I think I realised what made the Top Gear era of Clarkson, Hammond and May work so well. And why it still does!
I went on a long binge over the weekend of countless older Top Gear videos. Apart from having a chuckle and feeling a little nostalgic, I realised the trio of Clarkson, Hammond, and May never really felt like your typical run-of-the-mill automotive journalists.
They felt like enthusiasts. Like you and I.
And the people behind the scenes were pure geniuses too. They didn't just think outside the box. I think they forgot the box existed!
Think about it.
They had their mums decide which was the better hot hatch. They got Eric Clapton to test the speakers in a Kia. Clarkson popularised gems like “Lotus: Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.” And who can forget the car challenges? The cheap car challenges, the races, the road trips, and all the ridiculous variations that came from them.
They took car reviews and turned them into stories. Half, if not all, of the time, they would integrate the stats into the storyline too instead of just stating them.
I think their bottom line was:
"Just have fun with cars."
That's probably why we can go back and watch an episode several years later, know exactly what's going to happen, and still end up chuckling at it.
Sure, I'm a little sad that the era came to an end. But I'm also pretty happy that platforms like YouTube exist, because I can go back and watch all of those again whenever I want.
And then I heard a little birdie...
Well, technically, I heard the rumour on THIS! Podcast with Doug and friends that Thomas and James from Throttle House, along with Francis, could be involved in the next version of The Grand Tour.
I must say, I am genuinely excited to see what they are going to come up with.
And if they can capture even a little bit of that same spirit... three enthusiasts having fun with cars and taking us along for the ride... Count me in!