► Amazon Prime car show: The Grand Tour
► Clarkson, Hammond, May back on 18 Nov
► Due to air at 00.01 every Friday morning
Did you hear that Jeremy Clarkson and co are about to launch The Grand Tour? Thought not…
It’s been hard to avoid the wall-to-wall publicity build-up to the new motoring TV show hosted by the ex-Top Gear trio of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.
This week a series of stunts in London, Berlin and Los Angeles left crashed Toyota Priuses abandoned in key city-centre locations, giving a flavour of the opinionated mayhem that awaits the new series.
Each hybrid bore a personalised number plate spelling out CL4RK50N, M4Y and H4MM0ND. Yep, sounds like it’s business as usual…
When can I watch The Grand Tour?
The first programme airs on Friday 18 November 2016, released at 00.01 UK o’clock and every Friday thereafter for 12 weeks.
Watch the earlier trailers in our video player below. They depict the usual array of high-adrenaline supercars being drifted and blasted across exotic locations around the globe.
They’ve got their hands on the holy trinity of the LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 on track; there are tanks firing live rounds; Jeremy Clarkson driving an Alfa Romeo 4C in a safari suit – and more.
The new Amazon Prime Video streaming show will be released in weekly instalments every Friday this autumn; this is contrary to usual online shows, many of which are released in season batches, allowing for binge watching.
Click here to read how the trio joined Amazon.
What to expect from the ex-Top Gear presenters
Every episode will be based in a studio tent in a different location around the world and the trio started filming the first show from California in late September 2016.
They’ve already taken The Grand Tour tent to Johannesburg in South Africa and other locations around the globe followed.
How do I watch The Grand Tour?
Ah, here’s the rub. The show is only available to Amazon Prime members, who can stream it on their smart TVs, streaming media players and other connected devices.
Amazon Prime is the member service operated by Amazon, the world’s biggest e-retailer. The move is designed to accelerate the take-up of Prime membership, which provides free postage and packaging among other benefits for £79 a year (discounted to £59 in last few days before launch).
How the new show was named
Build-up promo videos frivolously suggested disagreement among the presenters over what the new Amazon Prime Video programme should be called. Former CAR staffer May joked he’d have preferred to call the show Nigel or Roger.
At one point, when Netflix were in the frame to broadcast the show, House Of Cars was mooted, as was Gear Knobs.
The Grand Tour reflects how the show will be more nomadic, touring the world.
‘We’ll be travelling the world hosting each episode in a different country,’ said Clarkson. ‘It’s sort of a “grand tour,” if you like. So we’ve decided to call it The Grand Tour.’
Sounds like a great way to boost the international appeal of what they hope will become a global brand in its own right, rather than merely a TV show. The presenters have signed a deal for three series, Amazon confirmed.
The Grand Tour vs Top Gear
Amazon’s new show will face renewed competition from a relaunched Top Gear, due for another spruce-up now that Chris Evans has quit the show after just one season. That leaves American actor Matt LeBlanc and his side-kicks to head up the BBC motoring show.
Is it coincidence that the initials are interchangeable? TG vs GT? We’re not sure – but we’re looking forward to the bar room arguments debating their relative merits, coming soon to a pub near you in winter 2016…
Click here to recap on how Top Gear TV disintegrated after Clarkson punched a producer over a row about a steak supper.
