I’ve always said geeks come in all shapes and forms and you can honestly be a geek about anything, not just comics, cartoons, anime, etc. I’ve been lucky enough in my geekdom to come across people from all walks of geek, from people who love music and movies to people who love things like food, beer and make up (not necessarily all at once though.) So with that said, I introduce those of you without the pleasure of BBC America to Top Gear! A show about cars, speed, and what can only be best described as three Brits who are more or less the real life versions of Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor.
Hosted by Jeremy Clarkson (the Tall One), Richard Hammond (The Short One) and James May (The other one) along with their Tame Racing Driver known only as The Stig. Top Gear was so wildly popular in its native UK that it’s spread across the globe. Not only is the show re-aired all over the world, but it’s also spawned several new versions of it, including a US version that recently aired its first season on the History Channel. The great thing really about Top Gear too is you don’t have to be a car geek to enjoy it. While each episode does usually feature a review of a forthcoming car, it also has segments like the weekly challenges where they often have to buy second hand cars and put them through ridiculous tests. They’ve made amphibious cars to drive across the English Channel, raced a car against a Fighter Jet, and driven through the Bible Belt with “Hilary for President”, “Country Music is Rubbish” and “Man Love Rules” written on their cars. (During that last part they were chased out of a gas station by a Redneck Posse.
They also put a Star in the Reasonably Priced Car segment, where their weekly guest tries to be the fastest around the Top Gear Track. Names like Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeff Goldblum, Ewan McGregor and others have all tried to be fastest! Still not convinced you’d enjoy it? Think of it this way, the entire show is essentially Monty Python with cars. The snarky humor we’ve come to know from our British cousins is ever present in the show as they almost never take anything seriously. The comradery between the show’s hosts is so close you know that even in their arguing these three jokers get along so well. The proof of that is in the Top Gear motto of when someone falls behind, leave them there.
Without a doubt though, one of the things that will forever cement you as a Top Gear fan is their Tame Racing Driving. Some say he thinks Star Wars is a documentary, and that he can open a beer bottle using his testes. Or that he has a tattoo of his face…on his face, and that he once punched a horse to the ground. All we know is, he’s called the Stig! Hidden behind his bright white racing suit, with a completely tinted visor, the Silent Man in White is responsible for seeing how fast the reviewed cars go around the track, teaching the weekly guests how to go around the track, and occasionally taking part in the challenges. In one episode, the three hosts and the Stig had to see how could get across London to the airport the fastest. Richard Hammond was on a bike, James May in a Car (his nickname is Captain Slow), Jeremy Clarkson by boat, and the Stig had to take public transportation including a bus and subway. Oh, he’s also stood face to face with Dinosaurs and attacked paparazzi for taking his picture.
Whether you love cars or just want a good laugh, Top Gear is something anyone will enjoy. You can usually find reruns or new episodes on BBC America, series (British for seasons) tend to run around 9-11 episodes due to the amount of time it takes to film the episodes. Also Netflix Instant recently added several series to the Instant list, giving you hours to access and try out. If you like what you see, I recommend looking for the Top Gear specials they have every series, where they go to another country and the whole episode revolves around them getting from one point to another, like traveling to the North Pole or traveling across deserts with their Junker cars. The specials really are like feature length documentaries and can be both hysterical and even heartwarming at times. And on that bombshell, thank you for reading! Goodnight!