Top Gear (series 21)
| Top Gear (series 21) | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster
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| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Original release | 2 February – 16 March 2014 |
| Series chronology | |
The twenty-first series of Top Gear aired during 2014 on BBC Two and BBC Two HD and consisted of 5 episodes, beginning on 2 February and concluding on 2 March. The series was subsequently followed by a two part special entitled "Burma Special", with the first part aired on 9 March a week after the series concluded, and the second part on 16 March. Confirmation that filming of Series 21 was made on 16 September 2013 via a tweet made on Jeremy Clarkson's Twitter account, which confirmed the two part special was being filmed on 20 October later that year. A teaser trailer for the new series was released was released on the BBC's YouTube channel, and across BBC channels on 17 January 2014.
The trio continue heading onwards to the River Kwai after finally refuelling and getting Hammond back after an accident with a horse. In the second part of their journey, the trio enter the Shan State, a region with no modern amenities or hospitals, but just beautiful surroundings, where they are invited to a party by the two factions that have fought a civil war in the region and enjoy local delicacies and drinks, and dancing. After the party, the trio continue their journey for Burma's border with Thailand, dealing with steep, winding roads, before finally crossing into Thailand and making their way to what they think is the River Kwai (but which they later discover is the River Kok). Finally at their end point, the trio discover they must cross the river, so set to work building a sturdy bridge with some extra vehicles and hands being brought in, before attempting to cross it with their lorries to fully end their trip.
In the second part of the Burma Special, a scene showing the presenters looking over their completed bridge over the Kok River, featured a moment in which a native of the area is crossing the bridge as Jeremy Clarkson says to Richard Hammond about their finished work - "That is a proud moment, but there's a slope on it." Following the broadcast of the second part, complaints of racism arose in regards to the comment, primarily citing that "slope" was a derogatory term for an Asian, leading to Top Gear and Andy Wilman, the show's executive producer, apologising for any offence caused by it in late April 2014, while subsequently cutting the scene from future repeats of the special. In a statement by Wilman to the media, the executive producer said:
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