‘Top Gear’ Relocates To Television Centre For 30th Season, Coming Soon To BBC One
‘Top Gear‘ is set to look a little different when it returns for its 30th Season “soon” on BBC One, as Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness move to west London’s world-renowned Television Centre to record the series.
The popular motoring show is usually filmed with a live audience at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. However, coronavirus would have a field day amongst a group of people packed in a studio, so that forced the ‘Top Gear’ team to come up with a temporary alternative solution.
“Once it was confirmed that we couldn’t have a studio audience, Alex Renton and I knew we needed a big rethink,” commented Clare Pizey, Top Gear’s co-Executive Producer. “A drive-in with no cars just doesn’t work. An empty hangar at Dunsfold would give us zero atmosphere – and in any case, Top Gear needs a sense of scale. So we are really pleased with the Television Centre solution. It’s iconic. It looks beautiful. The production team and local residents give it atmosphere. And it’s also, pretty much, working from home!”
Television Centre was the headquarters of the BBC up until 2013, when they sold the complex, although it does still contain some studios, along with residential apartments, offices and restaurants. Filming for the season took place over two nights in the forecourt centred around the towering Helios statue, and surrounded by a multi-million-pound ring of over 20 colourful supercars including the Porsche Taycan 4S, three Aston Martins, a Bentley Continental GT V8 Coupe and a Mustang Mach-E. The now-familiar backdrop of the cars (Mini, Ford Escort and Porsche Boxster) the trio drove across Ethiopia in their first adventure together in June 2019 were placed behind the presenters.
Highlights of the trio’s upcoming fourth series together range from a sparks-flying Titanium-shoed challenge that sees the hosts being dragged at high speeds along a Scottish runway by The Stig, to a nostalgic and emotional drive down memory lane in their Dads’ cars.
‘Top Gear‘ Season 30 is set to arrive on BBC One “soon” in 2021.
