Top Gear series 29

{{Short description|Series of a 2002 British TV show}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox television season | series_number = 29 | num_episodes = 5 | bgcolour = #554555 | network = [[BBC One]] | first_aired = {{Start date|df=yes|2020|10|4}} | last_aired = {{end date|df=yes|2020|11|1}} | starring = {{Plainlist| * [[Andrew Flintoff|Freddie Flintoff]] * [[Chris Harris (journalist)|Chris Harris]] * [[Paddy McGuinness]] * [[The Stig]]}} | episode_list = List of Top Gear (2002 TV series) episodes }} Series 29 of ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'', a British motoring magazine and [[factual television]] programme, was broadcast in the United Kingdom on [[BBC One]] during 2020,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-tv/top-gear-moving-bbc-one|title=Top Gear Moving to BBC One|publisher=Top Gear|date=10 February 2020}}</ref> consisting of five episodes between 4 October and 1 November.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000n81g|date= 4 October 2020|title=Top Gear Series 29 Air Date|publisher=BBC}}</ref> The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] affected production of the series, with several changes made as a result—studio segments were filmed on an outdoor set with social distancing maintained between presenters, audience members and production staff, the celebrity segment was dropped, and most films were recorded within Britain; a single international film was created, but this was produced in February 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-05-16/top-gear-series-29-scraps-overseas-filming/|title=Top Gear scraps International Films for Series 29|publisher=Radio Times|date=16 May 2020}}</ref>

This series' highlights included the presenters making their own home-made ice cream van, enduring a 24-hour challenge with saloon cars, motoring challenges involving cheap hire cars in [[Cyprus]], and a tribute to racing legend [[Stirling Moss]].

== Production == On 10 February 2020, it was announced that a twenty-ninth series of ''Top Gear'' had begun filming and would air on [[BBC One]], being the first series of the show to do so. On 16 May 2020, it was announced that, due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the series would not feature international films (with the exception of the Cyprus rental car challenge, which was filmed in February 2020); instead the show would film in and around the UK.

On 9 September 2020, it was announced that the show would feature a new drive in studio on the runway at Dunsfold, to ensure that audience members were physically distanced during filming.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-tv/top-gear-tv-back-drive-movie-twist|title=Top Gear Returns with a Drive In Movie Twist|publisher=Top Gear|date=9 September 2020}}</ref> This series was the last series to have its studio segments filmed at [[Dunsfold Aerodrome]] as had been the case since 2002. [[Television Centre, London]] was used for filming studio segments from the thirtieth series onwards.

For this series the Star in a Reasonably Fast Car segment was dropped to maintain social distancing.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-09-28/top-gear-drops-star-in-a-reasonably-priced-car-segment-new-series/|title=Top Gear Drops Star in a Reasonably Priced Car Segment|publisher=Radio Times|date=28 September 2020}}</ref>

== Episodes == {{Main|List of Top Gear (2002 TV series) episodes}} <onlyinclude> {{Episode table|background=#554555|overall=5|series=5|aux1=24|aux2=34|airdate=11|viewers=10|country=UK|aux1T=Reviews|aux2T=Features/challenges|viewersR=<ref name="BARB12-29">{{cite web|url=https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/four-screen-dashboard/|title=Four-screen dashboard|publisher=[[Broadcasters' Audience Research Board]] |accessdate=5 March 2019}}</ref>|episodes={{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 29 | EpisodeNumber = 216 | EpisodeNumber2 = 1 | Aux1 = [[Ferrari SF90 Stradale]] | Aux2 = Spending 24 Hours in Company Saloons ([[Volvo S60#Third generation (2019)|Volvo S60]] • [[Tesla Model 3]] • [[BMW 3 Series (G20)|BMW 3 Series]]) | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2020|10|4}} | Viewers = 5.40 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = #554555 }} {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 29 | EpisodeNumber = 217 | EpisodeNumber2 = 2 | Aux1 = None | Aux2 = Original 200mph Supercars in [[Yorkshire]] ([[Jaguar XJ220]] • [[Lamborghini Diablo]] • [[Ferrari F40]]) • Performance Insurance Write Offs ([[Maserati Quattroporte#Quattroporte V (M139, 2003–2012)|Maserati Quattroporte]] • [[Porsche 987#Cayman|Porsche Cayman S]] • [[Ford Focus (first generation)#RS|Ford Focus RS]]) | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2020|10|11}} | Viewers = 5.05 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = #554555 }} {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 29 | EpisodeNumber = 218 | EpisodeNumber2 = 3 | Aux1 = [[Lamborghini Urus]] • [[Audi RS 6#C8 (Typ 5G, 2019–Present)|Audi RS6]] | Aux2 = Cheap Hire Cars in [[Cyprus]] ([[Suzuki Jimny#Third generation (1998)|Suzuki Jimny]] • [[Ford Focus (second generation, Europe)#Coupé-Cabriolet|Ford Focus CC]] • [[Kia Picanto#First generation (SA; 2003)|Kia Picanto]]) | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2020|10|18}} | Viewers = 6.04 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = #554555 }} {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 29 | EpisodeNumber = 219 | EpisodeNumber2 = 4 | Aux1 = None | Aux2 = [[Wales|Welsh]] roadtrip in New British GTs ([[McLaren GT]] • [[Aston Martin DBX]] • [[Bentley Flying Spur (2005)#Third generation (2019–present)|Bentley Flying Spur]]) • Tribute to [[Stirling Moss]] | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2020|10|25}} | Viewers = 5.85 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = #554555 }} {{Episode list/sublist|Top Gear series 29 | EpisodeNumber = 220 | EpisodeNumber2 = 5 | Aux1 = [[Mini Electric]] • [[Opel Corsa#Corsa-e|Vauxhall Corsa-e]] • [[Honda e]] | Aux2 = Building an Electric All-Terrain [[Ice cream van]] | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2020|11|1}} | Viewers = 6.06 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = #554555 }} }}</onlyinclude>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1628033/episodes?season=29 Series 29] at the [[Internet Movie Database]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Top Gear series 29}} [[Category:2020 British television seasons]] [[Category:Top Gear (2002 TV series) series]]