Anyone watching The Grand Tour

[MiniDave]

That Aston Martin sure sounded incedible tho, didn't it?

[BruceK]

That Aston Martin sure sounded incedible tho, didn't it?

Yes, the Aston piece was the best part of that show. 

[BruceK]

I just watched the 3rd episode.   Still a bit clunky, but some glimmers of hope emerge.   Just some touches of the old TG.

Most of the episode was filmed in the beautiful Italian countryside. They are still very noticeably scripted, but with Italy as a gorgeous backdrop, it's easier to forgive them a little. 

Good news: No "The American".
Bad news:  They still had the same bit about killing off a guest celebrity.  Still not funny. 

The final segment concerning home remodeling was kinda fun.

Top tip: when they show the silhouetted black and white intro to the Conversation segment, pay close attention toward the bottom of the screen.   Nice little touch there.

[Jims5543]

I beg to differ on the killing off guest celebrities. I am sure they cannot have them on bacause of lawyers. So they are basically throwing up a middle finger. I love it. I cannot wait to see how they are going to kill more.

[MiniDave]

Well, as I said before it could just be me but........another show another Aston......

This show has really lost it's mojo to me, they're trying so hard to be Top Gear without actually being Top Gear that they don't know who or what they are and it's just the same old same old......the idea of the grand tour part of this last show was good, but the execution sucked.

I'm really tired of seeing the same lux and exotics slid around the track sideways smoking the tires - I know they're trying to make a point about the cars being controllable at the limit but come on......the fact that a 90's Mercedes platform engineered by Dodge could compete heads up with an expensive spots car was interesting, but the lead up to it was tiresome. I agreed with Jane May - stop that, Hammond! Just stop......

And what about showcasing something other than a Jag, Aston, Benz, Porsche or VW group cars? What about the new lux cars from Hyundai and Kia? Wouldn't a road test of those against the established brands be worthwhile? What about the new Lincoln (and I don't mean a Lincoln truck!)

C'mon boys, I know you can do better.

[BruceK]

I beg to differ on the killing off guest celebrities. I am sure they cannot have them on bacause of lawyers. So they are basically throwing up a middle finger. I love it. I cannot wait to see how they are going to kill more.

You might be correct about the basis for this segment.  But if it is for the reason you describe, it's a lot like watching a good friend flip the bird to someone you don't know and someone you don't care about.   IMO, it just looks petty and dumb when viewed from the outside.

....


So, did anyone see the thing I mentioned on Conversation Street?

[MiniDave]

No, I would have to go back and reload it......or look for it next week.

[jeff10049]

I beg to differ on the killing off guest celebrities. I am sure they cannot have them on bacause of lawyers. So they are basically throwing up a middle finger. I love it. I cannot wait to see how they are going to kill more.

You might be correct about the basis for this segment.  But if it is for the reason you describe, it's a lot like watching a good friend flip the bird to someone you don't know and someone you don't care about.   IMO, it just looks petty and dumb when viewed from the outside.

....


So, did anyone see the thing I mentioned on Conversation Street?

yep i caught that, got a laugh out of it.

[BruceK]

I just watched Episode 4.    Hmmmmm.   Used the same tent location in the UK again. 

It is getting better, but they are still struggling to figure out what exactly they are doing with The Grand Tour. 

There was a boring segment with some stupid Porsche on the track follow by some stupid BMW M car, with of course, lots of gratuitous power slides in slo-mo.   As Dave commented above, why do they do this?   Personally, since I am no longer 15 years old with a Countach poster on my bedroom wall, I have pretty much grown out of any interest in these types of cars.   I'd much rather see something more practical and interesting being featured (no, those two things are not mutually exclusive)

Still sucking: 
- "The American" drive with the "thinks it is communist" so-called jokes introduction.
- Killing off a celebrity yet again.  Continues to be not funny, and not entertaining.

Not sucking so much:
- A filmed segment about building environmentally responsible cars.  Still stilted a little with obvious scripting, but I did like the Stairway to Heaven joke.  This was more like the old TG segments.

[Jims5543]

I actually liked the comparison between the Porsche 911 GT3RS and the BMW M4 GTS, I was actually surprised by the negative review on the M4.  I predicted Jeremy would have to concede the RS was a bad ass car, and it was.  Over 500HP NA from a flat 6 is an amazing feat in engineering.

I thought the Renewable car thing was silly, but enjoyable.

I get a chuckle over the dead celebrity thing only because I know why they are doing it, it in itself is not very funny nor entertaining.

I am tired of Skinner "The American" and I am not too really digging on the Ebola circuit, I think it is more of an Autocross course than a track.

I too was surprised to see them parked in the same place for a second week, not that it is that important.

It was a nice distraction, I did notice something, when they hosted TG I was always disappointed it was over, now I am kind of happy GT is. Which says a lot.

[Jims5543]

Meanwhile over at TG.....

[MiniDave]

I do not understand the adulation for this guy, when he tried to do actual rally driving he stunk up the place......and this mindless circling around stuff while burning off the tires gets old quickly.....to me.







Now you kids get off my lawn!

Harrumph.......


;D

[94touring]

I get bored with burning off the tires too. 

[MiniDave]

BTW, BruceK, what did I miss on the conversation intro panel that you mentioned?  Whatever it is, I didn't see it.....

[MPlayle]

The "drifting" in ok in small doses, very widely spaced apart.  Not really my cuppa either.

[Jims5543]

[BruceK]

BTW, BruceK, what did I miss on the conversation intro panel that you mentioned?  Whatever it is, I didn't see it.....

Several episodes ago, they put a little "Easter Egg" in the silhouette:  Clarkson was wearing a woman's high heel shoe and tapping it.   And last week something funky was going on with Richard's hand.  I guess this will be a feature each week to spot the 'thing'.

[MiniDave]

Thanks, I'll watch more closely this time.....

[BruceK]

I watch Episode 5, and I enjoyed it more than the others.  Either it is getting better, or I am getting used to it.  Probably both. 

I really like the segment they filmed at the airport - silly, but fun too.

I never realized Morocco in N. Africa was so beautiful - stunning.

[MiniDave]

I dunno about it being stunning, parts were pretty for sure but to me it looked mostly like rock and sand and HOT.

I liked the Battleship game, tho it did seem to go on a bit.

The bit about weighing the cars just didn't work, too bad too because till they brought the animals in it was going OK. I immediately flashed on the scene from The Holy Grail - "it's a fair cop"

[BruceK]

Nowhere else would I get to see cows on a roof rack.   

[MiniDave]

Yeah, Rose saw those before I did, we both wondered how in the heck they got them up there?  8.gif

Most of the trees we saw were just scrub, so I wondered where they got those large planks they used to build the ramps and platforms, let alone the pivot arm?

[BruceK]

I just watched Episode 6.   Might as well call it Episode Sux.

Are they only doing this for the money?   Yes, Amazon is paying them many, many £'s, but I had hoped they'd actually put a little bit of effort into the Grand Tour.   But it just seems they are going through the motions without really trying.

So, this time they set up the their tent in rural Finland in winter.   Why?  There was no reason.   Don't get me wrong.  I'd like to learn more about Finland and about the car culture there.  After all, this little country has produced a lot of F1 drivers (including several F1 world championship drivers), not to mention many generations of world class winning rally drivers too.   But did any of that get featured?  No.  Did we get to see any interactions with the Finnish people?  No, not even with the audience members in the tent.   The Grand Tour might was well have set up the tent in any anonymous snowy field in any unnamed country with stuffed audience members.

Watching them eat chocolate candy bars and play with condoms?  Really?!  That's they best the could be bothered to do?

Okay, the mini-documentary of the GT40 was well-done.   But that was it.  The RHD Mustang bit?  Huge yawn. 

And they still had the two worst segments, which remain painful to watch:   1) the kill off of another celeb (still not funny), and 2)  The foul-mouthed American driver (not even entertaining the first time). 


The show is in real trouble.   Yeah, I'm still watching it, hopeful it will turn into something worthwhile.  But I honestly don't know if they will save it.

[Jims5543]

Finished watching the 2 part special with the Beach Buggies, thought it was well done even if parts were staged.

I as happy to see they can get away with doing these type of specials.

[BruceK]

I totally agree.  Episodes 7 & 8 with the beach buggies were great - up there with the best of any Top Gear episode I would say.   

I think the fact that in these two episodes there was no portion inside the tent (other than a very brief intro), no "The American", and no stupid celebrity fake death skit, meant they concentrated on the good stuff instead.