Editing Top Gear (1977 TV series)/Series 40/Episode 15

{{Infobox Episode
|episode = Episode 15
|image           =<tabs plain style="margin:0;padding:0;" container="text-align:center;">
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[[File:TG 1977 S40E15 Lead Image.jpg|300px]]
The [[Ford Focus (first generation)|Ford Focus]] goes sideways.
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<tab name="Thumb 2">
[[File:TG 1977 S40E15 - Focus Inside (1).jpg|300px]]
<small>This was Jeremy Clarkson's final episode as lead presenter until 2002.</small>
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|prodcode = NBHG250J
|number = 451
|length = 29:04
|viewers = 3.82 million
|previous = [[{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Episode 14|Series 40, Episode 14]]
|next = [[{{BASEPAGENAME}}/Blood, Salt & Tears: 100 Years of the Land Speed Record|Land Speed Record Special]]
|airdate = 17th December, 1998
}}

{{TG 1977 Episode|episodename=Series 40, Episode 15|airdate=17th December|year=1998|xth=fifteenth|series=[[Series 40]]|number=451st|number78=442nd|prognum=29th|totprog=30|resolution=576i|aspratio=4:3 Standard|tvorstream=British television|channel=BBC Two}} {{TG 1977 Episode Starring|hosta=Jeremy Clarkson|hostb=Tiff Needell|hostc=Quentin Willson|hostd=Vicki Butler-Henderson|hoste=|hostf=|hostg=|hosth=|hosti=|hostlast=Steve Berry}}

This episode is notable for being the final to feature Clarkson in his original capacity as lead host; he would announce<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/260265.stm BBC News - Clarkson slips out of ''Top Gear''.]</ref> his retirement from ''Top Gear'' at the beginning of 1999, citing<ref>[https://www.topgear.com/car-news/jeremy-clarkson/clarkson-leaving-top-gear-tv ''Top Gear'' - Clarkson leaving ''Top Gear'' TV.]</ref> a myriad of reasons including his dislike of the journey to Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham, and the direction in which the show was heading from a creative standpoint. He would be immediately succeeded in this role by Tiff Needell, with Clarkson's future co-host [[James May]] also stepping onboard for the programme's subsequent [[{{ROOTPAGENAME}}/Series 41|41st series]], which began airing in March of 1999.

==Synopsis==
{{TG Intro|narrator=Quentin Willson}}
*'''''Which [[The Car's The Star|Car's The Star]]?:''''' The most prestigious motoring award given this Thursday. ''Top Gear''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Top Gear/Car of the Year|Car of the Year]].
*'''''School Test:''''' Vicki learns to drive... at last.
*'''''Brave new World:''''' And a chilling glance into the future of motoring.

==Soundtrack==
{{Soundtrack}}

{{Song|songname=Hansen Bass - [[Jessica (instrumental)]]|playswhen=Plays during the title sequence.}}
{{Song|songname=Edward Elgar - Variation IX (Nimrod)|playswhen=Plays when Clarkson mentions the Jaguar XKR.}}

==Trivia==
*Jeremy Clarkson would make two further appearances in original format ''Top Gear'': the [[{{ROOTPAGENAME}}/Series 42/21 Years of Top Gear|21 Years of ''Top Gear'']] special and [[{{ROOTPAGENAME}}/Series 43/Episode 3|Series 43, Episode 3]], which aired in 1999 and 2000 respectively.
*It would be 99 episodes before Clarkson returned as lead host in ''Top Gear''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Top Gear (2002 TV series)/Series 1/Episode 1|550th episode]], which marked the beginning of the programme's 2002 relaunch.
*At 3.82 million viewers<ref>[https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-top-30/ Broadcasters Audience Research Board - Weekly top 30 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018).]</ref>, this episode would mark the final time ''Top Gear'' surpassed 3.8 million viewers for a single episode until [[Top Gear (2002 TV series)/Series 3/Episode 3|Series 3, Episode 3]] aired 5 years later.
*Both of these episodes starred Jeremy Clarkson as lead host.
*This episode also marked the final time Steve Berry appeared as part of the main presenting crew; his increased role with the digitally-based [[UKTV]] and its show ''[[Top Gear GTi]]'' meant he'd make only two further appearances in Series 41.

==References==
<references/>