# Top Gear (1978)

> A long-running BBC motoring programme in which rotating presenters review, test and report on cars of every kind.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/4278

## Facts

- Seasons: 45
- Episodes: 530
- Episode runtime: 59 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary, reality
- Created by: Derek Smith
- Network: BBC Two
- Cast: Vicki Butler-Henderson, Barrie Gill, Judith Jackson, William Woollard, Frank Page, Sue Baker, Chris Goffey, Angela Rippon
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163503/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, witty, playful, informal, enthusiastic

## What critics say

Acclaimed by audiences for its irreverent, entertaining takes on cars, with a loyal following across decades of hosts and formats.

## Synopsis

Top Gear (1978-2009) is a British factual motoring series created by Derek Smith for BBC Two. Spanning forty-five seasons and roughly five hundred thirty episodes, it is a long-running magazine-style programme built around reviews of and reports about cars of all types. Rotating presenters including Angela Rippon, William Woollard, Chris Goffey, Sue Baker and Frank Page take turns testing vehicles, comparing performance, and reporting on the automotive world, often with jokes and friendly rivalry between hosts. Each episode is a mix of studio segments and filmed reports, so a viewer can dip in at any point without losing the thread. The tone is breezy, witty and informal, with an enthusiast's love of engines and speed tempered by everyday practicality. Its shape is a durable weekly factual entertainment rather than a plot-driven drama. Fans of Fifth Gear, Wheeler Dealers and Robot Wars will find a similar blend of presenter-led testing, humor and mechanical curiosity. The programme sits firmly in the tradition of British factual entertainment and remains a defining reference point for television about cars.

## Shows like Top Gear

- [Natural World (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/19503)
- [Wheeler Dealers (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/9956)
- [Scrapheap Challenge (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/10289)
- [Gogglebox (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/50046)
- [Antiques Roadshow (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/1933)
- [Antiques Roadshow (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/31057)
- [Top of the Pops (1964)](https://ember.film/tv/1540)
- [Brainiac: Science Abuse (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/2484)
- [Escape to the Country (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/5970)
- [Top Gear (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/40)

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