Has Top Gear become irrelevant TV for motoring fans?
9th January 2012
There was a time when watching Top Gear was the way petrol-heads kept up to speed on the latest developments in the automotive world. However, as the car industry continues to change, has this pivotal programme lost its significance?
According to a recent report in The Guardian, ratings for the latest series are down with even the programme’s producer, Andy Wilman, confessing that he will be glad to see the end of it.
However, the vast amount of criticism for the show has been directed at the scripting and presenters rather than being necessarily focused on the content which it provides for motorists.
Predictability and a lack of innocence are said to be the main causes for complaint with the current show, leaving car enthusiasts less than satisfied with the BBCs latest efforts.
However, with the car industry and the nature of cars continuing to change, are there deeper problems with the current Top Gear format and focus?
Featuring a number of expensive so-called “supercars” in the show, the programme could now be seen to be somewhat dated, offering information that is no longer relevant to motoring fans.
With the automotive industry currently focusing on environmental and economic benefits as their prime concern, programmes about three middle-aged men and racing is perhaps not the most relevant viewing for consumers – although is still largely enjoyable.
In fact, nowadays the more ‘boring’ aspects of car ownership are likely to be considered more important by consumers, all of whom are eager to find ways to save money.
Yet, despite the fall in ratings, the show still remains popular with a fairly large audience – regularly attracting more than five million viewers.
This figure is said to be particularly high for a BBC2 show and demonstrates how, despite current speculation, the show continues to have some sway with audiences.
Whether current viewers are tuning in purely for the entertainment or for car-based information is uncertain, but the future of the show is likely to be largely dependent on its ability to retain significance in an industry that is continually under development.
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