The Grand Tour returns today...
- Thread starter PerryGunn
- Start date
By the seaside...
Shropshire, UK
Francis is also a massive car nut as well, tracks a modified Honda Jazz (think I saw someone say he'd spent tens of thousands on it?) and is pretty handy.
High hopes for it, although I see each of these reboots/changes as a new show rather than "it'll be the same with new people".
High hopes for it, although I see each of these reboots/changes as a new show rather than "it'll be the same with new people".
Trouble is, he looks like he's about 16 and any time I've seen him he's so off-puttingly over-enthusiastic, I think he's about to do a sex wee in his pants....
Well, I've watched the first episode and part of the second - feels like it's been written for Clarkson/May/Hammond but it all seems a bit 'forced' as the presenters don't have their timing or basic charm on screen.
Francis Bourgeois, in particular, is very off-putting. He may be good on his own videos where he's talking about something he knows inside out, but they've got him doing the voiceovers and it's so obvious that he's reading a script, there's no natural flow to it and he sounds like someone doing a bad powerpoint presentation about the absorbsion properties of adult nappies.
Francis Bourgeois, in particular, is very off-putting. He may be good on his own videos where he's talking about something he knows inside out, but they've got him doing the voiceovers and it's so obvious that he's reading a script, there's no natural flow to it and he sounds like someone doing a bad powerpoint presentation about the absorbsion properties of adult nappies.
The main modification appears to be a K20 out of a Civic Type R now according to https://www.carthrottle.com/news/viral-trainspotter-francis-bourgeois-has-k20-swapped-his-honda-jazzTracks a Honda jazz? That’s a phrase I never thought I’d hear!? Hmm
He appeared in the background of Chris Harris' socials a couple of years ago at a wet Anglesey going round in the Jazz from memory.
Coventry
Heard or had?
Its on my list for when I next have prime, looking forward to it. Quite like the two from throttle house.
Just watched the 1st 2 episodes.
It's a grower.
It's a grower.
I’ve not watched it yet, but I watch videos on the Throttle House and Throttle House Extra YouTube channels quite frequently. James and Thomas clearly get on very well and they’re unpretentious with a self-deprecating, rather English sense of humour. They’re very likeable in that format so I hope the scripted nature of the GT doesn’t spoil that.
What little I’ve seen of Francis made me think that the producers where just trying to replicate James May as a contrast to the slightly dumb TH presenters.
What little I’ve seen of Francis made me think that the producers where just trying to replicate James May as a contrast to the slightly dumb TH presenters.
I read that he bought it for his girlfriend and got carried away modifying it whilst fixing corrosion and mechanical faults.
Watched first three episodes with the family, the intro was a little contrived I thought but once they got out into cars it got pretty enjoyable. Episodes two and three had us howling with laughter at the TV at points, I think its a really well put together show - 20+ years after "new" Top Gear - without trying to be a clone of what's come before too rigidly. For me its a great mix of presenters, and some good natured ribbing between them that feels natural rather than forced.
I'm really enjoying it, mad props to all involved. Could've quite easily been a write-off.
I'm really enjoying it, mad props to all involved. Could've quite easily been a write-off.
Well your experience is almost the exact opposite of mine - I got through the first three episodes and found it trite, derivative and completely unfunny. They've taken a show that was getting long in the tooth but was held together by its trio of presenters and made it appreciably worse - it's not an impossible task to give a show like this a fresh face while maintaining the core content, look at the version of Top Gear with McGuinness, Flintoff and Harris
As the last three episodes involve racing cars against jets around a runway-based course (copied from Top Gear et al), a version of trying to kill the Toyota Hilux but with cars instead of a truck and a race between a supercar and public transport (Francis has a traingasm) to deliver something to Spa (the sort of race done to death by Clarkson and co.), I won't be bothering with them...