List of Top Gear (2002 TV series) episodes
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Top Gear is a British television series that focuses on various motor vehicles, primarily cars, in which its hosts conduct reviews on new models and vintage classics, as well as tackling various motoring related challenges, and inviting celebrities to set a time on their specially designed race-course. The programme is a relaunched version of the original 1977 show of the same name.
For its first series, the show was presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and Jason Dawe, with support from an anonymous race driver, The Stig. The format of the first series was more similar to the original show than later series and had interviews with guests outside of the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment. Dawe was replaced by James May for the second series, where the show chose to focus only on car reviews, guest laps in the Reasonably Priced Car, the Cool Wall, and the Greatest Car Ever segment (exclusive to this series), with each episode also having a single short challenge. This strict format was later relaxed, with the third series showing more challenges; these challenges became longer from the fourth series as the races and the cheap car challenges were introduced. By series 7, there were fewer reviews of "affordable" cars that were the main focus of the original show, and the show became almost entirely focused on longer and partially-scripted challenges, with one or two car reviews (usually only featuring performance cars) per episode. Regular roadtrip-style special episodes were also introduced from series 9, often aired as a Christmas special.
This new format remained unchanged until the line-up was changed after the departure of Clarkson, Hammond and May at the end of the twenty-second series. Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc took over as the main hosts, with a team of co-presenters consisting of Chris Harris, Rory Reid, Eddie Jordan and Sabine Schmitz.[1][2][3] After the twenty-third series, Evans departed from the show, leading to LeBlanc being joined by Harris and Reid as the main hosts, with occasional appearances from Jordan and Schmitz.[4] LeBlanc departed the show following the twenty-sixth series in 2019,[5] and was replaced by new hosts Paddy McGuiness and Freddie Flintoff for the twenty-seventh series later that year.[6]
The following is a list of episodes, listed in order of their original UK air date along with featured cars, challenges, and guests. For more information on features and challenges included in each series, visit each series' respective page. Comprehensive lists of challenges and races can be found at Top Gear challenges and Top Gear races. The list does not include shorter spin-off episodes produced for charity (Top Gear of the Pops, produced for Red Nose Day; Top Ground Gear Force and Stars in Fast Cars, produced for Sport Relief; and an Ashes to Ashes parody and Children in Need does Star in a Reasonably Priced Car for Children in Need), 'Best of' special episodes, and some other specials, such as 50 Years of Bond Cars, An Evening with Top Gear, and A Tribute To Sabine Schmitz.
During the course of the programme, 240 episodes of Top Gear aired, including three specials over thirty-three series, between 20 October 2002 and 18 December 2022.
Series overview
[edit]| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | Average UK viewers (in millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | ||||
| 1 | 10 | 20 October 2002 | 29 December 2002 | BBC Two | 3.30 | |
| 2 | 10 | 11 May 2003 | 20 July 2003 | 3.16 | ||
| 3 | 9 | 26 October 2003 | 28 December 2003 | 4.03 | ||
| 4 | 10 | 9 May 2004 | 1 August 2004 | 3.48 | ||
| 5 | 9 | 24 October 2004 | 26 December 2004 | 4.15 | ||
| 6 | 11 | 22 May 2005 | 7 August 2005 | 4.21 | ||
| 7 | 7 | 13 November 2005 | 12 February 2006 | 4.61 | ||
| 8 | 8 | 7 May 2006 | 30 July 2006 | 4.45 | ||
| 9 | 6 | 28 January 2007 | 4 March 2007 | 7.45 | ||
| Special | 1 | 25 July 2007 | 4.50 | |||
| 10 | 10 | 7 October 2007 | 23 December 2007 | 7.01 | ||
| 11 | 6 | 22 June 2008 | 27 July 2008 | 5.94 | ||
| 12 | 8 | 2 November 2008 | 28 December 2008 | 7.32 | ||
| 13 | 7 | 21 June 2009 | 2 August 2009 | 7.17 | ||
| 14 | 7 | 15 November 2009 | 3 January 2010 | 6.69 | ||
| 15 | 6 | 27 June 2010 | 1 August 2010 | 6.25 | ||
| 16 | 8 | 21 December 2010 | 27 February 2011 | 7.19 | ||
| 17 | 6 | 26 June 2011 | 31 July 2011 | 6.42 | ||
| 18 | 8 | 28 December 2011 | 11 March 2012 | 6.07 | ||
| 19 | 7 | 27 January 2013 | 10 March 2013 | 6.58 | ||
| 20 | 6 | 30 June 2013 | 4 August 2013 | 5.31 | ||
| 21 | 7 | 2 February 2014 | 16 March 2014 | 6.49 | ||
| 22 | 10[a] | 27 December 2014 | 28 June 2015 | 6.49 | ||
| Specials | 2 | 26 December 2015 | 30 December 2015 | 1.79 | ||
| 23 | 6 | 29 May 2016 | 3 July 2016 | 3.89 | ||
| 24 | 7 | 5 March 2017 | 23 April 2017 | 3.15 | ||
| 25 | 6 | 25 February 2018 | 1 April 2018 | 3.11 | ||
| 26 | 5 | 17 February 2019 | 17 March 2019 | 2.35 | ||
| 27 | 5 | 16 June 2019 | 14 July 2019 | 4.46 | ||
| 28 | 7 | 29 December 2019 | 1 March 2020 | 4.76 | ||
| 29 | 5 | 4 October 2020 | 1 November 2020 | BBC One | 5.68 | |
| 30 | 4 | 14 March 2021 | 4 April 2021 | 6.42 | ||
| 31 | 6 | 14 November 2021 | 24 December 2021 | 5.72 | ||
| 32 | 5 | 5 June 2022 | 3 July 2022 | 3.93 | ||
| 33 | 5 | 30 October 2022 | 18 December 2022 | 4.39 | ||
Episodes
[edit]Series 1 (2002)
[edit]Series 2 (2003)
[edit]Series 3 (2003)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [10] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | Ford GT • BMW 5 Series • Porsche 911 GT3 | Can the diesel Volkswagen Lupo get better mpg than the petrol version? • Can The Stig reach 100 mph on an aircraft carrier? | Martin Kemp | 26 October 2003 | 3.32 |
| 22 | 2 | BMW M3 CSL • BMW M1 • BMW M3 • BMW M5 • | Volvo 240 attempts to jump four caravans • Best 2 seater sportscar: (Porsche Boxster • BMW Z4 • Honda S2000) | Stephen Fry | 2 November 2003 | 3.41 |
| 23 | 3 | Bentley Continental GT • Subaru Legacy Outback | Saab 9-5 Aero versus a BAe Sea Harrier • How to Escape from a Sinking Car • Top Gear Survey | Rob Brydon | 9 November 2003 | 4.02 |
| 24 | 4 | Lamborghini Miura • Lamborghini Countach • Mini Cooper S Works • Lamborghini Gallardo | Lamborghini Tribute | Rich Hall | 16 November 2003 | 4.59 |
| 25 | 5 | Mazda RX-8 • Fiat Panda | Is the Toyota Hilux really indestructible? • Hammond searches for future classic cars | Simon Cowell | 23 November 2003 | 4.80 |
| 26 | 6 | Citroën C2 • Renault Mégane CC • Peugeot 307 CC • Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1977) • Holden Monaro | Is a Toyota Hilux really indestructible? – Part 2 | Sanjeev Bhaskar | 7 December 2003 | 5.40 |
| 27 | 7 | MG XPower SV • Porsche Cayenne Turbo • Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren | Which professor can do the best burn-out • What is the best British car: (Rover 75 • Morgan Plus 8 • Noble M12) | Rory Bremner | 14 December 2003 | 3.35 |
| 28 | 8 | Mercedes-Benz 280SL • Nissan Micra • Aston Martin Lagonda • Audi TT | Top Gear Generation Game | Johnny Vegas | 21 December 2003 | 3.15 |
| 29 | 9 | Chrysler Crossfire • Smart Roadster (Brabus V6 Bi-Turbo) • Jaguar XJ6 • Honda Civic Type R • Honda NSX Type R | Top Gear Awards 2003 | Carol Vorderman | 28 December 2003 | 4.24 |
Series 4 (2004)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | Lotus Exige • Rover CityRover • Aston Martin DB9 | Epic race: Aston Martin DB9 vs. Eurostar and TGV fast trains – Surrey to Monte Carlo • Apache Gunship helicopter vs. Lotus Exige – can the helicopter get missile lock? | Fay Ripley | 9 May 2004 | 3.28 |
| 31 | 2 | Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren • Alfa Romeo 166 • Cadillac Escalade • Ford FAB-1 | A nun in a monster truck • Hammond gets hypnotised | Paul McKenna | 16 May 2004 | 3.31 |
| 32 | 3 | Porsche 911 GT3 RS • Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale • Dodge Charger R/T | £100 car challenge. (Volvo 760 • Audi 80 • Rover 416GTi) | Jordan | 23 May 2004 | 3.36 |
| 33 | 4 | Porsche Carrera GT • Audi A8 4.0 TDI • Ford SportKa | 'Car darts' • Audi A8 4.0 TDI endurance challenge (London to Edinburgh and back on one tank) • Ford SportKa vs. racing pigeons • Evo vs. STi battle revised | Ronnie O'Sullivan | 30 May 2004 | 3.24 |
| 34 | 5 | MG ZT 260 • Hatchbacks: (Vauxhall Astra • Mazda3 • Volkswagen Golf) | Shootout: Performance sport coupes (Jaguar XK-R • BMW 645Ci • Porsche 911 Carrera 2) on the Pendine Sands • Volkswagen Golf gets electrocuted | Johnny Vaughan • Denise van Outen | 6 June 2004 | 3.39 |
| 35 | 6 | Renault Clio RenaultSport • Jaguar XJS • Cadillac CTS • Nissan Cube | Can you run a car on poo? Hammond Investigates. | Sir Terry Wogan | 13 June 2004 | 3.19 |
| 36 | 7 | Spyker C8 Spyder • Mercedes-Benz CL 65 AMG | MPVs as minicabs: (Renault Scénic • Ford C-Max) | Lionel Richie | 11 July 2004 | 3.47 |
| 37 | 8 | Ford GT • Maserati Quattroporte | Diesel versus Petrol hot hatch race • Blowing over cars using Boeing 747 jetblast • Tribute to the Rover V8 engine | Martin Clunes | 18 July 2004 | 4.01 |
| 38 | 9 | Two Seater Roadsters: (Mazda MX-5 • Toyota MR2 • Fiat Barchetta • Mercedes-Benz SL600) • Convertibles: (Mini Cooper Cabriolet • Vauxhall Tigra • Mercedes-Benz SLK350 • Audi S4 Cabriolet) • Jaguar X-Type Estate | Can you parachute into a moving car? | Sir Ranulph Fiennes | 25 July 2004 | 4.01 |
| 39 | 10 | Volvo V50 • Peugeot 407 • BMW X3 • Chevrolet Corvette | Hammond drives the Peugeot 407 as a pace car | Patrick Kielty | 1 August 2004 | 3.54 |
Series 5 (2004)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [12] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1 | Porsche 911 Carrera S | Can an ice cream van jump a bouncy castle? Best Muscle Car on sale (Chrysler 300C • Vauxhall Monaro VX-R • Jaguar S-Type R) | Bill Bailey | 24 October 2004 | 3.35 |
| 41 | 2 | Hatchbacks: (Ford Focus • Vauxhall Astra • Volkswagen Golf) • Enzo Ferrari • Supercars: (Jaguar XJ220 • Pagani Zonda • Ferrari F40 • McLaren F1 • Porsche Carrera GT) | Mountainboarder versus a rally car | Geri Halliwell | 31 October 2004 | 3.81 |
| 42 | 3 | Dodge Viper SRT-10 | Drive a Land Rover Discovery to the top of Cnoc an Fhreiceadain in Scotland • Find the craziest car in the world • Top Gear survey 2004 results | Joanna Lumley | 7 November 2004 | 4.41 |
| 43 | 4 | Pagani Zonda S Roadster • Aston Martin Vanquish S • Ferrari 575M Maranello GTC | 24 hours in a Smart Forfour • Playing conkers with caravans. | Jimmy Carr • Steve Coogan | 14 November 2004 | 4.44 |
| 44 | 5 | Morgan Aero 8 GTN • Mercedes-Benz 300SL | People carrier racing • Break 10:00 around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a diesel car | Christian Slater • Sabine Schmitz | 21 November 2004 | 4.69 |
| 45 | 6 | Volkswagen Golf V GTI | How much Porsche can you get for £1,500? (Porsche 928 S • Porsche 944 • Porsche 924) • Blind man doing a power lap | Cliff Richard • Billy Baxter | 5 December 2004 | 4.87 |
| 46 | 7 | Toyota Prius • Ford Mustang • Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR FQ400 | A four-door Evo goes head-to-head with a Lamborghini. Top Gear Awards 2004 | Roger Daltrey • James Kaye | 12 December 2004 | 3.39 |
| 47 | 8 | Ferrari 612 Scaglietti | Epic race: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti vs Jet Plane to Verbier • Showroom cars vs old race cars • Mitsubishi Evo vs bobsleigh • The Stig attempts a sub-1:00 power lap of the test track in a Renault F1 car | Eddie Izzard | 19 December 2004 | 5.06 |
| 48 | 9 | Ariel Atom • BMW 1 Series • Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG | Find a 'pearl' among a collection of cars from the Pacific Rim | Trinny Woodall • Susannah Constantine | 26 December 2004 | 3.30 |
Series 6 (2005)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 1 | Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG • Honda Element • Toyota Aygo • Range Rover Sport | Toyota Aygo Football • Range Rover Sport vs Challenger 2 Tank | James Nesbitt | 22 May 2005 | 4.51 |
| 50 | 2 | Maserati MC12 | Two-door coupé for less than £1,500 that isn't a Porsche (Mitsubishi Starion • BMW 635CSi • Jaguar XJ-S) | Jack Dee | 29 May 2005 | 3.67 |
| 51 | 3 | Aston Martin DB9 Volante • Maserati Bora • Wiesmann MF 3 • TVR Tuscan | Clarkson opens a public pool with a Rolls-Royce | Christopher Eccleston | 12 June 2005 | 3.96 |
| 52 | 4 | Cadillac CTS-V • BMW 320d | Presenters' mums help evaluate cars: (Peugeot 1007 • Renault Modus • Honda Jazz) • Can a stretch limo jump over the wedding party? | Omid Djalili | 19 June 2005 | 3.45 |
| 53 | 5 | Aston Martin DB5 • Jaguar E-Type • Nissan Murano • Maserati GranSport • Porsche Boxster S • Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG | Soldiers shoot at Clarkson while he drives the Boxster S and the SLK 55 AMG to see which one is best avoiding bullets • Hammond sees if he can beat a time set by Maserati's Chief Test Driver in the GranSport | Damon Hill | 26 June 2005 | 3.66 |
| 54 | 6 | Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren | Epic race to Oslo: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren vs. a boat • Aston Martin DBR9 lap time | David Dimbleby | 3 July 2005 | 4.55 |
| 55 | 7 | TVR Sagaris • Fiat Panda 4x4 | Fiat Panda against a marathon runner • Sabine Schmitz attempts to beat 9:59 around the Nürburgring in a Ford Transit | Justin Hawkins • Sabine Schmitz | 10 July 2005 | 3.75 |
| 56 | 8 | Ferrari F430 | Convertible versions of existing coupes in Iceland (Audi TT • Nissan 350Z • Chrysler Crossfire) | Tim Rice | 17 July 2005 | 4.10 |
| 57 | 9 | BMW M5 • Hot Hatches: (Vauxhall Astra VXR • Renault Mégane Sport 225 Trophy • Volkswagen Golf GTI) | "Road Test Russian Roulette" • World record attempt for number of times a car has rolled at high speed | Chris Evans | 24 July 2005 | 5.18 |
| 58 | 10 | BMW 535d • Bentley Continental Flying Spur | Driving over a lake in Iceland • What is the most fun off-road toy? | Davina McCall • Mark Webber | 31 July 2005 | 4.92 |
| 59 | 11 | Ford F150 SVT Lightning • Vauxhall Monaro VXR • Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster[broken anchor] | Recreate Top Gear Theme Song using engine noises | Yasuyuki Kazama • Timothy Spall | 7 August 2005 | 4.58 |
Series 7 (2005–06)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [14] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 1 | Ascari KZ1 | Shootout: Performance sports coupes (Aston Martin V8 Vantage • BMW M6 • Porsche 911 Carrera S) on the Isle of Man • Top Gear survey 2005 results | Trevor Eve | 13 November 2005 | 3.74 |
| 61 | 2 | Porsche Cayman S • Audi RS4 | Life-sized RC cars • History of British racing green • Audi RS4 vs Speed Climbers race | Ian Wright | 20 November 2005 | 4.48 |
| 62 | 3 | Ford Focus ST | Supercar road trip to Millau Viaduct, France (Ford GT • Pagani Zonda S • Ferrari F430 Spider) | Stephen Ladyman | 27 November 2005 | 4.61 |
| 63 | 4 | Pagani Zonda F • Renault Clio | Italian mid-engine supercars for less than £10,000 (Maserati Merak • Ferrari 308 GT4 • Lamborghini Urraco) • Renault Clio vs. downhill cyclist race in Lisbon | Dame Ellen MacArthur | 4 December 2005 | 4.88 |
| 64 | 5 | Marcos TSO • Bugatti Veyron | Epic race: Bugatti Veyron versus Cessna 182 light airplane from Alba, Italy to London • RWD vs. AWD Porsches debate: Porsche 911 Carrera 4 vs Porsche 911 Carrera 2 | Nigel Mansell | 11 December 2005 | 4.76 |
| 65 | 6 | Volkswagen Golf R32 • BMW 130i • Mazda MX-5 • Honda NSX | Old generation vs. New generation car culture • Lap times from a video game vs. Real life in the Honda NSX • Mazda MX-5 vs. Greyhound race • Top Gear Awards 2005 | David Walliams • Jimmy Carr | 27 December 2005 | 4.52 |
| 66 | — | None – Special | Top Gear Winter Olympics | None | 12 February 2006 | 5.22 |
Series 8 (2006)
[edit]Series 9 (2007)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [16] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | 1 | Jaguar XKR • Aston Martin V8 Vantage | Roadworks in 24 hours • Hammond's Vampire dragster crash aftermath | Jamie Oliver | 28 January 2007 | 8.13 |
| 76 | 2 | None | Bugatti Veyron to top speed at Ehra-Lessien • Shootout: Golf and Art in Coupes costing less than £25,000 (Audi TT • Mazda RX-8 • Alfa Romeo Brera). | Hugh Grant | 4 February 2007 | 7.20 |
| 77 | 3 | None – US Special | US Special: (Chevrolet Camaro RS • Dodge Ram 150 • Cadillac Brougham) | None | 11 February 2007 | 6.18 |
| 78 | 4 | Brabus S Biturbo roadster (based on a Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG) • Porsche 911 Turbo | Reliant Robin Space Shuttle challenge | Simon Pegg | 18 February 2007 | 7.51 |
| 79 | 5 | Lamborghini Murciélago LP640[broken anchor] | Railway crossing hazard video • Tractor challenge (JCB Fastrac 8250 • Case STX Steiger 530 • Fendt 930 Vario): Home-made biofuel • Top Gear survey 2006 results | Kristin Scott Thomas | 25 February 2007 | 7.58 |
| 80 | 6 | Shelby Mustang GT500 | Stretch limos from ordinary cars (Fiat Panda[broken anchor] • MG F • Alfa Romeo 164 & Saab 9000) | Billie Piper • Chris Moyles • Jamelia • Lemar | 4 March 2007 | 8.12 |
Special (2007)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Features/challenges | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | — | Top Gear: Polar Special | Polar Special (Toyota Hilux) | 25 July 2007 | 4.50 [citation needed] |
Series 10 (2007)
[edit]Series 11 (2008)
[edit]Series 12 (2008)
[edit]Series 13 (2009)
[edit]Series 14 (2009–10)
[edit]Series 15 (2010)
[edit]Series 16 (2010–11)
[edit]Series 17 (2011)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [20] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 134 | 1 | Marauder • BMW 1 Series M Coupe | 50th Birthday of the Jaguar E-Type • Mini John Cooper Works WRC with Amy Williams | Alice Cooper • Amy Williams • Kris Meeke | 26 June 2011 | 6.22[nb 21] |
| 135 | 2 | Aston Martin Virage | High-performance hatchbacks in Lucca and around the Monaco Grand Prix track: (Citroën DS3 Racing • Fiat 500 Abarth Convertible • Renault Sport Clio 200 Cup) | Ross Noble • Flavio Briatore • Christian Horner • Bernie Ecclestone | 3 July 2011 | 5.72[nb 22] |
| 136 | 3 | McLaren MP4-12C • Range Rover Evoque | Examine toughness of the Range Rover Evoque in Las Vegas • Second-hand bargains for the price of the Nissan Pixo (Mercedes-Benz CL600 • BMW 850Ci) | Sebastian Vettel | 10 July 2011 | 6.55[nb 23] |
| 137 | 4 | Jaguar XKR-S • Nissan GT-R | Make a train out of a specially modified car and caravans as carriages: (Jaguar XJ-S Convertible • Audi S8) | Rowan Atkinson | 17 July 2011 | 7.14[nb 24] |
| 138 | 5 | Lotus T125 • Jensen Interceptor | Demolish a house with second-hand military equipment vs demolition experts | Bob Geldof • Jean Alesi | 24 July 2011 | 6.13[nb 25] |
| 139 | 6 | Lamborghini Aventador | Electric cars for the seaside: (Nissan Leaf • Peugeot iOn) • Extraordinary rally team of amputee military veterans | Louis Walsh • Race2Recovery Team • Ben Collins | 31 July 2011 | 6.76[nb 26] |
Series 18 (2011–12)
[edit]Series 19 (2013)
[edit]Series 20 (2013)
[edit]Series 21 (2014)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 161 | 1 | None | Proving that the hot hatchbacks of the presenters' youth were better than their modern equivalents: (Volkswagen Golf Mk2 GTI • Vauxhall Nova SRi • Ford Fiesta XR2i • 2S1 Gvozdika) | Hugh Bonneville | 2 February 2014 | 6.12 |
| 162 | 2 | Alfa Romeo 4C • McLaren P1 | Alfa Romeo 4C vs Gibbs Quadski • May visits Camp Bastion in Afghanistan | Tom Hiddleston | 9 February 2014 | 6.97 |
| 163 | 3 | Zenvo ST1 | Trip through Ukraine in three-cylinder city cars: (Volkswagen Up! • Ford Fiesta • Dacia Sandero) | James Blunt | 16 February 2014 | 6.87 |
| 164 | 4 | Caterham 7 160 • Caterham 7 620R • Alfa Romeo Disco Volante by Touring • Mercedes Benz G63 AMG 6x6 | Proving that cars are better than motorbikes | Jack Whitehall | 23 February 2014 | 6.53 |
| 165 | 5 | BMW M135i • VW Golf GTI Mk7 • Porsche 918 Spyder | Making a public information film on cycle safety | Aaron Paul | 2 March 2014 | 5.64 |
| 166 | — | N/A – Burma Special Part 1 | Build a bridge over the River Kwai: (Isuzu TX • Isuzu TX • Hino FB110) | None | 9 March 2014 | 6.29 |
| 167 | — | N/A – Burma Special Part 2 | Build a bridge over the River Kwai: (Isuzu TX • Isuzu TX • Hino FB110) | None | 16 March 2014 | 7.01 |
Series 22 (2014–15)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 168 | — | N/A – Patagonia Special | Drive from Bariloche to Ushuaia: (Porsche 928 GT • Lotus Esprit V8 • Ford Mustang Mach 1) | None | 27 December 2014 | 7.21 |
| 169 | — | N/A – Patagonia Special | Drive from Bariloche to Ushuaia: (Porsche 928 GT • Lotus Esprit V8 • Ford Mustang Mach 1) | None | 28 December 2014 | 7.38 |
| 170 | 1 | Lamborghini Huracán • Renault Twizy | Race across the urban landscape of St Petersburg | Ed Sheeran | 25 January 2015 | 6.41 |
| 171 | 2 | None | Australian Northern Territory road trip in GT cars: (BMW M6 Gran Coupe • Nissan GT-R • Bentley Continental GT V8S) | Kiefer Sutherland | 1 February 2015 | 6.56 |
| 172 | 3 | None | Homemade ambulance challenge: (Porsche 944 Turbo • Ford Scorpio Cardinal • Chevrolet G20) | Daniel Ricciardo | 8 February 2015 | 6.14 |
| 173 | 4 | Mercedes-AMG GT S • BMW M3 • BMW i8 | Hammond pays homage to the Land Rover Defender | Margot Robbie • Will Smith | 15 February 2015 | 6.24 |
| 174 | 5 | Chevrolet Corvette Stingray • Porsche Cayman GTS • LaFerrari | May and Clarkson look at the weird and wonderful history of Peugeot | Olly Murs | 22 February 2015 | 6.04 |
| 175 | 6 | Lexus RC F • Lexus LFA | Hammond is dropped into British Columbia, Canada to test a watch with a built-in emergency beacon: (Ford F-150 Hennessey VelociRaptor • Chevrolet Silverado HD) | Gillian Anderson | 1 March 2015 | 6.15 |
| 176 | 7 | Jaguar F-Type R • Eagle Low Drag GT • Mazda MX-5 | May competes in a world rallycross race alongside Tanner Foust (U.S. Top Gear host). | Nicholas Hoult • Tanner Foust | 8 March 2015 | 5.84 |
| 177 | 8 | None | Find a cheap car that still lives up to the title of classic: (Fiat 124 Spider • Peugeot 304 S Cabriolet • MGB GT) • Living the sports utility vehicle lifestyle for less than £250: (Vauxhall Frontera Sport RS • Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin • Jeep Cherokee) | None | 28 June 2015 | 6.92 |
Specials (2015)
[edit]In November 2015, the BBC announced "Top Gear: From A-Z", described as a "two-part extravaganza" in the form of a clip show composed of material from the previous twenty-two series of Top Gear.[23] It is narrated by comedian John Bishop with celebrities presenting their favourite highlights from the show;[24] the programme did not use the Top Gear studio.[24]
| No. overall | No. special | Title | Features/challenges | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 178 | 1 | "From A-Z Part 1" | Top Gear clip-show introduced by celebrities | 26 December 2015 | 1.91 |
| 179 | 2 | "From A-Z Part 2" | Top Gear clip-show introduced by celebrities | 30 December 2015 | 1.67 |
Series 23 (2016)
[edit]Series 24 (2017)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 186 | 1 | Ferrari FXX-K | Race across Kazakhstan in three high-mileage cars: (Volvo V70 • Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W210) • Black Cab) | James McAvoy | 5 March 2017 | 3.77 |
| 187 | 2 | Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio | US road trip in two convertible supercars: (Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet • Lamborghini Huracán Spyder) | David Tennant | 12 March 2017 | 3.60 |
| 188 | 3 | Aston Martin DB11 • Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S • Abarth 124 Spider | DB11 vs Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupé Bond Style • Clubsport S: "Supercar hunting" at the Nürburgring | Tamsin Greig | 19 March 2017 | 3.13 |
| 189 | 4 | Bugatti Chiron • Renault Twingo GT | Epic race across Arabian Peninsula: Chiron vs. alternative "money-no-object" transportation • Twingo arcade game challenge | Tinie Tempah | 26 March 2017 | 3.17 |
| 190 | 5 | Ford GT | Extreme off-road buggy race on the California desert | Chris Hoy | 2 April 2017 | 3.27 |
| 191 | 6 | Mercedes-AMG GT R | Road trip across Cuba with second-hand sports cars: (Maserati Biturbo • Chevrolet Camaro) | Ross Noble | 16 April 2017 | 2.40 |
| 192 | 7 | Porsche 718 Cayman S • Avtoros Shaman | Turning a SsangYong Rodius into a luxury yacht | Jay Kay | 23 April 2017 | 2.69 |
Series 25 (2018)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 193 | 1 | None | Road trip across Utah's Wild West in V8 sports cars: (Hennessey Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 R • Jaguar F-Type SVR • McLaren 570GT) | Rob Brydon • Ken Block | 25 February 2018 | 3.50 |
| 194 | 2 | McLaren 720S | 720S v. McLaren P1 • Off road toys in California to find Bigfoot • Racing in Reverse | Lee Mack | 4 March 2018 | 3.04 |
| 195 | 3 | Lexus LC500 • Honda Civic Type R | Second-hand sports cars across Honshu: (Nissan Skyline GTT • Mazda RX-7) • Weirdest Japanese car culture | None | 11 March 2018 | 2.93 |
| 196 | 4 | Dodge Challenger Demon • Kia Stinger GT-S • Hyundai i30N | Harris' tribute to the Citroën 2CV | Dara Ó Briain • Ed Byrne | 18 March 2018 | 3.26 |
| 197 | 5 | Ferrari 812 Superfast • Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE | Building the world's fastest tractor | Vicky McClure | 25 March 2018 | 2.97 |
| 198 | 6 | Alpine A110 | Best Modern SUV: (Alfa Romeo Stelvio • Range Rover Velar • Volvo XC60) | Jason Manford | 1 April 2018 | 2.97 |
Series 26 (2019)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [26] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 199 | 1 | Suzuki Ignis | Fast Estate Cars in Norway: (Porsche Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo • Ferrari GTC4Lusso) • Ignis vs Fiat Panda Cross up Gurlet Hill | James Marsden | 17 February 2019 | 2.61 |
| 200 | 2 | BMW M5 • Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S | Tuk-Tuk Trip across Sri Lanka | Professor Green | 24 February 2019 | 2.27 |
| 201 | 3 | Bentley Continental GT • Mégane Renault Sport • Porsche 911 GT2 RS | Continental GT vs Speed 8 | Gregory Porter | 3 March 2019 | 2.28 |
| 202 | 4 | None | Second Hand Luxury Car Challenge: (Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow • Mercedes-Benz 600SEL • Bentley Turbo R) | Matt Baker | 10 March 2019 | 2.20 |
| 203 | 5 | Aston Martin V8 Vantage • Rolls-Royce Phantom • Ford Fiesta ST | Fiesta ST vs. Lamborghini Aventador S • Automatic Brake Testing | Stephen Mangan | 17 March 2019 | 2.40 |
Series 27 (2019)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [27] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 204 | 1 | Ferrari 488 Pista • McLaren 600LT | Ethiopian adventure in the presenters' first cars (Mini • Porsche Boxster • Ford Escort Mk2) | None | 16 June 2019 | 4.81 |
| 205 | 2 | Tesla Model 3 | Building budget battery powered sports cars (Triumph Spitfire • Subaru Brat • Nissan Leaf) | Danny Boyle • Himesh Patel | 23 June 2019 | 4.64 |
| 206 | 3 | Dallara Stradale | Turning a Daimler Hearse into the ultimate family car | Damon Hill • Zara Tindall • Mike Tindall | 30 June 2019 | 4.44 |
| 207 | 4 | Rolls-Royce Cullinan | Rare cheap cars across Borneo (Austin Allegro • Matra Bagheera) | Bob Mortimer | 7 July 2019 | 4.63 |
| 208 | 5 | Toyota Supra | Iceland's Formula Off Road • Tribute to the Lotus 79 | Will Young • Peter Wright • Mario Andretti • Clive Chapman | 14 July 2019 | 3.77 |
Series 28 (2019–20)
[edit]Series 29 (2020)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [29] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 216 | 1 | Ferrari SF90 Stradale | Spending 24 Hours in Company Saloons (Volvo S60 • Tesla Model 3 • BMW 3 Series) | 4 October 2020 | 5.40 |
| 217 | 2 | None | Original 200mph Supercars in Yorkshire (Jaguar XJ220 • Lamborghini Diablo • Ferrari F40) • Performance Insurance Write Offs (Maserati Quattroporte • Porsche Cayman S • Ford Focus RS) | 11 October 2020 | 5.05 |
| 218 | 3 | Lamborghini Urus • Audi RS6 | Cheap Hire Cars in Cyprus (Suzuki Jimny • Ford Focus CC • Kia Picanto) | 18 October 2020 | 6.04 |
| 219 | 4 | None | Welsh roadtrip in New British GTs (McLaren GT • Aston Martin DBX • Bentley Flying Spur) • Tribute to Stirling Moss | 25 October 2020 | 5.85 |
| 220 | 5 | Mini Electric • Vauxhall Corsa-e • Honda e | Building an Electric All-Terrain Ice cream van | 1 November 2020 | 6.06 |
Series 30 (2021)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [30] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 221 | 1 | Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 | Second-Hand Dad's Cars in the Lake District (Ford Cortina • BMW 3 Series • Ford Fiesta) | 14 March 2021 | 6.33 |
| 222 | 2 | Ferrari Roma • Alfaholics GTA-R | Budget James Bond Cars (Sunbeam Alpine • Alfa Romeo GTV6 • Renault 5 1/2 (See Renault 11) • Lotus Esprit • Toyota 2000GT • Aston Martin DB5) • Spark ODYSSEY 21 vs. Jet Pack Man | 21 March 2021 | 7.03 |
| 223 | 3 | None | Off-Roaders in the Scottish Highlands (Ariel Nomad R • Land Rover Defender • Mercedes-AMG G63) | 28 March 2021 | 6.30 |
| 224 | 4 | Toyota GR Yaris | Second-Hand Sports Cars for a Midlife crisis (TVR Chimaera • Vauxhall Monaro • Ferrari F355/Toyota MR2 Kit car) | 4 April 2021 | 6.00 |
Series 31 (2021)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [30] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225 | 1 | None | British Grand Prix showdown in F1-inspired track day cars (McLaren 765LT • Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm • Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition) • Tribute to Eddie Kidd | 14 November 2021 | 6.22 |
| 226 | 2 | Lamborghini Huracán STO | Futuristic Caravans with electric SUVs (Audi e-Tron Sportback • Mercedes-Benz EQC • Polestar 2) | 21 November 2021 | 5.85 |
| 227 | 3 | Chevrolet Corvette | Icelandic rally expedition in second-hand British cars (Vauxhall Chevette • Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow • Range Rover • Ford F-150 Arctic Trucks) Note: Freddie was absent during the Iceland trip due to him being forced to self isolate due to covid 19. | 28 November 2021 | 6.14 |
| 228 | 4 | Aston Martin Victor | Flintoff becomes a qualified racing driver • History of the DMC DeLorean | 5 December 2021 | 5.63 |
| 229 | 5 | None | Old cars for new drivers (Lada Niva • MGB GT • Volkswagen Beetle) • Tribute to the Lamborghini Miura | 12 December 2021 | 6.30 |
| 230 | — | N/A – "Driving Home for Christmas" Special | Driving from Bethlehem, Wales to the Top Gear test track (Citroen BX 4x4 GTi • Ford Escort XR3i • Range Rover) | 24 December 2021 | 4.15 |
Series 32 (2022)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [30] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 231 | 1 | None | Motorsport road trip across Florida | 5 June 2022 | 4.45 |
| 232 | 2 | None | Classic and future TV cop cars (Ford Gran Torino • Ferrari 308 GTS • Jaguar Mark 2 • Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody • Ford F-150 Raptor • Audi RS 3) • Turning a Sinclair C5 into a bobsleigh | 12 June 2022 | 3.86 |
| 233 | 3 | Lotus Emira | The presenters become HGV drivers (Scania 770S • Mercedes-Benz Actros• DAF XG+) | 19 June 2022 | 4.09 |
| 234 | 4 | Maserati MC20 • Rivian R1T | Reliable used cars for less than £500 (Mini Cooper • Volvo V70 • Mercedes C220 CDI • Honda Civic • Toyota Celica • Mazda 323F) | 26 June 2022 | 3.96 |
| 235 | 5 | Ford Puma ST • Ford Puma Rally1 | 1920s-style motorsport • History of BMW M cars • The future of fuel | 3 July 2022 | 3.30 |
Series 33 (2022)
[edit]| No. overall | No. in series | Reviews | Features/challenges | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [30] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | 1 | Rimac Nevera | Road trip across Thailand in old pickup trucks (Toyota Hilux • Isuzu D-Max • BMW E30) | 30 October 2022 | 4.86 |
| 237 | 2 | None | Supercars on the German autobahn (Ferrari 296 GTB • Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS • Pagani Huayra Roadster BC) • Treasure hunt around Paris in microcars (Citroen Ami • Carver • City Transformer) | 6 November 2022 | 4.49 |
| 238 | 3 | Mercedes-AMG ONE • Range Rover | F1 stock car racing | 13 November 2022 | 4.57 |
| 239 | 4 | Honda Civic Type-R • Peugeot 205 GTI | Team Top Gear at the GT Cup | 20 November 2022 | 4.40 |
| 240 | 5 | Ferrari Daytona SP3 | Best delivery van for less than £3000 (Ford Transit • Vauxhall Astra • Volkswagen Caddy) • Best family car to buy today | 18 December 2022 | 3.59 |
Ratings
[edit]Top Gear : UK viewers per episode (millions)
Audience measurement performed by Broadcasters' Audience Research Board[31]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Episode count includes the two-episode Patagonia special which preceded the series. Out of ten originally planned episodes for the twenty-second series itself, only seven episodes were produced and broadcast before Clarkson's suspension; an eighth episode was aired months later.
- ^ 6.41 million on BBC Two, 286,000 on BBC HD
- ^ 6.19 million on BBC Two, 285,000 on BBC HD
- ^ 6.10 million on BBC Two, 412,000 on BBC HD
- ^ 6.09 million on BBC Two, 196,000 on BBC HD
- ^ 6.35 million on BBC Two, 550,000 on BBC HD
- ^ 7.07 million on BBC Two, 378,000 on BBC HD
- ^ 6.05 million on BBC Two, 472,000 on BBC HD
- ^ 6.00 million on BBC Two, 602,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 4.03 million on BBC Two, 549,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 6.47 million on BBC Two, 575,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 6.65 million on BBC Two, 827,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.81 million on BBC Two, 379,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 6.62 million on BBC Two, 506,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 6.84 million on BBC Two, 836,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 6.48 million on BBC Two, 903,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 6.38 million on BBC Two, 925,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 6.42 million on BBC Two, 912,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 6.39 million on BBC Two, 893,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.88 million on BBC Two, 989,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.63 million on BBC Two, 902,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.27 million on BBC Two, 950,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 4.84 million on BBC Two, 880,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.41 million on BBC Two, 1.14 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 6.07 million on BBC Two, 1.07 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.01 million on BBC Two, 1.12 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.68 million on BBC Two, 1.08 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.76 million on BBC Two, 849,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.18 million on BBC Two, 1.03 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.29 million on BBC Two, 963,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.13 million on BBC Two, 1.03 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 4.30 million on BBC Two, 982,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.25 million on BBC Two, 872,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 4.83 million on BBC Two, 978,000 on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.13 million on BBC Two, 1.02 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.47 million on BBC Two, 1.18 million on BBC HD
- ^ 5.02 million on BBC Two, 1.4 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.01 million on BBC Two, 1.35 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 3.92 million on BBC Two, 1.39 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.00 million on BBC Two, 1.45 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.85 million on BBC Two, 1.48 million on BBC HD.
- ^ 5.89 million on BBC Two, 1.59 million on BBC HD.
References
[edit]- ^ Christopher Hooton (23 December 2015). "Top Gear presenters: Relative unknowns Sabine Schmitz and Chris Harris join Chris Evans". The Independent. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ Boyle, Danny (23 December 2015). "Top Gear presenters: Virtually unknown Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz 'to be Chris Evans' sidekicks'". Telegraph. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "Chris Evans unveils new team for Top Gear to rival Clarkson and Co". Theweek.co.uk. 24 December 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "Top Gear: Matt LeBlanc signs two-series deal – BBC News". BBC News Online. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ "Matt LeBlanc to leave Top Gear". BBC News. 31 May 2018.
- ^ "Two random guys are joining Top Gear next year". Sean McKellar. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Search – BBC Programme Index". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ Red Carpet – Events – BBC Top Gear Richard Hammond
- ^ "The Sweeney (2012)". Kent Film office.
- ^ Martinson, Jane; Conlan, Tara (24 November 2015). "Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear years to feature in BBC special". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear years are to feature in a "two‐part extravaganza" on the BBC this Christmas, with star guests presenting highlights of the motoring show
- ^ a b "BBC Two – Top Gear, From A-Z, Part 2". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ Gordon Ramsay and Jesse Eisenberg confirmed as Top Gear's first studio guests Radio Times 19 May 2016
- ^ "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Most viewed programmes | BARB".