On Why “Top Gear” Rocks.

I am completely taken with the TV series ‘Top Gear”.

For those of you who haven’t seen it, ‘Top Gear’ is a BBC car show presented by three blokes driving a lot of expensive super cars or competing in motoring challenges and I can’t get enough of it.

Until recently, I liked it because of the three presenters who are motoring journalists that speak their minds but they also have a engaging quality when they are out driving together which makes the show very appealing. They also have quite distinct personalties and seem to be teasing each other most of the time which is somehow refreshing compared to usual sugar coated TV shows we see..

The thing is…. they are into Series 10 now and are starting to repeat themselves quite a bit but I keep on watching and I now realise that it is not about the presenters anymore.

The defining thing for me now is production values displayed on this show. They are outstanding. Everything is high quality, every shot looks beautiful, every segment is interesting and every adventure makes you feel like a kid again. Every single episode is memorable for some reason.

Sure Jeremy, Richard and James are fun to watch but they are really only representing the average viewer in all of this. They actually spend very little time being journalists and are mostly just providing a way for us to vicariously live experience they are having. Who can afford a Bugatti Veyron anyway?

So while the presenters are a little like comfortable old friends now and I now know all their funny lines, the producer(s) are really the ones keeping me watching.

Since my current role includes the word ‘producer’ in the title here are some things I have learnt from the production of Top Gear regarding producing success.

1. It is rare to get it right first time so persevere.

Top Gear started in 1977 and has gone through many changes before finding the current combination. The format that they launched with was very different to today but they tried different things until they got it right.

2. Everything starts with good content.

The ideas that the Top Gear producers come up with each series are simply awesome. e.g. Taking the worlds fastest car to its top speed, driving to the north pole, driving across Africa, competing in real 24hr endurance race.

3. Know your audience.

Jeremy Clarkson is wholly or partly offensive most of the time but you still want to watch him. I am sure some people watch just to get really offended. (He makes this so easy to do). Personally, I watch him because he is so refreshingly politically incorrect it makes me really think if I agree with him or not. In any case the producers know their audience and know that Clarkson is pushing the right buttons for the audience segments they target.