Media Questions

Top Gear

Presenters and presentational style

The presenter and presentational style is a key ingredient for top gear as this is what interests and engages their audience, top gear create a less formal style and this allows the show to target all audiences. The audience are aware of the presentational style and what is going to happen in the show this allows the audience to have a better understanding and the audience prefer this. The audience like to know what happens next. The three presenters are key, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May and these presenters create humour and appeal to a vast audience these presenters have appeared elsewhere and are well known therefore this will gain a higher audience because of the presenters.

Typical items/features

The typical features which appear in Top Gear are a competition between the judges in order to compete in challenges and this engages the audience to see who will win. The presenters will test a car and tell people if it is good and bad, gives expert opinions. The stig will drive a car around the track to see how fast it is. Celebrities also go around the track.

Typical ‘Narrative’ (Intro, Middle, End)

Top Gear would start by introducing what will happen in the show, they will start with their task and show us clips then in the middle the celebrity will drive on the track then the task will continue. Near the end the stig will take a car around the Top Gear track.

What are the strengths of each platform for this kind of programme?

TV- this allows the audience to be entertained by the presenters and this style is very attractive to many viewers. The presenter is humorous therefore engaging many audiences furthermore the presenters create controversy which creates a lot of publicity and engages many audiences.

Magazine-it allows audiences to see facts about cars. Allowing the audience to find a suitable car. The pictures create a visual image engaging all audiences.

Print- this allows the audience to catch up on previous episodes. Allows the audience to see what is going to happen in the next episode which creates exclusivity. It allows the audience to access news, games, hardware and shops. Get tickets for top gear.

How do the platforms work together?

The platforms work together as each text promotes another (synergy). The broadcast allows audiences to watch missed episodes on the web and the web is similar to mag in the interviews and information it gives about cars therefore they promote each other to be consumed by the audience. You can never have an institution that is only on one platform, the minimum is two however the institutions mainly use all three platforms.

Why does the audience benefit from the availability of the text on all these

Platforms?

The audience benefit from the accessibility as if they wanted to find out what is happening they could do so via the three different platforms. Print allows the audience to be involved with interviews and information regarding cars and audience appreciate this as it easy to get. Broadcast is entertained and engaging for the audience therefore a lot of audience viewers are gained. The website is interactive and can be accessed from wherever, it allows people to watch episodes furthermore it allows audience to see the latest cars coming out allowing the audiences to be aware.

How does the producer benefit from the way the platforms work together?

The producers benefit as higher revenue is created as each text promotes another it encourages audiences to pay money, TV licence, internet connection and magazines in order to access information about top gear. Allows viewers to watch the episodes. And it makes people by the magazine to keep up to date. And the institution makes money on this and this also helps the presenters become known and allow their books to be sold written by themselves.

List some of the main TV Franchises/Formats originated in Britain

(Who wants to be a Millionaire; The Weakest Link),

Reality TV (Big Brother; I am a Celebrity - Get me out of Here; Wife Swap), and

Entertainment (Pop Idol; Britain’s Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing).

What makes a good ‘Host’?

Someone who can create humour has character and is well known therefore attracting audience attention.

Why are TV Advertising revenues falling? By how much?

BBC Worldwide makes to the UK’s creative sector. Our Channels business launched

15 new channels around the world and achieved sales of £225.6m (an increase of

£41.8m on 2007/08). Global Brands, launched in April 2008, achieved sales of £43.0m

from Lonely Planet as well as substantial revenues across all the operating businesses

from Doctor Who, BBC Earth and Top Gear. Content & Production increased sales by

19.4% to £88.2m, reflecting the continuing strong performance of Dancing with the

Stars (the international television format based on Strictly Come Dancing). Sales &

Distribution also delivered a strong underlying performance, including growing sales to

our new channels businesses, although a reduction in low-margin US co-productions

saw sales dip.