The third series of Top Gear Australia began on 28 September 2010 with a 75-minute Ashes Special featuring the presenters of both the Australian and UK Top Gear's competing in a series of challenges. This special was used a promotional tool by the Nine Network, who, as of late 2009, had acquired the airing rights to both the UK and Australian shows from SBS One.[1] The series proper began 3 weeks later on 19 October. The show airs on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm on Channel Nine.
| Top Gear Australia | |
|---|---|
| Season 3 | |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nine Network |
| Original release | 28 September 2010 – 5 May 2011 |
| Series chronology | |
A number of changes were made by Nine for the 3rd series. Of the original hosts from SBS, only Steve Pizzati made the move, with new hosts Shane Jacobson & Ewen Page (editor-in-chief of Top Gear Australia magazine) replacing Warren Brown & James Morrison.[2] while former Australian cricketer Shane Warne was added as an occasional guest reviewer. The test track at Camden Airport was redesigned and the 'Star Car' was replaced. The Proton Satria Neo used in the first 2 series on SBS made way for a more 'Australian' Ford XF Falcon Ute complete with bull bar, UHF CB aerial and stickers. (Nine also changed the name of the celebrity car challenge from 'Star In A Bog-Standard Car' to 'Star In A Car').
Due to the change in design of the Top Gear test track, in Episode 2 it was announced that the lap time leader board had been re-calibrated. The Stig drove 5 cars from the previous two seasons around the new track and a difference of +23.9% was calculated.
A two-disc DVD set of the third season, simply titled Top Gear Australia was released in March 2011. It contained all three episodes along with the Ashes Special.
Episodes edit
| Total | No. | Title | Reviews | Features/challenges | Guest(s) | Original air date | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | — | "The Ashes Special" | None | Van drag race • Double decker cars • Synchronized donuts • Sheep hurdling • Rally race | Jeremy Clarkson • Richard Hammond • James May • British Stig | 28 September 2010 | N/A |
| 18 | 1 | Series 3, Episode 1 | Morgan Aero SuperSport | Outback road trip in South Australia to Lake Eyre • V8 Lifesaving reel | Lisa McCune | 19 October 2010 | 1.22 |
| 19 | 2 | Series 3, Episode 2 | Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 | Can you use a V8 Supercar in the real world? • New Zealand mountain challenge | Michael Clarke | 26 October 2010 | 1.07 |
| 20 | 3 | Series 3, Episode 3 | Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 • Caparo T1 | Grey Nomad adventure on a budget | Craig Reucassel • Andrew Hansen | 2 November 2010 | 0.93 |
| 21 | 4 | Series 3, Episode 4 | Hulme F1 • BMW X5M vs Porsche Cayenne Turbo S • HDT Blue Meanie | SUV vs People Mover (Ford Territory vs Kia Carnival) | Jimmy Barnes | 5 May 2011 | N/A |
Ratings edit
| Episode | Original Airdate | Timeslot | Viewers1 | Nightly Rank (#) | Weekly Rank (#) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 19 October 2010 | Tuesday 7:30 P.M. |
1,224,000 [3] | 4 [4] | 12 [3] |
| #2 | 26 October 2010 | 1,079,000 [5] | 7 [6] | 25 [5] | |
| #3 | 2 November 2010 | 953,000 [7] | 16 [8] | 39 [7] |
References edit
- ^ "Top Gear Moves to Nine". EBroadcast Australia. 23 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
- ^ "Top Gear Australia's new hosts". The Spy Report. Media Spy. 20 June 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ a b TV Ratings: Week 43 2010
- ^ Week 43
- ^ a b TV Ratings: Week 44 2010
- ^ Week 44
- ^ a b TV Ratings: Week 45 2010
- ^ Week 45[permanent dead link]
