The twenty-third series of Top Gear was aired during 2016 on BBC Two and consisted of six episodes, beginning on 29 May and concluding on 3 July; it was planned to feature ten episodes, but this was revised following concerns the series would conflict with the two major sporting events of Summer 2016, despite the fact it was broadcast alongside UEFA Euro 2016 tournament. Following the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, this series featured a new hosting line-up that consisted of Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc, Sabine Schmitz, Chris Harris,Rory Reid and Eddie Jordan; regular unnamed driver The Stig was the only part of the former line-up not to leave. This series featured a revamp to the Top Gear format, a brand new studio at Dunsfold, and the creation of a new rallycross circuit that co-existed alongside the show's own Test Track, a brand new car for celebrities - a MiniRallycross Car, which replaced theVauxhall Astra Tech Line - and a brand new spin-off show entitled Extra Gear, which was broadcast on online channe lBBC Three and aired between the same dates, with each episode following immediately after each episode of Series 23.
The series received mixed feedback during its broadcast, some positive, but most being negative among a number of changes made and presenter Chris Evans. Viewing figures for the series were also not favourable after the first episode, with the final episode drawing in the lowest overnight viewing figures ever in the show's history.A day after the finale was broadcast, Evans announced his resignation from the show on 4 July 2016, feeling he had done his best but that it had not been good enough for viewers.
Production
Following Jeremy Clarkson's dismissal from the show on 25 March 2015 after the BBC decided to not renew his contract,[4] and the subsequent resignation of his co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May and executive producer Andy Wilman in April the following month, the broadcaster began work looking for a new team to produce the next series of the show and also to change its format. On 16 June later that year,Chris Evans was confirmed as one of the new hosts for the show,with filming of the series commencing in the autumn and confirmed for a proposed broadcast from May 2016 in October 2015. Following news on 18 November 2015 that the BBC had decided to make savings by discontinuing coverage of future F1 seasons,
speculation was made that former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard would be joining the show, but these speculations were dismissed when Coulthard was revealed to be the host of Channel 4's coverage for the 2016 F1 season in January 2016. News of who else was to join remained a mystery with Evans commenting that he could be left hosting the show himself, but on 4 February 2016, American actor Matt LeBlanc was officially announced as part of the hosting line-up to work with Evans. A week later on 11 February, during his BBC Radio 2Breakfast Show, Evans confirmed that he and Leblanc would be joined byThe Stig, along with four other new presenters who had each won an open audition to be part of the show -Eddie Jordan (who split with doing F1 Coverage following the BBC's decision over the sport's coverage), motoring journalist Chris Harris, German motor racing driver Sabine Schmitz, and motoring journalist and Sky television presenter Rory Reid. Of the relationship between the six new presenters, Evans stated in an interview with BBC News that it was decided that only he and LeBlanc would front the show weekly in the studio segments, whilst the other presenters would "come and go as and when required".
Production on the series, alongside filming, included work on changes to the format, with the Cool Wall andNews segments cut out and no longer used, and the celebrity segment receiving an overhaul. Because Series 22 abruptly end after Clarkson's suspension, and the Vauxhall Astra Tech Line being sent back as a result and later being auctioned off on 27 December 2015 for £17,800, the production team decided to take the opportunity to redesign the segment, renaming it as Stars in a Rallycross Car.[20] The new segment featured a longer interview process with two celebrities invited to the show for each episode (as had happened before in Series 11), before taking to a new circuit in a modified Mini Cooper that had been prepared for rallycross driving. The new rallycross circuit expanded upon the existing Test Track with the inclusion of two off-road, rallycross sections - the first section cuts out use of the long right "Chicago", using a part of "Wilson" before turning off into the inner section of the western loop and proceeding down a dirt straight with a water splash, before taking a short, hard left back to tarmac and the long right corner section of "Hammerhead"; the second section goes off-road right from the straight to the "Follow-Through", thus not using the corner, instead turning left on a gentle, long corner before making a hard right hairpin towards a jump, and then a straight onto tarmac and a much wider entry into "Bentley" - but retained around half the layout of the Test Track circuit, including the use of "Gambon"; the existing circuit received a cosmetic update to the line marking its used, and is still used for "Power Laps". A revamp of the studio at Dunsfold was needed for the new look of the show - work done included the relocation of the stage area to a corner of the studio while retaining the chairs and table from the last series, the installation of a balcony audience area near to the stage and a large-scale display monitor beneath it and entry doors for celebrities, less use of monitors and light scaffolding around the rest of the studio, no further use of the plinths used by the former hosts' cars (including the one for Toyota Hilux) as well as the cars used on them being removed, and the banner for The Stig was retained. In addition to work being done to create the new-look show, the BBC announced on 27 April 2016 that production of a spin-off show calledExtra Gear for BBC Three, was also being worked on, which was to feature additional clips and behind-the-scenes look at some of the films shown on each episode that was broadcast of Series 23, with both Rory Reid and Chris Harris announced as the presenters for it.
