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The twenty-first series of the BBC motoring show Top Gear, starring presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, premiered on the 2nd of February, 2014, and concluded on the 16th of March, 2014. It featured five regular episodes in addition to the aforementioned special. Later in the year, it was followed by the first series of James May's Cars of the People, a one man spin-off focusing on cars which affected everyday lives.

After signs of decline following the trends set by the previous few series, Series 21 looked to be back on track, with 6.49 million viewers per episode on average and only the fifth episode was not able to break the 6 million mark, in contrast to Series 20. The second part of that series' special set in Burma, which also served as the series' closing episode, saw the series' highest ratings, with 7.01 million people tuning in to watch. Part 2 would also become the show's joint-third highest-rated episode from a critical standpoint, receiving a 9.1/10 rating on IMDb.

Though controversies continued to put pressure on the BBC, all three hosts would get one final outing together for the show's twenty-second series, which would start in December 2014 with the Patagonia Special.

Episodes[]

Episode Film(s) Track Test SIARPC
1 (160) To prove that older hot hatches are better than their modern day counterparts the presenters each choose their favourite classic hot hatch and set off on a road trip that culminates at a Welsh army base and a confrontation with the Top Gear Police Department. None Hugh Bonneville
2 (161) Richard test drives the Alfa Romeo 4C in Italy before staging a race against Jeremy on a quadski. Jeremy also heads to Belgium for a road test of the McLaren P1. James is in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan to learn about the army's vehicle redeployment efforts.  None Tom Hiddleston
3 (162) The presenters take three of the latest hatch backs on a road trip across Ukraine from Crimea to Chornobyl. Zenvo ST1 (Jeremy) James Blunt
4 (163) Richard heads to the dunes of the UAE for a test of a new six-wheeled off-roading monster from Mercedes. Jeremy drives the Touring Disco Vilante in Italy.  Caterham 160 and 620R (James) Jack Whitehall
5 (164) Richard drives the Porsche 918 around the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, Jeremy and James join forces to create a cyclist themed public information film. BMW M135i vs Volkswagen Golf GTI (Jeremy) Aaron Paul
6 (165) (Burma Special, Pt. 1) The presenters head to Myanmar, more commonly known as Burma, for a trucking adventure across a country that only recently opened it's doors to Westerners. Their destination: the River Kwai in Thailand. None None
7 (166) (Burma Special, Pt. 2) The presenters reach the climax of their Burmese adventure. Reaching the volatile Shan State the presenters head for the border with Thailand. None None

Controversy[]

In the second part of the Burma Special, a scene showing the presenters looking over their completed bridge over the Kok River, featured a moment in which a native of the area is crossing the bridge as Jeremy says to Richard about their finished work - "That is a proud moment, but there's a slope on it." Following the broadcast of the second part, complaints of racism arose in regard to the comment, primarily citing that "slope" was a derogatory term for an Asian, leading to Top Gear and Andy Wilman, the show's executive producer, apologising for any offence caused by it in late April 2014, while subsequently cutting the scene from future repeats of the special.

Reception[]

Series 21 received an average score of 8.7/10 on IMDB.

Trailer[]

Top_Gear_-_Trailer_21

Top Gear - Trailer 21

Navigation[]

Series (2002 format)
2016+ Series 23 | Series 24 | Series 25 | Series 26 | Series 27
2002 - 2015 Series 1 | Series 2 | Series 3 | Series 4 | Series 5 | Series 6 | Series 7 | Series 8 | Series 9 | Series 10 | Series 11
Series 12 | Series 13 | Series 14 | Series 15 | Series 16 | Series 17 | Series 18 | Series 19 | Series 20 | Series 21 | Series 22
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