Top Gear series 17
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Series 17 of Top Gear, a British motoring magazine and factual television programme, was broadcast on BBC Two in 2011. It comprised six episodes aired between 26 June and 31 July. Notable highlights included the presenters constructing trains from cars and caravans, and using second-hand military vehicles to demolish houses.
Criticism
The seventeenth series drew criticism after its final episode, particularly for two parts of its Electric Cars review film. One issue involved Jeremy Clarkson and James May parking their vehicles in two disabled parking spots. Executive producer Andy Wilman defended them in a blog, noting both presenters had worried it might seem disrespectful, but they only used the spaces after the car park owner gave permission and three other disabled spots were still open; he apologized to any viewers who were offended.
A second complaint came from Nissan, electric car supporters, and the press after it was revealed that a Nissan Leaf shown running out of power and being pushed had been drained to about 40% of its battery before the test drive, leading to criticism of the show’s portrayal of electric cars. Wilman denied that the program misled viewers about the Leaf’s charge or range and supported the consumer points made in the film.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Top Gear series 17 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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