A new trailer for the Amazon Prime reboot of The Grand Tour has won over a first-time viewer, charmed by the chemistry between new hosts Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman, and Thomas Holland.
Sabrina Barr, TV Editor at Metro, wrote that the original Top Gear and its successor never appealed to her, as she did not feel like the demographic that Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May were targeting. However, seconds into the trailer for the new Amazon Prime reboot, she was charmed.
A New Dynamic
Barr described the chemistry between the three new hosts as awkwardly endearing, a sharp contrast to the boisterous banter between the original presenters, which she found less accessible. She acknowledged that Jeremy, Richard, and James are hailed as TV legends, having taken Top Gear and The Grand Tour to stratospheric heights, with Top Gear recognised by Guinness World Records as the most widely viewed factual TV programme in the world.
Following their exit from the BBC, The Grand Tour launched on Amazon Prime, with its debut in November 2016 breaking streaming records on the platform. Earlier this month, the first teaser was released for the revival, hosted by viral train obsessive Francis Bourgeois, and YouTubers James Engelsman and Thomas Holland.
Trailer Highlights
The full trailer shows the new trio screaming with excitement behind the wheel, Francis bashing into an automatic barrier while Thomas sprints away, James laying pelvis-first in a tiny boat on the ocean, and the presenters losing their cool meeting Jenson Button. Thomas does not recover his cool when greeting the Formula One legend, fumbling a handshake and fistbump.
At one point, the hosts begin a dramatic countdown, yelling 'three, two, one', before Francis attempts to pull a tarp off a car, failing drastically when it gets caught. Francis is seen shouting 'Absolute hellfire!' while driving at high speed. In another moment, Thomas asks 'Where's the jet?' before a jet soars in front of his car, causing him to swear in shock. Another car jets high into the air after bouncing off what seems to be a parachute or blow-up device, with parts of the vehicle dropping off.
Fan Reactions
Viewers responded positively to the trailer. PiwoszJr commented on YouTube, 'I can't believe I'm saying this but I think this has a chance to work.' VintageMatthews remarked, 'Honestly, the fact that these guys have the blessing from Wilman, Clarkson, Hammond and May… I'm excited for it.' JA_520 shared, 'It looks like they are genuinely having a great time and that there is real chemistry between them.'
A Grand Tour aficionado called vojtechraiser160 admitted they had declared the new trio 'had no chance' and that they'd 'never watch this show without the og trio', but added, 'But this really looks great. I'm gonna give it a try!' baar_nii wrote, 'You three will prove all naysayers wrong! Go on guys!'
Jeremy, Richard, and James have given the new presenters their blessing and are going to make cameos on the show following their departures. The Grand Tour returns on Thursday September 4 on Amazon Prime.
