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Fifth Gear

(September 2008)

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VM
VMPhil
I know some members here think that 5G is a clone of Top Gear now, but I was watching some early episodes on Dave and noticed that the show was originally called 5th Gear, as opposed to Fifth Gear. Does anybody know why?
RD
RDJ
What difference does it make? It's still the same name.

Though the answer probably does lie within the changes in your very own signature.
VM
VMPhil
Yes, I did think it might've been the name change from Channel 5 to Five.
NG
noggin Founding member
Yep - suspect it was "5th Gear" when the channel was known as "Channel 5" and became "Fifth Gear" when the channel rebranded as "five".
CW
cwathen Founding member
Quote:
I know some members here think that 5G is a clone of Top Gear now, but I was watching some early episodes on Dave and noticed that the show was originally called 5th Gear, as opposed to Fifth Gear. Does anybody know why?

Fifth Gear *is* a clone of Top Gear. Or more accurately, it's a continuation of the old Top Gear format. When the BBC cancelled the original Top Gear series, most of the presentation and production team were pulled in by C5 wanting to continue the series.

It was only ever called '5th Gear' because the BBC refused to allow the 'Top Gear' name to be used by anyone else (officially because Top Gear Magazine was still produced, almost certainly unofficially because they had allready planned to bring it back in a revamped format and with Clarkson back at the helm even before it's cancellation). Were it not for that, Top Gear, name and all, would simply have seemlessly moved to C5.
VM
VMPhil
cwathen posted:
Quote:
I know some members here think that 5G is a clone of Top Gear now, but I was watching some early episodes on Dave and noticed that the show was originally called 5th Gear, as opposed to Fifth Gear. Does anybody know why?

Fifth Gear *is* a clone of Top Gear. Or more accurately, it's a continuation of the old Top Gear format. When the BBC cancelled the original Top Gear series, most of the presentation and production team were pulled in by C5 wanting to continue the series.

It was only ever called '5th Gear' because the BBC refused to allow the 'Top Gear' name to be used by anyone else (officially because Top Gear Magazine was still produced, almost certainly unofficially because they had allready planned to bring it back in a revamped format and with Clarkson back at the helm even before it's cancellation). Were it not for that, Top Gear, name and all, would simply have seemlessly moved to C5.


Yes I know, but I meant a clone of the new Top Gear.

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