There's a half hearted attempt to localise it, but not enough. The stuff in the studio/tent could be shot anywhere. I really don't understand what the show gains by this. Maybe everyone is just too knackered and jet lagged having to drag all the equipment around the world. The standard of writing and directing needs to be much better - you're not making Lethal Weapon 7. The killing off of celebrity guests - ok, mildly funny the first one or two, now move on from that joke fellas. Is Clarkson directing that as well as being the talent? If so, that doesn't work, they need a director and the three lads need to submit to the directors authority. The stuff in the studio/tent is a shambles. Back to The Grand Tour - what's with the grouchy US test driver? The sourpuss act just does not work.
The US one was watchable, the Australian mostly pitiful. It's about like watching one of the alternate countries versions of Top Gear. We can see enough of the former in any low budget Hollywood action film. Too much of the inane Hollywood style hitting, shooting, blowing things up, not enough British wit. I realise that part of the whole shtick is that it's supposedly three (of our) mates clowning around almost home video, back yard-like, so as to make it seem like any of us could be doing it, but I think they've gone a bit too 'Jackass' with it. Foremost of those - producers/directors that can reign in the worst of the acting, scripting, plot lines (if you could call them that), or at least edit out the dud bits. Watching this you realise all the skills the BBC added to Top Gear. 2) Oh boy, will this never end? This stuff in Jordan is tedious, like a year 10 school video. My review from Amazon - (writing after ep.
The first episode free is pretty good though as the first episode was not too bad :)
I really hope they can get the formula right in later episodes, this latest episode was quite good because they had some funny stuff in the studio and did a feature on classic Le Mans which was entertaining & informative but the last few episodes before it have been pretty much rubbish. They also put in some very boring sequence where a celebrity "dies" each episode and James always has to ask "does that mean they aren't coming on?", ha ha ha…. When I heard the show was them just travelling to different countries each episode I thought it'd be like the specials they did on the old Top Gear where you get to see a lot of the country they are in and they do unique challenges to each location but the show is just 2 segments per episode and they don't really showcase the country at all. The show is okay but it feels very forced compared to the old top gear and I can't see the results of the massive budget they've been given.