Used to really love the old top gear, this reminds me too much of the Tanner Faust US version. Hopefully they get back to being a real car show but I doubt Amazon will let them. Little less spinning, drifting and schtick. And more light hearted commentary, perfect.

Episode 2 was a waste. I miss the spontaneous and unscripted days, episode 2 was nothing short of a script. The last few seasons of Top Gear was becoming that way too. I'll still tune in, but little bummed out with what I've seen so far.

Agree with all the comments above about Episode 2. In the past TG episodes that had some military stuff were laudatory of the military; this seemed insulting.
Also, what's with the insults of Zuma and other things related to SA?
The "spinning" thing could have been made interesting but instead had to be about James.
BTW how is that spinning stuff not grossly illegal?? Jumping in and out of moving cars?

The celebrities dying thing is a running joke related to legal battles with the BBC; as is having a "Street Conversation" instead of reporting "The News". BBC said they couldn't call it "The News".

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Also, what's with the insults of Zuma and other things related to SA?

Catering to the local market

quote:

The "spinning" thing could have been made interesting but instead had to be about James.
BTW how is that spinning stuff not grossly illegal?? Jumping in and out of moving cars?

You did notice that was a closed area/course...as dumb as it is, again, catering to the local market. Dangerously Spinning a Car in a Circle Is the Official Sport of South Africa's Townships

If/When they go to Japan, they'll probably feature a drift competition.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Also, what's with the insults of Zuma and other things related to SA?

Catering to the local market

quote:

The "spinning" thing could have been made interesting but instead had to be about James.
BTW how is that spinning stuff not grossly illegal?? Jumping in and out of moving cars?

You did notice that was a closed area/course...as dumb as it is, again, catering to the local market. Dangerously Spinning a Car in a Circle Is the Official Sport of South Africa's Townships

If/When they go to Japan, they'll probably feature a drift competition.

Pretty much.

"The Grand Tour" is as much about the travel as it is the content. At least I hope that's how it will go.

A different country/city every week, a different crowd, a different look at what the local car culture is.

They saw spinning, all 3 said nope, and James was put in as it would be most comical to put in the guy that would have the least amount of fun. Jeremy or Richard probably would have given a short "I guess it's fun?" segment. Captain Slow calls it stupid and the car community rolls with it, the same comment from Hamster or Jezzer and South Africa is a lost market.

Watched episode 3 last night.

Still not fully enthusiastic. 3 more cars I'll probably never put my butt in the seat of, and more time wasted poking at the BBC with the celebrity nonsense.

Where are the challenges, the projects, the adventures? It seems like they kept the bits that were filler for what I liked most.

It also doesn't feel like the show is an hour long. I got done watching and said "that was an hour? they barely did anything"

It's also now two weeks their main schtick was two of the guys doing car reviews and one of the other guys "tagging along" with something else. As much as I liked Hammond ripping up a trailer of tires in the Hellcat, it felt forced. I think they should have done a shorter segment on 3 GT cars, had a competition for the best one, and done a Hammond solo session with the Hellcat.

But, of course, are they barred from doing that due to the BBC?

Contrary to many, I enjoyed episode 2. I took it for what it was, the boys just cocking about. I enjoyed the banter, the shooting each other, it was OK. Not great motoring show, but I enjoyed the spoof of edge of tomorrow.

My son and I just finished episode three and we thought it worked very well. Hammond in the hellcat doing donuts all over Italy followed by a truck full of tires, irritating James every inch of the way. I like these guys and I enjoy when they do silly irreverent stuff in beautiful locations. We were entertained. It's like comfort food. I'm glad they're back.

I'd still rather see Ben Collins than Skinner, but I wouldn't want Ben Collins to talk either. I just want the Stig back. Why couldn't they have shared joint custody of The Stig after the divorce? Doesn't seem fair to The Stig, really. The lads really are his biological parents.

I don't get it. They make a big deal of traveling around the world in that tent, but then air segments filmed in other countries...

just watched episode 2 and 3 back to back this afternoon

episode 2 was great

will probably watch it again

these guys are back on the game

(I liked 2 more than I liked 3) but the cinematography is back to where it was - awesome scenery shots that we've come to expect

So far all three have been good, the silly monte pythonesque gun scene got old, after two or three times of starting over enough was enough... Still funny

The scenes are good, the 3rd gets back to the touring roots of the three, Hammonds Hellcat was great, the obnoxious American tourist shouting loudly, gaining the attention and distracting from the gentile quiet sophisticated Europeans was a shot at the sometimes arrogant attitude of some europeans that Americans are brash and full of themselves while they (euros) are evolved. Perfect commentary..

Love the Southern Grits sponsor, even tossed in "whats a grit"

I think the new American "stig" is a great shot back at TG.... Taking a "crude American NASCAR boy and smoking the tires off of cars on a track takes a shot at the elitist F1 driver shtick...

It's a work in progress as the three of them get comfortable with the new environment, travelling and the writers/producers it will improve, like any series the first season gets better with time.

Plus it doesn't have the TG shouty one and the same old tired show being done by new people.

The celebrity bit is classic Jeremy

I'm thoroughly enjoying the Hamster's shennaningans in Ep. 3.

oh yeah

those are now some classic scenes....

I've loved every second of The Grand Tour so far. It's simply what I wanted. The three of them back together doing what they do.

The only thing I really miss is the Stig. This American driver that they have now just ain't no good. The rest is just like old times. Digging it.

I still laugh when I think of the second episode where Clarkson was stuck in the window...."They are doing things to me. Kill me now." Add in Clarkson losing his pants going down the rope.....same thing happened to a guy in my Air Assault class, he didn't wear a belt that day.

The whole Hammond Hellcat thing driving James nuts in the third episode was great!!!

I'm enjoying it. The second episode was a bit weak, but the first and third were quite good. I get the feeling that they are still very much in the process of figuring out what they can get away with without drawing the ire of BBC's legal department. Immediately bringing in "The Ben Collins" and having him as their not so tame racing driver might be a step too far. I predict "The American" will meet a fiery demise at some point, much like how the Original Stig met a watery grave.

Just catching up on episodes 1,2,3. They have done a pretty good job. It clearly is not a rehash of top gear. They are not nearly as tired of the show as they were on top gear. They have infused quite a bit of the old missing humor from the mid 2000's.

4th episode has been the best, in terms of what I was expecting, and their chemistry was much more reminiscent of what I remember as the glory days of Top Gear

It's takin' some time for them to hit their stride. Ep.4 is more like what we're used to seeing from their old TG days, while the eco-friendly car challenge was ho-hum, it was getting back to their roots of zany, partially scripted bits of trying to be serious. The celebrity part ...I get it, they've already filmed a bunch of it and it's in-the-can so, they'll run with what they've got, just drop it from next season or, come up with another way to have a celebrity join them.

Episode 4 had me laughing along quite a bit. Great entertainment, at least for me. The maggots and flies infesting Jeremy's car was just gross. I don't know how he tolerated it. Haha.

Maybe I'd like the show if it was about cars. Listening to these three make terrible jokes is excruciating. I saw the first episode...don't think I will see anymore.