Top Gear
Top Gear
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Top Gear

"The world’s biggest motoring show."

7.6
Yr 2002
Rt 60m
Status Returning Series
Reality Talk
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

This fast-paced and stunt-filled motor show tests whether cars, both mundane and extraordinary, live up to their manufacturers' claims. The long-running show travels to locations around the world, performing extreme stunts and challenges to see what the featured cars are capable of doing. The current hosts are Paddy Mcguinness, Chris Harris and Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 78 /100

For much of its history, Top Gear enjoyed immense popularity and critical success, particularly during its classic era spanning Series 1 through 22. Audiences and reviewers praised its entertaining blend of automotive testing, stunts, and humor, leading to high user scores across major television database platforms.

However, the series experienced notable rough patches over its long run. Around Series 14, critics and viewers began questioning its direction, noting an over-reliance on forced humor and predictable stunts at the expense of genuine motoring content. Reception suffered far more significantly during Series 23 following major cast changes, drawing widespread negative reviews from critics and fans alongside a sharp drop in ratings.

In later years, the show managed to recover some ground, though former presenters and commentators have observed that after decades on the air, the franchise regularly demands a new format and fresh approach to stay relevant.

“Top Gear was rated 8.7/10 in IMDb, and a score of 8.9/10 in TV.com.”

“...perceived that the programme was becoming predictable, with an over-reliance on stunts and forced humour at the expense of serious content.”

“Compared to the previous years of Top Gear, the 23rd series was met with negative reviews from fans and critics alike...”

“It’s time for a new format and a new approach…”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Peacock Premium
US
AMC+ Amazon Channel
US
Peacock Premium Plus
US
Show 10 more
The Roku Channel
US
Tubi TV
US • CA • UK
The CW
US
Hoopla
US • CA
Crave
CA
Crave Amazon Channel
CA
Pluto TV
CA
Sky Go
UK
UKTV Play
UK
BBC iPlayer
UK
Why fans love it

Top Gear evolved from a straightforward magazine program into a sprawling globe-trotting spectacle where the mechanical limits of supercars meet the unpredictability of international travel. While the premise centers on whether vehicles perform as promised, the core appeal remains the friction between ambitious engineering and the inevitable reality of human error. It functions as much as a testing ground for machinery as it does a display of how chaos influences the design of a stunt.

Jeremy Clarkson helped establish the tone that defines the show, prioritizing personality and irreverent challenges over clinical technical evaluation. By placing expensive machines in environments they were never intended to navigate, the series highlights the thin line between a successful road trip and a total disaster. The resulting projects offer an unconventional perspective on car culture, trading dry industry data for high-stakes racing and the unpredictable dynamics of friendship on the road.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 4
Longest run 171 eps
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
as Self - Host
171 episodes
Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
as Self - Host
171 episodes
James May
James May
as Self - Host
161 episodes
Chris Evans
Chris Evans
as Self - Host
9 episodes
Eddie Jordan
Eddie Jordan
as Self - Host
19 episodes
Chris Harris
Chris Harris
as Self - Host
59 episodes
Rory Reid
Rory Reid
as Self - Host
24 episodes
Jason Dawe
Jason Dawe
as Self - Host
10 episodes
Show 67 more
Paddy McGuinness as Self - Host 35 episodes Andrew Flintoff as Self - Host 35 episodes Perry McCarthy as The Stig 20 episodes Ben Collins as The Stig 105 episodes Matt LeBlanc as Self - Host 26 episodes Sabine Schmitz as Self - Host 32 episodes David Dimbleby as Self 1 episode David Soul as Self 1 episode Carol Vorderman as Self 1 episode Stephen Ladyman as Self 1 episode Cliff Richard as Self 1 episode Jack Dee as Self 1 episode Johnny Vegas as Self 1 episode Justin Lee Collins as Self 1 episode Ewan McGregor as Self 1 episode Kristin Scott Thomas as Self 1 episode Ross Kemp as Self 2 episodes Martin Kemp as Self 1 episode Tim Rice as Self 1 episode Jonathan Ross as Self 2 episodes Terry Wogan as Self 1 episode Suzy Eddie Izzard as Self 1 episode Jamelia as Self 1 episode Tara Palmer-Tomkinson as Self 1 episode Sanjeev Bhaskar as Self 1 episode Omid Djalili as Self 1 episode Davina McCall as Self 1 episode Bill Bailey as Self 2 episodes Harry Enfield as Self 2 episodes Jimmy Carr as Self 4 episodes Simon Pegg as Self 2 episodes Jodie Kidd as Self 2 episodes Stephen Fry as Self 2 episodes Johnny Vaughan as Self 2 episodes Ray Winstone as Self 2 episodes Boris Johnson as Self 2 episodes Justin Hawkins as Self 2 episodes Vinnie Jones as Self 2 episodes Jamie Oliver as Self 2 episodes Gordon Ramsay as Self 3 episodes Alan Davies as Self 2 episodes Trevor Eve as Self 2 episodes Michael Gambon as Self 2 episodes Simon Cowell as Self 2 episodes Damon Hill as Self 4 episodes Will Young as Self 2 episodes James Blunt as Self 2 episodes Steve Coogan as Self 3 episodes Damian Lewis as Self 2 episodes James McAvoy as Self 2 episodes Tinie Tempah as Self 2 episodes Ross Noble as Self 2 episodes David Tennant as Self 2 episodes Brian Cox as Self 2 episodes Rob Brydon as Self 3 episodes Jay Kay as Self 4 episodes Lewis Hamilton as Self 2 episodes Fiona Bruce as Self 2 episodes Jenson Button as Self 3 episodes Jennifer Saunders as Self 2 episodes Amy Williams as Self 2 episodes Kris Meeke as Self 2 episodes Peter Jones as Self 3 episodes Seasick Steve as Self 3 episodes Theo Paphitis as Self 2 episodes Ken Block as Self 3 episodes Brian Johnson as Self 4 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Online Editor
Joe Orr
Camera Operator
Phil Piotrowsky Rob McDonald James Ramsay
Camera Department Production Assistant
Keith Schofield Robin Sunderland Mike Drury
Presenter
Jeremy Clarkson Matt LeBlanc Chris Harris Rory Reid
Director
Ollie Bartlett Mark McQueen Jon Richards
Producer
Zac Assemakis Andy Wilman Nick Dalton Aurora Mulligan Maggi Gibson Lloyd Washbrook
Lighting Director
Warwick Fielding Stuart Gain
Camera Supervisor
Neil McLintock
Executive Producer
Clare Pizey
Floor Runner
Nick Keene
Editor
Nick Dalton Dave Austin Gavin Douglas
Production Design
Simon Kimmel
Series Director
Phil Churchward
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Top Gear overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

friendship travel racing race supercar magazine show inspirational
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
October 20, 2002
Status
Returning Series
Episode Runtime
60 minutes
Origin
GB
TMDB Votes
848