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Top Gear was a British motoring magazine programme created by the BBC and aired on BBC Two between 22 April 1977 and 17 December 2001. The programme focused on a range of motoring topics, the most common being car reviews, road safety and consumer advice. Originally presented by Angela Rippon and Tom Coyne, the show saw a range of different presenters and reporters front the programme's half-hourly slots, including Noel Edmonds, Jeremy Clarkson, Tiff Needell, William Woollard and Quentin Willson. The programme proved popular during the late 80s and early 90s, and launched a number of spin-offs, including its own magazine entitled Top Gear Magazine.
Series 1 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2002, consisting of ten episodes that were aired between 20 October and 29 December. This series was the first to feature Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond as the main hosts of the programme, a role they would both maintain until the twenty-second series, but the only series to feature Jason Dawe as their co-presenter before he was replaced for the second series.
Series 2 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2003, consisting of ten episodes between 11 May and 20 July; a compilation episode, titled "Best of Top Gear", was broadcast after the series concluded on 27 July, featuring the best moments of the previous two series. It was the first series to feature James May, who was brought in to replace Jason Dawe following the first series, and the first to credit the programme's anonymous driver, "The Stig", as an additional presenter; though not under their actual indentity.
Series 3 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2003, consisting of nine episodes between 26 October and 28 December; a compilation episode featuring the best moments of the series, titled "Best of Top Gear", was aired on 4 January 2004.
Series 4 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2004, consisting of ten episodes between 9 May and 1 August; a compilation episode featuring the best moments of the series, titled "Best of Top Gear", was aired on 8 August. This series saw the introduction of elements that would become a key part of the programme's formats, including races and special motoring budget challenges.
Series 5 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2004, consisting of nine episodes between 24 October and 26 December; a compilation episode, titled "Best of Top Gear", was aired on 2 January 2005, and charted the best moments from Series 4 and 5.
Series 6 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2005, consisting of eleven episodes between 22 May and 7 August. This featured a survey regarding the "Greatest Driving Song of All Time" during the latter half of the series, with other highlights including a recreation the programme's theme tune with different car engines, and the presenters having their mothers evaluate three different cars.
Series 9 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2007, and consisted of six episodes that were aired between 28 January and 4 March. Production on the series was delayed by several months when Richard Hammond was seriously injured after crashing the Vampire dragster racer whilst filming for the show; the first episode, which welcomed him back, showed the footage of this crash. This series was the first to introduce feature-length specials focused on road trips with motoring challenges, with other highlights including the presenters attempting to build a Space Shuttle with a Reliant Robin, creating home-made stretch limos, and reaching top speed in the Bugatti Veyron.
Series 10 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2007, consisting of ten episodes that were aired between 7 October and 23 December. This series saw the props used on the programme being changed from car-based seating and a wide-screen monitor in the main set space, to wingback chairs and an old TV screen; although attributed to a fire caused by Top Gear's rival programme, it later was exposed as a publicity stunt, with the props replaced the following series. This series' highlights included the presenters crossing Botswana on a road trip, a race between a car and a fighter jet, fording amphibious cars across the English Channel, and competing in a 24-hour endurance race using home-made bio-diesel.
Series 11 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2008, consisting of six episodes that were aired between 22 June and 27 July. This series saw the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" featuring two celebrities in each episode. This series' highlights included a race between a car and Japanese public transport, creating home-made police cars, and a showdown between Top Gear and its German counterpart.
Series 13 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2009, consisting of seven episodes that were aired between 21 June and 2 August. As a publicity stunt, the series also had Michael Schumacher disguise himself as "The Stig", primarily due to the fact that a car they reviewed could not be driven by anyone but Schumacher for a timed lap of the programme's test track. Alongside this, this series' highlights included a 1940s styled race, a motoring challenge involving rear-wheeled cars, and the presenters entering a classic car rally. The thirteenth series received criticism over two elements - one for an advert designed by Jeremy Clarkson as part of a film for an episode; the other for the use of a word deemed offensive.
Series 16 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2011, consisting of six episodes that were aired between 23 January and 27 February. Following the previous series, the BBC discontinued their involvement with Ben Collins on the programme, after he breached an agreement in his contract that forbid him disclosing his role as "The Stig" with the publication of his autobiography, The Man in the White Suit, in August 2010. His departure led to his replacement by a new driver by the beginning of the first episode.
Series 18 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2012, consisting of seven episodes that were aired between 29 January and 11 March; a feature-length special focused on the presenters doing a road trip across India, titled Top Gear: India Special, preceded the series' first episode, and was aired on 28 December 2011. This series' highlights included the presenters being involved in the filming of a car chase sequence, reviewing the Chinese car industry, making home-made mobility scooters, and examining the cars made by manufacturer Saab.
Series 19 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two and BBC HD during 2013, consisting of five episodes between 29 January and 24 February, and a two-part feature-length special involving a road trip in Africa, titled "Africa Special", aired on 3–10 March. This series' highlights included the presenters race from London to Milan, a supercar road trip across California, and the creation of a home-made car for the elderly. The nineteenth series received criticism for one of its episodes' early filming featuring Jeremy Clarkson seeming to use a racial slur during a car review film.
Top Gear is a British motoring magazine and entertainment television programme. It is a revival by Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman of the 1977–2001 show of the same name for the BBC, and premiered on 20 October 2002. The programme focuses on the examination and reviewing of motor vehicles, primarily cars, though this was expanded upon after the broadcast of its earlier series to incorporate films featuring motoring-based challenges, special races, timed laps of notable cars, and celebrity timed laps on a course specially-designed for the relaunched programme. The programme drew acclaim for its visual and presentation style since its launch, which focused on being generally entertaining to viewers, as well as criticism over the controversial nature of its content. The show was also praised for its occasionally-controversial humour and lore existing in not just the automotive community but in the form of internet memes and jokes. The programme was aired on BBC Two until it was moved to BBC One for its twenty-ninth series in 2020.
Series 26 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2019, consisting of five episodes between 17 February and 17 March. Although Sabine Schmitz would continue to make appearances as a guest star, Eddie Jordan discontinued his involvement following the previous series. This series' highlights included a journey across Sri Lanka in a Tuk-Tuk, presenters conducting challenges with second-hand luxury cars and a compilation of outtakes in the final episode. The twenty-sixth series attracted the lowest viewing figures in the programme's history, achieving an average of 2.35 million viewers during its broadcast.
Series 28 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two during 2020, consisting of six episodes between 26 January and 1 March; the series' studio segments were filmed prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. The series was preceded by a feature-length special, involving a road trip by the presenters across Nepal, that was aired on 29 December 2019.
Series 29 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One during 2020, consisting of five episodes between 4 October and 1 November. The COVID-19 pandemic affected production of the series, with several changes made as a result—studio segments were filmed on an outdoor set with social distancing maintained between presenters, audience members and production staff, the celebrity segment was dropped, and most films were recorded within Britain; a single international film was created, but this was produced in February 2020.
Series 33 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One and BBC One HD between 30 October 2022 and 18 December 2022. It was the seventh series to feature the presenting line-up of Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness, and Freddie Flintoff, the fifth to be broadcast on BBC One, and the first series to be produced in Bristol. As of January 2024 this is the last series of Top Gear to air due to production indefinitely going on hiatus due to presenter Freddie Flintoff being injured whilst filming for the planned 34th series.