Top Gear (partially found episodes of BBC Two television series; 1977-2002)
Top Gear is a British television show broadcast as a televised weekly automotive magazine between 1978 and 2001, with an earlier series of regional episodes airing in 1977 and a final "Awards" episode airing in February 2002. It was created by Derek Smith, and hosted by a variety of presenters, most notably William Woollard and Jeremy Clarkson, the latter of which would go on to present the show's identically-named reboot from 2002 to 2015.
History
The programme aired on BBC 2 in the United Kingdom for over 25 years and was broadcast to millions of viewers each week. Starting from the 1990s, slightly cut versions of each episode would air internationally on the commercial BBC World service, increasing the show's international exposure and introducing foreign audiences to the eminent main host of the time, Jeremy Clarkson. Despite its enduring popularity, only 4 home videos would be released between 1994 and 2000. An obscure DVD release titled "20 Cars That Changed The World" produced by former host Tiff Needell would be released in 2002, containing footage from Top Gear throughout its initial run and would mark the only time footage from the original series was released on a digital format.
Though it is difficult to ascertain the exact number of episodes, it is known that approximately 550 were broadcast between April 1977 and February 2002, including specials and motor shows, the latter of which would also occasionally air on BBC 1 in order to provide a much more detailed look at each of the shows. Though many episodes of Top Gear survive in varying forms due to home recordings later placed online, most episodes produced before the debut of Jeremy Clarkson in late 1988 are lost in their entirety. Only 15 of the 177 serialized episodes which aired between 1978 and 1988 are available in full. Information on the regional shows produced prior to 1978 remains scarce.
VHS recordings of approximately 250 episodes have been obtained, although are currently not available for release. Below is a list of the series which are known to have aired, and the found status of the episodes within these series. This information is also available in an Excel table.
List of Missing Episodes
Note: series highlighted in red are missing all episodes, series highlighted in yellow are missing a majority of their episodes, and series highlighted in white are at least 50% intact.
Year | Series | Original Airdates | Found / Total | Total Episodes | Missing Episode(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Regional Episodes | 22/04/1977 - 02/12/1977 (03/03/1978?) | 0/9 (12?) | 0/9 | Approximately 4 minutes of footage from the very first episode were aired by the BBC in 2011 and 2016. The rest of the regional series is missing in its entirety. |
1978 | 1 | 13/07/1978 - 14/09/1978 | 0/10 | 0/19 | Lost in its entirety. |
1979 | 2 | 01/05/1979 - 03/07/1979 | 0/10 | 0/29 | Small fragments of episodes 1, 2 and 5 remain. No full episodes survive. |
1980 | 3 | 01/04/1980 - 20/05/1980 | 0/6 | 0/35 | A small fragment of episode 6 remains. No full episodes survive. |
4 | 02/09/1980 - 07/10/1980 | 0/6 | 0/41 | Small fragments of episodes 1 and 5 remain. No full episodes survive. | |
1981 | 5 | 21/04/1981 - 09/06/1981 | 0/8 | 0/49 | A small fragment of episode 4 remains. No full episodes survive. |
6 | 03/11/1981 - 15/12/1981 | 1/7 | 1/56 | A small fragment of episode 1 remains. The earliest full episode, covering the 1981 RAC Rally, survives. | |
1982 | 7 | 13/04/1982 - 01/06/1982 | 0/8 | 1/64 | Lost in its entirety. |
8 | 07/09/1982 - 03/11/1982 | 0/7 | 1/71 | Lost in its entirety. | |
1983 | 9 | 29/01/1983 - 19/04/1983 | 2/9 | 3/80 | Earliest full episodes of regular Top Gear found; 5 and 8. Fragments of episodes 4 and 9 also survive. |
10 | 06/09/1983 - 25/10/1983 | 4/8 | 7/88 | Four episodes found; 1, 3, 4, and 7. | |
1984 | 11 | 28/02/1984 - 25/04/1984 | 0/9 | 7/97 | Lost in its entirety. |
12 | 23/10/1984 - 11/12/1984 | 0/7 | 7/104 | Small fragments of episodes 2 and 3 remain. No full episodes survive. | |
1985 | 13 | 05/03/1985 - 30/04/1985 | 0/9 | 7/113 | Lost in its entirety. |
14 | 03/09/1985 - 22/10/1985 | 0/8 | 7/121 | Lost in its entirety. | |
1986 | 15 | 08/04/1986 - 10/06/1986 | 0/10 | 7/131 | Small fragments of episodes 2, 4, 7, 9 and 10 remain. No full episodes survive. |
16 | 09/09/1986 - 20/11/1986 | 3/9 | 10/140 | Episodes 2 and 4 available in full. Episode 9, the 1986 RAC Rally Report, is also available. Incomplete recordings of episodes 1 and 5 have also been found. | |
1987 | 17 | 07/04/1987 - 26/05/1987 | 2/8 | 12/148 | Episodes 3 and 8 available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 5 and 6 have also been found. A small fragment of episode 1 also exists. |
18 | 10/09/1987 - 26/11/1987 | 2/12 | 14/160 | Episodes 10 and 11 available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 3 and 7 have also been found, with small fragments of episodes 5 and 6 also existing. | |
1988 | 19 | 07/04/1988 - 26/05/1988 | 0/8 | 14/168 | Lost in its entirety. |
20 | 22/09/1988 - 17/11/1988 | 1/9 | 15/177 | Episode 1 is available in full. Fragments of episodes 3 through 6 have also been found. | |
1989 | 21 | 21/03/1989 - 09/05/1989 | 3/8 | 18/185 | Episodes 3, 4 and 5 available in full. A small fragment of episode 8 also exists. |
22 | 14/09/1989 - 23/11/1989 | 7/11 | 25/196 | The first 6 episodes, in addition to episode 8 are available in full. The other four episodes are lost in their entirety. | |
1990 | 23 | 27/03/1990 - 15/05/1990 | 7/8 | 32/204 | Almost fully available; 6 minutes of episode 4 was located, the rest is missing. |
24 | 27/09/1990 - 29/11/1990 | 9/10 | 41/214 | Almost fully available; only episode 6 is missing in its entirety. | |
1991 | 25 | 28/02/1991 - 02/05/1991 | 10/10 | 51/224 | Only series to be completely available. The final series with renowned host William Woollard. |
26 | 19/09/1991 - 19/12/1991 | 12/14 | 63/238 | Almost fully available; only the second half of episode 1 and episode 2 in its entirety are missing. Jeremy Clarkson's first series as main host. | |
1992 | 27 | 27/02/1992 - 07/05/1992 | 7/11 | 70/249 | Episodes 2 through 8 are available in full; the remaining four are lost in their entirety. |
28 | 24/09/1992 - 17/12/1992 | 5/13 | 75/262 | Episodes 5, 7, 8, 9 and 13 are available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 6 and 12 also exist, with fragments of episodes 4 and 10 also existing. | |
1993 | 29 | 18/02/1993 - 10/06/1993 | 12/17 | 87/279 | Episodes 1, 4 through 8, 10, 11, 13, and 15 through 17 are available in full. An incomplete recording of episode 9 also exists. |
30 | 09/09/1993 - 30/12/1993 | 8/16 | 95/295 | Episodes 6, 7, 9 through 11 and 13 through 15 are available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 1, 4 and 12 also exist, with fragments of episodes 2, 5, 8 and 16 also existing, leaving only episode 3 to be lost in its entirety. | |
1994 | 31 | 03/03/1994 - 12/05/1994 | 2/11 | 97/306 | Episodes 1 and 7 are available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 6 and 8 also exist, in addition to fragments of 5 and 11. Five episodes are lost in their entirety. |
32 | 22/09/1994 - 22/12/1994 | 5/13 | 102/319 | Episodes 6, 8 through 10 and 12 are available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 1 through 4 also exist, with fragments of episodes 5, 11 and 13 also existing, leaving only episode 7 to be lost in its entirety. | |
1995 | 33 | 16/02/1995 - 11/05/1995 | 3/13 | 105/332 | Episodes 4, 8 and 9 are available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 2, 10 and 13 also exist, in addition to fragments of 7 and 11. Five episodes are lost in their entirety. |
34 | 21/09/1995 - 21/12/1995 | 6/14 | 111/346 | Episodes 5, 6, and 10 through 13 are available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 2, 3 and 9 also exist, with fragments of episodes 4 and 14 also existing. Three episodes are lost in their entirety. | |
1996 | 35 | 15/02/1996 - 16/05/1996 | 7/14 | 118/360 | Episodes 1, 5, 6, 9 through 11 and 14 are available in full. An incomplete recording of episode 13 also exists. A fragment of episode 2 also likewise survives, with the remaining five episodes lost in their entirety. |
36 | 05/09/1996 - 05/12/1996 | 3/14 | 121/374 | Episodes 4, 7 and 13 are available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 5, 8, 9, 11 and 12 also exist. Six episodes are lost in their entirety. | |
1997 | 37 | 02/01/1997 - 15/05/1997 | 12/20 | 133/394 | Episodes 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 through 11 and 16 through 19 are available in full. Incomplete recordings of episodes 5, 12, 14, 15 and 20 also exist. Three episodes are lost in their entirety. |
38 | 04/09/1997 - 18/12/1997 | 10/16 | 143/410 | Episodes 1, 4 through 9, 13, 15 and 16 are available in full. An incomplete recording of episode 14 also exists, with fragments of episodes 11 and 12 also existing. Three episodes are lost in their entirety. | |
1998 | 39 | 19/02/1998 - 14/05/1998 | 12/13 | 155/423 | Almost fully available; only episode 9 is missing in its entirety. |
40 | 10/09/1998 - 17/12/1998 | 12/15 | 167/438 | The final series with Jeremy Clarkson as host until the 2002 reboot. Almost fully available; only episode 13 is missing in its entirety. Incomplete recordings of episodes 8 and 12 form a part of the findings. The segment deleted from the BBC World airing of Episode 5, focusing on the poor safety of the Ford Explorer, was located elsewhere. | |
1999 | 41 | 18/03/1999 - 03/06/1999 | 11/12 | 178/450 | Almost fully available; only episode 7 is missing in its entirety. This series saw the first appearances of James May, who would be off the screen just as quickly as he was on it. |
42 | 09/09/1999 - 09/12/1999 | 9/13 | 187/463 | Episode 9 lost in its entirety. 4:36 of episode 10 discovered in an online torrent. Approx. 9 minutes of episode 11 found online. | |
2000 | 43 | 20/01/2000 - 25/05/2000 | 5/18 | 192/481 | Largely missing; only 5 of the 18 episodes are available whole. Eight episodes are lost in their entirety. |
44 | 07/09/2000 - 14/12/2000 | 5/15 | 197/496 | Largely missing; only 5 of the 15 episodes are available whole. Seven episodes are lost in their entirety. | |
2001 | 45 | 22/02/2001 - 17/12/2001 | 18/36 | 215/532 | Surprisingly intact with 18 complete episodes of the 36 which aired, not including the 2002 special, which was once available online but since been re-lost. Parts of episodes 3, 10, 20, 32, 33 and 34 are missing. Sound for the second half of episode 13 is missing, although one of the affected segments was rediscovered with sound on Dailymotion. Episodes 17, 18, 19, 22, 24, 29, 35 and 36 are missing in their entirety. |
Like much lost media following the abolition of the BBC's tape junking policy in 1978, it is highly unlikely that these episodes are literally lost, a fate which is not shared by Top Gear's predecessor Wheelbase. However, due to the nature of the shows - which feature long-outdated consumer advice and copyrighted footage from many different rights holders, as well as the sheer volume of the series, it is highly unlikely that they will ever be given a home video release, especially when one considers that most episodes have not been seen for 20 years or longer. The episodes were rarely re-aired, and the final sighting was a lone airing of Take 2, an abridged compilation series, in 2008 on BBC Four, which was recorded and put online.