Note: The observation consists of approximately the first 45 minutes of a one hour program.

Relevant Background Information: The show is based in the present-day United Kingdom. Important
sites within the show include the Top Gear test track, the Top Gear studio, an ad agency, and other
various locations in the UK. The show was a spinoff from a long-running show of the same name with a
new cast. The show is based on uniquely presented car reviews, competitions, and road trips.
Figured world: a group of people who share a common interest
I am observing Top Gear which isnt a place of business. Its a television show thats meant to
entertain watchers with the shows antics and perhaps teach viewers something about cars. The show
dances across lines between documentary and fiction, blending factual car information and comedic
skits. The three hosts of the show test drive new sports cars, buy cheap cars and compete with each
other in humorous challenges, and complete voyages across various exotic landscapes. A single show
often encompasses various themes, topics, and activities. The standards for appropriate behavior are
quite low as the shows hosts often try to sabotage each others cars and are seemingly prone to
abandon each other in times of peril. The shows hosts also at times condone speeding and other risky
behavior in a car. Communication ranges from semi-reasonable discussion to comedic banter to vicious
arguing and volume largely depends on whatever activities are taking place in the scope of the episode.
Within the context of the show, there is very little considered inappropriate; in reality, though, the
shows hosts have been subject to criticism for making potentially insensitive jokes and for reckless
behavior. Different communities of practice include the hosts, who share an interest in cars and a
similar way of communicating. Another community of practice would be the studio audience, who
share an interest in watching a live viewing of a prerecorded show and have a common form of
communicating by being silent and laughing at designated times.
Actors: the people in a community of practice
Jeremy Clarkson: The main presenter of the series, Jeremy Clarksons role extends
beyond presenting segments and interviewing guests to the role of a somewhat crude
and immature person who speaks his opinion, no matter what it is, in terms that are all
at once poetic, acerbic, and humorous. He differs somewhat from the average person in
his choice to be provocative in his reviews and interactions with others.
Richard Hammond: One of the series co-hosts, Richard Hammond is prone to a more
measured assessment of events. He is often criticized by the other two hosts for his
unrefined taste. He often presents reviews, segments, and races more catered to his
specific interests and in so doing differentiates himself from the other hosts and offers
viewers a different perspective.
James May: The series third host, James is presented as being the most eccentric of the
three, with an eccentric taste in cars and bikes and a sense of humor that often tends to
elude the grasp of others. Known for driving slowly, getting lost, and being able to put
others to sleep with long discourses on the minutiae of various subjects of interest to
him, James May provides something of a foil to the other hosts by balancing their love
for speed and nonchalant mannerisms with his precision and poise.

Artifacts: Physical and intellectual properties that characterize a community of practice
Commented [TR1]: The background information was
very helpful in with understanding that the settings tend
to change. The rules and conventions were also very
clear within the figured world, though you may want to
relate it to conventions and rules more instead of things
upcoming in the key terms. I cant say this is a bad
thing though, just think about it. (Justin H)
Commented [TR2]: -The key term defintions are very
brief, however great detail is being explained on how
these things are relating to the show. Perhaps
elaborate on definitions a bit more to give the reader a
better understand of what they mean before they look
at examples. (Justin H)
Commented [TR3]: In your summary of Top Gear, I
really liked how you used such descriptive words. It
gave me an idea of how enthusiastic the hosts of the
show are about cars. As someone who has never seen
Top Gear before, reading your summary made me
want to watch an episode or two to see if it would be a
series I would like. (Erin E.)
Commented [TR4]: You did a great job on the
character analysis. Ive seen the show a few times and
from what Ive watched, the descriptions you did of the
hosts is spot on. (Jake W.)

Commented [TR5R4]: Each observation really shows
the different personalities of the hosts and I think that is
very important when it comes to Top Gear. (Jake W.)
Commented [TR6]: -I really liked your descriptions of
the actors in Top Gear. I thought it was helpful how you
described the relationships between all of the actors.
Your descriptions gave me a pretty accurate idea of the
behavior that I should expect from the actors during the
observations. (Erin E.)

Cars: Perhaps its too obvious to mention, but cars are the basis of the show. The significance
of the car is multi-faceted, in that it simultaneously represents a multitude of different
emotions, ranging from the rush of adrenaline to the love-like feeling of being a steward and
caretaker for a certain car.
Freedom: The idea of freedom underscores the entire show. Cars themselves represent a sort
of freedom; not only in the freedom of choice that allows one to buy, own, and customize the
car of his or her choosing, but also in the freedom of being able to, at any moment, get in your
car and go wherever the road may take you.
Communities of practice: Smaller part of a figured world
The hosts: Jeremy, James, and Richard. These three share a love for the car and the endless
freedoms and possibilities it represents. Their shared way of communicating is through verbal
information, which usually consists of making jokes with one another, sharing their various plans
and approaches to situations, and expressing their exasperation with one another.
The studio audience: A group of people who meet at every show to watch film of out-of-studio
segments and to observe various in-studio segments. Some are car lovers, some are not, but all
are united in the sense of humor and adventure that the show imparts. They mostly
communicate wordlessly through applause, laughter, and booing.

Domain: the glue holding a community of practice together
The car: The hosts and studio audience all use the car to learn more about driving, engineering
and world culture

Practices of communities: practices of communities are the practices followed by the communities of
practice
Driving: One of the practices within the community is driving. The community of practice
recognizes the efficient and enjoyable method of driving as a way to get from point to point and
as a way to transcend the doldrums of life.
Modifying cars: One of the practices within the community is modifying cars. The community
of practice recognizes that modifying cars can make driving more fun and also recognize that
modifying cars is fun in and of itself, and creates a more involved relationship between a car and
its owner or driver.
Practices of communities: practices of communities are the practices followed by the
communities of practice
Literacy practices: Ways of communicating
Talking: The most common way of communicating in the show, talking is used to express all
ranges of emotion felt by the hosts. Talking has been used to violate social norms by making
crude jokes.
Nonverbal communication: The audience participates via nonverbal communication. Their use
of laughter, gasps, boos, and the like are used to express various emotions such as approval,
disapproval, elation, and disappointment with events that occur.
Commented [TR7]: -Youre explanations of the show
in regard to the background information, characters
and figured world is very clear and thorough, however
for the communities of practice part, the definition given
isnt quite clear to the reader. Perhaps reword it to
explain it better.(Justin H)
Commented [TR8]: Tyler, I think you have the start to
a wonderful analysis. However, I think you should try to
expand and clarify a lot of your definitions. For example
your definition of literacy practices - be more specific
than just saying ways of communicating. The same
goes for your definition of communities of practice. If I
were you I would try to refrain from defining a word with
another word that was just defined. (Erin E.)
The observation:
10:00mins: The show begins by Jeremy mentioning meaningless minutiae that would occur during the
show. The action begins when he reads a letter from a viewer asking what the show would be like if it
had been produced 50 years earlier. He replies the same and we are introduced to the main film of
the show, wherein the presenters will be racing each other in the fastest train, motorcycle, and car of 50
years prior. The hosts randomly pick which theyll be using by drawing names from a hat. We are
introduced to the car, bike, and train. Richards impression of the bike is that it is the grandfather of all
sport bikes and a sort of hero of his. James feigns disappointment at not getting to ride the train, but is
secretly relieved to be driving what he considers one of the most important cars of the era. Jeremy
expresses that shoveling coal on a steam train is an unpleasant and laborious task.
16:00mins: Richard begins to express disappointment in the bike after it breaks down on the side of the
road and hes stuck riding in the rain. The train, which has pulled far ahead of the car and the bike,
continues to be hard work, and develops a steam leak, which must be repaired when the train stops to
take on 4000 gallons of water. Richard passes James when the car must stop for fuel. The presentation
of the race is shelved for later in the show.
28:00mins: The Ferrari Fxx is driven around the top gear test track by the shows mysterious racing
driver who, in this episode, is revealed to be famous Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher. Jeremy
interviews him, peppering him with questions regarding his favorite moments in his racing career, which
drivers he respected most, and his retirement.
45:00mins: James overtakes Richard while the latter is stopped for gas. Jeremy attempts to cook food
with the train. The motorcycle breaks down on the side of the highway when sludgy fuel is pulled into
the carburetor. Richard grows more frustrated with the motorcycle as hes rained on and starts to feel
numb from the riding position and vibration. The car takes the lead while the train is stopped for water
and coal. James shares his affinity for the car. Jeremy is scared by a near breakdown in the train when
the trains boiler stops getting water. The car beats the train. The motorcycle, meanwhile remains
many miles behind. The show ends with Michael Schumacher pretending to be a clueless driver while
taking a lap in the shows reasonably priced car driven by all of the celebrity guests.
The Observation, part two
10:00mins: Jeremy drives a Mercedes-Benz Sl65 AMG Black Series. He start off by extoling the cars
virtues, namely its power and livability, while doing many acceleration runs and glamorous drifts. He
then derides it for being as comfortable as a pile of stones, and having the turning circle of a moon.
He concludes by saying that it is very expensive, and decides that the car is both wonderful and awful at
the same time. The car is lapped around the Top Gear test track and the car is described as being
faster than cars that are now faster than it.
17:00mins: The hosts discuss car news by making fun of Citoren for having to invent a new word to
describe their cars in a positive fashion, and by contemplating the merits of a handbag made out of a
Chevrolet Camaro interior. They discuss a heat wave alert issued by the UK government, which they
humorously undermine by playing car sauna, a game where all three hosts sit in a car in the sun with the
windows rolled up and the heat on until one is forced to leave.
Commented [TR9]: -The first observation was
informative, however a bit confusing. Could you explain
where the race was taking place and a bit more
background information to the particular settings of the
episode? I could not figure out if they were racing a
train on a test track or what exactly. (Justin H)

Commented [TR10]: I think the content of your
observations are pretty solid. However, I would suggest
that you break the time increments up into smaller
sections. I believe by doing this the observations would
flow better and maybe not be as overwhelming so that
the reader could almost feel as if they were watching
the entire show. (Erin E.)
Commented [TR11]: I would suggest adding some
transition words in between your sentences throughout
the observations. I am concerned that you may have
too much information about what is going on in the
show crammed back to back. I think the addition of
transition words and breaking the observation up into
smaller time increments would really help the overall
flow and organization of your analysis. (Erin E.)
Commented [TR12]: In your observations, I feel like
you could have been a little more specific. The time
gap between each observation leaves a lot of
unexplained information, like when you said that
Jeremy attempted to cook food with the train. Did he
use the heat or the coals or what? (Jake W.)
25:00mins: Amidst the global financial crisis, the shows hosts go to Londons banking district in cheap
and cheerful cars. They get wealthy bankers to sit in their cheap cars and tell them that this is the
future theyve created. They then put loudspeakers atop their cars and drive past government buildings
shouting slogans about the governments financial policy.
37:00mins: Michael McIntyre is a guest on the show. Michael McIntyre talks about his television show,
his car history, and what life is like owning a Austin Princess. He later takes a lap of the Top Gear test
track, nearly rolls the car, and becomes the most average person to ever take a lap there.
45:00mins: James May meets up with rally driver and internet sensation Ken Block. Ken takes James on
a wild ride through an active California airfield in a 380 horsepower rally car, honing the art form he calls
Gymkhana. James ride along includes many drifts on gravel, dirt, and tarmac, a chase scene with a
motocross bike, and a jump.
The Observation, part 3
10:00mins: Richard Hammond decides that typical executive cars, such as BMWs, Mercedes-Benzs, and
Audis, are too dull. He then says that if you are a pikey like him (this gypsy racial slur is avoided by
putting a pie and a key on the hood of a car), then there is an Australian alternative for you. He then
drives that car and concludes that whoever bought it would be a bad business man and that the world
of powerpoints would not take you seriously, quipping that once your business failed, you could outrun
the bailiff in the car. He then expressed that practical vehicles for construction workers were too slow,
and introduced another car, saying unfortunately, its Australia that comes to the rescue. He
concludes by saying that if youre not a business man and want a fast car, the Australians can help. The
stig is then introduced to race the two cars around the track by Clarkson, who jokes that the stig cut an
ugly audience members hair and that he wouldnt try to take compensation from a soldier, as the
British government had done, drawing the cheers of the crowd. Afterwards, Clarkson concludes that the
car is perfect for someone whos business is selling pegs and heather, making another subtle jest at
gypsies.
18:00mins: The hosts discuss car related news, with James May saying that anyone who bought the
Ferrari F430 16m Suceria was a big daft cock because the new Ferrari 458 was going to be out soon.
They discuss Formula One driver Felipe Massas accident, where a spring hit helmet at 140 mph. They
compare this to Richard Hammonds crash, which caused him to suffer frontal lobe damage. Clarkson
jokingly asks that when Massa recovers, will he be an irritating little arse? Hammond retaliates by
implying his cohosts are irritating and fat. Clarkson quips that anyone who buys a bad car has no
interest in driving and therefore cant be good at it and therefore should not have a license.
34:00mins: James May and Jeremy Clarkson attempt to make ads for the VW Sirocco Tdi. Professional
advertisers told them to focus on the truths of the product and May quipped that the Beetles ads didnt
highlight the cars connection to Hitler. They drive the VW and conclude that the Sirocco was a beautiful
and practical car ruined by a diesel engine. The professional advertisers suggest that instead of ruining
the Sirocco with diesel, VW made diesel better with the Sirocco. Their first intelligent advertisement,
made by Jeremy, consists of a Sirocco with an explosion behind it and the tagline Its explosive.
James first advertisement consists of facts and lame mother-in-law jokes, causing the two to separate.
Jeremys second ad consist of a man whose arm has been destroyed because he ran out of gas on the
highway and got hit. The man beside him says that it wont happen to him, because the Sirocco Tdi gets
Commented [TR13]: -The second and third
observations were much easier to follow, with the third
having great detail about the conversations taking
place, however I was not sure who Michael McIntyre
was. Adding some information about who is is and why
he is famous would be very helpful.(Justin H)
such exceptional fuel economy, resulting in a tagline of The New Sirocco Tdi: for people who value
their arms. The advertisement they showed the car passing quicker cars while theyre stopped at a gas
station. The advertisement was criticized by the ad men for promoting speed. Their final ad was
criticized for a graphic depiction of suicide.
40:00mins: The hosts decide that to appease the professional ad men they should set the commercial
somewhere where speeding was impossible: a funeral. James and Jeremy bicker, with James trying to
create a serious ad and Jeremy trying to get explosions, half-naked women, and drifting into the ad. The
advertisement ends up being a disastrous mixture of the two. The ad is rejected by the professionals
and the two hosts split up to make separate commercials. James mixed the sound of an engine with
sped up footage of a plant growing, playing up the eco-friendly nature of the car. Jeremys shows
people running, trying to escape from something via mass exodus while radio announcers narrate. The
ad ends with the tagline The new Sirocco Tdi: from Poland to Warsaw on a single tank, making a
humorous association between VWs German heritage and World War Two. The ads are put to a vote
by the audience and Jeremys is declared the winner.

Interview:
How does humor impact the show? The humor is the driving force of the show for me. Although many
forms of media can offer knowledge of cars, they can be boring, while Top Gear is funny and still
interesting even to non car people.
Explain the social expectations of the show. In the show theres a lot of joking which creates a social
atmosphere where generally rude behavior is okay.
Name a time when these social expectations were violated by the hosts. Sometimes the shows hosts
are polite and apologetic to each other which reverses audiences expectations.
How are these social expectations of the show (modifying, car shows, road trips, etc)
different from real life? In the show, activities like drifting, racing, and speeding are acceptable while in
the real world they are not.
In what way do your interactions (modifying, car shows, road trips, etc) with cars different than those
seen on the show? The shows interactions with cars are much more interesting. Top Gear has a lot of
money that has allowed them to drive more expensive cars and take more exotic trips than I ever have.