The Grand Tour

[Snowy]

So - the first episode of the long awaited (by me anyway) Amazon version of Top Gear is available on Prime, and by now probably half the internet as well.

My thoughts - they have taken the best bits of Top Gear, distilled them into a massive budget, lost all the BBC shackles, and come out with a programme that had me chuckling in places while still feeling as familiar and comfortable as your favourite pair of boots.

Following a very funny opening sequence that I won't spoil for you, the first episode introduces the format and finally pits the LaFerrari, MacLaren P1 and Porsche together as you may remember they had been trying to do before Clarkson got all fisty. They introduced the new track, blew round it in a BMW M2, demonstrated what I think is the end of celebrity guests, and generally engaged in the usual silliness that they are known for.

All in all, a good scene setter and gives me hope that the following episodes will be just as enjoyable. Welcome back gents

[Sly Boots]

Will watch this tonight, I think.

See Clarkson has been involved in another contretemps at an airport:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-n ... en-9281870

It's a shame he's a bit of a bell-end as I do enjoy the show.

[Snowy]

That story smacks of tabloid bullshit to me, but who knows.

[DjchunKfunK]

Looking forward to checking it out. I hope that they get at least one of their silly car challenges in as those are the best bits about the show.

[Quietman]

POWEEEEEEER.

Looking forward to catching up on it after the weekend.

[Edwin]

It's basically Top Gear, if you liked it before you'll still like it. I really hope celebrities don't come back and also the other thing happens.

[DjchunKfunK]

That was OK. First episodes of a new series of Top Gear could often been fairly standard so I'm not too concerned. Just hoping that celebrity thing was just a bit and they are not coming back.

[Raid]

Yeah, the celebrity bits were almost always tiresome.

Not a bad show to start off with, but honestly I did find myself missing staples from Top Gear. The Stig was great because it had no commentary, and didn't try to be funny (plus it meant they could use whoever was available rather than sticking with the same person - I know Heikki Kovalainen was used to drive the Renault F1 car in an early series). "The American" certainly irritated me (the whole bit, not just the driver). The new track looks rubbish too. They're certainly not going to be pushing cars to their absolute limit without any run-off.

[DjchunKfunK]

Yeah the track and 'The American' were rubbish.

[Sly Boots]

Saw this headline, and my first thought was, sure, but what does Clarkson make of it?

Sooner or later, May and Hammond will have to put Britain before Brexit

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... t#comments

Er, but no, it's not them apparently. Whoops!

[Snowy]

Episode 2.

Snowy's formal verdict: Meh.

Suggestion to Clarkson & Co: Weak repetitive comedy taking up over half the episode is a shite idea, even if you do get to play with guns. Focus on cars instead please. Road trips and challenges are your friends.

[DjchunKfunK]

I would go as far as to say that the episode was plain bad. It feels like the show is seriously missing the editorial control that the BBC had over Top Gear. Right now it feels like giving them £3m an episode and allowing them to do pretty much what the want is resulting in them just doing things they think are fun rather than creating enjoyable television.

As it stands I got more enjoyment out of the last series of Top Gear than I have got out of the Grand Tour.

[Snowy]

I liked the first episode, but this week's was awful.

[Sly Boots]

Haven't seen the second one yet, maybe tonight.

Old Top Gear always had a stinker or two every series, though...

[gpa-gone-west]

I liked the first episode, but this week's was awful.

I agree with that. But then again Top Gear suffered with that in almost every series. You always got one which was a bit of a stinker.