Clarkson, Hammond and May left the BBC after Clarkson caused a storm of controversy after punching one of the show’s producers because he wasn’t presented with a steak dinner after a day’s filming.
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Jeremy has shared his joy at nabbing the deal, stating: “I feel like I’ve climbed out of a bi-plane and into a spaceship.”
May and Hammond plus executive producer Andy Wilman all quit the show soon after, prompting speculation that the four would look to make a rival show for another network or streaming service.
However, Radio 2 DJ Evans was last month confirmed as the new Top Gear host before the BBC revealed it would be welcoming open video auditions for co-presenters.
Amazon also secured something of a coup in January when it signed up Woody Allen to do his first ever television series. Hammond jokingly added “Amazon?” The show will form part of Amazon Prime’s original programming line-up, which now includes the Steven Spielberg produced Extant, and Ridley Scott’s The Man in the High Castle.
Although the Oscar-winner admitted: “I don’t know how I got into this. Bad news! So have the other two”.
Top Gear is one of the most popular TV shows in the world, with an estimated global viewership of 350 million people.
From a business perspective, both the Amazon deal and the Netflix discussion are interesting because they signal the arrival of a new dynamic in creating and distributing entertainment online.
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BBC acted quickly and hired Chris Evans who will run the show from next year together with co-hosts set to be selected after a series of auditions where everyone is invited. Apparently they want us to make a vehicle show.
