Top Gear

Top Gear is the BBC-produced car show designed to be entertaining enough to keep even non-automobile enthusiasts glued to the screen. The British show is hosted by James May, Richard Hammon, and Jeremy Clarkson. Each episode includes seemingly traditional car show segments, such as statistic breakdowns, test drives, and races. What sets Top Gear apart from the pack is its engaging visual style and presentation, and the creative ways the hosts go about showcasing the vehicles. Their reviews of cars often include stunts and circumstances meant to comically highlight a particular strength or weakness of the vehicle. The show also features mysterious test driver The Stig, a nameless, faceless man whose only job is to drive high-end cars very quickly. While it first aired in 1977, Top Gear didn't establish its current popular format until 2002. Since then, the show has earned an estimated 350 million viewers worldwide, with international versions being produced in Russia and Australia. MORE