The Great Escapists

I feel that this show could have been so much better if they scrapped the "acting" and just stuck to the science/engineering.

Don't get me wrong,I know that even so called unscripted shows usually have a script of some sort, but sadly the Myth Busters / Brainiac: Science Abuse hybrid show that I was hoping for doesn't materialise.

This show had so much potential to build on previous formats like Scrapheap Challenge, Mythbusters, Bear Grylls, Top Gear, The Grand Tour etc. Hammond and Tory are both fantastic presenters and the location is beautiful but the content is edited so poorly that it feels like a trainee swept up all the clippings off the floor and spliced them together in the dark.

The sequencing makes zero sense, there are scenes which clearly refer to earlier ones which have not yet been shown and what the hell is the part about recounting the story to interrogators? Were they 20% short on material and got as drunk as possible to come up with this idea for a filler?

All in all, I am very dissapointed but believe this series could be saved. Pull the show now, edit it properly and include more of the actual making process and you'll have at least a half decent show. As it is, it is simply not worth wasting your time. 1 out of 10 - must try harder!

OK, definitely no Swiss Family Robinson. And zero authenticity, which is disappointing. But It's filmed in a nice location and you could imagine this fitting into a monkey island computer game in a way. Shame that Hammond has to rely on using the Clarkson name for entertainment rather than relying on his own reputation. Definitely the least meritorious of the Three G. T. presenters spinoff shows bug entertaining all the same.

This is a fantasy sitcom about two guys who get stranded on an island. One guy desperately wants to get off the island, while the other wants to stay and enjoy it. They build ridiculous contraptions in their efforts to either stay or to enjoy themselves. The two guys happen to be Richard Hammond and Tory Belleci playing themselves. OR This is a parody fantasy version of what would happen if Richard Hammond and Tory Belleci got stranded on an island together.

Once you realize what this show is, you might find it funny and cute. If you sit down thinking that it's a documentary / reality show / builder show, like Top Gear, Grand Tour or Mythbusters, you're going to be disappointed. It's a fantasy TV show. Or it's a parody. Or it's Gilligans Island where Tory and Richard play themselves. After I accepted that, I enjoyed the stupid humor and binge watched the whole season. I hope they make more. I've enjoyed Hammond and Belleci over the last 20 years and thought they were fun together. I hope they make more of these or that they do some kind of other show together.

The negative reviews are really the result of expectations minus reality.

This is not top gear, Grand tour, or mythbusters. If you go in with that mindset it's quite enjoyable to watch. The dialogue is still Ted and the editing is rough but it's a fun time.