Elsewhere, Evans is to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tom Cruise film Top Gun by driving a 645bhp Dodge Viper ACR in a race against co-host Schmitz’s Chevy Corvette Z06.
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They are also among the lowest for a series opener in years, and nearly half the 8.4 million Top Gear attracted at its peak for an appearance by F1 driver Lewis Hamilton in 2007.
The makers of BBC ‘s Top Gear may not have had the reaction they were hoping for to the show’s first episode since the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. The BBC also highlighted that Top Gear was the “biggest show at 8pm”.
Reviewers zeroed in on the BBC’s decision not to introduce major changes to the show format. FACT”, he added. “Won it’s slot. FACT. Still number one on iPlayer.
The opening episode featuring the new team was watched by only 4.37 million Britons, around 300,000 fewer than tuned in for the previous season opener with Clarkson, Hammond and May. “FACT. These are THE FACTS folks”, the television personality wrote Monday.
Top Gear is believed to be worth a lot of money in global sales to the BBC, so the corporation is likely to do whatever it takes to keep the brand on track.
During the debut episode of the revamped show, Evans and LeBlanc drove Reliant three-wheelers from London to Blackpool. “Chris made a rod for his own back by publicly predicting he would get five million viewers”.
But how much of a threat will be Clarkson and co’s new Amazon venture The Grand Tour, which launches this year?
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Like every genius Twitter philosopher is pointing out, the Top Gear helmed by Jeremy Clarkson wasn’t so great when it first debuted.
