top gear(read Top gear, translated as Top gear) - without exaggeration, we can say that this is the most famous car transmission in the world. Even the Guinness Book of Records did not bypass this show and awarded it in 2012 the title of the most popular program in the world with indicators: 212 broadcast countries and 350 million viewers.
For most, Top Gear is inextricably linked with the names of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond, but not many people know that its roots go back to 1977 (Hammond was only 7 years old then). Somewhere in the bowels of the BBC television company, a car show was born, which talked about the latest in the car market and car-related topics. There were two presenters then - Noel Edmonds and William Woollard, but their names are unlikely to tell you anything.
This continued until 1987, when the show's newly-produced John Bentley brought in former Formula 1 driver Tiff Needle and young auto journalist Jeremy Clarkson as hosts. The program lacked liveliness and freshness; the previous monotonous and boring form of narration got fed up with the audience. And Needle and Clarkson coped with this task perfectly, the ratings went up, the program got a second wind.
More to come - more presenters, more popularity, more criticism ... From 1990 to 1999, representatives of the beautiful half of humanity Michelle Newman and Vicki Butler-Henderson appeared on Top Gear. In addition to them, Steve Berry, the above-mentioned John Bentley, Brendan Coogan, James May and many others appeared on the show. In the mid-90s, this classic Top Gear format reached its peak of popularity among audiences. At the same time, the program was criticized for promoting dangerous driving, disrespect for environment and other problems one way or another related to cars.
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, and this established format was no exception, in 1999-2000 the ratings fell, several presenters left the show, and in 2001 the BBC decided to close Top Gear. But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining, Jeremy Clarkson came to the rescue again. Together with producer Andy Wilman, they proposed new format the show we all know is the same Top Gear. The show was originally hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Jason Doe, who tested budget cars and didn't fit in well. The last one in the second season was replaced by our well-known James May. Also in the updated show, a “tamed racer” appeared - Stig, whose identity is always kept secret and gives the program a share of intrigue. Innovations include the “Wall of coolness”, and the heading “Star in a budget car”, and new manner submission of stories. The icing on the cake was the so-called Top Gear specials, in which the presenters went on a journey, simultaneously completing the tasks of the producers.
The idyll continued until the spring of 2015, when Jeremy Clarkson flared up because after a whole day of shooting he discovered that the food for the hosts was not ready, quarreled with the assistant producer on this basis and even hit him. The BBC management reacted quickly and harshly, Jeremy was suspended from work, and the planned releases of the remaining episodes of the season were taken off the air (later held by Hammond and May in an empty studio without an audience). Clarkson, in his characteristically ironically cynical manner, tweeted about this: “I shot some good documentaries about war. Let them show one of them (instead of Top Gear)." Fans of the show created a petition on Change.org calling for the return of their favorite presenter, which, by the way, has collected more than 1 million signatures. But despite the huge potential losses that the broadcaster would have suffered due to the loss of Clarkson, his contract was not renewed for the next season. May and Hammond, in solidarity with their friend, also did not sign contracts for the new season.
It was later announced that the show would not disappear, but would return to next season with new faces
mi and in a fresh format. Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc, Sabine Schmitz, Eddie Jordan, Chris Harris and Rory Reed are the new Top Gear hosts. Of the old line-up, only the Stig remained. The newcomers failed to hook the audience, the program caused a tsunami of criticism, and the innovations were cosmetic rather than revolutionary. At the end of the 23rd season, it became known that LeBlanc wanted to leave the show if Chris Evans did not leave him. Public opinion was not on Evans' side, so he voluntarily left the reformatted Top Gear. The fate of the rest of his colleagues is still unknown, but most likely they will return in the 24th season.
- Some interesting facts about Top Gear:
- The musical theme that opens the show and sounds at the opening is a song Jessica American group The Allman Brothers Band:
And what do we know about them?
I think you already know that there will be many presenters in the new Top Gear - six plus The Stig. And the format of the show, as BBC-shniki say, will be completely different.
Pictured (left to right): Rory Reid, Sabine Schmitz, Matt LeBlanc, Chris Evans, Chris Harris, Eddie Jordan and the unrivaled Stig.
Perhaps you know some of the personalities from this list well, but you have only heard about some. For me personally, a couple of them were a revelation. Who are you…? And where? Now that the cards are open, the new stars are starting to do a little bit of interviews, talk about their passion for cars, their accomplishments, their enthusiasm and dedication to Top Gear, and all that. I propose to briefly get acquainted with each, having learned Interesting Facts, and then express your opinion in the comments, who sympathizes with you the most.
Top Gear Boss
So called in the team almost 50-year-old Chris Evans (Chris Evans). It is about him, as the main leader new Top Gear, we found out the earliest, back in June 2015. It was he who put an end to rumors and hopes that the legendary trio (Clarkson, Hammond and May) would still be returned. The BBC chose between him and Stephen Fry (comedian, playwright), gorgeous Jodie Kidd (model, actress) and Rowan Atkinson (it's Mr. Bean!!! Weakly represent him in Top Gear ...).
When Evans was cast for the role, he said: “I'm shocked, Top Gear is the most the best program for me, this is the most best job in my life and the most serious. It was created by brilliant minds who love cars very much and understand how to show super complex work as fun, reckless and easy. It may not actually be true, but in any case, the success of Top Gear is ensured by geniuses. I will do everything in my power to restore the program to its former respect and start moving forward.
Who is Chris Evans? Popular British radio and TV presenter (DJ), businessman, producer and collector of premium cars. To be honest, before he was taken to Top Gear, I had not heard about his work and activities, British radio and TV is not my weakness. Evans began his career as a radio presenter in Manchester. Then he moved to the capital (London), worked for Greater London Radio. He became popular thanks to the show “Big Breakfast” (“Big Breakfast”) on Channel 4, where he acted as one of the presenters since 1992. He later worked for many TV and radio stations in London, and in 1996 he appeared as a television producer on the TFI Friday show. Evans has made three guest appearances on Top Gear since 2005.
Regarding himself in the new Top Gear, Evans notes that he will not repeat what the previous presenters did, will not copy their format and manner. “Because they were great,” he notes. “They were like the Three Stooges, like the Bee Gees, but I am me.”
The process of relaunching Top Gear Evans is "the hardest". He is tasked with keeping the audience of the show, which is estimated at 350 million viewers around the world!!! Try to please everyone!
He was recently asked if he would be the fastest on the Top Gear track. To which he replied: “It will definitely not be me ... and not Eddie!”. The most fast speed to which he accelerated - 320 km / h and it was on the McLaren 675LT. And I immediately remembered a recent story of how he got sick during the filming of the new Top Gear, when Sabina Schmitz was driving, he was in the passenger seat and they raced along the highway in Monterey (California) in an Audi R8 V10. I wonder if this will be shown in full detail in a series of shows?
Well, okay, “swept through” (burped) and everyone forgot. But the fact that Evans has about two hundred cars in the garage is impressive!!! He loves retro, he's a fan of Ferrari. From time to time he sells his exhibits and acquires something new. Therefore, he has long become a regular at specialized auctions. For example, in September last year, he "leaked" 13 swallows at once. Here you can see which ones and for how much. And part of the money was transferred to the Children In Need Foundation. Plans to sell another 140 cars from his collection. In short, he is threatened with a secure old age, no matter how boring it may sound.
Blonde
Top Gear now has presenters for every taste in order to reach the maximum audience. The beautiful half of humanity is represented by the already mentioned Sabine Schmitz. Racer and TV presenter. She was born and lived in the German city of Adenau near the Nürburgring race track. But in fact, it seems to me that she lived precisely on the replaced track and knows her every centimeter and crack.
She made her first lap around the Nürburgring at the age of 17 in her mother's BMW 325i, without having a license! At nineteen, she set the course record in a Ford Sierra Cosworth (9:16). In 2004, Sabina on Top Gear, trying to beat Jeremy Clarkson's time in a Jaguar S-type 2.7 V6 Diesel, set another record of 9:12. According to her own estimates, until 2007, Schmitz made 14-15 thousand circles around the Nürburgring. Most wound on a BMW M5 Ring Taxi.
Due to both careful and masterful attitude to the track, Sabina was nicknamed the "Queen of the North Loop" (German: Die Königin die Nordschleife). She says her favorite sites are Schwedenkreuz and Fuchsröhre. She also participated in various competitions and has many awards. And of course she shone in some episodes of the former Top Gear.
The TV experience began in September 2006, when she started hosting with Tim Schrick and Karsten van Ryssen. german show"D Motor" on the channel "D MAX". Due to low ratings, the show was canceled at the end of 2008. And since the beginning of 2011, she, also with Tim Shrik, hosted the Turbo show on the Sport 1 channel. Her highest speed is 350 km / h. “I raced down the Autobahn in my friend’s Ferrari F12,” she recently admitted.
Joey!
Joey from Friends! As for me, this is good news. It's already interesting how funny Matt LeBlanc will host the show. I will not write much about him, you know him from his filmography. LeBlanc has also made numerous previous appearances on Top Gear. As a "star in a budget car" he even managed to set a lap record on a KIA Cee`d (1 minute 42.1 seconds). And no one has beaten him yet.
"I'm crazy about cars and also a huge fan of Top Gear, so I'm extremely proud and excited to be part of the new chapter of this legendary show," Matt LeBlanc commented on his new "role". He also dreams of participating in the World Rally Championship. “There are amazing cars. Ken Block got a ride on me once and I was blown away. The guy is a master!” says Matt.
It's also interesting that LeBlanc will be the first non-British Top Gear presenter since the show's inception (by the way, the show turns 39 this year!).
Wise old man
Eddie Jordan. Founder and former owner Jordan team in Formula 1. He worked with such successful pilots as Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill. And now it's going to be with a bunch of comedians. What will he do - HZ ?! Probably fire up! Little is known about him or from him.
Youtube-rrrr
Chris Harris. Rising YouTube star(more than 300K subscribers on the channel), journalist (previously worked in well-known automotive magazines), drifter. Rides sideways on everything he sees. He says to himself that he may not be as cheerful as Jeremy Clarkson, but "he drives very OK." You can appreciate his skill on his channel, though nothing has been released there for 3 months, you yourself understand why.
Speaking of himself on the new show, he is very modest: “Top Gear is what shaped the automotive part of my life, my perception of cars and my obsession with cars, and I can't wait to add drive to it. And I don’t go into my pocket for a word and I like to get into trouble. And if things go wrong, well, I can say that I was once on Top Gear and then be the same annoying Youtube dude again.”
The highest speed in a car in his life is 365 km / h. So he broke up the Veyron and thought that no one would know about his pranks; but Bugatti keeps track of what's going on with the cars in their test fleet, so the next day they called him and said: “Rory, yay yay, did you drive last night? Well, how?
Man from the street
Remember the BBC announced that a new presenter would be chosen through "public auditions": record a 30 second video about yourself so that everyone will be surprised, come and maybe you'll get lucky. That is how the simpleton Rory Reid (journalist), who daily drives a one-liter Ford Focus Eco Boost, got into this company. “When I submitted a 30-second recording for listening, I was sure that I had no chance. Now I am very proud to be the only one who went through this whole selection process. I've been a Top Gear fan for decades, and I live and breathe cars, so I'm a great fit for this show,” he notes.
More interesting information there is no news about the new star yet, even normal photos. Looking forward to appearing on Top Gear.
stig
He was, is and will be. And about himself in the new format of the show he said: “-.-. …… – … -..- / .-. .–. .-. , /…. - -. .-.-.-,". As always informative!
N-yeah, the company turned out to be the same ...
The other day in Liverpool at the annual BBC Worldwide Showcase, there was a presentation of the new Top Gear team. The only person missing from the event was Eddie Jordan. The reason is not known. See photo:
Let me remind you that Top Gear will return to the air of the British TV channel BBC in May 2016. We look forward to evaluating and dotting all the “and”.
- , 23 Feb 2016
It didn't work. We tell you why.
A bit of history
For the first time, the automobile television program Top Gear was released back in 1977, but did not receive much popularity. In 2002, journalist Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson proposed to the BBC that they relaunch the car show entirely. Clarkson's co-hosts were Richard Hammond, Jason Doe and The Stig. Dow was replaced by James May in the second season. It was in this composition that the program became one of the most popular in the world.
By 2012, Top Gear was broadcast in 212 countries around the world, the total audience was 350 million viewers.
Scandal and departure of Jeremy Clarkson
In March last year between the show's producer Oishin Taimon and Jeremy Clarkson there was a conflict that escalated into a fight. According to rumors, a quarrel on the set arose due to the fact that after the shooting day, hot meals were not prepared for the participants in the show.
As a result of the scandal, the leaders of the BBC television channel decided not to renew the contract with Clarkson. Co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond supported their colleague and also did not renew their contracts. Thus ended the era of Top Gear, which the audience liked so much.
New season fails
The BBC has been selecting new Top Gear hosts for several months. The choice fell on BBC 2 Radio host Chris Evans and actor Matt LeBlanc. As an assistant, the producers attracted the German racing driver Sabina Schmitz.
The choice turned out to be a failure. Last Sunday, Top Gear reached 2.34 million viewers. The fourth edition of the TV show with new hosts was watched by the minimum number of viewers since June 2003!
By comparison, the average audience for the show hosted by Clarkson, Hammond and May was over 6 million.
What's wrong with the new Top Gear? Let's name the main reasons why the famous auto show with new hosts no longer arouses public interest.
Old hipster redhead and Mr. Hollywood don't pull
The previous heroes of the car show were truly charismatic personalities. With its own approach to cars, adventures and dialogues. They knew how to play jokes on each other and on themselves, it is enough just to recall the nicknames of each of them - Orangutan, Hamster and Snail. Each of them was a personality that captivated and amused at first sight and dialogue.
New hosts for most viewers are completely new people. And not everyone likes their manners and antics.
Chris Evans is too harsh and indecently loud, and Matt Leblanc does not look like "his board". A kind of invited guest on a regular basis, overly polished, with a Hollywood smile and hair styled with gel. He does not look like a person who is able to participate in one of the branded extreme specials of the program, when the presenters are "thrown" into the depths of the world and given out "unglamorous" cars.
Finally, there is a feeling that the selected images have nothing to do with the real life of the presenters. Jeremy behaved naturally, the new presenters look like fakes.
Chris Evans' acting is terrible and fake
It is clear that the hosts of the show are actors to some extent. Their tasks include not only hosting shows, joking, telling news and doing crazy tests with cars, but also playing like in a theater (or cinema). Here are just antics and actor play the main "red" auto show is terrible. At times he is terribly overacting, and the plots with him look like parodies.
Here it is impossible not to recall one of the funniest ideas of the audience:
The new Top Gear would be really good if the producers managed to persuade the host Rowan Atkinson (known in the world as Mr. Bean) to play the role.
There's something about it.
There is no chemistry between the hosts
No no. This, of course, is not about love, but about mutual understanding and the ability to tease each other.
The friendly hatred of those who lead each other has disappeared. The races and jokes of Clarkson and Hammond were real competitive spirit. This has always been interesting to watch. When Jeremy and Richard got tired of fighting with each other, they "mocked" "Captain Snail" James.
Due to the fact that the new leaders do not have common history, there are no joint adventures, they still do not manage to be one team.
Gone is the atmosphere of fun and enthusiasm
The jokes of the new presenters so far look flat and primitive. Yes, Jeremy Clarkson has repeatedly received wagons of criticism in his address for the lack of political correctness in his statements and very caustic metaphors against various people, laws and, of course, cars. But these were always bright and memorable moments in the show. And the public forgave everything.
Jeremy Clarkson:
I don't understand why we need dedicated bus lanes. Why do people with no money have to drive faster than me?
As many viewers point out, Chris Evans is more yelling at the camera than joking. In addition to everything, Chris noted that one should not expect politically incorrect jokes that were typical for the former presenter Jeremy Clarkson on the air.
In other words, the show no longer runs on thin ice on the border of scandal and cynicism. As if the program was subject to strict censorship. Boring!
The future of the project is uncertain
Chris Evans has signed a three-year contract with the BBC for £3 million. But the public clearly does not yet accept the new presenter and his manner of conducting the program.
By Post The Telegraph, co-host of the project Matt LeBlanc said he was ready to leave the project, unless his co-host Chris Evans leaves before him. The reason is called the rudeness of the latter in relation to other participants in the filming process.
In other words, the atmosphere and relationships within the team leave much to be desired.
We are waiting for the project of Clarkson and his team
Clarkson, May and Hammond will never be replaced because they are irreplaceable. Their new show will be called The Grand Tour. It is filmed with the support of Amazon, which, according to rumors, gave the trio complete carte blanche.
Top Gear is a British television program dedicated to cars and everything connected with them. The show began airing in 1977. At first it was a video magazine. But in 2002 things changed. The cycle has been restarted. During these events, Top Gear became what today's fans know it to be.
To Top Gear introduced humor and copyright chips. Top Gear's main hosts are Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and the super racer who never takes off his helmet, or rather, almost never, The Stig. The officially registered audience of the program broadcast is 350 million people.
Old Top Gear presenters
Jeremy Clarkson
This man played significant role in the formation of the original format of the program, helped her reach the top in the 90s. With Andy Wilman (TV show producer) he proposed to restart the show with a new development vector.
Full name- Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson. He was born on April 11, 1960 in Docaster, UK (South Yorkshire). Jeremy - TV presenter and journalist, main professional activity which comes down to the topic of cars. He gained fame as the host of the BBC Top Gear show. Top Gear won an Emmy in 2005.
Jeremy also writes regular columns for the Sunday Times and the Sun. He is considered the first person (together with D. May) who managed to reach the north pole of the planet by car. This event was included in one of the issues of Top Gear.
Career worldwide famous TV presenter began as a local journalist in the North of England. Public famous person Clarkson became only after participating in the original Top Gear in 1988. Already in the mid-90s, he became a public person and often appeared in different programs on British television (these were both his shows and those where he made a guest). It is noteworthy that the presenter was not limited only to automotive topics. He produced programs related to books, history and technology. In the period from 98 to 00, he also participated in own show named "Clarkson".
Some actions, both in public life and as a Top Gear TV presenter, often led to a flurry of criticism from newspapers of politicians, the media, and society as a whole. He once gave an interview in which he mentioned that his whole life moves according to a simple pattern: "I ate, slept, wrote and re-wrote." Despite all the condemnation, Jeremy believe main reason inspiration and "second life" for a program that went on to become the most requested show on the BBC.
Attention! In 2007, Clarkson received a major award at the National Television Awards. It also became known to the public that for 12 months of work on Top Gear, the presenter earned about 1,000,000 pounds, he received another 1.7 million from the sale of his own books and DVDs.
In 2009, the 14th season of the TV show appeared. Not all viewers liked it. Many accused the creators of stereotyped. In December, there was a broadcast on the radio "Point of View", where Janice Hadlow (supervisor of BBC 2 channel) said that the criticism was unreasonable, and the audience of the show was really huge.
However, later Andy Wilman did not deny the fact that the presenters heavily use television images from Top Gear.
In 2015, the TV channel decided to fire Jeremy Clarkson. Following the main face of the program, colleagues Richard Hammond and James May followed, as well as Top Gear producer Andy Wilman.
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is one of the hosts of Top Gear. He was born December 19, 1969 in Birmingham. Became known to the public on the transfers of Top Gear and "Puzzles". He was a car presenter from 2002 to 2015.
He has his own column in the magazine The Daily Mirror. It comes out every Friday. He worked for several radio stations early in his career, before becoming the host of a lifestyle and auto-related TV show on Men & Motors.
He got into Top Gear in 2002, the year the show had already received a new format. He was sometimes referred to as a hamster by other hosts and fans. He is a big fan of the Porsche brand, in particular the 911 model.
In 2006, when one of the Top Gear episodes was being filmed, the presenter got into a traffic accident. According to the script, Richard was to test the Vampire jet-powered car (its upper speed limit is 500 km). At a speed of 518 km per hour, the presenter took off from the runway. The car overturned and stretched across the lawn. The cause of the accident was a tire that could not bear the load and burst.
James May
James May is an English journalist and co-host of the beloved TV show Top Gear. He was born on January 16, 1963 in Bristol. He owns a column dedicated to auto topics in The Daily Telegraph.
He stood out for his careful driving behavior, for which his colleagues in the shop nicknamed him "Captain Snail" or "Captain Brake". However, none of this prevented him from developing the Bugatti Viron to the maximum possible speed of 407 km / h, and later, in 10, increase the record to 417 km / h on the Viron 16.4 Super Sport.
Among other things, James May is a man who was in Clarkson's team (along with them there was a support group from Iceland), together they managed to get to the North Pole in a specially converted car. Jeremy believes that May was the first who managed to check in there, having no desire.
It is noteworthy that despite the numerous chuckles due to the host's hairstyle, driving style, Jaime is a significant part of the trio: his fellow colleagues always consult his opinion on the structure or change of the car before correcting anything.
He is afraid of heights, although this fact is not difficult to dispute, given the fact that he has a flying license.
stig
The Stig is the main test driver at Top Gear. The hosts tend to laugh it off when it comes to questions about this character's identity, telling everyone that he's just a simple robot. In the program, the Stig is given the role of the secret "Tamed Racer". At the same time, the character is indicated in the credits of the program as a full-fledged presenter, next to Jeremy, Richard and James.
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the main task, laid on the shoulders of the Stig - to drive cars around the test site in Dunsfold Park. The results of his races are displayed on a separate scoreboard. Also, guests are often invited to Top Gear, usually actors, musicians and others. famous people.
Stig trains all participants on a test track, then the "stars" run a test lap in a cheap car. Their arrival is also placed on a separate scoreboard. In the first seven seasons, the Suzuki Liana was used as a “racing” model, then until the 14th season, celebrities were given the Chevrolet Lacetti. Then, until the 19th season, guests were offered the Kia Ceed. As a result, the role of a budget car was assigned to the Vauxhall Astra.
All Formula 1 drivers who attended the show test the track on Suzuki Liana. A similar approach is needed to ensure the same conditions for all participants who came to the TV show at different times. By the way, the record time is assigned to pilot Daniel Riccardo.
The first, the black Stig, was revealed to the public after the second season. It turned out to be racer Perry McCarthy. In the pilot episode of the third season, they decided to “kill” him: the character fell from an aircraft carrier on a modernized Jaguar. The updated white Stig entered the scene in the next episode. They decided to "reveal" his personality to the public in the first episode of the thirteenth season. The fourth leading was the well-known world champion "Formula 1" Michael Schumacher. But already at the end of the episode, Jeremy announced that this was not the real Stig, and then aired a recording where he (Schumacher) badly pilots the Suzuki Liana.
In the second series, Clarkson said that a man recently showed up to them, claiming that he is the Stig. He did not deny it, saying that everything is possible, they certainly do not know. Jeremy also said that he was found 7 days ago in a closed room, tied to a chair with a German piano string.
The character's identity was completely debunked in 2010. The Stig was British Formula 3 driver Ben Collins. After the "secrecy" of the racer was revealed, in the 16th season, another White Stig appeared to the public. Initially, the New Year's episode introduced baby Stig, who was being raised at the "Stig Farm". It has been mentioned that he is able to grow to an adult in just 30 days. The new Stig started working just a month after the end of the Christmas holidays.
Top Gear's main hosts always announce the Stig in a rather unusual and funny way. Each time it starts with "Some say that..." and ends with "For all we know... his name is The Stig." In this case, the greeting option changes in each episode.
Jason Lowe
This is one of the presenters who participated in the first season of the project. His duties included showing conventional cars as opposed to the "supercars" that Jeremy and Richard reviewed. James May replaced him already in the second season of Top Gear.
New Top Gear presenters
Attention! In connection with the dismissal of the "main three", the leaders of the BBC had to look for a replacement. New Top Gear presenters:
Chris Evans
To the team, Chris is called the "Boss of Top Gear". It was about him, as the new main host of the show, that became known first of all. This put an end to all rumors and hopes by the viewer that old composition will return to the program.
Chris Evans is a popular British presenter (radio and television), businessman, producer. He started his career at stations in Manchester, then moved to London and worked for Greater London Radio. Fame came to Chris after the Big Breakfast show.
Sabine Schmitz
She is a racing driver and TV show host. Sabina was born in the German town of Adenau, which is located next to the Nurburgring race track.
Due to both thrifty and masterful behavior on the track, Sabina is called the "Queen of the North Loop". She participated as a racer in various competitions and received many awards. Sabina has already been seen in some editions of the "old" Top Gear.
Matt Leblanc
Full name is Matthew Steven LeBlanc. He is known to many viewers for his role in the television series Friends. American actor was born July 25, 1967. After the cult series, the career continued in another project, Joey. In 2011, the actor returned to the screens thanks to the television series Episodes, where he appeared as a fictionalized version of himself. It was this role that brought him the Golden Globe.
Matt was very pleased with his participation in the program. Notably, he was the first non-British broadcaster to be on the Top Gear team. Taking into account the fact that this year the program turns 40 years old, the event deserves attention.
Eddie Jordan
This man founded the Formula 1 team. During his professional career, he has worked with many famous riders.
Television shows rarely earn cult status because constant attention viewers for a long time is difficult enough. British Top Gear succeeded. The show has gained cult status, and Top Gear hosts have become incredibly popular personalities. They are recognized in person in any country in the world, they are immensely adored and look forward to appearing on the screen. We'll talk about who hosts Top Gear today.
Start
In 1977, Top Gear appeared on British television. She came out at that time in the format of a TV magazine and practically did not differ from other television programs about cars. For a long time, the transmission format remained unchanged. When it became clear that something needed to be changed, it was decided to restart Top Gear. The presenters, whose names were later known to the whole world, initially did not take part in the creation of the program, except for Jeremy Clarson and James May.
Show reboot
In 2002, the BBC decided to completely revamp the program. Its format was changed and new Top Gear hosts were invited. They were Richard Hammond, James May and returning to the show Jeremy Clarkson. In addition to this trinity, the Stig test rider began to participate in the filming of the program, hiding his face behind a helmet.
The decision to reboot turned out to be correct. The new show has acquired its own unique, unique style. Top Gear's hosts, with their uninhibited demeanor and humor, became instant favorites with the public. In its best years, the audience of the program reached 360 million viewers.
Jeremy Clarkson
He came to Top Gear (photos of the hosts of the program are presented below) in 1988 and brought a lot of new things: interesting ideas, his original manner of communication and rude humor, often beyond the bounds of the permissible. But the audience really liked it, and the ratings of the program began to grow. If initially only a few hundred viewers watched it, then with the advent of Clarkson, their number began to increase. In 1999, the host leaves the program. The reason was his desire to try himself in new projects. Without the eccentric Clarkson, the ratings of the program fell, and the BBC decided to suspend the creation of new releases.
In 2002, Clarkson returns with a proposal for a complete reboot of the show. The producers and management of the BBC took a chance and did not lose. Top Gear went from educational to entertaining bright show, one minute of which cost a lot of money.
Richard Hammond
Before joining the show, he worked on radio. He is sometimes referred to as Hamster by fellow program members and fans of the show. In one of the episodes of the program, Hammond, imitating the behavior of a hamster, ate a cardboard sign. Participation in the show almost ended tragically for the presenter - while piloting a car, he had an accident. Everything worked out, but Hammond asked his colleagues never to mention this incident again.
Top Gear hosts are ardent fans of cars, and no exception. He loves Porsche cars and owns several expensive cars.
James May
Prior to Top Gear, he worked as a journalist for several publications and as a presenter for two television programs. In 1999, he became the co-host of Top Gear. After the reboot, the show returned to it in its second season. For his extremely cautious driving style, he received the nickname Captain Snail from his colleagues.
stig
Mysterious Machine Tester for a long time remained incognito. All attempts to find out his name were always reduced to jokes by the Top Gear hosts - they said that he was not a person, but a robot, or they called him a “tamed racer”. The Stig, however, was a full-fledged host of the show, and his name was always in the credits for the program. In total, three different Stigs took part in the filming of the program - Perry McCarthy and Ben Collins. Who is hiding under the guise of the third Stig is unknown.
Departure of Clarkson and other hosts - the show must go on
At the end of March 2015, the fans of the program were upset by the shocking news - oldest member the show that founded it, Jeremy Clarkson, was fired by the decision of the BBC management. Blame was the explosive nature of the presenter. There have been problems with Clarkson before. He was never distinguished by caution in his statements and tact in his judgments. Repeatedly he had to publicly apologize for his misdeeds. The last straw for the BBC was Clarkson's conflict with one of the show's producers over the lack of hot food on set. On March 25, he was fired. The rest of the Top Gear hosts showed solidarity with Clarkson and announced their departure from the show. Now they are planning a world tour.
Jeremy Clarkson plans to create his own show dedicated to cars. It is still unknown about the format and the TV company that will shelter the disgraced presenter. He was invited to participate in comedy program BBC, but in April 2015 he pulled out of the show.
If the program could survive the loss of one participant, then the departure of all put an end to the history of Top Gear. But the BBC decided to try and keep one of its best television shows. The names of the new presenters of the program are already known. Chris Evans, presenter, producer and businessman, was the first to officially announce his participation in the show. He has long been a fan of the program and without hesitation signed a contract with the BBC for three years.
As the main presenter, he was given the opportunity to pick new team. Evans chose Sabina Schmitz, a famous German racing driver, to be his co-host. Prior to that, she took part in the filming of several issues of "Top Gear" as an invited guest. Another host of the show was automotive journalist Chris Harris.
David Coulthard is the name of the fourth host of the revamped show. This is a Scottish racing driver and former pilot"Formula 1". In 2012, he ended his career on the race track and is now trying his hand at a new role as a presenter.
The most unexpected news was the fact that one of the co-hosts of the program will be the star of the TV series Friends, beloved by many viewers, Matt LeBlanc. By the way, he will become the first foreign permanent member show throughout its history. Many fans of the program took the appearance of LeBlanc in it as an attempt to decorate the show and draw attention to it. This is wrong. is a big fan of cars, is familiar with many famous racers and tries not to miss a single Formula 1 race.
The names of the new presenters did not cause a stir among the fans of the program. According to most viewers, no one can replace former members show. Top Gear has already lost about 5 million viewers.
The release of the new Top Gear is scheduled for May 8, 2016. It is then that it will become clear whether the BBC managed to collect bright team, capable of eclipsing the former hosts of Top Gear. Given their popularity, it's hard to believe in the success of the updated show.
