It’s been nearly two years since Tiff Needell announced Fifth Gear was coming to end but the former presenter has taken to Twitter to announce the program is making a return.
In a series of tweets, Needell said filming kicked off yesterday and the new season of Fifth Gear will debut in September. Little else is known about the show but the host confirmed it will air on Quest TV and will once again feature Jason Plato.
It remains unclear if the format will be changed but it will be nice to see Needell returning to television after an extended hiatus. As you’re probably aware, Needell started co-hosting Top Gear in 1987 and stayed with the program until it was cancelled in 2001. Following the cancellation of Top Gear, Needell went on to host Fifth Gear which began airing one year later.
Did some filming yesterday for a new series of … @FifthGearTV!! Yes, after a three year break we’re back for more in September.
— Tiff Needell (@tiff_tv) June 14, 2018
The show was largely over shadowed by the revived version of Top Gear but it would find a loyal and dedicated following that stuck with the program throughout its many network changes over the years. However, that all came to an end in May of 2016 when Needell announced the show was going off air. At the time, he said “Fifth Gear is finding it hard to get re-commissioned” and suggested it largely came down to money.
While a number of questions remain, Quest TV is owned Discovery Communications which also owns networks such as Discovery, HGTV and Velocity / Motor Trend Network. Velocity is worth mentioning as Fifth Gear used to air in the United States on that channel. However, it remains unclear if the new show will eventually be shown on the other side of the Atlantic.
We were both smoking tyres yesterday … https://t.co/TthoG8fziy
— Tiff Needell (@tiff_tv) June 14, 2018