The Great Escapists

Last updated

The Great Escapists
Genre
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producer
  • Gareth Cornick
Production locations Pearl Islands, Panama
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time45 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Amazon Prime Video
Release29 January 2021 (2021-01-29)

The Great Escapists is a British television adventure-drama series starring Richard Hammond and Tory Belleci as fictionalized versions of themselves. Stranded on a deserted island, the two have to rely on makeshift machinery to survive while trying to find a way to escape. It was first broadcast by Amazon Prime Video on January 29, 2021, to mixed reviews.

Contents

Plot

Richard Hammond and Tory Belleci went on a fishing trip together, however; their boat has sunk in a storm. Stranded on an unnamed deserted island in the Pacific Ocean, the two use the remains of the boat to build makeshift machinery in order to escape the island. Just as Belleci is about to figure out a way to use the boat's sail to construct a float able to travel over high seas, Hammond secretly hides the sail, as he does not want their adventure to end prematurely. Thinking that there is no way to escape the island, Belleci resigns and the two build a large beach house that enables them to live on the island in comfort, using the island's resources for food and fresh water. While Belleci still tries to figure out ways to escape, a crazed Hammond continues to secretly sabotage all his efforts. As tensions rise between the two of them, Belleci, suspecting Hammond of sabotage, kicks him out of their beach house, starting a war between the two, where they repurpose most of their machinery into war machines and the house is largely destroyed. Ultimately, after being forced to reconcile, they build several flying machines to escape the island, the latest of which explodes, attracting South American police. The two are mistaken for drug traffickers and taken into custody. Questioned on their individual account of the story, both blame each other. In the end, they are released as no actual crime was committed, and Hammond admits to Belleci that he sabotaged their escape attempts.

Cast

Additionally, Joseph Balderrama and Silvana Montoya feature as two South American police officers questioning Hammond and Belleci.

Production

Three years prior to filming, Hammond reached out to Belleci to work on a project together in an attempt to create a pop science show that had more substance. [1] Belleci flew to London and over the next years, the concept for the show was developed. [1] When speaking of the series, Hammond described as something entirely new, as it was a unique blend of "pop science, engineering, survival, and drama". [1] The series was shot on location on several of the Pearl Islands off the Pacific Coast of Panama. Unlike their previous series, the show's events are entirely fictional and both star as fictionalized versions of themselves, similar to shows like Episodes . According to Belleci and Hammond, this decision was made as to not having to break the fourth wall continuously and create a more compelling narrative. [1]

A trailer for the show was revealed on January 5, 2021, with the full show being released on Amazon Prime Video on the 29th of the same month. [2]

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal release date
1"Ship Wrecked"29 January 2021 (2021-01-29)
Hammond and Belleci go on a fishing trip, however, they end up stranded on a deserted island after their boat sinks in a storm. Using the remains of the boat, they construct several vehicles, trying to tow the ship's remains so they can build a makeshift boat. However, only one of the vehicles prove suited, albeit slow, for the task at hand. Afterwards, Hammond made a makeshift dummy called "Clarkson". Belleci attempts to use the boat's sail to build a float, however; it mysteriously goes missing. Realizing they will have to live on the island while figuring out a new way to escape, they build a makeshift beach house and a defence system, which caught a chicken Hammond names "Monster".
2"Power Up"29 January 2021 (2021-01-29)
The duo tries to adjust to life on the island. In order to make life easier, they make several adjustments, turning their treehouse into a large mansion including a water mill to power the electricity, a lighthouse to get rescued, and several other improvements, allowing them to live on the island in more comfort. A day later, Belleci finds the missing sale and assumed they were not alone on the island.
3"Ahoy There"29 January 2021 (2021-01-29)
Still trying to escape, the duo try to build aquatic machines to reach a nearby fishing lane Belleci believed he saw, but again their machines prove unsuited, Hammond's raft sunk, the sail Belleci used for his snapped and Hammonds "Bi-sea-cle" was too slow, until Belleci created a make-shift Paddle Steamer. When they reached the fishing lane and, after waiting four days, Hammond came to the conclusion Belleci made up the lane and, with only two pieces of wood left, were stranded at sea.
4"Fireworks"29 January 2021 (2021-01-29)
After barely making back to the island, Hammond tries to cheer Belleci up after the paddle steamer sunk by making a party to celebcrate Fourth of July, while Belleci tries to use explosives to send a distress signal. In an attempt to sabotage his plans yet again, Hammond sets off all the fireworks while Belleci was on one of the rides. This latest attempt drives Belleci over the edge, and he kicks Hammond out of the beach house.
5"War Games"29 January 2021 (2021-01-29)
After being kicked out of the house, a crazed Hammond declares war on Belleci. After his first attempt to attack the beach house is thwarted, he repurposes one of the vehicles as a tank and destroys large partes of the beach house, including the water mill, until Belleci drives him back with a makeshift artillery, which destroyed the tank. Nevertheless, both destroyed large parts of their constructions and resources. Afterwards, the two managed to trap themselves in two of Hammond's traps in an attempt to retrieve Clarkson.
6"Lift Off"29 January 2021 (2021-01-29)
Realizing they have to escape the island, the duo calls for a truce after they escaped the traps. After rebuilding the beach house, Hammond spots a bird indigenous to mainland South America, they decide to build flying machines to escape. However, while they manage to build a machine that actually fly, but it couldn't make the distance to the mainland. Using thousands of condoms to build a balloon, it's explodes, because Belleci used hydrogen to make it fly, which "blew up" Clarkson, the resulting explosion attracts South American police forces, who mistake Hammond and Belleci for drug traffickers. Taken into custody and questioned, both blame each other for their situation. As no crime has been committed, they are released, and Hammond admits that it was him who hid the sail.

Reception

The series received mixed reviews and holds a 60% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Several reviews highlighted that the show made good use of its scientific experiments. Writing for Metro , Tilly Pearce noted that the big science set pieces were the true stars of the show and that the series as a whole was the "perfect solution to teaching kids science". [3] However, other critics found the show's premise to be hardly believable, as it was clearly evident that there was no way the two presenters could build their machines on their own, arguing that thus "their schtick doesn't land most of the time." [4] Writing for The Telegraph , Anita Singh also concluded that there was no way for the audience to buy into the concept of the show. [5]

Also, the chemistry between Hammond and Belleci was positively received, with Pearce stating that Hammond's childish antics matched well with Belleci's straight man persona. Nevertheless, Pearce noted that the acting was "clearly the weakest link in the series", as both stars were not trained actors. [3] Singh had similar sentiments, noting their "easy chemistry" that carried some of the segments, while the overall act seemed hardly believable. [5]

Most critics centered on the weak plot of the series, which Pearce describes as "means-to-an-end" to keep the experiments together. [3] Also, the series was found to lack direction, with Keller calling it an "odd show" that was lost between scripting and improvisation and had no clearly defined genre, with six episodes being clearly too long. [4] Pearce also noted that there was no clear target audience recognizable, as it was unclear whether the show was aimed at adults or children. [3] Singh had similar remarks, noting that the concept of the show was simply not working, as it was designed like a kids show, but seemingly aimed at adults. [5]

Related Research Articles

Desert Island Discs is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James May</span> English television presenter and journalist

James Daniel May is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter, alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, of the motoring programme Top Gear from 2003 until 2015 and the television series The Grand Tour for Amazon Prime Video from 2016 to 2024. He also served as a director of the production company W. Chump & Sons, which has since ceased operating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Hammond</span> British broadcaster and journalist (born 1969)

Richard Mark Hammond is an English journalist, television presenter, mechanic, and writer. He is best known for co-hosting the BBC Two motoring programme Top Gear from 2002 until 2015 with Jeremy Clarkson and James May. From 2016 to 2024, the trio presented Amazon Prime Video's The Grand Tour.

<i>MythBusters</i> Australian–American science entertainment television program

MythBusters is a science entertainment television program, developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internationally by many television networks and other Discovery channels worldwide. The show's original hosts, special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, used elements of the scientific method to test the validity of rumors, myths, movie scenes, adages, Internet videos, and news stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanjeev Bhaskar</span> British actor, comedian and television presenter

Sanjeev Bhaskar is an English actor, comedian and television presenter. He is best known for his work in the BBC Two sketch comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and as the star of the sitcom The Kumars at No. 42. He also presented and starred in a documentary series called India with Sanjeev Bhaskar in which he travelled to India and visited his ancestral home in today's Pakistan. Bhaskar's more dramatic acting roles include the lead role of Dr Prem Sharma in The Indian Doctor and a main role as DI Sunny Khan in Unforgotten. Bhaskar has been the Chancellor of the University of Sussex since 2009.

Alison Hammond is a British television personality and actress. She competed in the third series of the reality show Big Brother in 2002, in which she was the second housemate to be evicted. She has since become a presenter and reporter on ITV's This Morning (2002–present) and a co-presenter on the Channel 4 reality baking competition The Great British Bake Off (2023–present). In January 2024, it was announced that Hammond would take over For the Love of Dogs from Paul O'Grady, following his death in March 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Escapist fiction</span> Genre of fiction

Escapist fiction is fiction that provides escapism by immersing readers in a "new world" created by the author. This "new world" aims to compensate for the arbitrariness and the unpredictability of the real one. Typically, an author of escapist fiction offers structure, rationality and resolution to real world problems throughout their medium. The genre facilitates mentalisation; that is, escapist fiction encourages psychological engagement from the reader. Escapist fiction is often contrasted with realism, which confronts the reader with the harsh reality of war, disease, family dysfunction, crime, foreclosure, death, etc. It encompasses a number of different genres within it; any fiction that immerses the reader into a world different from their own is fundamentally escapist fiction. Escapist literature aims to give readers imaginative entertainment rather than to address contemporary issues and provoke serious and critical thoughts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tory Belleci</span> American television personality and model maker

Salvatore Paul Belleci is an American television personality and model maker, best known for his work on the Discovery Channel television program MythBusters. He has also worked with Industrial Light and Magic on films including Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. The Federation battleships and podracers are some of Belleci's pieces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kari Byron</span> American television host and artist

Kari Elizabeth Byron is an American television host, best known for her role on the MythBusters and White Rabbit Project series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant Imahara</span> American engineer, roboticist, and television host (1970–2020)

Grant Masaru Imahara was an American electrical engineer, roboticist, and television host. He was best known for his work on the television series MythBusters, on which he designed, built and operated numerous robots and machines to test myths over the course of the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Rani</span> British broadcaster and journalist (born 1977)

Anita Rani Nazran, better known as Anita Rani, is a British-Indian radio and television presenter.

Deadblow is a combat robot that was built and driven by Grant Imahara. It competed on BattleBots in the middleweight division using a fast pneumatic hammer as its weapon. Deadblow won two rumbles and was ranked second among middleweights, after Hazard. Afterwards, it was used by Imahara to help in some experiments on the television series MythBusters.

Top Gear challenges is a segment of the Top Gear television programme where the presenters are tasked by the producers, or each other, to prove or accomplish various tasks related to vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LoadingReadyRun</span> Canadian entertainment group

LoadingReadyRun, often abbreviated to LRR, is a Canadian entertainment group that produces video and audio comedy. It often covers video games, internet trends, and popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Osman</span> English comedian, producer, TV presenter and writer (born 1970)

Richard Thomas Osman is an English author, television presenter, producer, novelist, and comedian. He is the creator and former co-presenter of the BBC One television quiz show Pointless. He has presented the BBC Two quiz shows Two Tribes and Richard Osman's House of Games, and been a team captain on the comedy panel shows Insert Name Here and The Fake News Show. He has made appearances on British panel shows including Would I Lie To You? and QI.

The Grand Tour is a British motoring television series, created by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and Andy Wilman, made for Amazon exclusively for its online streaming service Amazon Prime Video, and premiered on 18 November 2016. The programme was conceived in the wake of the departure of Clarkson, Hammond, May and Wilman from the BBC series Top Gear and was originally contracted with 36 episodes over three years.

The Holy Trinity (<i>The Grand Tour</i>) 1st episode of the 1st series of The Grand Tour

"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.

<i>The Grand Tour Game</i> 2019 video game

The Grand Tour Game is an episodic racing video game developed and published by Amazon Game Studios with additional support being provided by Heavy Iron Studios. The title was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is based on the Amazon Prime series The Grand Tour. It covers the first episode of Series 1 and Series 2 and released a new episode of the game simultaneously with each episode of Series 3. This is Amazon's first video game for the two consoles.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Great Escapists is something genuinely new". The Belfast Telegraph . 30 January 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  2. ↑ Kanter, Jake (5 January 2021). "'The Great Escapists': Amazon Drops Trailer & Premiere Date For Richard Hammond, Tory Belleci Series". Deadline . Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Pearce, Tilly (17 January 2021). "The Great Escapists review: Richard Hammond Cast Away series perfect solution to teaching kids science". Metro . Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 Keller, Joel (30 January 2021). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Great Escapists' On Amazon Prime Video, Where Richard Hammond And Tory Belleci Use Their Know-How On A Deserted Island". Decider . Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Singh, Anita (29 January 2021). "Is it wrong to wish that Richard Hammond really was marooned on a desert island?". The Telegraph . Retrieved 24 July 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.