Looks like a poignant farewell from Clarkson, Hammond and May in the last ever episode and I’m looking forward to watching it tonight.
Like many I suspect I have loved this crew from the very beginning. I bought my first TVR, an S3 in 1995 and ended up with a Griffith by 1997. It coincided with Clarkson coming to the fore with his unique brand of humorous motoring journalism and the two seemed to go hand in hand. I was pretty unhappy in an IT career back then and I well recall going out in the Griff for a whole day on Sundays and then thundering back along the South Downs to get back in time for Top Gear on a Sunday night. It was the last bit of pleasure left before a humdrum working week started over again…
That show and those people did indeed keep me going through some less than pleasant times in my life and yes they certainly inspired me to keep putting my hand in my pocket to keep the TVR going even when there wasn’t enough money in the coffers!
A career change to something more to my liking (flying) helped although after starting a family and being on lower wages meant the the Griff has spent too much time languishing in the garage even after a full resto (thanks to a redundancy payment). I’m 55 now and contemplating only another year or two with the Griff and a couple more adventures and epic trips before I trade it in for something cheaper to run and just easier to drive during retirement - probably an MX5. So in many ways, it’s not just the end of the Clarkson, Hammond and May era, it feels like the end of an era and phase of my life where I got a heck of a lot of pleasure from cars, driving them, exploring the countryside in them, watching telly about them, going to the odd motor show, attending Goodwood and going to the occasional TVR event.
Truth is running a Toyota GT86 as a daily driver on a 90 mile round trip commute to work has spoiled me with its overall reliability and rewarding driving experience. Maybe I’ve just outgrown the hairy arsed TVR and realised that airbags and traction control do matter… I’ve somewhat moved on, just as Clarkson, Hammond and May are doing…
It’s going to feel poignant, of that I’m sure, and I will be eternally grateful to the three of them for being right there alongside me in spirit on every mile of my driving journey… I actually sent an audition tape of me reviewing my Griff when the BBC were on the hunt for contributors just before they recruited Hammond and May so it could have been Clarkson, Gorse and May!!!
Here’s to the open road, the best show on TV and the spirit of driving, thanks guys it’s been a blast…
Anybody else looking forward to seeing it but dreading the end of an era at the same time?
I’m a fan as well here in Canada, really from when we first started getting Top Gear. The Grand Tour was ‘over the top’ at times but well suited to comedic banter among the three. For me it was escapism with great scenery.
I just finished watching it with my son. Since so many people will want to watch it in their own time and in their own way, I’ll say nothing except that it was great to spend time with him before he forges ahead on his new life path and heads to uni to study engineering.
I watched it without realising that this was the magnificent trio’s last hurrah (it didn’t take long for the penny to drop!). Like the best of the old comedies, entirely predictable but hugely appealing to watch.
Kuma, I think the reason for cancelling the show was two fold - new Amazon leadership regarded it as prehistoric and the cost of making each episode was off the scale. I can’t help but think that the overall viewing figures would ultimately make it profitable however, the PC police have grabbed another opportunity…
From reading interviews with each of the three, it seems they’d decided themselves they’d had a great time but they’re getting on now (at least JC and JM are), had done loads but enough was enough and they didn’t really want to do it anymore.
I’ve read that the show will continue with different hosts. I can’t really imagine that scenario. For me, Top Gear was very different and far less appealing after the trio left, oor more accurately, Jeremy was fired.
I certainly hope not as Top Gear demonstrated extremely clearly that the template relied heavily upon the personal chemistry between these three individuals and (controversial perhaps!) Clarkson’s anchor role. I thought both Top Gear line ups were comparatively awful to watch, largely because of just how solid the original line up really was.
Peter
PS I suspect it was the number crunchers who called time on their adventures!
In another article, Hammond is quoted saying just that, but he doesn’t know who the hosts will be yet. He’s now repairing the Stag and Capri at his workshop.
Also watched it with my son. We were both quieter than usual. At the end we agreed we might just go back and start watching all series from the start.
There is no better television.
Aside from what one may or may not think about some things Clarkson did and said outside of the TV shows, it feels like an era has ended.
Me and my wife were quite emotional at the end. There is something akin to a security blanket about their adventures. Watching them together was always fun.
Will miss it a lot. But do understand that these kinds of adventures take a lot when one gets older.
Thankfully Clarkson’s Farm will return to soothe the wounds a little.
Top Gear used to be excellent, then they caught on the fact that the average public liked the tour bits the best. Not me though. They took the tour bits and extended them to the point where they took over the whole show and the banter became more scripted, fake and boring. Even though I have Amazon Prime, I’ve never watched the Grand Tour, but I’m in the middle of watching this last episode. Nothing has changed at all. Same boring scripted stuff with fantastic filming by the talented crew.
It had its day years ago. Sad to see them split, but hard to imagine they won’t work together on something else in the future.
Clarkson’s Farm just shows how good, funny, sad and emotional a programme can be with the same presenter.
Can still remember the old format Top Gear, where Clarkson started on TV reviewing Cars etc.
So have lived through the all episodes of the new format, including all the new presenters, and all of the Amazon ‘Grand Tour’ programs.
Yes, it’s sad that’s it, but it is time for the presenters to move on.
BTW also watch “Wheeler Dealers”, Car SOS, the Drew Pritchard Classic Cars and Fifth Gear.
And 19 years ownership of a ‘03 BMW e46 Coupe
