The Grand Tour (TV series)

The Grand Tour
An image of the programme's logo, consisting of the letters GT inside of which is the text Amazon Original surmounting the words The Grand Tour. The letters GT are in the form of five horizontal red bars. Amazon Original is also red, and all uppercase letters. "The Grand Tour" is in black, title case lettering.
Genre
Created by
Written by
  • Jeremy Clarkson
  • Richard Hammond
  • James May
  • Richard Porter
Directed by
  • Phil Churchward
  • Brian Klein
  • Kit Lynch-Robinson
Presented by
  • Jeremy Clarkson
  • Richard Hammond
  • James May
Starring Mike Skinner as "The American"
Composer(s) Paul Leonard-Morgan
Country of origin United Kingdom[1][2]
Original language(s) English
No. of series 1
No. of episodes 13
Production
Executive producer(s) Andy Wilman[3]
Producer(s)
  • Chris Hale
  • Greg Vince
  • Richard Evans
  • Ronan Browne
Cinematography Ben Joiner
Editor(s)
  • James Hart
  • Dan James
  • Chris Denton
  • Joe Orr
Camera setup Multi-camera setup[4]
Running time 44–71 minutes[5]
Production company(s)

Distributor Amazon.com
Release
Original network
Picture format 4K (Ultra HD) 23.976fps HDR[4][5]
Original release 18 November 2016 – present
www.amazon.co.uk/thegrandtour,%20https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Grand-Tour-Season-1/dp/B01J93ZNN2,%20http://amazon.co.uk/thegrandtour

The Grand Tour is a British[1][2] motoring television series for Amazon Video presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May and produced by Andy Wilman.[3]

The four agreed to produce the series following their departures from the BBC series Top Gear with an initial agreement of 36 episodes over three years.[6][7] Episodes are scheduled to be released weekly to those with Amazon Prime accounts in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Austria[8] and Japan, beginning 18 November 2016.[9][10][11] In the days following the launch it became Amazon Video's most watched premiere episode.[12] As of December 2016 the show was made available to an additional 195 countries and various territories.[13]

On 11 July 2017 a teaser trailer for series 2 was released featuring a Mercedes AMG GT R, Ripsaw EV-2, McLaren 720S, Bugatti Chiron, Audi TTRS, Rimac Concept One, a Grumman American AA-5 light aircraft and an armoured personnel carrier visiting the Dubai Mall. The trailer closes with Richard Hammond setting off up the Hemburg Hill Climb and stating "watch this!".[14] Season 2 is scheduled for late-2017; beginning in either October[15] or November 2017.[16]

Format

The intended format was initially for individual television films, using location shooting without studio segments, but after the title reveal it was announced that there will be studio segments shot in large tents at various locations.[17][18] Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos described the deal as being "very, very, very expensive".[19] W. Chump & Sons is the production company for the programme, and Amazon.com is distributing the show.

Studio recordings began on 17 July 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa.[20] Recordings in the United States took place on 25 September 2016 in Southern California, with further recordings taking place in Nashville on 21 November 2016.[21][22] Studio recordings in the United Kingdom took place in Whitby on 13 October 2016,[23] with further recordings taking place at Loch Ness in December 2016. Further studio recordings took place in Rotterdam on 22 October 2016 and Lapland on 3 November 2016.[24][25][26] Stuttgart (Ludwigsburg) was also a filming location.[27] In November 2016, it was announced that the final studio filming location would be Dubai in December 2016.[28]

Features

Test track

"Eboladrome" test track at RAF Wroughton

The show has a dedicated test track called the "Eboladrome", at the former RAF Wroughton. Clarkson states in the first episode that the name is due to its shape resembling the structure of the Ebola virus.

It is designed to "trip cars up", according to Clarkson. Section names include the "Isn't Straight", "Your Name Here", "Old Lady's House", "Substation" and "Field of Sheep". In the first episode, the track was said to have been modified following the discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb.

Cars are tested by NASCAR driver Mike Skinner, known as "The American", who considers anything not American, front-engine and V8 powered as "communist". According to the presenters, Amazon insisted the driver be an American, which is why Skinner was hired.[29] While doing a lap, Skinner makes sarcastic remarks about the car and the presenters.

Prior to the first episode the Lap board had been pre-populated with ten times from a selection of cars, and the laps themselves were not shown, just the timings. The first car to be shown being driven by Skinner, with an on-screen lap time, was a 2016 BMW M2 recording a time of 1:26.2 seconds. The track is also used for general filming and testing by The Grand Tour, meaning that other vehicles—such as a Ferrari 488 used in episode one—may appear on the track, but are not timed either.

Lap board
Car Time Condition Episode
Aston Martin Vulcan 1:15.5 2
McLaren 650S 1:17.9 not shown
Audi R8 V10 Plus 1:19.2 not shown
Porsche 911 GT3 RS 1:20.4 not shown
Nissan GT-R 1:21.2 not shown
Porsche 911 C2S 1:21.4 not shown
BMW M4 GTS 1:22.4 4
Porsche 718 Boxster S 1:23.4 not shown
BMW M5 1:24.2 not shown
BMW M3 1:24.3 not shown
Honda NSX 1:26.0 Wet 9
BMW M2 1:26.2 1
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio 1:27.1 Wet 10
Honda Civic Type R 1:28.2 not shown
Ford Focus RS 1:28.4 6
Lexus GS-F 1:29.6 Damp 12
Ford Mustang GT 1:29.6 6
Ford Fiesta ST200 1:32.8 not shown
Fiat Abarth 124 Spider 1:33.7 Wet 11

Conversation Street

The trio discuss car news. During the conversation, Hammond tends to overshare his opinions with sexual or homosexual innuendos. Clarkson is usually cut off after saying, "Can I talk about..." before either Hammond or May introduce the next segment; oftentimes, he attempts to talk about Alfa Romeo. The video introduction to the segment shows the men, in silhouette talking animatedly: in each episode the silhouettes change in various ways.

Running gags

The series includes several running gags. During the opening titles of each episode, a camera drone is destroyed. From episode three on, one of the presenters' names is always seen misspelled during the opening. In "Celebrity Brain Crash", celebrity guests are humorously "killed" in an accident while making their way to the tent. After each "death", May asks "Does that mean they're not coming on then?" to which Hammond deadpans "No James, they're not" while bluntly outlining how "dead" the celebrity is. This element of the show reflects the BBC's efforts to stop The Grand Tour from interviewing celebrity guests,[30] as had been the focus of the Top Gear "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment.

Episodes

No.TitleTent locationCars testedSpecial guestsOriginal air date
1"The Holy Trinity"Lucerne Valley, California, United States[21]McLaren P1, Porsche 918, LaFerrari, BMW M2Hothouse Flowers, Chris Goodwin, Jérôme d'Ambrosio, Armie Hammer, Jeremy Renner, Carol Vorderman18 November 2016 (2016-11-18)[n 1]
Clarkson, Hammond and May launch their new programme with a film showing Clarkson leaving the BBC Headquarters (a reference to him leaving "Top Gear"), and leaving London to fly to Los Angeles where he meets Hammond and May. As the Hothouse Flowers play "I Can See Clearly Now" the trio drive Ford Mustangs[n 2] through the California desert to Rabbit Dry Lake, accompanied by a range of cars and a fly-over by the Breitling Jet Team. Following a sequence where they greet the audience and viewers, and introduce the tent, the first feature shows the three presenters testing three hybrid hypercars; with Clarkson in the McLaren P1, Hammond in the Porsche 918 and May in the Ferrari LaFerrari at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal. Later, Clarkson introduces the show's new test track, the "Eboladrome" with laps by a Ferrari 488 and then tests a BMW M2. Jeremy Renner, Armie Hammer and Carol Vorderman are all humorously "killed" before being able to take part in the show. Returning to Portugal, Jérôme d'Ambrosio performs timed laps in the hypercars. The episode ends with Hammond and May declaring that they will demolish Clarkson's house as forfeit for losing a bet: that the McLaren P1 would be fastest in a timed lap and beat the Porsche 918 and LaFerrari.
2"Operation Desert Stumble"Johannesburg, South Africa[20][34]Aston Martin Vulcan, Audi S8 PlusJohan Ackermann25 November 2016 (2016-11-25)[n 3]
The tent is at the Cradle of Humankind nature reserve overlooking Johannesburg. The presenters discuss President of South Africa Jacob Zuma, the Nkandla compound firepool controversy and carjacking. Clarkson tests the Aston Martin Vulcan at the Eboladrome. Producer Andy Wilman sends the presenters to the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre (KASOTC) outside Amman, Jordan for a SAS-style military training exercise. Car-builder Johan Ackermann shows his self-built replica of a Sauber Mercedes C9. May visits Soweto to take part in South African motorsport of "Spinning" where cars generate smoke by performing doughnuts set to rap music until the tyres blowout. A person introduced as actress Charlize Theron[n 4] is pounced on by a lion and "killed". Finally the presenters return to KASOTC in Jordan to review an Audi S8 Plus while rescuing a VIP and transporting them to the "British Embassy".
3"Opera, Arts and Donuts"Whitby, England, United Kingdom[23][34]Rolls-Royce Dawn, Aston Martin DB11, Dodge Challenger SRT HellcatSimon Pegg2 December 2016 (2016-12-02)
The tent is on the quayside of Whitby harbour in North Yorkshire. The presenters go "Grand Touring" in Italy with May in the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Clarkson in the Aston Martin DB11 and Hammond in the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Clarkson and May's tour starts at the Palio di Siena horse race, before viewing The Birth of Venus painting at Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Clarkson and Hammond race each other the Mugello Circuit. In the tent the presenters discuss Whitby jet. Returning to Italy, Hammond visits the Lamborghini Museum whilst Clarkson and May watch Carmen staged at the Verona Arena, in the Piazza Bra. The tour continues via the Piazza dei Signori, Vicenza and ends up in the Venetian Lagoon. Simon Pegg "falls to his death" from Whitby Swing Bridge. Clarkson presents his take on automated vehicles. Fulfilling their bet from episode one, Hammond and May destroy Clarkson's house at Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire.[n 5][35]
4"Enviro-mental"Whitby, England, United Kingdom[23][34]Porsche 911 GT3 RS, BMW M4 GTSJimmy Carr9 December 2016 (2016-12-09)
Clarkson reviews the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and compares it to the BMW M4 GTS at the Eboladrome; despite criticising the M4 GTS for sacrificing creature comforts for no overall gain in performance, he declares it the winner simply because Hammond owns a GT3 RS. The presenters travel to South Wales and set out to make the most environmentally friendly car bodies using the platform of a Land Rover Discovery. They take an 11 mile road trip to a dirt track, where they race against three normal cars. The idea of environmentally friendly car bodies is abandoned after Clarkson's meat car is infested with maggots, Hammond's garden car catches fire, and May's mud and hay car falls apart. Jimmy Carr is the guest of "Celebrity Brain Crash", but his jet ski collides with a boat on his way to the tent. To fill in the time, the presenters introduce an Audi TT Mk1 Quattro with Hammond hidden behind the rear bumper to show a new smuggling technique used by illegal immigrants, as well as using Hammond as an improvised parking sensor.
5"Moroccan Roll"Rotterdam, Netherlands[24]Mazda MX-5, Zenos E10S, Alfa Romeo 4C SpiderGolden Earring16 December 2016 (2016-12-16)
The tent is at the Port of Rotterdam. To settle an argument over the best sports car, the presenters go to Marrakech, Morocco with Hammond in a Mazda MX-5, May in a Zenos E10S and Clarkson in an Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. During the road trip Clarkson suddenly pulls over due to a leg cramp while driving the 4C. Later, he challenges Hammond and May to weigh their cars to prove that the 4C is lighter, using an improvised scale and animal carcasses as counterweight. The scale breaks just as Hammond is about to remove the MX-5 from it, and the crew are ordered to leave the premises due to their use of animal carcasses. Clarkson and the film crew leave Hammond and May to focus on the 4C. The presenters stop at Atlas Corporation Studios in Ouarzazate to perform timed laps with their cars. Hammond wins, despite crashing into an Egyptian statue prop. Also in the episode, Hammond and May play an explosive game of Battleships using old cars as the "ships" and several G-Wizes as "missiles". Dutch band Golden Earring perform live outside the tent, but are electrocuted on stage. To fill in the time, Clarkson uses a V-8 engine to inflate a blow-up doll.
6"Happy Finnish Christmas"Saariselkä, Lapland, Finland[26][36]Ford Mustang GT, Ford Focus RSBob Geldof23 December 2016 (2016-12-23)
The tent is at the forests of Saariselkä. At the Port of London, Hammond welcomes the new right-hand-drive Ford Mustang GT and gives it a tour of London and Stonehenge before Clarkson arrives and proceeds to argue that Mustang has no place in Britain and that the Ford Focus RS is a better option. This escalates to a chase between both cars up to Cheddar Gorge. The Mustang beats the Focus in a drag race, but is slower around the Eboladrome. In "Conversation Street", Clarkson and May debate over which confectionery creates more mess in a car – a Flake or a Double Decker. A person introduced as a drunk Kimi Räikkönen[n 4] arrives outside the tent for "Celebrity Brain Crash", but collapses from drinking too much vodka and is left to die in the arctic temperatures. To fill in the time, the presenters introduce their "Santaland Grotto", where they talk about their Christmas gift ideas, mostly consisting of everyday items emblazoned with car-manufacturer logos. May introduces Bob Geldof via tablet on a Double telerobot. He then talks about the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans rivalry between Ford and Ferrari, which gave birth to the Ford GT40 and the Ferrari P3.
7"The Beach (Buggy) Boys – Part 1"Namibia (no audience)[36]NoneNone30 December 2016 (2016-12-30)
The presenters are set a challenge by their producer, Andy Wilman, who wishes to show that beach buggies are poor vehicles. Their challenge is to drive one thousand miles (1,600 km) along Namibia's Skeleton Coast in three beach buggies, each built to their personal specifications but all derived from the Volkswagen Beetle. After 36 hours of going nowhere, the presenters camp by the shipwreck of the Eduard Bohlen before venturing to the Namib Desert. The trio climb and descend several dunes and travel through harsh terrain before finally reaching a road. Clarkson's buggy breaks down and is abandoned by Hammond and May, who arrive in Windhoek to have a beer while Clarkson struggles with overheating problems on his way to town.
8"The Beach (Buggy) Boys – Part 2"Namibia (no tent)[36]NoneNone31 December 2016 (2016-12-31)
Clarkson finally arrives in Windhoek to meet up with Hammond and May and prepare for the second leg of their journey to the Namibia-Angola border. The rough road takes its toll on Clarkson and May's buggies until May suggests they continue off-road, which ends up being worse terrain and they end up in softer sand before returning to the road. After the trio sets camp, May attempts to sabotage Clarkson's buggy when he accidentally sets fire to the front end of his own car. With a third of a mile away from the border, the presenters create a cable car line to cross through a crocodile infested river. Clarkson and May cross successfully, but Hammond is stuck within 200 metres from the goal. Because of this, Clarkson concludes that their failure has proven Wilman right.
9"Berks to the Future"Ludwigsburg, Stuttgart, Germany[27][37][38]Honda NSXDiego Costa, Thibaut Courtois, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian[39]6 January 2017 (2017-01-06)
The tent is within the courtyard of Ludwigsburg Palace near Stuttgart, where Clarkson praises Germany as the "cradle of the automobile." May reviews the new Honda NSX at the Eboladrome. Clarkson fuses the body of a 1978 MGB Roadster with the chassis of a Land Rover Discovery to make a "proper" sport utility vehicle, but when the MG body falls off, he replaces it with a 1980s Mercedes-Benz SL and christens it "The Excellent". He then gives Hammond and May a ride in it to the Cobham Training Centre of Chelsea Football Club before having it displayed at the Coys of Kensington car auction, where it fetches £4,000 (it cost £14,000 to make). A human figure introduced as German singer Nena[n 4] is carried away from the courtyard by 99 red balloons. The presenters develop alternative means to recharge mobile phone batteries. May then demonstrates how much power a gym generates to recharge a G-Wiz. Hammond tries his hand on post-apocalyptic "Bug Out" vans, made out of a Volkswagen Transporter T25; Ford Transit Mk.3 and an Alvis Stalwart but it is not long before Clarkson and May destroy his creations using a rocket-propelled grenade, Scimitar and Challenger 2 tanks, and a 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun on HMS Richmond.
10"Dumb Fight at the O.K. Coral"Nashville, Tennessee, United States[21]Alfa Romeo Giulia QuadrifoglioBrian Johnson13 January 2017 (2017-01-13)
The tent is in Nashville facing the Cumberland River. Clarkson drives the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio in Wales and at the Eboladrome. The presenters then travel to Barbados to solve the problem of dying coral reefs by dumping five car body shells into the ocean, but they lose four of the cars, a boat, and a raft due to their numerous mishaps. Eventually, they pull a Land Rover into the ocean before Clarkson ditches his partners to chase a trimaran. They reach the reef site and sink the Land Rover. Former AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson is tackled and trampled to death by American football players on his way to the tent before the presenters instigate a verbal clash with the audience over the meaning of the word "football".
11"Italian Lessons"Loch Ness, Scotland, United KingdomFiat Abarth 124 SpiderChris Hoy20 January 2017 (2017-01-20)
The tent is on the shore of Loch Ness. Hammond test drives the new Fiat Abarth 124 Spider at the Eboladrome. To prove that a second-hand Maserati priced under £8,000 is a better buy than a used Ford Focus, the presenters travel to Circuit de Croix-en-Ternois in France for a series of tests with Clarkson's Biturbo S Coupé, Hammond's 430 Saloon, and May's Zagato Spyder. Because May injured his right arm prior to the challenge, he bought an automatic variant. The presenters then embark on a road trip through Northern France before racing back to England via the Port of Le Havre, with the loser selling his Maserati. Clarkson's Biturbo dies, but he continues the race with it on a tow truck. He reaches the ferry port, but discovers that his Biturbo fell off the tow truck while chasing Hammond. May launches his Spyder toward a boat and crashes in spectacular fashion. The presenters conclude that buying a second-hand Maserati will result in a 66% chance of it working. For "Celebrity Brain Crash", Chris Hoy rows toward the tent, but his boat hits an underwater mine. To fill in the time, Clarkson uses a Bulgarian man to demonstrate a new hands-free system for any car and a Thai woman as an inexpensive massaging back seat.
12"[censored] to [censored]"Loch Ness, Scotland, United KingdomLexus GS-F, Bentley Bentayga, Range Rover, Jaguar F-PaceTim Burton27 January 2017 (2017-01-27)
The tent remains at the west end of Loch Ness because Hammond and May are convinced that the Loch Ness Monster is deep in the water. Clarkson test drives the Lexus GS-F at the Eboladrome, driving past many animal-like figures. The presenters travel to Wank, Germany, where May in a Bentley Bentayga, Clarkson in a Range Rover, and Hammond in a Jaguar F-Pace plan a road trip on the Romantic Road via Kissing, Bavaria, then Petting, Bavaria, to Fucking, Austria. After passing Landsberg Prison and staying overnight in Fucking, Clarkson and Hammond suggest to May that they should skip Wedding (Berlin) and head for the Nürburgring instead. A mistake in the voice recognition of May's navigation system leads them to the Nuremberg Norisring, after which the trio find a quarry to perform timed laps in. Clarkson cheats by climbing a hill and crossing the water to beat Hammond and May's times by two minutes. Tim Burton crosses Loch Ness in a mini-submarine, which implodes before reaching the tent. During the final announcements a mysterious object is seen rising from the loch in the background.
13"Past v Future"Dubai, United Arab Emirates[40]Volkswagen Golf GTI, BMW i3Roger Daltrey, Wilko Johnson, Daniel Ricciardo, Steve Biagioni, Bartek Ostałowski, Conor Shanahan3 February 2017 (2017-02-03)
The tent is in Dubai. Clarkson compares his Volkswagen Golf GTI to May's BMW i3 with a drag race at an airstrip and a road trip from London to Dartmoor to attend a Roger Daltrey and Wilko Johnson concert. Clarkson and Hammond make May hang out with "winchers" who drive their 4x4s deep into mud. For "Celebrity Brain Crash", F1 racer Daniel Ricciardo drives a hovercraft toward the tent, but crashes before being sucked into the hovercraft's fan. Hammond defeats the Bugatti Veyron in a drag race with the Porsche 918 Spyder, but quickly loses to a 1900 horsepower Nissan Patrol. Later, he travels to Michelin's proving grounds in France to learn how to drift. He must then prove his skills against two professional drifters – double amputee Bartek Ostałowski and 13-year-old Conor Shanahan – at Rockingham Motor Speedway. May ends the episode with a series of outtakes of Clarkson and Hammond attempting to drift cars.

Notes

  1. ↑ Advertised as being released at 00:01 UTC on 18 November 2016; Episode 1 became available 20 minutes earlier, before midnight, on the previous day (17 November 2016).[31][32]
  2. ↑ Clarkson drove a blue Fisker-Galpin Rocket Mustang, Hammond a red Shelby GT350 Mustang, and May a white Roush Stage 3 Mustang.[33]
  3. ↑ Advertised as being released at 00:01 UTC on 25 November 2016; Episode 2 became available 60 minutes earlier, before midnight, on the previous day (24 November 2016)
  4. 1 2 3 Neither credited, or identifiable.
  5. ↑ This actually happened. The team demolished Clarkson's Oxfordshire home – which in fact, was anyway scheduled for demolition – and filmed it for The Grand Tour.

Production

The format of segments in the programme are a result of needing to ensure differentiation from the team's previous work on Top Gear for the BBC.[30][41] The show is presented from a pair of large tents on a Grand Tour around the world.[41] The presenters sit around a trestle table, with the studio audience seated in front of them.[41] The "Conversation Street" segment allows discussion of current events at the time of filming.[41] Lap times are shown on an electronic scoreboard.[41] A recurring test driver used for lap times is a named NASCAR character, portraying a stereotypical redneck accent and viewpoints, and prone to tangential speech.[41][42] Any celebrity guests booked for the "Celebrity Brain Crash" segment are shown being "killed off" before they can be interviewed by the presenters.[30]

Naming

The presenting line-up consists of Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson.

The show's title was announced as The Grand Tour on 11 May 2016.[43] The show's logo was unveiled by Clarkson on Twitter on 28 June 2016.[44]

There was speculation that the show could be called Gear Knobs after a trademark application was made for that name by an associated company,[45] but Clarkson stated in October 2015 that this would not be the title.[46][47] He explained in April 2016 that the word "Gear" could not be used for legal reasons.[48]

A short trailer was released on 8 April 2016 portraying Clarkson, Hammond and May brainstorming for a suitable name for the new series, before ending with the hashtag #TheStillVeryMuchUntitledClarksonHammondMayAmazonPrimeShowComingAutumn2016.[49]

Another short trailer was posted by Clarkson on Facebook, yet again portraying the trio attempting to conjure up a suitable name. But this time, they end up getting distracted and completely forgetting the task at hand. Shortly afterwards, the trailer was released on the Amazon Video UK YouTube channel.[50]

Filming

United Broadcast Facilities (UBF) in The Netherlands won the contract for the outside broadcasting tent segments.[4] Fourteen microphones are used for recording the audience reaction laugh track within the tent.[4] The mobile studio audio setup uses Lawo mixing desks connected via MADI for live sound mixing, recording and talkback intercoms.[4]

In July 2016 following the completion of filming for The Grand Tour an offshore powerboat racing powerboat C-237 belonging to Sunus Racing was stopped in the San Marco basin and impounded by police near to San Zaccaria, Venice, for only having insurance during filming itself, and not afterwards.[51][52]

Promotion

The Grand Tour parcel tape used for orders in November 2016

Following the public naming of the show, Amazon offered new customers a £20 discount for their first year on Amazon Prime during 14–16 May 2016.[53] A trailer announcing the release date of the show as 18 November 2016 was posted on the show's YouTube channel on 15 September 2016.[54] A second, full-length trailer, was released on 6 October 2016.[55] Trailers have used the music "Come with Me Now" by Kongos.[56]

As part of their marketing campaign, Amazon placed crashed Toyota Prius cars at Hackescher Markt in Berlin, in front of London King's Cross railway station, and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame outside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.[57]

Sponsorship

In mid-2016 DHL began sponsoring the transport costs of the tent and mobile studio.[58][59] In June 2016, in connection with the sponsorship deal, the presenters had uploaded videos of themselves attempting to assemble DHL-branded shipping boxes.[60] The first episode stated that "promotional consideration" had been given by the Breitling Jet Team, DHL and Samsung.[61] Eight of the Breitling Jet aircraft took part in the opening sequence flyovers.[62] For episode 2, the list included 5.11 Tactical.[63] A DHL Boeing 757 was featured in the opening sequence of episode 5, the tent was located in Rotterdam, and the DHL logo is featured on part of the crash barrier at the Eboladrome.

Reception

As of November 2016 the show has received positive reviews from critics[64], with The Guardian saying "Jeremy Clarkson and co leave the BBC in their dust".[65]

Daily Express TV reporter, Neela Debnath commented that the first episode "resembled a Hollywood blockbuster" and added that "[The Grand Tour is] basically Top Gear on steroids".[66] However, BBC Arts Editor, Will Gompertz said of the opening that "there is no irony. It feels uncomfortably hubristic" but once the presenters were in the tent "Normal service has been resumed" and that "It seemed to me that Grand Tour is a TV show that wants to be – and quite possibly should be – a movie"[67] The Independent described The Grand Tour as "the best of Top Gear but with a greater budget"[68] TheWrap reported an estimate by Symphony Advanced Media that the opening weekend viewer count for The Grand Tour was three times the size of the opening weekend of The Man in the High Castle.[69]

Episode 2 was somewhat less favourably received by fans and critics. The Telegraph wrote about the Jordan segment: "[...] a tedious action movie segment suggested that they were in danger of losing the run of themselves slightly and that Amazon's hands-off policy towards the production had potential downsides."[70] Radio Times said that "many of the viewers were disgruntled to say the least, branding the show as dull and not funny."[71]

Richard Hammond was criticised by Stonewall, Peter Tatchell, and Olly Alexander, amongst others, for a comment he made in episode six where he implied that men who eat ice-cream are homosexual.[72][73] It was later revealed that the comment was an in-joke for the Finnish audience as a reference to a controversial TV commercial that aired in Finland.[74]

The Grand Tour received a nomination in the Original OTT Streamed category at the 2017 Television and Radio Industries Club Awards.[75]

In April 2017 Brad Anderson of CarScoops stated that he prefers Top Gear versus The Grand Tour. According to Anderson, Top Gear had "become even better", whereas the Grand Tour "seemed more scripted, less natural and at stages, forced … attention is often skewed away from the cars as the presenters, namely Clarkson, seemed to chase controversy and headlines". Anderson continues that in-studio segments became repetitive quickly, particularly "Celebrity Brain Crash", also noting that all three The Grand Tour hosts seem to spend far too much time needling each other, and test driver Mike Skinner offers no worthwhile commentary.[76]

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 of The Grand Tour has a "fresh" rating of 83%, based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 8.0/10.[77]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Barraclough, Leo (31 July 2015). "Why Jeremy Clarkson's 'Top Gear' Team Went to Amazon". Variety (magazine). Retrieved 31 May 2016. The program will be U.K. based
  2. 1 2 @@thegrandtour (16 November 2016). "GMT, it's a British show." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. 1 2 Juss, Mindy. "'The Grand Tour' with executive producer Andy Wilman". Edinburgh International Television Festival. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Sharples, Sarah (29 November 2016). "Lawo gears up for The Grand Tour with former Top Gear presenters". Pro Sound News Europe. NewBay. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  5. 1 2 Wilman, Andy (25 August 2016). "The Grand Tour Masterclass" (Interview). Interview with Elaine Bedell. Edinburgh: Edinburgh International Television Festival. Retrieved 7 November 2016 – via YouTube. (2:01) ...they want everything in 4k, they want a specific framerate, they want it in HDR ... (17:35) ...built a new server to deal with the 4k framerate, the 23.98... (22:18) first show ...comes out at 70-odd minutes. ... we're trying to discipline ourselves to 60 minutes
  6. ↑ "Clarkson delighted with terms of new Amazon show". 2 August 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015. The new motoring show, which will be available to Amazon Prime customers next year, will feature at least 36 episodes over three years.
  7. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (31 July 2015). "Why Jeremy Clarkson's 'Top Gear' Team Went to Amazon". Retrieved 23 December 2015. will be 12 episodes in each of the three seasons, and each episode will run for around an hour. ... deal was brokered by Amazon U.K. film and TV strategy director Chris Bird and Conrad Riggs, the U.S. company's head of TV production.
  8. ↑ Martinson, Jane (16 November 2016). "Amazon to stream The Grand Tour in 200 countries and territories". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "The Grand Tour: Launch Date". YouTube. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  10. ↑ Goodwin, Antuan (16 September 2016). "The Grand Tour hits the road with Amazon Prime on November 18". Cnet.com. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  11. ↑ "The Grand Tour: A Message from the Guys". YouTube. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  12. ↑ Shepherd, Jack (22 November 2016). "The Grand Tour breaks Amazon Prime streaming record with debut episode". The Independent. Retrieved 9 February 2017. Despite the difficulty, the trio's debut was an undisputed success, becoming Amazon Prime's most-watched premiere in the streaming service's history. The previous record-holder was The Man In The High Castle.
  13. ↑ "The Grand Tour is going global". Amazon. Amazon. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  14. ↑ The Grand Tour (11 July 2017). The Grand Tour Season 2 Sneak Peek (trailer). Retrieved 13 July 2017 – via Youtube.
  15. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/the-grand-tour/news/a830072/james-may-the-grand-tour-series-two-premiere-date/
  16. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BRAplVSDALM/?taken-by=richard.m.hammond
  17. ↑ Plunkett, John (25 March 2016). "James May: Top Gear's Cenotaph stunt was 'possibly a little unwise'". Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  18. ↑ Plunkett, John (27 March 2016). "James May: 'We are not in a race with Chris Evans' Top Gear'". Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  19. ↑ Quinn, James (16 August 2015). "Amazon's Jeff Bezos: With Jeremy Clarkson, we're entering a new golden age of television". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 December 2015. Bezos [said] he's "very excited" about the concept. ... the show will be "very, very, very expensive", for Amazon. "They're worth a lot and they know it."
  20. 1 2 "Jeremy Clarkson on Twitter: "This is it. The Grand Tour's first studio day."". Twitter.com. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  21. 1 2 3 "Amazon Instant Video". Amazon.com. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  22. ↑ Perkins, Chris (20 October 2016). "The Grand Tour Nashville – How to Get Tickets for Clarkson, Hammond, and May". Roadandtrack.com. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 Clarkson, Jeremy (29 September 2016). "Grand Tour show one: Los Angeles. Show two: Johannesburg. Show three: Whitby obviously. Tickets available now.". Twitter. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  24. 1 2 "The Grand Tour on Twitter: "Thank you for a great show Rotterdam."". Twitter.com. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  25. ↑ "Jeremy Clarkson on Twitter".
  26. 1 2 "The Grand Tour – Timeline". Facebook. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  27. 1 2 "Amazon Instant Video". Amazon.de. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  28. ↑ "The Grand Tour's final location is unveiled". 7 November 2016.
  29. ↑ "The Holy Trinity". The Grand Tour. Series 1. Episode 1. 18 November 2016. Event occurs at 42:33. Amazon Video.
  30. 1 2 3 Daly, Emma (26 November 2016). "Jeremy Clarkson forced to 'kill off' celebs on The Grand Tour after BBC 'bans Top Gear rip-off star interviews'". The Sun. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  31. ↑ "The Grand Tour: Launching 18 November, 2016". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  32. ↑ Matthews, Alex (17 November 2016). "Amazon upload first episode of Jeremy Clarkson's Grand Tour 20 minutes Early". Daily Mail. Retrieved 18 November 2016. Clarkson surprised fans by launching the Grand Tour half an hour early on Amazon Prime this evening
  33. ↑ Hsieh, Tony (20 November 2016). "The Grand Tour: 3 Mustangs from the Opening Sequence of the Premiere Episode". Grand Tour Nation. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  34. 1 2 3 Fane Saunders, Tristram (9 November 2016). "What really happens in The Grand Tour? Episode-by-episode details for Jeremy Clarkson's Amazon show revealed". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  35. ↑ "Jeremy Clarkson blows up old home to make way for new Cotswold farmhouse". Telegraph.co.uk. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  36. 1 2 3 "The Grand Tour boss said there would be no Christmas specials – so what are all these photos about?". Radio Times. 3 December 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016. travelling studio tent to Kakslauttanen, Finland ... Even the title gives it away: Happy Finnish Christmas. ... on Friday 30th December, won't even be coming from the travelling tent at all. ... The Grand Tour abandons its usual travelling tent for a road trip across Namibia
  37. ↑ "Clarkson, Hammond und May in Stuttgart: Amazon Prime "The Grand Tour" kommt nach Deutschland – GQ" (in German). Gq-magazin.de. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  38. ↑ "PS-Fernsehen im Residenzschloss – Geheimsache Autoshow – Landkreis Ludwigsburg – Stuttgarter Zeitung" (in German). stuttgarter-zeitung.de. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  39. ↑ Davis, Chris (7 January 2017). "Chelsea stars mock Jeremy Clarkson over his custom car on The Grand Tour". Metro. London. Retrieved 7 January 2017. inspections from Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Thibaut Courtois, Gary Cahill, Willian and Oscar.
  40. ↑ "Book tickets for the Grand Tour Dubai". 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016. 10th December 2016
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hogan, Michael (18 November 2016). "The Grand Tour vs Top Gear: how do they compare?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 November 2016. [Test driver] Mike Skinner. A stubbly, Commie-hating 59-year-old Californian prone to drawling
  42. ↑ St. John, Allen (17 November 2016). "Amazon's Expensive 'Grand Tour' Is Really Just 'Top Gear' On Steroids". Forbes. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  43. ↑ Jackson, Jasper. "Jeremy Clarkson's Amazon show to be called The Grand Tour". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  44. ↑ "Jeremy Clarkson on Twitter – The Grand Tour logo.". Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  45. ↑ Horton, Helena (17 September 2015). "Jeremy Clarkson's new Amazon Top Gear-style show could be called Gear Knobs". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 December 2015. 'Gear Knobs' is trademarked to new company Newincco 1361 Limited which has also trademarked 'Gear Nobs', and the name 'Speedbird' which is speculated to be a charater [sic] on the show.
  46. ↑ Jeremy, Clarkson (9 October 2015). "I see that many people think our new show is called Gear Knobs. Well you heard it here first. It isn't.". Twitter. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  47. ↑ King, Alanis (10 October 2015). "The Top Gear Guys' New Amazon Show Will Not Be Called 'Gear Knobs,' Thankfully". Jalopnik. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  48. ↑ Clarkson, Jeremy (8 April 2016). "Thanks for your suggestions. But be aware: for legal reasons, we cannot use a name with the word "gear" in it.". Twitter. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  49. ↑ Clarkson, Jeremy; Hammond, Richard; May, James (8 April 2016). Clarkson, Hammond & May Brainstorm Names for Their New Amazon Prime Show. Amazon Video UK. YouTube. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  50. ↑ "Jeremy Clarkson joins Facebook and posts a video of their latest efforts in finding a name for the show. The video was later released on YouTube.". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  51. ↑ "Super motoscafo per le riprese di "Top Gear" sic fermato in Bacino senza assicurazione" [Powerboat used for filming "Top Gear" sic stopped in the Basin uninsured]. Venice Today (in Italian). 9 July 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  52. ↑ "Bolide a Venezia per le riprese della trasmissione "Top Gear" sic fermato dai carabinieri" [Meteor in Venice for the television show "Top Gear" sic stopped by police]. La Nuova (in Italian). Venice. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  53. ↑ "To celebrate The Grand Tour, join Amazon Prime for £59 and save £20 on your first year's membership.".
  54. ↑ The Grand Tour (15 September 2016), The Grand Tour: Launch Date, retrieved 9 October 2016
  55. ↑ The Grand Tour (6 October 2016), The Grand Tour: The Official Trailer, retrieved 9 October 2016
  56. ↑ ""The Grand Tour" ya tiene fecha en Amazon Prime" [The Grand Tour now has a date on Amazon Prime]. Ñandutí, 1020 AM (in Spanish). Paraguay. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016. El tráiler oficial, al ritmo de Come with Me Now, de Kongos
  57. ↑ Okulski, Travis (15 November 2016). "The Grand Tour Is Leaving Crashed Priuses All Over the World". Road & Track. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  58. ↑ Bell, Jonny (21 November 2016). "The Grand Tour moves into Top Gear with Clarkson, Hammond and May's Amazon debut". Belfast Telegraph. DHL sponsorship
  59. ↑ Clarkson, Jeremy (30 October 2016). "Grand Tour special: "We're back! With all guns blazing"". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 24 November 2016. Happily, a magnificent company called DHL then rode into the equation, offering to meet our transport costs in something called a "sponsorship deal"
  60. ↑ "This video of Jeremy Clarkson assembling a box got better reviews than Top Gear". 7 June 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016. shows Jeremy Clarkson assembling a DHL flat-pack box
  61. ↑ "The Holy Trinity". The Grand Tour. Series 1. Episode 1. 17 November 2016. Event occurs at 01:10:45. Amazon Video. "Promotional Consideration
  62. ↑ The Grand Tour [@thegrandtour] (19 November 2016). "8 Breitling jets, the #BurningVan festival, and a flotilla of over 40 cars. Stream episode 1 of #TheGrandTour on Amazon Prime Video now." (Tweet). Retrieved 24 November 2016 – via Twitter.
  63. ↑ "Operation Desert Stumble". The Grand Tour. Series 1. Episode 2. 24 November 2016. Event occurs at 00:57:14. Amazon Video. "Promotional Consideration Provided By
  64. ↑ Warner, Sam (18 November 2016). "The Grand Tour gets rave reviews from critics as Jeremy Clarkson and co make triumphant Amazon Prime debut". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  65. ↑ Wollaston, Sam (18 November 2016). "The Grand Tour review – Clarkson and co leave the BBC in their dust". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  66. ↑ Robinson, Martin (22 November 2016). "So how many DID tune in to The Grand Tour? Amazon cagily announces Clarkson's premiere its 'biggest ever success' for Prime Video (but refuses to release viewing figures)". Daily Mail. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  67. ↑ Gompertz, Will (18 November 2016), The Grand Tour Review: Clarkson returns in 'filmic' show
  68. ↑ "The Grand Tour episode 1 review: The best of Top Gear with a bigger budget". The Independent. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  69. ↑ Maglio, Tony (28 November 2016). "Amazon's 'Grand Tour' Triples 'Man in the High Castle' Viewers" (Exclusive). Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  70. ↑ Power, Ed (25 November 2016). "The Grand Tour episode two review: Operation Desert Stumble and Jeremy Clarkson is still off the leash – plus all the talking points". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  71. ↑ "Viewers divided over "difficult second episode" of The Grand Tour". RadioTimes. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  72. ↑ Hunt, Elle (27 December 2016). "Richard Hammond under fire for 'ice-cream is gay' line on The Grand Tour". Retrieved 31 December 2016. In front of a live audience, Clarkson pointed to an image of the interior of a Rolls Royce, saying: "The only problem is that in one of those, you couldn't enjoy a chocolate Magnum ice-cream." "It's all right, I don't eat ice-cream", replied Hammond. "It's something to do with being straight."
  73. ↑ "Richard Hammond is criticised for gay ice cream joke on Amazon show, The Grand Tour". 27 December 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  74. ↑ Boyle, Simon (2 January 2017). "Richard Hammond's controversial ‘gay ice cream joke’ on The Grand Tour may not have been all it seemed". The Sun. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  75. ↑ "2017 TRIC Award Nominees". Television and Radio Industries Club. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  76. ↑ Anderson, Brad (17 April 2017). "Sorry The Grand Tour, Top Gear Is Again The World's Best Car Show". Car Scoops.
  77. ↑ "The Grand Tour: Season 1 - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.