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 John Bentley, who had recently become the producer of the show, invited former pilot Formula 1 Tiff Needle and young auto journalist Jeremy Clarkson. 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 (they were later carried out 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:
The new leaders of the world's most popular automotive transfer Top gear. After the scandalous dismissal of the main ringleader Jeremy Clarkson from the project, two of his co-hosts, Richard Hammond and James May, also left the show. Then the leadership of the BBC channel began to search new team to relaunch a show that was consistently earning £50m a year.
As a result, the leader of the revived Top Gear was the popular in the UK, but, unfortunately, completely unknown to the general public, radio host Chris Evans. To recruit a team, the channel held a huge number of castings and considered completely different candidates. So, to help Evans, they prophesied either model Jodie Kidd, or even unknown people- it was said that anyone who wants to win the position of leader can win. However, no cardinal steps were taken in the formation of the team.
All three new leaders are directly related to motorsport. They were ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard, racing driver Sabina Schmitz and racing journalist Chris Harris.
About it reported British edition of The Sun.
New faces of Top Gear
46-year-old racing driver Sabina has raced in BMWs and Porsches and has been on Top Gear a couple of times. She first appeared there in 2004 when she was able to beat Clarkson at the Nürburgring race track in Germany. The owner of the nickname Queen of the Ring claims that she drove along the famous highway more than 30 thousand times. She reappeared on the show in 2005 and drove the famous highway in a Transit van in ten minutes.
40-year-old journalist Chris Harris has written for several well-known automotive magazines, including Autotrader and Evo, and has filmed shows for his YouTube channel. He is known for being quite critical and has ruined relationships with many brands. Yes, in 2011
Wikimedia Commons Top Gear men's company to be diluted by racing driver Sabina Schmitz
Instagram Racing journalist Chris Harris will be another presenter
he was banned from testing by Ferrari after Harris stated in one of his reviews that the Ferrari brand was "incredibly annoying".
In 2014, Lamborghini decided to do the same - Harris said that these sports cars are "perfect for people who can't drive."
Even a short study "Twitter" Harris allows us to conclude that he is not shy about expressing his opinion directly. However, not all the notions of a car journalist are supported by his fans. So, when Harris posted a video of himself trying to drift in an expensive Bentley GT3 R, he was denounced for trying to do it on all cars, even ones that weren't designed for it at all.
44-year-old Scottish race car driver David Coulthard from 1994 to 2008 participated in the Formula 1 championships. He won the title of vice world champion in 2001, four times took third place in the championship standings. He was considered one of the most successful drivers, ranking 12th in all-time scoring of the Royal Races in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2012, he announced the end of his racing career.
oldies vs newbies
However, not all members of the Top Gear team supported the appointment of such little-known co-hosts of Evans and left the project. So, executive producer Lisa Clark left the show after only five months of working on it. Will not continue his contract and script editor Tom Ford. According to a source from The Sun, Clarke's departure caused a real panic among the staff working on the show. “Lisa has a very great authority, and her departure was a real shock for everyone.
On this moment we have a lot of upheaval going on. Sabina and Chris are virtually unknown to the general public and David is not the most charismatic driver."
Meanwhile, the former host popular show Jeremy Clarkson is fully focused on filming a new auto show on the Amazon Internet service. The show will be available to Amazon customers worldwide. Access to the car show will require a subscription, which will cost £79 per year. Filming for the first season began in the fall, and the first episodes will air next year. Clarkson actively participates in its advertising and makes fun of the BBC.
Recall that earlier the leadership of the BBC TV channel decided not to renew the contract expiring at the end of March with Leading Top Gear Jeremy Clarkson because of the scandal that occurred after the filming of the next episode. The incident between Clarkson and the show's producer, Oisin Timon, took place in early March during the studio recording of an episode of Top Gear in Surrey.
At the hotel where film crew returned after a day's work, Clarkson attacked Timon with his fists, insulted him and threatened to fire him. Total
Clarkson worked for the BBC for 27 years, 12 of them in the current version of Top Gear.
During this time, he became one of the highest paid presenters in the world. The size of his fee for filming one season was £1 million.
PA Ex-Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take on new Amazon auto show after leaving program
It didn't work. We tell you why.
A bit of history
For the first time automotive TV 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, one gets the feeling that the selected images have nothing to do with real life leading. 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.
In not so distant times, when car talk shows could only be of interest to avid car enthusiasts who knew technical side car mechanism to the smallest boring detail, the BBC blew up Top Gear
So, what happens if you put three reckless motorists in the studio? Of course, they will soon run away from there, because it’s dry to talk about what new car came out showing pictures from magazines, it's such a bore But let them drive on a track specially created for the show, send them abroad, test the most prestigious supercars that they can tell the truth about without sparing the manufacturer, or give them space to be creative to create some the new kind a car fit for a specific extreme purpose and millions are already looking forward to each new release.
“We can't just give up.
- So what do you suggest? Try harder?
- No.
- Find a way to make motorcycles faster?
- No.
- Cheating?
- Yes."
Who are these three presenters who tell the truth about cars (and other vehicles), constantly arranging competitions among themselves and teasing each other at the most inopportune moment? Funny Hamster Richard Hammond, serious and responsible Captain Snail James May and the great and terrible Orangutan Jeremy "Jezza" Clarkson they are the soul and crazy experimenters of Top Gear. Over the years, they have managed to bring the talk show format to absolutely new level, almost inaccessible, which probably every program dreams of reaching. It's no exaggeration to say that these three are Top Gear.
There is also a fourth host, or rather a mysterious mascot of the show Stig. A silent racer whose face is always hidden behind a helmet and who is the subject of many legends, he professionally tests the capabilities of cars on the track and instructs the stars who come to the program to drive their lap and chat about the news of their career with Clarkson.
What is special about this talk show? Only Clarkson, May and Hammond can choose a car by whether a nuclear warhead fits in the trunk, upgrade used cars so that they are then almost unsuitable for driving, often turning them into "something" on wheels, arrange bus races / caravans/motorcycles/trains, ram and blow each other up, run away on the best supercars from fighters and drive around different countries, passing crazy and even dangerous tests arranged by the cute producers of Top Gear. And in the process, they are perfectly able to play the fool and make fun of everything that can be made fun of. These three love their work, which is not surprising, when watching more than once you want to be in their place, and they completely surrender to this show, sometimes doing incredible things in the frame. And also often reminding of the important tradition of leaving a friend in a stalled car to the mercy of fate, and, waiting for him at the point of arrival, betting on how soon he will get there on his own.
You don't have to be a fan of everything related to cars to take the risk of watching this show. The magnificent trinity, with their love for cars and the ability to convey their feelings, both delight and disappointment, to the viewer and show why they love them, wins hearts very quickly. After all, no matter what they do in the frame, no matter what stars they invite to the studio, no matter what they joke about, no matter what budget the producers allow them to spend on explosions and experiments, Top Gear was and remains a wonderful program created with love to cars and with the aim of conveying that feeling to the audience, which is what this show continues to do with great success and its inherent charm.
After so many years on the air, Top Gear still continues to win the hearts of new fans, it seems that it will last for many more years, until these three car maniacs get bored and decide to retire. And this, fortunately for the audience, is unlikely to happen in the near future. Because "POWERRR!"
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 out, the new stars are starting to do a little bit of interviews, talk about their passion for cars, their accomplishments, their enthusiasm and devotion 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 was about him, as the main presenter of the new Top Gear, that we learned 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
