Ranking The Top 4 Top Gear Specials
The dynamic trio of Clarkson, Hammond, and May were equally polarising and captivating. During their tenure as Top Gear hosts, they turned the car show into the most watched on the planet. Such was the success – it resulted in Amazon Prime dishing out a significant sum to get them three back together to start their own show, The Grand Tour, on Amazon Prime.
Streaming services are now the main battleground for TV shows, and as the trio moved over from the BBC to Amazon Prime, the trend of people now consuming their entertainment via streaming instead of mainstream channels continues to pose a problem for the traditional industry, with many of the best TV shows released on the big streaming apps.
For many, the best TV shows of 2024 are the landmark releases on top streaming services such as Netflix, Paramount, and Amazon Prime. With each passing year, mainstream TV channels seem to fall by the wayside, except HBO and one or two shows with a loyal, core following.
While The Grand Tour might not be bringing in the same viewing figures as Top Gear, it shows the universal appeal of the three Englishmen. Some of the most iconic clips from Top Gear have stemmed from their specials, when they’d be off on their travels to different corners of the world, tackling different cultures and food, driving terrain, and concocting challenges for each other that made for some of the most gripping car-based entertainment in recent memory.
Botswana
Few Top Gear specials could match the Botswana episode first broadcast by the BBC in November 2007. The crux of this show was that each of the trio could spend a maximum of £1,500 on each vehicle, and they would have to drive a route that took them across Botswana to the Namibian border, covering 1,000 miles. It was one of the first specials that saw them travel abroad, and while having them perform DIY oil changes was a humorous idea – the Botswana trip made for much better TV.
One of the standout elements of this special is Hammond’s Opel, which he brought home and still has. The cinematography of the final shot across the Makgadikgadi salt pans was one of the best shots of any special. However, it later drew controversy and comments from environmentalists, one of many controversies the trio instigated on their travels.
Vietnam
Such was the success of the Botswana special that the following Christmas, BBC commissioned a 75-minute episode that saw the dynamic trio start from Ho Chi Minh and make their way up north toward the capital, Hanoi, taking in the sites of Nha Trang, Hoi An, and Hue.
The producers liked to introduce something new with each special, so this chapter saw them take to the hectic roads of Vietnam on an array of motorbikes and scooters, which are used by the locals.
Bolivia
The Bolivia special encompassed several South American countries. It followed a similar dynamic to the Bostawana special, where the lads were given a specific budget to spend on a vehicle.
Thankfully, the producers had upped the amount for this special to £3,500 – so their vehicles could handle the terrain more effectively than some of the bumps in the road they hit in Africa.
While some Top Gear fans don’t believe the Bolivia special holds a candle to the Botswana or Vietnam specials, they all have their own charm. Given that this one first aired in 2010, when the three were at their peak as the collective face of Top Gear, the trip to Chile, across Bolivia, and their encounters with high altitude and the shadier elements of South American culture made this much watch television.
India
Top Gear’s 2012 trip to India made for some of the most intriguing television of the year. However, with Richard Hammond’s track record, he wasn’t pleased to hear that India had the most dangerous roads on Earth at the time of filming.
Although it’s a moniker they’ve since shaken, the tit-for-tat between the three resulted in multiple vehicle breakdowns as they made their way through the world’s most populated country. After tackling the roads in Mumbai, Delhi, and Jaipur, they completed their trip in battered motors across the beautiful, picturesque Himalayan region.
Final Thoughts
Although the top four are in no particular order, the Patagonia and Burma specials also deserve special mention. The Top Gear specials are certainly of their time and represent a time when mainstream TV was king. Top Gear was one of the great British TV exports.
While it still retains that title, it’s incredible to think that some of these specials are nearly 20 years old. Motor fans worldwide know of the legacy of this Top Gear period – which is driven by how these specials were put together, the storylines, the way they’re shot, and the chemistry between the three main presenters.