Added on February 23, 2016  The News Wheel   , , , , ,
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Sneak Peek of New Top Gear Given to BBC Advertisers

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New Top Gear Hosts in Liverpool

Pictured (left to right): Rory Reid, Chris Evans (not that one), The Stig, Matt LeBalnc, Sabine Schmitz, and Chris Harris

It’s no secret that the new hosts of BBC’s Top Gear program have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. After Jeremy Clarkson’s firing in May of last year led to the swift departure of his two co-hosts, Richard Hammond and James May, the BBC team was left looking for replacements for the storied franchise. What they came up with was a list of six presenters (and the ever-present Stig), led by TV personality Chris Evans (not that one) and dubbed the Magnificent Seven. The new squad is ready to hit the track and show off the best the automotive world has to offer.

jeremy clarkson

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While car enthusiasts are divided in their devotion to Top Gear, with some leaving the program’s fanbase to follow May, Hammond, and Clarkson to Amazon Video, the BBC seems excited for the show’s next chapter. The network’s next task is to convince companies paying for the ads supporting the show’s budget that they should hop on the bandwagon and be excited, too.

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To help build anticipation for the May 8th premiere of the new season in the UK, the BBC invited the new Top Gear team to its programming showcase in Liverpool. Media buyers in attendance were shown a short teaser for the show (only about a minute and forty seconds long) and introduced to all of the hosts except Eddie Jordan, who had a commitment in South Africa.

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We’re impressed that video of the sneak peek hasn’t made its way to YouTube yet, but The Guardian described it in detail for us. According to the British newspaper, clips were shown of the team racing cars against fighter jets in Nevada and Evans riding along with F1 driver Jenson Button. The introduction also touched on an incident that has become infamous online, where Evans stops a trip around the track with co-host Sabine Schmitz to be sick.

According to The Guardian, the assembled media buyers were impressed with what they saw. Hopefully a trailer will be released to the public as the May 8th draws nearer.

News Source: The Guardian