The Grand Tour (Clarkson, May & Hammond)

Well i sat down and watched most of episode 2 last night after the mouse wife had gone to bed and i was struggling a bit again.
it is just a little to "Yank" in places for me. I think that the program has now been adjusted to be rest of the world friendly but not the brits now.
 
The whole gun scene thing was just awful.....
 
If you're of South African decent it was a pretty awesome episode..
 
keenan said:
If you're of South African decent it was a pretty awesome episode..
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I think that is what the program is trying to do, be very world friedly. I think each episode will be based in a new location.
 
Mr Bump said:
I think that is what the program is trying to do, be very world friedly. I think each episode will be based in a new location.
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Absolutely, but because I am South African "ninety-eleventy-five" percent of everything in this episode was very relatable. I guess that's why I enjoyed it more than other people might have..
 
keenan said:
Absolutely, but because I am South African "ninety-eleventy-five" percent of everything in this episode was very relatable. I guess that's why I enjoyed it more than other people might have...
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I think Amazon are going for the big money on this one and they will get it but the old school brits which are now the minority audience will not get it but thats life
 
I thought it was good old fashioned top gear fun. Nothing wrong with the shooting expedition at all.
 
Mr Bump said:
I think Amazon are going for the big money on this one and they will get it but the old school brits which are now the minority audience will not get it but thats life
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I'm an old-school Brit and I get it, so do many of my friends !
 
Enjoyed the first episode. The gun bit in the second was like Last of the Summer Wine with bullets and explosions - and about as funny. Less obviously scripted stuff please.
 
Not a fan of episode 2 so much: so now they're a comedy trio who happen to sometimes talk about cars. Somehow I didn't manage to find the screening of JC being shot repeatedly as funny as his detractors would like it to be.
 
Only watched episode 1 so far and found it OK (so massively overrated).
Opening sequence was embarrassingly self-indulgent. The only way they could fete Clarkson anymore would be to put a crown on him.
HyperCar shootout was standard TG fayre and so was done well. Everything else was a bit naff - dead celebrities was slightly amusing at first but will get old quickly. The new track is dull, despite the desperate hyping of a cheap bit of farmland (I thought this had a huge budget?!). New Stig is excruciatingly cliched.

The Beeb version got better after episode 1 so I hope this does too, although given the team have worked together before they should have nailed it out the gate.
 
Think we are all expecting a bit much from a car show with 3 wealthy middle aged men. Making it global has lost its identity imo. The world bought Top Gear because it was so British and the trio had a chemistry that came across on screen. All I can see now is a lot of budget on screen and some poor script writing/acting.
 
Very much back on form with episode 3, although whoever came up with the recurring joke of the celebrities dying really should have their career suffer the same fate.
 
Fuzzdog said:
Very much back on form with episode 3, although whoever came up with the recurring joke of the celebrities dying really should have their career suffer the same fate.
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Agreed. Funnyish the first time only. Forced like first 2 episodes for me.
 
I've watched all three and the third episode is the best so far. But the chemistry is missing, or something like that?

Are the three of them directing or producing each episode?

I think they need telling what to do rather than making it up as they go along.
 
I'm absolutely loving this series; all three episodes are really good, for very different reasons. I really like the name and approach of the Grand Tour. Definitely works for me.
 
I wasn't that keen on the 3rd episode, better than #2, but not by much. :rolleyes: The Hammond stuff was a bit over the top, and it just went on an on. Not really comparing or testing the cars against each other. They seem to have thought that they are now an entertainment show first, rather than a car show that entertains. Push the car stuff to the background, and frankly there are many funnier people than them. The killing off the the star was sadly still there, but at least you could actually see that the star turned up this week.

Let's see what #4 is like.
 
If Evans had put those three episodes out as new Top Gear (kill-a-celeb, fat yank stig-a-like, the FPS shooting scene etc) they would have been panned beyond words.

It's ironic that the Grand Tour is more Top Gear than 'new' Top Gear is and I'm beginning to think its worse. In fact it is worse as a motoring show, as an entertainment show its borderline.
 
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AndyB1976 said:
If Evans had put those three episodes out as new Top Gear (kill-a-celeb, fat yank stig-a-like, the FPS shooting scene etc) they would have been panned beyond words.

It's ironic that the Grand Tour is more Top Gear than 'new' Top Gear is and I'm beginning to think its worse. In fact it is worse as a motoring show, as an entertainment show its borderline.
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Evans could never have made those things funny (I'm not sure he could make anything funny, but that's personal bias from before TG) where as the terrible trio can and sometimes do.
 
I think now they've got rid of Evans it will be quite watchable for the next season. 3 wasnt as bad as 2 but the whole hammond thing being a dick just ruined it for me. And their swearing isnt bleeped out anymore which just makes it come across as even more juvenile. Just me getting old i guess but outside of the specials that these 3 do im finding the weekly ep's pretty cringeworthy
 
I've just watched ep 2 and it filled the hour pretty well, I had a few laughs and didn't get bored which is all I expect from an entertainment comedy show with a motoring slant...
 
ancient_mariner said:
Evans could never have made those things funny (I'm not sure he could make anything funny, but that's personal bias from before TG) where as the terrible trio can and sometimes do.
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My point is neither did Clarkson make them funny and that's why I'm disappointed!

The thing is Clarkson, May and Hammond own this genre. They are not new to it unlike the original TopGear revamp back in the early 2000's which took a while to get going and become the phenomenon that it did.

Also the language and dodgy shooter scene is barely family friendly. Can't believe Amazon let that go for family viewing, it did nothing for the show. Three aging men drooling over a prick teasing, cock teasing, dick teasing, penis teasing beamer or an oafish fat host getting bummed whilst jammed in a window - hilarious, seriously?

**edit thought the swear filter would have caught most of that, but as Amazon allow it must be now ok ;-)**
 
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Norkie said:
I've watched all three and the third episode is the best so far. But the chemistry is missing, or something like that?.
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Yes, watched ep 3 this afternoon and much better than ep 2.

Yes I'd agree - but it seems more in the "studio" rather than the films - not sure whether Hammond is trying to take more of a part / lead, but there's something not right - Hammond was getting too much in the tent, just seems to be speaking / making a point for the sake of it...
 
Hammond just wants to be Clarkson. In the first episode he even appeared to be copying his clothes. A bit sad really.
 
Just seen episode 3 - laughed out loud at times, and enjoyed that one much more than 2.
 
Just watched episode 3 and it was an improvement over the previous 2 but still laggig behind TG at it's best (Pre Chris Evans naturally).

The need for it to be an Amazon global reach product is clear and it feels like the manic spontaneity has had a 'pause' inserte to allow the global audience to catch it (or read the local language sub-titles?) before they speed up again.

A quarter way through the series and I am enjoying it generally but, like like when I get a pre-packed cheese salad sandwich, I have to remove the cucumber before I can enjoy it fully. Amazon have pre-packed the show without regard to the fact that not everyone wants cucumber.

On the profanity..... I personally don't give a "+#π and in many US made TV programmes, the use of foul language is a norm. The US version of House of Cards (with Kevin Spacey) had the double whammy of the use of the most profane 'C' word, delivered by a woman. The times have changed and that genie is out of the bottle.

Episode 6 could be my watershed moment but, correct me if I am wrong, if every viewer in the UK stopped watching, does anyone think Amazon would pull the show early, or justvnot create season 2?

Perhas Mrs Trellis of Tunbridge Wells could let us know .[emoji5]
 
Just watched 3

Big improvement. All still a bit familiar but I did laugh out loud a few times. The studio stuff was far less cringey too.
 
Hugh Jarse said:
tle.

Episode 6 could be my watershed moment but, correct me if I am wrong, if every viewer in the UK stopped watching, does anyone think Amazon would pull the show early, or justvnot create season 2?
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Amazon have signed for (and paid for) 36 episodes over 3 years, it would likely take death to prevent those being made now.
 
Dave1 said:
Amazon have signed for (and paid for) 36 episodes over 3 years, it would likely take death to prevent those being made now.
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Dave

Thanks for that.

I have not been following the detail of their deal so yes it would take a death.... then again there's always Chris Evans in reserve [emoji48]
 
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