The Amazon Prime Not Topgear Show That From Now On Will Be Called "The Grand Tour"TV

[MagpieRacer]

As above, that was just fake news and noise, and given that they've just renewed his contract for a 4th season of Clarksons Farm it's obvious he hasn't been dropped.

They've spoken about their days doing TGT coming to an end sooner rather than later before, at the end of the day Clarkson and May are both in thier 60's and they all have other passions and projects. So I think it's just that they want to move on to other things.

It's a good call IMO, I agree entirely with @tbtstt, TGT hasn't been as good as TG was at it's peak. Everything got a bit too scripted, or at least, too obviousely scripted in later season of TG and in TGT though they still had thier moments. I'll still look forward to the two remaining TGT specials coming out next year.

They tried way too hard with TGT to make it a success, when really it didn't need to try hard, it just needed to be a continuation of what made Top Gear so good at it's peak, they failed to deliver on that sadly. IT for sure has it's moments and it is watchable but it did miss the mark more than it hit.

 

[Joey D]

I know they didn't just axe Clarkson right away, but everything I see when I do some searching says Amazon wouldn't renew his contract once it ran out, which would likely be after Season 4 of Clarkson's Farm. I mean, I don't doubt the reporting was skewed, I just can't find anything that says otherwise.

 

[Dave A]

I know they didn't just axe Clarkson right away, but everything I see when I do some searching says Amazon wouldn't renew his contract once it ran out, which would likely be after Season 4 of Clarkson's Farm. I mean, I don't doubt the reporting was skewed, I just can't find anything that says otherwise.

Given they've only recently renewed his contract for season 4 of Clarksons farm and that tweet was about a year ago, I think it's safe to say that the two are unconnected and what you are reading is nothing more than speculation. No one at Amazon has confirmed he has been dropped/won't be renewed, yet they have renwed him for another season of one of his shows, the numbers add up.

They were already winding down TGT before the tweet given the show had already dropped the episodic format and gone to filming specials only.

 

[tbtstt]

They tried way too hard with TGT to make it a success, when really it didn't need to try hard, it just needed to be a continuation of what made Top Gear so good at it's peak, they failed to deliver on that sadly. IT for sure has it's moments and it is watchable but it did miss the mark more than it hit.

Yep, exactly, and as said...

Everything got a bit too scripted, or at least, too obviousely scripted in later season of TG and in TGT though they still had thier moments.

...they were already heading in the wrong direction before the end of Top Gear. I hoped that the bigger budget (and supposed freedom) of Amazon might help improve things but, if anything, it made the obvious scripting even worse.

Sure I'll watch the last two specials, but I'll be very surprised if I end up giving them - or the rest of TGT - any repeat reviewing.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

I think also that they want to try other things, especially now as they are getting older.

 

[Dylan]

 

[RaY29rus]

Already had to skip the episode with them destroying an Evo for laughs and giggles, this one is probably also one to skip for the same reason

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Sand Job is out, I have seen it.

I won't spoil it but I will say what its about, they attempt to recreate part of the Paris-Dakar of old by driving from Mauritania into Dakar, Senegal. They used modified convertible sports cars.

 

[Silver_Wolf]

Sand Job is out, I have seen it.

I won't spoil it but I will say what its about, they attempt to recreate part of the Paris-Dakar of old by driving from Mauritania into Dakar, Senegal. They used modified convertible sports cars.

Good to know it's out, I plan to watch it when I finish work today. Always good to have a bit of new entertainemtn to watch!

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Its a bit on the longer side, about 2 hours 15.

 

[Fezzik]

That was as close we’ve got to proper old Top Gear in a long time. Right when it’s about to end.

I’m quite sad now.

 

[Dennisch]

I quite enjoyed this one.

Spoiler: spoilers

Hammond's misery in the Aston was proper humour.

 

[Fezzik]

James May pretty much confirmed that the final show will be out in September

 

[Danoff]

Already had to skip the episode with them destroying an Evo for laughs and giggles, this one is probably also one to skip for the same reason

I don't remember them destroying an EVO for giggles. I do remember a destroyed EVO, and I remember that it was destroyed by a crash that sent James May to the hospital with serious injuries.

 

[Silver_Wolf]

I don't remember them destroying an EVO for giggles. I do remember a destroyed EVO, and I remember that it was destroyed by a crash that sent James May to the hospital with serious injuries.

The evo was wrecked twice during that particular episode, the crash in the tunnel which sent James to hospital and then again when they were trying to cross the ice and it fell through some weak ice but they were able to recover the car.

Somehow the engine did not get flooded on thhe second incident and James was able to finish the episode.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

The tunnel crash was clearly not scripted. The response to it from the crew and James' own comments about it after the episode aired confirm it. The ice crash however almost certainly was; remember, the shoots on these big adventures goes on for a while, and after James' crash, they probably figured trying to kill the Evo off would be good for some last minute drama and cooked something up. Had the Evo gone the rest of the journey relatively unscathed, I don't think it would've happened.

 

[tbtstt]

Had the Evo gone the rest of the journey relatively unscathed, I don't think it would've happened.

Yeah, I agree with this. I think that tunnel incident is the only reason it ended up in the lake later on. It is no secret (actually I'd say it is pretty obvious) that the sequence of events we see in a given episode is not how it was filmed, so I wonder how much "moving" filming they actually did with that Evo after the tunnel crash.

It was a few (OK, a lot of!) years ago now, but I remember there were Top Gear production staff sniffing around the MLR trying to find a white Evo VII to rent to finish a feature off for the show (Jeremy in the Evo vs. the British army). That was as a result of them killing a car during filming.

 

[Danoff]

The evo was wrecked twice during that particular episode, the crash in the tunnel which sent James to hospital and then again when they were trying to cross the ice and it fell through some weak ice but they were able to recover the car.

Somehow the engine did not get flooded on thhe second incident and James was able to finish the episode.

The tunnel crash was clearly not scripted. The response to it from the crew and James' own comments about it after the episode aired confirm it. The ice crash however almost certainly was; remember, the shoots on these big adventures goes on for a while, and after James' crash, they probably figured trying to kill the Evo off would be good for some last minute drama and cooked something up. Had the Evo gone the rest of the journey relatively unscathed, I don't think it would've happened.

Yeah, I agree with this. I think that tunnel incident is the only reason it ended up in the lake later on. It is no secret (actually I'd say it is pretty obvious) that the sequence of events we see in a given episode is not how it was filmed, so I wonder how much "moving" filming they actually did with that Evo after the tunnel crash.

It was a few (OK, a lot of!) years ago now, but I remember there were Top Gear production staff sniffing around the MLR trying to find a white Evo VII to rent to finish a feature off for the show (Jeremy in the Evo vs. the British army). That was as a result of them killing a car during filming.

I agree with all of you and it was my intent to convey this by indicating that the car was destroyed in the crash. I assume that they cobbled it together only well enough for filming purposes and that it was not really appropriate for anything other than to finish out the episode. From the moment it hit the wall I think it was basically a gonner.

I suppose one might complain that after it hit the wall there were still some parts that might be useful and no longer being manufactured or something like this, and so the car might have donated its remaining parts to keep other EVOs alive or something. But it is a legitimate use for those parts to memorialize it on film the way they did, and that might actually spur reproduction of parts or somesuch. So it is debatable that they might have done the best thing for EVOs by soldiering on with that car the way they did.

I was talking to a car collector friend of mine about the problem of getting original parts after they are discontinued. I mentioned tires as an obvious example of something you can't really get after a while. He told me that eventually the price point for the original tires goes so high for some cars that they manufacture them again just for people who still own the car. The example he was talking about is a million dollar mercedes, but the grand tour evo filming is part of a car's journey toward that end.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Here we go.

 

[Famine]

Thank goodness. Hopefully it'll make some room for fresh talent that isn't just going through the motions to fulfil a contract.

 

[Silver_Wolf]

Sentimental about this one since these three helped me laugh through some difficult times over the years, hopefully this last road trip is a good one, maybe goodbye but good memories will not be forgotten from the series and one off specials over the years.

 

[Fezzik]

Not ready for the journey to end. The trinity have been making Top Gear and TGT my entire adult life.

 

[tbtstt]

These three have been responsible for some of my absolute favourite TV moments during the last two decades... but I have felt like they have been just going through the motions with a lot of The Grand Tour and I am actually glad they are going to finish flogging a dead horse.

I have low expectations with this one, but I hope they end on a good note.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Its going to be sad to see it end after 22 years, I feel like I have grown up with them.

 

[Dave A]

This is very bittersweet for me, I think they peaked a long time ago, but they've provided so much entertainment over so many years, it is still a shame to know its ending. But I think it's the right thing to do.

 

[TheNormsk]

The last episode just dropped. 2 hours, 10 minutes long.

Only watched the first 10 minutes so far and can already tell it should be up there with the very best. It kills me that I can't watch it now but I downloaded it to watch it on my trip.

Can't wait. It's the end of the era. I have watched every single original Top Gear and then Grand Tour. It was a show about cars that became a show about three old blokes having a good time that happened to revolve around some cars....

There will never be anything like it again on TV .

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

I won’t spoil any of it, but they made the right call giving themselves a very dignified and reserved ending.

I’ll be honest, most of TGT was simple, disposable entertainment for me and not a patch on TG in its prime, but I can’t deny I got a little choked up at several points knowing this really is it.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

It was brilliant and I loved everything about it.

I couldn't help but feel emotional throughout, the ending was perfect.

They will be missed.

 

[Nexus]

Spoiler

Loved the ending, with scenes from the Botswana Special spliced in. Beautifully shot, with everything coming full circle.

 

[RaY29rus]

I'm back to this thread with my complaining after skipping last two episodes and watching this one
Gonna put all the complaining under a spoiler (there are also actual spoilers for the episode)

Spoiler: Complaining

Never liked their Grand Tour stuff that much, though there were plenty of good moment too.
My main issue with TGT (and late TG) was obvious and heavy scripting. They kept making fun of people who say "I miss not scripted TG" and sure, it never was not scripted, but what those people mean is "I miss times when it felt like a geniune adventure".
And it's not like they are filming all that in a studio, the adventure is actually happening each episode, so it's kinda impressive how they manage to make a real one feel fake. And I can't say this episode doesn't have those issues.
Also, Beetle part was not funny at all, like what's the joke? At least use a Marina for a funny callback. Makes sense to me, there were plenty of other callbacks.
Now, the ending. Again, what's with the heavy scripting? No one's going to believe those two cars were just sitting there, especially those who watched DriveTribe video about how those two were found 4 years ago. "Finding" it really threw me off.

However, I can say it definitely had its good moments, and it was pretty enjoyable overall. The cars felt a lot like those classic TG trips. And there were plenty of geniune interactions between the trio, which is the main part I will miss so much.
And is it kinda strange how boat-related stuff are some of the best parts in a car show?
The ending, besides what I mentioned in the complaining part, was great.
It's sad to see it end, I watched them since childhood and I will miss those 3 together. Can't say I will miss Grand Tour, but I definitely hope they gonna make something together here and there, maybe on YouTube. Maybe a podcast? Would love to just have them discuss smth, no script, just their amazing chemistry.
But for now at least I can enjoy their individual content and rewatch the old stuff. Despite all the complaining above, I will forever have a lot of respect for those 3 guys.