Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars, and the most widely watched factual television programme in the world.It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine programme, but over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous and sometimes controversial style.First-run episodes are broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two and (from series 20) BBC Two HD. From series 14-19, prior to the launch of the dedicated BBC Two HD channel, new episodes were also simulcast on BBC HD. The series is also carried on cable television systems in the United States via BBC America, in Latin America via BBC Entertainment and in Europe and South-East Asia via BBC Knowledge.The programme has received acclaim for its visual style and presentation as well as criticism for its content and often politically incorrect commentary made by its presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. Columnist A. A. Gill, close friend of Clarkson and fellow Sunday Times columnist, described the programme as “a triumph of the craft of programme making, of the minute, obsessive, musical masonry of editing, the French polishing of colourwashing and grading”.On 25 March 2015, host Jeremy Clarkson was informed by the BBC that his contract would not be renewed. Following Clarkson’s departure, his co-hostsRichard Hammond and James May and executive producer Andy Wilman announced that they would not return to the show without him. On 16 June 2015 Chris Evans was confirmed as one of the new hosts. It has been reported in the media that Evans will be joined by Sabine Schmitz and Chris Harris as co-presenters on the show, although the BBC have yet to confirm any official appointments other than Evans. The new series is due to air from May 2016.The show also features an anonymous test driver known as “The Stig”, played by numerous racing drivers over the course of the series.Jeremy Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman successfully pitched a new format for Top Gear to the BBC, reversing a previous decision to cancel the programme in 2001. The new series was first broadcast in 2002. Instead of using a conventional TV studio, Top Gear is located at Dunsfold Aerodrome, an airport and business park in Waverley, Surrey. The programme uses a temporary racing circuit which was designed for the programme by Lotus and is laid out on parts of Dunsfold’s runways and taxiways.
A large aircraft hangar is used for studio recording with a standing audience.The new series format incorporates a number of major changes from the old series. The running time was extended to one hour and two new presenters were introduced: Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe, although Clarkson and Hammond typically appeared in most segments. Dawe was replaced by James May from the second series onwards. From the start of the new series The Stig, an anonymous, helmeted racing driver, was introduced as the test driver. New segments were also added, including “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car”, “The Cool Wall”, “The News”, “Power Laps”, and one-off features such as races, competitions, the regular destruction of caravans, and occasionally Morris Marinas, which cannot appear on the programme without being destroyed (most commonly by a piano landing on the roof).In early 2006, the BBC had a plan to move the film site from Dunsfold to Enstone, Oxfordshire, for filming of the eighth series of Top Gear, but the move was rejected by West Oxfordshire council due to noise and pollution concerns. Filming of the series went ahead at Dunsfold in May that year despite not having a permit to do so, with a revamped studio set, a new car for the “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” segment, and the inclusion of one of Hammond’s dogs, named “Top Gear Dog” (now known as TeeGee), in some of the studio and film segments of that series.On 20 September 2006, Richard Hammond was seriously injured while driving a Vampire turbojet drag racing car at up to 314 miles per hour (505 km/h) for a feature in the series. The BBC indefinitely postponed the broadcast of Best of Top Gearand announced that production of the series would be delayed until Hammond had recovered. Both the BBC and the Health and Safety Executive carried out inquiries into the accident. Filming resumed on 5 October 2006. The ninth series began on 28 January 2007 and included footage of Hammond’s crash. The first episode of the ninth series attracted higher ratings than the finale of Celebrity Big Brother] and the final episode of the series had 8 million viewers – BBC Two’s two highest ratings for a decade.