Top Gear's Viewing Figures Are Consistent, But Still Way Off The Clarkson Era

Episode two of the latest Top Gear series didn't suffer the same huge drop in ratings as the second instalment of the Chris Evans-fronted series 23, but the figures are fair way off what Clarkson and co used to pull

Matt Robinson

14 Mar 2017

With an average of 2.7 million people tuning it to watch last Sunday’s Top Gear, it was both good and bad news for the revamped show.

First the bad: that’s around the same as the second episode of last series. So it hasn’t improved on the messy, Chris Evans-fronted series 23, and its 11 per cent audience share pales in comparison to the big winner of the night, Call The Midwife.

The period drama - which Jeremy Clarkson used to poke fun at due to previous ‘clashes’ with Top Gear’s Sunday night slot - accounted for 36 per cent, pulling in close to nine million viewers. To make matters worse, TG’s 2.7 million is still a long way off the kind of figures Clarkson, Hammond and May used to manage - the trio’s last series at the helm regularly saw over six million watching.

The good news? The modest figures are holding steady. During series 23, the ratings dramatically fell from 4.4 million to 2.8 million from the first to second episode, before falling even further.

It’s perhaps a sign that viewers are liking what they see this time around. We’re certainly fond of the new look show, and hopefully in time it’ll find its feet after this solid start. Top Gear is arguably more about cars than it has been in a while, so it’s something we’re keen to see stay on air.

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

I enjoyed both episodes. As soon as the presenters get more comfortable with presenting the show and not sounding as scripted, views will probably come soon enough

Thing is, Clarkson and co has established themselves in Top Gear for over 20 years. These three are still relatively new faces to the segment. Not that they have never reviewed cars, they have, but not on a large scale.

Think of it as Porsche and the 911. Previously, non-Turbo 911s are naturally aspirated, and people loved it. It was until the 991.2 Carrera came out when the entire 911 range becomes (twin) turbocharged. So for many, it’s not something easy to accept. Not that Porsche has never done turbocharged cars, it’s just that it has never been brought to a larger scale.

However, as time goes by, changes happen. Whether we like it or not, we will have to accept it. I’m pretty sure as time goes by, the new Top Gear will have a much larger audience than it does now. For now, all I can say is good luck to Top Gear!

Those that are ragging on it should go back and watch season 1 of old new Top Gear. And season 2 when James May joined. They were not good, kinda hard to watch. It was still old Top Gear with some bits added.

Season 3 wasn’t great either. It wasn’t until season 4 it got good and 5 was the first consistently excellent series.

I think of the new top gear not as Top gear but as another car show, and in that sense its fairly decent to be honest.

Season 3 wasn’t great either. It wasn’t until season 4 it got good and 5 was the first consistently excellent series.

It’s not hard to see why that is. The franchise took such major damage from the Evans disaster it will need some time to recover.

A lot of fans were disillusioned with the first series. There’s no turning that deficit around in just two episodes, no matter how good they are. All they need is time.

three year probaldy that why Grand Tour works for me, as a one off five years car show why not i like the tent idea different country it a slight reinvention of the wheel tht car shows needed.

that why i adviced Clarkson do 5 years, then move full time behind drivetribe and have fun doing both if the legends stay the BBC will back Top Gear despite poor ratings.

top gear season 24 opener, got a 3.77 million overnight and timeshift rating down from 6.42 uder evans that a drop off over 2.5 million.

we see if the rating hold over 7 weeks, as it a long time as it been announced as a flop in rating term by broadcast now feel for evans not that bad a bloke actually.

with Grand Tour been announced by GTK Tracking, as the UK highest rated online streaming show with a 2.3 million overnight climbing to 3.8 million bingewatch Top Gear has split in half.

that Grand Tour rating meants Amazon, beat Virgin Media, Sky Alantic. Now Tv, Freeview, BT and also BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 I player ratings big hit Grand tour so laying russian roulettte with TG rating is bad as it offically a rating flop.

I will agree with Matt on one point, the overall quality off the show ha improved but not enough to convince the UK public yet as season 23 done a lot of damage matt.

I reckon AI score is closer to BBC 2 network standard, off 82 per cent but below Grand Tour ai off 95 per cent from Rotten Tomatoes add an IDMB hit of 9.0 and round one goes to Grand Tour.

if you want a battle off the car shows, then Top Gear needs a hit and according to Evans that 5 million overnight for me that a good benchmark to aim stable in 2017 need a hit in 2018.to catch the legend.

in battle of the car shows Grand Tour 1 Top Gear 0 that because GT got a hit sstatus here in the Uk and Top Gear does not need to pull up it socks TG in my view.

agreed Evans knocked the stuffing out of TG fans, they made a decision some will watch Grand Tour others Top Gear that split will heal the day Clarkson retires.

I hope he agreed to the rumour, that Amazon bosses want a 5 years 60 show run from the three amigo my view if you fit and healthy do it your a long time retired.

I really liked season 24

You are in a minority of 1!

simple. these guys still havent getting along which resulted in appearing the true chemistry and character. Grand tour trio has very distingushable character, clarkson the oldest, like first son of family, like bullying his younger brother. May the mid child, genius, nerdy, calm. Hammond the little one, always bullied by others, willing to prove that he is the best among them, always competitive