“Top Gear” will rev anew in the United States.
The fan-favorite series for driving enthusiasts will find a new home at MotorTrend Group, the Discovery-owned unit that caters to automotive enthusiasts. MotorTrend and BBC Studios have struck a new multi-year deal that calls for the two parties to produce a new U.S. format of “Top Gear America” and to make the collection of classic “Top Gear” episodes available via the MotorTrend app.
“We’re thrilled to embrace one of our favorite shows and give audiences unprecedented access to hundreds of hours of ‘Top Gear UK,’ while also adding some uniquely MotorTrend touches to the franchise,” said Alex Wellen, global president and general manager of MotorTrend Group, in a prepared statement. “’Top Gear’s’ brand, stories, and personalities are a natural fit for MotorTrend as we continue our mission to embrace, entertain and empower the motoring world.”
BBC America remains the co-producer and first-window U.S. home of Top Gear UK, which has two seasons coming up in 2019.
The entire available ‘Top Gear UK’ catalog, seasons 2 through 25, will debut on the MotorTrend App, MotorTrend Group’s SVOD service, in the U.S. and Canada beginning Tuesday, June 4. To call attention to the new pact, MotorTrend will debuting several ‘Top Gear UK’ library episodes on MotorTrend TV in the U.S. on Saturday, June 1, Sunday, June 2 and Monday, June 3 during primetime.
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The new ‘Top Gear America’ is slated to begin production early this summer and make its premiere on the MotorTrend App this Fall. This digital-first series will deliver a fresh, uniquely American take on the classic ‘Top Gear’ format, following a brand-new trio of hosts.
The long running series features hosts traveling to locations around the world, performing stunts and challenges to see what varioius cars can do. Celebrities including Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz and Will Smith have all appeared on the show. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May hosted ‘Top Gear’ for more than a decade before giving way to a new crew in 2016, including actor Matt LeBlanc and automotive journalists Chris Harris and Rory Reid.