Returning: Top Gear

By David Knox on February 2, 2010 / Filed Under Programming 31

Nine has announced its premiere slot for Top Gear, the show it detoured away from SBS.

It will begin at 7:30pm Tuesday February 16th.

Nine begins the show with the first episode from Series 14, which aired in the UK in November. Eric Bana is special guest on the show.

It will be followed with a Top Gear: Olympic Winter Games special, from February 2006, which was aired on SBS over summer. But it will lead in nicely to the network’s own Olympics highlights package at 9:30pm.

Hammond and May take an Aston Martin DBS Volante, a Ferrari California and a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder to Romania in search of “the greatest road in the world.” James makes a rare appearance on the race track to compare two absurdly powerful limos; Jeremy and Richard settle the thorny issue of which company has made the greatest number of truly brilliant cars; and Richard invents the brand new sport of airport vehicle racing.

31 Comments »

  1. Andrew February 4, 2010 at 2:25 pm -

    Watched Top Gear on BBC Knowledge last night with very few ads. They may be older shows but is entirely watchable just like previously SBS with the new shows. We’ll see how this stacks against Nine’s presentation style.

  2. franz chong February 3, 2010 at 10:45 pm -

    only one problem if put between two and a half men and the footy show.where does that leave those of us who watch Getaway and the Crime Shows or whatever it is that follows

  3. stiggie February 3, 2010 at 10:41 pm -

    Seven must be running scared. They’ve sicked TodayTonight on Topgear with a story about how the show turns innocent young drivers into crazed hoons.

    Could TodayTonight really be any more pathetic?

  4. John February 3, 2010 at 9:35 pm -

    Looking forward to seeing how creatively Nine can manage to destroy the value in this show

  5. The Strikester February 3, 2010 at 4:22 pm -

    I hope it sticks to Nine – I can’t get SBS digital! :-|

  6. Macca February 3, 2010 at 1:53 pm -

    Meh, I won’t be watching it on Nine. I just know they’re going to saturate it with ads which will remove any viewing pleasure so I just won’t bother. After watching it on SBS for years I’ve seen all the old episodes anyway. And the new eps I’ll see thru a different source…

  7. Louise February 3, 2010 at 1:52 pm -

    I’m sorry – but Top Gear is a far to intelligent show for screening on Channel Nine – and yes I have seen the show, and yes I do know it’s not exactly highbrow, but considering the contrivied piles of horse hockey that Nine usually serves up with the inane programming – TG just doesn’t fit.

  8. Leon February 3, 2010 at 1:09 pm -

    am or pm David.. all you got is ‘m’ hehe

  9. Deane February 3, 2010 at 12:30 pm -

    Why would anyone think that SBS would take the show back should Channel 9 dump it? If I’m not mistaken there’s questions as to how much of a future the show has anyway, given the way the last couple of seasons have gone.

  10. Craig February 3, 2010 at 11:57 am -

    Thing is with TG is for all the promoting they only have 7 new eps, not much to build a season on so be prepared for loads of re-runs, not that’s a bad thing. I watch them on BBC Knowledge all the time!

    And like I said before Nine will get an international version of the show, already edited by the BBC so expect it to be 45-50 mins long and to run over time. This is the same for all markets outside the UK, even BBC Knowledge gets the cut down versions.

    Sorry for the repeat but no one seems to listen and will blame ch9 where as on this occasion they are not to blame and no amount of complaining will change things. If you want to see the show in full fly to the UK.

  11. Edu February 3, 2010 at 9:04 am -

    Good timeslot, hopefully when regular schedule begins i.e. after Winter Olympics, that this will be followed by Survivors’ Heroes vs Villains or maybe V.

  12. Kuttsywood February 3, 2010 at 12:36 am -

    So, when’s the live Top Gear arena show scheduled to swan into Sydney?

    If it is mid February, I reckon Nine is going to get stuff done with the team then.

  13. Craig February 3, 2010 at 12:03 am -

    Fare enough David but given the Olympics is from 9:30pm week nights it’s a safe bet that it could be normal programing before then. Time will tell I guess.

  14. David Knox February 2, 2010 at 11:24 pm -

    Craig, mate… I post what I get… it means Ep 1 Feb 16 and right now that’s all it means….

  15. Craig February 2, 2010 at 11:10 pm -

    It’s good to see they have an air date now…

    @newtaste – Nine doesn’t have a choice, international networks get a cut down version from the BBC.

    So does this mean ep 2 is the week after or not until after the Olympics is over?

  16. newtaste February 2, 2010 at 10:12 pm -

    I think if Nine were smart they would run the original 1 hour version of Top Gear over 90mins. Meaning they would not have to cut out anything, but can still fit in all the ads.

  17. Akunak Cakap February 2, 2010 at 9:07 pm -

    Jezza, I’m with you. This will of course have heaps cut out to make way for the ad breaks.

  18. Justin February 2, 2010 at 8:42 pm -

    I expect Survivor to either air tuesdays 9:30 or wednesday 9:30 :)

  19. Tess1988 February 2, 2010 at 8:27 pm -

    I hope it does well for nine, its good to see it at 7:30pm timeslots and if it doesn’t do well nine, please keep it on for atleast 1 season and then move the next new season over to go!, also even so I don’t watch survivor its doing well for nine at the current timeslot so maybe nine should start to show it after top gear, also kitchen nightmears usa is on tonight at 10:20 so I hope nine continues with that as well

  20. Stan February 2, 2010 at 8:15 pm -

    If they waited a little bit to put it between Two & A Half Men & The Footy Show on Thursday nights then Nine could’ve called their line-up ‘Our New Bogan Night In.’

    I hope Top Gear stays on Nine!

  21. Nick February 2, 2010 at 7:48 pm -

    Sorry, I just saw 7:30. I thought it was 8:30! This may work!

  22. Nick February 2, 2010 at 7:46 pm -

    Dear Nine. Repeat after me.

    I will not freak when this show is belted by NCIS and Grey’s Anatomy.

    I will not dump it after two weeks.

    I will not replace it with Two and half men.

    I will have patience. I realise this show has a ‘loyal’ audience, which Nine hasn’t had since…well…Hendo left.

    And I will give it back to SBS if I disobey any of these rules, and we all go back to the way it was…

  23. Woody February 2, 2010 at 7:36 pm -

    Advertising will be a major sticking point for me viewing this show on Ch. 9. You can almost bet it’ll be saturated with ads given it’s potential popularity. I have to be honest, I really hope the show fails on 9 so we can go back to watching it on SBS.

  24. Ed February 2, 2010 at 7:28 pm -

    Not good that its only an hour timeslot, it means a lot will have to be cut out.

  25. vinny February 2, 2010 at 7:17 pm -

    Do you think thgis will help Nine to win Tuesday’s which it traditionally has been losing ?

  26. AA February 2, 2010 at 7:10 pm -

    I’m a fan of Top Gear-thanks to Nine for having series 14 in a nice timeslot.

  27. jezza February 2, 2010 at 6:59 pm -

    The sooner this flops and goes back to sbs the better.

  28. Stephen H February 2, 2010 at 6:58 pm -

    Whens Survivour going to be on then? if Top Gear airs in this timeslot.

  29. Dave February 2, 2010 at 6:58 pm -

    Booo!

    This is Surivor’s timeslot and Nine should be fast-tracking Heroes V Villians.

  30. Trent February 2, 2010 at 6:56 pm -

    Thought it might go on this night and it’s probably best that they do put the show on now when Packed to the Rafters is off. Nine should probably go with the fact that nothing can take down Packed to the Rafters, so it’s best to top the game as much as you can when the show is not on.

  31. Andrew February 2, 2010 at 6:37 pm -

    Depends on how many ad breaks there is. Fans of Top Gear will be hoping there isn’t too many after leaving SBS. BBC knowledge also screens the programme but not of the same episode.

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