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Being a gear head myself, I was intrigued to watch Top Gear 17. I love race cars and drive the hell out of my BMW M3 on the back roads of CT. However, I could not stop my jaw from dropping on some of these episodes and what these knuckleheads come up with. There are 6 episodes on the disc which give you plenty of laughs and help you to learn about some expensive and unique cars in unique situations. I loved the episode that had the three middle-aged car junkies driving tiny mobiles in Italy. With a three part adventure kicking off with maneuvering around narrow Italian streets, followed by a ridiculous scavenger hunt and then ending with a trip around the Monaco grand prix. This just fed into one of my top priorities on my bucket list which is to be on a fantastic yacht watching the Formula One race in Monaco. Team that up with a cameo performance by Sebastian Vettel who is arguably the best driver on the planet right now racing for Red Bull. A signature part of Top Gear is to have celebrities race to see how they compare with other celebrities is clever. I think Leno copied this for a while on his show. So if you love cars and want to be entertained while you learn things you could never dream up about them, then Top Gear 17 on Blu-ray is sure to be a hit. Keep the seasons coming BBC.
Confession: I’ve never watched a full season of the “proper” Top Gear. You know, the British original. But I’ve known about Top Gear its entire life – I have one of those “The Stig” British license plate above my desk; Perry McCarthy’s an acquaintance of mine – and have watched various bits and pieces of some of the show’s finer moments for a long time (thank you, internet). My Peachy Deegan assignment was to watch the entire 17th season (2011) of the BBC’s Top Gear. Which I’ve done. So please allow me to become the 9,466,331th person to say, “This show is fantastic.” Because it is. Sure, I have an issue with these guys’ typically British long look down their noses regarding virtually every American car – they’re simply jealous, so we’ll forgive them – but Top Gear’s blend of humor, well-informed opinion and reality show ethos is always and absolutely spot on. Not being a regular watcher, has the show’s second segment, “News,” always been this lame? That’s the only negative thing I can say about Top Gear. Everything else is brilliant. Oh, wait, one more. Jeremy, Richard and James are stuck in 1995 vis-a-vis Hyundai/KIA. Can someone wake them from their old-school stupor? The Koreans are making fantastic cars, brimming with value, great styling and well-executed engineering. They make an easy target, I guess...Hey, does the BBC provide an unlimited production budget? They must, based on the cinematography we see. I use that term deliberately, folks: these aren’t TV video shoots. Unique, exciting angles and creative camera placement, combined with brilliant editing, makes every show, regardless of content, a lesson in how to shoot. I’m very impressed. One last thing... Does it mean anything that British Top Gear’s opening and closing music is a modern, dance club-ish cover of The Allman Brothers Band 1973 quasi-hit “Jessica”? Just wonderin’...
I know very little about cars. So when I sat down to watch TopGear UK Season 17, I was worried it would not be able to hold my interest. I couldn't have been more wrong! This series from the BBC and released on DVD and Blu Ray by BBC Home Entertainment is full of action and full of laughs. Even if you are not a fan of cars, you will be a fan of this show! The hosts of the show, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May really make this show a hit. They have a have a great chemistry on the screen and really know how to make cars exciting for everyone! You will also see some high profile guests on the show as well! In this season, guests include gold medal winning British Olympian Amy Williams, rock star Alice Cooper, comedian Ross Noble, and Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel. Whether you are a huge fan of cars or not, you will love Top Gear!
"Top Gear", now a hit in the U.S., has been a favorite in the U.K. for some time now. Hosted by Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson, this show is funny, adventurous, informative and oh-so-entertaining! This show has a little bit of everything. It's part adventure, part review, part reality show..., but all awesome! My husband, a car and truck enthusiast, loves this show, put out by BBC Home Entertainment. I am a new fan who discovered it only because of my husband (I'm assuming this happens quite frequently). The 3-disc Blu-ray disc set includes all six episodes of Season 17, a bonus episode from the US Top Gear show, behind the scenes chats and behind the scenes Celebrity Laps. Speaking of celebrity...Season 17 of "Top Gear" is a must see if for no other reason than to see legendary rocker, Alice Cooper in the "Celebrity in a Reasonably Priced Car' segment; it rocks! With the holidays fast approaching, "Top Gear" Season 17 would make a great gift for friends and family.
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It’s time for the next installment of madness, mayhem, and motor hilarity from Top Gear, the world’s most popular car entertainment show and “the best unscripted series on television” according to the San Francisco Chronicle. This season begins with host Jeremy Clarkson throwing a low key party for the 50th anniversary of the legendary Jaguar E-type—complete with live music, classic fighter planes and a group of Royal Marines. And that’s just the start…
This season finds host James May testing the durability of the Range Rover Evoque by driving it through California’s Death Valley, before testing it for luxury by turning up in Las Vegas with a passenger who looks suspiciously familiar. Host Richard Hammond heads to South Africa to test a bigger, even more rugged alternative to the famous Hummer while James meets up with gold medal winning British Olympian skeleton racer Amy Williams for a wintry test of the latest Mini rally car. The boys then head to Italy to take part in a series of tricky challenges (and increasingly loud arguments) as they attempt to find the world's best hot hatchback. In an attempt to make train travel cheaper, faster and more interesting, the boys replace the conventional train cars with a series of campers attached to a specially modified car. It’s either the world’s most ingenious idea or the prelude to the world’s biggest accident. And in a fantastic showcase of destruction, the boys are challenged to knock down a row of derelict houses in less time than it takes a team of demolition experts to do the same job. “Celebrities in a Reasonably Priced Car” include rock legend Alice Cooper, Mr. Bean himself Rowan Atkinson, comedian Ross Noble and Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel. All this and more in six action-packed episodes.
Bonus features include:
Bonus episode from Top Gear US
New series introduction by Clarkson and May
Behind-the-scenes chats with Amy Williams and Ross Noble
Behind-the-scenes Celebrity Laps
Top Gear premieres in the US on BBC AMERICA and in Canada on BBC CANADA.
About BBC Worldwide Americas:
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). BBC Worldwide Americas brings together all of BBC Worldwide businesses across North and South America. The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the UK license payer, and invests in public service programming in return for rights. The company has seven core businesses: Channels, Sales and Distribution, Content and Production, Consumer Products, Digital Media, Magazines, and recently formed Brands, Consumers & New Ventures. Under these businesses fall two key brands in the U.S. – digital cable channel BBC America and a bi-coastal production arm responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars for ABC.
