There’s no turning back now. The Grand Tour is on its way.
The date is picked, the full trailer is up and running, and new locations are being announced.
Not to mention the show’s opening scene is being called the “most expensive TV opening scene ever” with 150 cars, 2,000 acrobats, jets, and no telling what else coming in at £2.5 million (around $3 million).
With the debut just a month away, the only thing left for viewers needing their latest fix of the antics of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond isto wait.
Well, that and start the preparations for a weekly watching party. One of the reasons the enthusiasm for this show has been so high, in addition to people missing the hilarious magnetism between these three unlikely friends, is the anticipation of being an armchair passenger on this wild journey.
For those planning on tuning in with this well-traveled threesome, here are some tips in putting together the ultimate watch party for The Grand Tour:
Get Out The Map. These boys have a pretty extreme international journey ahead of them, so chart a course along with them. From what has been revealed so far, some of the countries covered include South Africa, the United States, Holland, Finland, Yorkshire, Barbados, Germany, France, and more. That’s a good amount of ground to cover.
Find a nice poster-size wall map of the world from a travel, craft, or teacher supply store. The vintage one shown above came from a craft store for around $12. Use stickers, tacks, or markers to keep track of their journey.
This is also a good opportunity to learn some facts about each place, like capitals, flags, food, and culture, or what (if any) makes of vehicles are made in the region. Even though not everyone will get a chance to travel the world, they can still learn about it, even in unlikely ways.
Go Retro. The “tent tour” set the show has planned is no mere camping trip. Their traveling studio is more posh (and larger) than many stationary homes. In addition to its vast picture window and studio space for a sizeable live audience, the sneak peeks at this massive mobile village have revealed vintage suitcases, bits and piece of safari-like travel fodder, and, most appropriate, retro racing posters.
Similar posters can be found and printed out online to adorn one’s own party “tent” or table, and small travel cases can be used to hold food and drink. Decorate these with some vintage labels from some of the countries featured on the series. Vintage and nostalgia sites like Retro Planet also have a large selection of vintage posters, metal signs, and vinyl stickers for travel buffs and racing fans.
Add some binoculars, old cameras, model cars, planes, motorcycles, and other travel trinkets to round out the look.
Pack Some Road Snacks. What’s a road trip without some grub?
There are two directions to go here. One option is to hit the travel centers and pick up some of the snacks, like individual bags of trail mix, jerky, Cracker Jacks, fruit, or other forms of “eat and drive” items. Shops like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and World Market also have some more natural snack items, as well as snack items from around the world. Half the fun here is seeing what there is to find.
For the second option, try something a little more substantial. Allrecipes.com always has some cool “road trip” food. Serious Eats has some make-ahead ideas as well such as homemade energy bars, Pork and Guinness Hand Pies, and fruit leather.
Some gourmet shops and marketplaces may sell different soft drinks or beers from around the world, depending on age groups and preferences of the viewing parties, of course.
Some energy drinks also have some great motoring names like “Full Throttle” or “Kick Start,” but go easy on those, okay?
Make A Playlist. One of the standouts of the most recent trailer was the inclusion of the band Kongos’ motivating hit, “Come With Me Now,” which helps make the series look like a feature movie in the works.
All road trips need a personalized, energizing mixtape, a sort of soundtrack to the trek, as it were. It would be impossible to speculate what is going to be featured on The Grand Tour, which might even sport original music. Names like Roger Daltrey, Wilko Johnson, and Hothouse Flowers have been tossed around online as possible theme song contenders.
Instead, find some favorite traveling or road trip or party songs, and put together a custom pre-show mix. Here are some suggestions:
- “The Boys Are Back” (Dropkick Murphys)
- “Party Hard” (Andrew W.K.)
- “Highway to Hell” (AC/DC)
- “Move” (Saint Motel)
- “Life in the Fast Lane” (Eagles)
- “The Distance” (Cake)
- “Should I Stay or Should I Go” (The Clash)
- “Roam” (B-52s)
- “Route 66” (Depeche Mode)
- “I Can’t Drive 55” (Sammy Hagar)
- “Life is a Highway” (Tom Cochrane)
- “New Four Seasons” (Nigel Kennedy)
Once all these travel essentials are in order, it will soon be time to sit back with friends and family and enjoy the scenic ride.
What could possibly go wrong?
The Grand Tour stops in California for their series premiere November 18 on Amazon Prime.
