Line #114 Characters/TheGrandTour


1	This is a page describing the presenters and other assorted personalities involved in ''Series/TheGrandTour''.
2
3	!!The Presenters Collectively
4	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grandtour_trio.jpeg]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:Being friends doesn't mean you can't annoy the crap out of each other.]]
6	* BigGuyLittleGuy: Clarkson and Hammond
7	* FireForgedFriends: Occasionally, in more than one road trip special.
8	* {{Flanderization}}: Played up more than it was on ''Series/TopGearUK'', at least in parts of the studio segments. Hammond is excitable, crass and prone to crashing, Clarkson is overconfident but incompetent, and May is old-fashioned, fussy, and easily annoyed.
9	* FreudianTrio:
10	** Clarkson: Id
11	** Hammond: Ego
12	** May: Superego
13	* HeterosexualLifePartners: Often one will accuse the other two of "inappropriate touching" behind the scenes. Jeremy's photo album of Richard found at the destruction of Clarkson's house does not help matters.
14	* HiddenHeartOfGold: All three of them play up the JerkAss angle. In RealLife behind the scenes, however, they're a bit different.
15	* OddCouple: Clarkson (brash and out-going) and May (quiet and sensible).
16	* OneHeadTaller: Clarkson (6'5") and Hammond (5'7").
17	* NiceMeanAndInBetween: A classic example, Clarkson and May are the two extremes with Hammond having things in common with both being the glue in the centre.
18	** BeautyBrainsAndBrawn: Also fit this subtype - Hammond is generally considered the easiest on the eye, May is the intelligent nerdy one and Clarkson is the big loudmouth.
19	* TrueCompanions: Clarkson did not get his contract renewed after punching a producer on ''Top Gear''. The other two were offered huge salaries by the BBC to continue without him, but quit instead. The three, along with producer Andy Wilman, all made the move to Amazon together. Perhaps May said it the best:
20	--> '''May''': "Much as I think he's a knob, I quite like working with Jeremy."
21	* UniversalDriversLicense: So far, they've driven almost anything they've been put behind the wheel of.
22	* VitriolicBestBuds: They will happily pull nasty pranks and laugh uproariously when terrible things happen to their co-presenters... although this tends to stop abruptly if one of them gets genuinely hurt [=and/or=] when RealLife problems crop up and they drop the fooling around. However, expect them to tease the person injured after the fact when he is fully recovered.
23
24	!!Creator/JeremyClarkson
25	[[quoteright:231:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tropes_gtjc.jpg]]
26	[[caption-width-right:231:He's a nice guy...as long as you're not [[BerserkButton Piers Morgan or a TV producer.]]]]
27
28	The leader of the central trio: the oldest, tallest, and most [[GrumpyOldMan obstreperous]]. He tends to be very vocal in his dislikes and self-confident to the point of arrogance. Also physically the most fragile. Given his choice of cars (and most everything else, really) he prefers sheer raw power (preferably with the noise to go with), then control, and then speed. He is also the most likely to get into hot water for his on-air remarks, the number of which is too large to get into here. When all is said and done, however, the man is genuinely passionate in his admiration of and respect for good engineering, and not just automotive engineering, he's known for being an all-round technophile, possibly because he's not that skilled at designing something from scratch, and therefore recognizes how hard it really is to do.
29	----
30	* AnimalMotifs: The other two often nickname him "the orangutan", or compare him to an ape, due to his brashness and lack of subtlety.
31	* TheBigGuy: His height, an impressive 196cm (6'5" if you're American) is the frequent butt of jokes, and he often winds up getting stuck with the small cars for comedic purposes.
32	** He has trouble fitting through the safety frame of the Aston Martin Vulcan.
33	** He laments being too tall (the other two jokingly add "too fat") to fit behind the wheel of the Ford [=GT40=] that May drove during his Ford vs Ferrari [=LeMans=] segment.
34	** During "Past, Present or Future", he can't fit into his Lamborghini with a crash helmet on and has to get a test driver to take his place during the hill climb.
35	** He runs into the same problem in "Jaaaaags" but is able to remedy it by opening the sunroof, even if that defeats the purpose of the helmet in the first place.
36	* BriefAccentImitation: Generally of Americans or of Hammond.
37	* TheCaptain: The unofficial leader of the three.
38	* CatchPhrase:
39	** Closing out the episodes with "[[SigningOffCatchphrase And on that terrible disappointment, it's time to end]]"
40	** "POWAAAAAAAAAAAH!" while accelerating. Or less frequently, "SPEEEEEEEEEED!"
41	** "Hammond, you idiot!" whenever Richard does something to inconvenience him.
42	** Starting around Season 2, he gained the MadLibsCatchPhrase of ending disagreements with "Look, let's not get bogged down with [whatever the disagreement is about]..."
43	* CausticCritic: Clarkson pulls no punches when it comes to cars (or anything) he reviews, and will call vehicles out on things he finds wrong. He's angered quite a few car companies this way. Given that his previous criticism of Tesla caused him to be sued, he had to consult lawyers to talk about the faults of the one he reviews in Season 2. He hates every minute of it.
44	* CrazyIsCool: Invoked by (and about) Clarkson frequently, who does things simply because he ''[[RefugeInAudacity can]]''.
45	* DeadpanSnarker: He's particularly good at delivering patently ridiculous lines in a serious, authoritative tone.
46	* DramaticPause: Practically tied with Creator/WilliamShatner as the living personification of this trope.
47	* EpicFail: While all the presenters have their shares of failures, in any challenge it is all but guaranteed that what ever Jeremy comes up with will either crash, break down, not start, or get [[IncendiaryExponent set on fire]]. Or possibly set itself on fire.
48	* HiddenDepths: Clarkson is a bird watcher which is sometimes mentioned in the series. During foreign road trips he can sometimes be seen watching birds. [[http://www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk/articles/10-celebrity-bird-watchers He is often listed in "Celebrity Bird Watchers" lists.]]
49	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: On occasion, Clarkson's fondness for power can override any other concerns about a vehicle, meaning, as in the case of one of the races, he might choose a car with great power, but awful fuel-economy.
50	* IncomingHam: Often Jeremy will be [[NoIndoorVoice heard]] long before he's seen.
51	* InsaneTrollLogic: Comes up with theories, conclusions, and ideas that make ''absolutely'' no sense. For example, in order to find the weight of a car, use a giant scale and farm animals...
52	* InSeriesNickname: Frequently referred to with Hammond as "Pinky and Perky" by May.
53	* InsufferableGenius: He knows a lot about cars, and won't hesitate to tell you so.
54	* LargeHam: Loud voice, dramatic gestures, overemphasis on certain words, and larger-than-life analogies. "Subtle" is definitely not a word used to describe Clarkson.
55	* LethalChef: He made food with bits of Hammond's and his renewable cars in "Environ-Mental." His car was made of unrefrigerated beef that had been out in the sun all day.
56	* NoIndoorVoice: His default volume is "loud."
57	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Will play up his TV persona and act incredibly stupid for a laugh (he will often say absolutely outrageous things for the sake of entertainment, and for those who aren't in on the joke he will say things just to see how far people will believe what he's saying). He is far more intelligent than he acts, and will own up to playing the idiot when questioned seriously.
58	* PercussiveMaintenance: Thinks a hammer is the only tool you will ever need.
59	* RefugeInAudacity: Constantly makes ridiculous and insulting pronouncements and revels in too-soon humour. This has gotten him into trouble on numerous occasions.
60	* SmugSnake: Clarkson believes his plans will work purely on the principle that he says they will work. When they (inevitably) fail, he ''will'' insist that it's NeverMyFault
61	* TalksLikeASimile: Every other sentence of a review from Clarkson will have him compare an aspect of a car to something. Often, the connections and analogies run from "barely there" to "absolutely ridiculous."
62	* TimTaylorTechnology: Devoted to the principle that power is good and more power is even better, and has a particular fondness for cars like the Bugatti Chiron, which have power-to-weight ratios that are frankly terrifying.
63
64	!!Creator/RichardHammond
65	[[quoteright:223:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tropes_gtrh.jpg]]
66	[[caption-width-right:223:Crashes so much he should be permanently in bubble wrap.]]
67
68	The second in command: the youngest, shortest, and second-most obstreperous -- and generally agreed to be the easiest on the eyes. [[note]]He has often been noted for his similarity in appearance to Music/{{Muse}}'s Matt Bellamy, Creator/DavidTennant and [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Stan Laurel]] [[/note]] Described by the others as the toughest physically but the most fragile emotionally. Tends to be chatty and moody. Given his choice, he generally wants a fast, powerful car, especially those made by Pagani and Porsche but the love of his life is a 1963 Opel Kadett with under 50 hp.
69	----
70	* BerserkButton: He has a deep, passionate hatred for the Nissan Juke. He will gladly let you know about it if he sees you drive one. He also hates {{Music/Genesis\|Band}}.
71	* BookDumb: Not keen on deeply educational things, but far from outright stupid.
72	* BriefAccentImitation: The most likely to do this, particularly during the news segments.
73	* CaptainCrash: He gets flack from this from his co-presenters.
74	** He crashed a Rimac Concept One while filming in Hemberg, which required a plate in his knee.
75	** His status as this has gotten to the point where May revealed that when he drove the Porsche 917, Porsche wanted Captain Slow to drive it, not the "accident-prone little midget".
76	** During the Mongolia special, Clarkson and May absolutely did not want Hammond to drive the car they built, only letting him take the wheel for comically brief stretches.
77	* CatchPhrase:
78	** In the more recent series; when Clarkson asks "How hard can it be?", expect Hammond to reply "''Don't say that!''" or similar.
79	** "That's not gone well!"
80	* DoesNotLikeSpam: He's a picky eater but hates fish of all descriptions especially.
81	* ForeignCultureFetish: For the USA. He brings an American car to James and Jeremy's genteel grand tour of Italy and when he paints it later he adds a sexy lady in Daisy Dukes with an American flag.
82	** He takes this quite literally when he sees a 1968 Dodge Charger with a Hellcat engine.
83	---> "[[IllBeInMyBunk I need some time alone...with that picture.]]"
84	* HotBlooded: The presenter most likely to throw themselves fully into the challenge and get emotional over winning or losing.
85	* InSeriesNickname: Frequently referred to with Clarkson as "Pinky and Perky" by May.
86	* {{Keet}}: The smallest and most energetic of the show's hosts.
87	* TheLancer: To Clarkson.
88	* MrFanservice: The most conventionally good-looking of the three. Though, as of the Grand Tour, he ''is'' increasing in poundage a little...
89	* TheNapoleon: The shortest presenter, as well as the most prone to losing their temper.
90	* PickyEater:
91	** Constantly taunted by his co-presenters for not being as open-minded about food as them. They will often order something completely out there in order to gross him out.
92	** He does not like fish in particular, and only nibbles at the one Jeremy catches in Namibia because it's all they have to eat.
93	* RunningGag: [[CaptainCrash If he can drive it, he will crash it.]] In "Enviro-mental", he actually lists all the crashes he's had in Yorkshire alone, culminating in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hammond#Vampire_dragster_crash infamous jet-powered dragster crash.]] Becomes HarsherInHindsight after he crashed a Rimac Concept One in the Swiss Alps resulting in him needing to get his knee replaced with a "Swiss Army Knee".
94	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Inverted with fish.
95	* WaistcoatOfStyle: During the tent segments. It makes him appear more stylish than his older, more eccentrically dressed co-presenters.
96	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: The normally fearless and daring Hammond is terrified of insects.
97
98	!!Creator/JamesMay
99	[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tropes_gtjm.jpg]]
100	[[caption-width-right:200:Does things he hates for your amusement.]]
101
102	The quiet one (relatively speaking) somewhere between Clarkson and Hammond in age and height: a picture-perfect Straight Man with an understated sense of humor and a gift for deadpan delivery. Likes physics, classical music, alcohol, light aircraft and interesting facts. Far more careful than the other two, and obsessive (to the point of possibly suffering from OCD) about details, down to the proper arrangement of his tools. He is implicitly acknowledged to be the most technically savvy of the three.
103	----
104	* BerserkButton: He is extremely unhappy with cars developed on the Nürburgring and will often rant about car companies that brag on this.
105	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Good-naturedly puts up with Clarkson and Hammond's taunts and pranks, but if he gets pushed too far, he can be harsher than both of them put together.
106	* ButtMonkey: The other two love to gang up to pull pranks on him. They also decided to add a segment to the show: "Make James Do Something He Hates."
107	* CatchPhrase:
108	** During Celebrity Brain Crash "Does that mean he/she's not coming on?"
109	** Though not as often as his time on ''Top Gear'', his exclamation of "Oh Cock!" when things go wrong.
110	** While filming for Drivetribe, he got so used to the crew prompting him to say “Like, comment, subscribe” that he took to repeating it anytime there was a lull in speaking. He has since started doing this while filming The Grand Tour.
111	* CloudCuckooLander: Seems to genuinely have this aspect to his personality.
112	** For example, when trying to lure a bat out of Clarkson's roof, he stands in the barn and makes "sensual and erotic" bat noises.
113	** He once asked Clarkson to sniff his jacket because "it smells of old record players."
114	* DeadpanSnarker: Often used to smugly put down his co-presenters. Is also able to say but all of the most ridiculous statements with the straightest of faces.
115	* ForeignCultureFetish: For Germany. Not as potent as Hammond's for the USA but he has shown his interests in Germany more than once. He loves German cars (especially Mercedes), occasionally speaks in GratuitousGerman, likes airships, and has an interest in Germany's UsefulNotes/WorldWarII military. The only exception to this is The Nürburgring.
116	* GoodWithNumbers: The one most likely to use maths and use them correctly.
117	* GoshDarnItToHeck: He swears less than the other two, though he is not immune to slipping in the occasional "shit" or "cock."
118	* HatesBeingTouched: Not fond of "man-contact" in general, though he seems to have relaxed this slightly over the years.
119	* IAmNotLeftHanded: Played with. He can apparently drive fast when he wants to.
120	* IconicOutfit: His loud flowery shirts and stripey jumpers, specifically a pink and purple rugby shirt. During "The Fall Guys", he confessed the manufacturer of said jumper begged him to stop wearing it and offered him free clothes if he did. He refused, because "I'm an arse."
121	* InSeriesNickname: Clarkson has taken to calling him "the old lady."
122	* TheKlutz: Has a tendency to fall over on slippery surfaces, as he demonstrates on-camera during the wenching segment. He also slipped coming out of a pub off-camera just before the "Italian Lessons" France trip, resulting in his broken arm.
123	* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Whenever James gets hurt in a spectacular fashion, he'll only let out a flat "Ow."
124	* NeatFreak: He is only too happy to clean blood off of the tent window in Dubai while the other two continue on.
125	* NoSenseOfDirection: Claims he has an electrical imbalance in his brain which leads to him visualizing the map of Britain upside-down.
126	* NotSoAboveItAll: While Hammond and Clarkson tend to prank him on the road trips, there's no shortage of occasion where he and one of the other two have ganged up on the third instead. In addition, he can gloat just as loudly when he wins a challenge over the others.
127	* TheQuietOne: Compared to Clarkson and Hammond; if he ''does'' get a word in, expect a CharacterFilibuster.
128	* RummageSaleReject: Some of his favorite shirts are... loud.
129	* SelfDeprecation: When he looks ridiculous, he's usually the first to point it out.
130	* SilverFox: He's gone almost completely gray.
131	* TheSmartGuy: If there is science to be known or maths to be done, May is the one who will effectively wield them.
132	* TheStoic: He's less excitable than his colleagues and better at keeping his cool. When dealing with those who are not his co-presenters, he also falls into the "polite stoic" category.
133	* StraightMan: Although as ''Oz and James'' shows, it's really only compared to the other two.
134	* ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: He rarely shows his anger visibly. When he does, it's a BewareTheNiceOnes moment.
135	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: May has a fear of heights. He is not happy when Hammond tries to make him climb a ladder to help with demolishing the roof of Clarkson's house, and he uses INeedAFreakingDrink to cope with his buggy-cable car's high descent over a Namibian river.
136
137	!!"The American"
138	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nascar_129764853vadapt664high75_4.jpg]]
139	[[caption-width-right:350:When it comes to The American, [[CaptainPatriotic everything is Communist.]] ]]
140	The American, also known as Michael "Mike" Skinner is the racing driver for The Grand Tour after the BBC decided they wanted to hold on to the Stig. He only appeared on the show in the first season...[[spoiler:until he returned as "hallucinations" in the Season 3 RV Special.]]
141	----
142	* CaptainPatriotic: Believes all cars made overseas are "communist".
143	* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: He's in deliberate contrast to The Stig as instead of faceless and silent, he's fully seen and vocal, especially about how everything is Communist.
144	* IconicOutfit: Wears a red, white and blue track suit and a helmet.
145	* PutOnABus: The character was retired after Mike Skinner left due to his dissatisfaction with the way the American was written.
146	** [[spoiler:However, he returned in Season 3 during the RV Special as a hallucination seen only by Clarkson, who didn't recognize him, which culminated into him burning a ring around all their RV's at the end.]]
147	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Replaced The Stig as a racing driver for the three presenters.
148
149	!!Abbie Eaton
150	The replacement for The American, since "[The fans] hated him" for Series 2.
151	----
152	* ExpectingSomeoneTaller: When it was announced they had a new female racing driver, everyone expected Sabine Schmitz. Unfortunately, due to Sabine's commitment to, of all things, ''Top Gear'', they had to go with someone else.
153	* NoNameGiven: Isn't even given a nickname. Her name only appears in the credits, and several fans wondered who she was.
154	* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Before each power lap, she says one line (such as "Let's do this" or "Let's see what she's got"), presumably to differentiate herself from [[Series/TopGearUK The Stig]].
155	* PutOnABus: She was absent from the first two ''The Grand Tour Presents'' specials, because since they dropped the studio format--and thus the Eboladrome as well--they didn't really need her anymore.
156	** TheBusCameBack: However, she returned briefly in ''Lochdown'' when they visited a race track during their trip.
157
158	!!Andy Wilman
159	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a_car_show.jpg]][[caption-width-right:350:"A message from Mr. Wilman."]]
160
161	The long-time executive producer of ''Top Gear'', who left alongside Clarkson, Hammond, and May, and collaborated with them to develop ''The Grand Tour''. As the person in charge behind the scenes, Wilman takes up the role previously played by the nameless "Producers" in ''Top Gear'', challenging the presenters to accomplish strange or difficult feats with automobiles, and serving as an antagonist when the challenges call for it.
162	----
163	* TheCameo: He appears in person with the rest of the crew in their game against the Columbian Football team.
164	* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: He communicates with the on-screen presenters mostly through telephone text messages, though he will resort to using the display screens in the studio tent to get their attention. This is averted, however, when he makes a cameo during the Crew vs. Columbian Football team game.
165	* MissionControl: He is the source of various challenges put to the presenters.
166	* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: The presenters invariably refer to him on-camera as "Mister Wilman".

Context Characters / TheGrandTour