[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

James May's brick Land Rover will forever have me in stitches

That first series felt like Top Gear of old. It felt lower budget and a little more spontaneous, even though it is of course scripted to high heaven. I think they lost that lightness as time went on but like many things, I've always been glad that they've been making it. I know some people love to clamour for things to be cancelled but if I did that to all the programmes I have no interest in there'd be about three hours of TV a week in total so I'm not ignorant enough to go around calling for anything stupid like that!

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

"You're alright, you're alright, you're alright, you're alright......." The Robin Reliant space shuttle was a brilliant episode

I think TG is my favourite overall and I have every single one of them on disc.....well, just the Clarkson, May and Hammond ones. The shows after their departure are shite.

I love the Grand Tour as well, but I dunno, I think TG has the edge. Clarkson in particular is looking a bit too old for all the goofing around now unfortunately.

Even the later Top Gears, while not a patch on the early ones, were still the better for their existence. It feels like there's an attack on anyone who likes cars at the moment and I'd rather have more people on our side than against. Not having any mainstream stuff and only the dorky internet/YouTube options definitely pushes it into being a harder sell to those who aren't interested.

There are certain shows which just have that 'it' factor. TG's old road trips were prime examples. How many times could you watch them and not get bored of seeing them? The jokes were sharp, the scenery great, and they made you feel like you both wanted to be there, and that you could actually do the trip yourself (Channel crossing and Bugatti races etc aside). The later GT ones all felt like budget blowing showing off, and that's a shame as I think it lost the charm. It's a bit like Michael Palin's first travelogues. They're all pretty good but nothing comes close to Round the World in 80 Days, or Pole to Pole. There's just something simple and endearing about them.

[G50]

Originally Posted by Ennoch

Even the later Top Gears, while not a patch on the early ones, were still the better for their existence. It feels like there's an attack on anyone who likes cars at the moment and I'd rather have more people on our side than against. Not having any mainstream stuff and only the dorky internet/YouTube options definitely pushes it into being a harder sell to those who aren't interested.

There are certain shows which just have that 'it' factor. TG's old road trips were prime examples. How many times could you watch them and not get bored of seeing them? The jokes were sharp, the scenery great, and they made you feel like you both wanted to be there, and that you could actually do the trip yourself (Channel crossing and Bugatti races etc aside). The later GT ones all felt like budget blowing showing off, and that's a shame as I think it lost the charm. It's a bit like Michael Palin's first travelogues. They're all pretty good but nothing comes close to Round the World in 80 Days, or Pole to Pole. There's just something simple and endearing about them.

Have you seen the Mongolia episode of GT? Where they build a car then drive across the vast emptiness of Mongolia.

One of my absolute favourite episodes...it's an astonishing country too, it's like Europe, but with no evidence that Humans ever existed, it's beautiful. The episode feels quite raw too, if you haven't seen it, watch it, soon! Treat it as a showcase of the wilderness of Mongolia, but with added jokes and a Defender style kit car.

[Sennen]

Wasted 2 hours on this earlier........ imo without a doubt the worst episode so far.

The early TG stuff was entertaining, this latest version is so contrived it was bordering on pathetic.

[boba-fett]

I found it a hard watch. Jezza is looking old and pregnant, shame as it shows we are all getting old as he was very much one of my Favs and watched him from an early age! It looks like its all "trying to hard" with all the same old done before patter!

Reminded me of Roger Moore in A view to a kill, if you know what I mean!

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by boba-fett

I found it a hard watch. Jezza is looking old and pregnant, shame as it shows we are all getting old as he was very much one of my Favs and watched him from an early age! It looks like its all "trying to hard" with all the same old done before patter!

Reminded me of Roger Moore in A view to a kill, if you know what I mean!

I watched it on Friday, but didn't want to chime straight in with a kicking.

But, yes, far from their best. Overly scripted (they all are, but the flow just wasn't there), the "oh, we've been a bit stupid" shenanigans were too obvious, and frankly they all looked tired of it (which is probably justifiable after 30 years of being a motoring journo).

There was also a really bad timing issue with the fuel truck...

I know there's one more to follow, but I think that really will be time to hang up the GT driving gloves.

[3-GT]

I watched yesterday. It wasn't the most entertaining and felt there was no need for it to be that long.

The funniest bit for me was arguably the simplist - the Forrero Roche spillage at the Embassy. It felt like it wasn't/least scripted part. Felt like a lot of people could relate to the temptation to mess with it too.

I do sympathise with the fact it's difficult to come up with something new and fresh each time.

[Wills2]

Watched it today, it was OK nowhere near as good as some of the TG specials like Burma or Vietnam, it's just a lukewarm mash up of the usual with no stand out scenes.

The Ferrero bit was the funniest thing and that isn't great praise but it made me chuckle, more for the fact they have them in there more than anything else.

[Watsey]

The Ferrero moment was genuinely very funny.

[SkyJawa]

This was for sure my least fav, went on far too long and just seemed to be missing what the others had…..

[Allworth]

I did like it, funny episode.
That Škoda 1100OHC's eco-friendly steering wheel that is literally like a plasteline adapts to changes for a driver's position .That was a post-war time made car where no material other than steel existed.
Ooohh that overdrive button on Clarkson's Mitsuoka Le-Seyde. My electric van has one too, but it slows the van down instead.
That Slovenian transformer type car-airplane, what a fantastic idea!
And the last episode where JM drove his Crossley Mini on-to aircraft, that was really brave knowing how easy it is to flip it over whilst it has literally no safety feature such as a basic roof.

[XAlp]

I found it quite good although long - the simpler parts are the best for me eg explosions - a bit naff.

The very rough roads - forget what they called them - like corrugated cardboard - I’ve driven on some like that in Botswana - they are extreme. I kinda get that any vehicle just magnifies the issue but what starts that in the first place? Is “grading” such surfaces a waste of time?

[Wills2]

Wash board they called them and they look really nasty to drive on.

[TurboWeasel]

Funniest bits for me were Hammond banging his dashboard "Just work you tw@t" as it's something I do myself, and May returning the favour with his explanation as to how Hammond's roof got tied to the fuel truck.

The Fererro Rocher scene was quite funny, but too obvious that was going to happen.

Originally Posted by Ennoch

There are certain shows which just have that 'it' factor. TG's old road trips were prime examples. How many times could you watch them and not get bored of seeing them?

Funnily enough I am re-watching the TG road trips currently. The only downside is the poor resolution of the pre-2012 episodes. The BBC are showing no interest in re-releasing them in HD - probably out of spite. My standard def Columbo episodes from the 70s are way sharper than the BBC's efforts.

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by Wills2

Wash board they called them and they look really nasty to drive on.

I've driven on washboard roads in South Africa and it's as bad as it looks on TGT. There really isn't a speed that the car isn't being shaken to pieces.

[RobUK]

I liked it. Agreed, not as good as the peak of the trio's work but they're all getting on a bit. Still, made me chuckle in places and that's exactly what I need these days.

[KCH1984]

Watched last night - was a bit of a chew to be honest. Some good bits but for me, the silly cars have gotten tiresome. The same was true of the re-launched Top Gear that carried that theme on. I think it would have been far better if they'd staged a race across the desert in the 3 cars featured at the start (Lambo, Porsche and Morgan) in the same vein as TG at it's peak. Those episodes, which blended a review of the cars themselves, were far more engaging and enjoyable I found.

Just my 2p but it's run its course now anyway. I'll watch the final one, but Clarkson's Farm makes the better viewing these days.

[Blacktemplar]

Agree with many of the comments above - a real slog unfortunately, gave up not even halfway through. Might go back and finish it for completeness, but it just felt like a tired four-day old casserole that's been reheated once too often.

As Roy Batty said - "Time to Die"

[winther1]

I agree there has been better episodes in the past, but they have the chemistry that other presenters lack and I always find it to be decent entertainment. I don't get why anyone would be "happy" it's the last episode as it's pretty easy to avoid. It's not as if there is a huge selection of alternatives out there that includes the elements of this show. In fact, I can't think of any.

[Bricktrix]

I thought Clarkson's Jaaaag "Washboard varient" looked like a Pod Racer from Starwars.....but shi**er

[danb1979]

Watched it the other day; made me chuckle a few times. But it wasn't their best episode...

I still think, for me, that their best venture they ever did was the Bolivia one back in TG days; that was a superb episode

[Sasquartch]

After reading the criticism on here I watched it (over two nights as it's very long, over 2 hours I think) with the expectation that it would be rubbish

However I really enjoyed it and although maybe not the best one was certainly entertaining.

I didn't find the Ferrero Rocher bit funny but did laugh out loud when the ski-mobile collided with the bowser causing the inevitable explosion.

Scripted - yes, Silly - yes, Predictable - probably. Entertaining - for me certainly

[dazzapb]

Was a nice easy watch. Lovely soundtrack, if you could read my mind by Gordon lightfoot really suited the sunny desert climes.