The time is nearly upon us when Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond finally return to our streams.
Since Clarkson was unceremoniously sacked by the BBC back in 2015 following a 'fracas' with one of Top Gear's producers, the trio have had time off, collected their heads, and then reunited to create The Grand Tour.
The Amazon Prime original series will air on November 18, after months of anticipation, along with short teaser clips and an explosive trailer.
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From the looks of it, The Grand Tour is going to make the revamp of their former show look like kids playing in the red and yellow Cozy Coupes. If the new version of Top Gear proved anything, it's that you can't just throw people into cars and expect the entertainment value to still be there.
Credit: The Grand Tour
Chris Evans and co. were always destined for failure when they took up jobs as the new presenters of the BBC motoring show. The reason it had worked so well before was because there were three mates on screen, who, over the years, had become very close.
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If you cast your mind back to when Richard Hammond and James May first joined Top Gear, back when it was primarily a fact based car show, the camaraderie that is present now was non-existent. However, this wasn't an issue all those years ago, because those that were tuning in were doing so for their love of motoring, not necessarily for laughs. Due to the chemistry that slowly developed between the three presenters, they turned it into an entertainment show, which drew in audiences for laughs, explosions, speed and POWERRRR!
When the new presenters were drafted in, they weren't going to immediately inherit all that chemistry, natural ability to entertain and separate personalities that complement each other. It would have taken years to get to the level their predecessors got to, and nobody has the patience for that.
The recent new look Top Gear. Credit: BBC
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This is why we're excited for The Grand Tour. It's like looking forward to seeing a mate you haven't seen for ages. You meet them in a pub, get a pint, and everything falls back into place, as if no time has passed at all - nothing changes.
The truth is, the three of them could appear on any show, getting up to mischief and it'll still get viewers, as it no longer about cars. This was proven to me long ago when I found out my 12-year-old cousin put aside her nail varnish or whatever on a Sunday evening and sat watching Top Gear.
Yes, Hammond is now under the influence of a goatee, Clarkson usually can't go a week without causing an international outrage and May has terrible hair mixed with an awful dress sense. But when those elements combine, it creates a dynamic similar to a real friendship - a rare feat on TV - meaning the success of the show lies at the feet of three mates who have chemistry when they are in front of the camera.
It's odd that Top Gear is still going, to be honest. Of course, it is a cash cow for the Beeb, but surely after the three men who made it what it was left, the better idea would be to either end it, or sell on the rights to another channel? Furthermore, knowing that they'd be in competition with their former employees' new project would surely be enough for them to concede? Remember Fifth Gear on channel 5? Of course you don't. It was a show with the same format as Top Gear, but had one monumental flaw - it wasn't hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. Because of that, it faded into dust.
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All in all, we couldn't care less about the title of their new show, what channel or streaming service it's on, who the director is, what country it's based in, or what cars are being test drove - we just want to see Jeremy Clarkson accidentally pushing James May off a donkey while Richard Hammond blows up a Fiat Cinquecento, really.
Roll on November 18.
Featured image credit: Jeremy Clarkson via Twitter
Featured Image Credit:Topics: richard hammond, james may, The Grand Tour, Jeremy Clarkson