Top Gear in HD

Top Gear is one of the most beautiful shows on British Television - the way they use filters and effects to shoot cars and segments is just amazing.

So, when the Top Gear trio made their way to the North Pole in the Summer of 2007 - something special was expected. And, not only was that something special delivered - it was delivered in High Definition.

The Polar Special looked amazing and since then a question being asked at increasing intervals is “when will Top Gear be available in HD?” or even “is Top Gear filmed in HD?”.

Well, at the moment the answer to both of those questions is a big fat NO - but with the caveat that it will probably be filmed in HD within the next couple of series.





After all there is a real move in the BBC to get everything filmed in HD - after all the HD Channel isn’t going to fill itself AND HD content is easier to sell to the USA.

The assumption, and one I admit to making publicly myself, has been that we will probably see Top Gear in HD by about series 13 or 14 - so within the next two years.

But, thanks to a comment by Richard Hammond in his latest Mirror column - it looks like we might just see Top Gear in HD from series 11.

This is both exciting (stunning car shots, stunning scenes, amazing effects) but also scary (Jeremy Clarkson up close and in high definition - eugh!).

Richard is basically talking about James Bond and vanity and how, even trying to put gel in your hair while working on Top Gear leads to ridicule.

But he says that, as a result of this ridicule of anyone trying to look good “everybody looks hellish.”





But the interesting part is where he says: “I’m not a vain man - no, I’m not - but all the same, I quiver when I am told that we are going to be shooting the next series of Top Gear on HD.

“Not because other people will see the state of my drooping, 38-year-old face, but because I will see it.

“And that’s annoying when thus far, by diligently avoiding mirrors and only looking at blurry holiday snaps, I’ve avoided the truth.”

Nothing from the Jeremy Clarkson on James May columns yet, although Clarkson may have said something in his Sun column but as that isn’t available online I haven’t read it.

But I would say this is pretty firm evidence that Top Gear 11 will be shot in HD - which leaves me thinking - how can I break my current TV so I can justify buying a new HD one?

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