You may have read some scant details about our festive special in the papers this week. We can confirm their veracity. This Boxing Day Jeremy, Richard and James will be attempting their toughest task yet: passing themselves off as ‘three wise men’ while recreating that famous journey following a star to Bethlehem.
SPOILER ALERT: Those who want to keep it a surprise, stop reading here.
If you’re undertaking a journey of 1,200 perilous miles across countries and regions like Kurdistan, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Israel, taking in inhospitable stretches of obscure mountain and desert, one’s choice of vehicle is paramount. A 4×4, perhaps. Something rugged. Dependable. Lots of easy-to-find parts lying about in out-of-the-way garages would be handy. Our long-feted Toyota Hilux, perhaps?
No. Our presenters chose a fleet of second-hand convertibles: a Mazda MX5, BMW Z3 and Fiat Barchetta.
The opening scene should give you a clue of the perils to follow: a Russian transport plane with cars on board pulls into a darkened, unidentified airport. It’s in Iraq. The pilot opens the cargo doors thousands of feet up, but an aborted landing means a sudden steep climb with the doors still open. Richard can take up the story for you:
“Any initial concerns about where we were landing and what we were going to do when we got there paled in comparison to sitting in the driving seat of an elderly two-seater roadster, staring out of the open back door of a Russian transport plane going backwards at a million miles an hour while the pilot seemed to be wrestling a bear in the cockpit. And yes, I did scream. A lot. I still am inside.”
There’s also a drag race across one of Saddam’s runways, Jeremy has to protect his car from gunfire in a hair-raising moment, and a disguised sneak across the Syrian desert doesn’t exactly go to plan. Jeremy also addresses the question that crops up after every nativity play: ‘What exactly is myrrh, and where do you buy it?’
The Three Wise Men Christmas Special will be on BBC2 on Boxing Day at 8pm. Not only that, Top Gear will be back with another new episode just five days before on Tuesday 21 December at 8pm on BBC2. And then the series proper begins early in the New Year. Full TV listings details are at the Radio Times as always.
We hope you enjoy it, and check back as always on TopGear.com for more details and exclusives around the new shows in the coming weeks…
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What do you think?
Anonymous commented on this article
Monday January 3, 2011 at 5:11 pm
just wondering if the xmas special will be repeated
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Rawand commented on this article
Tuesday January 4, 2011 at 9:41 am
hi top gear team:
wise man: Jeremy, Richard, Hamond,
i am boy from Sulaimania in Kurdistan, i want to thank you and
bbc team for your visit to Kurdistan, and you’ve been frightened in a wrong way
because Kurdistan is different from Iraq and it’s the safest part in Iraq,
and like you have experienced, we as a Kurd love to help foreigners and
making giving them smile, not shooting them like in Baghdad.
again, many many thanks,
Rawand Haider. From Kurdistan.
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Anonymous commented on this article
Tuesday January 4, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Hello Team. How come the episode has been taken off BBCi player?
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Lauren commented on this article
Tuesday January 4, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Hi team,
I love the song that James sang when he was bored on the christmas special, when he switched around the words to we three kings and put in ‘we three blokes from bbc 2′. But, I can’t seem to find the song anywhere (i only heard it once).
Please could you help me?
Or put it on youtube or on your website home page?
Thank you.
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DC commented on this article
Wednesday January 5, 2011 at 6:34 pm
This show is well and truly passed its sell by date. Ten minutes into the 2010 xmas special, ! changed channel !!
Repetitive and boring !!
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demi lovato commented on this article
Wednesday January 5, 2011 at 9:04 pm
hi top gear never miss an episode so funny
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DiBoss commented on this article
Wednesday January 19, 2011 at 2:33 am
In this episode Jeremy suggests to the lads a detour to visit the Sea of Galilee. I am a Syrian national, and I would love to go to this special site which is only 70km away from the capital. But I am prevented from visiting this magnificent place due to politics.
Thank you Top Gear for showing me a glimpse of a dream I hope to achieve one day.
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top gear 1 commented on this article
Monday November 21, 2011 at 8:51 pm
we three blokes of bbc two lol i love that song
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Testosterone enanthate 250 mg commented on this article
Monday December 5, 2011 at 2:41 am
You could certainly see your enthusiasm in the work you write ON transmission.blogs.topgea r.com . The world hopes for even more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to say how they believe. Always follow your heart.
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Kelly commented on this article
Monday December 26, 2011 at 9:36 am
Dear Team,
Hi Guys! Quick question! On the Christmas special, who did Jeremy say that the influence for the coloured stripes on his desert crossing car come from? Its just that these colours and stripes keep coming up in my life! And I am just curious! Thank you!!! Most importantly though….. I LOVE YOUR SHOW!!!!
All the Best!!! Kelly
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Gamat commented on this article
Friday April 13, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Definitely imagine that that you said. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the internet the easiest thing to consider of. I say to you, I certainly get annoyed whilst other folks think about issues that they just don’t understand about. You managed to hit the nail upon the highest and defined out the entire thing without having side-effects , other folks can take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thank you
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