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_Stretchie_
16-08-10, 10:00 AM
Inspired by Mr Spiers 'Top Gear' thread I looked up the first show.


In 2002 have a look here

http://www.streetfire.net/video/top-gear-season-1-episode-1-full-episode_380787.htm

Look at the size (or lack) the crowd compared to what they have now..
Viney
16-08-10, 10:37 AM
Crikey. Its good to see how the format has evolved as well. As for the cowd...there were more people at the AR :)

Good find
Captain Nemo
16-08-10, 11:01 AM
want the first series in 1975 or something?
gruntygiggles
16-08-10, 11:10 AM
want the first series in 1975 or something?


Definately before 2002, but that was the first with the current set up I think.

Love it!
_Stretchie_
16-08-10, 11:16 AM
I thought it was wierd that in the intro he said "We have a new base" if this was meant to be the first one...
mcgrimes
16-08-10, 05:03 PM
It just used to be him, and the scene was just the car right?
dill89
16-08-10, 06:45 PM
It's the new base because TopGear used to be in 30 mins formats, every thursday at 8pm for the series...

It was Quentin Wilson and Jeremy Clarkson were the main presenters, and the likes of Tiff Needell and Vicky butler Henderson and the likes presented for a while and then left, eventually forming, as you know, Fifth Gear.

I believe that the 30 mins format ended in 1998 possibly? and then Jeremy Clarkson bought the rights to TopGear and decided to bring it back, and that is when the 1 hour format was created.

Gota love TopGear :)
BernardBikerchick
16-08-10, 07:32 PM
they rule them lot do !! wooww i soo wanna go so badly !!
sinbad
16-08-10, 07:33 PM
It's the new base because TopGear used to be in 30 mins formats, every thursday at 8pm for the series...

It was Quentin Wilson and Jeremy Clarkson were the main presenters, and the likes of Tiff Needell and Vicky butler Henderson and the likes presented for a while and then left, eventually forming, as you know, Fifth Gear.

I believe that the 30 mins format ended in 1998 possibly? and then Jeremy Clarkson bought the rights to TopGear and decided to bring it back, and that is when the 1 hour format was created.

Gota love TopGear :)

Almost right except they didn't all leave, "old" Top Gear was cancelled in 2001, although I think it was with the intention to refresh it. AFAIK the BBC never gave up any commercial rights, though. JC doesn't own Top Gear.
xXBADGERXx
16-08-10, 08:40 PM
Sorry but I remember the very first series in the 70`s , William Woollard was the main presenter , Noel Edmonds was on it too , Clarkson arrived later as an afterthought .

Series 1 of new Top Gear didn`t have James May in it , he came in series 2 to replace that Fat Guy who blabbered on about car deals that nobody gave a septic testacle about .
Captain Nemo
17-08-10, 02:24 PM
1977 first series,

apparaently the c0cks that present it now refer to the original one as "old top gear"

it went from 1/2 magazine to 1hr studio based jizz fest in 2002.

or so it says on wikipedia
dill89
17-08-10, 04:12 PM
they've done well...

Clarkson left in 2000 and was replaced by James May... viewers dropped from a peak of 6 million to under 3 million so they cancelled it...

got re-launched in the new format with Clarkson and eventually May, and now boasts over 350 million viewers... haha

that's a success story if i ever heard one
Viney
17-08-10, 06:30 PM
I remeber the William Woodard version, and they had some posh blonde bird on there as well and they tested ordinary everyday cars, imagine that huh :lol:
MR UKI (1)
17-08-10, 06:32 PM
That Kate Humble bird from Badgerwatch was a TG presenter too for a while.
Viney
17-08-10, 06:32 PM
Thats true, and i would mind watching her badger :lol:
MR UKI (1)
17-08-10, 06:35 PM
Not forgetting Steve Berry and in the good old days of the Lombard RAC Rally Tony Mason used to present Top Gear Rally Report. Oh, them were the days :D
2hys
17-08-10, 06:52 PM
i used to record them and watch them at the same time back when i was a small boy, not sure why mayby for the same reson i can't bere to throw away an old car/motorcycle mag, never gona watch/read them again, i bet theres vhs tapes in the old dears loft full of "old top gear" episodes
Woz
17-08-10, 07:00 PM
Not forgetting Steve Berry


Who used to report on bike related stuff.

Bikes on Top Gear... in a positive light! If only they did it now.
MR UKI (1)
17-08-10, 07:15 PM
Almost right except they didn't all leave, "old" Top Gear was cancelled in 2001, although I think it was with the intention to refresh it. AFAIK the BBC never gave up any commercial rights, though. JC doesn't own Top Gear.

Interesting article here re the ownership etc of Top Gear.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/29/jeremy-clarkson-top-gear-spinoff

Andy Wilman who is an exec producer of the current format was actually a presenter on the show in it's 30 min format.
dill89
17-08-10, 10:35 PM
from MR UKI's link...

Clarkson, who reportedly earns around £1m for presenting Top Gear, owns 30% of Bedder 6...
and...
The corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/bbc-worldwide), owns just over 50% of the company, which was created by Clarkson and Wilman in 2006 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/08/jeremyclarkson.bbc).

so essentially, Clarkson owns over half of it to himself... haha
sinbad
18-08-10, 08:36 AM
from MR UKI's link...

Clarkson, who reportedly earns around £1m for presenting Top Gear, owns 30% of Bedder 6...
and...
The corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/bbc-worldwide), owns just over 50% of the company, which was created by Clarkson and Wilman in 2006 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/08/jeremyclarkson.bbc).

so essentially, Clarkson owns over half of it to himself... haha

Or, none of it: "The latest accounts show that BBC Worldwide paid the BBC £1.041m in order to use the rights of Top Gear, up from £912,000 in the previous 17 months."

Clarkson owns 30% of Bedder 6, BBC Worldwide now owns 50% of Bedder 6.

"Bedder 6 is used as the main channel for the profits for Top Gear merchandising and some of the other commercial exploitation of the hit BBC2 motoring show, including foreign sales of the original UK production."

Clarkson takes a salary (£1m) from the BBC for presenting Top Gear.

I still don't see anything saying that Clarkson owns Top Gear, the TV show, the brand, the name, or anything.