Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and "captain slow," James May, will reunite to make a show for Amazon Prime.
The former Top Gear trio will reunite for the first time since Jeremy Clarkson was terminated by the BBC following an unprovoked physical attack on one of the show's producers. His on-screen co-hosts followed suit and left the show earlier this year, with reports suggesting that the former BBC employees didn't want to be separated.
For those that are not aware, the BBC is the public-service broadcaster in the United Kingdom and has opened up the show to many other countries around the world, therefore the fan base for these three guys is pretty strong. However, in an act to remain objective as an example to other UK broadcasters, Clarkson was dismissed.
But it's not all doom and gloom. It would seem that Clarkson, Hammond and May are looking to change the show up a little, marking their "exhilarating" deal with Amazon. Former Top Gear executive producer, Andy Wilman, told the RadioTimes: "They’ll give us the freedom to make the programs we want – and you know how we love that freedom – there’s a budget to produce programs of the quality we want and this is the future. So it’s exhilarating to be part of that future.”
Rumors have been circulating for many months now that the former Top Gear team could be signing a deal with several suitors, including Netflix, Amazon and more noticeably ITV. However, the deal for the team to join up with Amazon could prove a shrewd move. The three hosts might not feature on UK television anymore but this comes with its advantages:
- Clarkson's controversial, "tongue-and-cheek" style has seemingly been filtered out while working for the BBC, however Amazon probably won't follow suit. Reason being, broadcasters in the UK are pretty reliant on advertising capital, which is something that for a company of Amazon's size should not prove problematic.
- Also, BBC has previously reported that the trio would not be allowed to work with another UK broadcaster for the next two years, but this deal obviously sidesteps this issue.
- Finally, Amazon have much deeper pockets. Ultimately this could work out for the better of the show, and for all involved – with higher wages etc.
We understand that the new motoring program is set for release during 2016, leaving many Top Gear fans in anticipation for the trio's return. If you would like to check out Amazon Prime's exclusive streaming service, click here.
