Talk:Top Gear: Polar Special

Airplane
What was the airplane that they found? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.233.71.170 (talk) 04:00, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

It was a C-47 Transport, the military version of the Douglas DC-3 ("Dakota") airliner.Matthew CB Allen (talk) 22:06, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

hammond never made it?? poor him.. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.4.75.154 (talk) 14:51, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

I think that the plane they found should be mentioned- I can't see why it shouldn't.Floorhugger (talk) 15:47, 30 December 2008 (UTC)


 * I'm not entirely sure why you think there might be a reason that it shouldn't be mentioned! :) There is no discussion to say otherwise and it seems a reasonable idea - if we're going to devote whole articles to these episodes they may as well explain what (little) was encountered along the way. In the spirit of WP:BB please go ahead! Halsteadk (talk) 16:40, 30 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Info about the plane can be found at http://www.oldwings.nl/content/c47_yic/c47.htm84.164.163.153 (talk) 00:42, 24 August 2010 (UTC)

That's great, are you going to add it in yourself or wait for someone else to do it?? Dylan (talk) 15:19, 25 September 2010 (UTC),


 * There is no need to include info on the plane as it barely had much screen-time in the episode. Consider this subject closed. GUtt01 (talk) 23:29, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

This subject is not, in fact, closed. GardenGlobetrotter (talk) 19:39, 2 November 2022 (UTC)

Pole vs. Pole
I noticed that in the BBC America cut of this episode at least, it was never mentioned which pole they were heading for and if they hadn't shown the coordinates on the truck GPS near the end, I'd never have known it wasn't the true North Pole they were aiming for. Ttenchantr (talk) 22:19, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

The co-ordinates shown on their SatNav when they were said to be at the North Pole were: N78˚35’7” W104˚11’9”. Steoroid.com states that, at this “finishing point”, they were 792 miles from the North Pole or 307 miles from the magnetic North Pole:

The North Pole is at N90 latitude, of course, and all the Longitudes at once. What’s the difference? According to the Great Circle Mapper, the difference is 792 miles, or 1275 kilometers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.138.180.162 (talk) 16:28, 7 September 2011 (UTC)
 * They reach the Geomagnetic North Pole Rmckenney (talk) 10:12, 8 July 2016 (UTC)


 * I hardly understand how anyone watching the BBC America version of this episode could be confused as to which Pole they were going to. The race was to the North Pole, the Magnetic location of 1998. Consider this subject closed for discussion. GUtt01 (talk) 23:30, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

This subject is not, in fact, closed for discussion. GardenGlobetrotter (talk) 19:41, 2 November 2022 (UTC)

Second truck
I realize this article is principally about the truck that May and Clarkson drove to the magnetic north pole (or thereabouts), but in acuality, there were two trucks, the second of which was the crew/camera truck, which May later drove to the mouth of a volcano. Given that, it should be mentioned, not only for the sake of accuracy, but also to provide information about the second to readers who have seen the May v the volcano episode. I'm considering making some revisions to reflect the presence of the second truck, both given the two were build identically and given the later significance of the second truck. I can see that being something that purists might find objectionable, so I thought I'd start a discussion first. --Drmargi (talk) 21:38, 11 March 2012 (UTC)


 * You are right to include info on the second truck. In reality, Clarkson and May's expedition used three trucks - Two Hiluxs and a third pickup belong to Toyota. The Hilux not used by the presenters along with the Toyota, were used by the camera crew support team. This matter has been resolved recently. GUtt01 (talk) 23:32, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

Not the first
Well sort of. They were the first to drive to the Magnetic North Pole, but were not the first to drive to "the North Pole" as this expedition is sometimes reported as. The North Pole and the Magnetic North Pole are different things, and Lada Niva Marshs had been driven to the North Pole several times before this expedition - http://www.ladaniva.co.uk/baxter/resources/LadaOddities.htm — Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.49.0.2 (talk) 03:23, 11 March 2015 (UTC)

Reality and fiction
I think it ought to draw a clearer line between the reality and the fiction of the show; I doubt that the team really spent their time screwing around during cold weather training "being trained in setting up a tent...Clarkson was pushed into the water, etc". That's what they filmed and used in the show, but it was almost certainly just for the benefit of the cameras. They are perfectly capable of setting up tents, and they don't really act that way in real life: it's a camera persona. It should be clear between the difference between what's presented as something, and what actually happened. For example, going by what it was supposed to look like, they drove to the Pole in a single truck, just Clarkson and May. But in reality, there was two trucks and a number of film crew and other people. So, what's shown on screen should not be treated as if it was fact in an article. AnnaGoFast (talk) 21:44, 12 April 2016 (UTC)
 * In the episode, they actually make it clear that there are nine of them: Clarkson and May, two mechanics, four camera crew, and a soldier. Rmckenney (talk) 09:12, 8 July 2016 (UTC)


 * The number of people in Clarkson and May's expedition is right. There's a mistake though in the number of vehicles - its not two but three, and the third was not a Hilux. And in the episode, it is quite clear they had others, because the trucks with them featured in various shots as well as the support crew. While it is true they might have staged some things, I hardly think they would stage true agony and frustration of their journey, nor the accidents they had. What is shown in the episode is clearly mostly real, but only what they showed, and nothing that was behind the scenes. GUtt01 (talk) 23:36, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

Rewrite/editing
My English isn't good enough to rewrite this article but could somebody please do some editing on it? The sentences, and side remarks, just go on and on, commas everywhere, while, at the same time, I'm fairly sure it should be possible, within limits, to shorten these endless, or dare I say infinite, strings of words into shorter, better readable, sections without damaging the structure, or content, of the article. As such. Thanks.  Yinta n  14:41, 10 August 2016 (UTC)


 * I cannot justify the need to rewrite the article or corrections to it. There is hardly anything wrong here. GUtt01 (talk) 23:38, 5 September 2016 (UTC)


 * Considering you are the editor who has added all that material, I'm not surprised. But IMHO the text of the version [before you started] was clear and to the point. Now the article is drowning in trivia. I could of course just reverse to the old version but that would be rude. I do believe a lot of trimming has to be done, though. By the way, I understand you don't like your work questioned but stop removing that COPYEDIT template, please. Let someone else be the judge.  Yinta n  21:26, 6 September 2016 (UTC)


 * I have responded to the CE request. What was previously written needing thinning out and improving, but was originally very comprehensive. My edits have bought the article length down, but not lost any of the factual information. Please discuss further changes here rather than make further sweeping edits without consultation. Thanks.Stingray Trainer (talk) 22:32, 9 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Not sure if it's been done since but some of the sentences are very strange sounding. Like this one is a weird comment on the 'interpretation' of it, without a source. Probably should be deleted...? "Still, the events depicted should be understood as an actual polar expedition." 148.64.30.2 (talk) 10:09, 17 May 2023 (UTC)