The resident Petrolheads in the British Weekly offices have been in a state of near-delirium this week: and no, it’s not time for our annual yoga retreat: rather it’s the return of Top Gear on BBC America.
Season 13 of the BBC ratings goliath kicked off with a bang Monday night as, Jeremy, Richard and James set out to discover what Top Gear might have been like 60 years ago. In a race from London to Edinburgh, James drives an old Jaguar XK120 sports car, Richard rides a Vincent Black Shadow motorbike and Jeremy jumps on board the Tornado, a brand-new Peppercorn A1 Pacific Class steam locomotive built to the original blueprints used to create some of Britain’s finest locomotives back in the heyday of the railways. The sight of Richard freezing his rear end off in the rain but keeping a stiff upper lip and James smugly putting the magnificent old Jag through its paces was good enough, but when Jeremy put the slice of bacon into the coal furnache? Hilarious.
And to top it all off, Top Gear’s silent and mysterious racing driver the Stig takes off his helmet to reveal just who he really is…Michael Schumacher, not only a good sport but also a very funny guy.
In episodes to come the hosts enter a terrifying French ice race in low cost rear-wheel-drive coupés, Richard and James challenge the logistical might of Britain’s mail service by racing the new Porsche Panamera versus a stamped envelope across the British Isles, and Richard stages the world’s first-ever race between the 1000 horsepower Bugatti Veyron, McLaren F1 and Lamborghini Murcielago SV in Abu Dhabi. Also this season, car enthusiast and talk show host Jay Leno is put to the test on the Top Gear test track.
The ongoing hit original “Star in the Reasonably Priced Car” segment continues with the Stig putting the rich and famous through their paces on the Top Gear test track. Getting behind the wheel this season are Jay Leno, who’s since adopted a similar challenge on his primetime show, Olympic Gold sprinter Usain Bolt, Stephen Fry, actress Sienna Miller and AC/DC’s singer Brian Johnson.
The new season features Jeremy and James attempting to understand what makes a great Volkswagen commercial – and then trying to shoot one of their own. James travels to America to spend a day with stunt-driving legend Ken Block and Jeremy gets chased by the British Army in some of its latest and most deadly toys.
Top Gear Season 12 was number 6 on the best-selling TV (Seasons) list for iTunes in 2009. Top Gear Season 13 episodes will be available on iTunes 24 hours after its premiere on BBC AMERICA. Also online, BBCAmerica.com has launched a new Top Gear Soundboard featuring some of the best Top Gear sound bites.
Only days before Season 13’s premiere, DVD releases Top Gear 11 and Top Gear 12, arrive to stores on Tuesday, January 12. Top Gear 12 is also stocked with bonus material ranging from exclusive commentary on the Vietnam special, the Botswana special director’s cut with commentary, deleted scenes, photo galleries and more.
One of the most successful and interesting phenomenon’s on UK television, Top Gear defies traditional notions of programming genre and has become a global phenomenon reaching 150 million homes worldwide. Part factual and part entertainment, the award winning car show doesn’t fit into any standard category.
Top Gear airs Mondays on BBC America at 9pm
