Hey guys,
Got back from the Top Gear studio earlier today, I thought I’d tell you a bit about it.
Filming was on Wednesday, but its a 5 and a half hour drive from sunny Wales, so gathered my mates together and I drove down on the Tuesday and stayed at my mates house, who lives an hour away from Gilford (where the studio is). So anyway, there’s me and 4 of my mates (2 girls 2 guys as specified by the BBC, they said try and get a 50/50 split.) Driving up to the airfield, show tickets at the gate, receive snazzy Top Gear wrist bands:
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/3059/tgjg6.jpg
Park up, wait a while for everyone to get there and then get stewarded to the aircraft hanger where the show is filmed. It simply just a big aircraft hanger with everything in that you see on the TV. including cool wall, interview/news area and various other parts. Some guy jumps on the stage (interview/news area) and chats on then brings on Clarkson. From then on everything is just like a live comedy gig. He chats to the audience (500 of us) and interacts really well. He lights up (yes he smokes), and then brings on Hammond and May. Much of the same occurs, lots of banter with the audience and between the presenters.
The whole show is filmed in order as you see it on the TV some parts have to be redone when Clarkson swears, which he does ALOT, or when Hammond can't stop laughing. The clips are pre-recorded that week, so they let us watch them on the many plasma screens dotted around the place. I don't really want to tell you exactly what happens on the show because I don't want to ruin anything. I'll just tell you a few things, there was over 2.5 millions pounds worth of cars in the hanger, including the new Lamborghini Murcielago *drools*and the old Lambo's:
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9428/lamxl7.jpg
The celebrity guest is Kristin Scott Thomas, (the woman which the cars on the cool wall are tested against). Filming took 5 hours, halfway through there was a break where I got to meet the presenters (got there signatures), Clarkson is a very funny guy but you can tell he's a tad uphimself, Hammond is really nice and really small! May is quieter than the other two but you can tell he's a nice guy.
I might be shown in the audience but I doubt you'll see me because even though I’m 6'2 there’s always going to be some guy who's a tall git standing in front of you. I'm most likely to be seen when they show the new Lambo at the end when Clarkson is walking round it. The show is shown this Sunday.
That's all for now, any questions just ask. :)
Jimi.
