Since the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May left our screens in 2015, the hype surrounding their latest venture has been growing steadily, until it finally reached fever pitch with the arrival of The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime.
For those who appreciated Top Gear, there is much to like about their most recent offering. There are fast cars, some lovely cinematography, and the same ‘banter’ that the three presenters have really made their own. The first episode is a solid one, although nothing special.
There are some chucklesome jabs at the BBC and the car testing is predictably silly but still enjoyable, while offering something for the hardcore petrolhead. Without some of the more structured filler that broke up Top Gear, however, the studio segments feel a tad forced and irritating. The presenters sometimes seem at a slight loss with what to do with all this new time and freedom.
As only the first of 12 episodes, there is plenty of room for improvement – and with a budget of £160 million, there is hope – but when they are doing what they do best, they do it pretty damn well.
Image: Tony Harrison @ Flickr