BBC2 was founded in 1964 as part of the BBC conglomerate which owns various media companies. BBC2's target audience is 35-54 year olds and it has over 20,000 employees. Top Gear is a BBC TV show about cars that was revamped in 2002, it is written and presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. It attracts a global audience of over 350 million viewers and has received several awards for being a popular factual program.

1. BBC
BBC2 was founded on 20th April 1964, as
part of the BBC conglomerate (a company
that owns lots of companies in media such
as TV, radio, publishing , film and the
internet)
The BBC conglomerate had 20,736
employees in 2013/14
BBC 2’s channel remit is for 35-54 year
olds, which leaves a very diverse range of
lifestyles and interests
The BBC conglomerate includes BBC
iplayer, BBC News, BBC America, BBC
Trust, BBC Radio Stations and Television
programme magazines (e.g. Top Gear)
OFCOM
-Protection of under 18s
-Harm and offence
-Avoidance of inciting crime/
violence
-Privacy
-Fairness
-Responsible approaches to religious
content
-Prohibition of use of images of
very brief duration
INDUSTRY

2. Produced: started in 1997
but in 2002 it was revamped
and a different structure was
set out by Jeremy Clarkson
and producer Andy Willman.
Written: by the presenters
along with script editor
Richard Porter
Directed: by Brian Klein.
Main demographic: 18-35 males,
secondary audience: 35-54 males,
third audience: 7-11 kids BUT 40%
of the audience are female.
Episodes: 60 mins long, originally
they were only half an hour long.
1977-2001: 45 seasons & 524
episodes.
2002-2015: 22 seasons & 176
episodes.
GENERAL TOP GEAR

3. Star in a reasonably priced car
Interview with guests
Review/ test drive new cars
Complete challenges given in a gold
envelope (sometimes abroad)
Something goes wrong
‘And on that bombshell…’
Fast cars/ action/ humour/ everyday
cars
Clips of the Stig
Estimated Global audience of 350
million
3 million YouTube subscribers
More than 100 complaints to
OFCOM about replacing with ‘Red
Arrows’
THE SHOW ITSELF

4. 13 issues of Top Gear magazine each
year.
Holds a Guinness World Record for
most watched factual programme in
the world.
Over 19 million Facebook fans.
Over 1.5 million visitors to Top Gear
Live.
Website has been viewed over 36.8
million times.
Awards:
National TV Award: Most popular
factual programme (06, 07, 08, 10, 11)
TV Quick Award: Best lifestyle show
(08, 09)
BAFTA: Best feature (05)
TV & Radio industry club award, best
TV entertainment programme (08, 09,
11)
FACTS/STATISTICS

5. Middle aged men, grumpy, bit racist/sexist
Midlife Crisis
Captain Slow
Small man syndrome
Women cannot drive well or fast
Americans cannot drive or produce quality cars
STEREOTYPES

6. Ethnicities other than white are only represented through guests or audience
members.
Females only represented when a female guest is on, but always seem to have
an attractive woman in framing of presenters.
Sub cultures only represented when travel abroad and use garages/ speak to
locals.
REPRESENTATIONS

7. Both genders are represented but the male one is stronger.
Challenges and reinforces stereotypes about the differences between men and
women's driving.
Margot Robbie beat Will Smith by 1/10 of a second, Tom Cruise beat
Cameron Diaz by 1 second.
Different types of men and women, old, young, fat, thin, academic, sporty,
ugly, pretty.
GENDER ON TOP GEAR

8. Sportswomen
Sabine Schmitz (racing driver)
Amy Williams (Skeleton Racer)
Divina Galica (Downhill Skier)
Celebrity Guests
Cameron Diaz
Rachel Riley
Geri Halliwell
Carol Vorderman
Fiona Bruce
Davina McCall
Billie Piper
Fastest women round the track.
Amy MacDonald
1:44.4 (Kia Cee’d)
Susan Boyle
1:45.3 (Vauxhall Astra)
Jennifer Saunders
1:46.1 (Chevrolet Lacetti)
Dame Edna MacArther
1:46.7 (Suzuki Liana)
WOMEN ON TOP GEAR

9. Richard Hammond: adventurous, boyish, most dangerous
(motorcycles).
BUT small, thin, more emotional, childlike, babied by others
James May: old, intelligent, interested in trains and the
countryside.
BUT sensible, practical, sympathetic, quiet.
Jeremy Clarkson: Childish, leader, pompous, power hungry,
excitable.
BUT caring father, politically inclined, sexist, racist.
MEN ON TOP GEAR

10. Petition to bring him back has over 1 million signatures.
Punched producer Oisin Tyman as the pub they were in after shooting
had stopped serving hot food.
Received a warning over alleged racist comments (in a nursery rhyme
video and in a special edition of Top Gear set in Thailand)
Reference to the Falkland's war in one of the licence plate.
(Richard Hammond has also been accused of making offensive
comments about Mexicans calling them ‘feckless’ and ‘flatulent’)
JEREMY CLARKSON’S
SUSPENSION