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What is it?

The Grand Tour is the new motoring show from the famed Top Gear trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, as well as long time executive producer of Top Gear, Andy Wilman. Quite simply, Clarkson, Hammond, and May travel the world both in their pretaped segments as well as for the studio segments driving cars, talking about cars, doing ridiculous challenges and stunts with cars, and generally being idiots. It's one part comedy, and one part seasoned perspectives from people who have devoted their lives to automobiles.

After a high profile controvery involving Clarkson punching and hurling racial slurs at one of the producers on Top Gear, the BBC decided to relieve Clarkson of hosting gig at Top Gear. Knowing that Top Gear wouldn't be the same without one third of the trio people have come to know and love, Hammond, May and Wilman followed, effectively ending the modern era of Top Gear. Not long afterwards, rumours began to swirl that the quartet were developing a new show, and there was a bidding war going on for the rights to produce it, eventually being picked up by Amazon as original programming for it's Amazon Prime Video service, resulting in the creation of The Grand Tour.
​

What's in this show and what makes this different from Top Gear?

While Clarkson, Hammond, and May are not banned from the BBC and still work with the BBC for other programmes, the rift created from the departure from Top Gear and the creation of this new show has made keeping many of the traditional segments of Top Gear difficult because of how aggressive BBC lawyers have been in response to the creation of the new show. Clarkson and co. have framed this less as a hurdle, and more like an opportunity to update, reinvent, and give a fresh take on the idea of a motoring program in 2016.

As a result, there are many changes that we already know of, with probably more to be revealed when the show premieres. Here are some hot facts:

• Leaderboard still exists, but no handwritten times.
• News segment still exists, but they can't call it the news.
• Themed episodes/specials are back.
• No Star In A Reasonably Priced Car.
• No test track.
• No Stig.
• Similar budget to Top Gear per-episode.
• Every episode is shot in 4K.
• No strict episode length, many go over 60 mins.
• As a part of the deal, Amazon has already ordered the first 3 seasons of the show, with 12 episodes per year.
• The opening scene apparently cost $3.2 million to make.
• No static studio, instead there is an expensive tent that moves from city-to-city from episode-to-episode, in which they film the in-studio segments. Locations for the first season are spread across USA, South Africa, UK, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, UAE, and more TBA.
  
  
  

DriveTribe

DriveTribe is an online community that Clarkson, Hammond, and May are developing and developing content for alongside The Grand Tour, but not in conjunction with Amazon. DriveTribe is intended to be a digital hub for automotive fans of all different kinds. The idea is that users can associate themselves with different 'tribes' that are led by people with different perspectives or contributions to automotive culture. The website will feature videos, articles, social media components, and user-generated content, much of it curated by leaders of each of the tribes.

Media

Launch Date Trailer
Official Trailer

The Grand Tour on James Corden
Amazon is littering crashed Prius' all across the world to help promote The Grand Tour.

YouTube Channel with Behind-the-Scenes Clips & Countdown Videos.
​

How/when/where do I watch?

The first episode will debut on Amazon Prime Video in USA, UK, Germany, & Japan at 7PM EST / 4PM PST / Midnight GMT on November 17, 2016. There will be new episodes weekly, for 12 weeks.

The Grand Tour will go live in other regions in the world some time in December 2016.
​

***

The boys are back!

 

[DrForester]

So glad Top Gear is back.

 

[Yankee Ruin X]

Literally can not wait for this, it should be so good from the little snippets we have seen so far.

 

[Momentary]

So this will be 4k on Amazon... does Amazon do HDR too? That would be awesome.

 

[DJ_Lae]

I can't wait...except for the part where I'll have to:

The Grand Tour will go live in other regions in the world some time in December 2016.

 

[Piggus]

Man it's gonna be a long day at work tomorrow. So hyped that I get to go straight home and watch this though.

 

[panty]

Yeah I'm in.

 

[bodyboarder]

So pumped.

 

[DangerMouse]

Great to have them back!

So this will be 4k on Amazon... does Amazon do HDR too? That would be awesome.

Yup, Amazon does do HDR for a bunch of their stuff. Hopefully this too.

 

[mrklaw]

Ok *now* I have to buy a 4K TV.

 

[sfedai0]

Definitely curious on how the pacing will be. With no specific length to an episode, and no segments like Star in a Reasonably Priced car, Stig and test track to break up an episode, hopefully they have good writers. Or even better, they throw caution to the wind and go all out spontaneous instead of heavily scripted like Top Gear.

 

[xxracerxx]

Excited to see what they have come up with.

 

[Kuusoge]

Great to have them back!



Yup, Amazon does do HDR for a bunch of their stuff. Hopefully this too.

Andy Wilman confirmed that it was 4K HDR

 

[Gr1mLock]

Pahweeeer!

 

[The Beard]

Sounds like Top Gear minus the worst parts of Top Gear like tired-as-fuck Stig, and Stars in cheap pieces of shit. This should be awesome.

The new Top Gear without these guys is unwatchable. The new hosts are awful. Matt Leblanc and Rory Reid? Fuck 😑

 

[DangerMouse]

Andy Wilman confirmed that it was 4K HDR

hell yea!

Thanks!

 

[CouchMaster]

Can not wait, it's been too long.

 

[Svafnir]

Oddly most excited I been with a show in a long time.

 

[Shy]

Let do this.

 

[nasax]

Holy shit and my 4K TV is being delivered today! I'm ready!

 

[jaydogg691]

My $200 wasted on Prime finally coming to good use. 🙏

 

[Disagree Guy]

I bought amazon prime the second I heard these guys were moving to it.

I've waited a long time.

Midnight tonight? Hot diggidy dog!

 

[OnkelC]

Great |OT|!
Looking forward to the next 12 weeks.

 

[Mohonky]

Can't wait. Top Gear was just those 3 guys basically talking shit and being asses to one another (and of course I'm sure many behind the scenes peeps, of which it sounds like a lot actually went with them).

This series basically sounds like it's going to be a whole series of nothing but the best specials they used to do, really looking forward to it.

 

[Coxy100]

My $200 wasted on Prime finally coming to good use. 🙏

$200?

Do you mean over a couple of years?

 

[Sidewinder]

When will I be able to watch this in Switzerland? Never? There's no prime here ;(

 

[Delusibeta]

When will I be able to watch this in Switzerland? Never? There's no prime here ;(

December, probably.

 

[BluenoseGames]

When will I be able to watch this in Switzerland? Never? There's no prime here ;(

7PM EST / 4PM PST / Midnight GMT on November 17, 2016. There will be new episodes weekly, for 12 weeks.

The Grand Tour will go live in other regions in the world some time in December 2016.

I guess you missed this

 

[The Bookerman]

There's no video service here on Amazon Canada,

How the f* are they gonna deliver that to me.

 

[Frozenprince]

Definitely curious on how the pacing will be. With no specific length to an episode, and no segments like Star in a Reasonably Priced car, Stig and test track to break up an episode, hopefully they have good writers. Or even better, they throw caution to the wind and go all out spontaneous instead of heavily scripted like Top Gear.

I really hope a lot of it is just scripted art pieces and all the reactions are off the cuff.

With less reliance on being a strict "car show" with top gear it'll be much better at being creative I think.

 

[Sidewinder]

I guess you missed this

No I didn't AFAIK there's 0 video streaming on amazon.de for Switzerland because licenses and shit. Guess they could make an exception for their own stuff though?

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

#HYPE Can't wait fir ut to start

 

[RSP]

Ugh, I don't want to wait till December to watch it. There will be so many lolgifs that I want to experience first-hand

 

[Jb]

There's no video service here on Amazon Canada,

How the f* are they gonna deliver that to me.

Same here. Pretty sure that means there's no legal way for me to watch it despite having Prime.

 

[Sidewinder]

Same here. Pretty sure that means there's no legal way for me to watch it despite having Prime.

Guess it'll really be december: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-...-stream-the-grand-tour-200-countries-december

They'll expand video streaming to 200 countries, just need to know how much they want for it, not gonna pay Prime amounts just for one show though.

 

[m23]

Finally, been waiting for this.

 

[Jb]

Guess it'll really be december: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-...-stream-the-grand-tour-200-countries-december

They'll expand video streaming to 200 countries, just need to know how much they want for it, not gonna pay Prime amounts just for one show though.

Cool. Not launching your service at the same time as your big show for the end of the year seems like a missed opportunity, but at least it's coming.

 

[Newtype-001]

HYPE
Y
P
E

 

[Fox318]

Can't wait to watch.

Gonna be nice to see what they are like without the BBC getting scared because of a blog from the guardian or something.

 

[The Flash]

POWEEEEERRRRR!!!

 

[SchrodingerC]

So hyped for the new show. 😃

 

[SexyFish]

I wonder if we'll get viewer numbers from Amazon. Would be real interested to see how this does. (Is this Amazon's first weekly show?)

 

[jett]

No Star In A Reasonably Priced Car.
No test track.
No Stig.

I'll miss these. They can't even have a celebrity segment?

Guess it'll really be december: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-...-stream-the-grand-tour-200-countries-december

They'll expand video streaming to 200 countries, just need to know how much they want for it, not gonna pay Prime amounts just for one show though.

It's unfortunate that Prime is an utterly useless service for me and my country.

 

[bobbyrawlins]

Leaderboard still exists, but no handwritten times.
News segment still exists, but they can't call it the news.

cant write the times by hand
cant actually call it news

This is triggering me with its wtf'ness.

 

[ESBL]

Oh cock?

 

[Falchion]

So pumped but I'll probably wait and watch the first episode tomorrow since we have football tonight.

 

[WascallyWabbit]

god bless time zones, US gets this a day earlier than i thought

 

[NH Apache]

I knew this thread existed but I couldn't find it. Thanks search.

Super curious to see where this series goes as compared to Top Gear. If it's as good or survives. That's a lot of money.

 

[DOWN]

I'm struggling with the idea of watching Clarkson anymore knowing he is such an ass and has some awful social views. I loved atop Gear but heard so much shit from and about Clarkson after it split up.

 

[wesleyshark]

Can't wait for this. Excite!