Hard to believe that it’s been nearly ten years since Jeremy Clarkson’s on-set punch got him fired from Top Gear, considering how successful his partnership with Amazon has been via the soon-to-conclude The Grand Tour and his rural unscripted series Clarkson’s Farm. (The latter will return on the 2025 TV schedule for Season 4, despite cancellation rumors fueled by his Meghan Markle comments.) Clarkson is used to making claims about others, but came to his own defense in regards to one of Top Gear’s more infamous segments.

Specifically, we’re talking about the fairly scathing review of Elon Musk’s early Tesla electric cars, which appeared in a 2008 Top Gear episode, and was later the subject of a lawsuit filed against the BBC by the billionaire investor. Chris Harris, who was part of Top Gear’s replacement crew from 2016-2022, appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience and agreed with the host’s claims that the Tesla test (which later led to a lawsuit) was faked, saying it wasn’t a standalone situation, either.

What Joe Rogan And Chris Harris Claimed About Top Gear

In the 2008 installment, Clarkson claimed to experience brake failure, that the engine overheated, and that the battery flat-out died upon reaching a speed of 88kmh on the track. During his podcast episode, Joe Rogan flat-out said the show pre-wrote that outcome and then filmed the segment to match it. In his words:

While Rogan spoke with the confiendence of someone who probably doesn't need to worry about being sued over his words, Chris Harris was slightly more wary about exactly how he worded his response. That said, he still supported Rogan's claims that Top Gear's segments were predestined, saying:

Joe Rogan's standpoint was tied to his belief that Top Gear gave an unfair review to Tesla's electric cars during that very early period for the company, and that the automaker's reputation was damaged by what he believes to have been falsified judgments.

The thing to remember here, however, is that Elon Musk did file a lawsuit against the BBC tied to Top Gear's review. In 2013, the Tesla complaint against Clarkson's on-air claims was dismissed, with the judge ruling that the company's reputation wasn't damaged.

How Jeremy Clarkson Responded To Claims The Show's Segments Are Scripted

Following the release and publicity of Chris Harris' Joe Rogan Experience appearance, Jeremy Clarkson took to his column in The Sun to call B.S. on the claims made in the podcast episode. But rather than directly stating that the two celebrities were telling stories, Clarkson's piece was focused on the prevalence of urban myths throughout history, from "Vikings wearing horned helmets" to those fishy John Bonham rumors.

While first giving Harris credit for his story about Freddie Flintoff's harrowing crash in 2022, Clarkson then turned to express his dismay over the idea that Top Gear's road tests were manufactured, saying:

It's not as if Jeremy Clarkson has spent years claiming that every single thing that happened within the scope of Top Gear was 100% realistic and natural. (He's talked in the past about the rigged Reliant Robin stunt, for instance.) But it's clear he sees the reviews and road tests as being on a different level of importance, as he continued:

Obviously the idea of "reality TV" has long been separated from the concept of unfabricated reality, with cast members from shows like 90 Day Fiancé revealing allegedly faked storylines. But when it comes to what are ostensibly objective reviews, the line between real and fiction gets that much thinner.

The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm can be streamed in full with an Amazon Prime subscription, and fans will find plenty of other shows to enjoy throughout the rest of the 2024 TV schedule.

Friends is considered one of the best sitcoms of all time, and it really did offer the roles of a lifetime to Jennifer Anison, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer back in 1994. While the actors will forever be associated with those characters, they have accomplished far more than portraying, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross. Here are 32 other movies and TV shows that feature the main cast of Friends.

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

When Ryan Murphy tackled O.J. Simpson's trial for The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, many were surprised that David Schwimmer was cast as Robert Kardashian. However, Schwimmer's portrayal of Simpson's best friend and attorney was praised by Kim Kardashian, who said it was "just done so well."

The Comeback

In Lisa Kudrow's first big TV role post-Friends, she starred as Valerie Cherish on HBO's The Comeback. The concept was actually pretty meta, featuring an actress (Valerie) joining a series in a humbling (and often cringeworthy) attempt to recapture the fame she'd previously found on another sitcom — all while a camera crew documents her journey for a fictional reality show.

Lost In Space

Around Friends' midpoint, Matt LeBlanc took some time to star in the 1998 sci-fi adventure Lost in Space. He plays Major Don West, a hotshot fighter pilot who is part of the crew that gets lost while attempting to lead a planet-wide emigration from a dying Earth.

Scream

Courteney Cox has found fame on several projects outside of the famed NBC sitcom, but arguably her next-most-recognized character after Monica Gellar is Gale Weathers in the Scream franchise. The cut-throat journalist holds the distinction of being the only main character to appear in every film through Scream VI, but thankfully Gale's infamous bangs did not survive all the sequels.

Fools Rush In

Matthew Perry may have had some hilarious lines as Chandler Bing, but he had some good moments outside of his and Joey's apartment as well. Amongst Perry's best movies is the romantic comedy Fools Rush In, which also stars Salma Hayek in a story of a would-be one-night-stand resulting in a pregnancy and the couple's efforts to make a marriage work despite having just met.

The Morning Show

Jennifer Aniston and her Friends sister Reese Witherspoon reunited in 2019 to executive produce and star on The Morning Show on Apple TV+. The workplace drama tackles issues straight from the headlines, as Aniston and Witherspoon play news anchors who are often right in the center of the turmoil.

Better Nate Than Ever

Better Nate than Ever is a coming-of-age story and celebration of musical theater, as 13-year-old Nate sneaks off to New York to audition for a Broadway show. Once in the Big Apple, he enlists the help of his estranged aunt Heidi (Lisa Kudrow), who has dreams of the Great White Way herself.

Dirt

Three years after Courteney Cox bid goodbye to Monica Gellar, she joined the cast of FX's Dirt as Lucy Spiller, the editor-in-chief of a sleazy tabloid. The show ended after two seasons, doomed by the 2007 writer's strike, a timeslot change, and other factors, but fans did get to see a fun guest appearance by Jennifer Aniston.

17 Again

In 17 Again, Matthew Perry plays 37-year-old Mike O'Donnell, who loses his job and is on the brink of divorce from his high school sweetheart Scarlet (Leslie Mann). After an accident, Mike finds himself back in his 17-year-old body (portrayed by Zac Efron) with the chance to relive his high school experience and perhaps make some changes to ensure a happier future.

Picture Perfect

The Friends cast periodically took part in other projects during the 10 years that the sitcom aired on NBC, and 1997's Pitch Perfect was one of those for Jennifer Aniston. In the rom-com, she plays the advertising executive Kate, who lies and says she's engaged to Jay Mohr's Nick in order to make it look like her life is more stable than it is. The only thing missing from these complicated relationship dynamics was someone shouting, "We were on a break!"

The Pallbearer

It's pretty obvious why the Friends stars were tapped for so many romantic comedies in the '90s. David Schwimmer, for his part, took a break from Ross Gellar to play Tom Thompson in 1996's The Pallbearer. Tom is a struggling twentysomething who agrees to be a pallbearer for a former classmate who has died, despite not remembering him. A strange love triangle forms between Tom, his high school crush and his late friend's mother.

Mad About You

Friends fans know that Phoebe Buffay was a twin, with Lisa Kudrow pulling double duty as both Phoebe and Ursula on eight episodes. What people may not know is that Ursula Buffay was a fully formed character on Friends' fellow NBC Must-See TV offering, Mad About You. Kudrow appeared as Phoebe's ditzy counterpart alongside Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt in 24 episodes from 1992 to 1998.

Episodes

Five years after Matt LeBlanc's Friends spinoff Joey was canceled, the actor returned to the sitcom space on Episodes. LeBlanc plays a fictionalized version of himself — a charming but arrogant actor who signs onto the American remake of the British series Pucks. LeBlanc was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor during Episodes' run and won one of two Golden Globes for Best Actor that he was up for over those years.

Cougar Town

Premiering in 2009 and running for six seasons, Cougar Town stars Courteney Cox as Jules Cobb, a divorced woman in her 40s trying to reintegrate herself into the dating world. The role nabbed her a Golden Globe Award nomination in 2010, and Friends fans were surely delighted to see cameos from Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry.

The Odd Couple

In one of Matthew Perry's final TV roles, the man most famous as Chandler Bing took on another iconic comedic character in The Odd Couple's sloppy Oscar Madison. He starred in the CBS adaptation opposite Thomas Lennon, who played the obsessively clean Felix Unger. Sounds like he and Monica Gellar would have gotten along.

Cake

Jennifer Aniston has proven over the years that her talents stretch far beyond the spoiled Rachel Green, and her performance in 2015's Cake earned both critical praise and a Golden Globe nomination. The actress plays Claire Bennett, a woman who abuses pain medication to deal with the physical and emotional effects of the car accident that killed her son. After the suicide of a woman in her chronic pain support group, Claire forms a bond with her husband and son.

Romy And Michele's High School Reunion

In one of the best movies about female friendship, Lisa Kudrow stars alongside Mira Sorvino in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. Ten years after graduating, Romy and Michele are roommates who haven't made much of their lives, but they decide to return to high school with fake stories of success in order to face the ex-classmates who bullied them. This 1997 comedy is a cult classic and features a great cast, not to mention an iconic dance from Alan Cumming.

Top Gear

Taking a step away from scripted TV, Matt LeBlanc got to show off his expertise as a car enthusiast when he signed on BBC's Top Gear as a co-host from 2016 to 2019. Even shooting episodes of this show abroad, LeBlanc wasn't able to escape the grasp of Joey Tribbiani, as he has said he once encountered a Moroccan group living in caves far from civilization who, upon seeing him, called him Joey and affected an accent to say, "How you doin'?"

Shining Vale

Courteney Cox has established herself both as a comedic actress on Friends and a scream queen in the Scream movies, and in the 2022 Starz series Shining Vale, she gets to show her expertise in both genres. In the horror comedy series, Cox plays Pat, who is convinced that something is going on in her dysfunctional family's home, with terrible things having taken place in the past.

Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

In 2006 following the end of Friends, Matthew Perry signed on to Aaron Sorkin's NBC dramedy Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The series depicted the behind-the-scenes antics of a live sketch comedy show similar to Saturday Night Live, but it was strangely made to compete with 30 Rock, a comedy with a very similar premise, which premiered on NBC only a month after Perry's project. Studio 60 was canceled after its first season.

Office Space

Office Space is considered one of the most Gen X movies of all time, and Jennifer Aniston perfectly embodies that spirit in her role as Joanna, the waitress who gets fed up for her lack of enthusiasm and flair.

Band Of Brothers

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg teamed up for the powerful miniseries Band of Brothers, which was based on the nonfiction book by Stephen E. Ambrose and premiered on HBO on September 9, 2001. David Schwimmer was in the midst of his stint on Friends but found time to portray Herbert Sobel in the World War II saga that followed soldiers preparing to fight in one of the biggest military conflicts of all time.

Web Therapy

Years before telehealth was a common and necessary thing, Lisa Kudrow tackled the subject in her web series-turned-Showtime-show, Web Therapy. The actress portrays therapist Fiona Wallice, who offers abbreviated sessions to her clients via the Internet. The show utilized a computer screen POV, and featured a number of fun cameos over its four seasons on Showtime, including appearances from Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer. If only Jennifer Aniston could have made it a clean sweep!

Man With A Plan

Matt LeBlanc found himself another sitcom in 2016, starring in Man with a Plan on CBS. He played Adam Burns, who must take on more responsibilities of raising his three kids when his wife Andi decides to go back to work. The series was largely panned by critics, who called it "bland and forgettable," among other things, but it still managed to air for four seasons.

Family Ties

Years before Monica Gellar would enter the realms of television history, Courteney Cox had a recurring role on Family Ties' sixth and seventh seasons. She played Lauren Miller, the girlfriend of Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) in 19 episodes from 1987 to 1989.

Go On

Matthew Perry took yet another stab at NBC sitcom glory in 2012 with Go On, where he played Ryan King, a sports radio talk show host struggling with the recent death of his wife. He joins an emotional support group, where he's introduced to a motley crew of characters and personalities. Despite being previewed following NBC's Olympics coverage and getting a boost from The Voice as a lead-in, the series was canceled after a single season.

The Good Girl

Jennifer Aniston really got about as far away from Rachel Green as she could in 2002's The Good Girl. Aniston stars as Justine, an employee at a small-town big box store who seems stuck in an unhappy marriage. She engages in an affair with the new cashier Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal), which ultimately ends in tragedy on multiple levels.

The Whole Nine Yards

Approximately halfway through his stint as Chandler Bing, Matthew Perry teamed up with Bruce Willis for the 2000 crime comedy The Whole Nine Yards. Perry plays a dentist named Oz who discovers that his new neighbor Jimmy (Willis) is a highly sought-after former hitman. Oz decides to go to Chicago to inform the mob of Jimmy's whereabouts in order to collect a reward. The pairing of these actors in this movie led to Willis' memorable guest appearance on Friends as the father of Ross' college student girlfriend.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

The same year that Friends debuted, Courteney Cox appeared alongside Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. She played Melissa Robinson, the publicist for the Miami Dolphins, as the zany animal detective is hired to find the team's dolphin mascot after an abduction.

Time Bandits

Lisa Kudrow has said it was "heaven" to work with Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris and Taika Waititi on the Apple TV+ adventure series Time Bandits. Kudrow portrays Penelope, the quasi-leader of a ragtag group of time-traveling thieves, in the 2024 adaptation of Terry Gilliam's 1981 film.

Lovesick

Ten years after Joey Tribbiani finally gave up his key to Monica's apartment, Matt LeBlanc starred in the rom-com Lovesick. In the 2000 movie, he portrayed Charlie Darby, a man who can't find love because of a psychological condition. He must figure out how to overcome this when he meets the girl of his dreams. The film was not well-received by critics, but Friends fans might find something to like in LeBlanc's performance.

The Break-Up

Ironically, The Break-Up inspired a real-life romance between its doomed couple, Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. The 2006 rom-com sees Gary and Brooke end their relationship but remain roommates, as neither agrees to move out. It's funny. It's awkward. It's ultimately a little heartbreaking.

It's often said that the United States and the United Kingdom are two countries divided by a common language. They are also two countries that share a lot of entertainment crossover. When Hollywood tries to adapt hit British shows, both of those things are true. Sometimes the best British shows adapt perfectly, sometimes, they totally bomb in the U.S. Here is a list of times Hollywood tried to adapt British shows, and what the results were. 

The Office

The British version of The Office made Ricky Gervais a worldwide star. When it was adapted by NBC for the U.S. market fans were skeptical. The U.S. version quickly forged its own identity, after lifting quite a few jokes in the early episodes. Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is a doofus, like Gervais' David Brent, but he's not as mean, and the show has a softer heart than the British version. 

American Idol

Pop Idol was a runaway hit in the U.K., so it was only a matter of time before it was brought over to the U.S. In fact, the same team that made it a success in Britain, creator Simon Fuller and judge Simon Cowell, came with it, and brought American Idol to Hollywood. The rest, of course, is history. 

Shameless

The British Shameless debuted in 2004 to wild acclaim and ran for 139 episodes over 11 seasons. About seven years later to the day, the American version premiered on Showtime. It was a huge success, running for a total of 134 episodes, also over 11 seasons. 

Cuckoo

BBC Three had an immediate hit on its hands with Cuckoo. Season 1 revolves around Andy Samberg as an American hippie who is a fish out of water after marrying into a typical British family. Samberg left the show due to other commitments after the first season, but the show continued to be a success for four more seasons. That success was impossible to ignore, and in 2015 NBC ordered a pilot, with Michael Chiklis and Cheryl Hines starring, though the show wasn't picked up. 

Top Gear

Around 2010, one could make the argument that BBC's Top Gear was the most popular TV show in the world. It was shown in dozens of countries each week and was wildly popular in its home country. That led to international versions all over the globe, including the first American version, which ran for six seasons, starting in 2010. A reboot, Top Gear America, aired for three more seasons starting in 2017. 

Dancing With The Stars

Dancing With The Stars wrapped up its incredible 32nd season in December of 2023. It's hard to believe the wildly successful show has been on since 2005. DWTS was born from the also-massively successful Strictly Come Dancing in the U.K., which first aired about a year earlier, in 2004, on BBC One. 

Skins

During its seven-season run on E4 in the United Kingdom, Skins proved to be both controversial and very popular. That popularity led to an American version produced and aired by MTV in 2011. The controversy followed Skins, but the popularity did not and the show was canceled after just one season. 

Veep

HBO's Veep ran for seven amazing seasons, winning countless awards, and again proving HBO is the most consistently great network for original content. The Julia Louis-Dreyfus vehicle was based on a British show, The Thick of It, which, like Veep, was created by Armando Iannucci, and was similarly lauded over its four-season run. 

Dear John

NBC had a magical run of successful sitcoms in the 1980s and '90s. One of those, Dear John, starring Judd Hirsch, was taken from a popular British sitcom of the same name (not to be confused with the Taylor Swift song, also of the same name). Both shows revolved around a recently separated man trying to find his way by joining a divorce support group. 

Undercover Boss

Undercover Boss has been one of the most popular shows on American television for years now. Like so many other reality shows, it has its origins in the U.K. It started small there, with just two episodes in the first series in 2009, but it, like the U.S. version, has also been wildly popular in the years since. 

Antiques Roadshow

Is there anything more quintessentially British than Antiques Roadshow? First airing on BBC One in 1979, it has since aired hundreds and hundreds of episodes. It took a while for the Americans to get on board, but in 1997, PBS launched its version and it too has now aired hundreds of episodes. The format remains very popular on both sides of the pond. 

Cracker

The British detective show Cracker, starring the late, great Robbie Coltrane, has an enduring legacy in the U.K. The same cannot be said for the American version, starring the late Robert Pastorelli, which aired for less than one season in 1997 and 1998. 

Us & Them

Us & Them was a very short-lived sitcom starring Jason Ritter as Gavin and Alexis Bledel as Stacey. Originally intended to air on Fox in 2013, it didn't see the light of day until seven episodes streamed on Crackle in 2018. In the U.K., the show it was based on, Gavin & Stacey, helped make James Corden a star. 

House Of Cards

For American viewers, it might be hard to believe a show as American as House Of Cards would come out of a British series, but it did. The Netflix drama was inspired by a mini-series of the same name, itself based on a book, that first aired in the U.K. in 1990, and followed a similar plot line and production style. 

Too Close For Comfort

Keep It in the Family was a popular sitcom in the early 1980s on ITV in the U.K. The concept of a patriarch living in a house with his daughters in an attached apartment proved a success in the U.S. as well when it was adapted as Too Close For Comfort starring Ted Knight. 

Ghosts

When the 2023 Writers Strike halted the production of CBS's hit Ghosts, the network filled the airtime with the British show it was based on, also called Ghosts. Both shows have proven to be wildly popular with critics and viewers alike, on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Mad Dogs

The psychological thriller Mad Dogs launched on Sky1 in the United Kingdom in 2011 and had a successful five series run. The U.S. version starring Ben Chaplin, Billy Zane, and Michael Imperioli, however, was less successful. Despite solid reviews and what seemed like a decent audience on Amazon Prime, Mad Dogs wasn't picked up for a second season by the streamer

Trading Spaces

It's hard to understand why someone would choose to go on Trading Spaces. It sounds like a nightmare to have someone else decorate your house. Yet, the concept has been a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. First with the British show Changing Rooms, then later with Trading Spaces.

Life On Mars

The best word to describe the BBC series Life On Mars is "cool." The show, about a police officer who goes back in time to the '70s, oozed cool. 1970s Manchester, England was a wild place and the show depicts it brilliantly. The U.S. version, which aired in 2008 and 2009, was less cool. Despite some great sets and great performances from all the stars, it just didn't have the same cool factor and didn't work as well. 

MasterChef

Gordon Ramsey may be English, but he's a star in both countries. One of his biggest hits in the U.S. is MasterChef, a show that first aired in the U.K. in 1990, though he's never been a judge on his home country's version. Still, the format has worked in both the U.S. and the U.K. for years now. 

Payne

One of the most beloved shows in British television history is Faulty Towers starring John Cleese. The show, though just 12 episodes in total, has remained a favorite for decades. There have been multiple attempts to recreate the show in the United States over the years, including Payne, starring John Larroquette. The show lasted just nine episodes on CBS in 1999 before being canceled for low ratings. 

The Great American Baking Show

There is no question that The Great British Bake Off is wildly successful in both the U.K. and the U.S. The American version, The Great American Baking Show has been less of a success, but still somewhat popular. It just doesn't have the same charm as the original. 

Kitchen Nightmares

Who doesn't love watching Gordon Ramsey take apart entitled restaurant owners in Kitchen Nightmares? The show, which was revived in 2023 as Fox went all in on Ramsey after a nearly decade-long hiatus, was born from Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, which was a hit in the U.K. The shows are similar in format, Ramsey visits a failing business and helps revive it, but the tone of the shows are very different. Gordon is much more bombastic in the U.S. version. 

Free Agents

Free Agents is a weird one. It was a moderately successful show on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, but not enough, one would think, to warrant a go in the United States. Yet, in 2011, NBC did have a go, and the results were unremarkable, as the show was canceled after just four episodes aired. 

The Minister Of Divine

The Vicar of Dibley is one of the most popular British sitcoms of all time. It's even been a hit on PBS in the United States. It is also uniquely British and the idea that it could be adapted in the U.S. is, frankly, silly. Yet, that's exactly what Fox tried to do in 2007 with The Minister of Divine starring Kirstie Alley. It was, predictably, a bomb, airing just the pilot episode and nothing else. 

Not Necessarily The News

HBO has been putting out great original content from its beginning and one of the earliest examples was Not Necessarily the News, which aired throughout the '80s. It was basically a comedic fake news show, and was based on hit British show, Not the Nine O'Clock News.

Queer As Folk

The cultural impact of Showtime's Queer as Folk was monumental. The show pioneered showing same-sex relationships on U.S. television. The British version of the same name did similar in the U.K. It starred a young Charlie Hunnam and Aidan Gillen in the U.K., and the drama translated perfectly to U.S. audiences. 

Hell's Kitchen

Hell's Kitchen was created by Gordon Ramsey in 2004 for ITV in the United Kingdom. The bombastic TV star left the show to other chefs after the first season when he brought the concept to U.S. televisions in 2005. The show has gone on to massive ratings ever since. 

Sanford And Son

Yep, that's right, even a show as American as Sanford and Son has British roots. the Redd Foxx-led '70s sitcom that lived on for years in syndication was inspired by the British show Steptoe and Son from the BBC in the mid-1960s. 

All In The Family

No show defines 1970s America like All in the Family. It highlights everything right and wrong about America, but it isn't uniquely American. Creator Norman Lear, who died in 2023 at age 101, based the show on Till Death Us Do Part, which was a popular BBC sitcom in the '60s. 

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

Even game shows have been imported from the British Isles to North America. The most notable is Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Launched in 1998 in the U.K., it wasn't long before a U.S. version was created, debuting with massive ratings in the summer of 1999. More than 3,000 episodes of the American version have aired since then. 

Gracepoint

The murder-mystery show Broadchurch was very successful during its run on ITV in Great Britain. Even though it was shown on BBC America, it was never very popular in the U.S. Still, that didn't stop Fox from ordering a limited series called Gracepoint in 2014. It even brought in one of the stars of Broadchurch, former Dr. Who star David Tennant. It was a moderate success. 

The Prisoner

The 1960s ITV sci-fi show The Prisoner is one of those shows that even if you don't know it, something you love was probably inspired by it. Long considered one of the most influential shows in television history, it was finally rebooted for an American audience in 2009 in a joint production between AMC and ITV, starring Jim Caviezel as Number 6. It was cool, but not nearly as impactful as the original. 

Sometimes the ideas work and sometimes they don't, but you can be sure that ideas and content will continue to flow back and forth between the United Kingdom and the United States. We can't wait to see what happens in the future. 

While obviously not an everyday occurrence, the ever-popular UK TV staple Top Gear and its various presenters have dealt with dangerous situations and injuries in the past, and the latest scare landed co-host and celebrated cricket icon Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff in the hospital. While it’s being reported that the sports and television personality isn’t suffering any life-threatening injuries, his teen son has stated Flintoff is lucky to have come away from the incident without something more dire happening.

Freddie Flintoff was shooting an episode of BBC’s Top Gear in Surrey at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, when something apparently went wrong. It wasn’t stated exactly what went down that led to the accident, though it was noted by DailyMail that temperatures in the area had dropped down to 0°C. What’s known is that the accident didn’t involve a high-speed collision, according to The Sun, although Flintoff was reportedly behind the wheel.

Whatever went down, the cricket champ suffered injuries that required a medical helicopter to airlift and transport him to a nearby hospital for treatment. He reportedly suffered cuts on his face, as well as a broken rib. 

Here’s the statement from the BBC on the matter:

The 45-year-old’s wife Rachael Flintoff is said to have rushed to the hospital from the family’s home in Altrincham after hearing the unfortunate news. Their 16-year-old son Corey shared with DailyMail that the family was definitely taken aback by the incident, saying:

Co-presenter Chris Harris is noted to have also been present at the Top Gear test track when the injuries occurred. 

Unfortunately enough, this wasn’t the first time Freddie Flintoff was in the middle of a frightening set of events involving the long-running UK series. Back in 2019, he was racing his co-stars while maneuvering a three-wheeled cycle car, hurtling forward at speeds of 124mph, when he ran out of runway track and shot onto the grass in a cloud of dust, unable to brake properly. Shockingly, he was able to walk away from that crash without serious injury, though it was the same location where former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond crashed and suffered a critical head injury that left him in a coma. 

Prior to joining Top Gear, Freddie Flintoff cemented his legacy in the sport of cricket, scoring 3,845 runs across his laudable career. He went on to host the comedy quiz show A League of Their Own and took part in the 2015 season of I’m A Celebrity, eventually making his way behind the wheel of Top Gear in 2018 following its troubled first rebooted year that led to the exits of Chris Evans and, later, Friends vet Matt LeBlanc. 

Flintoff’s former Top Gear co-star Sabine Schmitz passed away in 2021 after a battle with cancer. 

Here’s hoping Freddie Flintoff makes it through the healing process without further incidents, and that he’s able to feel good enough to film again in due time. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what’ll be popping up soon while waiting for new Top Gear eps. 

The Top Gear family just experienced a major loss, as Sabine Schmitz, the German racing veteran who served as one of the show’s presenters, has died. Schmitz had been battling cancer since 2017, something she made public just last year. The beloved presenter was only 51 at the time of her passing. Now, many Top Gear alums like Jeremy Clarkson and James May are taking the time to pay tribute to their late colleague.

When Sabine Schmitz first appeared on Top Gear, she joined Jeremy Clarkson, helping him set a lap time around the Nürburgring in a Jaguar S-Type diesel. Upon hearing the news of Schmitz’s passing, Clarkson posted on Twitter, remembering his former co-star with a sweet message. Check out the post down below:

James May’s tenure on the newer iteration of Top Gear didn’t intersect much with Sabine Schmitz. However, the journalist and TV host and plenty of respect for her as a person and as a driver. And his tribute reflected just that:

Top Gear vet Richard Hammond was also among those who paid their respects to Sabine Schmitz. Like his colleagues, Hammond expressed his sadness over hearing the news as he reflected on the racing pro’s legacy:

In another tribute, Paddy McGuinness reflected on the racing advice he received from Sabine Schmitz. He also shared a sweet photo of the two of them:

Like Paddy McGuinness, Chris Harris also shared a sweet throwback photo of himself and Sabine Schmitz. He also included an even sweeter caption in which he describe the late driver:

Top Gear executive producer Clare Pizey also reacted to Sabine Schmitz’s death in a statement (via Deadline). In the message, she fondly remembered the “The ‘Queen of the Nurburgring”:

To say that Sabine Schmitz was a major part of Top Gear would be an understatement. Her vast knowledge of racing and jovial personality were more than welcome on the show. While her loss surely cuts deep, it’s wonderful to see so many pay tribute to the Queen.

We here at CinemaBlend extend our thoughts to the loved ones of Sabine Schmitz at this time.

It’s the dream team you most certainly were not looking for, but former Top Gear stars and former Mythbusters stars are teaming up for a new show on Amazon. The currently untitled series is being described as “an adventure series” with six episodes currently slated for Amazon’s lineup.

But which Mythbusters and Top Gear/ Grand Tour stars will star?

Top Gear And The Grand Tour Star Richard Hammond Will Star

First and foremost, former Top Gear and The Grand Tour star Richard Hammond will be joining the new Amazon project. Richard Hammond is most known for starring alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May in the British version of Top Gear. They later quit that series to head to Amazon to produce the car-driven show The Grand Tour. This new show should be a nice complement to Hammond's other popular Amazon series.

Luckily, Richard Hammond’s mechanical background should prove helpful in the new Amazon “adventure series,” but we’ll get into that more later.

Former Mythbusters lead Tory Belleci Will Star

Tory Belleci was a major presence on Mythbusters before he was unceremoniously fired from the series, presumably to cut costs and go in a different direction. Belleci was let go alongside fan-favorite Kari Byron and Grant Imahara. A short time later, Mythbusters leads Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman also called it quits.

Since then, Tory Belleci headed to streaming where he worked on the White Rabbit project for Netflix. Amazon looks to be his next stop and his Mythbusters skills should definitely come in handy for this new hybrid show.

What Will The New Amazon Show Be About?

The new untitled series sort of sounds like a cross between fiction and nonfiction, in that the production company will be “shipwrecked” and the two men will be “stranded on a deserted island, whereupon they will use their wiles over a period of six episodes in order to survive. Using the remains of the “shipwreck” the two will create a functional paradise where they could theoretically subsist thereafter, Swiss Family Robinson-style.

Where the nonfiction portion comes in is the fact that both Richard Hammond and Tory Belleci will be using their scientific prowess for survival to create cool and unique creations like a “hydro-power water wheel” for example. That kind of stuff should tie in to people who both enjoyed Top Gear and Mythbusters.

Although, I suppose we’ll have to wait and see how witty Richard Hammond and Tory Belleci are around one another, as banter was a hallmark of their previous works. All in all though, this sounds like both a unique TV pitch and something that fans of the other shows should potentially be excited about latching on to.

Chimp Productions will be producing the project for Amazon, although it currently doesn’t have a release date yet. Deadline notes the move comes after Amazon had extended individual deals to Richard Hammond and the other Grand Tour producers Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

We, of course, will keep you posted as this project comes together, but in the meantime, do take a look at all the major TV hitting the schedule this fall.

Almost three years ago, the BBC gave walking papers to former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, and when other presenters Richard Hammond and James May left with him, the network was forced to reboot. While the series rebounded, scoring former Friends star Matt LeBlanc, there was no denying that fans of the series missed the show's original three hosts. BBC America President Sarah Barnett acknowledged this in a recent interview, saying that the new hosts were under a serious microscope that made success nearly impossible. According to Barnett...

It's clear Sarah Barnett and BBC America are not deluded in acknowledging the following seasons of Top Gear will continue to be an uphill battle. Of course, Matt LeBlanc's inaugural season was made that much tougher by the fact that Amazon would snatch up the former hosts and give them the platform to produce their rival series The Grand Tour. It's tough when someone has to fill the shoes of a team that practically built a franchise and it's even tougher to do that when that team is still working on a similar project elsewhere.

That said, Sarah Barnett expressed to THR that Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reed, and Chris Harris are super talented and find their audience eventually. That lineup has changed from the first reboot season as formerly signed presenter Chris Evans (the British one, not Captain America) stepped down. Reports surfaced that LeBlanc and Evans were having issues on the set and while we don't know the truth of the situation, the rumors certainly didn't help the series bounce back in its rating's slide.

Chris Evans wasn't the only thing to change in Season 24 of Top Gear either, as a new logo and stage were created for the 2017 season perhaps to shake off the negative response from fans and critics the season prior. The ratings and viewership were still nowhere close to the final season featuring the original Top Gear crew, but with the head of BBC America willing to openly admit the show is in a period of reinvention, it's safe to assume they're not expecting things to spontaneously change overnight.

Top Gear is expected to air Season 25 on BBC America sometime in 2018. For a look at other upcoming shows set to air in the near future, head on over to our midseason premiere guide and fall premiere guide. For a look at all the shows that were canceled in the past year, visit our cancellation guide.

Top Gear has had more drama than perhaps any other car-based show on television, and as the BBC continues to push the franchise along following the controversial firings of former hosts Jeremy Clarkson & Co., the corporation has announced it will be rebooting a former spinoff series as well. BBC America will be bringing back a U.S. version of the show titledTop Gear America, with the stellar actor William Fichtner joining the series as a host.

William Fichtner will be joined by champion drag racer Antron Brown and British automotive journalist Tom "Wookie" Ford for the updated spinoff Top Gear America. Together, the three will feature this country's greatest modern supercars and timeless classics through eight hour-long episodes for its initial season on BBC America. While most know William Fichtner as an actor in shows like Prison Break or films like The Dark Knight, some might know he's a big car guy as well. Fichtner not only loves cars, but he also races competitively and even managed to beat fellow actor and driving pro Frankie Muniz, as well as others, at a celebrity race 2011. That beats being in Ninja Turtles, right?

Those in the racing community should know the name Antron Brown fairly well. Brown is a 3-time drag racing champion of the NHRA Top Fuel circuit, as well as the first African American champion of the sport. He'll obviously have lots to bring to the spinoff's conversation where high-stakes competition is concerned.

As for Tom "Wookie" Ford, he's served as an associate editor for Top Gear magazine and former editor of Car magazine. Ford joins Top Gear America as a non-American, but considering the series' roots in the U.K., we can let it slide. He's got more than enough brainpower to match the horsepower.

The announced reboot of Top Gear America comes around 9 months after the cancellation of the first run of the series, was was simply called Top Gear. The first series lasted 6 seasons on History and was headlined by comedian and actor Adam Ferrara. It seems kind of odd that BBC is so eager to bring the series back so quickly after the cancellation, but maybe everyone there figured canceling was better than firing and replacing presenters as was done with the flagship series.

This Top Gear America spinoff will likely be less messy than the BBC's own Top Gear reboot. While the network continues to air Top Gear with new host Matt LeBlanc (but no longer last season's Chris Evans), former hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond went elsewhere after the controversial shake-up. The three were eventually scooped up by Amazon and now host their own Top Gear-esque show, The Grand Tour. Maybe Adam Ferrara and his former Top Gear crew will appear on The Grand Tour now?

No release date yet for Top Gear America, but Season 24 of Top Gear airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on BBC America. Hopefully, William Fichtner and crew will celebrate the same success as all the hosts did before March 2015 got here. I can't think of any other car shows coming out soon off the top of my head, but our midseason premiere guide and Summer tv premiere schedule would know better than me, so be sure to head over there to see.

Top Gear fans have had a wild ride over the past few years. The departure of longtime host Jeremy Clarkson meant that the show went through some big changes, and it returned with a pair of new hosts in Season 23. Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc shared primary hosting duties, and rumors abounded for months that the two were feuding behind the scenes. Evans' contract was not renewed after Season 23, and we have our first glimpse of what Top Gear will look like without him in Season 24. Check it out!

For its first Top Gear Season 24 trailer, BBC America went for a hilarious sketch that introduced clips of what's to come. Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, and Rory Reid sat down in front of the BBC Insurance Department to weigh in on how much coverage they'll need in Season 24. Naturally, the guys assured the insurance assessor that they had no prior convictions, problems with obeying the speed limit, or issues with avoiding competitive driving, but footage indicates that they'll spend a lot of time breaking those promises when the show returns from hiatus.

For any fans who were worried that Top Gear would lose its sense of fun after such a big change as Chris Evans' departure, the new trailer should be a sign that the show will still be worth the watch. Of course, Evans was only a Top Gear host for a single season, so he may not have been on long enough for any of us to get too attached to him. Matt LeBlanc has already signed on for another two seasons as host, so he'll likely have much more of an impact on the show.

There was buzz around the possibility of Matt LeBlanc choosing to leave Top Gear due to conflicts with his co-host, so it came as a surprise to some of us when news broke that Chris Evans would be the one to leave. It wasn't necessarily a huge shock that changes were going to happen; the ratings for the season weren't nearly as high as they needed to be to guarantee a future for everyone on the show. We have no way of knowing for sure, but there's a chance that some of the negative chatter around Evans' off-camera exploits meant that he had to be the one to go.

I'm not sure what aspect of the trailer is my favorite. The three guys were definitely funny, and I appreciated the sight gag of the flaming driver walking casually in at the end. Still, I think I have to go with the insurance assessor. The deadpan delivery of his lines was just about as funny as anything Matt LeBlanc or the others had to say, and I had to rewatch a second time just to really appreciate him.

Unfortunately, BBC America has not yet announced an official release date for the next season of Top Gear. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our midseason TV premiere schedule.

Many TV shows over the years maintained a high level of quality from pilot to finale, with no overtly embarrassing dips causing viewers to permanently stitch their palms to their foreheads. But the same cannot be said for all shows, and there is a certain subset of series whose mostly inarguable downfalls came from the loss of one or more main characters, be it through an onscreen death, an offscreen exit or any number of other reasons. A chain may only be as strong as its weakest link, but removing the strongest link from a successful TV show makes everything else weaker in comparison, and here are some of the most glaring examples, minus butchered metaphors.

General spoilers are present for certain series, given the subject matter, so be warned.

Scrubs

For eight seasons, ABC's Scrubs was the delightfully silly, clever and emotionally poignant balance to the many melodramatic hospital dramas that are now permanent TV staples. But, instead of getting cancelled as planned, Scrubs was granted a new season with a huge makeover that scrapped the well-established location and regular appearances from most of the hilarious original ensemble. Season 9 took place at a medical school, and the narration switched from Zack Braff's J.D. to Kerry Bishé's Lucy, which meant that (fill in the blank with one of many complaints). Had this been a completely different series, this final season might not have felt so terrible, but trying to seriously compare this to previous seasons is markedly funnier than most of the episodes.

The X-Files

For so many years, The X-Files kept fans rabidly interested with heavy doses of The 3 Ms: Mythology, Monsters, and Mulder'n'Scully. But after seven seasons, the sci-fi hit was dealt a blow when David Duchovny got into financial disputes with Fox over contract negotiations, and his appearances dropped to include only half of Season 8's episodes and just Season 9's finale. And - shocker! - the show suffered greatly without half of its power duo always around. No Mulder, combined with other casting fluctuations like Robert Patrick's addition and fewer Walter Skinner appearances, made for further proof the real truth was "the show needed to end." Thankfully, the shortened X-Files reboot brought Mulder and Scully together and recaptured some of its former glory.

The Office

The Office's original incarnation could not exist without Ricky Gervais' David Brent, and common sense would dictate the American version couldn't go on without Steve Carell's attention-craving boss. Yet, NBC stuck it out for two seasons beyond Carell's exit from The Office, and replacement roles from James Spader and others unfortunately were not up to the oblivious snuff of Michael Scott. I will admit that The Office's series finale was one of the show's most memorable episodes, but it wasn't necessarily worth going through two dive-bombing seasons to get to it. Against all odds and the beliefs of Scranton's population, more Michael Scott actually does make some situations far better. (Also, we would have also accepted "snakes.")

ER

The only things that can still look the same after 15 years are inanimate objects and Paul Rudd, so NBC's long-running medical drama ER didn't have a good chance to retain its narrative excellence throughout its run. And ER stands out here, since it managed to lose major characters every one or two years, leading to a consistent degradation. It largely began when George Clooney's Doug Ross vacated the emergency room, which was followed by Julianna Margulies's Carol, Gloria Reuben's Jeanie, Eriq La Salle's Benton and Anthony Edwards' Mark. By the time Noah Wyle's John Carter left in Season 11, there were no lead characters left from the first two seasons. And it showed.

That 70s Show

Its name implying the show's events would conclude with the 1980s, That 70s Show would have also been wise to pull the plug when lead actor Topher Grace decided to leave, which prompted Ashton Kutcher to follow suit not long after. Everyone entering legit adulthood should have also been a sign to call it quits, but the show kept going for Season 8, which introduced Josh Meyers' dreadful Randy Pearson. Had Bret Harrison stayed on, instead of jumping over to The Loop, it might not have been as bad, but there was little reason to be hanging out down the street with this show without Eric or Kelso. Not even more Tommy Chong.

The O.C.

When The O.C. made itself comfortable on Fox's schedule in 2003, young people everywhere wanted their relationships to be like that of Ben McKenzie's Ryan and Mischa Barton's Marissa. That certainly changed in subsequent seasons as the soapiness of The O.C. rose and Marissa's substance abuse and alpha behavior grew to soaring heights. When Marissa was killed off in the Season 3 finale, though, the drama tried and failed to grow very far beyond the shadow of Barton's absence. That particular view is disputed by those who abhorred Marissa in the end, but the show itself still spun its wheels in its own confusing aftermath, and the steady decline in ratings was a sign the spark was gone.

Top Gear

Top Gear was led for 13 years by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, a trio of sometimes controversial characters - semantically qualifying them for this list - that are beloved by millions around the world. That love was deflated last year when Clarkson was fired due to a physical altercation with a producer. Hammond and May volunteered to leave, later joining Clarkson for Amazon's recently released The Grand Tour. Top Gear, meanwhile, brought in a cookie cutter Matt LeBlanc and U.K. familiar Chris Evans, both of whom spawned headlines focusing on their alleged feuding, and Evans was fired after the poorly rated and poorly received season, amid multiple reports of Evans' past sexual misconduct. The Grand Tour sure is fun, though.

Two and a Half Men

Two and a Half Men received far better ratings than it ever did critical acclaim, to be sure, and many tuned in to watch Charlie Sheen saying lewd and crude things. Because duh, it's Charlie Sheen. The actor's behind-the-scenes problems, including rehab stints and verbal attacks on show creator Chuck Lorre, were far more engrossing than the show itself, and it all concluded with Sheen being fired prior to Season 9. He was replaced by Ashton Kutcher, of all people, and though the ratings were steady enough to keep the show going for four more seasons, it was a watered down version of the tiger blood that was Charlie Sheen's run.

Mistresses

Not exactly an example of highbrow drama, Mistresses was nonetheless a fine piece of soapy escapism on the primetime schedule, and a lot of it initially had to do with Alyssa Milano's Savi Davis. Unfortunately, when MIstresses changed filming locations from L.A. to Vancouver, Milano left the show as to not have to travel so far, and the show had to deal with that glaring crater. Jennifer Esposito hopped on board for a bizarre storyline in the third season, but that was just a one-and-done scenario, and Mistresses struggled on for another season before ABC decided to just get rid of it entirely.

Amazon has been slowly but surely growing its programming slate. This month the streaming service added The Grand Tour, the brand new series from former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. Previously, the top-watched Amazon program was the well-reviewed Man in the High Castle, but we've just learned The Grand Tour has now superseded that scripted program. As well it should.

The Grand Tour just hit the schedule at the end of last week, and by Monday Amazon had good news. According to the subscription streaming service, the debut episode of the new automobile-based series is already the highest-rated premiere for an Amazon series in the streaming service's history. Helping this were a slew of new Amazon Prime subscribers, as the streaming service is also noting that the day that Jeremy Clarkson and co's show hit the schedule was the highest day for new subscribers sign-ups other than the famed "Prime Day."

Annoyingly, like Netflix, Amazon has adopted the tack of not telling us exactly how many original viewers are watching each episode. Of course, ratings are different for shows that are not on an advertising model and don't need to be viewed live each week, but it would still be nice to have a gauge for how many people are watching The Grand Tour. Did 1 million total viewers catch The Grand Tour premiere? Did 5 million? Did 10? More than 10,000 people have already reviewed the first episode, so you would think it would be a pretty substantial number, but we just have no way to gauge.

Unlike Netflix shows, The Grand Tour will be released on a weekly basis, with new episodes hitting the schedule on Fridays. Right now, the new episodes can be viewed in U.S., U.K., Germany, Austria and Japan; later the episodes will be expanding to more than 200 countries worldwide. The new global way Amazon will start releasing shows should help the service's originals reach whole new audiences.

The Grand Tour joins a steady lineup of originals that also includes Mozart in the Jungle, Bosch, the aforementioned Man in the High Castle, Red Oaks, Transparent and the soon-to-be cancelled Hand of God. Its real competition is, of course, Top Gear, which is still airing on the BBC in the wake of the three leads moving elsewhere. The reimagined version of Top Gear has gone through some growing pains during its first season and is replacing host Chris Evans; still, it will be back on the schedule next TV season. As for Amazon's new show, it seems the bets have paid off, as The Grand Tour is reportedly pretty expensive to produce.

Stay tuned on Fridays to see if the rest of the episodes are as beautiful and engaging as the first. And check out what else is headed to TV at midseason with our premiere schedule.

The BBC's new version of Top Gear got off to a bit of a shaky start earlier this year when the show first hit the schedule. Ratings were a little bit off the mark, and the show had to deal with the criticism of its format and Chris Evans, prompting Evans to even decide he wouldn't return to the series. However, people seemed to really resonate with Matt LeBlanc and there's good news on the LeBlanc front moving forward. We recently learned Matt LeBlanc will be sticking with Top Gear for some time.

News this week indicates that Matt LeBlanc has signed a deal for not one but two more series of Top Gear, so expect to see the show on the air for at least a little while. Chris Harris and Rory Reid will also be back in a regular capacity when the show returns in 2017. In addition, the BBC says we'll be getting regular appearances from Eddie Jordan, Sabine Schmitz and The Stig; therefore, the only really big thing that will be changing is that Chris Evans will not be back.

If you haven't really been watching Top Gear, the show signing on the former Friends actor isn't as strange as it would seem from the outset. While Matt LeBlanc is mostly know for comedy gigs, he is also a huge car enthusiast and knows a lot about motorcycles, as well. He also had experience on Top Gear before signing on to host the gig, so he's been a pretty good fit overall.

There was some concern that Matt LeBlanc may not be able to stick with Top Gear moving forward. He was cagey earlier in the year about whether or not he would stay with the show for more than one season. In addition, his new CBS comedy Man with A Plan is expected to hit the TV schedule later in October. Network comedies notoriously take quite a long time to film, but somehow it looks as if Matt LeBlanc has made the contracts work. Since we don't yet know whether Man with A Plan will actually be a hit, this all could be moot this time next year, anyway, as well.

Obviously, Top Gear will look a little different heading into 2017, but from chatter about the show here on CinemaBlend, it seems that most fans are probably fine with the loss of Chris Evans. The question is whether or not the series will really compete once Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May premiere The Grand Tour on Amazon? The good news is that the shows are only indirectly competing, as one will air on television while the other will stream. (Full discloser: Top Gear is on Netflix in the US.) Still, it's an exciting time for gearheads, as there will soon be two prominent shows of the same ilk available to watch.

Find out more about what is heading to TV with our fall TV premiere schedule.

By far one of the most popular sitcoms of all time by any metric, Friends is still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to how widespread its reach has gone over the years. In fact, star Matt LeBlanc recently-ish went through an experience with a Friends fan that ranks among the strangest he'd ever had, as it was about as far from a New York City apartment as you can get. Here's how he put it.

My favorite part of life is having surreal experiences like this, although I obviously have nothing that compares specifically, as I'm not the former star of a hit NBC sitcom. (And my name doesn't rhyme with Scratthew Scary.) What a strange thing it must have been getting to work in such an unfamiliar setting and not only finding something in common with the people that live there, but actually BEING the connecting element. I wouldn't be surprised if The Tao of Joey existed somewhere, with sandwich stains on the pages.

So much about that story is great from a visual standpoint. I picture LeBlanc standing around drinking some water while the Top Gear crew sets up a shot, and a small group of solemn people in robes come walking out of a nearby cave, perfectly silent until they are right outside of the actor's personal bubble. And then they just start piling on the Friends references. "How you doin'?" is obviously the best example, but the judges would have also accepted someone pretending to put on Ichiban lipstick for men, mentioning a point being "moo," or loudly declaring they don't share food.

The Top Gear episode that Matt LeBlanc was filming in Morocco involved him zipping around the desert in the Ariel Nomad, an offroad vehicle that gave the actor a bit of trouble when he was attempting to figure out how to get inside of it. Without any windows or doors or curtains around, the Ariel Nomad does not allow one to travel cleanly in such dusty settings, and LeBlanc was a dirty mess when he was finished riding around. Had someone asked him at that point "How you doin'?" I imagine he would have said, "Great, because of all the sand which is here." Get it? Sandwiches! Joey Tribbiani! Thank you and good night!

I can never get enough Friends factoids, since they end up offering new information that watching episodes for the 100th time can't. Matt LeBlanc is heading back to network TV for the first time since Joey, now that Episodes has been cancelled, so he'll hopefully be telling stories in 20 years about going to Mars and having some alien quote his new character's best lines. Science!

Man with a Plan will debut on CBS on Monday, October 24, at 8:30 p.m. ET. To see when everything else is heading to TV later this year, check out our fall premiere schedule.

Producing a show about big, fast and impressive vehicles is far cost-friendly, with everything from extra fuel to gobs of insurance adding to the final tally. Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman know a thing or two about that, and they're learning some even bigger lessons with the upcoming Amazon series The Grand Tour. The show is reportedly extremely expensive, and Wilman revealed that a lot of it is coming from how the show is being made, not necessarily what's on it.

You gotta love the bluntness of a Brit who's been in the business a while. Most producers would probably speak quite highly of their outlet, championing every decision made, but Andy Wilman has no problem with publicly saying he thinks it's non-sensible to bring the ultra-modern 4K approach to the unscripted The Grand Tour. Perhaps part of that confidence comes from knowing Amazon is going to shell out the moolah and get the show produced exactly as its execs see fit, regardless of what's said about it. No one is lacking petty cash there.

It is kind of strange that Amazon is choosing The Grand Tour to be one of its original series given the super-fancy 4K gear for its episodes. Layman consumers have yet to fully embrace the upgrade in resolution, though it's expected the number of 4K TVs in homes will rise dramatically, and it'll be important for those TVs to have programming to show off the specs. We all know nothing looks better in the highest-definition possible than the faces of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

For what it's worth, too, Andy Wilman also claimed in this interview from the Edinburgh International Television Festival that the numbers being reported for the show - 4 million pounds an episode - aren't correct. In his words:

But hey, it's better to make headlines for possibly spending too much money on a TV show than the other news stories that have centered around Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear in the past year or so. Clarkson's exit from the hit BBC series resulted in a lawsuit (but nothing that really damaged the presenter's career) and the rebooted version almost imploded during its first season thanks to behind-the-scenes problems with new host Chris Evans, who was promptly fired.

The Grand Tour doesn't have an exact release date yet, though audiences can expect to find it hitting Amazon at some point in the next few months. In the meantime, check out everything else coming to TV soon with our fall premiere schedule.

The old saying goes "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But nobody ever lays out the related and arguably more logistical saying, "Make sure the fixed product is at least as successful as it was before it broke." Following the Top Gear fracas involving former presenter Jeremy Clarkson, The BBC brought in a whole new team of hosts to its rebooted version of the show, and it looks like that era has already come to an end with now-former host Chris Evans stepping down amid rumors of backstage controversies. Here's how Evans announced it.

I guess it's not shocking that the news came in a Twitter post, since that's how a lot of stories with negative angles get revealed, but it's still somewhat shocking in general. News of Top Gear's behind-the-scenes problems had been publicized, particularly the alleged animosity between Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, but it all seemed like by-the-books scrapping. Even when LeBlanc supposedly threatened to quit, I guess I just thought it was petty mess that would get swept away. But no.

Just what is hiding behind these smiles?

Not that some head-to-head trash talk between co-hosts was all that went into Evans exiting Top Gear. The show was also dealing with some major ratings problems, and the recent season finale was watched by 1.9 million people, a record-low audience that was smaller than any crowd that watched any episodes during Jeremy Clarkson's long span. Not that Evans' shoulders are the ones holding all that weight, but those shoulders also weren't the ones bringing in millions of new viewers, either.

And it's indeed possible that Chris Evans was more to blame for the ratings than most. He'd also recently been the subject of some particularly awful accusations from a former co-worker who said he exposed his genitals in front of her and groped her breasts. (Claims that were mirrored by others who allege the host had a penchant for flashing people on set.) Evans isn't admitting anything, and the BBC is on his side, though police will soon be investigating the matter. I guess that's why he chose to go so polite with his Twitter announcement.

All that mess that happened with Jeremy Clarkson, who will eventually be hosting an expensive new car show for Amazon now that his Top Gear business is all said and done, is probably starting to look a less like like a reason for termination to those at the BBC now that it's proven harder for the show to match those past ratings.I mean, even if nobody there actually says it, I'm sure someone is thinking it.

With Top Gear USA bowing out on History after its own recent finale, the king of all car shows is starting to show its age. Will the producers be able to turn things around before next season gets here? We'll have to keep the engine revving while we wait.

Pretty much since the currently airing Top Gear reboot started coming together, things haven't been going well behind the scenes, but at least that show has a future set in stone for the time being. The same cannot be said for the U.S. version of the vehicle-championing series, though, as History has decided to drain the gas tank and cancel Top Gear USA as Season 6 comes to a close. But there may still be hope for the future.

Top Gear USA is/was hosted by comedian/actor Adam Ferrara, driver Tanner Faust and racing analyst Rutledge Wood, and it's the latter that announced the cancellation news on his Facebook page. Thankfully for all involved, there doesn't appear to be any bad blood flowing over the decision, and the network's slight explanation just said the decision was made to not order up any new seasons of the show. Both Rutledge and BBC Worldwide North America gave History respectful props in their statements, as well. Here's how Wood put it.

History's disinterest in seeing the show move forward is in no way a confirmation that Top Gear USA has driven off the airwaves for good, as Wood implied. BBC Worldwide is shopping around to find a new home for the series, according to Deadline, so there's a decent chance that we'll get to watch Ferrara, Faust and Wood hurtling down highways in the future. I mean, it's not like there's a lack of subject matter for the guys to delve into, given how global the fascination with automobiles is.

The first network that would seem like an obvious choice for Top Gear USA would be BBC America, where viewers can also find the updated version and its batch of new hosts. And if things are going as badly for that program as they're being presented, with one host threatening to quit unless big changes are made, then BBC America might not even have the flagship series to air in the near future. Of course, a show like Top Gear USA would also fit nicely on other male-targeted networks like Spike and Esquire, or maybe even a more sports-oriented channel like ESPN or Fox Sports 1 would rev their engines with interest.

Strangely enough, everything seems to be going peachy keen with former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson and his cohorts, who are busy at work on their expensive-as-hell Amazon show The Grand Tour, which is set to premiere later this year. Knowing Clarkson, there are bound to be some controversial incidents coming in the future, but it's rather interesting that both sides of the pond are having Top Gear issues while he's sitting pretty.

The final episode of Top Gear USA Season 6 will air tonight, June 28, on History. We'll keep an ear to the road for news about the show's potential future over the next few weeks.

The new version of BBC's Top Gear just hit the schedule a few weeks ago, but the show has seemed plagued by behind-the-scenes problems since it first started coming together. The latest bout of rumors mentions that the two new leads of Top Gear, Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans, are having plenty of trouble getting along. New reports indicate that Matt LeBlanc may be making an ultimatum that could lead to the series choosing one host over the other.

The new Top Gear has been a little disjointed onscreen. Earlier this year, the show announced that there would be seven major players in the new episodes, counting the Stig, which means that not everyone has gotten the same amount of screen time on the series. The two major constants have been Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans, both who bring their own flavor to the new Top Gear, along with Chris Harris, Rory Reid, Sabine Schmitz and Eddie Jordan. While relationships have seemed alright onscreen, reports from the set have stated that Matt LeBlanc has not been a fan of Chris Evans' behavior in general, especially as people have started to be critical of his performance on the series. LeBlanc is reportedly asking for Evans to go or for himself to get out of his contract.

The report is coming from The Sun, so take it with a grain of salt. However, this wouldn't be the first time we've heard about on set problems on the hit BBC series. A few months before the series hit the air, we learned that Chris Evans may have been overcommitted between TFI Friday and Top Gear. In the time after that, there were other problems mentioned on set, including a potential feud between the two leads. Still, former reports that Evans and LeBlanc have been having problems on set have been called "a big load of bullshit" by the former Friends actor when he was personally asked about them.

Whether or not it's a load of crap or simply an amalgamation of the truth remains to be seen. When Matt LeBlanc was signed on to the drama, he was signed on for two seasons of the hit series, so if Top Gear does earn a renewal by the BBC, the actor should be back next year. He also has the final season of Episodes and a new CBS drama project in the works. Chris Evans, on the other hand, has a ton of different gigs in the works and is consistently busy outside of _Top Gear. _

The BBC hasn't even stated whether or not Top Gear will continue moving forward. Ratings have been okay with the new cast, although early ratings were down from Jeremy Clarkson and co.'s run on the series. Still, in more recent weeks, people seem to be starting to be back on board and the ratings have risen somewhat. Next week will be the final episode of the new season of the show. No decisions about the future of the series or its leads have been made at this point.

New episodes of Top Gear air on Netflix internationally. You can find out what else is coming to TV with our summer TV premiere schedule.

Top Gear returned to the schedule a little over a week ago with a brand new cast and a big challenge ahead of it. The challenge was convincing people Top Gear would still be good, despite the upheaval, the cast changes and the rumors about problems on the set. While ratings were down a little bit during Top Gear’s first weekend on the air, it’s the show's second episode that could be proving the BBC has a ratings problem on its hands. Ratings were down a whopping 1/3 during Episode 2. 

In the UK, an average of 2.8 million total viewers watched Top Gear during the timeslot that it initially aired. That’s 1.6 million total viewers fewer than showed up for the first episode, according to The BBC. Unless you are the rare exception like Empire, it’s not uncommon for ratings to drop a little bit between Episode 1 and Episode 2. However, dropping a huge chunk of overall viewers is a lot more worrisome, especially if the numbers continue to fall in the coming weeks. 

Fighting back, show host Chris Evans made sure to note that people who look at Live+ Same day ratings are living in the past. He noted that really 9 million people, not a little over 4 million ended up watching the first Top Gear outing. Here’s what he had to say via Twitter.

While it’s a fact that many viewers are choosing to watch their favorite shows a day or even days after they originally air, that’s not what we are really concerned about. What’s more concerning about the Week 2 numbers is that so many people who did watch the first episode live chose not to watch live during Episode 2. I suppose it’s possible that those 1.6 million viewers who didn’t watch live all DVR’d the episode and plan to watch tonight. While some DVR increase could still happen, there’s a larger likelihood that a lot of them watched Episode 1 and decided the new version of Top Gear wasn’t really for them. That could be a problem in the long run. 

Sure, it’s impressive that in Live+7 day numbers the show increased exponentially during Week 1 and that Top Gear remains one of the more popular shows on the BBC. However, if you can’t retain your audience over the long haul, the BBC might decide Top Gear is not the viable property it once was. The good news? If you did prefer the version that feature Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond, Amazon is bringing those gents back in just a few short month. More details here. In the meantime, new episodes of Top Gear starring Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc and others air on Sundays on the BBC and on Monday nights on BBC America in the States.

It took a long time for the new version of Top Gear to make it to the air. Presumably, the BBC was hoping that signing on new hosts and releasing plenty of footage would create a lot of hype for the new version of the series. It seems to have worked to an extent. This weekend, the new version of Top Gear premiered on the BBC in the UK. While the ratings managed to win the timeslot, the ratings also show that Sunday’s premiere was the worst-rated episode of the show in over a decade.

The UK premiere of Top Gear brought in 4.4 million total viewers. The last premiere of Top Gear aired at the end of 2014, and featured longtime hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, who had all been hosting the show for years. While shows tend to grow staler in the ratings as the years go by, the premiere of the last season with the former hosts brought in 4.7 million total viewers. Looking at the data in a positive way, 4.7 million total viewers is not that much higher than 4.4. In addition, Top Gear also managed to beat the British Soap Awards, which also aired at 8 p.m. that night.

Still, I’m sure the BBC was expecting the newness of the new Top Gear would contribute to higher ratings than normal, especially during the premiere. Top Gear spent a lot of money rebooting the franchise, and signed on some big names, including Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans, to host the new series. Deadline notes Chris Evans even said less than 5 million total viewers would be a disappointment prior to the premiere. A little over four million total viewers isn’t exactly a success story for the network, although I wouldn’t call it a disaster either.

Reception for the first episode was also mixed. People seemed to be pretty positive about Jesse Eisenberg and Gordon Ramsay showing up. People were mixed on Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans’ roles on the series and many other fans and critics felt the whole thing was an alright first outing but nothing special as a whole.

The BBC and all of the people involved with the show have had to have known that it wouldn’t be easy to win over the fans who stuck with Jeremy Clarkson and co. for years. There was a lot of upheaval related to the former cast's exit, and hype isn't going to be enough to win everyone over--at least not quickly. Still, ratings often drop after the premiere, and the next few weeks should be enough to know if people will be sticking with Top Gear moving forward or not.

You can catch Top Gear on BBC America in the US. The new season premieres on Monday, May 30 at 9 p.m. ET in the States. More summer premiere dates can be found here.

We are just a few days away from the big premiere of the new version of Top Gear. The new team of hosts, co-hosts and the Stig have all been busy promoting the series over the last several weeks, and the BBC has released plenty of fun footage related to the new show. Recently, Matt LeBlanc spoke out about joining Top Gear, his love of cars and even exactly what he feels about all of the Top Gear changes that are coming. Here’s what he had to say in a recent interview:

Obviously, the BBC has gone to a major effort to make sure the new edition of Top Gear isn’t exactly like the old. In fact, instead of three dudes being chummy, there is now a cast with 7 individuals at the forefront. Chris Evans was the first person cast for the new version, but then the show added LeBlanc, Sabine Schmitz, Rory Reid, Chris Harris, Eddie Jordan and, of course, The Stig. The new lineup is being called The Magnificent Seven. It gives a lofty name to a group that will hopefully continue to be a prominent on the BBC series.

Matt LeBlanc went on to elaborate to Vulture that he really does think what he and the rest of the team are doing works.

It hasn't been the easiest road to production. Reports have mentioned there has been behind-the-scenes drama; then again, thanks to Jeremy Clarkson's antics there was often drama on the last amalgamation of Top Gear, too. Obviously, it's far too soon to tell if the new Top Gear will be a hit. However, Matt LeBlanc is proving there is at least one person who is excited about the brand new episodes.

Hopefully with the new gang on board, they won’t get “stuck in second gear.” Someone had to. New episodes of Top Gear will start airing on Monday, May 30 at 9 p.m. ET, followed by an after show. You can find out when other TV premieres are happening with our summer premiere schedule.

Summer used to be a time when there was a dearth of TV, but now there are new TV shows popping up on nearly every date on the calendar. If you are looking for good dramas, new comedies or even programming that you can stream on Netflix or Hulu, we've put together a list of all of the great new programs--as well as the not-so-great ones--that will be hitting the schedule during the summer months. For your convenience, we've also included this spring's April dates.

The schedule is a work in progress, and dates are subject to change as the weather heats up. In the meantime, if there's a new or returning show you don't see on here, feel free to leave a comment and we'll see if we can dig up the date for you! We’ve also listed shows that haven’t been given official return dates and stuff that is expected to premiere later this summer, so if your favorite show doesn’t have a date, yet, take a look at the end of the list first! (Please note: listed times are in EST/PST.)

April

Friday, April 1

12:01 a.m. PT - THE RANCH - Netflix

12:01 a.m. PT - Lost & Found Music Studios -Netflix

10:00 p.m. - Banshee - Cinemax

10:00 p.m. - Wynonna Earp - Syfy

Sunday, April 3

8:00 p.m. - Call the Midwife - PBS

Monday, April 4

6:00 p.m. - Powerpuff Girls - Cartoon Network

Wednesday, April 6

6:00 p.m. - The Real Housewives of New York City - Bravo

Thursday, April 7

8:30 p.m. - The Odd Couple - CBS

Friday, April 8

? p.m. - Catastrophe - Amazon Prime US premiere

Saturday, April 9

9:00 p.m. - Outlander - Starz

Sunday, April 10

?:00 p.m. - MTV Movie Awards - MTV

8:00 p.m. - The Girlfriend Experience - Starz

9:00 p.m. - House of Lies - Showtime

9:00 p.m. - Fear The Walking Dead - AMC

9:00 p.m. - Shahs of Sunset - Bravo

9:30 p.m. - DICE -Showtime

Monday, April 11

9:00 p.m. - Jackie Robinson - PBS

9:00 p.m. - THE DETOUR - TBS

10:00 p.m. - HUNTERS - Syfy

10:00 p.m. - The Real Housewives of Dallas - Bravo

Tuesday, April 12

10:00 p.m. - GAME OF SILENCE - NBC

Wednesday, April 13

8:00 p.m. - THE LAST PANTHERS - Sundance

10:00 p.m. - STRONG - NBC

Thursday, April 14

8:00 p.m. - Bones - Fox

9:00 p.m. - American Grit - Fox

10:00 p.m. - Orphan Black - BBC America

Friday, April 15

12:01 a.m. PT - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Netflix

12:01 a.m. PT - Kong: King of the Apes - Netflix

Saturday, April 16

12:01 a.m. PT - CONFIRMATION - HBO

2016 Netflix Premiere Schedule: New and Returning Shows

Monday, April 18

9:00 p.m. - 12 Monkeys - Syfy

9:00 p.m. - CLASS DIVIDE - HBO documentary

Tuesday, April 19

9:00 p.m. - CONTAINMENT - CW

10:00 p.m. - THE NIGHT MANAGER - AMC

Wednesday, April 20

? - Deadbeat - Hulu

10:30 p.m.. - Time Traveling Bong - Comedy Central

Thursday, April 21

10:00 p.m. - Inside Amy Schumer - Comedy Central

Sunday, April 24

9:00 p.m. - Game of Thrones - HBO

9:00 p.m. - Rebellion - Sundance miniseries

10:00 p.m. - Silicon Valley - HBO

10:30 p.m. - Veep - HBO

Monday, April 25

8:00 p.m. - Reign - The CW

8:00 p.m. - Mike & Molly - CBS

10:00 p.m. - Turn: Washington’s Spies - AMC

Friday, April 29

12:01 a.m. - SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS - Netflix Movie

12:01 a.m. - TEAM FOXCATCHER - Netflix documentary

May

Sunday, May 1

8:00 p.m. - Young & Hungry - Freeform

8:30 p.m. - Baby Daddy - Freeform

10:00 p.m. - Penny Dreadful - Showtime

Monday, May 2

9:00 p.m. - HOUDINI & DOYLE - FOX

Tuesday, May 3

9:00 p.m. - Below Deck Mediterranean - Bravo

10:00 p.m. - Person Of Interest - CBS

Wednesday, May 4

9:00 p.m. - Maron - IFC

Friday, May 6

12:01 a.m. PT - MARSEILLE - Netflix

12:01 a.m. PT - Grace and Frankie - Netflix

Monday, May 9

? - Every Brilliant Thing - HBO documentary

11 p.m. - HELLO GOODBYE - Travel channel

Wednesday, May 11

12:01 a.m. PT - CHELSEA - Netflix

Sunday, May 15

9:00 p.m. - Undercover Boss - CBS

Monday, May 16

9:00 p.m. - Wicked Tuna - NAT GEO

Wednesday, May 18

10:00 p.m. - Royal Pains - USA

Friday, May 20

12:01 a.m. PT - LADY DYNAMITE - Netflix

Saturday, May 21

8:00 p.m. - All The Way - HBO

Sunday, May 22

10:00 p.m. - PREACHER - AMC

Monday, May 23

8:00 p.m. - The Bachelorette - ABC

Monday, May 23

8:00 p.m. - The Bachelorette - ABC

8:00 p.m. - The Price Is Right - CBS nighttime special

Wednesday, May 25

9:00 p.m. - Wayward Pines - Fox

Thursday, May 26

8:00 p.m. - 500 Questions - ABC

9:00 p.m. - Red Nose Day - NBC

Friday, May 27

12:01 a.m. PT - Chef’s Table - Netflix

12:01 a.m. PT - Bloodline - Netflix

Monday, May 30

? p.m. - ROOTS - History, Lifetime, A&E

8 p.m. - So You Think You Can Dance - Fox

9 p.m. - TOP GEAR - BBC America

9 p.m. - The Dresser - Starz

10 p.m. - Mistresses - ABC

Tuesday, May 31

8:00 p.m. - America’s Got Talent - NBC

10:00 p.m. - MAYA AND MARTY IN MANHATTAN - NBC

10:00 p.m. - Scream - MTV

June

Wednesday, June 1

8:00 p.m. - American Ninja Warrior - NBC

10:00 p.m. - Cleverman - Sundance

Thursday, June 2

9:00 p.m. - Beauty And The Beast - CW

Friday, June 3

9:00 p.m. - OUTCAST - Cinemax

9:00 p.m. - Marriage Boot Camp - WETV

Sunday, June 5

8:00 p.m. - Legends & Lies: The Patriots - Fox News

10:00 p.m. - FEED THE BEAST - AMC

Monday, June 6

9:00 p.m. - Rizzoli & Isles - TNT

9:00 p.m. - Devious Maids - Lifetime

10:00 p.m. - UnReal - Lifetime

Wednesday, June 8

8:00 p.m. - CMT MUSIC AWARDS - CMT

11:00 p.m. - Big Freedia - Fuse

11:30 p.m. - Transcendent - Fuse

Saturday, June 11

9:00 p.m. - O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA - ABC

9:00 p.m. - Hell On Wheels - AMC

10:00 p.m. - THE AMERICAN WEST - AMC

Sunday, June 12

8:00 p.m. - 70th Annual Tony Awards - CBS

9:00 p.m. - The Ride with Norman Reedus - AMC

9:00 p.m. - STILL THE KING - CMT

Monday, June 13

9:00 p.m. - Guilt - Freeform

10:00 p.m. - BRAINDEAD - CBS

10:00 p.m. - Major Crimes - TNT

Tuesday, June 14

8:00 p.m. - TO TELL THE TRUTH - ABC

9:00 p.m. - UNCLE BUCK - ABC

9:00 p.m. - ANIMAL KINGDOM - TNT

10:00 p.m. - WRECKED - TBS

Wednesday, June 15

?10:00 p.m. - Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee - Crackle

10:00 p.m. - Jay Leno's Garage - CNBC

Thursday, June 16

9:00 p.m. - Aquarius - NBC

Friday, June 17

12:01 a.m. PT - Orange is the New Black - Netflix

Sunday, June 19

9:00 p.m. - The Last Ship - TNT

10:00 p.m.- TOP SECRET SWIMMING HOLES - Travel

11:00 p.m.- 7 WATER WONDERS - Travel

Monday, June 20

8:00 p.m.- The Fosters - Freeform

10:00 p.m.- Odd Mom Out - Bravo

Tuesday, June 21

8:00 p.m. - Pretty Little Liars - Freeform

10:00 p.m. - GREENLEAF - OWN

Wednesday, June 22

8:00 p.m. - Big Brother - CBS

10:00 p.m. - AMERICAN GOTHIC - CBS

10:00 p.m. - The Jim Gaffigan Show - TV Land

Thursday, June 23

8:00 p.m. - Battlebots - ABC

Cancelled or Renewed? The Network Rundown Of What Shows Are Coming Back And What Are Not

Sunday, June 26

8:00 p.m. - Celebrity Family Feud - ABC

9:00 p.m. - Ray Donovan - Showtime

9:00 p.m. - THE $100,000 PYRAMID - ABC

10:00 p.m. - ROADIES - Showtime

10:00 p.m.- Murder in the First - TNT

Tuesday, June 28

9:00 p.m. - DEAD OF SUMMER - Freeform

9:00 p.m. - Zoo - CBS

Thursday, June 30

10:00 p.m. - Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll - FX

July And August

Friday, July 1

9:00 p.m. - Killyjoys - Syfy

10:00 p.m. - Dark Matter - Syfy

Sunday, July 3

10:00 p.m. - Island Explorers - Travel

Wednesday, July 6

10:00 p.m. - Tyrant - FX

Sunday, July 10

9:00 p.m. - THE NIGHT OF - HBO

Monday, July 11

8:00 p.m. - Penn & Teller: Fool Us - The CW

9:00 p.m. - Whose Line Is It Anyway? - The CW

10:00 p.m. - Running Wild With Bear Grylls - NBC

Wednesday, July 13

8:00 p.m. - The 2016 ESPYS - ABC

9:00 p.m. -Suits

- USA 10:00 p.m. - Mr. Robot - USA

Friday, July 15

12:01 a.m. PT - STRANGER THINGS - Netflix

12:01 a.m. PT - Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru - Netflix

Sunday, July 17

9:00 p.m. - Power - Starz

10:00 p.m. - Survivor's Remorse - Starz

10 p.m. - Ballers - HBO

10:30 p.m. - VICE PRINCIPALS - HBO

11:00 p.m. - LIFE'S A BEACH - Travel

Tuesday, July 19

10 p.m. - SHOOTER - USA

Friday, July 22

12:01 a.m. PT - Degrassi - Netflix

12:01 a.m. PT - BoJack Horseman - Netflix

Sunday, July 24

? p.m. - Survivor's Remorse - STARZ

Thursday, July 28

10 p.m. - Ripper Street - BBC America

Friday, July 29

12:01 a.m. PT - Tallulah - Netflix

Sunday, July 31

8 p.m. - Sharknado: The 4th Awakens - Syfy

Tuesday, August 2

8:00 p.m. - Bachelor in Paradise - ABC

Wednesday, August 3

12:01 a.m. PT - BEAT BUGS - Netflix

8:00 p.m. - CMA Music Festival - ABC

10:00 p.m. - Paranormal Witness - Syfy

Friday, August 12

12:01 a.m. PT - THE GET DOWN - Netflix

Sunday, August 21

9:00 p.m. - Fear The Walking Dead - AMC

Monday, August 22

10:00 p.m. - Cheer Squad - Freeform

Tuesday, August 23

9:00 p.m. - Halt and Catch Fire - AMC (will air at 10 in subsequent weeks)

10:00 p.m. - The Profit - CNBC

10:00 p.m. - BETTER LATE THAN NEVER - NBC

Wednesday, August 24

10:00 p.m. - Cleveland Hustles - CNBC

10:00 p.m. - Gomorrah - Sundance

Friday, August 28

? - MTV VMAS - MTV

10:00 p.m. - The Strain - FX

Wednesday, August 31

10:00 p.m. - You're The Worst - FX

Other Potential Summer Premiere Dates

Masters of Sex is getting a fall premiere date

Andrew Zimmern’s Driven By Food

Switched at Birth has been pushed back to 2017.

Continue To Fall Schedule >

After Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May finished their runs on Top Gear, a lot of eyes were watching to see what the three men would do next. They ended up signing on with Amazon for a new car show, a series that has been seen as a rival to the BBC’s Top Gear despite the fact the BBC drama is filming the new season and Amazon’s show doesn’t even have a name yet. Now, there’s even more of a reason to mention a rivalry between the two productions. The shows will now be directly competing in the streaming space, as well. That’s right, Netflix recently noted that episodes of Top Gear will air on the streaming service internationally.

This week, we learned that Netflix has closed a deal with the BBC to stream all episodes of the new Top Gear. CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed the news to The Guardian on Tuesday, noting that the BBC series will air on Netflix internationally, as it falls under the umbrella of an existing deal with Netflix. The worldwide streaming service is also still in talks to get episodes of Top Gear into many of the countries internationally that don’t fall under the deal. From how it looks now, both shows will end up competing on opposite streaming platforms.

If you do live in the UK, episodes of Top Gear will still be available via the BBC, but if you live in the States, episodes of the UK version of Top Gear have been available on Netflix in the past and look to be heading to the streaming service in the future. The real question is whether or not fans will be able to get the episodes quickly or if it will take some time. For instance, while recent seasons of Top Gear are available on Netflix, BBC America is actually the initial home for upcoming episodes of the show. Promotional materials, including trailers, have come through BBC America in recent weeks.

Still, the Netflix news is incredibly interesting, considering Netflix was initially the place where Jeremey Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were expected to go. However, after they chose Amazon as their new home, Netflix made some blunt comments regarding how the company looked at the data and at how much a Jeremy Clarkson car show would cost and realized the series would not be a good fit for the streaming service. If you’d like to know more about why they passed, head here.

There’s obviously something to be said about being the first team out of the gate, of course. Top Gear already has its lineup cemented and has released the first trailer for the new iteration, while Jeremy Clarkson and co.’s show hasn’t totally come together yet, although filming has started. The Amazon show won't be hitting the schedule until next fall sometime. Top Gear is coming in May.

You can watch the catch the first full trailer for the BBC series, below.

Streaming services are still fairly new, and Netflix is far and away the most popular option. However, recently Amazon has started to make serious strides in terms of creating original TV programs. Stuff like The Man in the High Castle, Mad Dogs and Transparent have put Amazon Prime on the map in terms of TV content, and Amazon nabbed former Top Gear stars Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May to produce a new show a few months ago. Apparently, Netflix is a little flummoxed about Amazon’s success, or at least the subscription streaming service is looking to compete. This week, we learned Netflix is in talks to syndicate the BBC’s new version of Top Gear.

The BBC has been busy getting Top Gear together over the last several months. Recently, we finally learned the "Magnificent Seven" who were cast to headline the new show, including the already-known Chris Evans and Episodes actor Matt LeBlanc. With the new BBC show getting ready to premiere, the network wants to sell the rights to Top Gear internationally, and The Guardian reports that Netflix is interested in signing on. The show would not air on the BBC and internationally simultaneously; streaming episodes would premiere some time later. 

Negotiations are still in the early stages at this point, but theoretically Netflix would be a good fit to purchase, since the streaming company already has some episodes of Top Gear available for streaming. In addition, we already know that Netflix was tentatively interested when Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were shopping a car show some months ago. That deal fell through, and Amazon swooped in to pick the popular car show hosts up. 

Interestingly, there’s already been a bit of a rivalry set up between the two car shows. A lot of people would argue that Top Gear was so well-liked only because Jeremy Clarkson and his two co-hosts were beloved by the fans. However, others would argue that it is the Top Gear bits—including stuff with the Stig—that make Top Gear the top car show, and Chris Evans and the BBC have retained the rights to those segments moving forward. 

If Netflix scoops Top Gear up, that should only serve to deepen the rivalry between the two shows (and the two streaming services). Netflix and the BBC might have the edge in terms of getting the show out to higher numbers of people; then again, we’d never know that, because Netflix is unwilling to reveal its ratings. In addition, if Clarkson and co.’s new show is the better show, does it really matter if the audience is smaller? If it was on network TV, the answer would be yes. But thanks to streaming services not having to rely on advertising dollars, sometimes bragging rights are enough. 

It’s likely that Top Gear will hit the air before Amazon’s show does. In fact, we don’t even know the name of the Amazon show, yet. We’ll let you know as soon as the BBC version of Top Gear gets a premiere date (at least in the UK), though. In the meantime, you can check out what else the networks have coming up with our midseason TV premiere schedule.  

The new Top Gear has been coming together over at the BBC for a while, and recently we learned that Friends and Episodes star Matt LeBlanc would be trying his hand at talking about cars. In a recent interview, the actor revealed that his role on Top Gear will be a little bit different than the other professionals who have been signed on for the new series. In fact, he says he’s more about the comedic relief than anything else:

LeBlanc will be the first American host on Top Gear, and while he does have a love for automobiles of all varieties, most of the work he has done in guest stints within the Top Gear universe has been in a presenter type of capacity, so he hasn’t had to do a ton of stunt driving or reviewing or whatever. Matt LeBlanc’s comments to Variety seem to indicate that he may be leaving (or attempting to leave) a lot of the harder stuff to host Chris Evans and the car professionals who were hired to round out the Top Gear team, including Sabine Schmitz, Rory Reid, Eddie Jordan and Chris Harris.

Still, Top Gear has always done a lot to incorporate humor into the series. In fact, former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson recently wrote a cheeky editorial about one of the segments that was created specifically for comedic relief. You can check that out here. Anyway, if the BBC wanted some light comic relief with the new lineup, they likely made a good decision in signing on Matt LeBlanc for the first set of episodes.

My real worry is that Matt LeBlanc’s gig with Top Gear may not end up lasting for all that long. The show has signed on a whopping six hosts plus the Stig and a lot of them have other projects in the pipeline. LeBlanc, for instance, signed on with CBS just a couple of weeks ago for I’m Not Your Friend a new comedy pilot coming from the writers of That ‘70s Show. If the project moves forward, network TV usually shoots around 22 episodes, which means that a lot of weeks of filming would be involved. LeBlanc also mentions that he's optimistic he can juggle all of these things, but the last thing Top Gear needs is another host who is juggling a lot of commitments.

Obviously, the new amalgamation of Top Gear will need to be deemed a success before any of the new hosts are signed on for a second season. Hopefully, we won’t have too much longer to wait to see how everything shakes out.

We’ll let you know as soon as Top Gear gets a premiere date. In the meantime, here’s what else the networks have coming up.

Top Gear has been slowly but surely picking up where Jeremy Clarkson and co. left off, cementing a brand new attitude and lineup for the new version of the series. While some segments popularized by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will remain the same on Top Gear, the people certainly won’t. We already knew that Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc would be hosting the new series and rumors indicated a few other cast members had signed on, but this morning, Top Gear confirmed the rest of the cast. As you can see from the image, below, there are going to be a lot more people on Top Gear than there used to be. Sabine Schmitz, Rory Reid, Eddie Jordan and Chris Harris will all also be joining the cast. Throw in The Stig, and the new Top Gear has what they are calling “The Magnificant Seven.”

Some of these names aren’t a huge surprise. For instance, Sabine Schmitz and Chris Harris were rumored to be hosting the upcoming show a few months ago, but later Schmitz, a German racing driver, said she wasn’t as involved as people were expecting. Harris, a journalist, hasn’t said much since he was listed among the “probably cast” back in 2015, but now he’s definitely in for the long haul. You can find out more about both newcomers here.

The other two newcomers are about as big of a surprise as Matt LeBlanc was, only a little less famous. Eddie Jordan used to be motorsport team boss, and formerly owned a Jordan Grand Prix team. However, the latter part of his career has seen him handle Formula One coverage on the BBC. Because he already works for the BBC, the move to Top Gear should be a natural fit. He’s also put together a series called Eddie Jordan’s Bad Boy Racers.

Rory Reid is probably the biggest outlier of the bunch, as the casting press release notes that he was actually recruited to Top Gear through a talent search. He says that he submitted a 30-second audition tape and didn’t really feel as if he would actually be in the running for the gig, but here he is. Reid is a journalist who has worked for CNET’s Car Tech channel.

With 6 hosts and the Stig, I can’t imagine everyone is meeting up on set every day and will appear in every single episode. Sabine Schmitz has already stated that she is in Top Gear less than that earlier announcement would make it seem, and seven cooks in the kitchen is an awful lot. I’m wondering if they signed on so many people so they could accommodate higher end talent with busier schedules. Matt LeBlanc, for instance, has a comedy project in the works along with his Top Gear work. Still, we'll have to wait and see how the new show shakes out.

We’ll let you know as soon as the new Top Gear gets an official premiere date.

Top Gear has been slowly but surely coming together over at the BBC for the past several months. Following the news that Chris Evans would be the host of the series, the network decided to go ahead and keep the same format and sign on other hosts to flesh out the show a bit more. This week, the BBC announced that Episodes and Friends actor Matt LeBlanc will be joining Chris Evans for the new iteration of Top Gear, which the network now says will return in May. The BBC also released a spiffy new image of the two gentlemen, standing with The Stig:

The news that Matt LeBlanc is joining the hosting team is pretty interesting, as it marks the first time an American has hosted the long-running series. It’s not that Matt LeBlanc is totally new to Top Gear; the BBC notes that he has actually popped up in several episodes of Top Gear in the past. He’s also the presenter of the BBC America series Top Gear: The Races, which looks at memorable racing moments from Top Gear’s history. He’s also really, really into cars, so that should help.

It’s not just going to be Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc hanging out each week. The BBC says that other Top Gear cast members will be confirmed shortly. Formerly, we had heard that David Coulthard, Sabine Schmitz and Chris Harris had all been added to Top Gear. However, David Coulthard eventually snubbed the role, instead choosing to do Formula One coverage. Sabine Schmitz recently admitted that she’s been around the new Top Gear, but not as a host. And now, the BBC says another host will be announced, so it’s looking like the lineup is anything but cemented at this point.

Rumors from the set have indicated that the BBC has had a bit of trouble getting Top Gear off of the ground. Chris Evans has admitted he’s been working too many gigs for long stretches at a time. Production has been described as “in a shambles” and obviously the fact that the aforementioned names in the former paragraph have either quit or not had their gigs defined publicly is pretty strange. Now, the BBC is bringing in an American celebrity in the hopes that the publicity will help people to get excited about the new series. I like Matt LeBlanc and I’m sure he’s really into vehicles, but whether or not he turns out to be great, the star power he brings is different than past choices.

As noted prior, the first episode of the new Top Gear is expected to hit the schedule this coming May. By then, I’m assuming the cast will be rounded out. We’ll let you know when the BBC officially announces a premiere date. In the meantime, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are currently getting their rival series together over at Amazon. That one doesn't have an official premiere date, either.

In the meantime, here’s what’s coming up on TV this winter.

While the former Top Gear trio of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have been popular for quite some time, the events leading to Clarkson’s firing from the BBC and May and Hammond’s decisions to also sign off from the series have made them infamous. And with infamy, comes the rumor mill, including allegations that Jeremy Clarkson was off his rocker and possibly even dealing with an alcohol problem around the time he punched Oison Tymon in the face—something Jimmy Fallon can likely sympathize with. Now, James May is coming out to defend his TV partner, explaining in an interview that he isn’t off his rocker.

I love that he calls his co-worker and pal deranged but totally put together at the same, which is the best descriptor I think I’ve ever heard regarding the loud and amusing host and how he could have gotten into the situation he did. Clearly the situation when it happened was messed up, with highstrung emotions on either side. If you’ve kept up with the events leading to Clarkson’s firing from the BBC, he wanted a hot meal at the end of a long day and producer Oison Tymon apparently didn’t make it happen. After punching Tymon, Clarkson came clean to the BBC and lost his job because of it. Oison Tymon later sued Clarkson and the BBC over the incident, dragging this whole thing on even longer. James May and Richard Hammond ultimately opted to follow Jeremy Clarkson out the door.

Weirdly, the BBC has spent a lot of time nodding at Clarkson and co. in the months since Top Gear as we know it ended its run and Chris Evans was signed on as the host. First, there was a Top Gear special that aired over the summer that gave fans some closure. Then, as reported by the Radio Times, the network spent the winter holiday playing compilations of the series, and May told the outlet it's a little awkward.

Currently, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have signed on with corporate giant Amazon to produce a brand new car-oriented series. Unfortunately, we’ve gone several months without knowing the title of the upcoming project, but we’ll share that as soon as Amazon makes the big announcement. In the meantime, we do know that the former Top Gear hosts have had to rework a lot of their most popular segments for the new show, as the BBC has retained the rights to most of the show’s popular segments.

Clearly the guys are ready to release their next big TV production and move past all of this BBC stuff, and Hammond has even stated he’s ready to move on. We’ll let you know as soon as the new Top Gear and the new Amazon series gets the show on the road.

A lot of unscripted TV doesn’t actually mimic reality and is doctored somewhat for the entertainment of its viewers. We expect reveals like these to come from shows from all different kinds of genres, including big name programs like Pimp My Ride. However, I wasn’t expecting former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson to come out and explain in detail that a segment the show created was 100% rigged. But that’s what he recently did. The stunt in question? The now-famous clip of the Reliant Robin rolling over again and again. Here’s what the man had to say:

Jeremy Clarkson’s skill sets extend beyond TV hosting, and the above quote comes from an editorial the man penned for the Sunday Times, which also reveals that he was asked to carry around a hammer in case he needed to break some glass while filming the dangerous segment. It later flew past his face, which was probably more dangerous than the rolls themselves. Obviously, this segment was shot more for humor than as a review or test drive of the actual vehicle itself, so the fact that this was pure fantasy isn’t so outrageous. Still, I’m a little surprised the story is coming out, now, as Clarkson prepares to launch another "reality" car series. All in all, if your kid ever asks you whether or not the Reliant Robin moment was real, you can now feels perfectly honest when answering with a snort and a “nope.”

If you haven’t seen the incredibly amusing segment, you can watch it in full, courtesy of the original BBC show, below.

I guess the number of times the car is shown totally off-kilter should be a pretty big indication that this bit was rigged, but I’m still amused that Clarkson is now straight-up admitting it. Plus, he says he liked the experience so much that he’s done the bit more than once.

Jeremy Clarkson is currently gearing up to give us more entertaining car moments. He and his onscreen chums James May and Richard Hammond have a new show heading to Amazon sometime in the near future. As soon as we get more juicy details regarding the title and more we’ll let you know. In the meantime, you can relive way more Top Gear favorites, here.

It takes a lot of time, effort and planning to get a new series off of the ground. And when a new show is rising from the ashes of an old show, things can get even more complicated. At least, that’s what seems to be happening on the set of the BBC’s Top Gear. New reports from the set indicate that Top Gear is off to a shaky start, and new host Chris Evans is only one part of the overall problem.

We’ve known for a while that Chris Evans has been overcommitted to too many things. The radio host and presenter even noted in a magazine that he had worked for 26 hours straight one day between his radio show, TFI Friday and Top Gear production. Eventually, the TFI Friday gig ended—either because it was set as a one-off as the network suggests or because the BBC put the kibosh on its Top Gear host working too many gigs, as various media outlets suggest. Regardless, the main host has been stretched thin across several jobs for some time now. The Sunday Times has even called the production “in a shambles.”

A new report from The Sun also says that Evans even crashed a car during his first day of filming. The report indicates that the brand new Jaguar also happened to be lent to the Top Gear team.

Obviously, accidents happen and people sometimes overcommit, but a lot of this seems to stem back to a lack of focus from Evans, who is supposed to be the star of the new iteration, replacing the very, very popular Jeremy Clarkson and co. In addition, Clarkson had two beloved co-hosts in Richard Hammond and James May, while Chris Evans has been given a bunch of relative unknowns to work with. In time, people may come to love David Coulthard, Sabine Schmitz and Chris Harris, but for now, Chris Evans is the well-known name and will need to do a lot of the heavy lifting to get Top Gear back into the TV game. If he’s overcommitted, it’s hard to see that happening.

The big casting shakeup of 2015 isn’t the only problem Top Gear is facing. Several of the show’s behind-the-scenes people left when Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond did. Longtime producer Andy Wilman will be a part of that gang’s new Amazon show, and if that weren’t enough, a short time ago executive producer Lisa Clark and script editor Tom Ford also left the series. Then, there's the Top Gear producer who was hit by Clarkson and who later engaged in a lawsuit.

Look, anytime there is a huge shake-up things are bound to change and change rapidly. Just because the BBC’s new iteration of Top Gear is not going so smoothly right now doesn’t mean it is doomed. However, Chris Evans will eventually need to adjust to being the head of Top Gear and understanding all of the responsibilities that entails. The BBC will need to find new, good people to replace those who have left. Unfortunately, the toughest part won’t even be doing any of those aforementioned things. The toughest part will be convincing audiences to tune in now the original cast is gone. If Top Gear can get over all of those humps, it should be easy street.

We'll let you know as soon as Top Gear nabs a premiere date.

When Top Gear returns to the BBC, it’s going to look a whole lot different than it did in years past. The network made this abundantly clear when they signed on radio host Chris Evans as the leading man on the popular series. For a while, it looked as if he might be hosting solo in the new series, but new reports indicate that the BBC is sticking with a few additional TV personalities when the series re-launches. In addition to the formerly announced David Coulthard, Sabine Schmitz and Chris Harris have been added to Top Gear.

If you don’t know much about the additional individuals, you’re not alone. Sabine Schmitz is a German racing driver and motorsport commentator. If you’ve been watching Top Gear for the last several years, you may have already seen the lady appear on the long-running automobile series, where she once beat Hammond in a lap. Basically, the BBC program shouldn’t be super foreign to her.

Chris Harris, on the other hand, is a journalist who has both written and presented on camera—exactly the type that could be a good fit for Top Gear. We mostly think this because he actually has his own YouTube page called "Chris Harris on Cars;" still, he’s relatively unknown.

Deadline notes that some bigger names had been bandied about related to the show, including Zoe Ball and others, but obviously that’s not the direction the BBC wants to go in at this juncture. Ball’s a TV and radio personality, like Evans, but I have no idea what her skill sets and knowledge are when it comes to driving and cars.

So, instead of featuring three people the new Top Gear will have four at its disposal, including Coulthard, who is a former Formula One driver. That’s not all that’s changing. It’s entirely possible that Top Gear may no longer be the big car show on the air, as Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have all signed on with Amazon to produce a new show that will also be about cars. Obviously, not everyone subscribes to Amazon Prime, but our eyes are going to be peeled as the old gang and the new gang try to make a go of it. Both have advantages. Hammond and co. already have a major fanbase, but Top Gear gets to keep stuff like "The Stig" and has a wide TV audience to draw from. The race to the top should be interesting to watch.

We'll let you know when both programs nab a premiere date. In the meantime, here's what is coming to TV this winter.

Well, it’s taken the better part of a year for this, but it’s finally happening. Jeremy Clarkson is now in the middle of a lawsuit over the altercation that first got him suspended and then fired from the hit auto series Top Gear. It’s not exactly the knockout punch heard ‘round the world, but it’s apparently still haunting Clarkson eight months later.

Both Clarkson and the BBC itself are being sued by show producer Oisin Tymon, and legal teams from all sides met on Friday at a London employment tribunal, according to BBC News. No financial terms were revealed, so it’s entirely possible that all of the nitty gritty of this case could be handled behind closed doors, but the fact that it’s happening now is still pretty surprising. To be expected, the BBC released a statement that said they’ll be “responding to this claim,” but that was the extent of their input.

For those who are unfamiliar with the case – and if you’re a fan of Jeremy Clarkson, it’s kind of impossible to still be in the dark – Top Gear was filming back in March, and during a particularly long day of work, Clarkson went a tad apeshit over there not being any hot food at the hotel for the cast and crew. He punched Tymon in the face, which caused his lip to bleed and swell up. Tymon drove himself to the hospital afterward, thinking that the incident cost him his job, and stated at the time that he didn’t want to press charges. Looks like he’s changed his mind, which is hardly surprising, given how much verbal and social media abuse Tymon received after the incident. Being the reason that Clarkson got ousted from Top Gear is not a good mark to have on one’s record in the U.K.

Two unnamed witnesses to the incident are taking part in the inquiry. The matter has been so heavily publicized, with little going in Clarkson’s favor as the facts came out. I mean, he did have to publicly ask his fanbase to stop harassing Tymon, which was a nice move, but obviously not enough to calm the waters.

Whatever the outcome of the case, it likely won’t have any effect on either the updated version of Top Gear with new host Chris Evans, which is set to premiere in 2016, nor the new Amazon show that Clarkson and his fellow former Top Gear co-hosts are currently putting together. That show is also set for a 2016 premiere.

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are currently gearing up (if you will) to air their brand new car-related series on Amazon. The darned thing still doesn’t have a title, but Clarkson recently revealed that fans are not going to be seeing Top Gear 2.0 when the three men return to the small screen. The show is going to be very different from Top Gear, in fact, and there’s a good reason for that. Clarkson says that most of the segments fans loved from the BBC series are actually proprietary to the BBC.

Unfortunately or fortunately, this means that if you were a fan of the “Reasonably Priced Car” or other popular segments, you’ll probably still be able to see them, just without Jeremy Clarkson at the helm. Over the summer, the BBC announced that Top Gear will be returning to the network, with a new host at the helm. The show will soon boast radio and TV personality Chris Evans as its new host. Doubtless, he’ll bring some of his own flavor to the long-running show, but he can also have all of Clarkson and co’s old segments, if he wants them.

Meanwhile, over at Amazon, Clarkson, May and Hammond reportedly have a lot of money to help them to create a brand new show for streaming audiences. Still, despite all of the new segments and changes, Clarkson told The Sunday Times that the first day of shooting was very familiar for the host. They were shooting with a Ferrari, a Porsche and a Land Rover, and all seemed back to normal with the crew:

So, while segments and names are changing and the guys have had to be a little inventive with their Amazon formatting, the basics of the trio’s interactions and the joy they are able to have while spending time with some sweet vehicles will essentially remain the same. Since I’m pretty sure that’s why people tuned in to watch Clarkson, Hammond and May on Top Gear, that’s certainly a good thing.

We’ll let you know as soon as the new Amazon show gets an official release date. In the meantime, you can see what has yet to premiere this fall with our fall TV premiere schedule.

At the time that controversy surrounding Jeremy Clarkson eventually led to the Top Gear host’s firing, the veteran auto drama was at the top of its game. The BBC’s show had done something not a all shows have been able to do: it found global footing and a wide-ranging audience. And then it all ended. However, now Clarkson and his co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond are headed to Amazon, and Hammond says the firing has ultimately turned into a good thing for the trio.

We don’t know a ton about the new Amazon series yet, but it certainly should allow the three co-hosts to flex their creative muscles and create an intriguing new car show. Part of the reason is that Amazon is shelling out a huge wad of cash to entice the three gentlemen to produce new content. With $250 million spread across 36 episodes, presumably Hammond, May and Clarkson will have leeway to try new things. Though the three guys should be able to “reinvent,” as Hammond puts it, they are bringing along longtime producer Andy Wilman, so there should be some familiarity to the show for longtime fans, as well.

It’s been a few months now since Jeremy Clarkson was fired after an altercation with producer Oisin Tymon got heated when Clarkson punched his co-worker in the face. However, now Top Gear has moved forward, signing on radio host and TV personality Chris Evans to lead the show. And the original Top Gear team has a new project in the works. Hammond tells The Times it is time to move on.

Obviously things could have potentially been different if they had been handled differently, but as they turned out, Hammond is probably right when he says people learned. People learned and they moved on. Now, Top Gear has moved forward and the former Top Gear team has a new show to look forward to. It all technically worked out—especially for Amazon.

Speaking of, Amazon’s new show featuring Hammond, May and Clarkson is set to premiere on Amazon in 2016. We’ll let you know as soon as the show gets an official title.

Whenever it became clear that Jeremy Clarkson’s firing fired from Top Gear meant that he and his co-hosts’ days on the BBC were over, no one thought for a second that it would actually be the last we’d see of the speed demon trio. But while many assumed that Netflix might be their future home, they headed over to Amazon for an enormous price. And Netflix isn’t upset about that in the least, and the company has a solid reason for not diving into the bidding war headfirst.

Netflix has seemingly no problems with getting behind projects that don’t have built-in fanbases, and you’d think that a show formed around the internationally known Top Gear guys would have been a great fit in their library, but the service wasn’t convinced that the audience is as rabid as public opinion says, and execs don’t think they were worth the money that Amazon shelled out (which came out to around $250 million for three 12-episode seasons). Here’s how Netflix’s Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt put it to DigitalSpy.

Shots fired, yeah? But shots that come from an organically intelligent place. If Netflix knows that its subscribers aren’t extremely interested in the Top Gear seasons that they already have on there, there’s no reason to think that the customers would become even more excited for a series that isn’t even under the Top Gear brand. Granted, it’ll be in the same ballpark (or highway, as it were), but it’s still a risk.

Netflix has made it clear in the past that they aren’t that interested in getting invested in reality TV shows anyway, although I guess this skews closer to the mold of their docu-series Chef’s Table. In any case, it’s clear that no one at the company felt the need to test those waters with Jeremy Clarkson and his often outspoken ways.

Hunt obviously thinks that Amazon wasn’t making a brilliant move by dropping that much money on the trio, and he doesn’t seem to be worried in the least that the rival is able and willing to spend that much on its own original programming.

Kaboom. It’s unclear when Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May’s new show will be released on Amazon, but you can bet that Neil Hunt won’t be watching. Meanwhile, the BBC is apparently pleased with their newest Top Gear host Chris Evans, and the new iteration of the show will premiere in 2016.

Good things come to those who wait, especially when those who are waiting are three of the more popular personalities in the worlds of television and cars. Former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have a new show coming, and after months of fans wondering where it would go, it has now been confirmed that Amazon Prime is getting into the passenger seat with the trio for their next venture, which is set to arrive in 2016. Hope they have enough gas money.

The announcement was made by both Amazon and Clarkson himself, who shared the news via his Twitter page. Following his initial post, Clarkson had a little fun with it.

Watching Jeremy Clarkson maneuver a drone from behind a computer would almost definitely rope in a ton of viewers, but that’s not a very fun approach. Unfortunately, that message makes us more aware of what the show isn’t rather than what it is, as no further information was given as far as what fans can expect to see the trio up to, nor was a title shared. (An Even Higher Gear Beyond the Top One, maybe?) We do know that longtime Top Gear producer Andy Wilman is involved, so it seems like this new show won’t miss a step (or a wheel rotation) in getting these presenters back at the forefront of automotive badassery.

In true Clarkson style, the often outspoken host took an amusing little jab at his former home at the BBC in the release.

Clarkson was suspended-turned-fired from Top Gear by the BBC a few months ago after the host assaulted a producer during a long day’s shoot. Even though Hammond and May were offered a sizeable amount of dough to return, they stuck with the guy they’d been working with for the past 13 years, and now it’s paid off. Meanwhile, Top Gear will have famed British radio host Chris Evans taking over the show for Season 23 and beyond.

Amazon claims the new show will “go into production shortly,” so perhaps we’ll see these fan favorites zipping around tracks in the earlier days of 2016, rather than later. Are you guys pumped to see Clarkson, Hammond and May back on your TVs?

The long tenure of the popular former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson is quickly shrinking in the rear-view mirror. However, the publicly pink-slipped presenter recently took some final laps on the test track. Yet, it seems that his anticipated arrival came with an implied message from the show's staff that was none too nice.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Clarkson discusses a charity auction event he attended last week taking place on the Top Gear test track in Dunsfold, Surrey, England. While Clarkson's dramatic exit from the series was the stuff of enmity-inspiring legends, he nevertheless admitted to getting choked up as he went through the familiar gates to his former workplace. However, it seems that his imminent arrival was not met without some potentially insulting precautions. As Clarkson explains:

Yes, in a move equivalent to hiding the good silverware from a low-class dinner guest, it seems the producers of Top Gear did not want to let the former hosting asset anywhere near the setup where the show was created. A person of the irascible temperament that Clarkson is rumored to be might have been inclined to make an irate display of indignation at the presumption that he would pilfer knick-knacks from his former employer. However, it seemed to roll off of his back, as he was apparently more preoccupied with a different set of emotions related to nostalgia for his longtime gig.

Having been involved with the longtime BBC staple Top Gear since the tail end of its original incarnation in 1988, Jeremy Clarkson became the centerpiece of the show’s 2002 relaunch for 215 episodes, creating an irresistibly infectious rapport with co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond. The result was 13 hilarious years of test driving and often demolishing an eclectic array of automobiles, ranging from the most beautiful machines ever hitting rubber to road to some of the industry’s worst four-wheeled failures. However, that all came to an end earlier this year, due to a behind-the-scenes incident in which Clarkson allegedly hurled a haymaker at the face of producer Oisin Tymon over a lack of a hot dinner at the end of a long day of filming. The scuffle became the cold-cocked catalyst for his eventual involuntary exit from the show.

The axing of Clarkson resulted in a torrent of tirades from infuriated fans, with some even going so far as to issue death threats to a BBC executive. However, in another example of passion that has proven to be more of a testament to the loyalty and friendship from his two co-hosts, May and Hammond have opted not to return to the show, which has prompted rumblings that the former Top Gear trio are shopping around a potential new car-centric project to alternative streaming outlets. Thus, Clarkson’s wistful run down the test track will not likely be his last on TV.

Yet, for Top Gear, the story will also go on, since the show recently announced that it has acquired the first replacement for Clarkson and company in UK television and radio personality, Chris Evans. Brandishing an apparently worthy resume of gearhead enthusiasm, Evans is also clearly just the initial piece of what is expected to be a major overhaul for the controversy-embroiled show. Thus, it appears that for Clarkson, those offices potentially full of cold dinners are staying locked.

Jeremy Clarkson has been pretty open about where he would like his career to go in the weeks following his firing by the BBC. He’s mentioned he’d like to do a new series on a new network with his Top Gear pals. Still, hoping for a new show is not the same thing as actually working toward a new show, which is why some recent information regarding the Top Gear team is a lot more compelling. Apparently, a decision regarding a new series is expected to be made sometime over the next few weeks, and a few big companies are vying for the popular host.

New reports indicate that Clarkson, along with his former Top Gear co-stars Richard Hammond and James May, are currently in talks with three big companies to produce a new show. According to The Guardian, those three large companies are:

While ITV is an interesting wrinkle, as it would keep the three men in the U.K. and on traditional television, Netflix has long been thought to be a frontrunner. The outlet also notes that whichever company picks up the series will be looking to bring it to audiences worldwide, not just on the home front.

Meanwhile, Clarkson cheekily stated that the BBC had asked him back before the network opted to sign on a new Top Gear host in an interview with The Sun. The BBC denied such news, and has already hired a host to replace Jeremy Clarkson in radio and TV personality Chris Evans.

While the trio made headlines after May and Hammond reportedly turned down a lot of money in order to stick with Jeremy Clarkson, that doesn’t mean the whole crew is totally done with the BBC. In fact, a new Top Gear episode is set to air on the BBC2 in its usual timeslot this weekend, and is expected to break ratings records. Beyond that, presenter James May has gone ahead and signed on with the BBC to appear in a 90-minute special called Building Cars Live, so even if Top Gear isn’t the same on BBC2 in the future, familiar faces will be around for at least a little while.

We’ll let you know as soon as Netflix or one of the other contenders announces the brand new series.

It took a little time, but the BBC program Top Gear has finally found a host to replace ousted lead Jeremy Clarkson. On Tuesday, the network announced that Chris Evans will take over for Clarkson on the automobile-based series. No, we’re not talking Captain America actor Chris Evans; instead we’re talking about the British TV personality and radio host.

The announcement indicates that Evans has signed a three-year contract with the series, and that production on Season 23 will begin over the next few weeks. Other details relating to possible co-hosts and more will be announced later. Evans joins Top Gear as the series is undergoing a major overhaul, losing not only Clarkson but likely Clarkson’s two co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May, who reportedly turned down major money to return to the show. As such, Evans has pretty big shoes to fill. Luckily, the BBC’s report indicates that Evans is well-known as a car fan and is “full of brilliant ideas” to bring to the franchise. Here’s the quote from BBC Controller Kim Shillinglaw:

The last part of that quote is a little cheeky, as it mentions “respect” and “work ethic” in one bound. For those of you not in the know, longtime Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson was axed by the series after he punched producer Oisin Tymon in the face following an on-set dispute over the lack of a hot dinner for himself and his co-stars. Clarkson later turned himself in over the incident, but didn’t really help his case by ranting about what happened. He was later let go over the incident, although fans didn’t take the news very well, with some even sending out death threats. In the time since, Hammond and May have followed Clarkson out the door, and Clarkson is looking to do another car show.

Interestingly, Evans is also known for being outspoken, and has had his own share of public controversies as a radio and TV host over the years. More than a decade ago, he was even banned for driving for 56 days after he was pulled over for rampant speeding in a Ferrari Maranello. Top Gear has always done well with an outspoken car lover as its host, and Evans sounds like the perfect fit.

The controversy centering on the actions of Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has clearly hit the brakes on the show’s muscle car momentum. But while his involuntary departure resulted in rippled effects that could sideline the show permanently, the BBC announced that they will, at the very least, release a new episode cobbled together from the last shoot to cap off the short-changed Season 22.

Check out the first of two trailers for the extended episode below!

As we can see, hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond remain firmly competitive friends. The trio are seen in inappropriately suave suits, ready to race some budget-friendly junkers they acquired through a mud-mired countryside course with the serious consequence of making an after-dinner speech ready to be bestowed upon the loser. Yet, almost apropos to Clarkson’s status with the BBC, it seems that rough driving has broken his vehicle’s protective windshield, resulting in mounds of mud being flung in his face.

And now for trailer 2.

This second clip seems to highlight the ignominious end that the trio of hosts have in store for their budget acquisitions, as we see them rolling down a hill for a gravity-induced collision course. The episode’s collection of clips show footage taped just before the shoot was derailed by the incident in which Clarkson allegedly punched producer Oisin Tymon in the face over an apparent lack of hot dinners. The clips are full of the maniacal mayhem that car-obsessed fans of Top Gear have come to expect from the eccentric series, which should be a nice, poetic way to end the unavoidably abbreviated season.

However, as fun as the clips appear, depicting the humorous hosts in repertory rambunctious form, the signature car carnage depicted here could very well represent the last of this show for the trio. In a clear sign of solidarity, Clarkson’s two fellow hosts, May and Hammond, have apparently refused to continue shooting without their third man. In fact, the duo reportedly turned down a two-year offer to return that is said to be near £4 million. Thus, the overall future of Top Gear now remains in question, with the BBC tasked with the problematic possibility of moving forward with replacement hosts, whose reception could be unwelcome; especially considering that BBC director general Tony Hall has received death threats over Clarkson’s dismissal.

At the moment, there are rumblings that the Top Gear trio may be looking to tell the BBC where to stick their unheated dinners, with rumors suggesting that they are in talks with other outlets such as Netflix on which to showcase a new car series. That idea, however, is still very much hypothetical, as the drama over the initial incident continues to unfold. For now, this upcoming extended episode will have to satiate fans of Clarkson/May/Hammond road-based mayhem long enough for some kind of resolution.

Other than the vague promise of "soon," no official date has been announced for the episode’s airing in the U.K. on the BBC or, for that matter, in the U.S. on BBC America.

Just a few months ago, Jeremy Clarkson was fired from Top Gear, and yet still the aftermath left from his dismissal is causing problems. The two remaining Top Gear hosts, Richard Hammond and James May have stood by Clarkson’s side throughout the scandal, and even refused to BBC to film any episodes without him involved. Well now, the stakes are even higher, as Hammond and May are said to be refusing a £4 million offer to return to the show.

Mirror is reporting sources claiming that the two remaining hosts want to turn down the BBC offer and instead launch a new show with the long-lost Jeremy Clarkson for Netflix. According to the Mirror, the three co-hosts have paired back with their executive producer Andy Wilman (who left Top Gear upon Clarkson’s dismissal) and are “very close” to signing a big deal with Netflix. And despite that deal most likely including a big paycheck, there’s apparently no amount of money that would Hammond and May to return to the BBC2 show without Clarkson.

Originally it was rumored that the BBC had offered the duo £9.1million, which was later denied by a BBC source claiming it was nearer to £4 million for a two-year deal. But regardless of the insane amount of money, sources say that the team wants to stay a team, and nothing can change that.

The three co-hosts have been in talks with many other media outlets including ITV, but the source claims that Netflix has become the favored option. Just a couple months ago after Clarkson’s firing, he began looking towards the future stating that he wanted to “pick up the piece and start again” and that he knew he was “going to do another car show”.

The incident which created this whole mess, for those of you who haven’t been following, occurred about three months ago when Jeremy Clarkson turned himself in after punching Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon in the face. The debacle is said to have occurred after a long day of shooting after Clarkson found out there was no hot food ready for the hosts. This wasn’t the first time that Clarkson had gotten in trouble with the network though; he had just recently been caught on camera using a racial slur. The man is clearly a loose cannon, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a driving force in the success of the Top Gear franchise.

Clarkson and team have generated such a fan base, that after his firing, BBC director general Tony Hall even started getting death threats. It’s no laughing matter how dedicated Top Gear fans are, and the three co-hosts together can bring in a crazy amount of viewership. That being said, we’ll see what network, Netflix or beyond, will be signing on with the trio and what their new show will entail.

Jeremy Clarkson has been in the news a lot lately, thanks to the brouhaha surrounding his exit from the popular BBC series Top Gear. In the aftermath of Clarkson’s firing from the show, the TV personality has been a bit more reflective than reactive, and now says he is looking forward to the future… and another series about automobiles. Here’s what he recently said:

Just a few weeks ago, Jeremy Clarkson was fired from Top Gear after an incident occurred on the set of the long-running show. Jeremy Clarkson turned himself in after punching producer Oisin Tymon in the face after a long day of filming. Initially he was suspended over the incident, but Clarkson himself didn’t help his case after ranting that the network would probably fire him. A few days later, the BBC did just that.

At the time of Clarkson’s firing, the Top Gear host said he briefly thought about quitting the business, but is now ready to get back on the horse. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Clarkson did reveal that no plans for another series are currently moving forward. Regardless, he is certainly not ready to retire if and when someone gives him another go at chatting about cars.

In the meantime, the BBC is doing its damndest to try and find a replacement for Jeremy Clarkson and keep Top Gear on the air. It’s going to be a tough job for the network to try to replace Clarkson, not to mention potentially replace his co-hosts, James May and Richard Hammond, who may not stick around now that their partner is out of the picture. The three personalities made Top Gear a worldwide hit, but Clarkson really brought Top Gear to another level, and it'll be tough for the show to continue without him.

While Jeremy Clarkson is hopeful that he’ll be able to find a new project soon, it remains to be seen whether a TV network will want to give the man another shot. While the TV personality’s boisterous personality has won him plenty of fans, his off-the-cuff manner of speaking and quick-to-anger personality has gotten him into trouble more than once. We’ll have to wait and see where he lands.

Update: This morning, the BBC did officially fire Jeremy Clarkson. The BBC also confirmed that the network will still attempt to put together new episodes of Top Gear without the famous host.

Today, several outlets are reporting that Jeremy Clarkson is getting fired by the BBC. The news comes several days after the popular Top Gear host was suspended from the series following a fracas on set. The problems on set have become very public at this point, and now multiple outlets say that the BBC has made the decision to cut Jeremy Clarkson from the Top Gear lineup.

The scoop has come shortly after news broke that Clarkson was actually responsible for punching Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon in the face after he was told he could not have hot food after a long day of filming. In the time since, Clarkson was put on leave from the series, and the network has been undergoing an internal investigation. According to The Telegraph, that investigation did not end up finding in Clarkson’s favor. The outlet is reporting that the BBC will let Clarkson go, although he will “be thanked” for his work on the hugely successful series Top Gear, which is popular in the UK but also internationally.

Of course, the BBC has not come out to make an official statement at this point; regardless, the deal seems pretty set in stone. Clarkson’s on set problems have been all over the media since his suspension became public. The TV personality may even have contributed to the media heyday when he spoke out at a charity event just the other night. During a speech, he called the powers-that-be in charge of the BBC “fucking bastards.” If he wasn’t in trouble before, he certainly didn’t help his situation with those inflammatory remarks.

It’s not as if these incidents are isolated, either. Clarkson has been in trouble with the media several times in the past for making comments that have not been politically correct. Examples of this include a racial slur that was caught on tape when he recited a children’s nursery rhyme. He’s even pissed off the Mexican embassador to the UK due to racial slurs before. Despite these issues, he’s been a well-liked on-air personality with an avid fanbase that enjoys the way he and his team discuss automobiles. His boisterous personality has made him popular even when his language has not.

The real question is where Jeremy Clarkson’s firing will leave Top Gear. The remaining two Top Gear presenters, Richard Hammond and James May, have reportedly refused to shoot new episodes while the BBC makes a decision regarding Clarkson’s fate. The Telegraph’s report indicates that the BBC2 will still continue to film new episodes of Top Gear, but the network isn’t saying anything about Clarkson’s co-presenters at this point. Whatever ends up happening, it’s unlikely to signal the end of Clarkson’s career, but his next move is certainly up in the air.

We’ll let you know as soon as the BBC confirms the firing.

Over the years, Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has offended many with his particular brand of political incorrectness, but he has entertained many more. The latter point is proven by how many of his fans have had his back during his current suspension, brought about over him allegedly punching a Top Gear producer earlier this month. Predictably, co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May are also on his side, and the duo are reportedly refusing to film any more episodes without him involved. Cue the screeching tire noise.

With the decision to suspend Clarkson, the BBC initially scrapped the final three episodes of Top Gear’s Season 22. But according to the Mirror, BBC execs were having discussions about saving those last few episodes by using mostly pre-recorded segments, with Hammond and May solely filming the in-studio parts. But that isn’t meant to be, apparently, and here’s how the Mirror’s source puts it.

The probe is currently being handled by BBC Director General Tony Hall, and people have reportedly been pressuring him and TV head Danny Cohen to get this case settled speedily so that audiences can one day again watch these guys race around in gorgeous cars. (Why isn’t anyone petitioning for me to go out and do such things?) Both Clarkson and producer Oisin Tymon have given their statements to investigation chief Ken MacQuarrie, who is now going to speak with witnesses. That seems to be the last step in the probe, and a decision will likely be made in the near future.

The incident in question, called a dust-up by May in interviews following the suspension, took place at the beginning of the month during a long day of taping. Clarkson was apparently told that there was no hot dinner ready for the crew, and that’s when he allegedly decked Tymon in the face, leaving him with a split lip. This was one of several last straws that Clarkson has been given by the BBC, with the one before this coming last May when he used a racial slur on-camera while saying the children’s rhyme “Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe.”

So now we wait to see where Clarkson’s wheels will end up next, and what Hammond and May will end up doing with that outcome. In the meantime, though, some fans have also started up a Change.org petition to have Steve Coogan’s hilarious film and TV character Alan Partridge take Clarkson’s place in future Top Gear episodes. Hell, we’d take him here on the American version if that doesn’t work out.

I've only ever watched the show Top Gear once. I'm not really well-versed with the ins and outs of the show and I couldn't really name you the hosts off the top of my head. However, with a simple Wikipedia search I can at least tell you that the show is currently hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond and that it deals with the latest innovations in motor-sports and production car driving. The latest trailer from RSI's marketing tank for Star Citizen takes the basic gist of the Top Gear show and then turns it on its head.

For those of you unfamiliar with the show altogether, it's basically like a car version of “Fashion Police”. You get a detailed overview of the vehicle, you get to see it in action, you get to find out whether or not it's the sort of thing that's worth diving into for the price of entry.

From what little I've seen it's actually a pretty awesome show, and if I had more time I would probably make it regular viewing. RSI an Cloud Imperium Games takes the core concept of Top Gear and shrinks it down to size for a three-and-a-half-minute trailer that does a fine job of providing an overview of the new and improved Origin M50.

In fact, if you didn't actually watch the trailer and only listened to the voiceover, you might be convinced that it was actually a commercial for a new car of sorts.

The trailer isn't just about spoofing a popular gearhead pastime, though. Everything you see in the video above is exactly how the game looks when you play it. That's right, that whole pitch was captured via in-engine capabilities. It really showcases the power of the CryEngine.

What's most impressive is that there are incalculably dense details in just about every single nook, cranny and aspect of the ship designs. It just amazes me how rigidly exact some of those miniscule details really are; like the working gauges in the ship's cockpit, the paint trimming along the glass, or the working parts that move, shutter, shift and change based on the specific actions of the vessel.

Extremely impressive stuff.

I have to say that just thinking about the amount of time it would take for artists to model those kind of intricacies into each and every ship seems terribly daunting and I'm not even working on the game.

So far Star Citizen has done nothing but impress me. I doubt I have a rig that can play the game even decently, but it's coming along so nicely it feels like the sort of title that will create its own kind of meta-community, especially on video services like Twitch.tv and YouTube where you can sort of craft these organic gaming moments dictated by the player experience and not necessarily any kind of preset construct within the game. I keep getting the feeling that Star Citizen will sort of be like to EVE Online what Star Wars was to 2001: A Space Odyssey; throwing in plenty of nuance but with a strong flair for entertainment sitting at the center of the experience.

You can learn more about the $50 million dollar independent title (and by all accounts, it is well into the consideration of being labeled an AAA title) by paying a visit to the game's official website. The dogfighting module has been the latest bit added to the game and I'm sure we'll hear more about the racing module soon.

Forza Horizon will be adding six new cars its collection this week. The April Top Gear Car Pack features vehicles selected by the development team as well as staff members of auto mag Top Gear.

The April Pack includes the following vehicles:

• 2011 Ford Transit SuperSportVan – The SuperSportVan is the latest creation in a long-standing series of Ford-built custom transit vans dating back to 1971. The 2011 Ford Transit SuperSportvan dons Le Mans bonnet stripes and an eye-catching livery on the outside. Inside is the 3.2-liter, 198-horsepower engine taken from the much larger Transit Jumbo. What’s the point? It’s a one-off design to show that Ford engineers can have fun too, and it was unveiled at the 2011 Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, U.K. It also presents a vast canvas for designs and further customization for “Forza Horizon” fans.
• 1998 Mercedes-Benz AMG Mercedes CLK GTR – Only a street car in the loosest sense of the word, the CLK-GTR is nearly identical to its pure racing counterpart, which dominated the GT1 class at Le Mans so thoroughly that after a few wins no competitor wished to challenge it. Buying a CLK-GTR to use for lightning-quick grocery runs is a questionable plan, but for dominating your friends in Horizon’s Colorado, there are few street-licensable cars that can keep up, putting these drivers in a very exclusive club.
• 2012 Aston Martin Vanquish – With styling nods to previous Astons and a welcomed upgrade in the engine department, the new Vanquish retains much of the familiar Aston Martin grace, while still receiving a kick in the pants in performance. Its 565-horsepower V12 produces a pleasing growl and will zip the car past nearly everyone else on the highway, all while you bask in the Vanquish’s considerable interior creature comforts.
• 2012 Bowler EXR S – The Bowler EXR S is the result of the 2012 brand partnership between Land Rover and U.K.-based rally raid manufacturer Bowler. The striking all-terrain vehicle is fitted with a modified version of the Range Rover Sport’s supercharged 5.0-litre V8, and produces 550 bhp, giving it a top speed of more than 150 mph. The first Bowler designed for road use, the EXR S is equally at home in the deepest parts of Horizon’s back roads.
• 2011 Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale Zagato – Combine traditional Alfa elegance with 600 horsepower of pure Dodge fury and what do you get? The 2011 Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale Zagato. This street-legal sports car features an 8.4-litre V10 and the kind of gorgeous curves you’d expect from Italian design center Zagato. In short, this one’s as easy on the eyes and as it is fun on the road.
• 2002 BMW M3-GTR – The 2002 BMW M3-GTR is synonymous with rarity. As BMW puts it, “The GTRs (both race and street copies) were never sold to anyone. Only three street copies were built. Not all three were ever shown. A street copy was shown in the U.S. only once, and for less than an hour.” Little wonder, then, that this M3 is bound to be a prize for “Forza Horizon” players.

The 2012 Bowler EXR S and 2011 Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale Zagato are two models previously unseen in Forza. The 2022 BMW M3-GTR is a freebie for all Horizon players, regardless of whether or not they buy the full Car Pack.

The April Top Gear Car Pack will be released on Tuesday through Xbox Live. It'll cost 400 Microsoft Points, or $5, to download. If you have the Season Pass, though these cars will be free.

The U.S. version of BBC series Top Gear does not have the same flair and style, or even feature exactly the same humor as its British counterpart. Perhaps I’m just disappointed in the version currently airing on History because the Brit version features the song “Jessica” by the Allman Brothers - a personal favorite of mine - as its theme song. As far as the actual reviews of cars go, America’s version of Top Gear situates itself extremely well into History’s high-adrenaline “Top Tuesdays” advertising campaign, which features episodes of the shooting competition show Top Shot, as well. Top Gear is also the youngest skewing program on the history channel, which is another good reason to renew the series.

After earning 1.1 million viewers an episode in the 18-49 demographic during Season 2, History has decided to give the series another go. Season 3 of Top Gear is already beginning production, with comedian Adam Ferrara, analyst Rutledge Wood, and driver Tanner Foust returning as presenters on the show. The partnership between BBC Worldwide and History will also continue, with John Hesling as executive producer and Russ McCarroll as the executive producer for History.

If you want a little hint of what Season 3 will be bringing to the table, Ferrara, Wood, and Foust will be traversing across the U.S. to environments that will include Louisiana swamps, the Alaskan Wilderness, and Utah’s Monument Valley. Unfortunately, TV Blend has not been privy to what cars the three boys will be checking out next year, although History did hint modern police cars and testing for the best of the best gas mileage will be involved. We’ll keep you updated on when Season 3 plans to air, but with Season 2 only wrapping up in April, there will probably be a little lull before next season begins.

In a press release today BBC America announced that its automotive hit, Top Gear, will be pulling into American living rooms next month. Now in its seventeenth season, the series has drawn in viewers from around the globe with an entertaining combination of vehicular stunts ranging from silly to just plain crazy, cars that vary from the cheapest jalopy up to the most luxurious ride, and the opinionated commentary of the three hosts.

Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond are the three stars of the show, but will be joined in season 17 by such guest stars as Rowan Atkinson and Formula 1 champ Sebastian Vettel for the popular segment, "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car." The hosts will throw a birthday party for the Jaguar E-class, which hits the grand old age of 50 this year, that rivals the royal wedding, take a ride through Death Valley and hit the Vegas strip, and drive the Monaco Grand Prix circuit.

Top Gear has stayed on top of its game with the kind of pull-no-punches attitude that has brought in a slew of fans as well as a good number of critics. In spite of earning some criticism for racist and homophobic comments, the series has won both BAFTA and Emmy awards and continues to draw in new fans. Although host Jeremy Clarkson has complained in the past that the BBC doesn’t take the show seriously, the BBC America premiere this August proves the British network is taking the show to new audiences -- and closer to the fans the show already has Stateside.

Top Gear premieres on BBC America on Monday, August 22nd at 9:00 PM ET/PT.

The Mexican ambassador to the UK is up in arms after the host of popular automotive show Top Gear went on a racist rant while reviewing a Mexican-made car. Referring to the automobile as “lazy” and “feckless”, emcee Richard Hammond took it further, describing the people as being clothed with blankets with a hole in the middle and later even calling them overweight. Later, the conversation switched to food, and he described the cuisine as “refried sick”.

According to BBC, ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora wrote a letter to the BBC calling the remarks “xenophobic” and “humiliating”. The possibility of controversy was openly brought up on the show after the initial tirade, but co-host Jeremy Clarkson said he wasn’t worried because the ambassador was likely snoring in front of the television.

Cinema Blend does not condone racism or offensive slander, but the fact of the matter is this wasn’t an official UK address. None of these people are speaking for the government or the British people, and while they do have a wide audience and influence, they’re really at liberty to say whatever the hell they want. If the United States got hot and bothered every time a show poked fun at the country, it would end up spending half its budget on stamps to mail angry complaints.

I would suggest the Mexican government would be better served spending their time battling drug lords rather than bitching about being humiliated by a television program that reviews cars.

The world of television is ever changing. Mostly having to do with reality stars and their “will they, won’t they” contract signing drama. But there’s a lot going on each week in TV, and not all of it’s good. We’ve decided that you, dear reader, deserve to have the most interesting of tales told laid out for you in a neat organized list form. Welcome to This Week In Television, where you see what’s worth your time over the past seven days.

Sad news TWIT fans, we probably won’t be around for a few weeks. While it’s true that most of the work done in this column could be performed by cockroaches high on Walter White’s meth, we’ve run out of both. Your faithful head Twit is globe travelling to foreign lands, and I’m not certain they have the internet or television in Europe. But have no fear, we shall return to remind you how insipid American Idol has gotten in our absence. Here’s a little spoiler for the return article: it didn’t seem possible, but AI has been even more worthless as an hour of television than imaginable.

Chuck Changes

Glee Monday: The Return

I hate that Chuck is constantly on the edge of cancellation as it’s by far the best thing on Monday nights. But perhaps this looming threat keeps our favorite geek spy fresh as the show makes brilliant course corrections whenever the writers have no idea what could be ahead. We were without much in the way of Glee news this past week, but the Fox hit returned with a vengeance on Blend Television. If you like to spend money on charity, and don’t mind being called a “Gleek” (worst fandom name ever devised), then you can watch the spring premiere a little early. Me? I’ll be in Paris when the show comes back, but I’ll be thinking of all you and how much you’re enjoying Glee. That’s a lie.

Serenity continues to soar like a leaf on the wind

Donnie Wahlberg made dead people.

Anything new for the Firefly story is a good thing. Perhaps not a fan service book with pictures and other lameness, but this new book has bonus stories. Honestly I’d rather a reboot of the series, or a comic book. At this point we Firefly fans should just take our DVD box sets and treasure them. I like to look at mine and say, “I aim to misbehave.” Then I go make a smoked turkey sandwich and watch “Out of Gas.” Hey, Donnie Wahlberg (the superior of the clan Wahlberg) returns to television in a fantastic episode of In Plain Sight.

Oh Mandy! You came and you kicked me in the face…oh Mandy

No one knows what’s really happening on the island, but someone better find an abacus to count all this cash

When the creator of your show defends a lackluster plotline by saying it’s hard to do the show without certain devices I think that’s an admission of defeat. When 24 began we wondered how they could keep things going for multiple seasons, and the answer appears to be very tenuously. I’m not sure why Mr. Gordon wants to betray me, but perhaps there’s a twist reveal coming up that I sent him a plate with sweet potatoes when he clearly asked for roasted red potatoes with his steak. If any show deserves exorbitant amounts of ad revenue for it’s finale that show is Lost. This series has been one of the most innovative and great stories ever told in this medium. That doesn’t equate to ABC’s asking price being fiscally responsible for advertisers though.

2.5 Men – 1 = Still horrible show

Resistance to the iPad is futile. Please assimilate with care

If Charlie Sheen leaving Two and a Half Men is an April Fools joke, then it’s the worst one ever. Oh how us lovers of good television have been waiting for this moment. Everyone cross your fingers that the demise of this pile of putrid drivel is near the end. ABC shows on the iPad? OK, but is touch functionality added to Lost so I can push Kate over and laugh?

Smallville recaps are back. We’re sorry we have no power to make the show good

There’s a new recapper in the Blend Television landscape and they’re bringing you info on the latest adventures in Smallville. Or as it should be called, “The New Adventures in cliché and not quite yet Superman television show that should have been pulled years ago but CW has nothing better to offer.” Perhaps not pithy and punchy enough for a show title, but better than anything else Smallville has done recently.

We like to keep our Saturdays free for Facebook updating. It’s not easy managing our dozen fawning fans, all who strangely share our last name.

The only trick is Trump’s hair piece

I plan to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Orlando some day. It could be fun. Watching Cyndi Lauper come up with marketing ideas for the park is not on my list of things to do in the meantime. Catching an episode of Top Gear? Sure. Killing an elk with just my wits and hands? Improbable, but I’m game.

That’s it for This Week In Television, March 29th through April 4th. Come back soon to catch up on all of the tasty bits we hid under our napkins because we know that Peeps are better when stale.