Top Gear review (Top Gear)

Member Name: Walter_Kovacs

Product:	Top Gear
Date:	26/11/08 (132 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very fun to watch, great chemistry, informative

Disadvantages: None

Top Gear is a multi award winning TV show about cars that is broadcast on BBC 2 while repeats are shown on Dave. It started in 1977 as a conventional motoring show but, since it's relaunch in 2002, a lot of comedy and quirkiness has been injected into the show. It is currently on its 12th series.

The show is presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and The Stig, who drives all the featured cars around the Top Gear track to see which posts the fastest time.
Jeremy Clarkson is synonymous with this show, having been one of the reasons the old Top Gear peaked in the '90's. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled in 2001 but brought back after Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman pitched a new format to the BBC executives. During the first series Clarkson was joined by Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe, who was replaced by James May after the first series.

The new series boasted new features that are still going today, such as "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car", where each week a celebrity sets the fastest lap time they can on the top gear track using a normal car. There are also the power laps, where whatever car the guys test at the track that week is taken around by the stig in order to see which is fastest. Currently the fastest time was set by the Gumpert Apollo.

There are also a lot of challenges, such as buying a cheap car and seeing which presenter bought the best by issuing a number of tests. They have also bought trucks, vans, cheap supercars, motor homes and cheap Porsches as part of different challenges.
I love this show, and not just because I am a fan of cars, but because the presenters make the show a lot of fun. I know there are people that complain that they don't feature enough normal cars, but that's not what I watch this show for, why would you want to see a car you can see ten times a day when you go out? I watch the show to see Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Zondas, cars that have been made as good as they possibly can, cars that I would never normally see and that I will never own.

The chemistry is superb; Clarkson is the outspoken one, James May is the more subdued member of the team, and Richard Hammond is the younger, trendier one. They each have a huge passion for cars, but that seems to be the only thing they agree on! They are frequently at loggerheads, and constantly take the mick out of each other, all in jest of course. They make this incarnation of Top Gear the best and the most fun to watch.

Overall a very funny show that has been one of my favourite TV programs for a long time, five stars!

Summary: One of the best shows on TV!