Top Gear to return with more 'serious' tone

The new series of Top Gear begins this Sunday, but regular viewers have been warned that they might notice a slight difference in the tone of the show.

Amidst concerns that the hugely popular motoring programme was descending into farce, James May told the Radio Times that the latest season of Top Gear had retreated from some of the sillier stunts they staged in previous series.

"The keen observer will see a subtle change this series, a slight retreat from the Last of the Summer Wine tomfoolery. It's easy to get carried away – it's like drinking, you start to believe you're funny and other people might not," he said.