| "The Holy Trinity" | |
|---|---|
| The Grand Tour episode | |
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:The_Grand_Tour_trio_in_The_Holy_Trinity.png) Clarkson, Hammond, and May take the stage for the first time in the series' airing. | |
| Episode no. | Series 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by |
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| Presented by | |
| Original release date | 17 November 2016 |
| Running time | 71 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
Celebrity Brain Crash appearances: | |
"The Holy Trinity" is the first episode of British motoring series The Grand Tour. It was made available exclusively through the Amazon Video streaming service, first on 17 November 2016 at 23:00 GMT. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, who previously presented as a trio on BBC Two motoring programme Top Gear, present the show. Production of the episode was handled by W. Chump and Sons, with executive production done by Andy Wilman, who previously served as the executive producer of Top Gear.
Prior to filming, Clarkson's contract was not renewed by the BBC after he was involved in an altercation with a Top Gear producer in March 2015, leaving Hammond, May, and Wilman to follow him in departing the show following the end of the series. Later in 2015, they signed a deal with Amazon to create an original series. Filming for the introduction and tent scenes took place in Los Angeles, California in September 2016. The episode features the trio introducing the new bits of the show, as well as their film. For the film, the trio traveled in three supercars to the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal, where they had timed laps performed by race car driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio.
The episode received very positive reviews from critics upon its release. Critics noted similarities between the episode and Top Gear in their reviews. It attracted nearly two million viewers in its first weekend of release and was eventually made available to non-Amazon Prime members for free viewing from 23 to 26 December 2016.