Top Gear Australia
Encyclopedia
Top Gear Australia was an Australian motoring
television series based on the BBC
series Top Gear
.
The show premiered on SBS One on 29 September 2008 at 7:30 pm AEST
, with its first season consisting of 8 episodes. A second season was announced following the release of ratings figures for the premiere and favourable comments from advertisers, and began airing from 11 May 2009. After acquiring the rights to broadcast the UK version in 2009, the Nine Network
started airing their own version of Top Gear Australia in September 2010. Top Gear Australia returned for a fourth season in 2011. The show has since been cancelled as of 14 September 2011 due to declining ratings.
Top Gear Australia was also the name of a licensed version of the British Top Gear magazine
.
, MotoGP
commentator Charlie Cox
, and race driver Steve Pizzati
.
Marketing prior to the first episode stated that the presenters would be joined by The Stig
's "Australian cousin", but in the first episode the driver was introduced as just "The Stig". Steve Pizzati suggested that The Stig have an "Australian" name, such as "Stiggo", but the other presenters refused. The season 2 opener clarified that Top Gear Australias Stig is not intended to be the same Stig from the UK series.
On 19 December 2008, Charlie Cox announced he was leaving the program as he felt he was unable to offer enough time to the show. SBS subsequently announced that trumpet
er James Morrison
would be his replacement, joining Warren and Steve for season two. Morrison had previously appeared as a guest in the sixth episode.
For the third season, early reports claimed that former Australian cricketer Shane Warne
would take over the hosting of the show alongside original Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson
, although the BBC ultimately ruled out Clarkson's involvement in the Australian version. On 20 June 2010, it was announced that actor and comedian Shane Jacobson
and Top Gear Australia magazine editor Ewen Page
would join a returning Steve Pizzati to present the show for the Nine Network
, which premiered on 28 September 2010 with a 75-minute The Ashes
special.
in Sydney
. An exact copy of the UK studio at Dunsfold Park was constructed in a hangar (Hangar Building 581). The power laps and "Star in a Bog Standard Car" were recorded at Camden Airport with parts of the runways and taxiways used as a test track.
Top Gear Australia uses the same theme music as the UK series, a version of The Allman Brothers Band
's "Jessica".
Top Gear Australia features segments that mirror those seen on the BBC series, including build challenges and test drives. A significant difference is that speeds and power are quoted in metric units
and prices are quoted in Australian dollar
s.
Corner then The Crest and Turn 4 which was followed by the Main Straight before coming to a series of Chicanes then 06 Corner (named after the direction of the runway) then the Short Left Hander and the Bus Stop Entry and Exit followed by the finish line.
At the start of Season 3, Top Gear Australia revealed a new test track. Still situated at Camden Airport, the new course built upon the old one by adding a new section, thus looping into a figure of eight. It contains twelve corners, a total length of 2.3 km and moves the Start/Finish line from between the Bus Stop and The Question Mark to the end of the Back Straight, ahead of the Bus Stop. The direction of the course is now clockwise, turning the main runway into the first straight. The first corner leads into a Hammerhead-like corner called The Blowout, followed by another straight which crest a small hill into a couple of Left Handers, turns 3 and 4. Exiting turn 4 leads back to the main runway and turn 5, Brocky's Corner. The track then crosses over The Blowout into a right then left hander called The Flipper. The next turn is the Question Mark hairpin from the old track. Finally, after a short straight, the course reaches the signature Bus Stop which is then followed by two right hand corners (including the old 06 Corner) back into the Start/Finish.
when they drove a tractor
through the Melbourne suburb — a reference to the colloquial expression "Toorak Tractor", Australian slang
for luxury SUV
s. The stunt featured in episode 5 of series 1, which aired on 27 October 2008.
Michael Idato of the Sydney Morning Herald described the first episode as "unsteady on some of the corners" and "a little too tricked up for its own good", noting "a distinct lack of detail, presumably to position the show away from car geeks". Stuart Martin, motoring writer for the Adelaide Advertiser said a franchise was "always going to have a tough job living up to the UK original" but noted that Top Gear
was not an overnight success and urged viewers to "give the locals a chance to find their niche". In retrospect Philip King said that the first season "received lukewarm reviews and couldn't get close to the ratings success of the original".
The first episode debuted with an audience of 933,000 viewers, SBS's highest ever ratings for a locally produced television programme. Top Gear Australia came third in its time slot and beat an elimination episode of Australian Idol
. The figure was slightly higher than any season premiere of the BBC version aired on SBS, up until that date. However, subsequent episodes failed to match this figure, and the first season averaged around 650,000 viewers an episode. In comparison, viewing figures for the previous three Top Gear UK episodes shown in the same timeslot averaged around 903,000 viewers, though during this period Top Gear Australia still remained the highest rating program on SBS. Series one has since been repeated on SBS Two.
For the second series SBS attempted to address some of the criticism brought up against the first series. The second series of the show debuted with 689,000 viewers, averaging 576,500 viewers across the series against the high rating MasterChef Australia
. Ratings dropped throughout the second series, leading to speculation that SBS would not buy a third series.
Jeremy Clarkson
has commented on the Australian version, saying "We're loving it, even though your funny accents make you hard to understand".
The third series premiered on 28 September 2010 on the Nine Network
, pulling in 1,538,000 viewers, making it the second most watched television programme that day. The 75-minute The Ashes special, which featured the Top Gear UK presenters facing against the Australian presenters in a series of challenges, also won its timeslot against competing programmes.
The Nine Network renewed the series for a 4th season in 2011 before being cancelled after three of the four recorded episodes aired due to declining ratings. The remaining unaired episode is reported to be burnt-off
over the summer non-ratings period.
titled Top Gear Australia (published by Park Publishing, a partnership between ACP Magazines and the BBC) was launched in June 2008 and features an amalgam of original Australian articles together with licensed content from the British and other international versions of the magazine.
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
television series based on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
.
The show premiered on SBS One on 29 September 2008 at 7:30 pm AEST
Time in Australia
Australia uses Standard time, i.e: the same well defined time for a region. The proper names of Australia's time zones are Australian Western Standard Time , Australian Central Standard Time , and Australian Eastern Standard Time...
, with its first season consisting of 8 episodes. A second season was announced following the release of ratings figures for the premiere and favourable comments from advertisers, and began airing from 11 May 2009. After acquiring the rights to broadcast the UK version in 2009, the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
started airing their own version of Top Gear Australia in September 2010. Top Gear Australia returned for a fourth season in 2011. The show has since been cancelled as of 14 September 2011 due to declining ratings.
Top Gear Australia was also the name of a licensed version of the British Top Gear magazine
Top Gear (magazine)
Top Gear is an automobile magazine published by BBC Worldwide, and named after the BBC's Top Gear television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published monthly at a price of £3.95. The major presenters of the television series—Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson—are...
.
Presenters
Prior to filming SBS made an open casting call for presenters, resulting in over 4000 applications. The original hosts chosen for Top Gear Australia were cartoonist and motoring columnist Warren BrownWarren Brown (cartoonist)
Warren Brown is an Australian cartoonist and television presenter.He has been an editorial newspaper cartoonist since 1986. He is currently cartoonist for the Sydney's Daily Telegraph, for which he also writes a weekly motoring column....
, MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
commentator Charlie Cox
Charlie Cox (racing)
Charlie Cox , a motorcycling commentator, was brought up in the Sydney suburb of Gymea.-Racing career:His background is based on 4 wheels rather than 2. He raced in the National Saloon Car Cup in Britain using a Ford Escort RS Cosworth in 1993 and 1994, winning several races. He also won the...
, and race driver Steve Pizzati
Steve Pizzati
Steve Pizzati is an Australian race driver, driving instructor, television presenter and free-lance motoring journalist.He was born in Melbourne to Italian parents; he did not learn to speak English until he was four years old....
.
Marketing prior to the first episode stated that the presenters would be joined by The Stig
The Stig
The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...
's "Australian cousin", but in the first episode the driver was introduced as just "The Stig". Steve Pizzati suggested that The Stig have an "Australian" name, such as "Stiggo", but the other presenters refused. The season 2 opener clarified that Top Gear Australias Stig is not intended to be the same Stig from the UK series.
On 19 December 2008, Charlie Cox announced he was leaving the program as he felt he was unable to offer enough time to the show. SBS subsequently announced that trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
er James Morrison
James Morrison (musician)
James Morrison AM is an Australian jazz musician who plays numerous instruments, but is best known for his trumpet playing...
would be his replacement, joining Warren and Steve for season two. Morrison had previously appeared as a guest in the sixth episode.
For the third season, early reports claimed that former Australian cricketer Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
would take over the hosting of the show alongside original Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
, although the BBC ultimately ruled out Clarkson's involvement in the Australian version. On 20 June 2010, it was announced that actor and comedian Shane Jacobson
Shane Jacobson
Shane Jacobson is an Australian actor, director, writer, and comedian, best known for his performance as the eponymous character Kenny Smyth in the 2006 film Kenny...
and Top Gear Australia magazine editor Ewen Page
Ewen Page
Ewen Page is editor-in-chief of Top Gear Australia magazine and the website. Page has a media career spanning 28 years and has edited a variety of Australian car magazines, from Street Machine to Wheels, Motor and Auto Action. He has a passion for all things with wheels...
would join a returning Steve Pizzati to present the show for the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, which premiered on 28 September 2010 with a 75-minute The Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
special.
Production
Mirroring the UK series, the studio segments were recorded at Bankstown AirportBankstown Airport
Bankstown Airport is a general aviation airport and business park located in the City of Bankstown, from the central business district of Sydney, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. An exact copy of the UK studio at Dunsfold Park was constructed in a hangar (Hangar Building 581). The power laps and "Star in a Bog Standard Car" were recorded at Camden Airport with parts of the runways and taxiways used as a test track.
Top Gear Australia uses the same theme music as the UK series, a version of The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
's "Jessica".
Segments
International System of Units
The International System of Units is the modern form of the metric system and is generally a system of units of measurement devised around seven base units and the convenience of the number ten. The older metric system included several groups of units...
and prices are quoted in Australian dollar
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
s.
Power Lap
A test track around Camden Airport is used for power laps. The initial track used in the first two seasons consisted of nine corners running in an anti-clockwise direction. The first corner was The Question Mark followed by ClarksonJeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
Corner then The Crest and Turn 4 which was followed by the Main Straight before coming to a series of Chicanes then 06 Corner (named after the direction of the runway) then the Short Left Hander and the Bus Stop Entry and Exit followed by the finish line.
At the start of Season 3, Top Gear Australia revealed a new test track. Still situated at Camden Airport, the new course built upon the old one by adding a new section, thus looping into a figure of eight. It contains twelve corners, a total length of 2.3 km and moves the Start/Finish line from between the Bus Stop and The Question Mark to the end of the Back Straight, ahead of the Bus Stop. The direction of the course is now clockwise, turning the main runway into the first straight. The first corner leads into a Hammerhead-like corner called The Blowout, followed by another straight which crest a small hill into a couple of Left Handers, turns 3 and 4. Exiting turn 4 leads back to the main runway and turn 5, Brocky's Corner. The track then crosses over The Blowout into a right then left hander called The Flipper. The next turn is the Question Mark hairpin from the old track. Finally, after a short straight, the course reaches the signature Bus Stop which is then followed by two right hand corners (including the old 06 Corner) back into the Start/Finish.
Star in a Bog Standard Car
The Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment is mirrored with the name "Star in a Bog Standard Car". It is identical in execution. The car used in the first two seasons on SBS was a Proton Satria Neo, the third season on Nine now uses a Ford XG Falcon utility.What Were They Thinking?
In the first season, the presenters discuss "stupid" ideas in motoring history and put pictures of them on a board. The board was later destroyed in the first episode of the second season when the shark cage Mini Moke was dropped on top of it.Old car commercials
Every episode in the second season of Top Gear Australia, an old car commercial was shown.Stunts
Imitating its BBC counterpart, the show includes features where the hosts undertake various stunts some of which may antagonise members of the public. In October 2008 it was reported that Pizzati and Brown caused a traffic jam in Toorak, VictoriaToorak, Victoria
Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...
when they drove a tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
through the Melbourne suburb — a reference to the colloquial expression "Toorak Tractor", Australian slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
for luxury SUV
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
s. The stunt featured in episode 5 of series 1, which aired on 27 October 2008.
Reception
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
was not an overnight success and urged viewers to "give the locals a chance to find their niche". In retrospect Philip King said that the first season "received lukewarm reviews and couldn't get close to the ratings success of the original".
The first episode debuted with an audience of 933,000 viewers, SBS's highest ever ratings for a locally produced television programme. Top Gear Australia came third in its time slot and beat an elimination episode of Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
. The figure was slightly higher than any season premiere of the BBC version aired on SBS, up until that date. However, subsequent episodes failed to match this figure, and the first season averaged around 650,000 viewers an episode. In comparison, viewing figures for the previous three Top Gear UK episodes shown in the same timeslot averaged around 903,000 viewers, though during this period Top Gear Australia still remained the highest rating program on SBS. Series one has since been repeated on SBS Two.
For the second series SBS attempted to address some of the criticism brought up against the first series. The second series of the show debuted with 689,000 viewers, averaging 576,500 viewers across the series against the high rating MasterChef Australia
Masterchef Australia
MasterChef Australia is a Logie award winning Australian competitive cooking game show based on the original British MasterChef. It is produced by FremantleMedia Australia and screens on Network Ten. Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston serve as...
. Ratings dropped throughout the second series, leading to speculation that SBS would not buy a third series.
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
has commented on the Australian version, saying "We're loving it, even though your funny accents make you hard to understand".
The third series premiered on 28 September 2010 on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, pulling in 1,538,000 viewers, making it the second most watched television programme that day. The 75-minute The Ashes special, which featured the Top Gear UK presenters facing against the Australian presenters in a series of challenges, also won its timeslot against competing programmes.
The Nine Network renewed the series for a 4th season in 2011 before being cancelled after three of the four recorded episodes aired due to declining ratings. The remaining unaired episode is reported to be burnt-off
Burning off
Burning off is the low-profile airing of otherwise-abandoned unaired television programs, usually by scheduling in far less important time slots or on less important sister stations...
over the summer non-ratings period.
Magazine
An Australian version of Top Gear magazineTop Gear (magazine)
Top Gear is an automobile magazine published by BBC Worldwide, and named after the BBC's Top Gear television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published monthly at a price of £3.95. The major presenters of the television series—Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson—are...
titled Top Gear Australia (published by Park Publishing, a partnership between ACP Magazines and the BBC) was launched in June 2008 and features an amalgam of original Australian articles together with licensed content from the British and other international versions of the magazine.