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''Top Gear'' began life in 1977 as a half-hour motoring show on the BBC in the United Kingdom. The original format ran for 24 years and was then transformed into a revamped format starting in 2002 mainly built around the everyman persona of Jeremy Clarkson. The programme generated a number of spin-offs over the years. As well as selling to many countries in its own right it spawned domestic versions in places such as the USA and Australia. ==History== 1977 The original ''Top Gear'' started as a monthly television series produced by BBC Midlands, based at the Pebble Mill Studios, Birmingham and ran in its original format until 2001. The 30-minute programmes had a magazine format and were transmitted at first to viewers in the Midlands region only. ''Top Gear'' and its title were conceived by executive producer Derek Smith. The programme covered motoring-related issues such as new car road tests, fuel economy, safety, the police, speeding, insurance, second-hand cars and holiday touring. The first programme was broadcast on 22 April 1977, on BBC 1 Midlands at 10:15pm.〔Birmingham Post 5 April. 1977.〕 It was presented by Angela Rippon and Tom Coyne, who was front man of the local evening news programme, ''Midlands Today''. In the first edition, Angela Rippon drove from Shepherd's Bush in London, to the Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham, reporting on driving conditions en route. Other items covered in the first programme were speed traps, fuel economy, strange new road signs and an interview with the transport minister. There were nine programmes in that initial series.〔 1978 The BBC network took ''Top Gear''〔''21 Years of Top Gear'', presented by Kate Humble, BBC Two 2000〕 and it became a weekly 30-minute BBC2 programme on 13 July 1978. Derek Smith remained as executive producer, as did Angela Rippon as presenter along with co-presenter Barrie Gill. In the first network series, seven of the ten programmes were sub-titled ''Rippon On The Road'', featuring items such as holiday driving, police driver training, the MOT test and a search for a female rally driver. Other items in that series covered drink driving, traffic jams, rust and corrosion, tachographs in lorries, the Le Mans 24 Hour race and the Motor Show. 1979 For the second network series, again of ten programmes, Angela Rippon continued as main presenter. Reporters included Mike Dornan, Judith Jackson and Barrie Gill. Subjects covered included child car safety, tyres, CB radio, weighing lorries and junior grass track racing. Each week Noel Edmonds tested new cars, while Alec Jones, chief instructor of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) set a driving problem. In one of the programmes, Noel Edmonds drove his Ford GT40 car round Silverstone. 1980 onwards In 1980, Noel Edmonds took over from Angela Rippon as presenter for two series. From 1980 on, a variety of reporters were regularly used in addition to the three main co-presenters Sue Baker, Frank Page, and Chris Goffey. Other reporters included Gill Pyrah and Julia Bradbury. In 1981 William Woollard , formerly of BBC1's science show Tomorrow's World became the programme's main presenter. Phil Franklin and Brian Strachan joined the production team at this time. The ''Top Gear'' team was also responsible for a number of other special programmes including coverage of the bi-annual British Motor Show, London Motorfair, and the Lombard RAC Rally. Its coverage of rallying was the only sport not controlled by BBC Sport in London for many years. There continued to be two series a year through the 1980s of between seven and nine programmes each. In 1986, after Phil Franklin and executive producer Dennis Adams left the programme Tom Ross took over. Sadly Brian Strachan died that year while preparing for the 1986 Lombard RAC Rally. In the five years Tom Ross ran the programme first as executive producer and then as editor〔(【引用サイトリンク】title='Was Jeremy Clarkson trouble from the start? He sure was' )〕 Jon Bentley (more recently a presenter on the Channel 5 technology show ''The Gadget Show'') and Ken Pollock became the show's producers. From 1986-1991, faced with repeated threats from various BBC Channel Controllers to cancel the programme, Top Gear embarked on subtle changes designed to raise its profile, increase its audience and cover a much wider range of motoring topics. In this period many new presenters were added including former Formula One driver Tiff Needell, Tom Boswell and rallying's Tony Mason . In late 1988 a young ''Performance Car Magazine'' journalist, Jeremy Clarkson, was introduced.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Jeremy Clarkson )〕 ''Top Gear'' Rally Report followed the Lombard RAC Rally each November presented by William Woollard with Sue Baker, Barrie Gill, Steve Lee, Alan Douglas and Tony Mason. Between 1988 and 1991, the programme organised a Rally Quest competition each year in conjunction with Radio Times to find a new rally driver with the prize being entry into that year's RAC Rally.〔 Despite enduring criticism that it was overly macho, encouraged irresponsible driving behaviour and ignored the environment, the show pulled in huge audiences regularly becoming BBC2's most viewed programme with audiences over 5 million from 1988. New features introduced in these years were consumer issues, classic cars, motorbikes and a wide range of motorsport. It became hugely influential with motor manufacturers, since a critical word from the ''Top Gear'' team could have a severe negative effect on sales. One such example is the original Vauxhall Vectra, of which Clarkson said, "I know it's the replacement for the Cavalier. I know. But I'm telling you it's just a box on wheels." However, even more critical statements have not affected sales of the Toyota Corolla and extreme praise did not help the Renault Alpine GTA/A610. At the end of the spring 1991 season, the editor Tom Ross and the main presenter William Woollard left the show. The autumn 1991 season saw Quentin Willson, a former used car dealer, join the team. The 1990s also saw the addition of a new female presenter, Michele Newman, who appeared on ITV's ''Pulling Power''. Other presenters of the era included Steve Berry, whose speciality was motorbikes, Janet Trewin, who typically presented hard hitting safety and consumer affairs pieces, and racing driver Vicki Butler-Henderson, who made a one-off appearance in 1994, and started presenting the show full-time from 1997. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Top Gear (1977 TV series)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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