Top Gear

From Jake Kantet

SCOOP: After 18 years on BBC2, Top Gear is poised to change lanes to BBC1. https://t.co/HakiKMcQHq

— Jake Kanter (@Jake_Kanter) February 3, 2020

I was planning on starting a Top Gear thread today purely because I’m enjoying it so much and it deserves to be talked about more. I’m a bit nervous about what such a move will do at a time when the programme is on the ascendancy again, but there’s no doubt that they’ve earned it, and I hope the wider exposure will ultimately be beneficial to the programme.

Is Paddy McGuiness still on it?

Yes

18 years? It went national in 1978. It was axed at the end of 2001 and returned in October 2002 so it's been on BBC2 for 42 years.

The 2002 Top Gear is a completely different show to its predecessor which was a straight forward review show. So it’s somewhat correct.

It is a huge blow to BBC Two to lose what is their crown jewel after so long

Hardly a first though - many other big hits have moved to BBC One. They’ll find another, it’s one of their remits.

Wasn't it basically Clarkson, Hammond & May that never wanted it to move in the first place? I seem to remember hearing that somewhere before.

IIRC they believed they had more freedom to be "naughty" on tucked away on BBC Two.

I don't like the sound of this. Regardless how much better it's become and how popular the new line up is, Top Gear doesn't have the universal appeal most BBC One shows have/need. I hope this doesn't backfire and water the show down.

Pre 1978 it was a regional Midlands programme of course. Was it on BBC 1 or 2 during that period ? I don't think there were any BBC 2 English regional opts before about 1980 ?

Only it did under Clarkson....