What Top Gear Really Meant 

So apparently I pronounced Tiff Needell's name wrong in the opening. I'm American, what can I say. 😅

The moments such as during the Patagonia special, where Clarkson spoke of his father or had a tribute to a dying car make or model, always hit you in a deep way. Beyond the banter and the car talk you had real emotion come through the screen. Those moments are few and far between in mass media today. Truly a special show and a special trio of presenters and the crew behind them making it happen.

Top gear was the peak of television and we will never get anything close to it, ever again.

Vietnam is the best episode ever. Jeremy being a hater of motorcycles and riders has an epiphany at the end where he says he still doesn't like them but understands why people ride. It's so wholesome and honestly so pure it truly feels like an honest reaction and not something scripted.

I believe in regards to James's Dacia being reversed into was scripted but James was not aware of the skit so his reaction is legit.

One thing to mention is Top Gear arguably became more beloved because of the non stop replays on Dave/uktv meaning everyone who wanted could watch every episode, knew every funny moment so every reference became universal, similar to how everyone would stop and watch classic Simpsons episodes.

The show, Jeremy Clarkson mostly, was so unique and intriguing, that my daughter from around the age of 11, until about 14, would watch it with myself and her older brother. It was possibly the only such bridge between her girl world and car based idiotic humor that could have and will ever be. I greatly appreciated the unique and very unexpected bringing of us three together at the time and look back with fond memories. It served the adolescent girl well too. Men were presented in a hilarious but ultimately competent fashion, as she needed to get up to speed with the often obtuse and obscure for which she had no reference whatsoever. Another small step on the way from the loins of an uneducated single father to the university of Cambridge. Thanks Top Gear. And for what it is worth I have not and would never watch the continuation post departure of our trio version.

Top Gear with Jeremy, Richard and James was the best tv show ever. So funny, even my 80 year old mum enjoyed watching it, RIP Mum. I think the Vietnam Challenge was the best of all of them. I had no idea Vietnam is so beautiful.

The more I think about it, the more I think that the reason Top Gear was successful was that it was a great example of healthy masculinity. The relationship between Clarkson, Hammond and May is something guys all over the world crave. A group of mates who love each other as much as they hate one another. On most of the specials, they spend the first two thirds of their journey generally annoying and insulting each other. May's car getting rear ended until he pulls out a machete. Hammond's seat being moved all the way back and the fuse removed because he's short. Clarkson's sumptuously modified vehicles being dirtied and dismantled. But then as the end of the journey draws near, the three of them are given a nearly impossible task like building a bridge or converting their vehicles into boats. Despite their constant bickering and messing with one another, they band together and accomplish something remarkable. It's something you rarely see on TV anymore, and I think that formula really resonates with the audience.

Jeremy, James, and Hammond had the best chemistry of a cast ever. They were hilarious.

These 3 guys had an undeniable magic, based on friendship and a true love for all things mechanical. Watching it was a perfect escape from the madness of the world. Plus, all three are accomplished actors and writers (all having written very enjoyable books, with a few misses here and there). There is no TG after they left.

Top Gear was the final blast of old British humour. Back in the fifties, radio comedy on the BBC was written and performed by people who had served in the forces and brought much of the forces' humour with them . The style of comedy, (Hancock's Half Hour / The Goons / The Navy Lark), was dry, often surreal and inevitably ended in something blowing up - often for no adequately explored reason. This was carried on in the seventies by The Goodies and then ultimately in the form of Alternative Comedy. In an era when Health & Safety was trying to ban anything like this, Top Gear was the last show to carry on in this vein. Because it was a car show it somehow slipped under the radar and nobody really seemed to notice. We knew that once its current iteration of CHM ended that it would then be the end of the era - and it was.

The show has a special place in my heart. Consistently gave me laughs. I discovered it on tv in Canada in like 2008 and had been watching ever since. It wasnt Top Gear necessarily and that was evident when the Golden Trio left and started the Grand Tour. I realized it was those three that brought the magic. A great mixture of beautiful cinematics, great writing, a unique humour that could only be recreated with Captain slow, the Baboon and the Hobbit. They slowed down from the comedy at the right times to tell amazing stories of motor racing/history, they brought us on hilarious adventures nobody else would ever try during those times, and created a show that yes was about cars, but they made it so much more. I have a lot of good memories watching the show. At a time in my life when there arent any good memories to be made, when I find myself being consumed by memories that used to be happy and now bring nothing but pain and regret, this show manages to bring me back to when I was happier, with no context to ruin them. I still watch older clips and they manage to put a extremely rare smile on my face, I watch the trios new specials and again, Im able to smile and forget the shit life around me. It might all sound a bit extreme and an over the top description, but in the end the show made me happy. And for that, it will always hold a place in my heart. When the three officially do call it a career, itll be a sad day. Till then though, hopefully (or regretably at this point) ill still be around to see whatever else they do.

I remember the Botswana special, and yes, I rooted for Oliver the whole way. I love that the little survivor is still around and being cared for.

You did this phenomenon justice. Well written, presented and edited. Your journalistic approach, with an appropriate comment about your own experience here and there, was perfect. You kept the focus on the subject(s). Thank you for not tarnishing my memories.

The three presenters are just big kids having fun, just the way we all wish we could . A totally brilliant show .

Just something to point out is in the Vietnam special the music that played out of the little box that came with the back up vehicle was not originally the American national anthem, it was originally aired with Bruce Springsteen song Born in the USA, if I'm correct its to do with the music licensing for some of the music they use in the show. Very good video though! Nice to see an American perspective on Top Gear. I know it was a wildly watched show on an international level but its always pretty cool to see other perspectives outside the UK.

I remember one night coming home, coming up the stairs to my moms house, and there she is, watching Top Gear. My mom is not a car person, so I was a bit baffled. I can't remember exactly what episode it was, but I do remember it being one of their challenge episodes. And sure enough, she was laughing along with the show. That was the moment, I realized Top Gear in the mid-teen seasons was truly on a tier of its own, and would probably never be topped by any other show. I know as I'd sit and watch old episodes back when it was available on Prime, I'd enjoy the early series, laugh my ass off in the mid series, and as you neared the 20 series mark, it just didn't feel as special anymore with the exception of the specials (like South America). In a way, it was a good thing it came to a end, and they rebooted. Because The Grand Tour really brought back some old time feels. And the specials with GT were great as well. And I also love Clarksons farm, and Our Man In _____. With out quitting the BBC, we'd probably never get this. But I'd love to see James revive Toy Stories, and Jeremy do some more WWII Documentaries.

Really interesting video, especially to see it from an American’s perspective. One thing I think you did miss out though is any mention of how famous Clarkson already was before “new” Top Gear in 2002. He’d already made “old” Top Gear pretty much synonymous with himself (and Tiff) before leaving, and had plenty of other shows - including his own chat show, VHS tapes, other newspaper columns and other media appearances in the 90s and around the millennium. Everyone knew who he was and his “character” was already well established, while the other presenters were plucked from relative total obscurity. Even if James was originally James’s replacement on “old” Top Gear!

The evolution was so natural it’s only when you put season 2 when may joined next to session 10 you can see how much it changed… they just took the bits that people liked most and expanded it to create a great entertainment show and the fact 20+ years later they are still doing it on Amazon (well specials at-least) is a testament to how well it worked and they stuck together though it all

You have understood the show and its appeal very well. Great work. Spiritually the show did end when Clarkson, Hammond and May left - certainly in the UK the “new” Top Gear without them was immediately ridiculed and is not even close to having anything resembling the cultural resonance of the proper show. To be honest I’m not sure why the BBC bothers with it.

I can't describe how much joy and laughter these three have brought me over the years. Their chemistry is truly one of a kind.

Old top gear with Clarkson, Hammond and May made me fall head over heels in love with cars again, even when the trio left, the love for cars stayed with me… that’s something I’ll never forget.

I grew up with Top Gear, I grew up with this trio. Nothing replaces them, they're an integral part of my childhood and even now I watch every season of the Grand Tour.

It’s the Clarkson, Hammond and May trio that made it work. I haven’t seen much of the show, but it do know that their chemistry and comedic abilities was what made Top Gear so appealing.

Watching Top Gear was like having conversations and talking about cars with your friends, and how you can go on and on about the topic for hours. They were likeminded friends, companions for life.

I wish The Grand Tour continued with the original format, including the seasonal specials. The show was genuinely good, but luckily I have found comfort in Clarkson's Farm. I remember first watching Clarkson's Farm, and I created an IMDb account that night just so I could give it a ten. Highly recommended.

Growing up it was like a family tradition. Every sunday night we'd order takeaway, sit down and watch Top Gear when it first aired on BBC Two. Even though my parents are petrolheads they still watched it for the main trio and their antics.

Still rewatching 2002-2015 Top Gear when I have free time. Pure masterpiece.

As much as i love specials and challenges. In the end i came to the conclusion that News and Conversation Street where the absolute best parts of the shows, because it was just these 3 conversing together.

Lots of people in my life have long enjoyed this show (dad, husband, and now son) and I’ve not understood it. I feel like I get it now. Thank you for explaining it so well. Great video!

That was a very good summary, well done. I'd just like to say though, I'm pretty sure many (if not most) people, in the UK at least, had never heard the word 'slope' as a derogatory term, and only became aware of it when the controversy blew up. I remember watching the episode at the time and that completely passed me by.

"Now thats a proud moment...but is it straight? YES!YES!" The terror in Hammsters eyes when he said "but" 😂😂

My son and I watched every episode up until Clarkson, Hammond and May left. Never watched another episode but have watched all The Grand Tour. Great video. Really enjoyed it and the production. You've spoken really well - clear and concise. It comes across as a very well presented documentary on youtube. I'm really surprised that you don't have more subscribers but this may be early in your RU-vid life. Either way you have a new subscriber and hope to see more videos like this.

Top Gear was arguably funnier than most comedy shows.

To be honest; It's actually because of Top Gear that I started to love cars as a kid ❤ And later studied as a Car Mechanic 😅

Well edited, well presented. Kept me hooked till the last second. Great job!

One of the saddest moments in TV history…. Hammond wailing OLIVERRRR as Oliver sunk into the river.

At 14:58 there is something that fascinates me to no end about different Top Gear releases. Depending on when you watch it, what streaming service, network, or DVD you may have, since the show used a lot of licensed music, it’s often different, it also often varies by reason. On the DVD of the Vietnam special that I have - as an Australian - instead of the American national anthem, the music “dubbed in” that the bike is playing, is Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen. Which somehow feels more inappropriate and funnier, IMO.

That was probably the best short-form telling of the Top gear story I've ever seen, well done and I'm happy to see it appears to be a hit for you.

I've watched Top Gear for the past 20 years, it was one of the few shows I would sit down and watch as a kid. I think the show was the biggest influence on my interest in cars today.

Richard Hammond also has a show called The Smallest Cog and that’s definitely where his focus is. It’s pretty cool.

At 20:20, the abject fear on Hammonds face when Clarkson asks if the "bridge" is "straight".

How a guy with under 600 subs can do a video this good is beyond me. You are destined for great things sir! Keep it up! Sending love from Cape Town!

Season 3 attempt to kill a Toyota Hylux was the first episode leading into the Top Gear of legend. Season four remained conservative but did have the first cheap car challenge. Season five had the first cheap car road trip challenge. Six had the second cheap car and 7 had the third cheap car/second road trip, but Top Gear as we know it arrived with season 8.

The "controversy" side of it got worse because of modern stuff today, people just got offended by being so thin skinned. Clarkson isn't a racist person, only meant as a joke but he can laugh at himself, which in itself makes it even. He makes jokes of others and others make jokes of him and he doesn't mind it!

Very well done program. I learned some things about the early days of the show. And I agree with a majority of the positions you take on the program, the 3 blokes, and their individual paths. Thank you!

Well done video and I agree with pretty much everything said here! Top Gear is a huge part my childhood and I wouldn't be who I am today without this show and these guys, and I think I'm not wrong, or alone, in thinking that. The amount of fun and golden moments the show gave us is immeasurable. It was just the coming together of the right people, with the right ideas, at the right time and in my honest opinion, there will never be another show like Top Gear ever again. Also, a few points I'd like to add that weren't covered in the video on why I think the show is so great and why it's so beloved especially in the car enthusiast community is that, 1) usually car enthusiasts (or cars) aren't portrayed rightly in mass media and big screens, but Top Gear became that one bastion that showed to the general audience how a lot of car guys really are and what they think about cars, so non-car people at least had an idea of why we care about cars so much. My mom, for example, has nothing to do with cars and never really sat through any car show or movie on TV (she would always invite me to watch but would herself leave and go do her own stuff) but Top Gear was the one car show she enjoyed watching, and the same goes for my uncle and aunt. Top Gear took the cars and presented them in a way normal people could enjoy. 2) in a world where media portrays men as either insufferable or incompetent (or both), Top Gear was one of the few, if not the only, major TV shows that showed competence, healthy camaraderie and companionship among men as friends and colleagues, even if they did stupid things and bickered and troubled each other but ultimately were close friends and very intelligent - it was a good example of men to look up to. And that chemistry and friendship is what sold the show, and also why post-2015 Top Gear just doesn't feel the same. There are many more reasons as well why Top Gear is so great, such as the writing, the humour, the presentation, the cinematography, the music selection and so on, but I'll stop this long ass essay right here.

I have no clue when I discovered this show as a kid but it is easily one of, if not my favourite shows. It was never about the cars, it was never about the studio. It was the 3 idiots enjoying the challenges and each others company. This show is beyond rewatchable. Its fantastic. I still find myself using clarkson vocabulary like "yeeeeeeess" Also the specials episodes are still peak tv

I have watched the Vietnam special like 12 times. It is so good. The pace, the editing, the music but also that gorgeous country. Amazing.

These three guys were doing the things that no other TV show hosts we do… The challenges some of them had were tremendous… And the older they got the more they challenge themselves on Top Gear and then the grand tour… I don’t think you could pay any other celebrities to do what they did in Mongolia or south east Asia… These guys have a special chemistry and they are fantastic together. And at least two of them are very good with cars, most TV show host wouldn’t know how to fix anything… Just regular guys who happened to be really entertaining, funny, and skilled…

Top Gear was my childhood, I watched that with my dad since I was probably 4 years old, then watched The Grand Tour, and sadly can see that yeah, it will be wrapping up soon. I've watched for many years now, and this show was a big part of my early life and is part of what made me an avid car enthusiast, the trio was what really kept it alive. I'm glad they're still doing well.

Top Gear was amazing and damn I miss it. My dad and I saw it for the first time around 2004-2005 I believe. Jeremy was driving a Peugeot hatchbatch that had the engine in the rear, it was a proof of concept and it was hilarious. Every single corner he took the car would spin out and he said “Just like the French, sits in a cloud of its own smoke with its hands up!” We cried laughing and were hooked to it. The Bentley Brooklands review got me too. Love The Grand Tour too, but it ain’t top gear.

top gear wasnt about cars, it was about 3 mates who liked cars

It's a staple of my childhood. I continue to rewatch the specials to this day, often with people who couldn't care less about cars. With The Grand Tour probably coming to an end soon, I'd really like for the trio to do a podcast format, perhaps every few months. It would be nice just to hear them chat about cars. Frankly, about anything. Their dynamic is endlessly entertaining.

Very good video which captures the essence of why the Clarkson/May?hammond incarnation of Top Gear was SUCH a success. As someone who has has watched TG since its start and who has known several of the presenters (Clarkson e.g. and Sue Baker, who didn't get a mention) as I was a professional car photographer from the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s. I hope you don't mind if I point out one key change you haven't mentioned which helped to make the Clarkson/May/Hammond incarnation the success it was, namely the excellent and creative standard of photography which kicked in when they took over.

I think your channel is going to get a bit of a boost with this video mate. A boost that is thoroughly deserved.

Thanks for including the first clip of the video, makes me happy to see polish vehicles on the road

Excellent video, well done. So many people I know just didn't get Top Gear. I stopped watching it when the trio left, I loved their loyalty to each other.

Some of the happiest times of my entire life is sitting with my 2 young sons watching top gear and all of us laughing from beginning to end. It’s so sad it’s over.

The Dacia Sandero ‘good news’ segment is an all time classic

You forgot the best bit where James May was confronted by reporters at his front door. "As much as I think he's a knob, I quite like working with Jeremy." Those three have a chemistry that just cannot be faked, I'm glad they stuck together.

Even though it was the Grand Tour, I remember the final episode of the final season, and like Jeremy, I started to cry. It was the end of an era.

back in 2008 my whole family always tuned in whenever top gear were on air i was 10 and both my parents were in their mid 40s and we all equally enjoys it, now i still rewatch some of the old specials and some compilations and it never fail to make me laugh, truly a masterpiece, when that jeremy incident happened BBC really shot their own foot on that one but im glad that the trio found a better opportunity afterward

ok but the making the australian top gear presenters show up in a prison bus was a 10/10 joke (im australian)

The "in all my 5 weeks of television" joke was great What happened to the born in the USA music in the Vietnam special? Was it removed in the American airings?

Bro you only have 600 subs? I genuinely thought you had like 500k to a million! You deserve way more subscribers!

Really high quality and fantastic research in this video! The hard work shows. Albeit not a mega fan of him myself, it’s good to see the inclusion of factual information re: Clarkson and not having his contract renewed (NOT fired as many others will say) as well as context to his assault vs producer with the loss of his mother, divorce etc etc.

The part in the Vietnam special where the USA bike is revealed is edited- in the original the song is "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen. Maybe the BBC changed it in the US release so the joke is more obvious to Americans? Someone in the know please explain. This just seems weird to me lol

Love the video! Though, I am surprised you didn't include the opener for James' first ever segment where Jeremy straight up called him an idiot.

That disastrous radio broadcast at the end. I remember that from so long ago, and it's just as funny. The opening of the Grand Tour though, when Hammond and May come alongside Clarkson I know I speak for a lot of people, it brought tears to my eyes. That's beyond friendship right there. Also from what I've seen of Clarkson's farm, as entertaining as it is it really shows you some of the real agony farmers go through. Such an obscene effort for such little reward at the end of the day.

I miss the Orang Utan, Hamster and Captain Slow. 😢

As a note on the Vietnam Special: At 13:48, Clarkson pushes the button to play the music, but in the version you showed, it is altered from the original broadcast. It actually plays "Born in the USA", with Clarkson noting so. His note is completely muted while he points at it. The original makes the USA bike, much much worse as backup vehicle. And as Clarkson states, is very inappropriate indeed with the original audio.

Thank you for this fantastic video! I loved every minute of it. Top Gear is my favorite show ever. I reqlly miss those guys. I felt like they were my friends. I still follow all of their independent shows and would love to meet them someday. I was just devastated when the show abruptly ended. I really was. Thank God for amazon picking them up.

I would never lie to you. I completely didn't know there was an original Top Gear that started in the 70s. I thought the one from the 2000s which the bulk of the video is dedicated to was the one and only.

Great video I really hope a new episode of TGT comes out soon 🙌🏼

GREAT VIDEO and appreciate your time putting it together.

This show meant and still means so much for me... In 2002 I started working my dream job, though it was kinda exhausting at times. I lived alone, didn't really have much to do outside of work, so I would always just watch TV or some VHS tapes of which I still have a huge collection, though I was just missing something. There weren't many interesting things on TV for me at the time, at least not most of the time I actually could just sit and watch. Fast forward to fall 2003, when I got cable television that included multiple foreign channels, including the BBCs. Knowing English pretty well, I decided to check it out one day just out of curiosity. I remember it like yesterday - I was preparing some food, when I heard a catchy intro song and a summary that sounded pretty hilarious. So I finished making the food and came to see Clarkson, Hammond and May enthusiasticly talking about what they've been up to on their latest challenge. I've never been a car person, but these three just instantly caught my eye, the way they talked to each other and to the camera felt like being in a pub with a group of friends, so I stayed to watch it and at the end of the episode and many laughs later I finally knew that this is it, this is what I've been missing since 2002, such a hilarious show to be excited about! And since that I would just watch every single episode (when I wasn't at work during some of them). And it actually still is my "tradition" to this day, though it's The Grand Tour now. I still work the same job, just for a different company, I don't live alone anymore, but my Wife loves the show too, we've in fact binged the entire Top Gear and The Grand Tour stock on some of our free days and never regretted even a second! It really isn't just about the cars, it's mainly about these three absolutely legendary presenters 💯

If I’d never watched the show this review is short sharp and sums it up perfectly… great stuff 👊

Well put together. I enjoyed that. I love top gear and it’s interesting the history of top gear ❤ when they left it was never the same to me. The 3 clicked and was a great team of presenters. Grand tour was good as well.

Growing up, my scout group watched the episode where they attempted to glide a car off a cliff in Utah, then we went out and camped in Moab, saw the place where they did it, and we even collected some parts that had been scattered across the ground. That’s one of my favorite memories.

23:25 Hammond has done many other projects aside from The Great Escapists. He's done a documentary called Big, where he reviews the largest examples of various thing men have built (cargo ships, stadiums, skyscrapers, etc), he currently runs The Smallest Cog, a Car Restoration Shop and affiliated television program, and he is heavily involved with what remains of DriveTribe.

This was an excellent documentary. I enjoyed watching it and learnt a lot, thank you.

During that Vietnam clip, originally the song that played with the bike was "Born In The USA". If you're wondering why Jeremy randomly says "evidently" while looking at the bike, it's because in the broadcast and DVD version, when he pushes the button on the box the chorus to "Born In The USA" plays. To this, Jeremy says "That's Born In The USA... evidently".

Discovered a rerun on TV one day and it was the Budget Italian sports cars episode and I couldn’t get enough.

Top Gear aired on a Sunday evening at 8pm which was the perfect time slot for the show. Everyone was at home, Mum, Dad, and the kids were all watching the same show. Mum maybe wasn’t a car fan but she was happy all the family were together. Dad was happy because it was car related and was probably the same age as the presenters so he got all the jokes. The kids loved it because it could be very childish and silly. Plus they had the star in a reasonably priced car segment which showed the pulling power and popularity of the show. It really was the perfect family show.

This show WAS my childhood, rushed home from school to tune in to the rewatch (I live in Sweden) from the day before and all of my friends did the same. Later we would all pull som references from random episodes especially the specials; James in the tent, the sportslorry, the “hick town” lady just to name a few. Got served one of my favorite clips by the RU-vid algorithm earlier this week; the minivan cabriolet and I watched with an enormous amount of nostalgia. Why am I writing a long text about a show that has been “dead” for nearly a decade? I don’t know, the small snippets just hit me with a lot of nostalgia emotions.

Dam, this was really good, very well made!

Oliver also featured in a kids tv show called “Richard Hammond’s Blast Labs”, I remember watching the show frequently as a kid alongside Top Gear

Congratulations on blowing up. There is a German video essay channel named "neon tucan". He did 2 or 3 real huge video essays, which blew really up. After that he returned to like 1000 views again. So, please don't be discouraged if the same thing happens to you. It's just the way of RU-vid nowadays. This doesn't mean you can't make it huge, just that it isn't time to quit your job yet. Great Video, btw :)

As someone who absolutely LOVED the rebooted Top Gear, it lost some of its lustre towards the end of _The Three Amigos_ time on the show. (Maybe a season or two before Clarkson was fired) It felt contrived and almost forced at times. I feel the same about The Grand Tour.

Takes me back to a simpler time. The ultimate comfort show with Carkson, Hammond and May.

Pretty competent video in terms of edit, research, presentation, narration pacing. What you could improve is the audio - mic quality

Top gear helped shaped my personality. First episode i watched was in 2005 and sculpted into my high school career, even quoted the Africa special Clarkson quote “Power and Speed” as my yearbook quote in 2014. I own many seasons on DVD and on ITunes.

very good video, keep up the good work

Holy crap man, this video coming from a channel with 840 subscribers?!? Well done!!!!!!

Started watching this show back in 2006 or so. Back then it didn't air in my country, so I watched it on RU-vid. A show that have been dear to my heart ever since. The fist episode I can remember is Clarkson's review of the Lamborghini Diablo.

Well dude, here it comes. Hopefully you're ready for the YT big time because this is your moment. Good film btw.

Brilliant video! Just for the use of Yoshi's Island music alone I'll give a thumbs up. :D

Excellent video! +1 sub