The BBC has unveiled China’s answer to Top Gear with a double Olympic gold diving champion, the presenter of Chinese Idol and a pop star turned actor taking the place of British hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.
As Clarkson himself might say, if the sleek, polished Chinese trio were a car they would be a Jaguar F-type. Whereas by comparison, the British trio look more like an Audi Quattro from the 1980s.
Clarkson was consulted about the line-up, which, according to Tim Davie, the chief executive of BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm, could have featured a woman.
However, in the end, Worldwide and its Chinese production partners plumped for three men: pop star turned professional motor-racer Richie Jen, former Olympic diver Tian Liang and Chinese Idol presenter Cheng Lei.
China is the biggest market Top Gear has launched a local version in – with a potential audience of hundreds of millions. Chinese Top Gear is due to air on national broadcaster Shanghai Dragon TV in early November.
The hit show already holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for most watched factual programme in the world – 200 territories – and has local versions in the US and South Korea but, as Top Gear commercial director Duncan Gray said, China is a “huge market and opportunity”.
Chinese Top Gear will feature a Chinese Stig, plus familiar features such as a star in a reasonably-priced car and a studio audience with banter linking the films.
According to the BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, the Chinese show “will mirror the UK show’s irreverent humour, presenter camaraderie, epic races, outrageous stunts and challenges, unique celebrity guest participation, and its often eccentric methods of testing cars”.
However, as Gray said, it has been adapted to appeal to a Chinese audience: “Often in foreign language markets creating it with local sensibilities and the local culture in mind is the much better proposition.
“There are certain elements of the format where we need to let them make it the best way for their audiences. We want them to discuss matters that relate to cars in China.”
He refused to rule out having a female host in the “near future”. “When casting international versions of Top Gear we always try to bring together talent that have displayed a passion for the subject and a certain on-screen chemistry. “Thus far we’ve had all-male presenter line-ups but that’s not to say there couldn’t be a female presenter in the near future.”
In addition to China, BBC Worldwide is planning more local versions of Top Gear, including a French one. But, with the current row in South America over a controversial “Falklands” registration plate on a Porsche due to be used in the UK Top Gear Christmas special, it is unlikely there are plans at the moment for an Argentinian one.
• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@theguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”.
• To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook.
