The Top Gear specials are undoubted highlights of the show, otherwise they wouldn't be termed "specials", surely? After recently travelling to the North Pole in a "car versus sled" adventure, the Top Gear trio ventured to sunnier climes – to cross the Botswana in three sub-£1500 cars...
As usual, each presenter's choice of vehicle was ridiculed by the other two: Jeremy Clarkson went for a 1981 Lancia, James May chose a 1984 Mercedes 230E and Richard Hammond plumped for a 1963 Opal Cadet. As the rules states, all three vehicles weren't allowed to be 4x4, or at all suited to the African off-road, which made the challenge all the more interesting...
With the people of Surrey claiming they need big 4x4 off-roaders to cope tiny hills, the challenge was designed to prove that even decrepit cars can cope with the dust, heat and inhospitable African landscape.
Beginning on the Botswana/Zimbabwe border, they started the 1000 mile trip across the "spine of Africa" to Namibia. Even the Vice President of Botswana arrived in a microlight to wish them good luck, as no car had ever driven across the nearby salt flats, which are as wide as Portugal!
The problem facing Top Gear specials is one of believability. I never expect stark reality from these shows, as it's obviously never just 3 men being sent out into harsh environment with no back-up. The support of a camera crew and mechanics is therefore a given, even if their presence constantly undermines attempts to make everything seem very perilous.
There will also be some rehearsed jokes and amusing ideas/tricks to play on each other -- which is fine. The sight of James May's car being packed with a cow's head and chunks of meat to attract flies and lions was very funny, even if it didn't seem to work and went undiscovered by May...
I only really get frustrated with these Top Gear specials if great chunks of the adventure begin to play like everything's on autopilot. There wasn't too much of that here, although a sudden decision to traverse a river seemed a bit strange. The team never saw a river on their maps when they were planning this trip?! Plus, if they were so close to the finish, would they risk certain drowning like that? No, of course not. A calculated risk.
Overall it was all good fun and seemed less pre-arranged than the trip across the US Deep South awhile back. I could have done without "Stig's African Cousin" turning up to pointlessly race the cars around a track, though...
As ever, it's the Boy's Own spirit and cynical camaraderie that proved most enjoyable, with the trio's banter always amusing to listen to. The visuals are also superb at times considering the difficulties facing the film crew on such trips. In particular, some sunset sequences and views across the vast Kalahari Desert were great – although, as Clarkson noted, the crew's ability to capture giraffes and elephants on camera won't be giving David Attenborough sleepless nights!
Was it environmentally insensitive? Well, I don't think 3 old bangers (the cars, not the drivers) travelling across Africa is going to cause much harm to planet Earth -- in the grand scheme of things. Critics need to look at the millions of parents taking their kids to school in 4x4's when there are buses to be used, before they start acting holier-than-thou about Top Gear!
This wasn't the best Top Gear special -- and originality was diminished by the fact it was a lead-in to Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boardman's own African adventure for The Long Way Down – but it was still an entertaining way to spend an hour.
4 November 2007
BBC2, 8.00 pm
As usual, each presenter's choice of vehicle was ridiculed by the other two: Jeremy Clarkson went for a 1981 Lancia, James May chose a 1984 Mercedes 230E and Richard Hammond plumped for a 1963 Opal Cadet. As the rules states, all three vehicles weren't allowed to be 4x4, or at all suited to the African off-road, which made the challenge all the more interesting...
With the people of Surrey claiming they need big 4x4 off-roaders to cope tiny hills, the challenge was designed to prove that even decrepit cars can cope with the dust, heat and inhospitable African landscape.
Beginning on the Botswana/Zimbabwe border, they started the 1000 mile trip across the "spine of Africa" to Namibia. Even the Vice President of Botswana arrived in a microlight to wish them good luck, as no car had ever driven across the nearby salt flats, which are as wide as Portugal!
The problem facing Top Gear specials is one of believability. I never expect stark reality from these shows, as it's obviously never just 3 men being sent out into harsh environment with no back-up. The support of a camera crew and mechanics is therefore a given, even if their presence constantly undermines attempts to make everything seem very perilous.
There will also be some rehearsed jokes and amusing ideas/tricks to play on each other -- which is fine. The sight of James May's car being packed with a cow's head and chunks of meat to attract flies and lions was very funny, even if it didn't seem to work and went undiscovered by May...
I only really get frustrated with these Top Gear specials if great chunks of the adventure begin to play like everything's on autopilot. There wasn't too much of that here, although a sudden decision to traverse a river seemed a bit strange. The team never saw a river on their maps when they were planning this trip?! Plus, if they were so close to the finish, would they risk certain drowning like that? No, of course not. A calculated risk.
Overall it was all good fun and seemed less pre-arranged than the trip across the US Deep South awhile back. I could have done without "Stig's African Cousin" turning up to pointlessly race the cars around a track, though...
As ever, it's the Boy's Own spirit and cynical camaraderie that proved most enjoyable, with the trio's banter always amusing to listen to. The visuals are also superb at times considering the difficulties facing the film crew on such trips. In particular, some sunset sequences and views across the vast Kalahari Desert were great – although, as Clarkson noted, the crew's ability to capture giraffes and elephants on camera won't be giving David Attenborough sleepless nights!
Was it environmentally insensitive? Well, I don't think 3 old bangers (the cars, not the drivers) travelling across Africa is going to cause much harm to planet Earth -- in the grand scheme of things. Critics need to look at the millions of parents taking their kids to school in 4x4's when there are buses to be used, before they start acting holier-than-thou about Top Gear!
This wasn't the best Top Gear special -- and originality was diminished by the fact it was a lead-in to Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boardman's own African adventure for The Long Way Down – but it was still an entertaining way to spend an hour.
4 November 2007
BBC2, 8.00 pm
