Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
The Grand Tour is a motoring show that features Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, the former hosts of Top Gear. The show follows their adventures around the world, as they test new and exciting cars, compete in outlandish challenges, and interview celebrities. The show is exclusive to Amazon Prime Video, and premiered in 2016. The show has been a hit with fans and critics alike, becoming one of the most-watched shows on the platform, and receiving multiple awards and nominations. The show has also been praised for its humour, chemistry, and cinematography.
The Origins of The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was born out of the departure of Clarkson, Hammond, May and producer Andy Wilman from the BBC series Top Gear in 2015, following a controversial incident involving Clarkson and a producer. The quartet decided to create their own motoring show, and signed a deal with Amazon, reportedly worth £160 million for 36 episodes over three years. The show was named The Grand Tour, as a reference to the 18th-century European tradition of travelling for culture and education, as well as a pun on the term “grand tourer”, a type of high-performance car.
The show was designed with some similarities to Top Gear, such as car reviews, timed laps, motoring challenges and races, studio segments, and celebrity guests, but also with some significant differences, to avoid legal issues with the BBC. For example, the show used a travelling tent as a studio, instead of a fixed location, and changed the names and formats of some recurring features, such as “The American” instead of “The Stig”, and “Conversation Street” instead of “The News”.
The Evolution of The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour evolved over the course of its four seasons, as the hosts and the production team experimented with different ideas and formats. The first season featured 13 episodes, each with a different location for the tent, such as California, South Africa, Germany, and Finland. The episodes also included some spectacular and expensive films, such as a beach buggy race in Namibia, a special forces training in Jordan, and a car chase in Italy. The second season featured 11 episodes, with a more permanent tent location in the Cotswolds, and some more adventurous and risky films, such as a road trip in Colombia, a race across Mongolia, and a car crash in Switzerland. The third season featured 14 episodes, with a mix of tent and non-tent episodes, and some more humorous and creative films, such as a pickup truck test in Detroit, a RV holiday in Nevada, and a funeral for a car in China.
The fourth season marked a major change for the show, as it ditched the tent and the studio segments altogether, and focused solely on producing special motoring films, with episodes released at irregular intervals. The season featured four episodes, each with a different theme and location, such as a boat journey in Vietnam and Cambodia, a treasure hunt in Madagascar, a cowboy adventure in Scotland, and a classic car rally in France. The fifth and final season, which is set to be released in 2024, will feature two more episodes, filmed in Mauritania and Zimbabwe, and will conclude the story of the trio, who have been working together for more than 20 years.
The Impact of The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour has had a significant impact on the motoring TV genre, as well as on the online streaming industry. The show has demonstrated the popularity and the potential of motoring shows, as it has attracted millions of viewers and subscribers from more than 195 countries and territories. The show has also showcased the talent and the personality of the hosts, who have become household names and influential figures in the motoring world. The show has also inspired and influenced other motoring shows, such as Top Gear, which has undergone several changes and revamps since the departure of Clarkson, Hammond and May, and The Grand Tour Game, a video game based on the show, which was released in 2019.
The Grand Tour has also been a pioneer and a leader in the online streaming industry, as it has been one of the flagship shows for Amazon Prime Video, and one of the most expensive and ambitious shows ever made for the platform. The show has also been a catalyst for innovation and experimentation, as it has used cutting-edge technology and techniques, such as 4K resolution, HDR, drones, and virtual reality, to create stunning and immersive visuals and experiences for the viewers. The show has also been a platform for collaboration and partnership, as it has worked with various brands, sponsors, and celebrities, to create cross-promotional and exclusive content and events for the fans.
The Grand Tour is a show that has revolutionised motoring TV, and that has entertained and enlightened millions of viewers around the world. It is a show that has celebrated the passion and the fun of cars, and that has shown the power and the potential of online streaming. It is a show that will be remembered and cherished by fans and critics alike, and that will leave a lasting legacy in the motoring and the media world.
