Top Gear of the Pops


Top Gear of the Pops was a one-off special programme that aired for BBC Two on 16 March 2007, as part of Red Nose Day 2007. The episode combined the elements of Top Gear, with that of BBC music chart show Top of the Pops, the latter of which was cancelled by the BBC in 2006. In the episode, presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May hosted their own version of the chart show in their studio at Dunsfold, including discussions about music-related news topics, and performed as a band for the final number alongside Justin Hawkins; although it was mentioned, the 'Cool Wall' did not feature in the episode's broadcast.
The programme was produced as a replacement for A Question of Comedy, a one-off special edition of sports quiz A Question of Sport that had been recorded some months earlier for Comic Relief but was withdrawn due to Jade Goody being involved as one of its contestants. The decision came after it was felt to be inappropriate to show it following the racism controversy that emerged after her participation on Celebrity Big Brother 5.

Performances

Note: The hosts pointed out that Danny Goffey's father, Chris Goffey, used to present the show.
Note: The song produced by the band was included on their single "The Heart Never Lies", following the broadcast of the special.
A number of complaints were made by viewers, directed towards James May's actions during Supergrass' performance in which he threw live birds. Viewers were concerned in their complaints, that the welfare of the birds had not been considered by the show.

Reception

In an article of The Guardian that covered the reception of Red Nose Day 2007 with viewers, Top Gear of the Pops obtained viewing figures of for 6.1 million its timeslot of 22:00-22:30. The figures made it the most watched show of its timeslot, with it attracting a 28% audience share.