Top Gear back in June?

Top Gear series 13 returns to BBC Two on Sunday 21 June 2009. Find out more…

There are traditionally two series of Top Gear a year. One in October and another in May. This year seems to be hinting towards a June return. No I don’t know exactly when Top Gear will be back on air – only that it would normally (based on the dates of previous series) be back in May.

However, all the clues seem to be pointing towards a June launch for the eleventh series of the now iconic BBC Two motor vehicle themed entertainment show.

Each episode of Top Gear is recorded on the Thursday before it’s Sunday broadcast which is why the statement on the front page of the Applause Store (the company handling tickets for Top Gear) suggests a June return.

“Although we will advertise June 2008 record dates very soon, we are only operating from our Reserve List which is currently running between one and two years.”

The important part of that is the June 2008 record dates bit. If they are recording in June 2008 then it will also be broadcasting in June 2008.

There’s also another hint at the new series being around the corner and that’s the increasing number of reports (head over to the Final Gear forum) from people spotting the trio (plus Stig) filming.

Then there’s the single line on the new series from TG Producer Andy Wilman (in a blog post about Jeremy Clarkson swearing at a 12 year old) ” The new series is going fine. I can’t think of anything else to say really.”

I basically read that as ‘yeah we’re filming, it’s nearly done and the studio recordings will kick off soon’.

There are also a few things you can look out for over the next month that will give it away.

1) Watch bbc.co.uk/pressoffice – they will soon be publishing broadcast dates for shows in May and soon after for shows in June – it will appear there first.

2) Watch topgear.com. As the new series gets closer you will start to see more blog posts from the TG three, more posts from Andy Wilman and hints at what’s coming – all before we even get a date.

3) Regularly visit Final Gear as that is the best sources of Top Gear rumour and speculation on the internet.

4) Buy the Top Gear magazine in May and June (May’s might already be out in fact). The month before the show returns a BBC Two logo will appear at the end of the Jeremy Clarkson and James May columns in the magazine.

5) Keep an eye on the Radio Times website as they have listings up to three weeks in advance. So you might see it listed there first if the Press Office are being a little sloppy (which I’m sure they won’t be).

It’s also worth watching bbc.co.uk/topgear as I have a theory that it will get a major redesign ahead of the start of the new series to bring it inline with the new wider format BBC pages (see Oliver, Eurovision, Doctor Who, The Wall).

Or you could just subscribe to my RSS feed or Twitter stream as I will be doing all of the above and will put the date up in a blog post as soon as I hear it.

Spoilers?

If you don’t like possible future content of TV shows told to you (even if it’s speculation) before it goes out then don’t read anything below this line.

Cop Gear – A rumour in The Sun suggests the TG three will be challenged to create their ultimate Police Car and have it/them put to the challenge.

Out Foxed – Jeremy Clarkson is set to challenge the Ledbury Hunt to see if he can beat the hounds in a cross-country race.

Belgium – the TG team will be taking part in a race in Belgium of some kind.

Endurance - there could be another endurance race in the offing in the new series of TG – solely based on a comment by JC in one of his columns.

Japan – another rumour in The Sun, apparently from Jeremy himself suggests that the TG three will be filming ‘something’ in the land of the rising (appologies) Clark-son.