Well, we’re finally here. We’ve just witnessed the inaugural episode of The Grand Tour. It doesn’t feel like a whole lot of time has gone by since Jeremy Clarkson was fired from Top Gear, but in fact it’s been over a year and a half. Much has happened since then!
To recap, here are the events that brought us here.
March 2015
- News of Jeremy Clarkson’s suspension from Top Gear breaks. The show isn’t broadcasted the following Sunday. The details for this aren’t clear and all we know is that there was a “fracas.”
- We learn that the “fracas” involved Jeremy Clarkson punching a producer. Also, two more episodes of Top Gear series 22 are suspended.
- Oisin Tymon is identified as the unfortunate producer who bore the brunt of Clarkson’s hangry wrath.
- The BBC cancels the last, unaired episodes of Top Gear series 22.
- Richard Hammond and James May reportedly refuse to film any more Top Gear without their pal.
- Jeremy Clarkson is officially fired from Top Gear.
April 2015
- Jeremy Clarkson won’t face charges for his attack on Tymon.
- James May expresses hope that the trio will return to do a car show, BBC or not.
May 2015
- There is talk of the three back with a new live show.
June 2015
- Hammond hints at a potential return to American screens.
July 2015
- Jeremy Clarkson announces that the trio has signed with Amazon to do a car show.
September 2015
- Will the new show be called “Gear Knobs”? Hmm...
October 2015
- Jeremy Clarkson uploads a photo after a day of filming the new, unnamed show. Featured in the photo are a McLaren P1, a Porsche 918 and a Ferrari LaFerrari. Of course. We have to one-up Top Gear, here.
- The “Gear Knobs” rumor is put to rest. It’s not happening.
February 2016
- Clarkson settles his whole punched-a-dude-in-the-face thing and formally apologizes to him. Very compassionately, too.
May 2016
- The unnamed Amazon show is now named “The Grand Tour.” Details include the cast and crew traveling around in a big tent. It’s named because that’s exactly what it will be about. Also, part of the idea came from an old Top Gear episode.
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July 2016
- A U.S. filming location for The Grand Tour is announced. Namely, California.
- A first look at the big tent surfaces.
August 2016
- Meanwhile, an ex-BBC executive says that firing Clarkson was a mistake.
- It is revealed that filming The Grand Tour was a minefield of potential copyright infringements.
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September 2016
- We learn that you can’t binge-watch The Grand Tour like you would House of Cards. It appears that episodes of the show will be released weekly instead of all at once.
- The Grand Tour’s launch date is revealed to be November 18. We all mark our calendars.
- The launch trailer drops. We break it down.
- There is an epic launch-taping in California.
October 2016
- The opening for The Grand Tour is said to cost a mind-numbing $3.2 million.
- The first official trailer for The Grand Tour drops. It’s a good day. We broke down the trailer for your enjoyment.
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November 2016
- The trio will jump right into filming the second season of the show as soon as the first season wraps.
- Jeremy Clarkson says that they drove over a billion miles during filming for the first season. He was probably exaggerating. Probably.
- Though advertisements everywhere say that The Grand Tour will air on November 18, it will actually air a day early here in the U.S. because of time zone nonsense.
- Here’s how to watch it.
Tell us what you thought of the first episode.
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