The Long Goodbye
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May have been 'retiring' for years, but The Grand-ish Tour feels like the most honest attempt at an exit. By leaning into the care-home bit, they've finally stopped pretending they're the young renegades they were in 2002.
More Than a Clip Show?
Technically, this is a three-part special designed to milk the massive library of Grand Tour footage. If you're a parent who has sat through these specials before, you'll recognize 80% of the screen time. However, the 20% that is new—the bickering in the 'common room'—is surprisingly charming. They’ve traded the high-speed supercars for wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and the humor translates surprisingly well.
The 'Misery' Factor
The show highlights what made this era of car TV work: the 'misery.' It wasn't about the cars being good; it was about the cars being terrible in beautiful places. For a kid who likes engineering or building things, there’s actually a lot of 'what not to do' advice buried in the mud and water.
Should you watch it?
If your family has a 'car person,' this is an easy Friday night pick. It’s low-stakes, funny, and serves as a history lesson for the last twenty years of automotive culture. If your kids aren't already fans, the pacing might feel a bit sluggish compared to the high-octane energy of modern YouTube car influencers, but the chemistry here is something those influencers usually can't touch.
