RICHARD HAMMOND TAKES ON THE MOST ICONIC AND DARING JOBS IN AMERICA

The Brit is put to the test like never before in season two of BBC AMERICA's original series, Richard Hammond's Crash Course

New York - September 14, 2012 - Richard Hammond exits the driver's seat and leaves his comfort zone, trading America's monstrous machines for America's most daring and distinctive jobs in the second season of BBC AMERICA's original series Richard Hammond's Crash Course, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. In each episode, he will face head-on new, wildly unfamiliar, comical and, at times, frightening occupations - with less than five days to master each job. From balancing himself on a paper thin paddleboard above the shark-infested Pacific ocean and peddling the vertical San-Francisco terrain as a bike messenger, to braving the bold feats of a Hollywood stuntman - viewers will see Richard attempt to master skills that often take years to learn. Season two of Richard Hammond's Crash Course premieres Monday, October 22 at 10:00pm ET/PT.

In season one of Crash Course, viewers saw Richard take on some of America's largest and dangerous machines. From learning the positions of a US Army MIA2 Abrams tank and maneuvering a two-ton wrecking ball, to operating the world's most powerful fire engine - Richard has proven he is a master of - powerful machinery. This season, Richard takes his Crash Course to a new level. He will immerse himself in uniquely American and often terrifying vocations - tasked with quickly acquiring skills that are not only outside his range of expertise, but pull at the strings of some of his greatest fears. Can Richard beat the heat and conquer his fear of heights when the role of Hollywood stuntman literally sets him on fire and dares him to dive from the top of a bridge? Will he be able to keep his head above crashing four-foot waves to reach the finish line of an eight-mile down-winder race along Oregon's Hood River? And can Richard overcome the thing he fears most, a live audience, when he hits the stage as a stand-up comic at a top New York City comedy club? All this and much more will be put to the test as viewers live vicariously through the daredevil Brit.

While fans around the world know Richard as the charismatic auto-expert on the world's biggest car show, Top Gear, they'll experience a whole new side of the international TV personality when he is placed in settings they - nor he - would have ever expected to find him. Calming a 1,700 pound bull in an enclosed space, wrangling deadly rattle snakes in Southern California, standing at the foot of a rocket-launch in the Mojave Desert, juggling scissors, clippers, and the regular clientele at a Harlem barbershop, and much more - season two of Crash Course brings Richard face to face with occupations that require nerves of steel.

Richard Hammond's Crash Course is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for BBC AMERICA. Tod Mesirow is executive producer. Elli Hakami, Jane Tranter, Tim Pastore and Courtney Conte are executive producers for BBC Worldwide Productions.

Catch Richard as he also hosts an all new BBC AMERICA original two-part special - Top Gear Top Fails - a celebration of the "How hard can it be?" endeavors of Top Gear. The special includes some of the most memorable (ambitious, but rubbish) challenges, as well as many lesser-known, but no-less destructive, adventures. The result is a comical look back at all that Top Gear has tried to accomplish with Richard sharing in the laughs of these spectacular fails. Part one of Top Gear Top Fails premieres Monday, October 22 at 9:00pm ET/PT, prior to the 10:00pm ET/PT season two premiere of Richard Hammond's Crash Course. Part two of the special premieres Monday, October 29 at 9:00pm ET/PT, prior to the episode two premiere of Richard Hammond's Crash Course.

Note to editors Twitter: @TheHamstersCage @BBCAMERICA Hashtag: #RichardHammond Photos: http://press.bbcamerica.com Trailer: Richard Hammond's Crash Course season 2 Show Site: http://www.bbcamerica.com/crash-course

RICHARD HAMMOND

Best known as co-host of the world's biggest car show, Top Gear, Richard Hammond's extensive career includes radio and television programs, covering everything from science and cars to technology, wildlife and game shows. Richard has been with Top Gear for ten years, joining the series in 2002. The irreverent, witty and unabashedly honest series filled with stunts and challenges, sees Richard, alongside co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May, taking vehicles to the limit and beyond.

Beloved by fans for his quintessential charm and wit, Richard has appeared in over 50 television projects and has his own production company, Hamster's Wheel Productions. He currently resides in the UK... when he isn't traveling the globe. Twitter: @TheHamstersCage

CAST AND PRODUCTION CREDITS

Host Richard Hammond (Top Gear)

Executive Producer Tod Mesirow (Fashion Star, Mythbusters, Wired Science)

BBC Worldwide Productions Elli Hakami (What Not to Wear, Gold Rush: Alaska, Dual Survivor)

Executive Producers Jane Tranter (Top Gear (U.S), Dancing with the Stars, Torchwood) Tim Pastore (Dirty Jobs, Gold Rush: Alaska, Swamp Loggers) Courtney Conte (That 70s Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Roseanne)

BBC AMERICA delivers US audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy(R), five Golden Globes(R) and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in more than 79 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition in all markets, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

About BBC Worldwide Productions

BBC Worldwide Productions, led by Jane Tranter, is based in Los Angeles and develops and produces scripted and non-scripted projects for U.S. cable and broadcast networks, as well as digital platforms. The production company is responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars (ABC), as well as Breaking Pointe (CW), Top Gear (HISTORY), Richard Hammond's Crash Course (BBC AMERICA), What Not to Wear (TLC), Torchwood: Miracle Day (Starz), The Week the Women Went (Lifetime), Lovetown, USA (OWN), and the upcoming title Da Vinci's Demons (Starz), among others. BBC Worldwide Productions sits within one of five core businesses that form BBC Worldwide, the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).