The holiday season will soon be upon us, which means it’s time to start preparing for the big Thanksgiving feast. For a fun throwback, let’s look back at one of my favorite Thanksgiving-themed episodes from The Grand Tour – the epic turkey drive across the American South.
In this classic episode, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May set out on a road trip to get their hands on some fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner And as usual with these three, things don’t exactly go according to plan So buckle up as we relive this hilarious turkey day adventure from everyone’s favorite former Top Gear hosts.
The Quest Begins
The episode starts out with the guys looking forward to a Traditional American Thanksgiving after being away in Europe for so long But there’s just one problem – they’ve left it far too late to order turkeys So they decide the only reasonable thing left to do is take a spur-of-the-moment road trip through the South to find some themselves.
Armed with an RV and a thirst for adventure, the trio heads out on their turkey quest. But before crossing state lines, they must first deal with the biggest question of all – who will be stuck driving the gigantic, lumbering RV? After a quick challenge involving parking tickets (which James loses), their fate is sealed – James draws the short straw and is relegated to piloting the Winnebago.
Turkeys are Tricky to Track Down
With James behind the wheel, they set off in search of the elusive Thanksgiving turkey. But it turns out finding fresh turkeys days before the holiday is no easy feat, even in the American South. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to locate the main bird, they eventually realize they’ll have to go directly to the source.
So they chart a course for Batesville, Arkansas – the turkey capital of the world! Here, amongst rolling hills filled with turkey farms, our determined presenters hope to finally lay hands on the turkeys needed for their holiday feast.
The Ultimate Turkey Challenge
Upon arriving in Batesville, Jeremy, Richard and James waste no time taking part in the annual turkey calling competition. Watching these Brits attempt to mimic turkey calls with devices like box calls and diaphragm calls is absolutely hilarious. While they give it their best effort, their comical turkey impersonations fall a bit short of winning any prizes.
After working up an appetite, they head over to the famous Turkey Trot festival which is essentially a giant turkey leg eating contest. Never ones to shy away from a meaty challenge, the guys dive in to see who can gnaw through the most juicy, savory turkey legs in 10 minutes. Let’s just say things get a bit messy.
Mission Accomplished…Sort Of
Finally, their turkey quest comes to an end at a local farm where they are able to procure three live turkeys for their Thanksgiving feast. Despite a few feather ruffling squabbles along the way, they ultimately accomplish their goal.
In the end, they decide to donate the live turkeys to a family in need of a Thanksgiving meal. After all the antics and laughter this journey has brought, passing on the turkey cheer feels like the right thing to do. It turns out even these spirited hosts have a heartwarming side.
Looking Back at the Turkey Day Adventure
Re-watching this funny and feel-good episode really got me in the mood for the holidays this year. Between the RV road trip, hilarious turkey calls and big-hearted conclusion, it’s a Thanksgiving classic that never gets old. It serves as a good reminder to embrace the spirit of the season, count our blessings and enjoy time with loved ones.
The Grand Tour always knows how to turn improbable adventures into side-splitting entertainment. And they proved that yet again with this turkey day road trip through the quirky heart of America. It’s definitely one to re-watch each year as the holidays roll around. Just don’t wait until the last minute to secure your own turkey!
Sea to Unsalty Sea
- Jimmy Carr, Richard Hammond, and James May are on a quest in Azerbaijan and Georgia. They will race three brand-new GT cars on a real Formula One track to see how they handle, how well they drive, and how fast they can go.
- The Aston Martin DBS, the Bentley Continental GT, and the BMW M850i are being driven by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May on a 1000 km trip from the coast of the salty Black Sea in Georgia to the coast of the fresh Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan. —Baysara.
- Each of them drives a powerful Grand Tourer from Georgia to Azerbaijan. Clarkson takes the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, which is 72 kg lighter than the DB11 but costs BP 67,000 more than the DB11, which costs BP 225,000. They choose the latest Bentley Continental GT (626 BHP, very comfortable for long drives, 6L twin turbo W12), Hammond goes with the 715 BHP twin turbo V12 (211 mph, whisper quiet), and May drives the new BMW 8 Series (Bp 100,000, 4 4L turbocharged V8, 523 bhp, all-wheel drive, 8-speed transmission The Aston and BMW both have bad voice recognition systems. From the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, they drive over 1000 km on highways, country roads, and through beautiful cities. Along the way, they set many challenges to see which of their chosen GTs is the best. Their first town is Gori (birthplace of Stalin). They go to Stalin’s childhood home to see where he grew up. The next night, May and Clarkson break into a local statue of Stalin, cut off its head, and put it on Hammond’s car as a masthead. There is a fence between Russia and Georgia that Russia slowly moves into Georgian territory at night. On the way, they stop to look at the fence. This is how they are annexing Georgia bit by bit. One person from the village went outside at night and couldn’t get back because he was now surrounded by Russian barbed wire. Next, they find a racetrack at Tbilisi. Aston can drift even with the traction control on. The Bentley weighs 2. Tech like torque vectoring, active diff, dynamic suspension, and more make it go fast, even though it weighs 25 tonnes. The Bentley also drifts around corners. The BMW has the least amount of power and the least amount of power to weight, but it makes up for it with technology. 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering etc. Around the track Aston: 2:00. 0, Bentley 2:04. 8, BMW 2:05. 8. Mr. Wilman then tells the three to drink three pints of water, wait twenty minutes, and then do their laps again. Clarksons pees himself on the 2nd corner. All three of them were slower this time than the first time. Next, they visit a wine spa in Tbilisi. Then they check their trunk space at the nearby flea market. The Aston has the smallest trunk and a back seat that lives up to its name. BMW has the biggest boot. Soon after they cross Georgia and enter Azerbaijan, or Asia. In the third century, oil was found in Azerbaijan, making it the birthplace of oil. In a country with a long history of oil, the three need to put their cars in cruise control because they can’t find a gas station. Bentley gets 30 mpg (30.6 mpg with 6 of its 12 cylinders shut off). The BMW has an active grille up front and other important features that can be turned off to save gas. Aston has zilch. The whole country runs on Lada cars. The trio stop at the town of Ganja. May sets out to show that their fast cars aren’t really faster than regular cars in the real world. They go 50 miles in an old, broken-down Renault 9 to the “Garden of paradise.” After giving Abbie a two-minute head start, the challenge is to catch up to her. All cars go the same speed in real life because of the traffic, lights, and speed limits. Abbie is first the at finish line, proving Mays point. Next, they go to Azerbaijan’s huge oil fields, where oil rigs are busy drilling oil out of the ground. They find a crude oil spa where Clarkson takes dip. The trio sum up their cars. Clarkson doesn’t think the DBS is worth all the extra money, but Hammond and May love theirs. Azerbaijan’s capital city, Baku, is the site of a street F1 race. The three ask that the roads be closed so that they can race their cars on the real track. It’s too wet for the Aston to stay on the track, but the BMW and Bentley finish almost tied, with the BMW just ahead. In attempts, the result is the same. They will soon get to the Caspian Sea, which is 50 feet below sea level and the world’s largest body of water that is not in the ocean. May talks about the BMW’s lane keeping system back at the tent. This system keeps you between the white lines on the road. Because it couldn’t be turned off, May couldn’t get her racing lines straight while she was racing because the BMW’s system kept putting the car back between the lines on the road. The two of them agree that the Bentley is the best of the three.
Top gear presenter Richard Hammond dies insides as the Turkish boarder guards don’t find him
FAQ
Did Top Gear go to Turkey?
Where is Grand Tour season 5 episode 2?
Where is Grand Tour season 4 episode 2?
Why did Grand Tour get canceled?
What happened to ‘the Grand Tour’?
On 13 December 2018, Amazon announced that The Grand Tour had been renewed for a fourth series. With this, Amazon and the production team retired the studio and audience format in favour of films dedicated to road trips and adventure specials. [ 36 ]
Is ‘the Grand Tour’ a British show?
“GMT, it’s a British show” (Tweet) – via Twitter. ^ abJuss, Mindy. ” ‘The Grand Tour’ with executive producer Andy Wilman”. Edinburgh International Television Festival. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016. ^ Sharples, Sarah (29 November 2016). “Lawo gears up for The Grand Tour with former Top Gear presenters”.
Are Jeremy Clarkson and Operation Desert Stumble still on ‘the Grand Tour’?
“The Grand Tour episode two review: Operation Desert Stumble and Jeremy Clarkson is still off the leash – plus all the talking points”. The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2016. ^ “Viewers divided over “difficult second episode” of The Grand Tour”. RadioTimes.
Will the Grand Tour tent return to Oxfordshire for 2018?
“The Grand Tour tent will return to Oxfordshire for 2018”. MotoringBox.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018. ^ Clarkson, Jeremy (15 June 2019). “Jeremy Clarkson on Instagram: “Back in the saddle” “. Instagram. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
Does Eurostar have the Grand Tour?
At the start of 2018, high-speed Eurostar train services between Paris or Brussels and London began to feature The Grand Tour as part of the available on board entertainment package. [ 120 ] Starting September 14, 2024, The Grand Tour will be syndicated to local stations across the United States. [ 121 ]
Is the Grand Tour game a bad game?
“The Grand Tour Game is a bad game, but an interesting vision for interactive TV”. www.eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2019. ^ Will Dron (27 January 2019). “THE GRAND TOUR GAME REVIEW – Our thoughts on The Grand Tour Game so far”. driving.co.uk. Sunday Times.