Ever since Top Gear reinvented itself in 2002, there has always been something of Last of the Summer Wine to the exploits of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. The show was always less about cars and more about three middle-aged men putting themselves in harm’s way, presumably to silence the nagging thought that the universe is random and uncaring.
But it is now 2024. BBC’s Top Gear gave way to Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour, which in turn gave way to a sporadic fistful of specials. Even these have run out of road, since the latest – One for the Road – is being marketed as Clarkson, Hammond and May’s breakup album. This is the big finale. The end of an era.
