French Top Gear is surprise hit
First episode of Gallic version of popular BBC show delivers record audience for broadcaster RMC Decouverte
THE FUTURE of the BBC’s Top Gear programme may be uncertain in the UK, but the French version of the irreverent car show has been a surprise hit for broadcaster RMC Decouverte.
About 1million viewers tuned in to the first episode of Top Gear France last Wednesday, which equated to a 3.6% audience share. It was record figure for the channel, and the show also impressed the critics.
Le Figaro said: "It fulfilled its promises of a jokey ambience, crazy tests, off-the-wall tone and guest stars,” while viewers were generally positive about the show on Twitter.
One, Williams, wrote: "I really had a good time. What a surprise. Jeremy Clarkson must be proud of us."
The French version follows the tried-and-tested UK format, including putting a “star in a reasonably priced car”. Guests in the first series include comedians Jérôme Niel and Jean-Marie Bigard, actor François-Xavier Demaison, Top Chef and Cauchemar en Cuisine star Philippe Etchebest, and former Prime Minister François Fillon.
The show was broadcast in the same timeslot as the long-running CSI: Crime Scene Investigation series on TF1, which garnered 4.6million viewers.
Unusually, the perennially popular CSI was beaten into second place by France 2’s new series Witnesses, which boasted 5.3million viewers - or more than 20% of the audience.
RMC Decouverte also broadcasts episodes of the British Top Gear series.
Top Gear France is produced by BBC Worldwide France and features comic actor Philippe Lellouche, driving ace Bruce Jouanny and car expert Yann Larret-Menezo.
In 2013, Top Gear earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most-watched “factual” TV programme in the world, with 350million viewers in 214 countries.
Photo: Top Gear France / Twitter
