Apparently there have been a few teething problems for the new episodes of Top Gear though that was to be expected given recent departures of several key people from the production crew plus news there would be no less than six co-hosts (seven if you include the Stig). It’s also been reported that lead host Chris Evans even threatened to quit.

According to Radio Times, the new season of Top Gear, number 23 for the current format, will miss its originally planned May 8 launch. We’re now likely to see the first episode premiere on May 22. And the later starting date may also mean there will be just six episodes for the season instead of eight as originally planned.

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One of the main reasons for the fewer episodes is said to be concerns about the season running into the summer when it will have to compete for viewers alongside programming for the 2016 Olympic Games and soccer's European Championship. And starting after the summer is apparently not an option as the show's producer, the BBC, is said to be “desperate” to avoid it running alongside Amazon Prime’s new show which will star former hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May and start this fall.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the BBC told Radio Times the broadcaster was “working towards a May transmission” for the new episodes and that further details on the launch date and season structure would be announced closer to that date.

Stay tuned.

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