PETROLHEADS have long awaited the return of Clarkson, Hammond and May to their screens and first impressions of their new outing “The Grand Tour” indicate that the wait could just have been worth it.
Amazon’s flagship new show involving the trio, is all of the familiarity of Top Gear shot with a blisteringly high budget – an estimated £4 million per episode to be precise.
The opening sequence is a scene straight out of Mad Max and provides a statement of intent: this show is going to look stunning and have a magnificent scope.
https://twitter.com/fletchiecharl27/status/799702018155655168
But is this enough to keep viewers coming back and provide Amazon with a major cornerstone of their original programming catalogue?
Old fans of Top Gear are likely to be giddy with excitement after watching the new show. It is certainly everything fans loved about their BBC stint, and recent history shows us that it is this holy trinity which got people’s gears going.
The question then becomes, whether this will entice new audiences to tour with them.
Whilst the trio are on top form, they are still restricted by the constraints of the concept – they must make a factual show about cars entertaining.
Some may argue that they are wholly successful, whereas some may find the comedy so contrived as to warrant an eye roll.
There is no doubt that the sweeping set pieces and nifty effects work make for beautiful viewing, but the time spent in the tent feels stretched and slightly by the numbers.
Amazon have missed a trick in realising that the truly memorable Top Gear episodes are those in which Clarkson et al embark on a road trip.
When asked about the best episodes, fans are likely to reply with the U.S. Special or the Vietnam Special, and Amazon could have capitalised on this and made The Grand Tour just that: the biggest road trip put on TV.
Instead they have opted for a show which has enough separate from Top Gear to avoid a lawsuit, but enough common blood to wonder whether it is time for a change.
There are in-jokes aplenty and enough sideways references to the infamous “fracas” to satisfy the need for Clarkson’s controversial humour.
The Grand Tour was marginally better than I thought it was going to be #TheGrandTour
— Rob White (@RobWhite_UK) November 18, 2016
Once again the other two are in his shadow, despite the sneaking suspicion that May could well be the funniest of the three.
However, some elements feel forced when compared with the copyrighted material on the original show.
Their new resident race-car driver who puts on the facade of a commie hating American hits wide of the mark, and the conversations between the three in the tent seem to do nothing but retread old ground.
Despite this, there is enough in the episode to keep audiences going, with a lovely package on three stunning hypercars. The sheer beauty of those cars alone is enough to warrant watching this show.
Also, a nice sketch involving some A-list celebrities (and some considerably less than A-list) hits the right comedy notes, and doesn’t drag out too long.
All in all, a solid opening that will sate the fans out for blood after the car crash of the Top Gear reboot, though will not likely win over any Clarkson skeptics.
By George McKay
@georgemckay_
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