The Grand Tour

What seems like eons ago - though actually it was five years ago in 2015 - I marked the sad end of an era, specifically the era of the BBC's Top Gear as then we knew it, when Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond left the show and indeed the BBC, apparently never to be seen again.

Pretty quickly, the BBC attempted to re-brand and relaunch Top Gear (the early efforts of which were met with pretty negative reviews, I was one of them on this blog) to varying effect, but eventually through several more rotations of presenters and styles, after the frankly brutal body blow of losing Clarkson and Co. the BBC institution seems to be once again finding its feet (possibly more detailed analysis of this will hit this here blog at a later date). And that's all well and good, and indeed welcomed - but what about the infamous trio? Were they destined to slink off into the ether, would they go their separate ways, would they ever drive on telly again?

Well, again pretty quickly - they were back too. Thanks to an obscene financial incentive from Amazon, and essentially carte blanche  to bring their tried and tested formula of mucking about, generating laughs and driving insanely lovely cars all over the globe back, and back with a bang.

Now, after finally succumbing to the subscription/streaming service maelstrom and dipping my toe rather retrospectively into the waters of Amazon Prime Video (due in no small part actually to the idea of catching up with several seasons of the Grand Tour) I have watched the series so far to see what all the fuss was about.

As far as I can see, it is pretty much what it always was, just more of the same - on steroids. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. Love them or hate them there is no denying Clarkson Hammond and May entertained legions globally for years with Top Gear, so if you hate them or the way they do things - you didn't and don't need to watch them on Amazon, and if you appreciate what they do - then this will be right up your street.

Yes, from start to finish the rather obscene commercialism and big-budget production values that Amazon brings to the party is a bit akin to a slap around the jaw, especially if you cling to traditional BBC values that made the original "poky motoring show" so charming a little too tightly. And yes, the format of the show took a while to stick and to resonate with viewers it seems - items such as a crazed stereotypical NASCAR driver in series one, and the series initially hopping from country to country per episode for no real reason other than it could and to spread the brand may not have sat well with everyone. 

Regardless, despite the bluster and bravado, despite the very overt and at times over the top commercialisation - The Grand Tour is still quite shrewd and clever at mostly sticking to its core values, and to what audiences have loved to see long before The Grand Tour's inception: three middle aged man driving fast and cocking about.

And do you know what? For me, it still works. It is still watchable, it is still lovable and for an hour or so each episode mostly brings a smile to your face. You still want to watch it. Admittedly it was not lost on me that Clarkson and May are approaching 60 and Hammond (the one time wide-eyed youth of the trio) is 50. The wary side of me says that this is not the time of life for these three men to be involved not only in the vast commercialism and insane marketing schedules that the big hit that is now The Grand Tour demands, let alone the ridiculous stunts and challenges the show dreams up for them. But then I think - sod it of course they can! For one thing they're being paid a rumoured sum of one million pounds per episode each by Amazon, so for that they can at least not act their age and cock about for a bit longer than is seemly, and for another - it is still what legions of fans globally like to see, me amongst them. So much so that by the end of series 3, when the trio stood on stage and declared that it was finally the end for them, i.e the old Top Gear/Grand Tour format of the three of them doing weekly episodes with challenges, reviews, chat and track pieces was finally over - I like many fans and the presenters themselves, felt genuinely wistful and sad; nostalgic for what had gone by and grateful that it had been. Yes we are promised a new format in a series of random specials, starting with the "Seamen" episode and more promised, though who knows when due to the ongoing Covid situation?

However, as an extension of what Top Gear was, and an outlet for showing off what the trio still had to give with an essentially unlimited budget, for me The Grand Tour works, and still just about deserves the hype and success it has achieved and no doubt will go on to garner still.