The Grand Tour - The BBC got bitchslapped. HARD.

[naaaaiiiiillllll!!!]

On the

URBANISM IS SATANIC
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KILL ALL URBANISTS
If you ever wanted to visit where the magic happened for over a decade, you've got about a year left to do so. 2 years tops.

We knew this was happening for about a decade, but it's still very sad news nonetheless.

On the bright side (if you can call it that), some britbong Kiwi can buy a development plot/house on an important turn or straightaway and correlate it to a specific episode. “In my dining room, many years ago, Richard “the Hamster” Hammond dumped the water from an airport fire truck while racing a bunch of airport vehicles around the track”.

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

 

[Car Won't Crank]

It is heresy but I never had a lot of interests in the car reviewing or guest stars. The road trips and challenges were always the best parts for the excellent chemistry between the hosts, the locales and the barely functioning cars.

Which reminds me, considering how convoluted and anti consumer cars been the last decade, this format of buying an old car and driving them across a country will never fly.

That's not really heresy. Back when the real trio were still doing Top Gear, I believe it was Jeremy or Richard who said something along the lines of that their show is primarily a family fun time show and a car show second. That would also explain why so many people, not just car nuts loved the original Top Gear. The trio's chemistry is what makes it. The cars are simply along for the ride.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

That's not really heresy. Back when the real trio were still doing Top Gear, I believe it was Jeremy or Richard who said something along the lines of that their show is primarily a family fun time show and a car show second. That would also explain why so many people, not just car nuts loved the original Top Gear. The trio's chemistry is what makes it. The cars are simply along for the ride.

It doesn't help the most interesting reviews are the ones for the hilariously unaffordable cars, and that most people will rent a car they want to buy rather than take the show's word.

 

[naaaaiiiiillllll!!!]

James May Man in Japan wasn't that bad. It gave us some good bits with the Robohon scene where it calls him Bim, causing James to laugh his signature goose laugh in the middle of a tourist shrine. The other stuff was pretty bad though like the comedy routine thing, the boy band concert, and artist training segments. The Hokkaido snowball match was also a bit cringe.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hpRwaKnJYc8

Late reply, but after watching those scenes, I noticed James May's Wikipedia article has "Bim" listed as one of his other names. Brilliant bit of humor on Wikipedia's part I'll admit.

 

[Car Won't Crank]

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Late reply, but after watching those scenes, I noticed James May's Wikipedia article has "Bim" listed as one of his other names. Brilliant bit of humor on Wikipedia's part I'll admit.

Now that's shocking. Wikipedia jannies have a sense of humor.

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

Now that's shocking. Wikipedia jannies have a sense of humor.

Every so often Top Gear brings out the best in people. Even Wikipedia jannies.
It's kind of epitomised with James here, wearing an incredibly stupid hat.

(and since I know team DDOS is hard at work here's the link too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6cfFnBNELs)

There is something genuine with the three of them, and the producer, while it occasionally gets overlooked or mixed up with the performances of them all it is still there and it does reach through at times to touch the hearts of even the most evil of individuals.

 

[malapropism]

God I loved Top Gear. There's a long autistic rant i could make but Grand Tour is just so...soulless. I keep hearing "BBC would never allow this!!" on different forums but the jokes are so tame. People tend to forget Hammond's unhinged mexico rant or other based comments about people of just about every background. Jeremy came to prominence in a world where unfiltered comments about entire people(s) were acceptable and i love him for it.
Still good fun with the boys but it feels scripted even in the unscripted moments. Its like seeing the surviving members of some legacy rock group bang out the classics, but then you are forced to listen to their new work too. On Season 21 from my 2022 binge of the old top gear and i'm starting to see the connections to the recently made Tour specials. Another irk is when they'd travel to some exotic or interesting locale and have some gimmick that has little to do with where they went. Rational brain says this is because visa limitations and such but I think of the race with the flamethrower drone in China, or just miles from some of the greatest driving canyons in the world they isnstead had fighter jets play laser tag with their cars. Its probably just i'm in love with their location and photography team - they made even central Spain look heavenly.
Again, I love everything this trio makes, anything i didn't bring up is as perfect as "reality TV" can get. There's something incredible about a trio of conflicting personalities that test the time versus duos - Think of how long RedLetterMedia has lasted by internet standards.

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

God I loved Top Gear. There's a long autistic rant i could make but Grand Tour is just so...soulless. I keep hearing "BBC would never allow this!!" on different forums but the jokes are so tame. People tend to forget Hammond's unhinged mexico rant or other based comments about people of just about every background. Jeremy came to prominence in a world where unfiltered comments about entire people(s) were acceptable and i love him for it.
Still good fun with the boys but it feels scripted even in the unscripted moments. Its like seeing the surviving members of some legacy rock group bang out the classics, but then you are forced to listen to their new work too. On Season 21 from my 2022 binge of the old top gear and i'm starting to see the connections to the recently made Tour specials. Another irk is when they'd travel to some exotic or interesting locale and have some gimmick that has little to do with where they went. Rational brain says this is because visa limitations and such but I think of the race with the flamethrower drone in China, or just miles from some of the greatest driving canyons in the world they isnstead had fighter jets play laser tag with their cars. Its probably just i'm in love with their location and photography team - they made even central Spain look heavenly.
Again, I love everything this trio makes, anything i didn't bring up is as perfect as "reality TV" can get. There's something incredible about a trio of conflicting personalities that test the time versus duos - Think of how long RedLetterMedia has lasted by internet standards.

Season 2 of Grand Tour on is better but you are right.
Then again look at the situation of the current year and the jokes they are allowed to make ON AMAZON and possible reassess them in that light. Frankly between this and Clarkson's Farm I half think Jeremy bribed someone to just give them a pass for some stuff.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

God I loved Top Gear. There's a long autistic rant i could make but Grand Tour is just so...soulless. I keep hearing "BBC would never allow this!!" on different forums but the jokes are so tame. People tend to forget Hammond's unhinged mexico rant or other based comments about people of just about every background. Jeremy came to prominence in a world where unfiltered comments about entire people(s) were acceptable and i love him for it.
Still good fun with the boys but it feels scripted even in the unscripted moments. Its like seeing the surviving members of some legacy rock group bang out the classics, but then you are forced to listen to their new work too. On Season 21 from my 2022 binge of the old top gear and i'm starting to see the connections to the recently made Tour specials. Another irk is when they'd travel to some exotic or interesting locale and have some gimmick that has little to do with where they went. Rational brain says this is because visa limitations and such but I think of the race with the flamethrower drone in China, or just miles from some of the greatest driving canyons in the world they isnstead had fighter jets play laser tag with their cars. Its probably just i'm in love with their location and photography team - they made even central Spain look heavenly.
Again, I love everything this trio makes, anything i didn't bring up is as perfect as "reality TV" can get. There's something incredible about a trio of conflicting personalities that test the time versus duos - Think of how long RedLetterMedia has lasted by internet standards.

The reasoning I give for the drop in quality was that letting overgrown children infinite money has them instead play around with toys rather than use the tools they have. At least as the seasons progressed they got it out of their systems and went back to being good, with the specials being mostly still top notch (though they are mostly epic locales rather than the interesting urban areas).

 

[malapropism]

Then again look at the situation of the current year and the jokes they are allowed to make ON AMAZON and possible reassess them in that light. Frankly between this and Clarkson's Farm I half think Jeremy bribed someone to just give them a pass for some stuff.

Yeah its a perspective thing I definitely do flip back and forth on. S3 of the grand tour was definitely on the quality level of top gear. They've given me so many hours of solid laughter and all i have is a few of their books and magazines, but I also don't like giving free pass for entertainment due to past successes.

The reasoning I give for the drop in quality was that letting overgrown children infinite money has them instead play around with toys rather than use the tools they have.

They were certainly having fun and I think that's why i stuck with it even in its weaker moments - they didn't dread filming it. Segments felt like they dragged and that Willman touch of ending before anything got boring was definitely not there. On my rewatch of Top Gear i really came to appreciate the news and interviews, which i admit aren't too popular with all fans - I just think they are doing something right if i tune in to discussions of new cars from 15 years ago just for their apt commentary. Gaffs like the American "stig" or celebrity brain crash overstayed their welcome too.

Shame they always had visa issues in the US, I always wanted a long form route 66 or similar special in a vein to the Patagonia special, which despite the bombshell ending, felt the most like the trips I embark on.

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

The reasoning I give for the drop in quality was that letting overgrown children infinite money has them instead play around with toys rather than use the tools they have. At least as the seasons progressed they got it out of their systems and went back to being good, with the specials being mostly still top notch (though they are mostly epic locales rather than the interesting urban areas).

I like to call that Deadpool 2 syndrome. When an initial success makes them get too much leeway.

 

[naaaaiiiiillllll!!!]

Combine AI-absurdity with classic Top Gear, and you get this...

 

[Miller]

Tonight on Top Gear:

(I thought I had saved the one with the audio, sorry)

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

Trailer for the new special is out, there's an article on it too.

https://archive.ph/YgjbK

It does have spoilers so I'm not going to dump the text here. Instead here's a random local paper about James May eating breakfast.

https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/23580040.top-gear-grand-tour-star-james-may-spotted-near-andover/

A kebab van owner near Salisbury was surprised to see a well-known TV star pull up for "a cup of tea and something to eat".

Sedat Celebi, who is known by locals as Adam, runs Adam's best kebabs and breakfast, the only takeaway in the Kentsboro area, near Middle Wallop.
Adam was working on Thursday when former Top Gear and Grand Tour star James May pulled up on his motorbike. This is not the first time that Adam has met James May.

James May had stopped at the van in 2022, ordering a chicken kebab and enjoying it while sitting outside. Adam initially had no idea who this man was, before being told by customers he had been a famous presenter on the TV show Top Gear.
At the time, James May told Adam he had enjoyed the food and would be back, and just a few months later, he returned on his motorbike, ordering an egg and bacon roll with a cup of tea.

Adam said: "I knew who he was this time, so I got out a stool for him to sit down and enjoy his lunch. Much like when he visited before, he had lots of customers talking to him and interacting with him. He is so polite and down to earth, and had no problems in chatting away and taking pictures.
"I didn’t have time to have a conversation with him as lots of people were wanting his attention. After he finished he jumped onto his bike and was on his way. Hopefully, he might be back again, now the weather is great for riding. He was a lovely down-to-earth bloke and it was nice to see him again."

 

[teriyakiburns]

New Grant Tour episode, happening in Zimbabwe. There's a combination of leaks, spoilers, and hawkstone lager in this, so caveat emptor. I stopped about half way in because it was starting to reveal major points of the ep.

Guess that puts the final nail in the coffin of that rumour about Amazon dropping him

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

New Grant Tour episode, happening in Zimbabwe. There's a combination of leaks, spoilers, and hawkstone lager in this, so caveat emptor. I stopped about half way in because it was starting to reveal major points of the ep.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-RLcU562pJo
Guess that puts the final nail in the coffin of that rumour about Amazon dropping him

I was dreading a final cancellation post, happy to be wrong. Africa is always a fun visit for the trio. South America however...

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

Guess that puts the final nail in the coffin of that rumour about Amazon dropping him

Not going to watch the trailer given your summary but at this point we are long past the stage of "Amazon dropped them because Jeremy said bad things about sainted Meghan" and anyone claiming differently is coping. If they were doing so they should have done it long ago and very publicly. Instead we're getting this episode, which given prior Africa visits for the three should be fun, and since the real world drama from Clarkson's farm continues likely at least one more season of that.

Which honestly has a smile on my face that could (appropriately) split open a pumpkin.

 

[indomitable snowman]

Tangentially related, but James May had another season of "James May: Our Man in...". This time he was in India and thankfully it was only 3 episodes.
First episode companion was probably the worst he's ever had with some Indian stand up comedian lady -Aditi Mittal who is forced and unfunny. He looked more uncomfortable during the whole thing and never seemed to have as much fun or interesting things to do/see like in Japan or Italy. Funniest bit was some guy kept calling him John and a Indian painter who seemed extremely annoyed to be interrupted by the show.

 

[Xenomorphs Are Cute]

Necro'ing the thread to remind people that new Grand Tour Special is finally out.