What I’m Watching
‘The Grand Tour’
Chemistry between hosts can make or break television shows, and there’s no greater example of that than “The Grand Tour” on Amazon Prime. Starring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, the talk show is part consumer advice and part Monty Python. There are your basic review and test segments one would expect from car journalists, but then there are the wild global adventures with sweeping vistas that non-motorheads will love. For example, the second season had the speed demon Clarkson pulled over in Mesa County in addition to a scene racing Jaguars down a snowy Telluride Ski Resort. Also, rather than do the traditional celebrity interview, they have two similar stars — like Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and Stewart Copeland from the Police — race around a track to see who is the fastest drummer from a band that starts with the letter “P.”
The basic format is nothing new as Clarkson, Hammond and May were the popular hosts of the similar “Top Gear” on BBC for more than a decade. Following the trio’s departure from “Top Gear,” the presenters have shuffled around each season since 2016, with the new season that started last month being helmed by Andrew Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. While they seem to be doing a decent job so far, it still isn’t the same as the original gang.
Each have their archetypal roles — Hammond prefers style over substance, May is the nerdy “Captain Slow” and Clarkson is the brutish leadfoot — and watching them together again is always a delight.