The Not Very Grand Tour

Check Amazon > Ooooo, a new Grand Tour, how could that be?

Ah, only May and Hammond involved, ok, no surprise there.

Maybe it will be a fun rump as they lay scathing commentary about all the silly things they did? They have a mountain of triumphs and embarrassments for source material, yes, it >would< be entertaining to get some back story on the production and content of tGT.

Nope. Instead we have a pretty bog standard clip show, with dull scripted introductions. Worse yet, the clips are presented as 'evidence' of the importance of the internal combustion engine but the commentary backing this statement is thin and banal.

May, did you really say "there will never be another invention as life changing as the internal combustion engine"? That's gonna take some explaining. They then segue into a clip of gratuitous destruction. Not at all life changing; humanity isn't any better for that bit of film, or what that personal tank can do. A giggle for sure, but evidence in support of the value of the internal combustion engine and its importance to mankind? Doesn't even register.

Such a missed opportunity. Please, scrap this 'series' and start over with a genuine documentary about the internal combustion engine. Put it under the tGT banner if you like, (it's not really necessary), but then apply those production principles that made TG and tGT a success.

While I always enjoy seeing the original trio in any form, Jeremy's absence really leaves a noticeable gap. Without him, Hammond and May don't seem to bring much new to the table - aside from revisiting old clips we've already seen. It would've been far more engaging if they shared untold behind-the-scenes stories or offered fresh commentary. Even better, they could've introduced new content, like discussions about recently released cars or innovations in automotive technology. Honestly, if it's just recycled footage, most of us would prefer to rewatch old Grand Tour episodes instead. Hope the future episodes have something to keep the viewers hooked.

I've been a TG fan since James May was introduced as the new presenter, and have avidly watched all of The Grand Tour. I don't understand the purpose of this series.

Before today, I knew it was going to be presented by May and Hammond, and knew it would be a clip show. But that's literally all it is: A clip show. I was hoping for some commentary and BTS insight on the featured episodes; Something, anything new. But the studio inserts were just rehashes of well-known opinions of the two presenters, and there was barely any of it.

Back in the days of television and before DVRs, clip shows were the only way to re-visit your favorite moments from series that were off the air or between seasons. But all the episodes featured here are available in full on Amazon. If you can watch the clip show right now, you can watch the actual episodes right now. What's the point? It's little more than a 1 hour trailer for the show. And not a very good one, because..

Clip shows can also be a good introduction of a series to new viewers, highlighting the best and most interesting of what the series has to offer. Based on the first episode, if I were to put together a clip show of the most skippable Grand Tour segments, these would have been on the list. The 918 vs. TheFerrari vs. Fax Machine was exciting, though! When it first aired. But that was adjudicated around 8 years ago. I'm not sure how it would entice new viewers, as any car enthusiast would already be aware of the outcome and anyone else wouldn't be invested in the result nowadays.

All this episode made me want to do was watch classic TG or some GT road trips. But only because I'm already a fan and this left me wanting. I loved both shows, but I don't need segments re-presented to me out of context with nothing new added. It's a shame, because the format would've been at least somewhat interesting if done in a "commentary track" format, or at least had more scripted (or unscripted) embellishments in the studio segments.

It's not interesting for long-time viewers, and it's not going to help entice new viewers. So why does this even exist?

Every bit of this show is already available on the same streaming service as the complete Grand Tour series, so I honestly don't understand the purpose of this "special." As much as I love Richard and Hammond, this just isn't funny. The jokes feel forced, poorly written, and completely lack the charm we've come to expect. Without Jeremy, it feels like a hollow attempt to keep the brand alive-a cheap cash grab aimed at loyal fans who might renew their amazon prime subscription out of nostalgia. Disappointing, unnecessary, and sadly lacking in every way that once made the show great and entertaining.

Watching Hammond and May present a clip show from a deserted hangar with a few cars filling the void around them feels somewhat familiar.

Only two types of people would watch this from beginning to end : those who've never seen Top Gear or The Grand Tour, and those who've watched pretty much every episode (possibly more than once).

As someone from the latter group, I can't help but to think this show has been produced as a nod to the last Top Gear episode featuring Hammond and May, without Clarkson.

The 'studio' segments are certainly given much more serious thought, with some semblance of scriptwriting and performance; and the atmosphere isn't as drab. However, this missing elephant in the room is blatantly odd.

If I were more cynical, I'd argue that some sort of contract dispute might have forced Hammond, May and Wilman to deliver a few shows to honour their commitments and not have to give back a bit of their Amazon money; something that Clarkson didn't care to do or didn't have to do because of his other Prime hit show... But I'm not that cynical, so I'll just allude to it.