One For The Road was the final episode of The Grand Tour, and thus the final show for the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. The three of them took classic sports cars of their choice and drove across Zimbabwe. I've always liked cars, but have found most car shows to be boring. Top Gear, however, was different. Top Gear didn't take itself too seriously. It was a fun show, featuring over the top reviews and challenges. The best part of that show, however, was the specials. The episodes where they had to drive from point A to point B. They always reminded me a bit of a James Bond flick, in that they took us to locations around the world that are rarely seen on TV. Oftentimes they faced challenges that American drivers would never face, such as lack of roads are breaking down in the middle of nowhere without anyone to help. I don't know much about movie making, but the episodes were always shot very well and looked great on TV.
After the trio split from the BBC, they moved to Amazon and started basically the same show as Top Gear but called it The Grand Tour. The last couple of seasons have focused on special edition episodes, which have been the best episodes of The Grand Tour as well. The Grand Tour as a show was good, although probably not quite as good as classic Top Gear episodes.
One For The Road was the final episode of The Grand Tour, and prompted me to write this post, but what I really want to focus on are the hosts. When James, Jeremy and Richard left Top Gear, the show went on but with different hosts. I watched it for a bit. Despite being the exact same show, it wasn't as good as when the original hosts were on. There's something special about their chemistry, and that is why it is bittersweet that The Grand Tour is ending and they'll no longer be on TV as hosts of a car show. I don't think there will ever be a car show as good as Top Gear when they're hosting. I still get my fill of Jeremy Clarkson on Amazon's Clarkson's Farm. I get occasional James May news as well on Twitter. May continues to host various shows, most of which are on in England. Some of them are available on Amazon as well, and I'm sure they're entertaining in a James May Captain Slow kind of way, but admittedly I have never watched them. I don't ever hear much about Richard Hammond. These three will always be on the top of my list of favorite TV hosts/journalists. While it is sad to see the show end, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them over the past 15 years or so and am thankful for the opportunity to do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment