Jeremy Clarkson's Amazon show to be called The Grand Tour

[Zoom7000]

Jeremy Clarkson's Amazon show to be called The Grand Tour

 

 

Top Gear rival, which is also presented by Richard Hammond and James May, will be broadcast in the autumn

 

Amazon’s new motoring show starring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will be called The Grand Tour.

 

In a statement, the former Top Gear trio thanked fans for taking the time to send in their suggestions for the name, which they said were “much appreciated”.

 

“Thing is,” said Clarkson, “We’ll be travelling the world hosting each episode in a different country, from a giant tent. It’s a sort of ‘grand tour’, if you like. So we’ve decided to call it The Grand Tour.”

 

May said he was underwhelmed by the name. “I wanted to call it ‘Nigel’, or ‘Roger’,” he said. “We needed a name, and they’re names.”

 

Hammond was more positive. “I already love camping,” he said. “But this is something else. We are like our pioneering and prospecting forebears, sallying forth into a new frontier of broadcasting, and making our home where…”

 

The name fits with the trio’s stated ambition to do something different to the BBC show, moving further away from the traditional car show format with studio segments and embracing big set pieces.

 

The show is set to debut this autumn on Amazon’s video service. It is not yet clear whether all the episodes will be released in one go, as Amazon and rival Netflix have done with many of their drama series, or follow a more traditional scheduled pattern, though May has previously said it is likely to be the latter.

 

Early reports had suggested the show might be called Gear Knobs, but in April Clarkson claimed the BBC had a legal right to stop the new show using the word “gear” in the title.

 

Clarkson released a video of the trio brainstorming spoof names for the programme, including Auto-mates, Tripod, and the more simple The Clarkson, Hammond and May Car Show.

 

Amazon is paying £160m for three series of the show, which is being made by a production company set up by the three former Top Gear presenters and long-time producer Andy Wilman called W Chump & Sons.

 

The streaming service’s European video boss told the Guardian last month that the trio were “worth big money”.

 

The unveiling of the show’s name comes just weeks before the BBC is due to laiunch the new series of Top Gear fronted by Chris Evans, along with co-presenters including former Friends star Matt LeBlanc.

 

The show has been beset by reports of production problems including controversy over filming near London’s Cenotaph memorial and allegations Evans is a bully.

 

However, Evans and the BBC have both denied there is friction among the cast.

 

Source - The Guardian

 

I suppose Channel 5 got away with "Fifth Gear" just because the BBC chose not to take any action?

 

I personally prefered "Auto-mates" from the options in the article, but I guess The Grand Tour is okay. I think they'll release it on a week by week schedule so that they can keep the "news" section up to date with current events.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Zoom7000

[Blue_Cookeh]

Sounds like it will be more like their specials on a weekly basis (I hope!)

[sted]

I think Jeremy Clarkson's flying circus would probably be more appropriate

[Grey-gear]

Well be interesting to see what is different to them now to the old stuff

[Gibbo]

Well be interesting to see what is different to them now to the old stuff

 

probably very little. Towards the end they relied too heavily on their challenges, which were initially good, but ran out of ideas and steam.

[Lonix]

I'm sure I will like the show, if I get to watch it..

 

As long as they are able to do effectively what they want (not just Clarkson and Co but the producers too) then to me it's entertaining. I enjoy the testing of cars, challenges, randoms, jokes and especially their specials where they spend a whole episode in another Country. I love those because you really do get to see what it's like to drive through India, Forests, Deserts oh and attempting to drive to a pole..