For this reviewer there is no form of television lower than Reality TV. I deplore it. The situations make a mockery of reality, the people shown are whores for attention and the editing can make the most decent human being look like a conniving villain. Top Gear walks a fine line between talk shows, documentaries and reality television; to its credit, Top Gear avoids the pitfalls of annoying hosts, repetitive formulas and so many others that spelt the doom of so many shows that have come since. Top Gear, as a concept, started all the way back in 1978 (impressive by all accounts). Ever since, it has rotated hosts, sets and formats all the while keeping its eye on the prize: cars. Not just cars though - at least, not anymore.
Top Gear 10, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, still keeps the focus on cars but pits them against anything with gears. Traditionally, you'd find a very limited audience for a show so devoted to cars. Personally, I'd never have considered Top Gear a show I'd enjoy as much as I do; which is exactly the point: Top Gear may be about cars but its hosts, scenarios and humor make the show a television triumph. The variety of content helps Top Gear span the gap between a show about cars and a show about everything.
Typically an episode features one main segment (like designing an amphibious vehicle with comedic results), a look at one or two very impressive [read: sexy] cars, a celebrity for the "Star in a moderately priced car" with an interview to follow. They keep a running scoreboard for best times by the week's featured sports car and another board for the celebrities' times. Among the stars featured in Top Gear 10 are James Blunt, Simon Cowell, and Ronnie Woods. The interviews exceed my expectations each and every time with the conversation lasting a maximum of five minutes and ultimately steering towards the recording of the celebrity's run on the track.
Jeremy Clarkson, the currently longest-running host on Top Gear, spearheads a majority of the segments and, consequently, gets to drive most of the fast cars. Clarkson does the interviews and, when the other two hosts are present, typically gets to be "right" for the sake of formula. Richard Hammond plays the jester in the bunch and often finds his car selections to end disastrously. James May plays Hammond's counterpart with a more dour expression and decidedly pessimistic take on proceedings. Like any good show the personalities exist as a sort of stability, but in the more candid moments the hosts get to do away with their roles and just mess around with the mechanical toys they've been given. It's during these times that the show is funniest.
The crowning achievement of the season (which originally aired late 2007-early 2008) is the Botswana special. Top Gear's special gives us reality television in its finest hour. Dropped in Botswana, the hosts are asked to buy three cars, each for under $1,000 pounds; from there, Jeremy, James and Richard set out on a course which puts their clunkers to the test. Through deserts, salt flats, marshes and swamps the hosts push on and make changes to their cars as the environs require it. Any host whose car fails to press onward will find themselves driving the Beetle. On most shows, an entire hour about people driving across endlessly flat terrain might get boring - but not here. The cars become a new trio of characters alongside the hosts and each obstacle serves as high-quality television.
The Bostwana Special may be the pinnacle of the season but the format and personalities on the show make every episode an entertaining experience. In one of the final episodes of the season Jeremy, James and Richard make the mistake of daring to celebrate the anniversary of a classic British automobile manufacturer. Assuming we trust that putting a bushel of eggs above a driver's head to test the ability of the shocks is a legitimate car-testing practice, the barrage of tests required for the episode all end with humorous results. Great television. For the car-enthusiast or television-junkie, Top Gear 10 is must-see TV.
DVD Bonus Features
Sadly, there are none. A crying shame considering the three hosts can be hilarious.
"Top Gear 10" is on sale April 21, 2009 and is rated NR. Sports, Television. Directed by Brian Klein, Nigel Simpkiss, Phil Churchward, James Bryce. Written by Unscripted. Starring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May.
