As a die hard Top Gear fan I was seriously looking forward to The Grand Tour finally coming along late last year, it seemed as if time was standing still waiting for the day to arrive.
And then it did. Hmmm. OK, it's the first episode, they can be forgiven for being a bit sillier than we're used to.
Now I've watched 9 episodes and have to give it a pretty big thumbs down. A classic demonstration that throwing nearly 7 times as much money at a show does not make it better. The ingredients are mostly there but something went wrong in mixing them, or perhaps during baking.
Celebrity Brain Crash. Mildly amusing the first time but that joke very quickly went stale. While they can't have the brilliant Star in a reasonable priced car any more they could surely have come up with something better than that rubbish.
Stig vs The American? No contest. Dump that fat sack of you know what.
They've done one special so far, a 2 part drive through some sand. Whoopie effin' do. There was less entertainment in that whole thing than in any of the old single episode specials. Vietnam special anyone? Or Bolivia? Or any of the old ones in fact, all far superior and actually capable of keeping you awake.
I think the best way I can convey my feelings towards it is to say that I have all of the old Top Gear and have watched every single one at least 3 times, some of the specials and challenges are probably into double figures.
The Grand Tour? I'll never watch any of them again.
And don't even get me started on the new Sherlock last week. That was a real turd hiding in the punch bowl.