BBC AMERICA GREENLIGHTS NEW ORIGINAL SERIES "TOP GEAR AMERICA"

Expansion of the Top Gear Franchise Will Premiere on BBCA Later This Year With Eight-Episode Season

New York - March 20, 2017 - BBC AMERICA announced today the greenlight of Top Gear America. With a nod to its UK roots, the reimagined US spin-off of Top Gear will appear on BBCA with three new presenters in eight hour-long episodes starting later this year. The series will be hosted by racing enthusiast and veteran film and television actor William Fichtner, world champion drag racer Antron Brown, and premier British automotive journalist Tom "Wookie" Ford. Season 24 of Top Gear is currently airing Sundays at 8/7c on BBCA.

Sarah Barnett, President of BBCA, commented: "We are big fans of the mix of cars, credibility and charisma that adds up to the winning formula for Top Gear, and couldn't be happier that BBCA is now the home for the franchise in the US, with Top Gear America joining the original show on our network. Bill, Antron and Wookie are serious gearheads who never take themselves too seriously. It will be quite the trip."

Top Gear America reviews not just exclusive and state-of-the-art vehicles but also the cars of America's culture defining past. From the latest supercars to the ultimate in automotive engineering technology, Top Gear America puts the viewer in the passenger seat alongside the car-obsessed hosts as they race the most incredible vehicles on the scenic highways and historic tracks of the American west. Each week will feature a different celebrity who will compete for top honor on the leader board at the new Top Gear studio and track, Speed Vegas. Of course, the one and only Stig, Top Gear's mysterious test driver, will be leaving everyone in his petrol-hazed wake.

Award-winning film and TV actor William Fichtner (Black Hawk Down, The Dark Knight, Armageddon, Lone Ranger, Prison Break) is a car nut and competitive racer. Antron Brown is a three-time NHRA Top Fuel Division world champion. Tom "Wookie" Ford was the Road Test Editor of CAR Magazine and previously appeared in BBCA's Mud, Sweat and Gears. He is currently the Associate Editor of Top Gear Magazine, and contributes to both TopGear.com and The Sunday Times.

Top Gear America is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for BBC AMERICA.

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Created in 1998, BBC AMERICA is a hub of innovative, culturally contagious programming like the ground-breaking un-scripted series Top Gear, the top-rated science-fiction phenomenon Doctor Who, and the fan-favorite Orphan Black. The influential network has been the launch pad for talent including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, and Graham Norton - all adopted as American pop culture icons. A joint venture between BBC Worldwide (the commercial arm of the BBC) and AMC Networks, BBCA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including five Emmy(R) Awards, five Golden Globes(R) and 12 Peabody Awards. The irrepressible network has garnered one of cable's most curious, educated and affluent audiences, with many properties boasting super-fan levels of engagement. Available on cable and satellite TV, BBC AMERICA broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, is available On Demand across all major digital platforms and offers full episodes online at bbcamerica.com.