The Grand Tour's Richard Hammond has had more than one accident on the open roads, but in The Great Escapists he takes his accident-prone self onto new ground – or water, as it turns out. Joining forces with MythBusters' Tory Belleci, Hammond learns to put his survival skills to the test in a fictionalised effort of life stranded on a desert island.
Washing up on shore after a shipwreck, the six-episode series follows Belleci and Hammond as they try to keep themselves alive until they can be rescued. The time frame is not noted, but it doesn't really matter – as the actual stars of the show are the big science set pieces that see them blowing stuff up, making electricity out of nothing and generally causing a nuisance for themselves. Oh, and there's also a football-headed dummy named Clarkson keeping them company.
The Great Escapists doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to pop science shows, but it couldn't have come at a more opportune moment – with dozens of families seeking ways to keep kids interested in education. Hammond and Belleci make quite a good pairing, with Hammond's childish persona a great match to Belleci's straight 'man with a plan' who is consistently annoyed by his pal's attempts to have fun.
While Belleci is creating a lighthouse and help signs, Hammond is creating his own television show made out of a camcorder he's charged with yukka plants and acid. Naturally, as time goes on, it devolves into chaos, with a pineapple cannon and a soul-smelling air gun coming into play. The acting parts are probably the weakest link, with the pair clearly not actors, but there's a little Home Alone thrown in for fun, and more than a couple of not-quite swear words to keep parents interested.
It's unclear who the target audience is, with the scientific elements seemingly made for 11-16 year olds, the slightly more adult humour for parents, and the extravagant explosions for children. But somehow it works, and while six episodes is a bit of a stretch, it's definitely one that'll pass some time, or at least some education hours. The Great Escapists is silly, absurd fun – and possibly just what some parents might need in lockdown to help their children care about science.
The Great Escapists launches January 29 on Amazon Prime Video.
