Roger Moroney: Early and late model Top Gears on the lot

The new TG crew of (L-R) Chris Harris, Matt LeBlanc and Rory Reid...and a fiery Stig.

I wonder if Prime is engaging in that fine old wagering tradition called "covering your bets".

For they are rather wisely and astutely carrying out a sort of "take your choice"...choice...by running a well passed series of motoring's occasionally manic offering called Top Gear, as well as the very latest series from that almost historical stable.

For tonight, at 8.30 on Prime, the 25th series of Top Gear sparks up, led these days of course by American sitcom actor (and rather keen petrolhead) Matt LeBlanc with his chums Chris Harris and Rory Reid also donning the driving gloves and tweaking the lines in the script.

Yep, the 25th series, although it did actually ignite as a 30-minute piece about 41 years ago.

It was underwhelming then and there were gaps aplenty while it was re-bored.
So yep, 25 series now.

That is a lot of gasoline and a lot of damage, although this current crew do not appear too enthusiastic about dropping pianos on Hillmans or sending driverless cars (a wise option) down ski slopes.

Or setting fire to things, or holding up a stream of traffic on motorways while they rattle along in shed-built devices with offensive remarks sprayed all over them.

However, the lads who veered down those imaginatively destructive paths from to time, Messrs Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are still in screen action.

The new boys may start the Prime working week of driving but the old hands, Clarkson, Hamster and Captain Slow, wrap it up on Friday with a touch of the old times.

A noisy touch.

So now, while LeBlanc, Reid and Harris may not so regularly veer off the traditional driving path, they are (like the original three motor-mad stooges) very enthusiastic about machines which turn out more than five times the amount of horsepower the average four-door saloon out there on the street can manage.

So they happily and eagerly picked up the keys to three such "shatter the open speed limits in less than five seconds" cars for this opening night.

You will see and hear a fiery Ford, a juicy Jaguar and a magnificent McLaren...the latter which while built far away is still sort of ours yeah?

They hit the highways of the USA, and in places like parts of Texas and Nevada should be able to legally get some of the gee-gees galloping nicely.

The speed limits across some Nevada motorways are set at 130kmh while in Texas you can nudge 137kmh without being greeted by pretty red and blue flashing lights.

Although I daresay they did what they have always done, and that is get permission for certain roads to be temporarily closed off and put into the legal ether so they can open the things up to their fast-beating hearts content.

And for the jollies of the audiences of course.

So the new boys start the week off with howling exhausts and the old boys (now resigned to non-mainstream television) get to close it with an equally impressive line-up of powerful devices, and their idea of a road trip.

Not America though.

They head for the European landscape and threaten the autobahns and other such rubber-smeared strips with a Ford GT, a Ferrari F430 and a Pagani Zonda.

Yes it has been seen before, but it makes for a nice comparison between the more politically correct and the politically incorrect.

For Clarkson's crew were effectively well-paid hooligans given access to fast cars.

LeBlanc's team are more amiable...toward each other...and it is unlikely any of them would take a swing at the producer if a dinner booking had been overlooked.

But they are not averse to taking the occasional course off the usual path.

Like having a trio of tractors modified and emerging with a world speed record...for tractors.

Now when that emerges during this series it should go down rather well up in the rural highlands.

So yep, the new-look Top Gear kicks off the working week and the past old editions end it..although to be fair the Ferrari F430 will never look old.

ON THE BOX

Mayday, Prime at 9.35pm Tuesday: This is one series I am sure and confident does not get an airing on international flights.

You might catch a couple of old classic Steptoe and Son tales or the silliest Happy Days offerings, but avionic misadventures?

No way.

There's simply not enough numbing alcohol carried aboard the great buses in the sky to alleviate tension and anxiety should someone catch this episode...about the crew of a Garuda Indonesia flight losing all power, and the engines, during an electrical storm.

Oh, and if you're flying out somewhere tomorrow you may want to check out what's on the other channels...or just hit the sack.

Ewan and Colin McGregor: RAF Centenary, Choice at 7.30pm Wednesday: Probably fair to say actor Ewan McGregor is no stranger to a spot of daring and adventure, on and off the screen.

Ditto for his brother Colin who is a former RAF pilot.

So they make a fine team in terms of putting together a celebratory tribute to the Royal Air Force which has been frequenting the skies for 100 years.

And of course they too take to the skies as part of the whole deal.