Top Gear (2016)

Top Gear is a British motoring magazine factual television series conceived by Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman, launched on October 20, 2002 and broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two. The program is a relaunched version of the original 1977 show of the same name, which looked at various motor vehicles, primarily cars.

Following the BBC's decision to not renew Clarkson's contract on March 25, 2015 after he punched a producer during an argument over a hot meal, his dismissal from Top Gear prompted the departures of Wilman, Richard Hammond and James May from the program, and led to them joining Clarkson in forming a new motoring series, mh:besttvshows:The Grand Tour. For the twenty-third season, the program was presented by Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, with them joined by four co-presenters who would make occasional appearances during its run - Rory Reid, Sabine Schmitz, Chris Harris and Eddie Jordan.

Why It’s Bottom Gear

 * 1) No chemistry between the hosts.
 * 2) Chris Evans was a terrible host, and he didn't exactly endear himself to viewers by making a jab at Jeremy Clarkson in the first episode.
 * 3) The one-two combination of production delays and scheduling conflicts led to the premiere date being pushed back, and led to the year having six episodes aired instead of the proposed sixteen, divided over two series.
 * 4) It alienated fans of the original series.
 * 5) Unlike the earlier seasons, this year of Top Gear was a bit shorter, only having six episodes. (justified due to it being broadcast alongside the UEFA Euro 2016 football tournament and the production delays).
 * 6) Worst of all, the show's ratings dropped substantially during Evans' brief tenure as host. Furthermore, it also ended up wrecking Evans' career as a radio host and TV presenter.

Redeeming Qualities

 * 1) There were some good hosts on the show, such as Chris Harris, Rory Reid, the late Sabine Schmitz and especially Matt LeBlanc.
 * 2) Unlike the Jeremy Clarkson-era Top Gear, the new show hasn't stirred too much controversy.
 * 3) The next season saw the resignation of Evans and the show being improved.
 * 4) The Stig is still in the show and he's as awesome as ever.

Reception
Compared to the previous years of Top Gear, the 23rd series was met with negative reviews from fans and critics alike, and the ratings for the show declined, with the first episode of the series pulling in the lowest ratings since its launch in 2002.

Many people blamed Chris Evans for the decline of Top Gear, but they praised some of the new hosts, such as Chris Harris and Matt LeBlanc, who would be kept as the program's hosts for the next few years, while Chris Evans was removed as host following his only season.