Julius Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 (edited) After the AWFUL Top Gear episode that aired last night, the first since TG's return, I figured the only way to make up for it was to start talking about Jeremy Clarkson's Amazon Prime rebuttal: The Grand Tour. This show will star Jeremy Clarkson, along with his former Top Gear co-hosts and close friends, James May and Richard Hammond. The show will include JC's self proclaimed "most dangerous stunt I've ever done", the 918 vs laFerrari vs P1 duel we were all promised towards the end of their time on Top Gear (around Imola, no less), as well as being filmed in central London, the Middle East, France, and Germany so far. The Grand Tour will be aired on a weekly basis on Amazon Prime, as opposed to the typical "reveal all" basis of most original streaming shows, and is due for release in Autumn 2016. The show will consist of 12 shows in its first season, with 24 more being added over the next two years according to the contracts of the presenters, and will be presented in a giant tent. Autumn couldn't come soon enough... Edited May 30, 2016 by Julius Caesar
Ramar Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 Autumn couldn't come soon enough... Right? Please don't wish away summer for Jeremy Clarkson.
Julius Posted May 30, 2016 Author Posted May 30, 2016 Right? Please don't wish away summer for Jeremy Clarkson. I swear I'm going to remove autocorrect from this device. -_- At least there will be something to do come Autumn, though, I think that's what has me most excited. A lot of games aren't out until November/December, same with shows, and in terms of movies it's pretty much a blank slate for blockbusters between Suicide Squad and Doctor Strange (and then, obviously, Rogue One!). I cannot wait. I love cars, and these guys have some of the best comedic and presenting chops in the business (as divisive as they may sometimes be).
Retro_Link Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 I enjoyed Top Gear last night. I genuinely laughed out loud numerous time. It was refreshing to have a change, compared to the heavily scripted events and blundering caricatures that the previous presenters became. I thought Matt LeBlanc was great. Really good. Chris Evans was ok, but I hope when watching the show back he realises that he doesn't need to shout. The camera is right there on him and yet he seems to feel like he needs to speak to someone at the very back of the audience, which is the case for a live event, that he may be more used to presenting, but not for a TV show. Mind you he shouts on TFI Friday. But his voice in that hanger becomes so shrill. I liked that they tried to shake up the hot lap. But I think I'd have preferred a flat out rally track if they're going to do something different. As it was, it seemed gimmicky. The celeb guests were also crap, and the 'game' they played, so self-indulgent for Gordon Ramsey it was disgusting. Hopefully when the guests actually have something decent to talk about they can cut out that crap. But as a whole I enjoyed it. Good features and a decent if unspectacular road-trip. I imagine they're easing the audience back in.
Nicktendo Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 I enjoyed Top Gear last night. I genuinely laughed out loud numerous time. It was refreshing to have a change, compared to the heavily scripted events and blundering caricatures that the previous presenters became. I thought Matt LeBlanc was great. Really good. Chris Evans was ok, but I hope when watching the show back he realises that he doesn't need to shout. The camera is right there on him and yet he seems to feel like he needs to speak to someone at the very back of the audience, which is the case for a live event, that he may be more used to presenting, but not for a TV show. Mind you he shouts on TFI Friday. But his voice in that hanger becomes so shrill. I liked that they tried to shake up the hot lap. But I think I'd have preferred a flat out rally track if they're going to do something different. As it was, it seemed gimmicky. The celeb guests were also crap, and the 'game' they played, so self-indulgent for Gordon Ramsey it was disgusting. Hopefully when the guests actually have something decent to talk about they can cut out that crap. But as a whole I enjoyed it. Good features and a decent if unspectacular road-trip. I imagine they're easing the audience back in. I also enjoyed it, can't believe the hate it's been getting online. I'd pretty much stopped watching Top Gear because of how much I despised the other three, but last night's show was refreshingly good, if not spectacular. Matt LeBlanc was great and I think he'll only get even better with time, I'm not a fan of Chris Evans though and I don't think he'll last long if he can't develop his own style and doesn't stop trying to imitate Clarkson.
Retro_Link Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 Agreed. I'd watch Top Gear because of the cars and the road-trips, but I'd cringe at the thought of another series having to put up with the three idiotic, arrogant presenters, and their offensive 'jokes'. Yeah I felt the same about Chris Evans. It was ironic that he'd reference them not doing things the old show did, but then imitate it a little to much himself.
Sheikah Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 It was pretty shit last night, tbh. Chris Evans just does not carry it off. The reason why Top Gear worked was the chemistry between the three presenters, the character each one had built up over the years, and generally the piss taking that occurred between them. I am more looking forward to the Prime show than the next episode of this!
Glen-i Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 I also enjoyed it, can't believe the hate it's been getting online. I can believe it. It's the internet and change. I thought it was good. Matt LeBlanc does a great job. Chris Evans is too shouty though. But anyone who has seen him present could have predicted that. Will be interesting to see where it goes. And it will also be interesting to see how the old presenters hold up without the Top Gear production team.
Cube Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 I wonder if the trio will try and do things completely different, or if they'll stick to the same routine that has made Top Gear awful for the past 5 or so years.
DriftKaiser Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 And it will also be interesting to see how the old presenters hold up without the Top Gear production team. I thought they got the half of the Top Gear Production team joined them on GT? Was annoyed with Chris Evans made stupid jokes about Jeremy's Fracas with the catering and "on that bombshell" bit. I quite like Matt LeBlanc's bit with the Atom Nomad.
Jimbob Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 Honestly, the new Top Gear is meh. Chris Evans isn't pulling this off, he's too shouty (i don't think he's got a down volume). So The Grand Tour in Autumn, can't wait for it.
Emerald Emblem Posted May 30, 2016 Posted May 30, 2016 I hate that its on Amazon Prime, I don't want a 4th subscription to sign up to just for this.
Daft Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 For a first episode I thought Top Gear was pretty good. Loved Matt LeBlanc. Chris Evans was a bit OTT but anything is better than that vile toss-head cunt Clarkson. Every show is going to have teething problems and I'm sure this will hit its groove in time. As for The Grand Tour (awful title), it's on a fucking awful streaming service. Once my Prime runs out, there's no chance I'm renewing it.
dan-likes-trees Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 (edited) For a first episode I thought Top Gear was pretty good. Loved Matt LeBlanc. Chris Evans was a bit OTT but anything is better than that vile toss-head cunt Clarkson. Every show is going to have teething problems and I'm sure this will hit its groove in time. As for The Grand Tour (awful title), it's on a fucking awful streaming service. Once my Prime runs out, there's no chance I'm renewing it. Pretty much agree with this. I feel like everyone hating on it is doing so either because they're member of Cult of Clarkson, and so were never going to like it, or people who'd forgotten that Top Gear is pretty boring to watch week in week out if you don't have an interest in cars. Le Blanc was great, not sold on Evans, but Top Gear was pretty dire when it started from the clips I've seen. I do feel like they'd benefit from a third main presenter - I thought Sabine was meant to fill that role but she seemed reduced to a bit part. Anyway, seemed fine to me, might even watch a few episodes this season for a change. Prime video has some ok content but the UI (or lack thereof) for their video service is utterly baffling to me. It's utterly atrocious. That said I'm actually quite interested in watching GT if they go for more of the big adventure specials - Vietnam, Myanmar, Bolivia, were all absolutely top class entertainment in my book. Edited May 31, 2016 by dan-likes-trees
Goafer Posted May 31, 2016 Posted May 31, 2016 Top Gear felt a bit awkward all round, but I still enjoyed it. I'd much rather watch them two than the other 3 pricks. Chris Evans: Bit shouty, but he was in a warehouse with a massive audience. He had to be a bit vocal so everyone could hear. Matt LeBlanc: Jesus he's aged. I thought he was pretty good, but didn't seem comfortable, or at least something didn't feel natural. Probably the better presenter though. Sabine Schmitz: Probably a bit harsh, given that she's not doing it in her native language, but she seemed a bit terrible. I'm sure she's done better in previous TV appearances though. I still wasn't too impressed by the challenges. Still obviously fake, which I personally don't find entertaining that much. As for The Grand Tour, there's not a hope in hell I'll be watching it. Thoroughly despise Clarkson and when I used to watch it, it was painful to watch the other 2 slowly morph into mini-Clarksons. Hammond and May used to have their own personalities, but Hammond just became a sad sidekick and May just stopped being interesting.
Charlie Posted September 16, 2016 Posted September 16, 2016 You just know they're going to pull out all the stops for this show. The production value will be incredible. Can't wait.
Sheikah Posted September 16, 2016 Posted September 16, 2016 Yeah quite looking forward to this. I feel like they have been given an amazing setup from the recent Top Gear series, which was really bad.
Agent Gibbs Posted September 16, 2016 Posted September 16, 2016 Finally! i cannot wait for this, my Prime membership is justified at last
Dog-amoto Posted November 19, 2016 Posted November 19, 2016 Anybody watch this then? Thought it was ok, a bit forced at times and therefore not as funny as Top Gear was. Was weird seeing them act like rockstars in the opening segment. Didn't quite fit. They missed having the Stig, the replacement didn't work for me at all and I hope he's not a regular. Was still miles better than the last series of Top Gear though.
Agent Gibbs Posted November 19, 2016 Posted November 19, 2016 The only thing i didn't like was The American - a fat race driver who wouldn't shut up when driving The rest felt like Top Gear, proper Top Gear, but with a bigger budget
Nicktendo Posted November 20, 2016 Posted November 20, 2016 I have no love really for the "unholy trinity" of Clarkson and co. but seeing as how my girlfriend got 6 months of Prime free I decided to give this a watch. My general dislike of the three presenters, particularly Clarkson, could not cloud that fact that this is a genuienly engrossing, beautifully shot TV show for people who love cars, basically everything that Top Gear failed to be in the most recent season. I'm happy Clarkson is off the BBC, but with Amazon's budget behind them, they have clearly gone all out for this show after it had definitely become tired on the BBC in recent years. Now, it feels like a new lease of life has been breathed into it and it has been freed from the chains, budgetary or otherwise which may have held them back or led to frustrations at the BBC. I wish I had a 4K TV, as even in 1080p this was jawdroppingly stunning. I loved the amount of time they dedicated to the 2-part in-depth feature on the electric supercars, and regardless of what I think of them, their chemistry works, which is kind of critical when you consider the new Top Gear line-up. It was refreshing to see them, aged, haggard and generally unkempt indluging in a subject they clearly have an enourmous amount of passion for, not something we really see on TV anymore. Credit where credit's due, this was a massive success as far as I'm concerned and I will be tuning in again.
Jimbob Posted November 20, 2016 Posted November 20, 2016 Was looking forward to this. Did not disappoint, but wasn't a fan of the American they had. Hope he's not a regular on the show. Otherwise, without the reigns of the BBC it's more free reign which is great. Was expecting them to make light of the situation resulting in Clarkson leaving the BBC, wasn't disappointed as there were a few nods.
Dog-amoto Posted January 10, 2018 Posted January 10, 2018 Has anybody been watching s2 of this? It’s a big improvement over the first series. They got rid of the American and the celebrity death thing. It’s much more like Top Gear was.
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