Top Gear (1977 TV series)

Top Gear
1993–1999 title screen
Presented by	Tom Coyne Angela Rippon Barrie Gill Mike Dornan Noel Edmonds Gill Pyrah Peter Macann Marian Foster Sue Baker Stewart Woodcock William Woollard Chris Goffey Tom Boswell Bob Friend Malcolm Wilson Tony Mason Tiff Needell Jeremy Clarkson Jon Bentley David Llewellin Michael Collie Quentin Willson Michele Newman Stephen Lee Steve Berry Andy Wilman Russell Bulgin Stephen Bayley Vicki Butler-Henderson Stirling Moss Julia Bradbury Brendan Coogan James May Kate Humble Adrian Simpson Jason Barlow
Opening theme	"Jessica" – The Allman Brothers Band
Ending theme	"Out of the Blue" (from Blue Moves) – Elton John
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	45
No. of episodes	515 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Derek Smith Phil Franklin Brian Strachan Dennis Adams Ken Pollock Jon Bentley Tom Ross
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC2
Picture format	PAL 4:3 (1977-1998) 720×576 anamorphic 16:9 (1998–2001)
First shown in	BBC West Midlands
Original release	22 April 1977 (1977-04-22) – 17 December 2001 (2001-12-17)
Chronology
Preceded by	Wheelbase
Followed by	Top Gear (2002)
Related shows	Top Gear Motorsport The Car's The Star

Top Gear began life in April 1977, as a half hour motoring programme on the BBC in the United Kingdom. The original format ran for twenty four years up to December 2001. A revamped format of the show began nearly one year later, in October 2002.

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 the end of 2001. The thirty 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. 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.

The BBC network took Top Gear and it became a weekly thirty 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.