Top Gear Firing on All Cylinders

A U.K. television institution, the car-based Top Gear originally launched on the BBC in 1977. The show was relaunched in 2002, incorporating many of the elements that make it popular today, including the Stig. "Presenter Jeremy Clarkson and exec producer Andy Wilman devised the new Top Gear so that it’s not just a car magazine show, but rather an entertainment format about cars," explains Duncan Gray, the commercial director for the Top Gear brand at BBC Worldwide. Gray says this helped open the show up to a broader audience, with females now representing more than 40 percent of the Top Gear viewers.

Australia was the first country to license the format, in 2007, and Top Gear Australia is now entering into its fourth season on Nine Network. Top Gear Russia debuted in 2009 on REN TV, and Top Gear USA followed in 2010. The show recently returned for a second season on HISTORY in the U.S., with the first episode drawing 2 million viewers, up 43 percent from season one. This year also marks the first Asian versions of Top Gear: in China, on Hunan TV, and in Korea, on XTM.

"It’s a testament to the adaptability and simplicity of Top Gear that changes to the international versions have been very minor," says Gray. "The essence of the format has always remained the same—three mates mucking about with cars."

The credibility and likeability of the show’s hosts is an important element to nail down when dealing with the adaptations, Gray notes. "One of the keys to the success of the original U.K. version is the chemistry between the three presenters. Casting has been crucial to the international versions, and they have, in their own ways, recreated that dynamic and the irreverent humor of the original. It’s important that the hosts are genuine car enthusiasts, who can talk knowledgeably and passionately about the subject."

The finished version of the U.K.’s Top Gear has sold into 198 territories globally. BBC Worldwide also recently began selling the Australian version, which has been picked up in territories such as the Netherlands, Poland and South Africa. Top Gear USA has been a strong performer as well, with Israel, Italy and New Zealand among the first to license the finished episodes.

While motoring itself has a loyal fan base, Gray believes the show’s popularity has more to it than just people’s love of cars. He says, "The fact that there are so many motoring enthusiasts around the world is a great starting point. But what sets Top Gear apart is the way it approaches the subject, in an entertaining and accessible way, by dispensing with boring stats and impenetrable jargon, and including great challenges, stunts, special features and humor. The show has a much wider appeal, attracting both car enthusiasts and general-entertainment audiences alike."

Though the show’s current incarnation is nearly a decade old, Gray says the motoring-based subject matter has kept it fresh over the years in a very organic way. "Top Gear is always looking for new and entertaining ways to test cars. By its very nature it is always pushing the boundaries and surprising audiences. It is because of these values that the program evolves, rather than any conscious effort to refresh the format."

Going forward, Gray says the aim is to "build the brand in territories where the format is licensed. For example, we already have local versions of Top Gear magazine in China and South Korea and we’re looking to enhance the audiences’ enjoyment of the brand with live tours, merchandising, apps and Topgear.com." He adds, "There’s more potential to find new homes for the format, whether that’s in South America, EMEA or Asia, and of course we’ll carry on selling the international versions along with the ever-popular U.K. original."