Steve Kroft reports on "Top Gear," a TV show whose witty humor, outrageous speed, destructive vehicle stunts and car reviews attract an estimated weekly worldwide audience of 350 million according to the BBC.
Or rather closed after one and a half seasons and sued for a total amount of annual budget of a 1st world country. BBC is public state television, paid for by the taxpayers, protected in its existence by laws of UK and an army of top Cambridge law school sharks, in order to carry the beacon on. There is no way anybody could've personally dodged as many bullets as Top Gear did under BBC.
One of the best interviewers this guy. Never even once interrupted and listened attentively to what Clarkson May and Hammond had to say. He left all the talking to them and looked entertained as well. And he didn't shy away from showing the unpleasant incident in Alabama even though he's an American himself.
It’s always funny and quite fascinating when they do road trips in dangerous or underdeveloped countries. I think they do a decent job at showing it’s not all like the stereotypes but some of it is.
I find it amazing how they've been to some of the poorest war-torn regions in the world, yet there were only two places that they truly faced any danger from the locals: Argentina and the US.
@@ejl1000 It is fascinating, but to be fair those two countries were also the only two where they insulted the locals. It's not hard to imagine what would have happened if they burned a Quran in Iraq for example. But they didn't.
Explaining Top Gear is so hard, the journey through a bloke's mind, three middle-aged guys with chemistry, what the hell is that?. But it all makes sense when you watched the show
Yeah, I guess your idea of entertainment is watching the kartrashian, towie, and other brain rotting TV reality shows. Your opinion is pointless, like you oh 'dead men tell no tales.'
I don't understand the drunk driving argument here. It's not the public roads, not even someone's field or a backgarden. Who were they going to hurt? A strayed seal? An eskimo? Were they going to crash into an igloo? I am all for punishing drunk drivers and I believe in no excuses as to why they had to get behind the wheel. But this - this is different and if someone has a problem with that - they are just picking holes...
+Jackie Scholl - they crushed into ice while sober. As for crashing into the camera crew car (no one was running along side) I think that people whose job is to pay attention to hosts car would notice in advance if it would get dangerously close or If they would have one to many. After all in most countries you are still good to drive after one small drink.
They are actually in international waters there so you can drink and technically drive legally. What I find more interesting, is that if you hijack a car there... You'd be a pirate.
i love their morbid sense of humor when it comes to dying. saying "anyway..." moving on, and finding a similar replacement. it really speaks to me and i don't know why.
I would be interested to visit said "hick town" (I'm in the UK) and find out from the locals their side of that incident. Problem is that with a few years having gone by, by now they have probably been asked many times and might be fed up of it. I certainly wouldn't want to anger them though - personally I think the reaction the presenters got (IF it was not staged) was entirely justified.
mrnoodles100 Yep ... even not believing Hammond when he says he didnt do it ... "we know better" (probably because the NSA got hold of a bill sent to Hammond via email).
My daughter is 11 and loves the show Mostly because she can understand the interaction of the guys as they act 11 - And yes I LOVE it also - But then I am a grown up 11 yearold also.
+froggo doggo well, I really don't mean to play the devil's advocate for americans here, can't stand 'em like the next guy, however also in Argentina the problem arose because of the interpretation of a number plate... if that is much smarter
I absolutely love Top Gear UK. These guys have the best job in the world and I would love to have it. I do hope it goes for another 10 years with the fantastic trio.
Renee Leighton Well, since Jeremy got fired and the other two didn't renew their contracts... I guess he's blaming you for jinxing the show by wishing another 10 years lol - Thankfully they're rebooting on another channel :)
diablothe2nd yeah I figured that out, eventually. I made that comment 9 months ago, long before the "fracas". People should realise that a comment made months ago needs a more complete reference when one comments on said post. Just saying.
That last line about replacing any of them... and yet here we are, a decade later and they're all still as three just about to have their last trip (11/09/2024)
Best show on the planet. Especially if you watch the BBC2 airing that includes all the excellent music (that gets stripped out on the BBC America airings)
Licensing issues. In the UK the BBC can use every music or song that is commercially released in the UK with zero to minimal royalties or Licensing agreements, if any, as the BBC is publicly funded and is considered a public service (not intended to earn money) and not a commercial one. BBC America, however, is under the BBC commercial arm: it'sintendedto be a business that earns money hence they cannot use the original music. @@PlymouthLad76
"An all men line up" equals sexism?! Oh for the sake of all that is good and funny... I'm a woman and I love Top Gear, the original series. Watching reruns on Spike.. Loved their humor and chemistry.. (don't have access to Amazon or where ever it's on nowadays)
The Stig drove my daughter and me around the the track in 2015. It was a thing you could do. There was the choice of a “Hot Lap with The Stig”, a lap in “The Reasonably Priced Car”, drive an Aerial Atom, or go off road ping in a 110 Land Rover Defender.
What a great interviewer! Best segment ive seen. And he didnt even shy from showing the ugly (but also because it was hilarious) side of the america special despite being an american himself.
Best show in the world! My son and I had so many laughs watching Top Gear UK when these three were presenting. What made it so attractive is they are so un-PC in a PC world. How refreshing!
Unwilling Participant I remember a series where he would listen to Morse code in that weeks car as he went round the track in whatever super car they had. Good times...
What I do want to know if someone could tell, when James car broke down why did they decide to jump start it when a gang with guns are behind them. Why didn't James just got into hammond's car and drove off.
If you drive a 3 ton Hilux in a race against your mate on a dogsled on top of really cold water, drinking and driving (keeping in mind ISS would most likely be closer than any form of road) would be one of the last thing I would worry about.
***** Yep they took the Toyota Hilux to Bristol on an earlier occasion. But I think they tried to cross the channel earlier and it totally very didn't work. So they reattempted it and got it right.
+Stan Dando No they tried to do it in separate cars on a lake but then the producers decided that they wanted to try it again so Top Gear (being Top Gear) decided to drive to Dover and travel across the Channel in new cars that they bought themselves. They all had individual boats but James's boat hit the pier so he shared Richard's boat. Then Richard's boat sank and James "got a bit bored of sinking" so they all shared Jeremy's boat. Then Jeremy came up with the idea of trying to break Richard Branson's (or Beardy Branson, as Jeremy would call him) record of travelling across the Channel to France in an amphibious car so they had to go back so they could go all go in the Toyboata and try and have a go at the record. They were unsuccessful, as you could probably guess.
+BigBadBuzzRoyt You are correct. But somehow i didn't get notified about your comment. Thanks for the correction and my apologys for my 1st comment. Which was obviously flawed.
After working decades at dragstrips and Bonneville Salt Flats all I can say is that didn't look like 300 mph. The jet dragster may be capable of it, but would the owners and the BBC insurance company allow him to drive it that fast?
He didn't get to make it that fast before the tire blew. Since they've been driving for around 90 years collectively, have had plenty of practice, and have driven with experts in every aspect, and have done much more reckless tests and trips, they aren't an insurance risk. Even if they were, I'm sure they have had the time to get enough money to cover death. But thanks for the professional take on this...
TheSkittles1001 ". Since they've been driving for around 90 years collectively, have had plenty of practice" That's like saying I've just started parachute jumping and got 1 successful jump under my belt so now i'll never fail because I will always jump with my two other friends who have both been jumping for 50 years so I've got 101 years experience
Top Gear is hosted by a driver I’ve never heard of, a retired cricketer and an annoying northern game show presenter. Not the same as three professional car enthusiasts. Thank goodness for The Grand Tour.
The best thing about TopGear was allways the chemistry between Clarkson, Hammond and May. Yes, the cars where cool, but I mainly watched these three idiots being funny as hell.
"Are yall gay trying to see how long it takes to get beat up" That woman had obviously read the plot of the script. She didn't just work out what they were doing by herself.
I hope the new Amazon version keeps the chemistry going. But I am not counting my chickens. I fear they demanded so much money they are going to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.