Some things I feel important to mention, a few days on: This isn't an exhaustive list by any means. There are many more things I could (and should) have included, but either chose not to, felt too difficult to implement, or felt too risky to include (including one I'll mention at the bottom of this comment). But as I state in the video, I felt like making it since no-one else had made one, whether image or video covering it. If someone makes a different iceberg in the future, I may make another one of these videos explaining it. Don't rule it out. Outside of the content covered, there were elements I chose to cut back on, namely BGM/water sound effects since I felt they'd get monotonous after a while, and any water-related video effects. I had a general idea of how I would achieve this, but didn't want to put in the extra work, as I felt the image on its own was enough. Speaking of, I realised fairly early on that the resolution I produced this image at was inadequate, and that zooming in would cause pixelization. Unfortunately, by that point I'd already finished much of the image and was in no mood to start over, as it would mean I'd have to redo the original Iceberg image (including the extension I made), upscaling all of the text, along with redoing all the extras I'd cut out, shaded and added to the image, such as the Airship, Hilux and Car Boats. This would have easily taken another day out of my time, maybe even a couple. There's a bit of a video glitch around ~35 minutes in, as one of the Iceberg layers didn't zoom in as I'd originally designed and instead sticks on "Old Top Gear Website" when it shouldn't have. This is a minor error and isn't worth fixing. There's also a missing fade-in effect when I talk about the test track, but again, this is minor. A few of the website screenshots and book scans I used were sent to me by other people around March/April time (told you this video had been in the pipeline a while :P) since it was quite difficult to source them independently as websites such as Pistonheads are a nightmare to search and trying to printscreen books from the Internet Archive with anything less than a 2K monitor is torture. I did go over these images first to make sure I wasn't unwittingly revealing the personal information of any of the people who helped to make this video possible, but unfortunately a couple times there was stuff which slipped through the cracks. Thankfully I was able to edit these out in post using TH-cam's editor, but for future reference; if you're going to send me a screenshot or piece of video to use in an upcoming video, *please* make sure you pay your due dilligence first and hide/remove anything you don't want 30,000 people (and counting) to see. That reflects as badly on me as it does you, and I have spoken to them to make sure it doesn't happen again. That said, please don't harrass these people if you did see something prior to the edit. Funnily enough, the original script featured a reference to the disgraced Top Gear TH-camr Hell Toréer in the final layer, but I thought this was pushing things too far since the manner in which those incriminating images were obtained was very sketchy, and I didn't want to bring any controversy upon myself nor did I want to be accused of doxing or the individual(s) who procured those screenshots to be accused of such. But I digress. If you liked this video, subscribe to my alt (Gearknob Productions) as there will be a 2 hour documentary on the history of Hot Wheels coming soon, and consider donating/subscribing via Ko-Fi and/or Patreon. That is all.
Top Gear America was a weird thing. Jay Leno talks in an interview about why he declined to host TopGear USA for 6 years in a row. He said you simply would not be able to criticise an American car live on national TV. He said people would have phoned in death threats. The big 3 american car companies guard themselves from criticism by advertising heavily in all media. Every kind of publicvation. And if anyone criticises or shows their cars a bad comparison to other cars, they will pull their funding... Which is their only income. As a car journalist, everybody in the business knows if you criticise anything American, you are black listed for life. You will never be given another free test car. Never be invited to factory events, release parties, or get VIP tickets to car shows. You can essentually forget a career as a car journalist in the US. Its getting better now with the internet, but... Due to this, no TV network would touch it for fear of losing millions a year in ads. And then there was a huge issue with finding qualified, charismatic hosts. In the end they gave up and got a race driver and some mildly successful commedians, and compensated for their poor understanding by scripting them to death. Every line was fed to them. And they aired it on History Channel. The only network that would let them. But also History Channel didnt like airing TopGear due to advertisement issues. As British TopGear runs on BBC which is advertisement free. So they had 45 minute shows non stop. While the American model is to have several minutes of ad breaks every 12-15 minutes, then they have to recap where the show left off, and then continue for some minutes before its ad breaks again. So a 45 minute show became extremely little content. The TopGear leaderboard was a big part of the British Top Gear. On the American TopGear they had Viper and Corvette as 1 and 2 on their leaderboard because it was thought america simply would not tolerate anything else. So they could not test cars that were objectivelly faster than a Viper or Corvette. In the end it just became silly so they axed it out. The interviews.... While american celebrities were lining up to be on British TopGear, very few A-listers were interested in showing up to be interviewed on American TopGear, so they pretty quickly axed that segment too. Rather than always having guests that were visibly unimpressed and B, C, D, E celebrities that nobody recognised. And finally... The Celebrity in a reasonably priced car. American celebrities are used to unilateral, unmitigated, singular hype. They have publicists and they dont want to see any criticism or negativity. Which is why every TV talk show in the US are exactly the same talk show since Carson. Being RANKED on an official leaderboard, therefore suited their images extremely poorly. So they axed that segment too. Also TopGear USA never went abroad or did expensive, elaborate road trip specials. So in the end... There was just nothing left. Nevermind the extremely poor chemistry between the hosts. Mostly because American comedy is about crafting "winning" oneliners. There was never any of the spontaneouus wit, charm, subtleties, or the banter that "The boys" were famous for.
@@Thb202 yes the "new" Top Gear with Chris Evans was sh*t and it felt like it was all forced and all of the elements of the series 1-22 was gone mainly because the three presenters are fired and quit. But I kinda enjoy the latest series ngl Thank God we still have The Grand Tour, I hope they won't replace Jeremy, James, and Richard again with other presenters after they're gone and just end the series once and for all.
Absolutely - they just need to let it die in peace now OR if the BBC were smart, and we know they aren’t for letting the host and creator of the most highest rated show in the world go, they would bring the boys back for one last series and kick it down the road. But they won’t because the BBC went woke and clarksons incident was a welcome excuse to not renew his contract.
@@WoodsPrecisionArms top gear is really just for showcasing cars just adding Jeremy, James and Richard added a loveable and tolerable element to the show. If they were never there the show would just be relegated to showcasing cars instead of centering it around 3 personalities. making it rather forgettable and possibly defunct even quicker. they probably made so much money from those 3 guys where they can still get away with showcasing high profile cars
In Season 1, Jason Dawe actually ran a Consumer Advice segment where he gave advice on the best time to buy cars, what to look out for and the cheapest new cars on the market
And It was Actual Consumer Advice explained in a comedic way, but in a way people could understand it through a joking manner and it was Perfectly Executed
For any lad born in the 90’s / early 00’s, TG will always hold a special place in their heart. At its peak it was must-see TV. Staying up late to watch the specials with my brother and dad are still some of the best memories I have from my childhood. I really don’t think there will ever be another show quite like it. Lightning in a bottle.
Amen man. I remember the day I found Top Gear like it was yesterday lol. Channel surfing on my little ass tv as a kid. Man if only we could go back just once to see it for the first time again you know
Yeah, I still remember trying every method under the sun to avoid going to bed to just watch top gear Still remember watching the Indian special live, soo long ago now
Yeah, I was honestly surprised they kept it in. There may be no blood on screen, but the sheer impact, damn. That's why you don't meddle about with moving parts of several tons vehicles, kids.
@@Kjamilex It's pretty educational, to be honest. You're not likely to forget what happens when you make May's mistake after having watched that even once
The Chilean pin badges (as well as mugs iirc) were a show of thanks to chili as the authorities there were a huge help in getting them back across the boarder as I understand
Also "The Holy Trinity" refers to how, shortly before Clarkson was let go and the other two quit, they had plans to race the aforementioned McLaren, Porsche, and Ferrari head-to-head to see which one was better. They never got around to doing this on Top Gear, but they were able to do so on the very first episode of The Grand Tour.
That was how they did the whole show. Most actors don't like actually don't dangerous stuff, the law of averages catches up with you. They even admitted in the grand tour they were learning how to actually drift for real, instead of doing it with paid drivers and video editing before than. So if they were faking the drifting, so why wouldn't they do the same with track driving?
Dave and TopGear re runs had an important role to play in my life as a migrant in the UK, around 2007. I've learnt a lot from the episodes, while being entertained the whole time. I also develop my passion for cars and passed my drivers license in 2012 :)
In my case, I started watching Top Gear on BBC America in 2005 the very first time after my whole family migrated to the USA. We've never had cable service at home before so being able to watch cable TV after school was a new privilege for us. The British accents of the presenters is what motivated me to learn to speak English as fast as possible. I wanted to know everything those 3 idiots where talking about 😂
Top Gear pretty much defines my childhood. Clarkson, love him or hate him, is an excellent producer and is made even funnier and more controversial by his colleagues which for me makes the show even more iconic. The BBCs attempts to revive the show after they murdered it have never pleased me. If they were gonna take away the most iconic parts of the show (the presenters) they should have just cancelled it and reserved it’s legacy.
How did they 'murder' it? The only person who deserves any blame whatsoever is Clarkson. The show would still be on if he hadn't repeatedly pushed the line, used openly racist language, talked about shooting striking workers, etc. and then finally forced the BBC to fire him by violently assaulting a producer. The BBC were keen to keep him on and reluctantly fired him because they had absolutely no choice whatsoever. That was entirely down to Clarkson.
@@thesprawl2361 i will admit they pushed it sometimes but that was what made the show iconic and why people watched it, nowadays people cry over the smallest thing so it wouldnt exist now anyway but you cant say they werent funny
Regarding caravans, Clarkson once appeared on the show Room 101 where the guests had to present things they hated and convince the host why they deserve to be banished to Room 101. His first item was caravans, so this is a long running hatred of his. I vaguely remember him explaining that caravans are limited to a slower speed so they often caused massive tailbacks and it's difficult to overtake them safely. Also fun fact, when Richard Hammond acted as host for the show Braniac on Sky One in the early 2000s, they also destroyed a bunch of caravans as a recurring gag, so it might be a reference to his role on Top Gear
I feel that part of it was the controversial statements and actions of the three that helped give the show it’s charm. Along with the pure chemistry of Clarkson, Hammond, and May. It never felt like any of them were the primary host, they all had their own great moments.
It certainly gave the show the air of authenticity. Real people sometimes say or do controversial things. Modern TV, sanitized of anything that may rub people the wrong way, comes off as clinical by comparison. And lets be honest, nothing they said or did really ever hurt anyone or was any worse then what you'd hear in a downtown bar at midnight.
@@randomlyentertaining8287 And that is EXACTLY why they got an IMMEDIATE audience on The Grand Tour and STILL have a massive following today for their side projects.
He is actually quite a petrolhead (and I beleive he paid £10m for a classic Ferrari, which was briefly the highest price ever paid for a car) but ...yeah. I never liked him on the radio either.
One thing that wasn't mentioned was a Top Gear DVD special that was basically Hammond being recorded sitting in some garage and asking questions like "which do you think has more power, the Ford Mondeo or a tractor" and with a remote you could choose. I remember this fondly from my childhood
Not usually a fan of Iceberg videos, but the way you deliver this is so clear cut and much more informative than others. Looking forward to more diverse content from the golden boys.
That lesser-seen series 1 intro is nightmare fuel. The final bars were used as a break intro/outro on Dave versions til at least Series 10, possibly later.
Been on final gear a few times recently, the site is still up but it feels pretty skeletal the original dev's passing certainly didn't help keep the site afloat, but it is still out there The fact that Andy Willman and JC acknowledged and interacted with the final gear userbase in the behind the scenes extra footage is remarkable.
I'll be honest, it's not amazing Clarkson "kept his composure for that long" because a lot of people have bad periods and don't end up punching their colleagues. What I will say however is he knew he messed up, reported it, apologised, and rebuked those who attacked the guy, that was the right course of action.
Yeah, I'm kinda okay with how things went professionally speaking, he didnt act well, but didn't try to downplay it and apologised to the person he punched. I hope privately that there's no animosity by now between them and I do respect clarksons calls for the public to leave him alone. I'm also not mad that we still get Clarkson through other TV shows, but I was a bit annoyed they tried to show bbc as the bad guys for killing top gear.
I came across Top Gear when it first came onto Netflix. I was naturally a diehard gear guy, so it was awesome to see all the cool cars that came on, but I have kept being a fan of it (The Clarkson era) and the Grand Tour due to the ongoing hilarious antics of Clarkson, Hammond, and May. You did a fantastic job on the video and in your research. Keep up the splendid work!
when it comes to the arts and media, people like things either because they're good or they're controversial. to be both at the same time is pretty impressive and is surely a large part of how successful top gear was
If I remember correctly, Jeremy had injured his neck in Japan when driving the GT-R around the track he was on and they had to stop filming. I think underlying issues with that injury fueled the pain he felt in the Renault brick wall crash. He was hurt twice in that episode now that I think about it. Slid out of his seat trying to slide the truck and the brick wall crash.
*TIMESTAMPS FOR YOUR REPLAY PLEASURE!!!* 00:00 Introduction and notes 01:49 *A) 1st level of Iceberg* 02:00 "Jessica" Theme Tune 02:55 The Holy Trinity 03:32 The Cars 04:07 The Challenges 04:37 The Celebrities 05:19 Nicknames & Catchphrases 05:57 Specials 06:31 Controversies 07:13 Chris Evans 07:47 Ratings Drop 08:35 Redneck Incident 09:19 The Dacia Sandero 09:54 The Grand Tour 10:41 Hammond's Accidents 10:45 Finalgear 11:22 Funny Sponsors 11:55 Pre-2002 Top Gear
12:40 *B) Second level of iceberg* 12:47 Dave 13:16 Top Gear Magazine 14:08 Caravans and Morris Marinas 15:11 Informercials 16:08 Clarkson's Punch-Up 17:42 "Bentley Mulsanne" 18:05 On-Screen Injuries 18:54 Cool Wall 19:55 Charity Specials 20:36 The Tesla Scandal 21:26 The Guardian 21:59 English-Language Adaptations 22:36 The Interceptors 23:17 Scene Releases 24:17 The Stig's Past Identities 24:44 *C) Third level of iceberg* 24:52 The Stig's Current Identity 25:36 There Were Multiple Stigs 26:26 Other Adaptations 27:19 Clarkson's Solo Home Videos 28:11 Clarkson's Original "Holy Trinity" Wager 28:47 Jason Dawe 29:13 The South American Connection 29:57 Celebrity Brain Crash 30:27 TGT Game 31:03 Trading Card Games 32:02 SniffPetrol 32:33 Audience Member Placement 32:58 Mazda Fire-Ai 33:37 Keanu Reeves SIARPC 34:08 Richard Hammond's Odd Jobs 34:36 *D) Fourth level of iceberg* (Note: Although it is not mentioned explicitly in the video this section is represented in the original illustration of the iceberg over at 01:43 as a separate level. Consider this as a continuation of the third level if you must) 34:43 The Old Top Gear Website 35:09 Stigs Are Farmed 35:40 Top Gear Dog 36:10 Top Gear Stunt Man 36:47 Strictly Come Dancing Is Crap 37:16 Gambon's Corner Original Name 38:10 Series 9 DVD Release 39:58 The Boneyard 40:26 Hangar Roof Logo is CGI 40:50 They Don't Really Drive The Cars 42:08 Restoration Rip-Off 43:05 Jabba355 43:48 Top Gear Xtra 44:43 Greatest Car Competition 45:38 Series 3, Episode 10 46:56 Top Gear-themed Lost Media 47:39 *E) Fifth level of iceberg* 47:49 The Black Stig Is Still Alive 48:39 Perry McCarthy Was NOT the Stig 49:09 Goodyear, Stickleback & Bunsen Burner 49:37 Top Gear Rule 34 49:45 "I Went On The Internet" Mystery Image 50:35 Top Gear Pilot Episodes 51:03 The First 2002 Intro Sequence 52:58 Rejected 2006 Intro Sequence 53:43 Woollarding 54:01 JC Death Hoax 54:50 Heat Weird Crush 55:13 Actual Consumer Advice 55:54 Jennings and the Planned operation 56:17 *F) Sixth level of iceberg* 56:36 4K Episode Urban Myth 57:59 Clarkson Was Replaced By A Clone 58:44 Clarkson Island Is Real 59:19 Ashes To Ashes Charity Special 59:40 1000HP MG Power Lap 01:00:46 Ferrari On The Moon 01:01:06 Jason Dawe Moved To Miami 01:01:31 The First "Yeet" 01:02:07 Richard Cat-mond 01:02:23 JC = Jesus Christ 01:02:37 Top Gear Is A Lead Poisoning Documentary 01:03:13 Richard Porter Is A Timelord 01:05:37 Top Gear Apocalypse is the show's canonical/"true" ending. 01:06:26 Headcases is the show's canonical/"true" ending. 01:06:52 Outro + Closing Notes + Channel Updates.
An interesting note about the alternate 2002 title sequence- every time an older episode of Top Gear is shown on Dave and it breaks for adverts, the jingle at 52:08 is played. Probably the only remnant of the alternate theme tune still shown on TV.
Wow, this video is a year old now, I do hope another video is coming soon because this channel has resparked my Top Gear interest realising there's pretty much a more behind it
@@Kolket1389 I dunno, I see lots of people saying lots of entertaining and funny things these days and being just fine, because they do it in a clever way and without punching down, instead of relying on tired stereotypes and hot-takes. I also see a lot of people saying really horrible and hurtful things and getting away with it, because neo-fascism has been flourishing in conservative politics/media and their supporters are going along with it.
Great video mate, just wanted to say that there was a minor mistake - the Charlie Turner recently retired a few months ago and Jack Rix took up his role as Editor in Chief of TG mag, the same guy who hosts most of TG YT's vids
This is a superb video. I know how hard it is to edit 70 minutes of video and keep it all interesting and consistent. You've clearly worked your arse off to get this out, and it was very very entertaining.
I think that the attempts at making foreign adaptations struggling were a tell-tale sign that the original trio were the... driving force to the show, along with their fantastic crew. I love watching the GT and occasionally seeing the crew behind the camera having a laugh with Director Andy Willman at the helm, it shows a level of transparency and grounding, unlike the massively over-produced shows that look like car commercials today. It really adds another level to the show. I would recommend Car Throttle's channel on YT. Those lads are on to something, natural chemistry and comedy, proper banger cars and lash-up mods for their specials with fast and loose rules of safety in the pursuit of having a laugh on camera in some cars.
The funniest part about The Tesla Scandal is that the overwhelming majority of Elon Musk's white knights that couldn't let it go eventually turned on him once he took over Twitter.
"-when the BBC instructed that its FTP be shut down-" Almost every _actual_ problem that production had, was caused - or exacerbated - by management. I don't think it's impossible to recreate Top Gear... I think it's impossible to do it, if you actually hated the people that made Top Gear.
It could be done again, new groups are formed all the time, but almost none of them are forced into being, those ones never survive, the best ones just happen on their own, people once said the same about people like Eric and Ernie, but then people like Vic and Bob came along It's possible but it can inly happen "organically" the trouble is they are actively looking for people who "gel" with each other, thats exactly the thinking that nearly kept May off the programme way back, it took a lot of presenters before the trio came together, I think it'll take even more this time though
11:00 in just started but apppreciate the final gear nod. early internet culture played a way bigger role in boosting top gear globally than most people realize. and final gear was the driving force of that for a good few years. that +their inclusion in video games (specifically forza) really cemented the legacy of the trio being more than just a show but a reflection of a subculture as a whole.
Hey mate, just wanted to say thanks for this quality content. I just learned about top gear about 4 months ago and this content really helps learn about the top gear subculture alot!
Don't, whatever you do, listen to him about what he said regarding the non-contract renewal of JC. Sure, his comments were pissing off the BBC execs, but Top Gear were BY FAR the most successful BBC programme, without a question. They were never going to fire him unless he did something like what he exactly did. What this guy does by doing the mental gymnastics he did is just stupid. Sure, you could argue that there were background issues that led to Clarkson doing what he did, but trying to justify it by saying 'it was going to happen, and it was miraculous that he held it in for so long' is victim blaming of the highest order. In fact, in my opinion it's pretty pathetic to say that, without even a single explanation of what ACTUALLY happened (and not just trying to dispute some lies). They were at a hotel, Clarkson was intoxicated (I had a friend working on Diddly Squat Farm that said that Clarkson would start drinking at about 10am), he asked for a steak and when the producer said that he couldn't get one as the kitchen was closed, he then decided it was appropriate to assault him. That's a fact that was carefully omitted from this video. It was COMPLETELY the fault of Clarkson, regardless of any behind the scenes feelings. He talks about Elon Musk's cult, but you have to watch out for the cult of Clarkson. Whilst I find him an unbelievably funny entertainer (Clarkson's Farm is a must see), young men and boys on the internet seem to think its the funniest thing in the world when he calls an Asian a racist slur (That's what the slope controversy is all about, something he also omitted), and that somehow he can do no wrong. It's completely ok to find Top Gear a brilliant show, but also think that JC is a massive twat. P.S, the men dressed as the Village People were not there due to complaints about the women being placed in the front of the audience, it was due to a story in a newspaper about how gay people were banned from the Top Gear studio. P.P.S, icebergs do not make sea level rise. They have no effect.
@@MegaHariboboy Fuc'n 'ell, got quite the fanatic 'ere, 'ent we, lads? Also almost nobody knew "slope" even meant that until the Mirror got their knives out for TG for the umpteenth time.
@@worldcomicsreview354 I'm sorry, what? So because YOU think almost no one knew what it meant, its completely ok to use a racist slur? (In case you didn't know, slope is a reference to their eyes) It's complete bollocks that almost nobody knew what it meant before the Mirror mentioned it. If you're over the age of 12, slope is a known racist term. Clarkson also doesn't have a clean record with racist language as well. Remember when he included 'nigger' completely unnecessarily in the nursery rhyme? I'm not a fanatic, I just have a hard time understanding this blokes hypocrisy in saying the Musk has a cult (which he definitely does), whilst also trying to justify Clarkson committing battery on a person as 'he did really well holding it in for so long' while completely omitting the actual facts. Next time I'm having some personal issues, I'll punch a bloke and tell him I did such a good job holding it in for so long.
Top Gear did have a game thought. It was a stunt game. I had it on my iPod touch in like 2012. It was just a bunch of challenges that you could do, and then you could unlock other items to use like rocket boosters and wings and such. You could also do the free roam part of the game where you could drive around the test track with all the items you had unlocked, and use them however you wanted.
Really enjoyed this video. I know you aren't particularly huge on "Icebergs", but I do enjoy this sort of content as I find out way more than even I realized I had known myself, even if it is rather in segments. Though even I'll agree, there are many out there that are of rather poor, lazy quality. This certainly was done with care and interesting tidbits.
I was never a big fan of '100 things you didn't know about...' and 'why x was a favourite' type list-icles and videos as they tended to focus on the same stuff and can be a bit boring. These ice bergs are often nabbed from fan forums so seem a good mix of some mainstream knowledge, lesser known trivia and fan favourites with a bit of a standard format.
This is the first time I have come across the "Iceberg" video essay/review as a concept. Seen loads of "top tens" and "tier lists" this one is new to me.
As an ex-Finalgear regular, thanks for the mention. Alex deservers every bit of credit for introducing this pokey little motoring show to the international masses.
Youre extnesive, in-depth research, knowledge and love for this show earned you my sub immediately. Your videos are thorough and well laid out so that even non-(top) gear heads can follow along. I still cant get enough of this show and still find myself watching episodes ive seen before a handful of times. Well done and continue on.... just dont end on a bombshell please.
After finishing this I feel I've learnt a lot and you clearly have a near total understanding of the subject unlike some iceberg content nowadays. This is brilliant, and it didn't feel too much like an Iceberg so thanks mate
I would've added the Phineas & Ferb cameo of the 3 TG hosts in a (fittingly) racing episode from the animated series, my jaw dropped when I saw the scene but I'd assume it's probably well known
39:00 To add insult to injury, the way DMAX airs Top gear to this day is by having the original audio SLIGHTLY turned down and then talking over it in german. And sometimes they just don't translate certain sections, so the dubbing stops and the original audio keeps going in the background.
I wish the Korean and Russian versions had been released subtitled in the UK, too. We'd have no idea who any of the celebrity guests were (unless the Korean one ever had Psy on it), but that'd be a minor quibble.
The thing with new Top Gear is that it feels like 3 solo shows. Clarkson, Hammond and May were often doing duo segments or showing up in the middle of solo segments with dissenting opinions or competitor's car. I honestly wish they would kill off the Top Gear namesake and give Chris Harris on Cars a shot. He's the only one of the three who is even close to being as fun to watch as any of the original trio.
13:11 James May: "Now as regular viewers of Dave will know we have, over the last 24 hours, done our very best to rid the world of the caravan menace."
Top Gear is the reason why I love cars so much. If it wasn't for this show, I wouldn't be into cars like I'm nowadays. I still watch Top Gear to this day. It's one of the best things ever made
We don’t have top gear UK in the US so I didn’t grow up watching the golden era of top gear but one day I found some funny moments of the news on TH-cam and I was hooked. Clarkson Hammond and May where the best trio I’ve seen on this show and I constantly go back and watch old episodes on TH-cam if I can find them. It’s a shame that they left but thankfully TGT is available to me so I get new content all the time
@30:30 There actually was a Top Gear Game that came out on DVD. It had various challenges such as a quiz and some other things. I don't remember too much of it as I was 7/8 at the time but i remember using my DVD player remote to answer the questions (must have been circa 07/08)
There was also a really good TopGear game on iOS - TopGear: Stunt School. There was a remake called TopGear Stunt School: Revolution, though it wasn't very good IMO.
I think you called Jabba's bluff, I doubt he actually has access to the BBC vault, he was ripping them off Dave reruns with a TV to VCR recorder, then digitising them for torrenting.
…except that Dave was made in 2007 to replace UKTV G2 (and UKTV G2 was UK Horizons) other than the Dave bit, you’re pretty much correct - Jabba doesn’t have access to the BBC’s vault (even though the BBC uses his company for movie props for shows like Peaky Blinders) and episodes were recorded through VHS, although he somehow recorded some episodes (notably Series 2 Episode 8) digitally (proof: Jabba’s VHS recorded episodes were about 150MB in file size, his digital rip of S02E08 was 300MB in file size - double the size of it)
@@revolume I don't know what you're talking about with props but why would it be impossible to be Dave? He ripped early series off BBC live show or reruns and then Dave to fill in the rest if he missed any. Or whatever Dave was called back then.
That's a very interesting way to start of a video. Telling the audience straight away that you're exhausted from working on it and could not be bothered to finish it properly
I wonder what the response to ‘new’ Top Gear would have been if they had went with the current 3 from the start. Sure McGuiness and Flintoff aren’t experts, but Harris is a very knowledgeable guy and a great presenter.
I thinkthere was a lot of new top gear being marketed as a continuation rather than a new era. I canforgive it becoming just a car show with some comedy, but I think it should have been more obvious that it was going to be very different
If it wasn't for Final Gear, the US wouldn't know what full episodes really were. I wouldn't have known how edited the BBC america the episodes were. Alex deserves all the credit in the world for that. Plus it was cool seeing his posts and excitement when he finally got his Viper.
I do understand your troubles into making these videos. You put so much time and effort into finding rare Top Gear content for us all to see. I know it may look cool to watch, but not cool when you try to find it and upload it on to TH-cam. But we at least understand now that making TH-cam videos like these ones aren’t so easy to make now that the viewer has waited so long for the person to upload them on to their respected channel and that we could find out why they have taken so long. You’re an absolute legend who, but no one else, could find such related content. Thanks for brightening up my day with this and keep up the good work! 😊❤️
When I was a kid, I had most of series 1 (2002) recorded on VHS. Shame the tapes are long, long gone. It might have been possible to rescue a few original broadcast episodes if they had. EDIT: I do however, have all the Jabba releases and other releases to make a complete collection series 1-22 stored away on a hard drive. I even kept one of the old episode guides made by someone on FinalGear.
A very important part of Top Gear to me was the half hour snippets of episodes that were aired in the US on the Discovery channel back in 2004 or 2005, I saw the Lotus v Apache segment you start your video with and was instantly hooked.
Really great video. I cant imagine the extent you went to get all the b-roll footage + the research, my patience could never! Earned a sub. Keep up the good work mate!
France version of Top Gear is now presented by the TH-cam’s French stars « Vilebrequin », they were making things that looked like the golden age of Top Gear on their own channel but are now brought onto French TV
Don't worry about how long this video took! I absolutely love your videos! I understand how long this takes, but your videos are the best-top gear related content on TH-cam!
Kudos for filling the gap in the market with this video, and I respect your views on most iceberg videos so I’m really glad you approached it the way you did!
I actually like the latest Top Gear cast. Chris Harris is a legit motoring journalist and driver. There's a good chemistry between the three of them. I love how Flintoff has no fear when he drives... I admit, it's not Clarkson, Hammond and May, but we still have those on The Grand Tour, for now at least. Edit: Andy Wilman needs a bigger credit for his work with Clarkson, this is evident in their work together on "Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld" where Jeremy rides a moped in Vietnam a long time before he does it for the first time in a Top Gear special.
This not even felt like a hour long video... it's like i just started it. Great work, even tho you don't have much time to read that. Also this comes in my TG Playlist.
After watching at least half of your video, I'd say your point on tier and iceberg videos being for people with bad attention spans is an unfair assessment. They're handy to learn briefly of many topics in an area you're unfamiliar in, or just want a refresh of the scene. Also, the quality iceberg videos I've seen from the likes of Parallel Pipes are roughly an hour long and above, which as someone who's best friends with a hyperactive, that is far too long for someone lacking attention to sit through. No need to slander a different form of content to yours, especially while you make your own version not that different from the rest (or at least the ones I've seen). Besides that point I kept thinking about, it's a useful video.
Surely the film maker is “getting the criticisms in early”? Knowing some sad people will criticise that & dismiss as worthless, anyone who shows affectionately obvious love of all things Top Gear Clarkson, in a more combative era (let’s say 2009) could have been as important in the the great awakening as someone like Dr Mike Yeadon. JG’s writing style so closely reflects personality & internal monologue. While I don’t expect to be rescued from the global tyranny by the “Church of the Latter Day Clarksons”, I DO request that he uses his influence to warn the population of the oncoming Great Reset.
@@GT380man Even with the edit I just noticed because I kept this tab open overnight, I am still very confused why you sre saying this to me. It has nothing to do with my original comment said in any capacity.
My brother had the Richard Porter Top Gear annual of 2009 and I read it and kept coming back to it for years, I remember it being genuinely hilarious and way funnier than any annual has the right to be. I guess Richard Porter was an important creative part of the Top Gear brand and its humour
Just a quick addition to the Audience placement part : The director sometimes would put his daughter & or her friends in the shot directly behind Jeremy Clarkson. Which is likely what sometimes added to the idea that "provocative women" were behind Clarkson.
Just to clarify, Top Gear Season 12 was released on DVD somewhere: it's the only one ever released in Mexico, it was sold for a while on Mix-Up stores, I happen to have a copy if you want proof
Fantastic as usual! Really enjoyed this, I thought I knew everything there was to know about the show, but clearly not! 😂 I’ll look forward to the next one.
Amazing video! I've been a fan of top gear for about a decade now and this video definitely got me to know my favorite tv show more. Thanks for the content and I hope you're able to continue producing more videos like these in the future!
I disagree on your analysis on icebergs as a whole; I think them as the opposite of low-attention span Top 10 videos. They're for people who have a keen interest in a certain topic, and would like to know more about it.
The controversies always annoyed me, the slope thing was clearly planned by the production team and even after filmed they could have left it out but it stayed in. I think Dave the channel also deserves a shout for keeping the show popular
54:35 Where did you find this apparent eulogy video by Chris Morris? This video is absolutely brilliant, by the way. This whole channel is a pure gold. Well done!
I heard that there was a lost episode that features Richard Hammond nearly dying in a car crash and he had no memory but when he was shown the footage he didn't want it brought up again.
Interesting tidbit about Ben Collins that just came to light on Drive Tribe. In 2011, the new Stig did a lap with the new Ariel Atom and got like a 1:11. Ben Collins thought he could go faster so he asked Ariel for an Atom to attempt it around the Top Gear Test track, Andy Wilman called Arial and told them that if they leant him a car, they would never test one of their cars again on the show, so they chose not to give it to him.
Amazingly detailed video. Can't imagine working for 25 days on this. Where did you get such high quality sources for the scenes of the episodes? I live outside the UK so it's not easy to find somewhere I can watch Top Gear.
i am so surprised that with the amount of top gear content i consume, again and again, i havent come across this video until now. i'm so glad i finally have. the trio hanging up the boots makes me sad but god there's so much with them i dont think i'll ever stop watching with them.
For reference, the Clarkson obit was done by Victor Lewis-Smith on TV Offal, he died a full series of "honest obituaries" that always ended with "who died today".
I sometimes wonder how the BBC knows that they lost the three best Car Program hosts to have ever lived, but I know that the BBC's ego is too high and mighty to feel regret in any form or admit when they make mistakes.
truly impressive efforts in making this video, thank you! I only discovered this show because of the Ukraine special meme, and since then I became really interested in it, so it's always nice to learn some "lore" :)
I was waiting for this video, you did mention you’re working on this if I remember correctly. I’m so glad you didn’t do an iceberg video with minecraft gameplay as the background. Thank you for the video.
Some things I feel important to mention, a few days on:
This isn't an exhaustive list by any means. There are many more things I could (and should) have included, but either chose not to, felt too difficult to implement, or felt too risky to include (including one I'll mention at the bottom of this comment). But as I state in the video, I felt like making it since no-one else had made one, whether image or video covering it. If someone makes a different iceberg in the future, I may make another one of these videos explaining it. Don't rule it out.
Outside of the content covered, there were elements I chose to cut back on, namely BGM/water sound effects since I felt they'd get monotonous after a while, and any water-related video effects. I had a general idea of how I would achieve this, but didn't want to put in the extra work, as I felt the image on its own was enough.
Speaking of, I realised fairly early on that the resolution I produced this image at was inadequate, and that zooming in would cause pixelization. Unfortunately, by that point I'd already finished much of the image and was in no mood to start over, as it would mean I'd have to redo the original Iceberg image (including the extension I made), upscaling all of the text, along with redoing all the extras I'd cut out, shaded and added to the image, such as the Airship, Hilux and Car Boats. This would have easily taken another day out of my time, maybe even a couple.
There's a bit of a video glitch around ~35 minutes in, as one of the Iceberg layers didn't zoom in as I'd originally designed and instead sticks on "Old Top Gear Website" when it shouldn't have. This is a minor error and isn't worth fixing. There's also a missing fade-in effect when I talk about the test track, but again, this is minor.
A few of the website screenshots and book scans I used were sent to me by other people around March/April time (told you this video had been in the pipeline a while :P) since it was quite difficult to source them independently as websites such as Pistonheads are a nightmare to search and trying to printscreen books from the Internet Archive with anything less than a 2K monitor is torture. I did go over these images first to make sure I wasn't unwittingly revealing the personal information of any of the people who helped to make this video possible, but unfortunately a couple times there was stuff which slipped through the cracks.
Thankfully I was able to edit these out in post using TH-cam's editor, but for future reference; if you're going to send me a screenshot or piece of video to use in an upcoming video, *please* make sure you pay your due dilligence first and hide/remove anything you don't want 30,000 people (and counting) to see. That reflects as badly on me as it does you, and I have spoken to them to make sure it doesn't happen again. That said, please don't harrass these people if you did see something prior to the edit.
Funnily enough, the original script featured a reference to the disgraced Top Gear TH-camr Hell Toréer in the final layer, but I thought this was pushing things too far since the manner in which those incriminating images were obtained was very sketchy, and I didn't want to bring any controversy upon myself nor did I want to be accused of doxing or the individual(s) who procured those screenshots to be accused of such.
But I digress. If you liked this video, subscribe to my alt (Gearknob Productions) as there will be a 2 hour documentary on the history of Hot Wheels coming soon, and consider donating/subscribing via Ko-Fi and/or Patreon.
That is all.
I’m OOTL with Hell Toréer. What happened?
@@nathanv5518 same here. Idk who he is but that sounds juicy. Maybe there's other videos by other creators explaining it.
Just discovered this channel and subscribed. Is it possible to add more playlists? Would be easier to find the content I'm looking for.
I thought he sold Oliver?!
Top Gear America was a weird thing. Jay Leno talks in an interview about why he declined to host TopGear USA for 6 years in a row. He said you simply would not be able to criticise an American car live on national TV. He said people would have phoned in death threats. The big 3 american car companies guard themselves from criticism by advertising heavily in all media. Every kind of publicvation. And if anyone criticises or shows their cars a bad comparison to other cars, they will pull their funding... Which is their only income. As a car journalist, everybody in the business knows if you criticise anything American, you are black listed for life. You will never be given another free test car. Never be invited to factory events, release parties, or get VIP tickets to car shows. You can essentually forget a career as a car journalist in the US. Its getting better now with the internet, but...
Due to this, no TV network would touch it for fear of losing millions a year in ads. And then there was a huge issue with finding qualified, charismatic hosts. In the end they gave up and got a race driver and some mildly successful commedians, and compensated for their poor understanding by scripting them to death. Every line was fed to them. And they aired it on History Channel. The only network that would let them.
But also History Channel didnt like airing TopGear due to advertisement issues. As British TopGear runs on BBC which is advertisement free. So they had 45 minute shows non stop. While the American model is to have several minutes of ad breaks every 12-15 minutes, then they have to recap where the show left off, and then continue for some minutes before its ad breaks again. So a 45 minute show became extremely little content.
The TopGear leaderboard was a big part of the British Top Gear. On the American TopGear they had Viper and Corvette as 1 and 2 on their leaderboard because it was thought america simply would not tolerate anything else. So they could not test cars that were objectivelly faster than a Viper or Corvette. In the end it just became silly so they axed it out.
The interviews.... While american celebrities were lining up to be on British TopGear, very few A-listers were interested in showing up to be interviewed on American TopGear, so they pretty quickly axed that segment too. Rather than always having guests that were visibly unimpressed and B, C, D, E celebrities that nobody recognised.
And finally... The Celebrity in a reasonably priced car. American celebrities are used to unilateral, unmitigated, singular hype. They have publicists and they dont want to see any criticism or negativity. Which is why every TV talk show in the US are exactly the same talk show since Carson. Being RANKED on an official leaderboard, therefore suited their images extremely poorly. So they axed that segment too.
Also TopGear USA never went abroad or did expensive, elaborate road trip specials. So in the end... There was just nothing left.
Nevermind the extremely poor chemistry between the hosts. Mostly because American comedy is about crafting "winning" oneliners. There was never any of the spontaneouus wit, charm, subtleties, or the banter that "The boys" were famous for.
I wonder how the BBC feels knowing there's loads of people out there who would rather watch content like this than new episodes of Top Gear
Probably couldn’t care less. If they cared then the new tg wouldn’t be so shit
@@Thb202 yes the "new" Top Gear with Chris Evans was sh*t and it felt like it was all forced and all of the elements of the series 1-22 was gone mainly because the three presenters are fired and quit. But I kinda enjoy the latest series ngl
Thank God we still have The Grand Tour, I hope they won't replace Jeremy, James, and Richard again with other presenters after they're gone and just end the series once and for all.
Absolutely - they just need to let it die in peace now OR if the BBC were smart, and we know they aren’t for letting the host and creator of the most highest rated show in the world go, they would bring the boys back for one last series and kick it down the road. But they won’t because the BBC went woke and clarksons incident was a welcome excuse to not renew his contract.
We've been saying this since 2015... The new presenters just arent the same, and the Grand Tour was just better. TH-cam videos are best.
@@WoodsPrecisionArms top gear is really just for showcasing cars just adding Jeremy, James and Richard added a loveable and tolerable element to the show. If they were never there the show would just be relegated to showcasing cars instead of centering it around 3 personalities. making it rather forgettable and possibly defunct even quicker. they probably made so much money from those 3 guys where they can still get away with showcasing high profile cars
I love that "actual consumer advice" is one of the deepest layers, thats why we all loved Top Gear
In Season 1, Jason Dawe actually ran a Consumer Advice segment where he gave advice on the best time to buy cars, what to look out for and the cheapest new cars on the market
And It was Actual Consumer Advice explained in a comedic way, but in a way people could understand it through a joking manner and it was Perfectly Executed
I bought a 2000 bmw 528i on Jeremy’s advice on 2 separate occasions (Africa special and a 1996 review) and it’s been absolutely fantastic
For any lad born in the 90’s / early 00’s, TG will always hold a special place in their heart. At its peak it was must-see TV. Staying up late to watch the specials with my brother and dad are still some of the best memories I have from my childhood. I really don’t think there will ever be another show quite like it. Lightning in a bottle.
Spot on man, spot on
Amen man. I remember the day I found Top Gear like it was yesterday lol. Channel surfing on my little ass tv as a kid. Man if only we could go back just once to see it for the first time again you know
@@TheCommissarIsDeaddon’t cry coz it’s over be happy it happened 🥹
Dont forget us 80's kids.
Yeah, I still remember trying every method under the sun to avoid going to bed to just watch top gear
Still remember watching the Indian special live, soo long ago now
The scene where May hit his head with so much force on that stone makes me feel pain even to this day.
@Maxwell 18:46
Yeah, I was honestly surprised they kept it in. There may be no blood on screen, but the sheer impact, damn. That's why you don't meddle about with moving parts of several tons vehicles, kids.
@@Whatdafuckgoingon18:46
@@Whatdafuckgoingonaye man i got u its at 18:46
@@Kjamilex It's pretty educational, to be honest. You're not likely to forget what happens when you make May's mistake after having watched that even once
The Chilean pin badges (as well as mugs iirc) were a show of thanks to chili as the authorities there were a huge help in getting them back across the boarder as I understand
Somos el mejor país de Chile
Yeah, I'll bet that chilli helped them. Blew right pas the the border guards,
@@IvanHxz muchísimas gracias a tu país
'Chili' lol
Pin badges, mugs, chilean flag stickers in the laptime leaderboard and a portrait of Alexis Sanchez lol
Also "The Holy Trinity" refers to how, shortly before Clarkson was let go and the other two quit, they had plans to race the aforementioned McLaren, Porsche, and Ferrari head-to-head to see which one was better. They never got around to doing this on Top Gear, but they were able to do so on the very first episode of The Grand Tour.
which is the true Top Gear Seasons 23-27
To be fair the original original wager was Jeremy in the McLaren, James in the Ferrari and Hammond in a Zonda, not a Porsche, atleast until series 21.
He literally says this...
Also, for May’s test of the Ariel Atom, Tiff Needell was revealed to have driven for the more high-speed and extreme shots.
That was how they did the whole show. Most actors don't like actually don't dangerous stuff, the law of averages catches up with you. They even admitted in the grand tour they were learning how to actually drift for real, instead of doing it with paid drivers and video editing before than. So if they were faking the drifting, so why wouldn't they do the same with track driving?
@@justforever96 Well....cept for Hammond
I ain't even mad...Tiff is a legend in his own field with doctor precision driving skills.
it was revealed during the episode, showing Mat commenting on the lap from track side during the lap
@@grahamsoppI remember they did a race against the Australian hosts and subbed in the Stig lol
Dave and TopGear re runs had an important role to play in my life as a migrant in the UK, around 2007. I've learnt a lot from the episodes, while being entertained the whole time. I also develop my passion for cars and passed my drivers license in 2012 :)
Oh yeah, reruns on Dave are how a lot of people (myself included) watched a lot of it
Welcome home!
In my case, I started watching Top Gear on BBC America in 2005 the very first time after my whole family migrated to the USA. We've never had cable service at home before so being able to watch cable TV after school was a new privilege for us. The British accents of the presenters is what motivated me to learn to speak English as fast as possible. I wanted to know everything those 3 idiots where talking about 😂
Top Gear pretty much defines my childhood. Clarkson, love him or hate him, is an excellent producer and is made even funnier and more controversial by his colleagues which for me makes the show even more iconic. The BBCs attempts to revive the show after they murdered it have never pleased me. If they were gonna take away the most iconic parts of the show (the presenters) they should have just cancelled it and reserved it’s legacy.
The current one isn't a bad watch, but still nothing on the original. All the weird in-between ones with Chris Evans and such were horse shit tho
How did they 'murder' it? The only person who deserves any blame whatsoever is Clarkson. The show would still be on if he hadn't repeatedly pushed the line, used openly racist language, talked about shooting striking workers, etc. and then finally forced the BBC to fire him by violently assaulting a producer. The BBC were keen to keep him on and reluctantly fired him because they had absolutely no choice whatsoever. That was entirely down to Clarkson.
@@thesprawl2361 It was down to Clarkson how iconic the show was.
@@syko2695 i dont like the new one because theyre trying to be a bit to much like clarkson hammond and may
@@thesprawl2361 i will admit they pushed it sometimes but that was what made the show iconic and why people watched it, nowadays people cry over the smallest thing so it wouldnt exist now anyway but you cant say they werent funny
Regarding caravans, Clarkson once appeared on the show Room 101 where the guests had to present things they hated and convince the host why they deserve to be banished to Room 101. His first item was caravans, so this is a long running hatred of his. I vaguely remember him explaining that caravans are limited to a slower speed so they often caused massive tailbacks and it's difficult to overtake them safely.
Also fun fact, when Richard Hammond acted as host for the show Braniac on Sky One in the early 2000s, they also destroyed a bunch of caravans as a recurring gag, so it might be a reference to his role on Top Gear
I feel that part of it was the controversial statements and actions of the three that helped give the show it’s charm. Along with the pure chemistry of Clarkson, Hammond, and May. It never felt like any of them were the primary host, they all had their own great moments.
It certainly gave the show the air of authenticity. Real people sometimes say or do controversial things. Modern TV, sanitized of anything that may rub people the wrong way, comes off as clinical by comparison. And lets be honest, nothing they said or did really ever hurt anyone or was any worse then what you'd hear in a downtown bar at midnight.
Yes, despite what the media and angry blue checks on Twitter might say, the majority of people find most "controversies" hilarious.
@@randomlyentertaining8287 And that is EXACTLY why they got an IMMEDIATE audience on The Grand Tour and STILL have a massive following today for their side projects.
Im dying! Everything seemed so factual, professional and objective until "they would settle on this annoying ginger TWAT!" at 7:15 rofl!
“Swedish gremlin”
He is actually quite a petrolhead (and I beleive he paid £10m for a classic Ferrari, which was briefly the highest price ever paid for a car) but ...yeah. I never liked him on the radio either.
One thing that wasn't mentioned was a Top Gear DVD special that was basically Hammond being recorded sitting in some garage and asking questions like "which do you think has more power, the Ford Mondeo or a tractor" and with a remote you could choose. I remember this fondly from my childhood
Is there any video evidence online?
@@dwt89_ I’m pretty sure the video files are on the internet archive
Interactive DVD experiences!
I had this too. I think it was called “Top Gear Stunt Challenge”?
Not usually a fan of Iceberg videos, but the way you deliver this is so clear cut and much more informative than others. Looking forward to more diverse content from the golden boys.
@404 TV Watch the one about F1. It was uploaded a week ago and is the best I've seen in this format.
@@valami42 senna was a nonce 😱
@404 TV peter brooks formula 1 iceberg explained is legendary content
@@valami42 Peter Brooks is such a small channel but his content is so good.
Me either I find them quite cold.
That lesser-seen series 1 intro is nightmare fuel. The final bars were used as a break intro/outro on Dave versions til at least Series 10, possibly later.
glad I'm not the only person that thinks that
you’re absolutely right!
I know! I dont know whats creepy about it, but theres just something wrong
@@cheezindashower perhaps the very compressed strings instead of the guitar give an uneasy feeling, at least that's how I feel
@@NFSF1McLarenthey also used the version with the guitar
Been on final gear a few times recently, the site is still up but it feels pretty skeletal
the original dev's passing certainly didn't help keep the site afloat, but it is still out there
The fact that Andy Willman and JC acknowledged and interacted with the final gear userbase in the behind the scenes extra footage is remarkable.
wtf is top gear r34 im crying
I'm just going to assume it's a Nissan R34 and leave it there
@@michaelmartin9022unfortunately it's Top Gear _Rule_ 34, which, if you don't know, I don't think I'll tell you mate.
The Stig is packing
I'll be honest, it's not amazing Clarkson "kept his composure for that long" because a lot of people have bad periods and don't end up punching their colleagues. What I will say however is he knew he messed up, reported it, apologised, and rebuked those who attacked the guy, that was the right course of action.
Yeah, I'm kinda okay with how things went professionally speaking, he didnt act well, but didn't try to downplay it and apologised to the person he punched. I hope privately that there's no animosity by now between them and I do respect clarksons calls for the public to leave him alone.
I'm also not mad that we still get Clarkson through other TV shows, but I was a bit annoyed they tried to show bbc as the bad guys for killing top gear.
I came across Top Gear when it first came onto Netflix. I was naturally a diehard gear guy, so it was awesome to see all the cool cars that came on, but I have kept being a fan of it (The Clarkson era) and the Grand Tour due to the ongoing hilarious antics of Clarkson, Hammond, and May. You did a fantastic job on the video and in your research. Keep up the splendid work!
You could describe the shows as car shows that aren't actually about the cars, lol.
when it comes to the arts and media, people like things either because they're good or they're controversial. to be both at the same time is pretty impressive and is surely a large part of how successful top gear was
If I remember correctly, Jeremy had injured his neck in Japan when driving the GT-R around the track he was on and they had to stop filming. I think underlying issues with that injury fueled the pain he felt in the Renault brick wall crash.
He was hurt twice in that episode now that I think about it. Slid out of his seat trying to slide the truck and the brick wall crash.
*TIMESTAMPS FOR YOUR REPLAY PLEASURE!!!*
00:00 Introduction and notes
01:49 *A) 1st level of Iceberg*
02:00 "Jessica" Theme Tune
02:55 The Holy Trinity
03:32 The Cars
04:07 The Challenges
04:37 The Celebrities
05:19 Nicknames & Catchphrases
05:57 Specials
06:31 Controversies
07:13 Chris Evans
07:47 Ratings Drop
08:35 Redneck Incident
09:19 The Dacia Sandero
09:54 The Grand Tour
10:41 Hammond's Accidents
10:45 Finalgear
11:22 Funny Sponsors
11:55 Pre-2002 Top Gear
12:40 *B) Second level of iceberg*
12:47 Dave
13:16 Top Gear Magazine
14:08 Caravans and Morris Marinas
15:11 Informercials
16:08 Clarkson's Punch-Up
17:42 "Bentley Mulsanne"
18:05 On-Screen Injuries
18:54 Cool Wall
19:55 Charity Specials
20:36 The Tesla Scandal
21:26 The Guardian
21:59 English-Language Adaptations
22:36 The Interceptors
23:17 Scene Releases
24:17 The Stig's Past Identities
24:44 *C) Third level of iceberg*
24:52 The Stig's Current Identity
25:36 There Were Multiple Stigs
26:26 Other Adaptations
27:19 Clarkson's Solo Home Videos
28:11 Clarkson's Original "Holy Trinity" Wager
28:47 Jason Dawe
29:13 The South American Connection
29:57 Celebrity Brain Crash
30:27 TGT Game
31:03 Trading Card Games
32:02 SniffPetrol
32:33 Audience Member Placement
32:58 Mazda Fire-Ai
33:37 Keanu Reeves SIARPC
34:08 Richard Hammond's Odd Jobs
34:36 *D) Fourth level of iceberg* (Note: Although it is not mentioned explicitly in the video this section is represented in the original illustration of the iceberg over at 01:43 as a separate level. Consider this as a continuation of the third level if you must)
34:43 The Old Top Gear Website
35:09 Stigs Are Farmed
35:40 Top Gear Dog
36:10 Top Gear Stunt Man
36:47 Strictly Come Dancing Is Crap
37:16 Gambon's Corner Original Name
38:10 Series 9 DVD Release
39:58 The Boneyard
40:26 Hangar Roof Logo is CGI
40:50 They Don't Really Drive The Cars
42:08 Restoration Rip-Off
43:05 Jabba355
43:48 Top Gear Xtra
44:43 Greatest Car Competition
45:38 Series 3, Episode 10
46:56 Top Gear-themed Lost Media
47:39 *E) Fifth level of iceberg*
47:49 The Black Stig Is Still Alive
48:39 Perry McCarthy Was NOT the Stig
49:09 Goodyear, Stickleback & Bunsen Burner
49:37 Top Gear Rule 34
49:45 "I Went On The Internet" Mystery Image
50:35 Top Gear Pilot Episodes
51:03 The First 2002 Intro Sequence
52:58 Rejected 2006 Intro Sequence
53:43 Woollarding
54:01 JC Death Hoax
54:50 Heat Weird Crush
55:13 Actual Consumer Advice
55:54 Jennings and the Planned operation
56:17 *F) Sixth level of iceberg*
56:36 4K Episode Urban Myth
57:59 Clarkson Was Replaced By A Clone
58:44 Clarkson Island Is Real
59:19 Ashes To Ashes Charity Special
59:40 1000HP MG Power Lap
01:00:46 Ferrari On The Moon
01:01:06 Jason Dawe Moved To Miami
01:01:31 The First "Yeet"
01:02:07 Richard Cat-mond
01:02:23 JC = Jesus Christ
01:02:37 Top Gear Is A Lead Poisoning Documentary
01:03:13 Richard Porter Is A Timelord
01:05:37 Top Gear Apocalypse is the show's canonical/"true" ending.
01:06:26 Headcases is the show's canonical/"true" ending.
01:06:52 Outro + Closing Notes + Channel Updates.
I feel so bad for you
@@dashleigh1plays For what?
@@RAD10WALA you went through the whole video, and you get so little likes :(
@@dashleigh1plays it doesn't matter lol
@RAD10WALA sure thing, thanks and have a great day
An interesting note about the alternate 2002 title sequence- every time an older episode of Top Gear is shown on Dave and it breaks for adverts, the jingle at 52:08 is played. Probably the only remnant of the alternate theme tune still shown on TV.
It's a cool bit of lost media. I've watched the repeats on Dave for years and I always wondered where that little clip came from.
Wow, this video is a year old now, I do hope another video is coming soon because this channel has resparked my Top Gear interest realising there's pretty much a more behind it
Hey mate, I would love to see a full length video breaking down why the current top gear doesn't work.
He sort of said it here. It's a forced fake version with no soul or chemistry
It's like if you replaced the Barcelona starting XI with Stevenage youth academy players, and asked them to play the same way Barcelona do
Because the hosts don't have much chemistry, compared to the trio
Because it doesn't feature the main trio and because these days you cannot say anything without getting canceled
@@Kolket1389 I dunno, I see lots of people saying lots of entertaining and funny things these days and being just fine, because they do it in a clever way and without punching down, instead of relying on tired stereotypes and hot-takes.
I also see a lot of people saying really horrible and hurtful things and getting away with it, because neo-fascism has been flourishing in conservative politics/media and their supporters are going along with it.
Great video mate, just wanted to say that there was a minor mistake - the Charlie Turner recently retired a few months ago and Jack Rix took up his role as Editor in Chief of TG mag, the same guy who hosts most of TG YT's vids
Charlie now works over at Ferrari as press and media I believe
This is a superb video. I know how hard it is to edit 70 minutes of video and keep it all interesting and consistent. You've clearly worked your arse off to get this out, and it was very very entertaining.
Jeremy just confirmed Phil Keen as the third Stig in a Q&A at a screening of One For The Road that he hosted.
I think that the attempts at making foreign adaptations struggling were a tell-tale sign that the original trio were the... driving force to the show, along with their fantastic crew.
I love watching the GT and occasionally seeing the crew behind the camera having a laugh with Director Andy Willman at the helm, it shows a level of transparency and grounding, unlike the massively over-produced shows that look like car commercials today. It really adds another level to the show. I would recommend Car Throttle's channel on YT. Those lads are on to something, natural chemistry and comedy, proper banger cars and lash-up mods for their specials with fast and loose rules of safety in the pursuit of having a laugh on camera in some cars.
Tonight on Top Gear:
I drove a electric golf cart,
James crashes into iceberg,
And Richard crashes his car again.
The funniest part about The Tesla Scandal is that the overwhelming majority of Elon Musk's white knights that couldn't let it go eventually turned on him once he took over Twitter.
"-when the BBC instructed that its FTP be shut down-"
Almost every _actual_ problem that production had, was caused - or exacerbated - by management.
I don't think it's impossible to recreate Top Gear...
I think it's impossible to do it, if you actually hated the people that made Top Gear.
It could be done again, new groups are formed all the time, but almost none of them are forced into being, those ones never survive, the best ones just happen on their own, people once said the same about people like Eric and Ernie, but then people like Vic and Bob came along
It's possible but it can inly happen "organically" the trouble is they are actively looking for people who "gel" with each other, thats exactly the thinking that nearly kept May off the programme way back, it took a lot of presenters before the trio came together, I think it'll take even more this time though
let's get this around, high quality. The best person to make an "iceberg" is the type of person who realizes how lazy they have become.
11:00 in just started but apppreciate the final gear nod. early internet culture played a way bigger role in boosting top gear globally than most people realize. and final gear was the driving force of that for a good few years. that +their inclusion in video games (specifically forza) really cemented the legacy of the trio being more than just a show but a reflection of a subculture as a whole.
All hail the king of esoteric Top Gear deeplore! The domain of the blessed ancients (ie people who weren’t children when post 2002 top gear was on)
Hey mate, just wanted to say thanks for this quality content. I just learned about top gear about 4 months ago and this content really helps learn about the top gear subculture alot!
Don't, whatever you do, listen to him about what he said regarding the non-contract renewal of JC.
Sure, his comments were pissing off the BBC execs, but Top Gear were BY FAR the most successful BBC programme, without a question. They were never going to fire him unless he did something like what he exactly did.
What this guy does by doing the mental gymnastics he did is just stupid. Sure, you could argue that there were background issues that led to Clarkson doing what he did, but trying to justify it by saying 'it was going to happen, and it was miraculous that he held it in for so long' is victim blaming of the highest order. In fact, in my opinion it's pretty pathetic to say that, without even a single explanation of what ACTUALLY happened (and not just trying to dispute some lies). They were at a hotel, Clarkson was intoxicated (I had a friend working on Diddly Squat Farm that said that Clarkson would start drinking at about 10am), he asked for a steak and when the producer said that he couldn't get one as the kitchen was closed, he then decided it was appropriate to assault him.
That's a fact that was carefully omitted from this video. It was COMPLETELY the fault of Clarkson, regardless of any behind the scenes feelings. He talks about Elon Musk's cult, but you have to watch out for the cult of Clarkson. Whilst I find him an unbelievably funny entertainer (Clarkson's Farm is a must see), young men and boys on the internet seem to think its the funniest thing in the world when he calls an Asian a racist slur (That's what the slope controversy is all about, something he also omitted), and that somehow he can do no wrong. It's completely ok to find Top Gear a brilliant show, but also think that JC is a massive twat.
P.S, the men dressed as the Village People were not there due to complaints about the women being placed in the front of the audience, it was due to a story in a newspaper about how gay people were banned from the Top Gear studio.
P.P.S, icebergs do not make sea level rise. They have no effect.
@@MegaHariboboy Fuc'n 'ell, got quite the fanatic 'ere, 'ent we, lads?
Also almost nobody knew "slope" even meant that until the Mirror got their knives out for TG for the umpteenth time.
@@MegaHariboboy Almost forgot: It is our destiny to colonise space
@@worldcomicsreview354 I'm sorry, what?
So because YOU think almost no one knew what it meant, its completely ok to use a racist slur? (In case you didn't know, slope is a reference to their eyes)
It's complete bollocks that almost nobody knew what it meant before the Mirror mentioned it. If you're over the age of 12, slope is a known racist term. Clarkson also doesn't have a clean record with racist language as well. Remember when he included 'nigger' completely unnecessarily in the nursery rhyme?
I'm not a fanatic, I just have a hard time understanding this blokes hypocrisy in saying the Musk has a cult (which he definitely does), whilst also trying to justify Clarkson committing battery on a person as 'he did really well holding it in for so long' while completely omitting the actual facts. Next time I'm having some personal issues, I'll punch a bloke and tell him I did such a good job holding it in for so long.
Only 4 months! Wow that's amazing, I've been a fan my whole life. It's great to see people still experiencing this amazing show today
Here before 1k views, 849 specifically. Marking this so when I look back in a few months to see how popular this video is. Great video, GearKnob!
👆
I think you should try to do an interview with Richard Porter, he seems most likely to sit down and do an interview with you.
Top Gear did have a game thought. It was a stunt game. I had it on my iPod touch in like 2012. It was just a bunch of challenges that you could do, and then you could unlock other items to use like rocket boosters and wings and such. You could also do the free roam part of the game where you could drive around the test track with all the items you had unlocked, and use them however you wanted.
Top Gear was also in Forza Motorsport 4 (the new version was in Horizon 4, but they aren’t worth mentioning)
I remember this game fondly, seems like a fever dream now.
@@firemaker1258 I'm an xbox lad but I think it was on one of the PS3 gran turismo's too
Really enjoyed this video.
I know you aren't particularly huge on "Icebergs", but I do enjoy this sort of content as I find out way more than even I realized I had known myself, even if it is rather in segments. Though even I'll agree, there are many out there that are of rather poor, lazy quality.
This certainly was done with care and interesting tidbits.
Agree! Well said.
I was never a big fan of '100 things you didn't know about...' and 'why x was a favourite' type list-icles and videos as they tended to focus on the same stuff and can be a bit boring.
These ice bergs are often nabbed from fan forums so seem a good mix of some mainstream knowledge, lesser known trivia and fan favourites with a bit of a standard format.
That cgi roof logo is nuts I never noticed that
This is the first time I have come across the "Iceberg" video essay/review as a concept.
Seen loads of "top tens" and "tier lists" this one is new to me.
I like how he says they're "for people with short attention spans" and it's an hour and ten minutes long. Which is short for an iceberg!
As an ex-Finalgear regular, thanks for the mention. Alex deservers every bit of credit for introducing this pokey little motoring show to the international masses.
Youre extnesive, in-depth research, knowledge and love for this show earned you my sub immediately. Your videos are thorough and well laid out so that even non-(top) gear heads can follow along. I still cant get enough of this show and still find myself watching episodes ive seen before a handful of times. Well done and continue on.... just dont end on a bombshell please.
Thanks for putting in the effort to make this video about one of my favorite series of all time. Quite the quality production!
Watching James get thrown down by that tow rope again, it's actually really lucky he wasn't more badly injured
I've never actually watched one singular Top Gear episode while paying attention, but I'm willing to believe that that one guy is a time lord
After finishing this I feel I've learnt a lot and you clearly have a near total understanding of the subject unlike some iceberg content nowadays. This is brilliant, and it didn't feel too much like an Iceberg so thanks mate
The "slope" gag in the Burma special was over a year before Clarksons sacking..
I would've added the Phineas & Ferb cameo of the 3 TG hosts in a (fittingly) racing episode from the animated series, my jaw dropped when I saw the scene but I'd assume it's probably well known
you just unlocked a memory I forgot I had
39:00
To add insult to injury, the way DMAX airs Top gear to this day is by having the original audio SLIGHTLY turned down and then talking over it in german.
And sometimes they just don't translate certain sections, so the dubbing stops and the original audio keeps going in the background.
I wish the Korean and Russian versions had been released subtitled in the UK, too.
We'd have no idea who any of the celebrity guests were (unless the Korean one ever had Psy on it), but that'd be a minor quibble.
The thing with new Top Gear is that it feels like 3 solo shows. Clarkson, Hammond and May were often doing duo segments or showing up in the middle of solo segments with dissenting opinions or competitor's car.
I honestly wish they would kill off the Top Gear namesake and give Chris Harris on Cars a shot. He's the only one of the three who is even close to being as fun to watch as any of the original trio.
13:11
James May: "Now as regular viewers of Dave will know we have, over the last 24 hours, done our very best to rid the world of the caravan menace."
Top Gear is the reason why I love cars so much. If it wasn't for this show, I wouldn't be into cars like I'm nowadays.
I still watch Top Gear to this day. It's one of the best things ever made
We don’t have top gear UK in the US so I didn’t grow up watching the golden era of top gear but one day I found some funny moments of the news on TH-cam and I was hooked. Clarkson Hammond and May where the best trio I’ve seen on this show and I constantly go back and watch old episodes on TH-cam if I can find them. It’s a shame that they left but thankfully TGT is available to me so I get new content all the time
@30:30 There actually was a Top Gear Game that came out on DVD. It had various challenges such as a quiz and some other things. I don't remember too much of it as I was 7/8 at the time but i remember using my DVD player remote to answer the questions (must have been circa 07/08)
There was also a really good TopGear game on iOS - TopGear: Stunt School. There was a remake called TopGear Stunt School: Revolution, though it wasn't very good IMO.
yeah i still have the DVD, it was just Hammond and it had clips from a few episodes sprinkled in
I think you called Jabba's bluff, I doubt he actually has access to the BBC vault, he was ripping them off Dave reruns with a TV to VCR recorder, then digitising them for torrenting.
…except that Dave was made in 2007 to replace UKTV G2 (and UKTV G2 was UK Horizons)
other than the Dave bit, you’re pretty much correct - Jabba doesn’t have access to the BBC’s vault (even though the BBC uses his company for movie props for shows like Peaky Blinders) and episodes were recorded through VHS, although he somehow recorded some episodes (notably Series 2 Episode 8) digitally (proof: Jabba’s VHS recorded episodes were about 150MB in file size, his digital rip of S02E08 was 300MB in file size - double the size of it)
@@revolume I don't know what you're talking about with props but why would it be impossible to be Dave? He ripped early series off BBC live show or reruns and then Dave to fill in the rest if he missed any. Or whatever Dave was called back then.
That's a very interesting way to start of a video. Telling the audience straight away that you're exhausted from working on it and could not be bothered to finish it properly
34:25 is absolute comedy gold, Richards face said it all 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣
there hasnt been a top gear after clarkson left, the only thing we have is the occasional grand tour episode
I wonder what the response to ‘new’ Top Gear would have been if they had went with the current 3 from the start. Sure McGuiness and Flintoff aren’t experts, but Harris is a very knowledgeable guy and a great presenter.
I thinkthere was a lot of new top gear being marketed as a continuation rather than a new era.
I canforgive it becoming just a car show with some comedy, but I think it should have been more obvious that it was going to be very different
If it wasn't for Final Gear, the US wouldn't know what full episodes really were. I wouldn't have known how edited the BBC america the episodes were. Alex deserves all the credit in the world for that. Plus it was cool seeing his posts and excitement when he finally got his Viper.
I do understand your troubles into making these videos. You put so much time and effort into finding rare Top Gear content for us all to see. I know it may look cool to watch, but not cool when you try to find it and upload it on to TH-cam. But we at least understand now that making TH-cam videos like these ones aren’t so easy to make now that the viewer has waited so long for the person to upload them on to their respected channel and that we could find out why they have taken so long. You’re an absolute legend who, but no one else, could find such related content. Thanks for brightening up my day with this and keep up the good work! 😊❤️
When I was a kid, I had most of series 1 (2002) recorded on VHS. Shame the tapes are long, long gone. It might have been possible to rescue a few original broadcast episodes if they had. EDIT: I do however, have all the Jabba releases and other releases to make a complete collection series 1-22 stored away on a hard drive. I even kept one of the old episode guides made by someone on FinalGear.
If you could release these rips online, that would be really appreciated.
A very important part of Top Gear to me was the half hour snippets of episodes that were aired in the US on the Discovery channel back in 2004 or 2005, I saw the Lotus v Apache segment you start your video with and was instantly hooked.
Cracking documentary. Its evident a lot of time and effort went in to this. I was always impressed by the Top Gear wing on the Koenigssegg.
Really great video. I cant imagine the extent you went to get all the b-roll footage + the research, my patience could never! Earned a sub. Keep up the good work mate!
wait till they start to air "Bottom Gear"
This is why I love watching icebergs of things I’m really interested in
Bro made an iceberg chart and said "its because i need clout, not because i like my audience"
France version of Top Gear is now presented by the TH-cam’s French stars « Vilebrequin », they were making things that looked like the golden age of Top Gear on their own channel but are now brought onto French TV
I wish episodes of the foreign ones would be released with English subtitles
Don't worry about how long this video took! I absolutely love your videos! I understand how long this takes, but your videos are the best-top gear related content on TH-cam!
Kudos for filling the gap in the market with this video, and I respect your views on most iceberg videos so I’m really glad you approached it the way you did!
The lead poising theory is hilarious 😂😂😂
I actually like the latest Top Gear cast. Chris Harris is a legit motoring journalist and driver. There's a good chemistry between the three of them. I love how Flintoff has no fear when he drives... I admit, it's not Clarkson, Hammond and May, but we still have those on The Grand Tour, for now at least.
Edit: Andy Wilman needs a bigger credit for his work with Clarkson, this is evident in their work together on "Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld" where Jeremy rides a moped in Vietnam a long time before he does it for the first time in a Top Gear special.
This not even felt like a hour long video... it's like i just started it. Great work, even tho you don't have much time to read that.
Also this comes in my TG Playlist.
I enjoy how every iceberg starts with
“I dont like icebergs” (justifying iceberg) “level 1 is stuff you all know”
After watching at least half of your video, I'd say your point on tier and iceberg videos being for people with bad attention spans is an unfair assessment. They're handy to learn briefly of many topics in an area you're unfamiliar in, or just want a refresh of the scene. Also, the quality iceberg videos I've seen from the likes of Parallel Pipes are roughly an hour long and above, which as someone who's best friends with a hyperactive, that is far too long for someone lacking attention to sit through. No need to slander a different form of content to yours, especially while you make your own version not that different from the rest (or at least the ones I've seen).
Besides that point I kept thinking about, it's a useful video.
Surely the film maker is “getting the criticisms in early”?
Knowing some sad people will criticise that & dismiss as worthless, anyone who shows affectionately obvious love of all things Top Gear
Clarkson, in a more combative era (let’s say 2009) could have been as important in the the great awakening as someone like Dr Mike Yeadon. JG’s writing style so closely reflects personality & internal monologue. While I don’t expect to be rescued from the global tyranny by the “Church of the Latter Day Clarksons”, I DO request that he uses his influence to warn the population of the oncoming Great Reset.
@@GT380man I have no idea what you meant to say
@@GT380man Even with the edit I just noticed because I kept this tab open overnight, I am still very confused why you sre saying this to me. It has nothing to do with my original comment said in any capacity.
My brother had the Richard Porter Top Gear annual of 2009 and I read it and kept coming back to it for years, I remember it being genuinely hilarious and way funnier than any annual has the right to be. I guess Richard Porter was an important creative part of the Top Gear brand and its humour
Just a quick addition to the Audience placement part :
The director sometimes would put his daughter & or her friends in the shot directly behind Jeremy Clarkson.
Which is likely what sometimes added to the idea that "provocative women" were behind Clarkson.
I remember a SIARPC part where the guest talked about a production crew member shoving the pretty girls to the front of the stage.
@@PlittHD yeah so it wasn't as clear cut. It was sometimes just the directors daughter and her friends.
Just to clarify, Top Gear Season 12 was released on DVD somewhere: it's the only one ever released in Mexico, it was sold for a while on Mix-Up stores, I happen to have a copy if you want proof
Fantastic as usual! Really enjoyed this, I thought I knew everything there was to know about the show, but clearly not! 😂
I’ll look forward to the next one.
Crazy amount of work you've put in here! So fascinating to see the history of this timeless masterpiece
Wow, thanks for all the work this took to make!
Amazing video! I've been a fan of top gear for about a decade now and this video definitely got me to know my favorite tv show more. Thanks for the content and I hope you're able to continue producing more videos like these in the future!
I disagree on your analysis on icebergs as a whole; I think them as the opposite of low-attention span Top 10 videos. They're for people who have a keen interest in a certain topic, and would like to know more about it.
The controversies always annoyed me, the slope thing was clearly planned by the production team and even after filmed they could have left it out but it stayed in. I think Dave the channel also deserves a shout for keeping the show popular
54:35 Where did you find this apparent eulogy video by Chris Morris? This video is absolutely brilliant, by the way. This whole channel is a pure gold. Well done!
th-cam.com/video/fpL9a-5LFpI/w-d-xo.html It's from a series in the 1990s called TV Offal done by Victor Lewis-Smith
I heard that there was a lost episode that features Richard Hammond nearly dying in a car crash and he had no memory but when he was shown the footage he didn't want it brought up again.
What era was this from? Is it truly lost or has it been found again?
@@CrunchyMotorsport Shit don't even remember which video it was.
@@CrunchyMotorsport either Most Amazing Top 10 or the iceberg video.
Very much enjoyed and appreciate the effort you put in to this!
Interesting tidbit about Ben Collins that just came to light on Drive Tribe. In 2011, the new Stig did a lap with the new Ariel Atom and got like a 1:11. Ben Collins thought he could go faster so he asked Ariel for an Atom to attempt it around the Top Gear Test track, Andy Wilman called Arial and told them that if they leant him a car, they would never test one of their cars again on the show, so they chose not to give it to him.
Amazingly detailed video. Can't imagine working for 25 days on this. Where did you get such high quality sources for the scenes of the episodes? I live outside the UK so it's not easy to find somewhere I can watch Top Gear.
i am so surprised that with the amount of top gear content i consume, again and again, i havent come across this video until now. i'm so glad i finally have. the trio hanging up the boots makes me sad but god there's so much with them i dont think i'll ever stop watching with them.
The Dacia Sandero. Its delayed!
For reference, the Clarkson obit was done by Victor Lewis-Smith on TV Offal, he died a full series of "honest obituaries" that always ended with "who died today".
I sometimes wonder how the BBC knows that they lost the three best Car Program hosts to have ever lived, but I know that the BBC's ego is too high and mighty to feel regret in any form or admit when they make mistakes.
*I was waiting for someone to make this. Thank You*
truly impressive efforts in making this video, thank you! I only discovered this show because of the Ukraine special meme, and since then I became really interested in it, so it's always nice to learn some "lore" :)
I was waiting for this video, you did mention you’re working on this if I remember correctly. I’m so glad you didn’t do an iceberg video with minecraft gameplay as the background. Thank you for the video.