What is Top Gear?

Recently, I've been thinking about Top Gear. Why that is, I'm not sure, except that the TV is proving harder to tune in recently, and it seems to default to Dave. Annoyingly, I find it mildly entertaining - which completely perpelexed me for a while. Until I worked it out.

So. The discoveries I've been making are probably obvious and not that original, but I thought I'd record them anyway.

The first thing is, Top Gear isn't about cars. It really isn't. Nor about driving, roads, mileage or any of that stuff. Mostly its about the relationship between the boys.

Now that could be read to imply that I'm seeing a homoerotic subtext to TG. However, while that level is clearly there, it isn't what the show is mostly about.

Fundamentally, it's a sitcom. And quite a conventional, blokish one. The easiest way to see this is by comparing it with similar shows. So:

Last of the Summer Wine

Here are the Top Gear presenters:

... and here are the original stars of Last of the Summer Wine out in the bucolic Yorkshire countryside:
See what I mean? And the individual characters also match pretty exactly:
James May = Blamire/Foggy
Richard Hammond = Cleggy
Jeremy Clarkson = Compo
Uncanny. It's obvious when you look at it isn't it?

Lets try another:

The Goodies

Here the comedy trio inspect the latest version of their famous trandem:

... and for comparison, wearing the famous "G for Gear" overalls, the Top Gear lads:
and again: Graham=May; Tim=Richard and Bill=Jeremy (isn't funny how he keeps matching the little lower class hairy oik? Anyway...)

Case proven. Top Gear is a rather cartoonish sitcom.

You can play this game yourself (eg Father Ted = May, Father Dougal=Hammond, Father Jack=Clarkson).

And not just with sitcoms. Try The Wind In the Willows (I'll start you off: Ratty=Hammond, Mole=May...).