Former Top Gear hosts transform to Amazon Prime

Former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have signed an exclusive deal with Amazon’s online streaming service.

Long-time executive producer Andy Wilman’s services have also been secured for the show which will premiere in 2016.

So much for that Netflix rumour.

Currently an annual subscription to Amazon Prime costs £79 in the UK and $99 in the United States. In the absence of a presence in the Australian market Amazon Prime could choose to license the program to another broadcaster.

Speaking to the Radio Times Andy Wilman explained the decision to sign with Amazon: “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.”

Wilman expanded further, giving an early glimpse of what to expect from the new show: “It’s a motoring show and there will be themes people will be familiar with.

“But I can’t tell you how good it feels to get the chance to produce something from scratch. We’re all really excited. No one telling us what we can and can’t do, just us hopefully producing great programmes. It feels really liberating.”

Clarkson, Hammond and May on their new show

Clarkson: “I feel like I’ve climbed out of a bi-plane and into a spaceship.”

Hammond: “Amazon? Oh yes. I have already been there. I got bitten by a bullet ant.”

May: “We have become part of the new age of smart TV. Ironic, isn’t it?”

I'm very excited to announce that Hammond, May and I have signed a deal with .@AmazonVideo

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) July 30, 2015

Amazon wins race to sign Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May for new car show available exclusively for Amazon Prime members

• Global deal sees trio reunite with first season scheduled to premiere in 2016
• New car show joins Prime Video stable of critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series, adding to the largest selection of movies and TV shows of any video streaming service in the UK

London – 30 July 2015 – Amazon today announced that Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will reunite to make a new car show available exclusively to Amazon Prime members. The show will be produced by the trio’s long time executive producer Andy Wilman.

The award-winning team have committed to three seasons as part of this landmark global TV deal. The first season will go into production soon and is scheduled to premiere for Prime members in 2016.

On working with Amazon, Jeremy Clarkson said: “I feel like I’ve climbed out of a bi-plane and into a spaceship.”

Richard Hammond added: “Amazon? Oh yes. I have already been there. I got bitten by a bullet ant.”

James May said: “We have become part of the new age of smart TV. Ironic, isn’t it?”

“Customers told us they wanted to see the team back on screen, and we are excited to make that happen,” said Jay Marine, Vice President of Amazon Prime Video EU. “Millions of Prime members are already enjoying our ground-breaking original shows. We can’t wait to see what Jeremy, Richard, James and the team will create in what is sure to be one of the most globally anticipated shows of 2016.”

Customers can sign up to receive the latest news on this new show by visiting www.amazon.co.uk/GuessWhosBack.

Clarkson, Hammond and May will join top talent making Amazon Original Series that will premiere on Prime Video in 2015 and early 2016. These include Hand of God starring Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy) and Dana Delany (Body of Proof), Red Oaks starring Craig Roberts (Submarine) and Paul Reiser (Mad About You), The Man in the High Castle from Executive Producer of The X-Files Frank Spotnitz and Executive Producer Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), the company’s first docu-series, The New Yorker Presents, as well as second seasons of the multi-Golden Globe-winning comedy Transparent, Mozart in the Jungle starring Gael Garcia Bernal (Rosewater) and Bernadette Peters (Smash), and Bosch, from Michael Connelly and starring Titus Welliver (Lost).

Amazon also resurrected hit British drama Ripper Street, starring Matthew Macfadyen (Spooks), Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones), Adam Rothenberg (The Divide) and MyAnna Buring (The Twilight Saga). Amazon produced third series of the Victorian crime drama launched in November 2014 to critical and customer acclaim; a fourth season of the show is now in production.

“This is a golden age of television, a great time for TV makers and storytellers,” added Jay Marine. “Our approach is to give programme makers creative freedom to be innovative and make the shows they want to make. This is just the start, you should expect to see more world-leading talent and the biggest shows on Prime Video.”

Prime members can enjoy Amazon Original Series and other Prime Video movies and TV shows using the Amazon Video app. The Amazon Video app is available on hundreds of devices including Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Roku, smart TVs and Blu-ray players from Samsung, Sony, LG, and Panasonic, the Xbox, PlayStation, and Wii game consoles, as well as on mobile devices like Fire tablets, Fire phone, iPhone, iPad, and Android tablets and phones. Customers can also watch online at www.amazon.co.uk/primevideo.