Top Gear - The Complete Specials [DVD]

It's great to have all their specials in one DVD set, but I encountered a problem with one of the DVDs. So now I have to buy it separately. If you're a fan of Clarkson, May, and Hammond, you'll definitely enjoy these specials, some of which I haven't seen before. Just a word of caution - unless you plan on keeping them as a collection, I recommend getting rid of the hard plastic container it comes in. I've had issues with these containers in the past; they're only meant for storing your DVDs and not very durable. Be careful when taking out the DVDs - do it one at a time and be mindful not to lose or damage them. Trust me, it doesn't take much for a DVD to get ruined.

This collection has some great content, but it's important to note that not all of it can be considered true 'Top Gear Specials'. Some scenes included here were not shown on TV and there are also deleted scenes. The crew commentaries are mostly entertaining. However, the Middle-East and India Specials were a bit disappointing as they tried new things that didn't quite work out. Despite these shortcomings, it's commendable that they took risks. After the India special, they returned to the format that made earlier specials more enjoyable. The inclusion of non-Specials material from other Top Gear DVD sets and those two lackluster specials prevent it from receiving a full 5-star rating. Nevertheless, it is still worth purchasing for the good content and nostalgic memories of when Top Gear was at its best.

In general, this set is fantastic. It is well-packaged and presented beautifully. The DVDs have impressive audio and visual quality, especially considering the reasonable price. However, there is one small issue with the US Special being heavily edited. Approximately 8 minutes of scenes have been removed, causing some later events to be confusing without the context of the cut content. Fortunately, this is the only instance where editing is noticeable; all other specials are either broadcast length or director's cuts.