I used to love the BBC program Top Gear.  A highly rated program about expensive cars in exotic locations.  Even Pat liked to watch it although it is totally focussed for gear heads.

As you likely know,  after many years BBC had to shut it down because the main host Jeremy Clarkson assaulted one of the producers.  This is after a long series of his making racist, misogynist and nationalistic faux pas in the past.  Let us face it he is an arrogant jerk, and that came across clearly in the programs…. but he was amusing.  His other 2 host partners (Hammond and May) left the show at the same time (although they are innocent).

As it was the top rated BBC show in Britain and internationally they attempted to continue it with many new hosts including Matt LeBlanc but frankly they never captured the humour and joy of the show and it is an utter failure.

Meantime Amazon were launching their internet TV network (to compete with Netflix) and wanted a draw so they offered $200 million to Jeremy to duplicate Top Gear only based in America.  They would only offer the show on Amazon.  Which we do not bother to get.

We have a friend who was an even bigger fan of Top Gear so he subscribed and recorded the first season of the new show called GT (Grand Tour) with Clarkson, Hammond and May and gave me a set of disks.

Pat and I watched the first episode tonight and it was terrific.  Probably better production quality than the original BBC top gear shows.  Not sure if it is going to make Amazon the top internet channel but it is a good start.  Anyone that wants to watch 3 middle aged guys race cars that cost $2 million each around narrow roads in Portugal would love it