Did Top Gear REALLY drive to the North Pole?

[Teflon Lettuce]

I'm not sure whether this has been discussed before, nor even if I've placed the thread in the right place, but here goes...

The Top Gear North Pole special has always bugged me.. did they actually go to the North Pole or was it just filmed somewhere in Norway/ Canada and just edited to look like they'd done the North Pole? I've checked on Guinness world records website and in the books, but can't find any reference to it... which suggests to me that it was just a stunt filmed somewhere else...can anyone provide an answer?

 

[AlexNL]

The Top Gear team didn't go to the geographic north pole, they went to the magnetic north pole. Here's a blogpost from someone who accompanied the team on their mission:

http://markwoodexplorer.com/expeditions/top-gear-expedition/

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

The Top Gear team didn't go to the geographic north pole, they went to the magnetic north pole. Here's a blogpost from someone who accompanied the team on their mission:

http://markwoodexplorer.com/expeditions/top-gear-expedition/

thanks for that, however it doesn't say that they ACTUALLY did it... all it says is that it was the "premise"

 

[class387]

Also, did Top Gear actually find the source of the Nile - that's the one I found dodgy?

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

Also, did Top Gear actually find the source of the Nile - that's the one I found dodgy?

lol well seeing as though they set out to build a bridge over the River Kwai and built it over the River Kok instead....

seriously, the North Pole thing bugs me cos they claimed to be the first to drive to the North Pole but it doesn't appear to be recognised by Guinness

 

[Warwick]

Top Gear is an entertainment programme which features motor cars. It is not necessarily factual.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

Top Gear is an entertainment programme which features motor cars. It is not necessarily factual.

I did actually kind of know that already.... but it presents itself as a factual programme and a journalistic one at that... hence the question

 

[InterCity:125]

Isn’t quite what you’re looking for but is interesting:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_controversies

 

[Bletchleyite]

lol well seeing as though they set out to build a bridge over the River Kwai and built it over the River Kok instead....

Oh, K.....

It's not like that kind of error has been made before, of course (by the film makers), the "Bridge over the River Kwai" actually crossed the Mae Khlong, if I recall correctly. The ever resourceful Thais corrected it for tourists by renaming the river

 

[Intermodal]

Isn’t quite what you’re looking for but is interesting:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_controversies

I'm surprised there is enough space on Wikipedia to store that page!

http://markwoodexplorer.com/expeditions/top-gear-expedition/

This was 1998?! Jeez... I'm getting old

 

[Darandio]

This was 1998?! Jeez... I'm getting old

Couldn't have been. The newer format of Top Gear didn't start until 2002.

 

[Intermodal]

Couldn't have been. The newer format of Top Gear didn't start until 2002.

Ah - I think I misunderstood the article. What they are saying is that they raced to the position of the magnetic north pole as was in 1998.

 

[ainsworth74]

Couldn't have been. The newer format of Top Gear didn't start until 2002.

Plus the number plate of the car is an 07 plate so that would suggest sometime after 2007. Indeed I would suggest it probably was 2007!

 

[DarloRich]

does it matter? It is a fun programme about 3 blokes cocking about. It isnt a serious exploration documentary!

( also i am fairly certain the BBC editorial guidelines would not allow false claims. There must be some truth in them)

 

[Intermodal]

does it matter? It is a fun programme about 3 blokes cocking about. It isnt a serious exploration documentary!

( also i am fairly certain the BBC editorial guidelines would not allow false claims. There must be some truth in them)

There is a dodgy middle ground to this where viewers can perceive a program as an factual documentary but the BBC would view whatever is on the program as an entertainment show - so what may be perceived as the viewer as complete fact may have been intended as comedy to entertain the viewer.

An example of this was when Telsa had a big go at Top Gear because they showed the Telsa being pushed into a garage to recharge when it had supposedly ran out of charge. In fact it never had done so and the BBC responded they were showing "what would happen" in such a situation.

Tesla sued for libel and lost.

 

[flymo]

The coordinates programmed into the Hilux Satnav or GPS or whatever was 78 degrees 35' 7" North, 104 degrees 11' 9" West. Got this from a screencap from the show.

 

[Groningen]

The magnetic North Pole is somewhere in Canada (if i am correct).

 

[InterCity:125]

The magnetic North Pole is somewhere in Canada (if i am correct).

You probably are. I believe the magnetic South Pole is somewhere in the ocean!