Amazon's The Grand Tour has launched with a new hosting team, featuring a format that retains the show's classic motoring stunts.
Key facts
- •The new hosting trio consists of Thomas Holland, James Engelsman, and Francis Bourgeois.
- •The debut episode features the hosts racing a Mustang, a Corvette, and a Hennessey in California.
- •Racing driver Jenson Button makes an appearance in the first episode to assist the new team.
- •The production team opted for relatively unknown hosts rather than high-profile celebrity hires.
- •The show's format continues to feature road trips, stunts, and track racing without a live studio audience.
The Grand Tour has returned with a new production team and three new hosts: Thomas Holland, James Engelsman, and Francis Bourgeois. The debut episode features the trio visiting Diddly Squat Farm to meet Jeremy Clarkson before embarking on a series of supercar challenges in California. The show continues to utilize the established format of road trips, stunts, and track racing, including an appearance by racing driver Jenson Button.
The new hosting team
The new lineup consists of Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, both from the YouTube channel Throttle House, alongside TikTok personality Francis Bourgeois. Unlike previous iterations of the franchise, the new hosts are relatively unknown. In their first outing, the team operates without a live studio audience, maintaining a tone described as meek and pleasant compared to the confrontational style of the show's predecessors.
Format and production
The debut episode follows a traditional structure, with the hosts racing supercars—specifically a Mustang, a Corvette, and a Hennessey—across California. The production includes familiar elements such as racing against jet planes and featuring guest appearances from professional drivers. While the show currently adheres to the well-worn tropes of the long-running motoring format, there are occasional moments of improvised humor, such as a joke regarding tax payments during a visit to a private racetrack.
Future prospects
The current approach appears to be a deliberate effort to transition the audience from the era of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. By keeping the stakes low, the production team aims to allow the new hosts to develop a natural rapport over time. However, questions remain regarding the long-term necessity of the format, given that the show relies on established tropes that have been utilized in various iterations of motoring television since the original Top Gear began in 1977.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Guardian Culture.
