarkson - Vicki Butler-Henderson - Brendan Coogan - Noel Edmonds - Chris Goffey - Kate Humble
Tony Mason - James May - Tiff Needell - Michele Newman - Angela Rippon - Quentin Willson - William Woollard |
| Current format presenters |
| Jeremy Clarkson - Jason Dawe - Richard Hammond - James May - The Stig |
| Current format episodes and broadcasters |
| Top Gear Episode List - Top Gear Broadcasters and Video Releases |
| Current format featured segments |
| Power Laps - Races - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car - The Cool Wall - Caravan destruction - Cheap Car Challenges |
| Spin-offs |
| Rally Report - Top Gear Motorsport - Stars in Fast Cars - Top Gear of the Pops |
| Related articles |
| Top Gear Magazine - Jon Bentley - Sabine Schmitz - Fifth Gear |
