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The Grand Tour – Amazon Prime Video from 18th November 2016 |
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#376 |
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Chelmsford
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Hmmm - not quite sure i'm buying into all the praise. The cinematography of the supercars section was amazing as always, but we've seen it all before. The introduction was great (maybe a bit self indulgent - but who cares!)
The huge let down for me were the audience sections. For some reason, the 3 of them have suffered with scripting problems for a while now. It was more forced than ever here to the point where it didn't even feel like it was a show filmed in front of an audience. It felt like they had several hundred actors in the room shouting on queue. For 3 guys who are great friends and have worked for so long together, i don't understand why it seems so false. New track is interesting and i like the american driver (although i imagine the joke might wear thin if it doesn't change week on week). I'm sure i'll watch the entire series and i imagine it will find its feet a bit more over time. However, i personally don't think this is the 5* winner everyone in the press is making it out to be. |
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#377 |
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,875
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Quote:
Hmmm - not quite sure i'm buying into all the praise. The cinematography of the supercars section was amazing as always, but we've seen it all before. The introduction was great (maybe a bit self indulgent - but who cares!)
The huge let down for me were the audience sections. For some reason, the 3 of them have suffered with scripting problems for a while now. It was more forced than ever here to the point where it didn't even feel like it was a show filmed in front of an audience. It felt like they had several hundred actors in the room shouting on queue. For 3 guys who are great friends and have worked for so long together, i don't understand why it seems so false. New track is interesting and i like the american driver (although i imagine the joke might wear thin if it doesn't change week on week). I'm sure i'll watch the entire series and i imagine it will find its feet a bit more over time. However, i personally don't think this is the 5* winner everyone in the press is making it out to be. |
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#378 |
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Chelmsford
Posts: 929
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Quote:
I think there's a narrative at play, which says new Top Gear is bad and the Grand Tour is good. Everyone piled into Top Gear and slagged it off (and especially Chris Evans). The obvious rejoinder to this is to lavish the Grand Tour with praise. It comforms to a pre-existing prejudice that the media has. New Top Gear (while not great) was not that bad - and this (although better than new Top Gear) wasn't that good.
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#379 |
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,409
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Quote:
I think there's a narrative at play, which says new Top Gear is bad and the Grand Tour is good. Everyone piled into Top Gear and slagged it off (and especially Chris Evans). The obvious rejoinder to this is to lavish the Grand Tour with praise. It comforms to a pre-existing prejudice that the media has. New Top Gear (while not great) was not that bad - and this (although better than new Top Gear) wasn't that good.
I actually liked Top Gear Extra better, thought Rory Reid and Chris Harris were better hosts. |
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#380 |
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Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,058
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Quote:
I think there's a narrative at play, which says new Top Gear is bad and the Grand Tour is good. Everyone piled into Top Gear and slagged it off (and especially Chris Evans). The obvious rejoinder to this is to lavish the Grand Tour with praise. It comforms to a pre-existing prejudice that the media has. New Top Gear (while not great) was not that bad - and this (although better than new Top Gear) wasn't that good.
However, some people really did just like Top Gear for what it was and thought that what Chris Even did to it was appalling and are genuinely glad to have the 3 stooges back and enjoyed it. And they have that view totally independently of any social conformity. |
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#381 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,554
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I enjoyed the first episode of The Grand Tour. It was familiar, and I think that is what people simply wanted. The "Phileas Fogg" style tent / suitcases theme of the set is a neat idea, and the HD cinematography is fantastic.
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#382 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,106
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Quote:
I think there's a narrative at play, which says new Top Gear is bad and the Grand Tour is good. Everyone piled into Top Gear and slagged it off (and especially Chris Evans). The obvious rejoinder to this is to lavish the Grand Tour with praise. It comforms to a pre-existing prejudice that the media has. New Top Gear (while not great) was not that bad - and this (although better than new Top Gear) wasn't that good.
What's also very notable is how every Clarkson interview headline is twisted into an attack on the BBC even though he's remained largely supportive of the beeb despite being let go. |
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#383 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 5,482
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Just like Top Gear used to be.
I quite liked it, but it's nothing new. |
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#384 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Darlo
Posts: 29,413
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It's really an anti-BBC narrative from the right wing press, the same ones which previously condemned the BBC for not sacking Clarkson for his previous controversies. But, like Jonathan Ross, they only mattered as a stick to beat the corporation with and were forgotten as soon as they left for the private sector.
What's also very notable is how every Clarkson interview headline is twisted into an attack on the BBC even though he's remained largely supportive of the beeb despite being let go. |
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#385 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: cheshire
Posts: 3,552
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really enjoyed gt and you could tell they spend a few bob on the filming of it ,
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#386 |
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,719
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It wasn't anything radically new, but I did like it. The old chemistry was there. I think the big mistake with the recently rebooted Top Gear, was that they stuck with the old format - they should have gone off in a different direction.
You can see that The Grand Tour has epic production values. How many people watched it in full 4K? |
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#387 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,962
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Quote:
I think there's a narrative at play, which says new Top Gear is bad and the Grand Tour is good. Everyone piled into Top Gear and slagged it off (and especially Chris Evans). The obvious rejoinder to this is to lavish the Grand Tour with praise. It comforms to a pre-existing prejudice that the media has. New Top Gear (while not great) was not that bad - and this (although better than new Top Gear) wasn't that good.
Sure, there's always those who resent change and hang on to old opinions. And more than a few who seem to be "in love" with Clarkson. However, the BBC screwed up badly by choosing Evans. He might be popular with some elements of BBC audiences, but not with the people that TG was aimed at - even if the BBC did want to try and change that demographic. |
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#388 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 59,696
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Quote:
You can see that The Grand Tour has epic production values. How many people watched it in full 4K?
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#389 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Fareham, Hampshire
Posts: 3,753
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I thought we were promised a programme where because of the lack of BBC rules they would say and do what they wanted? Yet on the new show the certificate is 12. Nothing the said and did changed from the Top Gesr days. Just three things changed. Better cameras, bigger budget and bigger payout for them.
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#390 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Middleton
Posts: 13,833
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Just like Top Gear used to be.
I quite liked it, but it's nothing new. |
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#391 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,058
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Quote:
It wasn't anything radically new, but I did like it. The old chemistry was there. I think the big mistake with the recently rebooted Top Gear, was that they stuck with the old format - they should have gone off in a different direction.
You can see that The Grand Tour has epic production values. How many people watched it in full 4K? So basically the 3 stooges have reinvented Top Gear whilst keeping all the bits we like whilst the BBC Top Gear just thought that keeping all the old bits and sticking new faces in it would work. It didn't! |
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#392 |
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Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 650
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The irony was lost on the BBC but they did a big promotion of this show on The One Show! Weird, ironic and kinda dumb,
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#393 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Pimlico, central London, UK
Posts: 14,877
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ITs worth keeping in mind that some of the upcoming episodes seem to feature some of the slapstick stuff TG is famous for, but on a much bigger budget - so load of cars getting smashed, and explosions - so that could be fun.
Then there is a road trip episode in Namibia as well |
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#394 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,423
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Quote:
I thought we were promised a programme where because of the lack of BBC rules they would say and do what they wanted? Yet on the new show the certificate is 12. Nothing the said and did changed from the Top Gesr days. Just three things changed. Better cameras, bigger budget and bigger payout for them.
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#395 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: London
Posts: 3,855
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Quote:
The irony was lost on the BBC but they did a big promotion of this show on The One Show! Weird, ironic and kinda dumb,
I have watched Top Gear for many years now, remembering the days of Angela Rippon, Noel Edmunds, Chris Goffey and William Woollard. I couldn't get on with the latest run using Chris Evans and Mat LeBlanc, because basically Hammond, May and Clarkson have such a combined personality and influence on the show, that they have become it. I can't see any choice of presenter succeeding and IMO, the only option open to the BBC (other than showing TGT) is to make a completely new TV/Entertainment programme about cars, without any reference to Top Gear. |
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#396 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 68,701
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Quote:
I thought we were promised a programme where because of the lack of BBC rules they would say and do what they wanted? Yet on the new show the certificate is 12. Nothing the said and did changed from the Top Gesr days. Just three things changed. Better cameras, bigger budget and bigger payout for them.
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#397 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Fareham, Hampshire
Posts: 3,753
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As far as I recall, it was simply internet speculation, nothing more.
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#398 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Burton upon Trent
Posts: 1,929
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Hmmm - not quite sure i'm buying into all the praise. The cinematography of the supercars section was amazing as always, but we've seen it all before. The introduction was great (maybe a bit self indulgent - but who cares!)
The huge let down for me were the audience sections. For some reason, the 3 of them have suffered with scripting problems for a while now. It was more forced than ever here to the point where it didn't even feel like it was a show filmed in front of an audience. It felt like they had several hundred actors in the room shouting on queue. For 3 guys who are great friends and have worked for so long together, i don't understand why it seems so false. New track is interesting and i like the american driver (although i imagine the joke might wear thin if it doesn't change week on week). I'm sure i'll watch the entire series and i imagine it will find its feet a bit more over time. However, i personally don't think this is the 5* winner everyone in the press is making it out to be. |
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#399 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bristol
Posts: 9,437
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Quote:
It's really an anti-BBC narrative from the right wing press, the same ones which previously condemned the BBC for not sacking Clarkson for his previous controversies. But, like Jonathan Ross, they only mattered as a stick to beat the corporation with and were forgotten as soon as they left for the private sector.
What's also very notable is how every Clarkson interview headline is twisted into an attack on the BBC even though he's remained largely supportive of the beeb despite being let go. Quote:
On the bright side the BBC review was quite nasty about the grande tour stating it was full of hubris .
Quote:
The irony was lost on the BBC but they did a big promotion of this show on The One Show! Weird, ironic and kinda dumb,
At risk of re-hashing this yet again, the DG of the BBC didn't let Clarkson go because he wanted to. He did it because he over-stepped a mark that couldn't be ignored. I think the DG's quoted somewhere as saying he wished he didn't have to do it. AFAICT there's no ill-will from either side (CHM or the BBC) so why shouldn't they have the stars of the biggest new show of the year - and ex-'employees' - on their flagship magazine show? I think the only reason Clarkson did the Steve Wright R2 show and not Chris Evans is because that would have been too easy fodder for the media. I can imagine that neither guy would have had a problem with it.
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#400 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,449
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Quote:
The irony was lost on the BBC but they did a big promotion of this show on The One Show! Weird, ironic and kinda dumb,
Quote:
Where's the irony?
At risk of re-hashing this yet again, the DG of the BBC didn't let Clarkson go because he wanted to. He did it because he over-stepped a mark that couldn't be ignored. I think the DG's quoted somewhere as saying he wished he didn't have to do it. AFAICT there's no ill-will from either side (CHM or the BBC) so why shouldn't they have the stars of the biggest new show of the year - and ex-'employees' - on their flagship magazine show? I think the only reason Clarkson did the Steve Wright R2 show and not Chris Evans is because that would have been too easy fodder for the media. I can imagine that neither guy would have had a problem with it.If there was any irony, it was in the opening section of TGT when CHM listed each other's firings....
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At risk of re-hashing this yet again, the DG of the BBC didn't let Clarkson go because he wanted to. He did it because he over-stepped a mark that couldn't be ignored. I think the DG's quoted somewhere as saying he wished he didn't have to do it. AFAICT there's no ill-will from either side (CHM or the BBC) so why shouldn't they have the stars of the biggest new show of the year - and ex-'employees' - on their flagship magazine show? I think the only reason Clarkson did the Steve Wright R2 show and not Chris Evans is because that would have been too easy fodder for the media. I can imagine that neither guy would have had a problem with it.