In 2015, one of the core foundations of automotive culture was seemingly destroyed. Jeremy Clarkson, co-host of Top Gear, swung his fist at a producer, ending his nearly thirty year tenure at the show. There was outrage and tears were shed, but lo and behold, Clarkson's fellow co-hosts rose from the ashes. Mother Gear Head quickly graced us their new settlement at Amazon. On the eighteenth of November, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will reenter the spotlight with their brand new very similar show, Grand Tour.
Show. Not car show.
Yes, there were cars in Top Gear - and there will be cars in Grand Tour - but in the last few years, they were used as pawns for entertainment.
Yes, they discuss the pros and cons of the cars. Yes, they show some of the dynamics of the cars. But they play soccer with them. Clearly, Top Gear had gone from a show about cars to a show with cars.
As Grand Tour's premier approaches, a fountain of promotional materials have been released. In this behind the scenes interview, The Trio couldn't even figure out a good way to describe their show.
Strange isn't it? A car show with hosts that aren't entirely sure what they are hosting, but that's exactly is how the show evolved. It used to be more substantive, but that only appealed to a small audience. In order to grow, turning bombastic was the way to go.
Despite this, Top Gear never wandered too far from its roots and continued to review cars. The problem is, these reviews didn't were not entirely concrete. Steadily, they became more and more about sharing obnoxious observations and drifting through clouds of smoke. There is no easier way to see this by comparing segments highlighting a Ferrari 458 from Top Gear and its rival show, Fifth Gear.
Fifth Gear - also defunct - was hosted by three racing drivers and a car collector. Top Gear's hosts were often referred to as buffoons. This shines through quite quickly. Fifth Gear co-host Tiff Needel energetically describes the car's dynamics and soul while dancing the machine at the limit. Meanwhile, Jeremy Clarkson cinematically shreds the tires, shouting superlatives before a confetti cannon showers the Ferrari. Fifth Gear's comparison was precise and substantive, relating only to the car, whereas Top Gear's was almost purely about Clarkson's boisterous commentary.
Then again, that was the point of Top Gear: entertainment light enough to appeal to more than just auto enthusiasts. Who doesn't want to have fun? Whimsical amusement with cars is exactly what we should expect from Grand Tour. Just don't expect much outside of The Trio's antics.
