In all fairness season 10 of Top Gear was my first foray into the show and it’s unique hosts. There is something to be said about seeing people work at something they truly enjoy, and while some of the humor may be lost on this brutish American the show is very enjoyable.
In short the hosts make the show, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May make the show very enjoyable with their witty back and forth as they examine all types of cars, from the exotic to the mundane. Each guy is obviously a gear head of substantial skill which gives the show a certain credibility. The fact that they found hosts that were both knowledgeable and personable is a major coup on the shows part. They put several cars through their paces and bring you delightful tidbits of information across a wide range of topics.
The team takes you on a wild ride for season ten with the highlight most certainly being their drive through the Kalahari Desert in a bunch of twenty year old jalopies. Let me tell you these cars were falling apart, but somehow the team managed to cross the desert in them. The teams mechanics skills where put to the test on several occasions as they made their way ever so slowly through the salt flats. Where the shows charm lies is with the constant back and forth between the three hosts lead by Clarkson. This mountain of a man is the quintessential man’s show host with a big personality that knows how to interact with the various celebrities that make their way onto the show.
The cool thing about the celebrity guests is that they are all put to the test in a special car. That’s right, each guest records a lap in a stock production model car (I think it’s a Ford of all things) and those laps are timed and put on a big board of the fastest times. It’s an interesting aspect of the show that breaks up the monotony of so many interviews. Look for Simon Cowell to get behind the wheel along with a host of other stars, including a few ladies who have no problem competing with the gents.
As far as the stunts and what not the show is actually a little tame compared to its American counterparts like Nitro Circus. But these guys seem far more knowledgeable about cars in general, while they might do things that make you cringe on those American shows, Top Gear is entertaining and educational. Plus they get their hands on some of the sweetest rides in the world. You have to see the cars they bring out for their tour of the European countryside looking for the best roads in the world. The locales are simply breathtaking and the hosts keep you laughing as they go back and forth about the cars and the locations they are choosing.
From trying to cross the English Channel in converted boat/cars to racing fighter jets these guys do it all in a style all their own. Make sure to tune in to BBC America to get the tenth season of a show that has been entertaining audiences since 1977.
