Last night, I decided to finally watch the final special from The Grand Tour. Amazon offered me another free trial of Prime last time I placed an order, so I decided to take advantage of streaming access and see the sendoff for the world's most influential trio of automotive program presenters.
It was bittersweet. I'd been watching them intermittently on the BBC program Top Gear for years, and I've seen most of the episodes at least once over the years after streaming (but definitely not pirate torrents, no sir) became a thing. Jeremy Clarkson the pompous oaf, "Captain Slow" James May, and the oft-overlooked (because he's short) Richard Hammond had an amazing chemistry.
Left to right: May, Hammond, Clarkson. Cropped image from Top Gear Live Italia, 2014
Clarkson's persona isn't all show biz acting, and it wasn't too surprising when he got canned from the BBC. We fans all wondered what would happen to Top Gear. Despite the animosity on camera, we all knew the three were friends and comrades, so it wasn't much of a surprise when Hammond and May resigned in solidarity. When Amazon sponsored The Grand Tour, it was spectacular to see them all together again.
As a final episode, I think it was a proper sendoff. This was another epic road trip across an amazing country most of us will never visit, showcasing the scenery, history, and assorted hardships encountered along the way. As usual, there were a few contrived scenarios along with what seemed like genuine unexpected interruptions. These shows have always been a blend of script and reality, after all. But this time, there was a pervasive sense of finality and acknowledgements that they were sometimes just doing the bit because it's the pattern for their program.
Clarkson commented that he just doesn't have any interest in electric cars, comparing them to appliances instead of thrilling automobiles. Clarkson's Farm will presumably continue on Prime, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more there from James May as well. Hammond has his own projects. They're landing on their feet, and we'll still have the old shows. If you've followed this trio over the years, and haven't seen this episode yet, do. The end is fitting, and they hit the right note.
I think Amazon did them dirty a little. They clearly weren't given much creative direction in the earlier episodes, and it shows with how structured things were. Amazon definitely thought The Grand Tour's earlier seasons had the potential to draw in audiences, but the whole subscription service thing just caused a huge barrier that nobody wanted to cross. For most, Prime Video wasn't worth it for one show, and the frequency of those episodes didn't help either.
The specials got better and better though, the last two were great and felt much more like the original series. Still a little too controlled and without the same level of challenge and humour. But they did what the could with a more limited budget. A lot of having to shoot in more remote locations because of the cost of shooting permits in and around Europe.
James May's shows on Prime have been great, as has Clarkson's Farm. I do hope the two continue to create little shows here and there about their interests. Even watching May cook was fun. The travel show (especially the Japan one) was really entertaining.
I have zero interest in the Rings of Power show, and I hate the ads creeping into a paid streaming service, but Fallout was pretty decent. I don't watch enough TV to warrant buying any of the streaming subscriptions though, and I don't order often enough from Amazon to need free shipping on everything. Besides, they have warehouses nearby now, so standard shipping is pretty fast.
Yeahppp... I doubt there will ever be a car show as amazing as this one hey... they really were top of their league!!!
Aww, indeed Biterrsweet.
They are so influential, funny and responsible for so many memes!
!LOL